Bringing Blogging Back

The title of this blog is a bit of a wave to Justin Timberlake. Sorry, he's a guilty pleasure. Don't judge. Anywho...

My first cousin, who is also one of my loveliest friends, Jennifer, has decided to punt Facebook and go to a strict blog diet. Many of the comments that were directed at her when she posted this decision on Facebook were unsupportive. Some were incredulous. One person even said, "There's got to be a better solution!" O.M.G! Give up Facebook? Are you insane???

I think people have forgotten that we lived a long time without Facebook. Now, there are certain things about it that I love. I love that I can easily find friends from ages ago. Last week, I had lunch with my high school friend Matt. We would not even know how to begin connecting without Facebook. With FB it was super easy. A few PMs and voila! I took my two oldest to the orthodontist in B'ham and then met up with Mattie in Hoover. It was great!

But...

1. Group invites
2. Drama
3. TMI
4. False cheerfulness
5. Pushiness
6. Bad theology
7. Time waster
8. Farmville!!!
9. My Birthday Calendar
10. Duck-lipped pictures (Pouty face!)

I could go on, but I feel myself getting annoyed.

If someone wants to give up FB, that's fine. I do wonder if that can be easily done. My friend Lissa tried but discovered that organizations, churches and families make plans using ONLY Facebook. So if you're not on there, you won't know a single thing about it. That's rough. I know in Springville we have to remember to send out emails and texts, as well as FB. Otherwise, there are people who won't hear about it.

In closing, (because I am rambling) live and let live. Blog, Facebook, texting, email, or no internet at all... Can't we all just get along?


heehee, I cracked myself up

To The Future Me...

Slow day at the Sharp House today. I have spent the day reading. All. Day. Long. For the first time in ages and ages. Loverly.

John Ponder has been here for, let's see... nine days. Honestly, that boy could live here permanently and no one would mind. We love that guy.

Mags and Grace spent most of the day at the Hansen's. Brody and John both got bored about seven tonight and decided to do jigsaw puzzles. That was calmly pleasant until Brody decided to go get another one, a floor puzzle of the United States, and they started to race. Then it got exciting. The rest of us picked teams and jumped in. Then we finished at the same time! It was hilarious.

So now, Brody is looking at a magazine; Gracie and Maggie are eating; Ty and John are roaming the house being bored again. Chris is sleeping. One more hour until I wake him up. And I am blogging.

Like I said, it's a slow day. I'm only blogging it to remember it. Years from now, when they're all gone from home and I am sitting in my clean, quiet house, this post will make me smile. So, Future Me, smile. And maybe do a jigsaw puzzle.


And fold some socks, for heaven's sake!

Pop in for a Cuppa

I've been sitting here most of the day planning this year's school and visiting with friends who popped in for a chat. I loved it. I'm glad for the company and to not have to leave my couch.

One friend and I got talking about missions. Overseas vs home. Missions boards that send vs Raising support. It was a great conversation.

The negative side (if you want to look at it that way) is it got me to thinking about my other family in England and Ireland. *sigh* I know I will always have a hole in my heart that reminds me that I'm missing their daily presence in my life. I see their faces in my mind, hear their voices in my ear and would love for them to pop over, open my door after a quick knock (if at all) and make themselves at home.

I wonder if God will ever send us overseas. I wonder if that is in His plan for us. I know that we have always been open to it, but who knows. Maybe. I know that our role right now in overseas missions is to love them with our hearts wide open, willing to hurt with longing for them, and pray for them every day. And if God sends the opportunity and the money, we'll be on a plane faster than you can say, "Would you like a cuppa?"

Until then, I feel split in two. My heart is definitely here. I adore my new church family in Springville and the community God is building. I miss my other church family in Moody and see them when I can. But I miss my people across the pond. There is only one solution...

Oh, but won't heaven be lovely?

New Blog

There is an entire side to my life that I have rarely blogged about. I don't like controversy. I don't like being yelled at or making people feel uncomfortable. I avoid those things with enormous energy.

But...

I homeschool my children. I have been homeschooling my children for ten years. That's a whole decade. I am what is referred to as a "Veteran Homeschooler". But I rarely blog about that. For some reason, it makes some people defensive or aggressive. As I mentioned above, I don't like that being directed at me.

*Slight change of subject, but I'll tie it in*

It is a well known fact that the Sharp family is involved in a church plant. We have left our safe, comfy, family church and have ventured into unknown territory. It has been a struggle. Many of you know this and have prayed for us.

One of the things we have been trying to do is "get involved in the community". To me this has meant serving on the youth football board of directors. I've made a lot of contacts and hopefully, have loved a few people well. But I sense that I am trying to shove this square peg into a profoundly round hole. I don't have boys playing football this year. I don't have children in the school system (even if we put them in public school, we are zoned for a completely different system). It is really, really hard to meet up with people who move in such different circles. So I am asking myself why I'm trying to minister to people that I don't ever see. Why am I forcing this issue and ignoring the group that, by default, I belong to?

Am I uncomfortable with the fact that we homeschool? Do I feel ashamed of it? Yes and no. I have been berated, belittled and screamed at for homeschooling. Therefore, I am a little bit scared of people's reactions. On the other hand, I have been incredibly supported by my friends of all educational choices. Do I feel like we (Chris and Crissy) SHOULD homeschool our kids? The answer is a profound and sure, "Yes!" Do I think that everyone else in the world should? No! How other people parent their kids is none of my business and I would make a terrible Holy Spirit.

In the past month, since I've been thinking about these things, four people have come to me for advice/counsel about home education. Two more have asked me to teach Bible studies. I think it is time to be available to other homeschool mothers out there and quit hiding from the fact that I homeschool.

Please, please, please, please, dearest friends who do NOT homeschool, do not take this personally. Do not think that I in any way condemn you. I promise, I do not. At all.

I have started a secondary blog about this side of myself that I've never talked about. There are hours and hours of my day devoted to something I fear will hurt people's feelings. There are struggles that we have overcome as a family that I know would help others. So this other blog, Joy in the Journey, will be about our homeschool life. Curriculums, fears, reading lists, field trips, etc will all be on there. I don't expect all my friends to subscribe and follow, but if you are in need of encouragement, it might help.

Just so ya know, I am nervous about doing this. It feels like two worlds colliding. I have no idea what the implications of this will be. That will be up to you...