Greetings from Marianne

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February has been a mixed month for me personally and I hope you will allow me to bring a tribute to my Father and also my husband in this ezine.

Fathers play a crucial role in the family as a grounding source of dependability. I always thought my father would be around – always just expected him to be there and suddenly over a period of a few weeks, in a sharp decline, he was gone, dying peacefully in his sleep to be with His Lord.

A few days later, my children celebrated their father’s 50th birthday with 150 guests in our backyard. Celebration within extremes!

Now, at the end of this time, I reflect on both of the most important men in my life and what it means to be a father.

News A Tribute to Fathers

There are many important character traits which make strong, dependable fathers. Please allow me to dwell on a few.

Faith and Dependence on God

Dad had a real faith; a strong and firm assurance of God’s love for him as his child. As far as I know, he has always had peace about his eternal destination and in his last week he commented on those who were “already in heaven” somehow knowing he was headed there too in the near future. He was “quiet about his faith, but not silent”, as my husband, Gerald, said in the Thanksgiving Service which he led for my dad. Only a month or so earlier,Dad had brought two of his grandsons into his bedroom to show them Romans 8:38,39 on a plaque on the wall. He said, “This is the most important thing you need to remember in your life,” as he read it to them from his Bible.

He, like all of us, had his failings and was brought to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness. He knew his need for a Saviour and brought his family and friends to God in prayer faithfully on a daily basis. My husband also, has a solid conviction of God’s love for him. His faith is alive and he trusts God’s plans for the future. In the formalities at his 50th celebration, my eldest son, thanked Gerald for leading him to Christ, teaching him what it is to be in God’s family and discipling him. I thank God for Gerald’s belief and dependence on God.

Memory Maker and Teller of Stories

Amidst the tears over the last few weeks, there have been many times of laughter retelling the stories and the funny memories we had of our dad.

Fathers make memories by interacting with their children in different ways. Dad would playfully tease his children and grandchildren, love to play a trick and recall the stories many, many times, laughing heartily each time.

Gerald often says a key to a good marriage is, “Respect and Fun,” and I would agree. You’ve got to laugh together and have fun memories. I’m not sure if I’m generalizing, but I wonder if fathers are better at teasing and being pesty to their children than mothers. Maybe mothers are too cautious. (or is this just me?) Perhaps that is why fathers are called “not to exasperate” their children. In any case, I love watching the way that Gerald interacts with the children and playfully teases them, teaching them that life is not always fair, not to take life too seriously and to be able to laugh at themselves.

We had heaps of fun at Gerald’s expense on the night of his birthday celebrations, recalling events which embarrassed him and retelling stories he had hoped we had forgotten.

Encourager

My father encouraged us through his words and his approving looks. Although he himself was a man of great achievements, he would admire the handiwork of my children (sometimes it was not really that impressive) and sincerely encourage them by saying, “That’s amazing! How did you do that?”

In the same way, Gerald, my husband encourages his children. He encourages them by admiring their achievements , bragging about them ( Yes, Gerald, you do brag about your children!), joining in with their games (cricket in the front yard, supporting them on the soccer field, being around them and listening to their ideas and dreams.

Provider

A father loves to provide for his family and my father often worked a few jobs in order to provide. He would take on shift work in order to have time to build a house and be a father to his children. I’m sure I do not thank Gerald often enough for his faithful service to our family providing for our needs, week in and week out and making financial decisions which enable us to enjoy life and even allow us to homeschool and buy exciting homeschool curriculum! Thank you.

Respectful and Loving Husband

Dad held both my mother and his second wife (a most wonderful woman, who we all dearly love), in high regard and he loved them both dearly. He was always respectful and he would often comment on how God had blessed him with two excellent wives. It certainly is a blessing to be in a family where there is a deep love between husband and wife. It gives the children security and a sense of belonging and a good foundation onto which they can build their own lives.

I thank God for Gerald, who is a loving husband, who respects me as his wife by acknowledging who I am, my achievements, my desires and longings and listens to me respectfully.

How may this encourage you as a homeschooling family? Keep working on what is important! Have the big picture goals in the forefront of your minds! Character Training! Our future with Jesus! Focus on Relationships!

At my father’s Thanksgiving Service where Gerald preached on Romans 8:38,39 , someone commented and said, “The service really made me think about what is important in life. So often we are striving for other things – which are all meaningless. This reminded me of what is important.”

Yes, we can educate with books and curriculum, but life itself, conversations, relationship building is education too. It may be more correct to describe our homeschooling journey as “living life with our children – and it is filled with many subjects – some are taught with a book, some with life’s experiences, some in conversation, some through observation.”

What a blessing it is to share this journey with our children for a period of time!

May God bless you as you live life with your children – in your discussions, in your life’s experiences, in the academic endeavours your family chooses to follow. As you rise up, as you walk along the road, as you lie down and as you get up.

Coming soon...

Until next time, ... Keep-On-Track.....

I hope that you have been encouraged through this ezine - and that you enjoy the homeschooling journey with your family.

In the next Quick News, I will fill you in with some of the latest homeschooling materials I am enjoying with my family and all the latest pages which have been added.

...See you next time.... Marianne

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