School is in Session!

Ready for our First Day of Kindergarten

Homeschool was never in my plans when we decided to have kids.  Nope, it really wasn't even a passing thought.  As a matter of fact, I quickly told  people "NO" when asked if I was planning to homeschool my kids.  Don't get me wrong, I had nothing against homeschooling.  I knew about the benefits. However, Kris and I both survived at least some public school, and we both turned out okay!  I felt like God had gifted me in teaching ESL, and it would probably be best for all of us if the kids went to school.
Well, as it goes with parenting, plans are best made to be changed!  Soon after starting our application for Wycliffe, I realized that homeschool was going to be a big possibility for us.  That possibility turned into reality last week when Kieran and I started Kindergarten...at home.  We considered putting him in public school here in Dallas, but after weighing all the pros and cons and then realizing that we would have to pull him out for a month when we go to Mexico for orientation, we decided that homeschool was our best option.
In spite of all the prayers and good feelings about our decision, I still had some hesitations.  Last week, when I read all the facebook comments about Kieran's friends getting excited about meeting their teachers and heading off to Kindergarten, I was a little sad that Kieran wasn't going to be able to experience this excitement.  That sadness quickly lifted when I saw my eager pupil talking non-stop on Monday about starting school.  He was so excited that he pretty much talked continuously during all our lessons!  He even started rearranging the schedule and giving suggestions for lesson plans!  In just a few days, I can already tell that Kieran is going to do well in homeschool.  I'm sure we'll have slow days, but, for now, I'm going to take advantage of his excitement.
While Kris and I are in classes in the morning, Kieran and Elyse attend the childcare center on campus.  In a way, Kieran has the best of both worlds, school with peers in the morning and school with mommy in the afternoon.  Thank you, God, for changing our plans and for giving Kieran a heart for learning.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

Reflections - Empty Rooms; Full Hearts

417 Cranewater Court

For the past couple of days, Kieran has been talking a lot about our "old" house.  Usually it is triggered by a picture that pops up on our digital picture frame (the only picture frame I brought with us).  He will say, "Mommy, don't  you miss our old house?"  Or, "Mommy, do you remember ________ about our old house?"

Sometimes, we talk about the memory and move on, but sometimes we shed a few tears.  The morning we left our first family home, I walked through each room thinking of the wonderful memories made in that house.  Kris and I sat on the balcony and had one last swing on the porch swing that he built for me on my 2nd or 3rd Mother's Day.  I may have shed a tear or two. 

The Master Bedroom

 It was very strange to see that house with empty rooms...it seemed much bigger all of a sudden.  Funny how that happens when you take out all the stuff!   Thankfully, a heart full of memories is easy to pack up, and it travels well.  This morning, I heard Elyse and Kieran giggling in his room together.  Suddenly, I realized that we were filling our new rooms with memories.  When we leave here, we will pack up some more great memories and take them with us. 

Our Empty Living Room

When we were deciding what to call our family newsletter, we chose "Toler's Treasure" based on the verse from Matthew 6:19-21 which says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  

Thank you, God, for teaching us the importance of putting heavenly treasures ahead of earthly treasure and thank you for hearts full of the memories made along the way.  Amen.

"That's Not the Way We Do it in South Carolina!"

2 days (18 hours in the car) later!

Our family theme for July was "transitions".  The first 3 years that Kris and I were married, we moved 8 times through 2 states and 3 countries!  We were no strangers to moving.  However, after 7 years in our South Carolina home, I'd forgotten a lot about moving, and really had no idea how to move with kids!  All I can say is that by God's grace and some amazing, hard-working friends, we managed to get rid of most of our stuff and move to Texas.  We had a great, non-eventful drive to Texas (although Elyse's hair did not fair so well)! 

Finally, the sign we've been wanting to see!

There are many things that we miss about our lives in South Carolina like our friends, church family, Publix, and the Pampered Chef kitchen stuff I didn't bring (okay, the last two categories are just mine)!  Even though we miss our special people, places and things, God has blessed us with so much.  He has blessed us with more friends (and friends for our kids), a nice place to live on campus, great childcare while we're in class, and free Panara bread delivered to the school every Monday (hey, it's the little things)...oh, and Legoland (that was Kieran's addition)! 

We're all transitioning pretty well, but every now and then the weight of the move hits one of us.  A couple of nights ago, I was putting Kieran to bed and he was telling me about his day.  All of a sudden he got tears in his eyes.  He said that they had sung "The B-I-B-L-E" at school that day.  Then he said, "but at the end they yelled 'BIBLE!' and that is NOT the way we do it in South Carolina!"  I have a feeling that this small little addition to the end of a song represented a lot of other things that were different between Texas and South Carolina.  So, we snuggled and cried together.  The next morning the differences were forgotten, and he was excited about going to school.  Transitions are challenging, but I'm sure once Kieran teaches these Texans how things are done, everything will be just fine!

Oh Me of Little Faith!

Coming Soon - Our New Prayer Cards! 

Since Kris and I began this journey with Wycliffe Bible Translators almost a year ago, we've been asked a lot of questions.  Where are you going to live when you get to Mexico?  What are you taking with you?  How long are you going to stay?  What are you going to do with all your stuff?  While these are all great questions, the truth is, we don't know the answers to most of these questions.  All we know is that God has called us to go, He is working out the details, and despite my bad habit of worrying, He is going to continue to work out the details.
The best example I have is that of our house.  A couple of months ago, I was reading an article on the computer about how bad the housing market is (like I needed a reminder).  We had just met with a realtor about putting our house on the market and, to be honest, I really didn't think it was possible for us to sell our house and close before we left for Texas in July.  In fact, I was already thinking about possible alternatives.  Maybe we should go ahead and put up a "for rent" sign, just in case it doesn't sell.  Oh ye (me) of little faith...Two weeks after we put our house on the market, we had an offer.  Three days later we had a contract.  If selling the house wasn't enough of a miracle, we then found out that it was a cash offer and that we could close on July 8th and hand over the keys as we drive off to Texas on the 10th.  Yes, we are still in shock, but I know we shouldn't be.  God is bigger than a slow market and His timing is perfect.
So, day by day, as we continue to pack up the few things we are taking with us, we'll do the best we can to answer all the questions.  Although, at the end of the day, all we can do is trust God.  Tonight I was reading a selection from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest and wanted to share a passage:

One of the difficulties in Christian work is the question- "What do you expect to do?"  You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing...Have you been asking God what He is going to do?  He will never tell you.  God does not tell you what He is going to do;  He reveals to you Who He is.  Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you go out in surrender to Him until you are not surprised an atom at anything He does?  

Home Sweet Home

Boxes, totes, and suitcases, OH MY!

I have decided to hide all my calendars because every time I look at one, I start to feel the pressure.  I really can't believe how fast these past few months have flown by!  It is very strange to feel excited, exhausted, relieved, and anxious all at the same time.  I remember when Kris and I were living in Spain back in 2003.  We were getting ready to come back to the states and were looking at places we could live.  I said to Kris, "Where are we going to call home?"  The beginning of our married life was very "nomadic" in style since I was in graduate school and then Kris' work sent us overseas.  At that time, I couldn't imagine finding a place that would really feel like home to us.  That was a little over 7 years ago, and I've begun to realize that Columbia, South Carolina has become that home to us.  This will always be our kids' hometown, and I am so thankful that their earliest memories will be of the people and places around here that we have grown to love.
This past week has been very emotional for me, and I'm sure tears will continue to flow over the next few weeks.  With the school year coming to an end, we've started to experience a lot of "lasts"- my last community Bible study, the last TimeOut for moms, the kids' last mission friends, etc.  We're having a huge yard sale tomorrow, the house is on the market and Kris has one more week of work.  Suddenly, the reality that we are leaving home has hit me.  Don't get me wrong.  We are all excited about this new adventure God has placed in our lives.  Every time we tell our story and the story of those who do not have the Word of God in their own language, we feel a new sense of urgency to follow God's calling.  I keep coming back to that expression "home is where the heart is".  A piece of our heart will always be in Columbia, SC, but I also know that God will give us a heart for our new home in Texas and then Mexico.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV)

Treasure Hunt for Memories - A Birthday Surprise

Happy Birthday, Da!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." 
Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)

I've spent the past several weeks starting to go through all our stuff as we prepare for our move to Texas.  Because our rental in Dallas is fully furnished, we won't need to take much with us.  That means we will need to get rid of almost everything we've manage to "store up"!  Sometimes I think that stuff multiplied in the attic!  I often read this verse from Matthew as I try to remind myself that these "things" are just things.  I want to start storing up heavenly treasures, and I want my kids to understand the importance of doing things that will have eternal effects.  I want them to understand the value of forming deep, lasting relationships and the importance of giving rather than receiving.  Instead of contantly hunting for earthly treasures, we need to invest our time in sharing God's love and gathering memories that are theif-resistant!

The kids and I had the chance to make one of those memories yesterday when we gave my dad a special birthday surprise.  After a conversation with my mom last week, I decided to bring the kids down to Florida to help celebrate my dad's birthday.  We decided to keep it a secret from my dad.  The next day I told Kieran about our plan and he asked me what we should get "Da".  I asked him what Da liked and he said, "Well, he likes to see me.  He likes to play with me, and he likes to fish."  From that answer, we came up with a plan to give Da a present he would never forget.  Kieran decided that he and Elyse would hide in a box and jump out (they practiced saying "surprise" and "boo" all the way to Florida). 

When we were almost to the house, I called my mom to make sure my dad would answer the door.  We got out of the car and put the box in front of the door.  The kids jumped in.  I rang the doorbell and ran to hide behind my parent's van with my camera.  It took a while for my dad to answer the door, and I really can't believe the kids stayed still and quiet that long!  As you can see from the video, my dad had no idea what was going on.  We was so surprised and excited.  The only thing that would have made it better is if the other 4 grandkids had been hiding inside, too! 

Birthday surprise memory complete and stored away!

God's Power is True!

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” 
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” ~Mark 9:21-2

In Mark 9 we read the story of a father whose son has been possessed by an evil spirit.  Like any parent, he was desperate to find relief for his son.  Also like many people at the end of their rope, he turns to Jesus for help.  My favorite part of this story is when the father says, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.”  At first he seems to be contradicting himself.  However, I realized that I live in this state of mind most days.  I believe in God and I believe in his provisions for me and my family.  On the other hand, I struggle daily with worry, stress, and lack of faith!  This constant struggle between my head and heart leads me to pray the same prayer, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” 

A few weeks ago, Kieran gave me a good illustration of what it means to fully trust God.  He woke up in the middle of the night crying that his ear hurt.  I gave him some Motrin and put some drops in his ears.  He would not calm down so we prayed and asked God to heal his ear.  I took him back to his bed and lay down with him.  In a few minutes he was asleep.  I dozed off thinking about calling the doctor in the morning.   About an hour later, he suddenly woke up and said, “Mommy, my ear doesn’t hurt anymore!  The medicine worked…no…God made the medicine work!  God’s power is true!!”  After his exclamation, he put his head back on the pillow and went to sleep.  The next morning, he woke up and said nothing more about his ear. 

As our family enters this season of change, we will continue to trust and believe that God’s power is true.   We will also be prepared for those days when we will need to cry out, “help me overcome my unbelief!”