I'm Still Breathing.....Believe it Or Not

May has just been tumultuous....it always is. For a couple of weeks, I just didn't seem to have anything to inspire me. Last week, I was just too frazzled. This week, I have so much I want to write about that I can't seem to start....but be assured, I am still here and will write soon!

I came across this in the Large Catechism.....thought it was something to chew on for a while.

"Since the children are baptized and received into the Christian Church, they should also enjoy this communion of the Sacrament, in order that they may serve us and be useful to us. They must all certainly help us to believe, love, pray, and fight against the devil."

Martin Luther - Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar

The Difference Between a Lutheran Homeschool Retreat and an Evangelical Homeschool Retreat.....

This week, several of the Lutheran homeschoolers from the email list that I belonged to made the (almost) annual pilgrimage from surrounding areas to the seminary in Fort Wayne for a few days. It was unbelievably nice.

I don't think many of these women know what they mean to me. They have at times been my sanity through the many times they have shared their wisdom, included me in their prayers, or shared their weaknesses so that my imperfections didn't weigh so heavily, either. I view their words daily....I see their faces only a few times a year.

I live so close to the seminary, that I don't stay there for the retreat, so it is a bit disorienting what it does to life for a few days....all of a sudden, without my surroundings really changing, my life is filled with things that are drastically different...daily liturgical worship and theological talks replace typing on the keyboard and school books; the comparative quiet is replaced by hoards of children and all the joys and controversies that come with it; and for goodness sakes, we went shopping at "the 'nice' Goodwill" for fun !!(who'd think that was possible??)

I've been to several homeschooling activities before with other groups, but I've only experienced Lutheran homeschooling with these people....and it is always a blessing. I would say the one thing that was missing was the male presence that had been at previous ones. I think having our heads of household there helps things keep sane. We had a couple of dads there, including my husband when he could, but the male presence was sorely missed.

But, getting back to the title of this entry......one of the joyous differences with a Lutheran retreat that you miss out on at any other.....

Chocolate martinis after Compline.

(hey, Martinis could be a Lutheran drink anyway....they have the name of our beloved church father!)