smiling at the future

I stand off to the side watching as a cluster of parents take photos of their new little kindergarteners posed with their teacher on the first day of school. I can feel the pride and the hope and the bitter-sweet tug as several of my friends watch their children form a line and walk away to their  kindergarten classroom.

From where I stand I can also see our twin daughters sitting in the opening high school assembly.

Pride, hope and a bitter-sweet tug mingle together in my heart too, as I watch them enter their last year of school, their senior year.

Was it really 11 years ago when our sweet little girls graduated from Kindergarten?

The years pass very quickly. 

But too quickly?

Actually, for our children, sometimes the days have passed too slowly.

As for me, yes, I do miss the little girls they were.

But I love even more the young ladies they are today.

Could I ever be satisfied with how much time I have
to enjoy the goodness of these family relationships at home?

Probably not.

Because we weren't designed to be satisfied with anything about these limitations of time,

 since we are created for eternity.

He has also set eternity in the human heart; 

yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
 Ecc. 3:11

 Every age, from 1 to 101, has its challenges and its joys.

Each year holds the potential for new growth and new blessing.

Would I hold them back from that?

Would I hold back time from carrying us forward and onward?

...she smiles at the future.

Proverbs 31:25b

I don't want to be a woman who lives life longing for what was.

Though their childhood was so very good, and I deeply treasure those memories,

I want to be a woman who looks with joy at the future,

thankful for all of God's faithfulness in the past,

hopeful for what He will do in the future,

confident that it will be the very best yet.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

Note: Our new school year began on August 5th.  We continue to home school part-time, but are also thankful for the option to participate in classes and athletics part-time at the local International School.  Amy and Elise are seniors this year, and Michael is in 8th grade.