"press 1 for accounts or 2 for TECHNICAL SUPPORT"......

Wow....These past few weeks, the words 'TECHNICAL SUPPORT' have been ringing in my ears and brains! We have 2 internet connections with Telstra and both were down at the same time, which was very bizarre and sooooooooo annoying! Actually just today we finally got 1 on but still no phone...ARGH!!!

We are still waiting for TECHNICAL SUPPORT to phone us regarding our Next G device! So what do we do without our PC"S? How can we survive without our internet? The answer is...."WE CAN'T"!!!

Why?

Well for us 90% of our business comes through email, so that is why we need it! Right now I sit back and think of how I have allowed the silly internet services steal my peace and make me feel all churned up inside.

How RIDICULOUS - causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous; laughable: a ridiculous plan.

I have to admit, I rejoiced with our 1st internet service coming back on!!!

Anyway, technical support have been terrific and I must take my hat off to them for their lovely manners and way of talking!

Who's the social one?

The most common issue emerging from all the skeptics on home schooling that I have found is 'socialization'. Question after question....

"Do they get to play with children their own age?"
"Do they know how to play?"
"Do they....do they?....do they?

As this seemed to be such a major issue surrounding people in my world it started to become a major issue for me. Anxiety began at every play ground, at family gatherings and wherever we went to, I was my own children's hawk! (Just so you know I am speaking of a couple of years ago). Being a hawk upon my children actually began to open my eyes to how children have a God given natural ability to play and be free and to be who they are.

Here is an example of what I believe true 'socialization' is -

One day Joshua and I drove up the street to get our mail. As always Joshua went to the box on his own to collect the mail which he loves to do. Waiting in the car a couple of minutes went by, then another few minutes then five minutes and then I began to wonder where he was. So another minute later I began to get out of the car to check on him, but there he was strolling back to the car. I asked him "What took you so long", "I was just talking to a lady, but I don't know her name" replied Joshua without being too elaborate, and that was that! The next day I bumped into a lovely friend of ours and we decided to go for a coffee together. As we were sipping our espresso's this lady began to tell me of how she over heard Joshua speaking with an elderly lady near the post office who was selling raffle tickets. You see this lady was behind the Post Boxes placing all the letters in and she over heard the conversation between Joshua and this elderly Lady. She said Joshua stopped and chatted to her about all the animals he has and went into detail in how his animals were all doing. This friend of mine (who once was a primary school teacher) spoke of Joshua's confidence (but she mentioned not a cheeky confidence) and observation to stop and take the time to talk to an elderly person. She thought it is rare to see children take the time and talk to older people.

What I feel is socialization is being able to mix and talk to all ages not just your own age. This is how I am training my children anyhow to respect the elderly and to cherish the babies. Being children they do make mistakes of course, (as I do all the time) but when I heard this story from my friend I realized what socialization really is.

The Unknown Land

"This is not your Rest," sang the Mother in a loud clear voice, outside; and "This is not your Rest," echoed the others in sweet unison; and "This is not your Rest," sounded in the depths of the poor little Sedge Warbler's own heart.

Joshua and I were delighted in this classic story found in Mrs. Alfred Gatty's 'Parables of Nature'. A story with a hidden truth that there is another place we go to when we leave this earth.

"This is not our Rest!" repeated the Mother. "The river is rushing forward; the clouds are hurrying onward; the winds are sweeping past, because here is not their rest. Ask the river, ask the clouds, ask the winds, where thay go to:-Another Land! Ask the great sun, as he descends away out of sight, where he goes to:-Another Land! And when te appointed time shall come, let us also arise and go hence."

As Joshua and I were engrossed in our reading we were seeing the hidden meaning behind the words "This is not our Rest". The words carry right to the depths of my soul, I sensed the cry of my spirit and a longing for this Unknown Land.

Jesus spoke of this place - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Gospel of John 14:1-3

How my heart aches for this place, the place of rest, the place where there is no more weeping, the place where there is no more wickedness, no more aching, no more abuse, no more unrest.

Every single soul desires this place whether they know it or not know it. The Lord placed eternity in the heart of mankind and the longing for this place will never cease. The good news is through Jesus we can have rest in our hearts in the midst of a world in turmoil and disgrace and walk through each day with a heart at rest and at peace at the knowledge of knowing that Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world has prepared a place for us and very soon He will return to take us there.

"Dim and undefined hope, perhaps, they had that they might find their parents again in the Unknown Land. And if one pang of grief struck them when these hopes ended, it was but for a moment, for, said the Brother-Bird-

"There may be some other Unknown Land, better even than this, to which they may be gone."