Pondering

I have been pondering a life change lately.
I mean, a totally radical, extremely different type of life change.
I began discussing it with the older children today.

I carefully laid out the ideas that have formed in my heart and mind. I was very surprised at their reactions.

I have no idea if any of these things will ever come about, but it's been challenging my heart. I wanted to share the ideas and see if the teenagers in our family could grasp the things that I have been thinking of.

Without going into details right now, I will just say it's encouraging to my heart that at least one of them is very open to it, and had added her own ideas to it as well. That is exciting to see, because a large part of this idea has formed because I wonder if I am teaching the kids the most important parts of life that I think they need to be learning.

The privileges they enjoy (and sometimes demand) are just that: privileges. But have I conveyed enough with our lifestyle here that they are aware of just how blessed their lives are? Or am I encouraging their selfishness? I fear the latter.

One of the kids is totally negative. What about friends? What about my interests? How will this affect ME?

Call me crazy, but these responses are exactly what I was hoping for. How will this affect me?

Sometimes I think we have gotten so bogged down with "ME" that we have totally forgotten there are others around us, who matter, very much so. But what is important in life? Our things, or who we are to who we meet?

I have a friend who is downsizing their home, their stuff, their jobs, all to make a different impact on this earth. To experience physical life on a smaller scale, to spiritually and mentally grow without the overbearing trappings of the GRAND scale lifestyle. I like that mentality. Doing more, with much less.

How will that fit into our family lifestyle? Is it possible to change what we have become to re-invent who we are that better fits with our overall plan to raise happy, healthy children who will know how to impact their worlds on a positive path?

I don't know all of that yet. But it's really interesting to begin a dialogue that includes all of our ideas and start to formulate what changes we need to make to live the healthiest lifestyle possible.

This is what I am thinking. Thoughts I have formulated over the last few weeks. I wonder just where God is taking us?