It has been a great start to the summer so far, and we’ve been enjoying some really wonderful weather.  But I must admit having three children out of school for two months can be quite stressful as I’ve come to realize this year.  This is the first summer vacation that my children are not in daycare and I now recognize the challenge that many parents face each summer — the kids are off but the parents are not!  So now what do we do???  That has been my question since the beginning of June when I realized I have to somehow find a way to keep my children (aged: 13, 9, & 7) busy while my husband and I both work…. believe me there is no easy solution, we’re still struggling to work out childcare arrangements for each week & we’re only halfway through month #1, YIKES!

Looking back now I felt confident heading into the month of July.  My son (the 13-year-old) had to attend summer school for math, which at first I thought was unfortunate because as a mom I expected more from him but thinking it over now I realize it worked out better this way.  He is occupied for the entire month of July learning, so I see this as a blessing for sure!  When I was looking for day camps  and summer programs for the girls I realized they are really expensive and not something our family budgeted for.  Luckily two churches that we’ve had great experiences with in our community offered free VBS programs suited for daughters.  Those programs took care of weeks 1 & 3 for the month of July, but this week was the one where I had no idea what to do about childcare…. I’m so thankful to have a supporting family that jumped in to help.  Thanks to my aunt, grandma, cousin, & sister - I didn’t have to worry about where the girls would be this week, and I’m hoping they will do the same for the last week of July too (just putting it out there in case they happen to come across this blog :)).

Looking ahead to August this is the first year that my youngest daughter is old enough to attend the FREE overnight camp offered by Liberty - Camp Inner-Change! She is so excited and our own camp will kick-off the childcare planning schedule for next month because I know I won’t have to worry about the kids from August 1-5 while they enjoy a week away from the city at Braeside Camp.

As for the rest of the summer….I’m believing God will work it out as long as I do my part too! Hope you all have a refreshingly blessed week!

Nina

Well this is my first official blog - so I’ll start by saying “Hi!”

This week I had the opportunity to participate in one of the Learning Group sessions that launched earlier this month.  As a parent of 3 children (one of them being a pre-teen boy with raging horomones) I thought it would be a good idea to get some Value Packed Parenting advice on the art of child-rearing.  My husband had attended the first session and offered some encouraging feedback, so I figured it would be best if I joined him the next time around - which was exactly what I did!

Not only was it great to get some positive guidance from Dr. Kevin Leman what I enjoyed the most was the open discussions with the other parents present. It was inspiring to realize not only can I learn from others in the group but parents are learning from me too!  The experience confirmed that no one (except our Lord & Savior) has all the answers - but we all have some valuable insights to offer each other - and we can only try and do our best everyday.

I’m looking forward to our group meeting next week, and anticipate that it will be just as rewarding as the last one.  I’ve decided that every week if I can take just 1 tidbit of information away, that my husband and I can begin to apply together, than we’ll be just a little bit better off than we were the week before.

To be really truthful I think the most enjoyment comes from spending time with other adults building a real sense of community, while discussing something relevant to all of us is the rewarding part of the evening. Learning how to be a better parent is just an added bonus!!!

Those are my thoughts, if you have any suggestions feel free to share.

Nina

In January 2009 we are excited to be launching Liberty Learning Groups – six week DVD courses that are designed to help us grow as individuals and as a community. In deciding which courses we will offer first - we want your input. The following is a list of course topics that are available.

Please pick your top five favourites and write them in the comments box. Watch the website for more detailed course descriptions.

We know that these courses are going to be life-changing. Please stay tuned for more information and registration dates. Oh and by the way - don’t feel like you have to be a member of Liberty to enroll in any of these courses.  We’d be more than happy to have you join us!

______ John Maxwell - Leadership Gold Training

______ Financial Peace Course

______ In the Dust of the Rabbi (Ray Vanderlaan)

______ Healthy Lifestyles

______ Door of Hope (overcoming abuse)

______ From Anger to Intimacy (marriage course)

______ Making the Most of Marriage

______ Freedom Begins Here (sexual health)

______ Single Parenting That Works

______ Value Packed Parenting

______ Raising Teens

______ Peace & Harmony to Blended Families

______ Learning to Pray (Jim Cymbala)

______ Nooma Series (Rob Bell)

______ God is Closer than You Think (John Ortberg)

______ Bondage Breaker (Dr. Neil T. Andersen)