Because You Asked Friday

Every now and then, some blog readers post questions on this blog. I don't normally answer those questions in the comment section and since posting doesn't leave me an email address to reply to, their questions usually go unanswered. So today I thought I would answer the questions you have posted and emailed to me over the last couple of days. I will answer more questions on Monday.

Anonymous posted this question:
"Barbie, I enjoy your blog and can definitely tell you are losing the weight. I have recently started considering homeschooling my two children next year. One will be in the 4th grade and the other in kindergarten. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be considering this, I would have laughed. How has your homeschooling experience gone so far?"

Someone once told me homeschooling is a calling. There were several reasons that brought me to homeschooling and I am not sorry that I took the plunge. I teach part-time at Mississippi College and this is my fifth year at teaching Sunday School. But I had zero experience in the academic teaching of a child. This is our 15th week and we are having a blast! We start each day with prayer and it is that prayer has gotten us through it. With two other children underfoot, its not always easy to concentrate on teaching the other one so every day presents a new challenge. I've gotten my share of "You homeschool? Why? Aren't you afraid your child won't be socialized?" comments, but I have a peace about it and believe it is what the Lord would have me do....for now.

Big Bob posted:
"My daughter is a big fan and looks up to you in a big way. You might say you are one of her heros. Who would you say is your biggest hero outside of your family? Who is that person that has had an ever lasting affect on you?"

The person who has had the biggest impact in my life is my mother. I often mention her in this blog. Outside of my family, Melinda Aldison would be the person who had an ever lasting affect on me. Melinda was from Sledge, a small town near my hometown of Marks. She dated my brother in the early 80s. Melinda was a beauty queen and I was always fascinated by her prettiness. She won numerous titles over the years and had competed in both the Miss Mississippi Pageant and the Miss Tennessee Pageant. Being the baby of the family, not many people wanted to spend time with me but Melinda was different. She always made it a point to talk about internal beauty with me and the importance of being a Godly woman. She was an encourager to me, never made me feel like I was a bother, and she would take me shopping and do things little girls enjoyed doing. When I cried to her about being made fun of or being called names, Melinda understood. She didn't know it, but Melinda was affirming all my mother had been trying to teach me. This proves what many have said over the years--the type of people your children associate with have a strong influence on them as they grow. Melinda and I are still close friends to this day and she's just as beautiful now as she was then as you can see.

Jane posted this question:
"How did you and your husband meet? My second question is do you have a devotion book that inspires your posts, or is it from daily reading of God's word. You always hit it right on the nail with your posts by uplifting others. Your blog is just such an encouragement, and a reminder of how we should be living our lives as Christians. I think very highly of you, and I only watch you when it comes to the weather! I think you look great! You have beautiful children, and that picture of Lilly Faith is gorgeous! Her blue eyes just pop out-incredible!"

Thank you for your kind words and compliments, Jane.

My husband and I met while we were volunteering with teenagers at the Mississippi Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership weekend seminar. It was "love at first sight". By the way, we still volunteer every year with the same organization! Here is a picture the year after we were married with the actor Hugh O'Brian.

I've never really considered my blog as a devotion, although some of you have mentioned that you read it as one. When I started blogging in December 2006, it was intended to be an outlet for me to share my thoughts about the weather and spiritual journey. I wanted to write down what God was dealing with me on because if I write it down, I'm more apt to remember it and to apply it. The different subjects are really derived from my everyday life. As you can see by reading many of them, God shows me things through my children, my experiences in the media and public eye, and just being a typical woman trying to keep all of the balls in the air at the same time. When He lays something on my heart, He always leads me to a scripture that tops it off and nails it down. I'm reading the Bible through, so I don't have a devotional book that I use in my personal quiet time right now. If God speaks to you through what I've written, I can only tell you that it was HIM, not me.