Pre-School Flutters

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I've been a little worried abut our school schedule for the upcoming year. Is it too much? Too demanding? Do I have enough of the stuff each kid needs? Can I fit everything into a workable schedule? Will I have the stamina for this? Can I be the teacher I need to be? Worry, worry, stress, stress....

So tonight to rest from my worries, DS8 and I finished The Magician's Nephew together. What a refreshing read! I used to read the entire series once a week as a kid. Yes, that's a book a day. I was addicted. I remember the first time I read the series and found myself comparing the philosophy lessons to the gospel, and Aslan to Christ. I actually felt guilty about it, because no story and no character was as wonderful as the Gospel and my Savior, and finding so many similarities seemed sacrilegious. Imagine how relieved I was a few years later to discover that C. S. Lewis wrote the series intentionally as a gospel teaching tool.

As familiar as I became with the stories and some of the spiritual symbols and parallels, there was much of it that seemed new to my more mature heart and soul as we read the first book together. New because my experiences and challenges in life since I read these books in grade school have added new layers of understanding to beloved old familiar stories and doctrines.

It was one thing to read about the love, wisdom, mercy and power of the Savior (Aslan) as a child and understand to a certain extent how it might effect one's life. It's another to experience the reality of grace and then have all those beautiful memories come back as I read about it effecting others. While C. S. Lewis uses fictional characters, places, and events, the truths he teaches are timeless, eternal and real. I continue to find new facets and depths to these gospel gems all the time.

I couldn't help getting all teary-eyed as we read. A few times I had to stop and collect myself because I was too choked up to read aloud. Digory feeling the love of Aslan even though he had brought evil into Narnia, seeing the sorrow that Aslan had for Digory's dying mother, having the faith to accept his mission without knowing how he was going to accomplish it, receiving greater strength after agreeing to go, being assured there would always be a way to get through to his destination, having friends sent to aid and comfort him, facing and overcoming terrible temptation, and the loving mercy Aslan showed him by giving him the means to heal his mother after he passed his test. Those are just a few of the things that stuck out to me this time.

Reading this with new eyes is very much akin to reading the scriptures over and over again. The more I learn and the more strength I gain from reading them, the more my perspective changes, which ensures that reading them again will make it all new and empowering.

Again, and again, and again.

And then when you add the personal revelation and insight the Lord gives about how things apply to me RIGHT NOW, it's no wonder we're told to read them every day.

Right now I feel that I can move mountains. No more nervous flutters. I can do all things that are required of me, and have the discernment to know what isn't actually required.

I'll start with the mountain of curriculum to review,

and move on to the mountain of laundry,

followed by the mountain of....