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Almost a decade later, and I'm back to the parent-teacher interaction. Last night was an open house at our high school.  My step-son has taken his first few days of classes and this was an opportunity to meet the teachers.  And so, off to school we went.  No expectations other than a visit.  And visit we did.  With all five teachers for this semester.  All had recollections of Jared - a good thing in this case!  For me, this is both a new thing and a recycled thing.  My children finished high school classes about a decade ago.  They were relatively good students with some points of discussions over the years.  Both graduated. That's the recycled part.  The new part is a system that has changed somewhat.  There is definitely a specified place for a larger assessment of students.  Not just academically but in many other aspects of their lives.  Professionals are hired to care for this area (they were there before, but with a lesser profile, if I remember correctly).  The curriculum also has recognized, in a greater way, two streams - academic and technical.  All this is a part of my new learning scheme.  I'm glad, in my old age, that my mind is still working.  And will have to continue to work!

I suppose we should expect opposition. I have had an aversion to seeing the devil under every stone.  Warfare has more easily been understood as following the principles of Jesus.  Where there is an obvious breach of sin or an outright action of commission relating to pride, lust, envy, jealousy, immorality, etc., that must be cared for.  Most of life is best cared for in this mode! I am not as sensitive to the engulfing presence of the evil one(s) as I would like to be.  There is a point where life throws a blanket over joy, without warning.  With nothing that would appear to be sinful, a bump in the road appears.  Perhaps just for a moment in thought, sometimes for an extended period of distraction. The blanket is not one that I pull over my head.  The blanket seems to have been thrown over myself or a group of people indiscriminately. Maybe not so indiscriminately.  The other world, the world of the spirit and not of the flesh, has those who are watching over us.  Not for good, but for evil.  I need to be reminded that pushing back that attack needs special forces - personal prayer, mustering an army to fight with me, resisting the devil based in Jesus, and, I suppose, learning to recognize the form of an attack. In this last while there have been those times.  Scary times.  The kind that causes you to flee to Jesus.  And to appreciate others who are on this journey with you.  Thank you for your whispers for me.  Keep it up!

I thought it was. But it hasn't been. That's the power of the end of the summer. Next week we begin all sorts of programming in our church.  School starts and I have a grade 10 student in the house.  And somehow there is a psychological barrier that needs to be overcome. Our province mandated the beginning of school after the Labour Day long weekend.  Many of us thought nothing of it.  Until this year.  Previously parents were scrambling in August to get things ready for school, which began the end of August.  This year some are still thinking that September is a ways away (purely psychological!!).  For that reason their preparations have been minimal. All that to say, yesterday I thought it was Friday.  Or maybe another day of the week.  A summer day.  With sun and heat.  Some unknown, unshaped and unlisted day of the week. Today is Friday, right??

The basement bathroom and bedroom are being painted - and effort mostly by Cynthia, but also by me. In the midst of this, the idea of changing out the door knobs was explored.  We chose the type that are handles more than rounded knobs.  I'm finding that the small  advantages reap great rewards.  A handle is much easier to manipulate (using the Latin word for hand!!).  A good thing for those whose arthritis makes that necessary.  And, I hear, a good selling feature! Unexpectedly, I was in the basement.  The bathroom is in the final stages and I slipped inside.  As I came out I looked at the entry and the new color and the refreshed furnishings. This felt like a new thing.  Which is exactly what we are trying to do.  As a new couple, old things pass away, but are not forgotten.  New things arise that are a blend of both of us. Funny how an inexpensive door knob becomes a symbol for a whole new life.  I'll never look at a bathroom the same again!!