Breakdown or Blessing?

Life is busy for us.  I, the mom, now work.  I used to stay at home serving only MY FAMILY.  MY husband, MY kids; that was all I had to concern myself with. (Our kids are now 13, 16, 18 and 20) We are also involved with an organization that works with youth 2 nights a week, another new endeavor. Sometimes it seems like there isn't a spare moment to even think.  Life has changed!  As you can imagine, this has rearranged how I approach home schooling.  There is a lot of stop and go and not a lot of smoothness, one day flowing nicely into the next.  This has really put many hurdles in my path, I've needed the grace of God in ways I've never needed before.  This is always good though. 

When I plan my home school year, I always over plan.  I set the bar so high, with so many expectations and things to get done, books to make it through.  I've always had this "disease".  I set myself up for a sort of "failure".  In the end, I find that it's really not a failure at all.  The fact is, I succumb to the pressure that comes with rules set by others.  Some of them are necessary, some of them are foolish and unreasonable.  My homeschool year many times only resembles that plan of action I submit at the beginning of each year.  This is all ok, trust me.  They always make more progress than I "planned".  God is a much better planner.

Are you wondering what's up with the title?  Well, we've had a lot of BREAKDOWNS and I'm seeing them as a home school BLESSING, maybe even a PROVISION.  Totally NOT in the lesson plan, but priceless!  Valuable hands on learning!

This is a clutch

this is a rear end

I think Sam is in here waiting for the action on this job.

Bryan is in a tractor here, new for him.

This isn't a breakdown, but a jobsite that dad needed help with.  So Andy is in the ditch putting pipe together.

This is a ring and pinion, which goes in the rear differential.  Did you know that?

Here it is up close, you can see that this in not normal.

Here is another shot of the rear differential, or rear end, or rear "diff".

Andy says in the last 6 months they have put in :

• 3 clutches
• 2 head gaskets
• 2 transmissions
• 2 rear ends
• 2 sets of ball joints
• 1 turbo
• 2 alternaters
• 1 voltage regulator
• 1 water pump  
• trouble shooting battery problems

I don't think this even begins to cover the great hands on learning that has come up with all these breakdowns and business work!  It's been great.  This is shop class on steroids! 

These boys are going to know how to fix anything!



THE END