Back to School Feast

Sunday we did one of my favorite family traditions and had our annual Back to School Feast. We all look forward to this night and it was another special one.

Before we get into our wonderful night, I wanted to answer a question I have gotten quite a bit the last few months:

“Are we still planning on homeschooling?”

YES! I had a moment this spring, it was shortly after we got Lydia’s diagnosis, where I asked myself whether homeschooling was still the right path for us. I was worried if I would have the time. I worried that I would be stretched to thin. I took it to the Lord, and my answer was immediate. I felt strongly that homeschooling continues to be the right choice for our family. And so here we are!

The Feast

Our Back to School Feast was all about comfort food. We had roast, potatoes, carrots, and rolls. We had a great time talking about the upcoming year and all of the fun things we have planned. Then we had some milk and cookies while we went into our theme.

Theme

This year we were really struggling with a theme. I had a couple ideas bouncing around but nothing was feeling right. As time for our back to school feast was quickly approaching, I was getting a little worried. Our theme this last year was really powerful and brought a lot of comfort to our family and I wanted our new theme to have the same impact. FINALLY, about a week before our feast it all came together. Our theme needed to be centered on our

HOME

Once I got there, the inspiration just came flooding in. There have been so many things that have felt out of control lately. And I know a big part of that is life. But it has been hard. But the last couple months, after getting some really good advice from a friend, I’ve been trying to focus on the things that I can, and trust the rest with the Lord.

One thing that I am really passionate about is home. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamt about what my home would look like when I “grew up”. Yes, I have dreamed about the look of it, but more importantly, I have thought extensively about what I want our home to feel like.

I read a lot of books written in times past. It is definitely possible that I have over idealized their family life, but oh goodness, I long for so much of it. I know families have had struggles since the beginning of time, but I envy their ability to live in a time when family life had a reverence to it. It was respected. Children weren’t being sent a dozen different directions and family relationships were a priority. Mark and I have been reading a book called Hold On to Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld and Gaber Mate and it is blowing our minds. Highly recommend.

To put it simply, I want our home to be a place of peace. Once I felt like this was the direction we needed to go, I immediately was led to a talk that was given at a BYU devotional in 2006 by Elder Douglas L. Callister. The talk is entitled “Your Refined Heavenly Home“ and I have not been able to stop thinking about it ever since I read it. When I read it, I immediately thought “this must have been given decades ago” but NO, it was just a mere 15 years.

Honestly, I could quote the entire thing because it is THAT good. But I will just link it HERE and just read it. Just do it. I don’t know if I have ever been so motivated to change. One thing that Elder Callister brings up in his talk is what our Heavenly Parent’s home is like. And I can’t stop thinking about it! It’s one of those things that doesn’t matter, but isn’t that a fun thing to just think about?! But thinking beyond what it looks like, I have become obsessed about what it feels like. What are They doing in their home? What is the atmosphere like?

That is my goal. To make our home as much like our heavenly home.

And that is going to involve some change. But I am so ready to make some changes.

I found so many other resources that have just been incredibly thought provoking. I love this poem called, “If Jesus Came To Your House” by Louis Blanchard Eades:

"If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two - 
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.  
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there - 
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare. 

But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hid your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you, 
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you."

Doesn’t that just make you think? Here is a poem I shared with the kids with the same theme called “If Jesus Were Coming to Live In Our Home” by Elizabeth Little:

"If Jesus were coming to live at our house
Would we change the things we say?
Would we try a little harder to use kind words
And encourage our family each day?

Would we open our hearts, repent and forgive
And hug each other longer
If we pause and remember He's knocking right now
It will help each of us be stronger."

And in case you are just as gung-ho as I am about creating a heavenly home, this talk called “A Home Where the Spirit of the Lord Dwells“ by President Henry B. Eyring is another gem.

This is where we landed. This year we want to begin (because I believe this will be a lifelong pursuit) making our refined heavenly home here on earth. And this is what we will be saying every day for the next year:

"Organize yourselves; 
Prepare every needful thing; 
And establish a house, 
Even a house of prayer, 
A house of fasting, 
A house of faith, 
A house of learning, 
A house of glory, 
A house of order, 
A house of God."
Doctrine & Covenants 88:119

Priesthood Blessings

It was a beautiful night. It was filled with goodness and light. We ended with blessings from Mark. The kids were on the edge of their seats to have their turn. It going to be a wonderful year.

Past Back to School Feasts

• 2020: I the Lord Am with You “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.” (Doctrine & Covenants 68:6)
• 2019: Come Follow Me “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, “Ye lackest thou one thing: sell all thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
• 2018: Light “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
• 2017: Kindness “Kindness is the essence of greatness.” – Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
• 2016: Choices “May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.” – President Thomas S. Monson