Back to School Blessing ~ Foundations

Before Anna went back to college and before school started for all of us, we had our very special Back to School Blessing Feast. 

I love how it starts early in the morning. I baked an apples pie -- first one of the season! 

And I made the batter for the crepes what Scott and I would make later in the day. 

We look forward to this evening as the summer progresses. It's our way to bring beauty to the unknown. Each new school year has it's own challenges and joys and Scott and I want to parent intentional -- this tradition helps us. 
 

I had sunflowers for the centerpiece and little bud vases of fall flowers in front of each place setting. 

I used my gold and greens tablecloth from April Cornell and it was like a burst of fall in our porch. 

Our wedding china has a gold rim and fruits -- it's the perfect fall china. I still love it so much. 

The girls opened their back to school stained glass stars. Each are engraved with the school and year. 

And then during pie and ice cream Scott and I spoke about our verse for the year and our message to them. 

We talked late into the night. It's so wonderful that they love these times with us. They want the encouragement and the dream we have for them. More than just 'getting through' the year. More than just 'doing academically well'. We have them a foundation and a purpose for their school year. Scott and I look deep into our hearts over the summer to think about 

• their own particular situation this year (both juniors with choices ahead of them)
• how we feel that God is leading our family lately
• struggles they've been through in the past - difficulties they might face again
• strengths they bring each year

We choose a Bible verse that will be our anchor for our family this school year. And we talk about how to bring it to fullness in our daily lives. 

This year our verse is from Matthew 7:24

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who build his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell- and great was its fall. 

What you believe about God (his love for you, his character) will determine decisions you make in your life, the way you behave toward other people, etc

• You are both at a point in your life when you have big decisions to make

• We both have 

• Sometimes God moves quickly and you can look back and see what He was doing (adoption) and you obey quickly (that is the Holy Spirit) 

Foundations: 

• What you think determines what you will do 

• Theology holds together 

• feed you soul 

• Expand your mind

• Give you foundations to live on

How do we build our lives on the rock? Where do we get that knowledge?

• Mass

• Retreats

• Giving

• The Holy Spirit

• The Bible

We need to ingest, think about, ponder (that is why I love the Rosary so much)

Scripture tells us what to do and we have to apply it to our lives. 

Storms will come : listen and obey and your house will stand

Luke 6:46 “will not shake it” 

The reality is that families aren’t perfect

We can get stressed, grumpy 

But what we have to do is remember and always build that foundation.

The absence of biblical conviction you will go the way of the world (the way of culture) 

The Bible tells us to build on wisdom 

Can be confusing to know how to build - so many ideas / lines drawn in different places

But the Bible is clear in many areas: work, wisdom, relationships (forgive 70 x 7 times), marriage

So the foolishness of the world does not bring strength

What do you need this year? 

What do you need to cut out?

What do you need to add?

Foundations - be with them and support them in every storm

There will be storms but there is a way through with love, companionship, and love and goodness of God. 

Sold Foundation: planning, much more likely to flourish

Shaky: things not necessary - any work you do will have pot holes and challenges 

The song we listened to is HERE

Other back to school posts you might like:

Back to School Blessing 2022

Back to School Blessing 2021

Back to School Blessing 2020

Back to School Blessing 2019 

Back to School Blessing 2018 

Back to School Blessing 2017 

Back to School Blessing 2016 

Back to School Blessing 2015