My youngest son graduates in May.

These words, when I began homeschooling, were the farthest things from my mind. Teaching two boys to read seemed accomplishment enough; graduating them was a goal for the distant future. Now the future is here.

We're making our plans of course. He still has quite a bit of work to do. In fact, my original plan had been for him to graduate a year from now, but he and his cousin, who began homeschooling with us nearly three years ago, decided that they would rather graduate in three years than in four.

So the future, as they say, is upon us. I am looking to my son's future and wondering what it will bring. Right this moment, however, it is not his future that has my attention; it's my own.

I am entering that time of life that many women fear. While, on the one hand, they love the idea of being free of teaching responsibilities, on the other hand they have no idea what they'll do with themselves, because homeschooling is what they seem to have been doing forever.

As Christians, we of course have the advantage of being able to turn to God and ask, "Sir? What do I do now?" He has a plan for every one of us and is usually quite willing to share it - or as much of it as we can handle.

Ever as my oldest graduated and then got married, I knew I was in no danger of suffering from empty nest syndrome. EHO, one of the callings God has placed on my life, had by itself grown so large that I could easily work 60 hour weeks if I chose. Add to that my service to my local church and the books God was calling me to write and I knew that He would be keeping me far too busy to have time to worry over empty bedrooms. But, surprise, surprise, even at that God was only showing me part of the plan.

It started with a conference invitation. I was invited to speak at the North Alabama Education Fair (NALEF) in March of this year. Accepting this invitation nudged along two book projects - Meditations on the Word: Book 1, a devotional that will hopefully be out before the conference, and God Doesn't Want Volunteers, a small booklet that I began hand-publishing myself and for which I immediately started searching out printing options because of the positive reader response.

These books, plus FrontPorch History, meant a vendor's booth was necessary, but I felt three books weren't enough to warrant a whole booth. I suggested sharing a booth with another speaker friend. Here's where things really started to get interesting.

My heart, right now, is centered on personal spiritual growth and strengthening families. My friend, Debbie Williams, is a professional organizer who teaches how to organize every aspect of your life so that you have time for the really important things. She also has a special place in her heart for work-at-home moms and is even now writing a devotional just for them. In an email to Debbie, I pointed out how perfectly our ministries fit together and suggested almost as an afterthought that we consider teaming up and offering seminars and mini-conferences. Even before I hit the send button, I heard God whisper, "This is exactly what you are going to do."

Like I said, God has plans for every one of us and is usually willing to share - or to share as much as we can handle. Had He told me two years ago that such a thing was in my future I'd have- Well, I don't know what I would have done. When He whispered the words on this day, however, I felt immediate peace that reassuringly accompanied the conviction that it would happen. I awaited her next email, certain that she would agree, and was not disappointed. She was as sure as I was.

So, it is happening. Even as I make plans for diplomas and a graduation ceremony, the two of us are working through the details that will allow us to offer to churches, Christian businesses and other Christian groups and organizations a unique blend of practical instruction that will help attendees in every aspect of their lives. To say we are excited would be to make a definite understatement.

You never really know, as you are training up your children in the way they should do, what God is training you up for. Today's homeschooling mom or dad still has a future to look forward to, one ripe with opportunity in every area imaginable.