Summer Projects

I love the summer. It is a great time to “tie up loose ends”. I have a bit more time for personal Bible study. There is a bit more time for play. We spend a bit of time honing up on subjects that in which we are lagging behind. It’s a fantastic season to spend some extra time, prayer and effort on summer projects.

In our home, “Projects” are not solely building a bird house, compiling a scrapbook, FINALLY working on that Greek temple made from toilet paper rolls, or finishing a math text.

“Projects” in our home are a mentoring/discipling/parenting tool. We’ve discovered the shotgun approach doesn’t work well for us. We can’t change all areas in all of our children’s lives at once. We can, however, be intentional in our focus. Projects are specific areas of focus for each of our children’s lives. These are prayed over and I believe Holy Spirit impressed. I write these down in my Tryst Journal. At any given point, if confidentiality were not an issue, I could tell you each current project for each of our children. Our projects are a tool that allows us to actively partner with what we believe God is working in each individual family member. This has been very effective.

We make “Projects” a matter of prayer and observation. We notice which character traits or personality issues or discipleship/doctrinal issues God would have us work on - and we focus on those. The key words are: intentional and focus. We may suggest books or Bible passages to our older children, complete a topical study with our child, we bathe each project in prayer and we look for Holy Spirit moments when we can speak to the issue. We evaluate and pray about each project quarterly. Many projects run for several quarters.

Here is one example from YEARS ago to illustrate our family home projects. With one of our darlings we attacked “deception – lying/cheating”. First, the issue became a focus during my family fasts and prayer times. Second, we did a topical study on deception during family circle. Third, I was aware of the opportunities the Holy Spirit opened for me to speak to that area. Fourth, as Mike and I are in agreement he also looks for those God-ordained teachable moments. God was faithful. Conviction, repentance and growth followed. This is currently not a project for any of our children.

Projects are a wonderful tool for individually mentoring each of our children. They take a bit of time and energy, but we’ve seen time and again lasting maturity and heart change when we, as parents, put our efforts where God is working in our child. For our older three, all adults now, this is matter of prayer and the occasional comment, rather than daily training. For the very young ones there are never-ending topics for new projects. ::snort::
We try hard not to ONLY look at behavior but on the heart issue behind the behavior.....this is one tool we use in our endeavor to be a pastor's family that doesn't raise children who are inoculated to the gospel or practicing Pharisees.

©2008 D.R.G.

Other Places

Jamin has been interviewed at Novelist's Cafe.

I have published an article on Summer Projects , a parenting tool, at HSBA.

Monday

I need to catch you up on my Friday and Saturday....but I'm jumping to today or I'll never catch up. LOL

Today we enjoyed having Josiah home. He went out and bought two chairs to go with the dining room table that he rescued. He said that he'll find two more chairs that match to coordinate "sometime".

I think three of the kids have swimmer's ear. I went online as this is the STRANGEST ear infection I've ever seen. We usually self-treat...but I'm wondering if we'd best go in. Anyone ever dealt with this?

I did make it to the gym.

I played with new digiscrapping software. I learned all sorts of new things.

Mike made reservations at campgrounds for our August trip to Colorado - THE GIRLS WILL MEET US THERE! I'M A TAD BIT EXCITED TO SEE THEM AGAIN!

We had dinner. Burned some steaks, added rolls, artichokes, fruit plate and a salad.

Josiah told us about his awesome trip and showed us photos. Zander wants to go see the Natural History Museum.

I bought a new Tim Hawkins DVD and we enjoyed it for the second time tonight. Poor Jamin has still not seen it. He's working LOTS of hours now that he is done with school.

Jamin got a .75 raise and Josiah got a .50 raise....way to go guys!

I talked with Krista. Who would have guessed when she said she wanted to be a pirate when she grew up.......who knows....

There - that's what we did today.

CM STORYBOOK PLUS Software

My first two layouts with CM Storybook PLUS software. Just for Linda....I could save them as individual pages. I was given the option to use a local printer. These are with Gazebo templates which come with the software. There are supposed to be some of the digital kits. I haven't found them yet. I did find a button to import and I think the way you would save a template from say Shabby Princess is to save it to your harddrive and then hit the import template button in CM software. I'll try that next if I have a bit more time.

This is the first page of the PWOC album.

Below is the final page in the PWOC album. I had tried several smilebox templates trying to fit all my text into the design. My only option was the very plain one and I wanted a bit more punch. This worked well. I wanted to summarize my thoughts on the PWOC ministry at Elmendorf...and remind myself of the lessons I learned. I need SPACE.

I loved that I could use various fonts, change sizes of the font, manipulate text box size, move photos and such around.

I found the button to add shadows but it was grayed out. I'm going to have to figure out WHY because I want to add shadows by the 3 D type things so the layout will look more 3 D than flat. Anyone familiar with the program care to tell me what's up? I THINK it may be locked because these are templates. I can't FIND the design kits that would have allowed me to build my own. The top layout doesn't look real flat but I think the bottom one could have benefitted from putting shadows around the photos. LOL

I really LIKE these two pages...they have a bit of fluff but aren't overpowering with frippery. This is a pack of paper I was looking to buy for my "modest albums" and now I can make layouts for it right on the computer.

If I can find the time to go to the local scrapbook shop to print them out I will be DONE with the PWOC album for 2002 - 2005. They are saved as jpg Linda, so I see no reason why I can't print them in other places. Hope that helps.

*WE* ARE That Old Couple ...you know the one stalking unsuspecting young parents.....

I admit that I've been emotional.

Today we were sitting in Arbys (because we had planned to pick Josiah up at the airport and the plane was late but not late enough to cook a meal before chapel). Alright, already.....Today we were sitting in Arbys and a young couple walked in with a newborn.

I remember old couples smiling and watching our little ones. This actually still happens to us quite a bit. We'll notice someone is paying attention to us. Often as they leave they'll give us a compliment on our large family, or comment on how our children remind them of theirs and several times they've even paid for our meal. We've been good natured about this, especially the paying for the meal part. ::snort:: It's actually been nice to know that we have been able to resurrect fond memories for others.

Today we were sitting in Arbys and I couldn't keep my eyes off the young couple. They seemed SO young but a reality check revealed they were no younger than I was when Bre was born. They were visiting with each other but it was so OBVIOUS this baby was the center of their focus. The baby did this little snake thing with his tongue and both looked at each other and did it. ::snort:: They ate with a hand jiggling the carseat or leaning in to smile at Jr.

Memories flooded back. Our days of being so young with a newborn. It seems like yesterday but its been 23 years since BreAnne was born. Wow. Where does the time go?

I teared up. I CRIED. Mike said, "What's wrong" and then he got emotional too. I love that about my husband - there is no doubt that family is so very important to him. We discussed how quickly the years had passed, how we'd like to have held on to them a bit longer and how blessed they really were...and now I'm tearing up again.

Oh yes, Josiah DID get home today on a later plane.

God's Medicine ~ It's HIS Idea!

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverb 17:22 KJV

The original removes the word “like”. It literally says, “A merry heart does good medicine”. Merry in this verse means “joyful, glad, to show joy, those who rejoice” (8056).

Joy is far deeper than “happy emotions”; however, this word does specifically encompass showing joy. It is said that the average toddler will laugh at least 400 times a day. The average adult laughs only 68 times a day. It is good for us to cultivate an attitude of joy and gratitude. It is good for us to “show joy” even on “those” days that are less than joyful from our natural perspective. It does US good.

But a broken, stricken, wounded (5218) spirit dries our bones. Could it be that God commands us to “Choose Joy” (James 1:2), “Rejoice Always” (Phil 4:4), “In Everything Give Thanks” (I Thess 5:16) because he KNOWS that doing so is medicine to our wounded spirits?

It is interesting that the word merry can also mean “those who rejoice”. Those who rejoice do good medicine. I so want to be a balm, an agent of healing to those around me. This appears to be a good place to begin.

I am making a conscious effort to show joy and to cultivate a merry heart even when I feel dry and wounded. I’m not sure how God does it; I only know that time and again He meets me with gracious healing as I begin to exercise my less than merry heart.

Old Testament through New Testament we see a thread of joy. It’s important if God had it repeated so many times. I plan to up my laughing stats. On those days when I can’t manage laughter, I plan to smile more. This will be good for me as well as for those around me.

{I've been asked to post weekly devotionals on SHS and finally realized I could cross post them here too. }

©2008 D.R.G.

PWOC QUESTIONS - Darshia????

I am trying to remember where PWOC Fall Focus 2004 was held. I know it was NC. Was it Ashton?What was the name of the conference center? What about the big fancy mansion that you can tour - maybe the name starts with a B? Was anyone else at Fall Focus. Darshia are you reading? I'm working on the PWOC album from EAFB. (Wow - we were silly at Olive Garden. ::snort:: None of the pictures turned out except one of Carleen with something strange in her glass and the waiter...)

Help. I need this info. LOL