"Surrender"
I had to LOOK to find this for you. My friend, Linda, shared months ago that she looks for a "princple" or "word" from God for each year, rather than making New Year's Resolutions. I KNEW I read this on her blog, and I was SURE I remembered her word was "rest".....and there you go - I found it. Click the link above (word this) and you can read her thoughts which are shared much more eloquently than I could do.
Reading her entry was one of those "ah" moments for me. Mike prays for a "word" or "vision" for the chapel each year. I'd slid into the practice, but hadn't really put it into words. I knew that the fall had trended to being a time of evaluation for me and that God seemed to give me a glimpse of what we would be working on and walking through each year. In recent years it's been: "Extravagant Love for God", "Love for Others", "Choose Joy", "New Thing", "Yet" (Habakkuk 3:16-19)...If you are a frequent blog reader you're probably able to remember these themes woven into the blog...after all the blog really is simply a glimpse into our family life through my eyes.
After reading Linda's entry, I realized that God had been taking me on much the same journey - without me KNOWING it. ::snort:: I am a "goal setter" and believe that is good - though I began to realize my goals needed to be much more grace filled...and slowly transitioned to realizing that what I needed was not a list of goals/resolutions for the year...but a sense of God's leading and direction for my personal walk. As I said, I'd slid into the practice that Linda shared over the course of years. This year the word I "thought" was for me was "contentment/surrender". I could never figure out which one word it was and so haven't said much. Seven months into the year I'm fairly certain I can say that it's been both for this year! They "go together". I won't keep obsessing about "one word". ::snort:: My words for the year, the principles and path that God is forming deeper in my spirit this year are contentment and surrender.
This is where God has taken me this year. It's a good journey and maybe I'll share near the end of the year. If you've been following along with me on the journey this year, you can pin point areas where God has led me to surrender and walk in contentment (which has always seemed like apathy and namby pamby pablum to me before this year). ::snort::
For today......the song below is worth the listen. If you don't have time to listen ~ maybe you can glance through the lyrics.
Sanctus Real - Whatever You’re Doing
From the album We Need Each Other
It’s time for healing, time to move on,
it’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong;
it’s time to find my way to where I belong
Chorus:
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me, and all I can do is surrender
Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there’s peace
And it’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see, but I’m giving in to something heavenly
Time for a milestone, time to begin again, re-evaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything – I surrender
Chorus:
Time to face up, clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out that I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears
Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but I believe …
You’re up to something bigger than me
Larger than life, something heavenly
Whatever You’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life
Something heavenly, something heavenly
Time to face up, clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
Label: Chordant (EMI)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Poor Puppy! ::snort::
Beatrix Jamima Puddleduck G - HATES bathes....but she's having trouble lately with personal hygiene. She also is having trouble scratching and the fleas/mosquitoes seem to be tormenting her.
I decided it was time for that most dreaded event....
Bath time!
Then we gave her a flea treatment, a new flea collar, doggie aspirin and a giant doggie joint formula pill. I hope she's feeling better soon.
With that, I'm going to bed. I'll have to update further tomorrow.
©2008 D.R.G.
COOKIES
I have been wrestling with Toll House Cookies since going crunchy...I think I've got it this time. ::snort::
We wanted to make a plate of cookies for Cy and for Martha, a friend who is recuperating. Truthfully, *I* thought that was the plan. My young chefs seemed to want to gorge themselves on bowls of cookie dough!
Do you like MONSTER cookies or normal cookies best? 
We'll take Josiah MONSTER cookies.
I took Martha and family a combo plate.
Yes, it IS a Chrismas platter. Wanna make something of it? I still have my snowmen plates out too. ::snort:: I spent too much time figuring out how many points a small cookie would be.
©2008 D.R.G.
Which Do You Like Best? (I'm obsessive)
I've been working diligently the past two weeks to master the "to do" list. Tomorrow night our PWOC group is meeting to make farewell gifts for the upcoming year. Click here to get an idea of what we are doing. The board decided to use a photo of the Water Lilies from the International Water Lily Collection. I am to make the cover. This would have been EASY. I was going to pop it into word, add text and be done...but NOW....I'm a digiscrapper...and I spent 3 hours playing around with photos and am still not sure which I like.
This is to be the cover of a cookbook - recipes submitted by members. What do you think? Remember we are in W TX....and we are intergenerational....
Some with JUST Lilies as I was asked to do....
Some with lilies and other scenes from the past year....
This is hopeless. I had thought I'd go to Sam's and get them printed and ready to go before tomorrow night, but I think I'll take copies to the event tomorrow and let folks vote on which they like. I could set it up on the GAFB blog with a poll.....or I could finish blogging today's events and go to bed. LOL I'm no good when Mike isn't home....I'm a hopeless night owl and look like a hag by the time he returns. ::snort::
©2008 D.R.G.
Leadership Weekend
PWOC Leadership Weekend is held annually in each region. I have heard this called "President's Weekend" and only Presidents attended. In Central Region the executive board from each installation is invited. Our region rocks. The cost of lodging and meals are covered. The idea is for this to be training for new boards about to take office for a year of ministry.
Here are a few glimpses:
Thursday night, as the regional board arrived, we went to Carol's home for dinner. While there we helped her assemble gifts to pass out at LW. To the left is Diane (our VP), Kristen (Keynote speaker), Judy (Titus 2).
Carol, our fearless leader
Deb (Titus 2) speaking about team building
PWOC Moment - that moment when you see an old friend across the room
Hmmm...I know I'm animated when teaching Bible Studies, when speaking at retreats - but REALLY, WHAT COULD CAUSE ONE TO BE SO ANIMATED when talking about the INTERNET??? ::snort::
The above photos convinced me it was time to lose weight and cut my hair. I suppose when you stalk around taking photos someone is sure to grab the photo and snap some of you....these are compliments of Deb.
Kristen - our special guest
Board doing an impromptu "skit" about the International Conference
Ft. Leavenworth has the most wonderful stain glass windows all around the sanctuary and foyer. The tops show scenes from the life of Christ and the bottoms show military scenes. Here's a sample.
It was a great weekend and I learned much. Not only from our "speakers" but from simply interacting with other godly leaders; from both the local and regional levels.
©2008 D.R.G.
Our Big Adventure or WHAT do you do when the thing starts SCREAMING?
Have you ever noticed that strange things happen around here when Mike is gone? ::snort:: Mike left at 0630 yesterday - this happened at 1300.
The carbon monoxide alarm went off and wouldn't STOP. I was getting my hair done....right in the middle and couldn't run home. I told the kids to open the windows and get out of the house. I fretted through the rest of the appointment trying to remember what you are supposed to do when those things go off.
I came home. All seemed fine. I plugged the thing back in and it didn't go off. We don't HAVE any gas appliances etc in the kitchen. We do have a new gas water heater. It seems to me that if we had a concentration of Carbon Monoxide it would be near the water heater. I moved the alarm to the bathroom - nearest plug I could find. THEN the AC quit working. I replaced the batteries in the thermostat and things seem fine.
Today, I find out that the kids ran out of the house without shoes. I suppose they were really alarmed with the piercing noise. Jared took the little ones to the park. Keep in mind that it is HOT down here. They walked to the park - one in on line skates, one on a bike but barefoot and one in snow boots...carried the baby and the other one hopped barefoot. They wondered why everyone was staring at them? ::snort::
©2008 D.R.G.
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