Blogoversary Giveaway

I have several copies of this golden oldie by Stormie Omartian to share. If you'd like a copy, leave a comment (contact info included).

©2008 D.R.G.

They've Driven Me.....

to Color Coded Charts again. ::snort:: I will eventually write about Tuesday and Wednesday.

I finally sat down last night and made a calendar with each family member (though I didn't input much of Mike's schedule) and all the outside activities that we are trying to do. Several things became obvious:

1. The old "one activity per person" rule is simply overwhelming this year.

2. There IS a reason I can't seem to fit a homeschool co-op in - I think we've created our own.

3. We are cutting WAY back - WAAAAAYYYY back!!!!

4. We're in danger of being so well socialized that we'll have no time for academics. (And to think that someone told my son, "homeschoolers have lots of time - they don't do anything." ::snort::)

Not to worry - this happens every year. There are so many WONDERFUL opportunities for homeschoolers to choose from these days that it is easy to bite off far more than I should. We end up sacrificing the style and tone of family LIFE (which includes school). This is our 19th or 20th year of homeschooling. I really need to figure that out because I think I'm close to earning some sort of tenure...and if this is our 20th year of schooling we really should do something amazing and out of the ordinary.....anyway....this is our 19th or 20th year of schooling, I've learned that our character, our tone, our time at HOME is far more important these days than running myself ragged to be at every "great opporunity". Great does not always equate to right or excellent for OUR family. ::snort:: Ohhhhh....I'm about to say it AGAIN! It's all about getting on my knees before God with Mike and figuring out what HE intends for us to do this year and saying NO to the rest of the activities.

I felt better after making the color coded calendar (after I figured out how to print it on ONE sheet instead of six). It helped me to see what could and could not be done. We'll have a family meeting and evalaute it further before the end of the weekend.

HEY - some of you may want a color coded family calendar so grab it and consider it another blogoversary freebie. LOL I found the spreadsheet idea in the files section of SHS....and added columns , activities, names and COLORS!!!

©2008 D.R.G.

Family Team Building (or Family Worship)

Monday night I asked Mike if I could hijack our evening. It was a golden opportunity with both Mike and Jamin at home.

I read the verse from Eph about "Bearing one another's burdens".

We laid out a blanket. I then began to put symbols of all our family responsibilities for the upcoming year on the blanket (Chapel, military, schooling, co-ops etc). Then, I began to load people on the blanket.

I tried to lug them around and we all discovered that Mom could NOT carry the load of family responsibilities alone.

Yes, we all took turns trying. Guess what? None of us could lug the blanket full of responsibilities very far by ourselves.....in fact we could all hear the blanket begin to rip under the strain of our effots. This provided an unintended object lesson. ::snort::







When we all got off the blanket and took a little spot of the load, it was easily doable.

We went on to discuss the upcoming year, challenges we see in the future.... and strengthened our resolve to work as a team.

We needed a "song" so introduced Father Abraham. I was sure the words were "he didn't eat and he didn't sleep" and was gustily singing my version. After a few verses someone remembered the correct words. ::snort::

We ended with a prayer cirlce. The rest of the evening we played games. Jared and Mike played a rousing game of "Acey Deucy". I honestly don't remember who won. The rest of us played, "Pick it Up". The point of this game seems to be to lie about how many cards you put down while others guess if you are lying or not. ::snort::

Yes, we DO have family worship more than once a year. However, lately, it's RARE to have all six children and two adults home at the same time. We look for those chances.

*Note I heard about the blanket thing at a Mom's Night Out when Kristi was speaking about chores and her family. I KNEW that eventually I would use the object lesson and it fit well with what Mike and I wanted to discuss on Monday.

Well, that's Monday. It's a decent hour to go to the gym....so I'll update on Tuesday later.

©2008 D.R.G.

Catching UP

Why am I up this early? One of the children had a problem. Enough said. ::snort:: I'm notorious for "being up once I'm up".

Sunday is Ice Cream Day in our home....oops


Mike deliberately shut the door to all the work that was calling his name on Labor Day. What fun! This has been a particularly "full" work schedule for the past 6 - 9 months. Mike typically works from 7:30 - 9:00 or 10:00 at night. This means the younger ones don't see him for extended lengths of time. The good news is that he should shortly take his last ACSC test and not have to spend so many after hours and weekends at the office studying. LOL

We chose to go geocaching on Monday.


Stacia shows off her new running shoes

Jared asks to borrow Arielle's glasses after we'd all spotted the cache - except him. LOL


This was our last hunt of the day - long grass, rocks, snake heaven.





We found the general area for two other caches but both were crawling with hunters. I haven't a clue as to what they were hunting but we opted not to share the brush with hunters.

Some of us fixed dinner. Jamin and Mike surprised us with THESE on the van....YES. They've been waiting for "time" to install them.

Left side

Right side


©2008 D.R.G.

IT'S MY BLOGOVERSARY WEEK!!!!
(This will stay at the top until Sunday - scroll down for new posts)

I began this blog 3 years ago on Labor Day, September 5, 2005. If you are into nostalgia, you can read the first post here. The blog was started during the time that I was on bedrest AFTER having Stacia. Who knew you could develop eclampsia AFTER birth?!?! ::snort::

Stacia and Zander figure quite predominently in the early entries. Jamin was suiting up for Freshman Football, the girls were packing up to move to WA, Josiah was entering his Jr year and looking for outside work, our younger children REALLY missed Alaska and were very lonely here..... we were new to our assignment here in W. TX.

Blogs have many purposes. Some are political, some are a launching platform to fame, some just provide an outlet for the author's thoughts, some are political or focus on religious teaching......

I view Choosing Joy as a ministry to my family. As faithful readers will know, it began as a way to allow our older children who were moving into new seasons to be able to keep up with the newer family members. During Mike's deployment it allowed him to see daily photos of the growing and changing children and family life. Stacia was 6 months old when he deployed....she learned to talk, walk, and recognize family while he was gone. Who can forget Stacia's Sunday chapel revelation months after he returned - I LIKE my daddy? The children have come to enjoy having a record of our days as a family. At the heart of Choosing Joy is family. Early on I had trouble remembering to post. Family began to complain. I made a committment to post at least once a week...and from that point on I've found that I've posted quite more often than once a week. ::snort::

I also began Choosing Joy as a way to reach out to friends who "didn't feel three years was enough time to know the G family". We are military and move often. The blog has allowed us to maintain relationships.

I did NOT expect others would read. I did NOT expect the sitemeter to move up as quickly as it has. I did NOT expect to make new friends (internet and real life) because of the blog. I didn't really see mentoring happing on a bigger scale than my daughters via the blog.....We have now posted 2,873 entries. We have had 105,281 hits. We have had visitors from EVERY continent. We've had fun.

Choosing Joy has become a mish-mash. I blog about homeschooling, about being quiverful, about PWOC, about being a pastor's wife, about lessons God is teaching me and books and Scriptures I'm reading....but in all it's about relationship. I write as I would write to my dear friends and family - because that is the bottom line of this blog.

I thank those of you who have taken the time over the past three years to get to know me and my family a bit better. I thank those who have shared their thoughts and sharpened me. I've always lived life in a fish bowl. I was born into a Pastor's family. My children have always lived life in a fish bowl (I married a Pastor). The blog is simply one more way that I've learned to embrace the fish bowl. I pray that being real somehow helps others to see how a homeschooling, quiverful, pastor's wife can fail, get up, experience God's amazing grace and continue to move forward....and encourages others that they too can fulfill God's call on their life - regardless of what that may be. For more on why I try to be real read this. It's important to me that my readers KNOW that I NEVER tell another's story without their permission. If weaknesses of my dh or children show up here - they've allowed me to share. Oh MUCH goes on that is never blogged about. Would YOU want your intimate discussions on a blog? ::snort::

In the past three years we've laughed together(Zanderisms et al), cried together (kids leaving home, miscarriage), prayed together, and grown together. I appreciate each of my readers. BTW feel free to comment. ::snort:: I'm always surprised when someone comes up to me at an event and says, "I read your blog" - what an honor that you care enough about this family to spend time reading our daily trivia. Miss Pat you made my week!

This week at Choosing Joy we will party! We will celebrate all that God has done in our lives in the past three years.....and I have a few fun things planned for y'all!

OK - y'all - how do you make a post stay at the top now that we have "scheduled posting"? When I put a future date it doesn't publish? Maybe this won't stay at the top!

©2008 D.R.G.

MOMYS Cookbook giveaway

I want to start my "Blogoversary" week off with a giveaway. I have a "never-used" copy of the MOMYS cookbook that I will give to a reader who leaves a comment below. MOMYS (Moms of Many Young Siblings) is an internet group. They've compiled a HUGE cookbook. This book has over 1600 recipes. Each recipe is sized for a min of 8 servings. There are a variety of recipes included for all eating styles. The first edition sold out quickly. Marmee Dear is currently taking orders for the second edition. You can pre-order a copy of this cookbook at Marmee Dear for $29.95; shipping will begin in late November.

If you'd like to win a copy, simply leave a comment (be sure I have contact info).

©2008 D.R.G.

Sunday Devotional - Meekness

It’s no secret if you’ve “listened” to me online or been in a Bible Study I’ve led: I love Biblical Word Studies. Why? Often when I read a word in the Bible I naturally overlay MY 21st century understanding of the word on to the Scripture.

Years ago I began to realize that many of the English words chosen to define Greek and Hebrew words mean something “different” to me than they did to the translators. Therefore, my first interpretation of the passage may well be different than what the Biblical authors were communicating.

One such word that was an EYE-OPENER for me was “meek” or “gentle”. For years I beat myself up because my personality did not match what various Christian leaders were describing as a “meek woman”.

Enter a Precept study on Sermon on the Mount. I had prayed for years for “God to infuse me with a meek spirit”. I wasn’t quite sure why God hadn’t chosen to answer that prayer. I knew I was going to get hammered the week that we studied “meekness”.

I was in for a huge surprise. You see *I* was meek. I simply didn’t understand what God meant, what the Biblical writers meant. Doing a Biblical study of the word excited me.

I’m currently doing a topical study of the Fruit of the Spirit in my personal trysts. I have to share the definition of “gentleness” or “meekness”, which is a fruit of the spirit.

First, any fruit in my life is produced only as I am in relationship with the Vine (Jesus) and His Holy Spirit. I can’t conjure it up on my own.

“Gentleness” – also translated Meek, Mild -

Greek Word Praotes – Strongs # 4236
Strong’s simply defines the word as “gentleness”.

Vine’s tells us it is “meek”

*Dr. Spiros Zodhiates – fleshes this word out (and Beth Moore agreed with his definition this week LOL). Here are some highlights of this exciting word:

1. Does not denote an OUTWARD expression but an INWARD grace of the soul.
2. Calmness towards God
3. Acceptance of God’s dealings with us, considering them as good in that they enhance the closeness of our relationship with Him.
4. Expressing wrath towards sin
5. In the 3rd Beatitude expresses the blessedness that exists in one’s heart from being actively angry at evil.
6. Meekness is the balance between uncontrolled and unjustified anger and not becoming angry at all no matter what takes place around you.
*Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN, AMG pub. 1992), p 1208.

I spent YEARS trying to cultivate what was being taught as I grew up in the church as a proper “feminine meek” attitude. I discovered that the word meant far different than what I believed it did.

Check it out! It has very little to do with outward expression. Why do so many authors then focus on the external to validate our “meek spirit”? It’s to be a fruit in all believers’ lives – it’s not a singularly feminine requirement. ::snort:: At it’s root is SURRENDER to God’s dealings…..realizing that even bleak circumstances draw me closer to Him in RELATIONSHIP. It’s an INWARD GRACE. Meekness is a BALANCE between doing nothing and uncontrolled anger and rudeness. In its very make up it involves TAKING A STRONG STAND…..but it involves grace and balance. At times I’ve been guilty of uncontrolled anger characterizing my life. At other times I’ve swung to passivity. Neither is to be our godly stance when confronted with sin or an evil society.

God had worked meekness into my life as I prayed for him to root it out and to grace me with what I considered to be “meek”. ::snort::

As we begin a new school year I think of this word again. I want to homeschool with a meek spirit….a calmness, a surrender, a balance between ignoring sin and killing the sinner…..I want to be filled with His spirit which will lead to a life of meekness.

Here are a few other spots in Scripture where this word is used – with the definition above.

I Cor. 4:21 – Paul asks if he should come with a rod or a spirit of meekness

2 Cor 10:1 – Paul beseeches believers by the meekness of Christ

Gal 5:23 – a fruit of the Spirit

Gal 6:1 – Spirit that restoration with which restoration is to take place

Eph 4:2 - Show love for one another with meekness

Col 3:12 – we are to put on meekness

I Tim 6:11 – flee immorality and follow among other things meekness

2 Tim 2:25 – our teaching is to be in meekness

Titus 3:2 – we are to show meekness to all men


©2008 D.R.G.