Rock Collections, Oh My....

As a logical adult, I KNOW that taking two little boys' rock collections to Japan is silly and makes no sort of sense at all.

As a third culture kid (TCK) myself, I know how important it is to have some of your favorite THINGS in a new location. I've been wrestling with and praying about what to do and how to explain to Mike that really it is NOT a Lucille Ball sketch, but we do need to take some rocks with us to Japan.....rocks from AK, from OR, from CA, from TX, from Hobby Lobby.....

Nolan (10) took out a few of his favorites and gave the rest of his collection to his friend Erik. This was with no prompting at all and I think Erik will value the gift for what it is - a part of Nolan's heart.

Zander took a few that he didn't care about and got rid of them. Notice the difference in personality and possibly maturity to understand that all can't come.

We got rid of enough household goods that I suspect we can ship some wheat berries and rocks. ::snort:: Right, Mike? I put MY Texas shaped rock, a gift from a young man who was once a young rock collector, into storage. ::snort::

I'm SO thankful Mike told the painters they HAD to wait until next week or not do the job at all. Sooooooo Thankful.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Sunday

My man is incredibly handy to have around...he's a plumber, an electrician, a landscaper and a one man demolition crew! ::snort::

See the grain in the buckets? Thankfully, I've learned to buy in buckets since being in the military.

We were able to bless two sisters who are building a commercial kitchen for their catering business. They took the "computer lab," the counter/drawers in the workshop and the big work bench type thing. The boys had fun jumping from the trailer to the mattress down below.

This little one is "hiding".....and she was so surprised that Zander found her. Ah, the infamous spices are in the background. ::snort::

Throw in chapel, lunch, moving into the trailer, moving furniture and paintball for a full Sunday. The younger ones are having a hard time grasping that we are IN the trailer but we are NOT playing....we are going back to work.

Mike is at the office today, I'm going to try to get things cleaned for the packers, shop for PWOC mementos, and work on a graduation display board....and get announcements ready. Jamin addressed many...I just need to finalize them.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

We Cried Uncle

I begged for mercy - or whined pitifully and continuously is more like it.

Mike tore out the room in the garage.

I moved stuff from the boys room to the center of their room.....and after spending the hours to do ONE room, seeing the mess and resenting the fact that we are PAYING for painters to SAVE us work.....and without them I would NOT have to remove everything from closets, walls etc and move it.....

Well, I asked Mike to come see. It is apparent our packers will hate us if we do this throughout the house. AND instead of focusing on graduation and packers I spent the whole day getting ready for a painter......which would take no time at all if he waited until the packers moved our things out.

Mike called him and told him that we were paying him to SAVE us work and this was simply adding stress and work to our lives. He agreed that he'll show up NEXT week.

We've moved (or are moving) to the lake.....the base fam camp. I hear mixed stories about wifi...so don't be alarmed if you can't reach us.

This week is INCREDIBLY busy.....Bre flies in tomorrow, MNO tomorrow, PWOC installation and farewell Tuesday, hair and something else on Wed, Thurs packers, Fri packers, graduation rehearsal, Krista flies in, Saturday is graduation, Sunday is our farewell at the chapel and family picture..... SO....I'm taking photos.....when I have a connection I'll upload...if you need to reach us...cell phone will work. Feel free to email and leave messages on the home machine - we'll check it daily. I still have lots of work to do at our house.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

I waited....

until 11:20 p.m. for Jamin to get home from work before I remembered that he doesn't come home from work any longer. ::sniff:: ::snort::

Routines are powerful things.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Imparting Gospel/Life

{Care for a sneak peak into my life journal? These are devotional thoughts and word studies from my morning trysts with the Father; NOT in depth, inductive study.}

"Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (New American Standard Bible - Observation)

This chapter speaks of Paul and company's sharing of the gospel with those who resided in Thessalonica. It also speaks to the behavior of those who heard the gospel.

Words I Love (Interpretation):

affection - Strongs #2442 - strong affection, yearning, longing and desire

impart - Strongs #3330 - give, share, impart

lives - Strongs # 5590 - PSYCHE - breath, life, soul (essences apart from body, set of feelings, desires, affections, eternal)....word is rendered "heart" in Eph 6:6 and Col 3:23 (heartily)

Life Lessons (Application)

• Paul's sharing of the gospel was evidentially credibly and relationally relevant.
• He shared not only the right WORDS but his very LIFE/SOUL with those he sought to introduce to Christ.
• All was done so that new believers would learn to walk in a manner worthy of God.
• In my own circle, its important to build relevant relationships as I seek to introduce others to Christ. THIS is at the heart of evangelism as I'm called to walk it out.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

PWOC-ERS ROCK

Last night was a PWOC project night. This is when we all bring whatever we are working on to the chapel and enjoy some set aside time to work and fellowship.

Several helped ME with MY project last night. What a wonderful gift these three ladies gave me. Peace of mind. I didn't get a photo of Roxanne before she left. We took 11 big magnetic albums and took the photos out. They ripped, they tugged, they copied my writing and put them all in nice little boxes.

Here Christina and Tammy work....

They saved the very last page in the very last album for ME to do....

Check it out!

Where was I while they worked? I put all the photos that were already out of albums into new albums and then I helped transfer photos. I now have 15 FULL little black power sorter boxes and NO magnetic albums at all.

My GOAL was to get them all into albums before I moved. Christina and Tammy convinced me that PCS trips are NOT for finishing projects and that the photos will be safe in these boxes if I TAPE them shut....I've been instructed to find a good book to take on the trip instead of my power sorter and case of albums.

I guess they earned the right to dictate to me. ::snort::

All of my PWOC gals are jewels. They really are. These three gave me an amazing gift of peace....first to make significant progress because I simply did NOT want to haul those albums around one more time.....and second to encourage me to let the goal go for now and relax.

I really love you ladies!

{PWOC = Protestant Women of the Chapel....yes, I know it's a bit of a dated name...but it states who we are and we are NOT a dated group! We're the with it group of ladies with the dated name....HOWEVER we have a cool new website and logo - check it out}.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Is it Saturday?

I'm SOOOO tired....but honestly....in a week this will be a funny pcs story. It's already fairly funny.

The painters refuse to wait until next week to paint. We'll spend tomorrow trying to empty closets and furniture from the younger bedrooms.... and then WHAT? Put it back for the packers. Grrrr.... Honestly, if we lived in a town with lots of options for contractors, I would be very tempted to tell these guys they were coming AFTER the packers or not at all...and I'm tempted anyway - but I'd like to spend a few days relaxing when the girls are here and not painting. ::snort::

We had a funeral this a.m. - for Jerry. Yes, it is a home going...but shoot....it's hard to say goodbye. I think it's a testament to Jerry that both Chaplains (who are used to speaking at funerals) choked....as for me... watching Jerry's mom simply did me in....way before the funeral started.

Arielle and I went through our scrapbook hoard and thinned things down. I'll take it to church and PWOC and that should take care of it.

I talked with a friend, who I've not talked to for far to long, today.

Mike and Jared are rewiring the garage. UM......didn't we all KNOW it would NOT be as simple as tearing a "non-weight bearing" wall out????? ::snort:: We have this jinx thing going on....so Mike discovered stuff that needed fixed....and we are ethical; so we fixed it...maybe they can tear the room out tomorrow.....

I loaded out all the office supply stuff. Surely, we can buy office supplies in Japan and there is no need to lug it across the pacific. (This is the same thinking that allowed us to pare down our massive sticker collection).

Now - I'm thinking about two big things....will the packers pack my spices that are in Tupperware? I plan to tell them NOT to pack any food except some rapadura, spices and 400# of wheat berries.

Will my beautiful memorial painting, to our babies waiting in heaven, get ruined in the move? Should I have sent it to storage? NO, that's not safe. Should I leave it with the girls or Mom? I really want it with me. Joneille and Mom gave it to us with the idea that we'd have something we could take WITH us of our babies.....I don't want to leave it...but I really don't want to find a big tear in it when I unpack it. Anyone moved art before?

I worked on THIS today....because it made me feel more in control to do something pretty for the house and take my attention off the killer West TX dust bunnies that were lurking behind the hutch, the bookshelves and the piano. ::snort::

Heather, my sister in law, called. THEY are moving to China around the same time WE are moving to Japan. They are finishing the last bit of moving out of their home today. Soon - we'll be there soon.....hopefully by next Friday night.... I swear I'm about ready to rent a bulldozer....

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...