Quick Update

It snowed yesterday. Not a lot..but enough to make some of the roads tricky and a long commute home for Mike. The roads thawed by noon and were icy by 4:30.

It's ironic that I've planned life out here on the Japanese Prairie so that lessons and Bible Study come to US. This takes into account the well-known fact that I've had at least one accident in each Northern Tier assignment. Our first day with yucky roads of any sort and I had a 8:45 a.m. doctor's appointment for Arielle. ::snort:: We took it slow. We were fine.

Arielle most likely has strep. She was feeling BAD yesterday, but I look for her to feel increasingly better each day.

School, more PWOC calls and emails...life is just life. ::snort::

Bre will be home in 8 days
Krista will be home in 10 days
Jamin and Josiah will be home in 12 days
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

New Advent Storybook

For over eleven years our family has read one of the books in the Jotham's Journey Trilogy during Advent. These books follow a child, each on a rather incredible journey that climaxes in Bethlehem at Christ's birth. A passage is read each day. A devotional is included, though I often found my theology wasn't a "match" with the author's. We enjoyed this practice. This year as we pulled out the book, I began to realize that Stacia is old enough to realize the danger in the story, but not quite old enough to fully realize it's a MADE UP STORY and everything will be ALRIGHT IN THE END....she struggles with bad dreams. Rather than give her an exciting hook to deal with each night...."It was Decca of Meggedo, now go to bed...." through Advent we began a search for something different.

We've enjoyed having more time to linger over our Jesse Tree Devotionals and Adorenaments (which cover the names of Christ).

Christie, my partner in Children's ministry these past few months, suggested a book she found on clearance and had been reading to her 3 year old. The Advent Story Book, is a child's picture book. In this book by Antonie Schneider a young bear is eagerly waiting for Christmas. Mama bear tells him that Christmas is just "24 stories away" and each night she tells him a story about the adventures of a little bear as he follows his special star to Bethlehem. It's a cute story. It's also a bit fanciful at times. The illustrations are great. Each night's story is only a page long. Our book arrived yesterday and Stacia, Zander and Nolan sat down to read the first 15 days of the book with me. More was requested, but I informed them we'd caught up and now would have to wait for bedtime to read a page a day. ::snort:: If you are looking for something for your younger ones to enjoy with daily readings, this may fit the bill. It does NOT have devotionals....but it does have a daily thought....and we are doing other devotionals.

Samples of daily thoughts are: "faith can move mountains," "if you are ever lost in the dark, this light can lead you home," "a good deed can bring unexpected rewards,"God's love can warm and brighten the coldest, darkest night."

Visit my All Things Advent Index for more ideas, tips and reviews.
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

Monday

Arielle continues to run a fever as the Tylenol wears off. She has a sore throat. No flu symptoms. This seems to happen about every 3 weeks. They couldn't get her in today, but she will be seen at 8:45 a.m. tomorrow.

I saw the dentist again today. An hour last week for "cleaning"... they had to do x-rays three times and then the dentist saw me but they didn't clean. We can only see the dentist once a year. They asked me to come back today for the cleaning. I have no cavities. Nolan and Arielle have none. Jared has one and needs his wisdom teeth pulled. Arielle has an ortho consult. When did the dentists become the age of my children????

It worked out so well. Mike met the little ones and Jared and took them for lunch and to the Weasel's Den, while I went to the dentist. I picked them up and took Jared to the library. He'll stay in until after Cross Training (PYOC). I only had to make ONE trip in, the kids got to see Dad (he'll be home after their bedtime tonight - probably 8:30 - 9:00), and Jared gets to spend the afternoon working at the library. Our kids discovered years ago that this is a rare treat - total quiet to study in.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

Noisey Discovery

From 09 December

We discovered last night that Japanese "poppers" are not filled with confetti. They do, in fact, POP and spark and make a terrifically loud noise. We set off four. We saved one. I think we'll buy more. This may be a nice substitution for Christmas Crackers which we can't find around here and I didn't think to order. ::snort::

From 09 December

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

The Week that Nearly Did Us In

Wow - haven't blogged for four days.

This was a hectic week. A great week though. Let's see what we've done since Wednesday.....

Thursday a.m. was MOPS. I enjoy this group of young moms. Arielle enjoys volunteering for Moppettes. Thursday afternoon was Bible study. Thursday night was PWOC Dinner and Movie. We watched, "One Night with the King" - hmmmm.....I liked the book better. ::snort::

From 09 December

Everyone continued to work on the triangular puzzle. We had devotions.....found a gift....stapled an ornament on our Jesse Tree.

Friday a.m. began with a 5 a.m. call to the states for PWOC stuff. We did school. The kids worked on more fish books. Stacia worked on Jesse Tree Ornaments.

From 09 December

I had a dental appointment. It was supposed to be for a cleaning. The tech doing xrays was new. It took THREE TIMES for them to get it right. Then the dentist said, "Why is the roof of your mouth all cut up?" Um.... ::snort:: They also told me my blood pressure was high and they should refer me for daily readings (um....20 min for a reading? I don't think so). Then the dentist came in and said, "Your blood pressure looks good!" ::snort:: THEN they asked me to come back on Monday for a cleaning. OK.....so all that for xrays and to meet the dentist. They apologized but they were running behind schedule.

A nice side trip when going to dental appointments is the post office. The kids were happy to see what had arrived.

From 09 December

Ahlaska! Hot Chocolate is really not the best tasting hot chocolate around...but when your mom won't let you have artifical flavors or colors....it's exciting to have a case of Ahlaska "Chocolate". LOL

Zander got to pick the clue Thursday night....

From 09 December

He led the hunt to find the nights gifts - yoyos. This led to a demonstration by papa.

From 09 December

Friday afternoon we picked up Gracie and went back to the base to meet up with other PWOC ladies and their children. We visited a local Senior Citizens Center, took tanjobi (birthday) gifts, sang Happy Birthday, sang a Christmas carol in Japanese, gave Christmas cookies to the employees and a gift to our translator....fun afternoon. I want to have a best friend like this in the nursing home with me when I'm 104 years old....

From 09 December

Twyla had put tinsel in the gift bags. The ladies were trying to put it on the tree but it was in clumps...another lady and I asked if we could decorate it the "American way". They all got a kick out of watching, we had fun, it did look nice...they said it looked like "yuki" - snow. Jared did the top for us. I'd show the photo of us ladies spreading Christmas cheer but the photographer got a rather unflattering view of my bohonkus.

From 09 December

Friday night Nolan found the gift on the top of our tankless water heater.

From 09 December

We wanted a couple of movies which I slept through.

Saturday a.m. began with an earlyish, 3 hour conference call, with our PWOC Asia Region board. Arielle woke up with a high fever and sore throat. Everyone was dragging. We sort of sat around most the day.

Mike and Nolan finished up the puzzle. Stacia likes counting the various animals in the puzzle. I have another puzzle in my stash...wonder if I dare sneak it into the advent gift line up. LOL

From 09 December

Arielle is still sick today. I stayed home with her and kept the little ones home. I made a yummy lunch. I made a salad for the staff party. Mike, Jared and Nolan went to the party. We had tea, visited, and now they are all watching a movie.

I also Skyped with Mom and Dad, Krista and Breanne.


Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

Travelers

From 09 December

Evidently, Mary and Joseph had to travel far, far away to Japan.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

GOD GESTATES!

WOW....am I living a God moment tonight or what?

I knew what I wanted to say tomorrow at MOPS. I was having trouble with organization but sort of got it to fit....and made a hand out and typed up my notes....but still wasn't 100% happy with the "format".

The topic I was given is Keeping Christ in Christmas.....and I was thinking in terms of birthdays and preparing for birthdays....but it hit me as we sat down for our Advent Devotions.....

Before every birth comes a pregnancy. God was pregnant...but I like alliteration - God Gestates.

As the family waited for me to begin reading about Rahab, my outline "popped" into place..... when our family waits for a baby....we count down the days, we think of a name for him, we dream of what he'll be like and try to picture his story, we prepare gifts for him, and we celebrate with a birthday party at his arrival (the nurses love this). ::snort:: All the things I planned to share fit those points..... I could hardly wait for devotions and the hunt to be over so I could rewrite my notes and handout.

I came back to retype my notes.....google reader was on the screen. The laptop had been moved. I glanced down to see "Holy Experience" at the top of my reader and her subject is "4 Ways to Celebrate Christ in Christmas. " I could see the first words...God Gestates. I finished my notes. I read her entry. WOW. Four of the five points are the same, though she says it much better...I'm me and will be me. Though I did find a quote, I'll use. ::snort::

I'm thrilled that God "zinged" my outline.... and I think this "coincidence" has to be confirmation. My outline is no longer awkward...same information but I think it will be easier to follow. I love how God steps in and does things like this to me as I prepare. He knows what it takes to energize me!

Off to remake a handout and make my notes pretty as I scribbled a new thesis and 5 new sub-points on them.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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