Gideon and Me or Tear Down Those Idols and Build An Altar

Judges 6- 8 are full of life lessons.  While I am sure I will not pull all the significance from this passage; these thoughts leap at me, grab my attention, encourage me and challenge me. 

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Gideon was productive, he was doing what was expected, but in the midst of the activity he was hiding. (6:11) 

God heard the Israelite cries and reminded them - I AM everything you need, I have all you need (6:7-10)

God didn't define Gideon on the basis of his bondage, defeat or hiding - He saw Gideon as a mighty warrior, strong and courageous. (6:12) Gideon became the man God envisioned as He surrendered and obeyed. 

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WHY? Faced with the presence of the holy, Gideon asks, "If God is with us then WHY am I in this situation." (6:13)

God's answer? Marching orders...Go in the strength of the Lord, I am with you, my presence is what you really need, it's all you need to GO....(6:14-16)

There's the whole fleece thing - it's fine to ask God for confirmation of His word to you - wise even. (6:17-24)

Gideon tore down the idols and  built an altar to worship God. (6:25-27)

THEN Gideon came out of hiding - he walked in victory and he led others to victory. (6:28 - 8)

The humble prize of Gideon's victory became a snare, an idol, for his family. (8:23-27)

I see myself in Gideon - in a small way. ::wink:: 

I was productively hiding. Hiding from an eating disorder which refused to stay dead. Transparent in most other areas of life...but hiding this one area. 

God heard my cries for deliverance...and He answered...I AM the way, the truth and the life...I AM your way out. 

God lovingly and surprisingly began to show me HE never called me fearful, intimidated...He calls me loved, safe, secure, whole, courageous...

I too asked God - if YOU are all I need then WHY am I in this mess? Again. I thought this was dealt with decades ago. WHY? 

God answered with marching orders....FOLLOW ME TO FREEDOM...for me this meant hacking away from commitments until I had time to spend hearing and watching in order to follow...A fast... A totally new lifestyle....Daily obedience in this very mundane basic of life - eating...Even when the excitement of dropping numbers is gone stalls.... Plateau is an ugly word. 

Did you catch this? Gideon TORE DOWN THE IDOLS AROUND HIM AND BUILT AN ALTAR OF WORSHIP  TO GOD! Idols can be the very best of things in my life. They can be rich places of blessing. I see how Gideon's victory became an idol...I'm both challenged and encouraged. I have shakily, tearfully and yet determinedly,stubbornly,  ruthlessly torn down the idols in my life in the past nine months. I pray He continues to show me any idol or about-to-become-idol in my life. (BTW it's not easy to give up activities you love, foods you crave, relationships you are sure you must have).

Then...Gideon came out of hiding...still productive....but out of hiding and he led others in victory to victory. I honestly don't relate to this at this point....I'm still teaching my children daily, teaching kids at PCOC weekly, I meet with a  lovely group of women monthly, I answer PWOC questions from those who contact me...I've not quit ministry....but I've certainly been led to follow Him to more margin in my life. 

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Margin - cleared white spaces - which He fills with surprising and magnificent doodles.  I feel strong. I am hidden with Him....it's a precious season. I pray as the season transitions I remember to take the lessons into a new season...but maybe the season will tweak but not really change...Follow Me will not end...at this time He knows I am weary of hearing myself speak and He has led to a season of hearing His voice and His only....because He knew I could not battle this enemy with divided attention.  

Abba, I am mindful sweet victory can become an idol in itself. Keep me ever alert to the danger of victory surpassing the sweetness of your presence in my life. And, now that the idols are down, the strongholds are broken and I'm enjoying a few spoils of victory; be with me as I build a lifestyle of worship - an altar - where your authority is celebrated! 

...march on with courage my soul. (Judges 5:21b - NLT)

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Vegetable Bean Soup (Jen R)

I knew I needed this recipe when I tasted it.....I had 30 min yesterday before guests arrived and I threw this in the crock pot. I didn't have canned vegetable broth or tomato soup. I had spaghetti sauce in the freezer and used about 2 cups of that and about 4 C of veggie broth I also had in the freezer (I was doubling).  I threw in celery, carrots....very versatile recipe...still tasted great with the substitutions. 

I especially like that I'll remember Jen each time I make this. 

1 can vegetable broth (2 C vegetable broth)
1 can cream of tomato soup (Spaghetti sauce worked well)
1 chopped onion (saute before cooking - I didn't)
1 can kidney beans (I didn't have any in the freezer)
1 can black beans (1 C cooked)
1 can chickpeas (1 C cooked)
1 C corn
1 C Lima beans
1 C peas (or other veggies)
Added vegges as you desire (celery, carrots, potato, green beans, parsnip, zucchini, can of diced tomatoes etc)

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook in crock put until ready - about 3 hours on stateside high. Doubled for a full crock pot.

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Spring in Misawa

I've made great use of my driving freedom these past two weeks....but check out the view this a.m. Spring Snow....really by this time next month it will be gone and the snow IS beautiful!

From the Dining Room 

From the Patio

From Shower

 

From Shower

From Our Bedroom Window

From the Front Door

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Out of Death

"Visit the grave of a believer, and give thanks to Jesus for calling us out of death." John 11:32-42.

Following Ann's simple instructions in the devotional proved hard. We are however surrounded by several Buddhist cemeteries - so I visited.

And thanked Jesus for the opportunity to live in this beautiful land and asked Him to strengthen those who strive to show the way out of death to their loved ones and country.  I asked Him for revival. I asked Him to send more missionaries to train pastors and love on Japan.

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Tarry...Watch...Pray

Tarry....watch....and pray. 

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Remain....abide...dwell...linger....live in this place or condition...

Watch...alert...attentive...giving attention to faith and conduct...alert and vigilant to defend against spiritual foes....against temptations...

Pray...depending on and expecting to hear His voice...declaring His will and kingdom on earth...

Intimacy begins at a scheduled spot and time...but a tryst is not to be rushed. I linger with Him. And as I move into life; that place where the sacred intersects with the secular, and colors all  sacred....in that place..I linger and I watch. I remain in a state of alertness in regards to my faith and conduct. 

Linger....in this place of surrender...in this place of energetic awareness of faith and conduct.

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Abba, my heart is to live life with integrity and authenticity. I want to remain in a state of heightened awareness of your presence as I go about my life - that place where the sacred and secular intersect.  I must not sleepwalk through the intersection. Keep me awake, alert, watching, vigilant in both faith and conduct. I desire to be transparent as I linger, watch and pray...in this place of surrender.

Word definitions based on word studies using  The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates. 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fasty Placenta

Check out the label....this ad shows up on my Facebook page. It is a vegetable enzyme drink which is supposedly good for short term weight loss. You are supposed to drink this for three days instead of food and it will keep your skin and body young. The placenta is made from animal placentas.

Reminds me of the bowl of collagen I ate while at a fancy restaurant....

No, I've not tried this...I'm a herbivore....remember?

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

We Had A Plan - Prayer Request

We don't often have a plan. But TODAY - WE HAD A PLAN!  The weather forecast was nice. Michael is not assigned to a service any longer. We'd go visit Shipwreck and catch the evening service. 

Zander woke up feeling like he was "on fire" and his throat/neck bother him. He has a 102* fever....a funny side story is that I bought a new thermometer which is SIMPLE to work. Our old one was "lost." We found the old one. IT says Zander had a 98* ......but he felt hotter. The new one said 102*. We then checked it on all of us and the old one was 4* off....wow....all these months we've felt sick but weren't sick as we didn't have a fever. ::snort::

A mild disagreement broke out in our home...with three of us insisting green eyes exempts one from wearing green on St. Patrick's Day. In any event, Michael, Arielle, Nolan, Stacia and Yuuki have headed for the beach. I'm home with Zander and will do some blogging, some reading, some nursing....

We'd appreciate prayers for Michael.  He's had this pain  for far too long....we really haven't seen a lot of improvement after the surgery and recuperating time....and no one has any real idea of what the pain is or how to fix it. More surgeries, without concrete hope of improvement, seem counter-productive.   His shoulder has been hurting since January. He has a torn Rotator Cuff.  He's been on an anti-inflammatory for two weeks and we've not seen improvement there either....seems the same or worse to me.

Ah....the adventurers are home.....here are some shots. The waves were rollicking and the mountains were very clear in the distance.  Beautiful scenery.

Nolan found his third glass large glass float.  This one definitely is showing some wear and tear - or at least an extra large batch of attached critters and such.  We all walked by it once.  Nolan saw the float thinking it was a black, plastic one and thought he might like to throw this particular one back into the water only to discover that under the barnacles was a glass float.  Sometimes it happens just like that.

For some reason unknown to us the Shipwreck has been dismantled....sad....glad we have photos from the past 3 years of visits to the Shipwreck. 

This is a before picture.

This is after "they" destroyed it.

 This is the before picture.  There are/were two boats next to each other.

This is what remains of the two boats.  This seems rather senseless to me.  Why totally ruin a local landmark?  They have been working on a project to shore-up the coastline, but these boats are not next to any sort of a bluff that needs to be shored-up.  Someone must have gotten a burr in their behind to think this was a good solution to a problem that did not exist. 

These are "after" photos.

 Just some pretty rock formations along the shoreline.

Yuuki spent the afternoon napping after her eventful day at Shipwreck. 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...