Perfect Friday Afternoon/Evening

I DID bake a small one and enjoyed it

WHATEVER could this mean? 

Have I given in to chocolate?

No. 

Is Lent over? 

No. 

Have the inmates taken over? 

No. 

It could mean only one thing and Stacia guessed it, "Mom - are the S's coming over?" 

Yep - this could only mean my pseudo grand kids were coming to visit. It has been far too long since we've had a play date. Doesn't this look like fun? It reminds me of when all the kids were still young and home. 

 We played at the park....and we played at home....Joy was THRILLED to see Stacia....and guess what?

She still calls me Gemma! Be still my aging heart! ::snort::

Rachel brought a crock pot of tri-tip over....besides the cupcakes, I made ice cream sandwiches,  a salad and a fruit salad.

Michael and Matt joined us when they got off duty and we had a yummy dinner. It was a great afternoon/evening....refreshing in so many ways.

Yuuki laid on the floor and tried her best to ignore Joy. Joy found a stuffed dog and put it up next to her face and barked. Yuuki looked away....eventually....she seems to have decided the safest place in the living room would be under Michael's legs.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

The Girl Gherkins Rock

It's a girls day on the blog! 

This girl, Arielle, had her first 2 hour, one-on-one driving instruction today! Her driver's permit has been validated. She now will drive 50 hours in the next 6 months and have 4 more hours of one-on-one instruction. Her FEMALE instructor seemed very nice, indeed. 

Our big decision now is: "Should Arielle learn to drive on our 15 passenger van or the manual Honda?" The verdict is out. I suspect the Honda. The older 3 learned on a 15 pass van. I think Jamin learned on a Honda. Jared bought a Jeep and learned to drive it when he came back from Japan. 

It was a blessing to spend a couple of hours chatting with my mentor today via Skype. I'm always encouraged and challenged after our visits. I'm now considering the difference between telling and showing....I know what this looks like in some settings; not so much in others. We're also continuing to contemplate the Kingdom of Heaven and the Beatitudes with Dallas Willard. Good stuff.

It's o.k. to  be 812 lbs if you have cute hair!

Stacia helped me sort more skittles...curse you Pinterest! ::snort::  I am hoping to be done with the sorting by tomorrow.....

Stacia provides much adventure and fun around here. She solemnly informed me she needs to pick up her workout intensity. She's *8*! We've had trouble with body image due to some mean comments from peers and unthinking comments from women. I was concerned and ready to launch into my spiel when she said,


"MOOOOOOM, I weigh 812 lbs!"

"You do not weigh 812 lbs!"

"Yes, I weighed myself on your scale!"

"Stacia, the little dot is a decimal! MATH MATTERS!"

I went into my math spiel instead - which was timely as this family keeps "losing" their math texts. Despite my assurances, she stepped up her workout intensity. ::snort::  I told her to do some work out for me.

Krista shared the letter her school sent the district when they nominated her for "Classified of the Year!" Wow - great affirmation of qualities which  we've long noted grace her life. Evidently, she has followed in her father's footsteps and can walk on water. (For non-military folks....Officer Performance Reports are often  over the top and our family joke has been ...."Yes, and he walks on water too.")

Hmmm....I realize I have nothing awesome to share about the new Mrs. D - though I'm sure she's amazingly awesome. I need to touch base. I do KNOW she won the annual race Michael has with the kids to find the first "current year" penny!

I made a  library discovery last week, "Amma: The Life and Words of Amy Carmichael," by Elizabeth R Skoglund. This is a great book. It was incredibly difficult for me to read about the young girls given to be temple prostitutes, but it's a beneficial read.  This quote captured me this morning, "If I fear to hold another to the highest goal because it is so much easier to avoid doing so, then I know nothing of Calvary love." If - Amy Carmichael. Her section on "awakening the giant" of India through prayer was so, so good.....I think I shall copy it and continue to ponder it in terms of Japan.

One last note - in tonight's family circle we finished the "I Am" sayings of Jesus. Good stuff. We'll focus on Lent and be praying about our next focus. Maybe I John as our family vision for the year is "Love Courageously."  

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lord, Lord

Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? ....But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:46, 49 (see also Matthew 7)

Hearing and obeying the words of Jesus builds a strong foundation in my life. Building on anything, or anyone, else will result in disaster. Too many haven't been trained to listen to Jesus. We listen to the voices of others and call it "Bible Study" or "devotions."  Listening to others can be good - but is not a substitute to listening to Jesus. For a strong foundation we need to know and obey the words of Jesus.

Why WOULD I call Him Lord and not obey? It seems silly. I've done it. Why?

• Pride - I want to do things my way! 
• Lack of discipleship - I don't KNOW what Jesus asks me to do. 
• Hypocrisy - I LIKE my way, but I want it to look like I'm obeying Jesus. 
• Fear - I'm not sure following Jesus is worth the price it may cost me. 
• It will be difficult to obey if I have a false view of Jesus.
• I don't know HOW to follow. 
• I can't recognize Jesus' actions in my every day life. 
• I've spent more time listening to the voices of others than I've spent listening to Jesus' words. 

"Why DO you call me Lord and do not do what I say?" It's a good question to contemplate. Am I calling Jesus Lord while refusing to obey? Why am I doing this? Why have I done this in the past? Why are those around  me doing this? Do I have any responsibility to help others know the answers to some of these questions? 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Pinterest Strikes Again

WHEW! MAY.DAY! 

After four years without Daylight Savings Time, this change is whipping us! 

This is the story of another pinterest project.....and it will be as cute as the last one...but...um....it's not as QUICK as I'd thought. 

Just LOOK at that girl.....she's displaying all the colors of the rainbow. 

It takes more time than one would imagine to sort skittles into piles of various colors....

No, the Skittles are NOT why Arielle looks like this.....the little bars below are the culprits. The wrappers are supposed to be GREEN. I asked her to go change the ink in the printer! ::snort::  We are making these for neighbors....and I wanted a little treat for our Bible study....I decided they wouldn't care if they were blue and we won't be meeting again before St. Patrick's -  so there you have it. LOL

 

 Michael watched me for a bit of time and then set up an assembly line to make wrapping these little peppies quicker. The Skittle treat is turning out cute. I'll post photos of that later...like maybe AFTER Michael takes them to the staff. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Imitating the Teacher

A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone, after he has been fully trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

Jesus is my teacher. Do I see Him as my teacher? Do I turn to Him when I'm perplexed? Do I turn to Him over other sources of information? Do I act like I believe Jesus is relevant to MY  life in the 21st century?

Made this myself!!!!

My heart's desire is to be like my Teacher. I want to imitate Him, reflect Him, emulate Him, resemble Him, live like Him, follow Him - be His disciple.

I will do this as  I am "fully trained" by Him. I can be transformed into His image; I only have to surrender to the training regimen. There is no room for apathy or laziness in this course. I am enrolled in this course through grace, I will complete this course by grace.

God has graced me with the spiritual gift of teaching. I dare not attempt to teach until I've been taught by the Teacher.

I've been reading The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard and some quotes had me thinking about Jesus as  my teacher before I read this verse. 

"Where we spontaneously look for "information" on how to live shows how we truly feel and who we really have confidence in. And nothing more forcibly demonstrates the extent to which we automatically assume the irrelevance of Jesus as teacher for our "real" lives." (page 56)

We settle back into defacto alienation of our religion from Jesus as a friend and teacher, and from our moment to moment existence as a holy calling or appointment with God. Some will substitute ritual behavior for divine vitality and personal integrity; others, may be content with an isolated string of "experiences" rather than transformation of character. (page 55)

And since I'm on a Dallas role - these three questions are SO good for evaluating many things: what I share with my children,  what I share with a mentor group, what I speak at a retreat, what I teach at  PWOC etc.

• Does the gospel I preach and teach have a natural tendency to cause people who hear it to become full-time students of Jesus?
• Would those who believe it become His apprentices as a natural "next step"?
• What can we reasonably expect would result from people actually believing the substance of my message? (page 58)

Interesting that the above was written on 6 Mar (Yeah, I don't always type each a.m.), before any PWOC theme brainstorming. ::snort::  This topic of discipleship, following, imitating has been recurring as I read through the gospels, hasn't it? 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

We Remember Tohoku on 3.11.2014

March 11.2014.  It's been three years.  How many years before we forget the significance of March 11th - 2:46 p.m.? 

My heart still breaks for the nation of Japan. Over 15,000 people died that day. 1,500 still missing. There are very few words to capture the feelings of this day. 

I remember where I was. 

I remember the helplessness of being in Tokyo and unable to communicate with my family -  which was without power, communication and running short on essentials.

I remember the C 130 which finally got us HOME. Then the evacuation and our choice to stay in Japan.

I remember the weeks of relief work...the recovery and relief missions in the snow.

I remember watching people search through the rubble for loved ones, a piece of home.

I remember the fear and grief we felt.

I remember the relationships! The Japanese neighbors who thanked us for staying. The dear friend who acted as translator while we delivered relief kits. The chapel team which worked tirelessly to prepare home kits. The deep relationships which grew from sharing this moment in history together. We have all since finished our assignments and moved from Japan,  but I'm quite sure we all still remember this day with our hearts in Japan.

I remember the dignity and the resilience shown by the Japanese people. One such example - which I heartily recommend -  is the Nozomi Project. These ladies make jewelry from shards of broken pottery left after the tsunami.

I feel like I should have profound words to share; but my heart is too full.

Japan still needs your prayers. Many are currently facing the requirement to move out of temporary housing - though their towns and everything they owned disappeared in a moment. How do you save enough to move on, while paying for a home which no longer exists? How do you rebuild a lifetime of equity in 3 years? How do you work when your town is gone? And the town up the road? Most of all Japan still needs an awakening to the heart of God. Please join me in praying for this land we love.

If you desire to read more about what that time was like for our family click the "tsunamis and other disasters" link in the side bar. 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

What About Enemies????

"God says I have to love you, but I don't have to like you."

 The first time this was said to me, it took my breath away. This person had no intention of giving me a second chance to win back trust or rebuild that which was broken.  There was no attempt to move into a mutually blessed relationship. There were boundaries - tall, thick and impenetrable. I was forgiven, because God commanded it, but I was never to be a friend. I learned much in this season. I learned to love with no expectation of reciprocation. I learned I am STILL, at heart, a people-pleaser and gave this person far too much power over my thoughts and emotions. I learned it is SIN to allow another to define my worth - God has defined my worth. I learned it is dangerous and sinful to accept another's labels - that role also belongs to God. I learned it is possible to love the Lord and set boundaries with others...but those boundaries shouldn't be set in stone. Boundaries should be open to the softening of the Holy Spirit as all grow in grace and wisdom. I learned this person was correct - God does not command me to like my enemies.  I also learned we are far to quick to label those we don't like as "enemies."  I learned it takes minute by minute dependence on God to obey His commands on how we are to treat our enemies.

An enemy (Strong's #2190) is one who hates you. There is real enmity and hostility. Yes, I've had enemies, as I'm sure you have. Not every person who disagrees with me or doesn't succumb to  warm fuzzies in my presence is my enemy. ::grin::

The Old Testament commanded we love our neighbors. We  struggle with THAT concept. Jesus, however, took things to a new level. He tells us to love our enemies!  This post will not be short and pithy. Neither, will  it thoroughly cover the topic. Here are some life lessons I've learned at Jesus' feet, centering on

Luke 6:27-36.

How do I Biblically Treat "Enemies"? 

Love Your Enemies (27) - Agape (Strong's #26) them. My friend was right. This is NOT the warm fuzzies. This is not like. I find peace in that. I try to love all - but you know there are some who are just plain mean and hard to like. Jesus isn't calling us to deny our situation or feelings. He is not calling us to hypocritically say we "love" someone, who in fact,  we cannot "stand."  He IS calling us to Agape. What does that mean? I don't have to FEEL it. It's a choice of my will. I direct myself to lay down my life for another. I direct my energies to their good. I serve another. It's the same love God has for ME and YOU....it may be harder than "liking" another. This is possible because the Holy Spirit pours this love into my heart - Romans 5:5.

Do good to them (27) -  Instead of grumbling, gossiping, plotting revenge - I'm to do good (Strong's #2573). My actions are to be "suitable, proper and beneficial."

Bless those who curse you (28) - I am to BLESS my enemies. WHAT does this mean? I'm to make them cookies? I'm to send them cheerful notes? I pray God gives them all manner of good things even as they continue to be hostile?  It is interesting the word used here is NOT the same word used in the beatitudes a few moments earlier (Luke 6:20-26). That blessed is to declare someone to possess the full favor of God. That is not my job.  To bless (#2127) in this verse means to "invoke God's action and intervention in their lives to accomplish His will!" It is "invoking God's blessing upon them by praying that they may be turned from their ways through God's intervention in their lives." Dr. Zodhiates.  Can I do this? Yes. It is how I hope others are praying for me.

Curse (#2672) in this verse is simply to wish something bad to happen. I've been guilty of cursing others rather than blessing them. I know others are guilty of cursing me - and my response is to be to bless them - to pray for God's intervention in their lives.

Pray for those who mistreat you (28)- I pray for them as I'd like others to pray for me. I pray for God's purposes to be unleashed in their life. I pray for continued growth in all areas of their life. I pray for peace in the relationship - and sometimes it happens -  sometimes I simply walk in peace through the relational turmoil.

Treat enemies the way you want to be treated (31) I want others to  forgive. I must forgive. I choose to forgive even those who act spitefully. I am learning it is o.k. to set boundaries while forgiving and loving....as long as they are "soft" boundaries and I remain alert to the Holy Spirit's work in the situation.

Lend - expecting nothing in return (35) This expecting means that I give without looking for an earthly return. I expect nothing in return.

Via Google Images

Be merciful just as your Father is merciful (36) - A son is expected to exemplify his father's character. Our Father is merciful (Strong's #3629). Our father is actively compassionate.

God is not calling me to be schizophrenic. He calls me to direct my will to the benefit of those who are hostile towards me. He knows I won't have warm brotherly feelings towards these people, but I AM to lay down my life for them. He calls me to do good, invoke His presence in their lives, pray for them,  lend as needed, and to be merciful.

I obey His clear teaching, not because I hope my enemies will eventually love me. I obey simply because our Father has done this for me. I am to imitate Him even in this hard place - where some truly do not like me and are actively hostile.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...