TGIF

This has been a tough week. I realize that I've really been pushing with trips, goodbyes, SCHOOL, and retreat prep, since late Feb.  The weather is gloomy and I have been struggling not to join it. ::snort::  Nothing terrible; it's simply hard to be a single parent to five children....

One recurring sad point is our Friday Fatherless Family Night.  We've tried to KEEP our routines...but things are different anyway. ::snort:: Tonight we took steps to ward off the blues. We invited several families over for frozen pizza and Tim Hawkins. The laughter is just what we needed.  The pizzas took much longer than I expected to cook.  We always use the same commissary clerk. She laughed when she saw the stack of frozen pizzas....and I told her "Party"...."mmmm....Hai.....ParTee." Then she saw the milk....."Pitza and milk party?" ::snort::

We've not been using the "free passport" that the base issues for fun things to deployed spouses. We get a new one each month, so I decided to see how many we could use in the next couple of days. We ordered two gifts for Michael - $65 vale, received a free system check on the Nissan (they fixed the squealing AC belt for free) and got a free $25 balloon bouquet. The "welcome" was in honor of tonight's guests.

I let the children pick out the extra balloons. It made me smile to see the confusion on the clerks face when she handed me the bouquet....

It's nearly midnight - time to go to bed.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Retreat Wrap

 

From 2010-05-23

Despite all the "surprises" which called team members away, despite the virus' running rampant...we met last weekend for Sweet Life Cafe - Savoring God's Presence. This was a Group Publishing retreat that our President picked out. Anyone who knows me, KNOWS that I am skeptical of boxed anything. ::snort::  It really was a great spine to build upon. We discovered it didn't have the teaching we desired. So....that's where I spent the majority of my time and energy....working on devotionals and messages for the retreat.  We also added small group leaders - "Cafe Group Leaders".  The decorations and setting were perfect for a "cafe" theme and tied in great with our vision of nurturing relationships. I'd recommend this package IF you are willing to tweak the plan to fit your group, able to let God move OUTSIDE THE BOX, and have someone who can take a spine and come up with devotionals. There are only 3 sessions in the box....we found that to be too little for a weekend retreat and added two more sessions.  The small group dynamic was WONDERFUL - it was an answer to our prayers. My mind is whirling with ways to incorporate next year's PWOCI theme into this sort of retreat. I wonder if PWOC could create "retreat in a box" type spines to go with themes.  ::snort::
 

From 2010-05-23

 

From 2010-05-23

From 2010-05-23

I didn't envision speaking while fighting a virus - but God proved, yet again, it's about the MESSAGE and not the fripperies or the MESSENGER...He is so good to me....I was blessed to be a blessing. I've been humbled and awed by the Father's great love for His daughters as various ones shared what the messages meant to their lives.  From feedback we are receiving, I believe many were blessed, in many ways. By the end of the retreat I was getting used to my new sultry, deep-throated voice. I threw up during worship before the first session (it was NOT nerves - it was a virus). I struggled through the sore throat and croaky voice....but GOD SHOWED UP and that is so much more important than a polished speaker, cutsy decor or charming bags....though those details often set a woman at ease and allow her to relax in the presence of God.
We had a wonderful supply coordinator and she took over hospitality too. Between her work, the decorating team's work, and the sweet gal behind the hotel counter....I think our ladies felt loved and welcomed. It was a delight to see all the detailed work of the past months come together to bless our ladies. It was a true joy! 

From 2010-05-23

From 2010-05-23

From 2010-05-23

From 2010-05-23

Laura (pink) was also my brave roommate

From 2010-05-23

Susane was our President this year, and will be our President in the upcoming year. God has blessed us with continuity and many new ladies to come alongside and build on the foundation of a great 2009/10 team.

From 2010-05-23

I stayed in the Tatami/Futon room.

From 2010-05-23

It was really quite comfortable when I stacked all the futons on top of each other the second night. ::snort::

From 2010-05-23

I also loved the onsen and the robes for schlepping around the hotel.

From 2010-05-23

What happens at retreat stays at retreat!

From 2010-05-23

Cafe Groups

From 2010-05-23

From 2010-05-23

Skits

From 2010-05-23

Service Projects

From 2010-05-23

Worship and the Word

From 2010-05-23

Free time in a great location on a sunny day...ah the joys of Onsens.

From 2010-05-23

Practical Jokes...they got tired of my cow bell. The kids thought this was VERY funny!

From 2010-05-23

 All serve to create a Refreshing PWOC Retreat



Do note our only male - front and center - Steven was a perfect angel and a blessing to all who watched him light up the hotel. I was  glad Tanya took us up on the offer for nursing moms to attend. Together we showed it is possible to minister to young mom's needs and older mom's needs at the same event. God God! Go TEAM! BTW Steven is the little guy who decided to make his appearance at the end of an Inductive Bible Study Workshop......and he blazed the trail by being our first baby at the ladies retreat. Go Steven - already  doing great things in the Kingdom.  

I've been busy since arriving home. Sunday we celebrated Arielle's birthday.

Monday was spent preparing for our local end of the year potluck and installation for the new PWOC board. I've also been catching up on details for Asia Region's WILD training the  first weekend of June.

I will be the local PWOC Titus 2 (mentor) and Retreat Coordinator/Team Leader or some such title. (Yes, I know I need to memorize the Women's Ministry Manual - I'm working on it. ::grin::) I've spent quite a bit of time evaluating this year's retreat and getting notes on paper to be ready to go for a new year. I look forward to building a team to love on and work with towards 2011's retreat. I've also been working on composing a survey for this year's retreat. My goal is to glean all the helpful feedback we can NOW, while the retreat is fresh in every one's minds.

Oh yeah, and I filled out three annual After Action Reports for the positions I held this year on the local board (Titus 2, Watchcare (fall semester) and Leadership Selection Chair). I also booked airline tickets from Aomori to Seoul and Seoul to Tokyo. I'll worry about train tickets from Tokyo to Misawa at a later date....when we figure out which date I'll go scope out a hotel in Tokyo.

Now you know why it's Wednesday and I'm JUST NOW blogging about this weekend's retreat. Shameful state of affairs. ::snort::

Arielle is 13!

Arielle's birthday! I arrived home and we ran to base. We were hoping her main gifts had arrived over the weekend. We went for dinner....and then came home.

Zander, Nolan and Stacia had also bought magic kits at the yen store.

Arielle had given us a LIST of books and Jared and I ordered a bunch...this one has arrived.

But the cake was on track. I made it Thursday afternoon.

A funny thing I will remember from this birthday is that Jared and Arielle came up with a system for the kids while I was gone. The youngers would earn tickets/points for being good. If they made enough, they could have some ice cream cake tonight. I thought I would get a buy...but no....I had a mission....I either had to cry at the microphone or get someone at the retreat to cry.  Nut cakes...this stems from Krista's teasing views of women's retreats.

I gave a squeal and high 5 when I "made" someone cry before the first speaking session by sharing a worship song with her. Of course, "I" didn't cause the tears...but I did eat the cake. ::snort::

Yes, I'm back from the retreat. I'll write more about it later.  The goals for the rest of the night are sleep, continue making lists and lists of what I think was REALLY good about this retreat and what I think we could possibly tweak in the future. I have to do it while it's fresh in my mind.
Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

I'm back home, such as it is - Michael

We just arrived back home. It was a pleasant enough trip all things considered. Anytime you travel in theater, there are some oddities and some adventure. For this trip the oddity was arriving at the pax (passenger) terminal when we thought we were supposed to only to discover that the actual time we were supposed to arrive was in Zulu - 3 hours later. So, we ended up spending the night trying to get a nap - nearly impossible - in the pax terminal. We actually flew out at around 0600 instead of the 0300 we expected - better than being three hours late.

The adventure part was going up to the flight deck with the aircrew. It was what is known as a glass cockpit - all of the instrumentation runs through computers to LCD screens. It definitely makes my old Piper Cherokee (actually my High School's Cherokee) look absolutely medieval. This is the way of the future though.

All in all a great trip. I will blog more about the conference, meeting old friends and life in the desert at a later time. Right now, I am needing sleep. I have been running since about 0830 yesterday, and it is now about 1400.

Blessings
Michael

Choosing Joy!

©2010 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~

Living all of life before the face of God...

It's FRIDAY

Messages are prayed through, studied through, written out, practiced and packed.

Clothes are packed.

Retreat supplies for sessions are organized and  packed.

Instructions have gone out to assistants and small group leaders.

I'm packed.

I made the World Vision Porridge that we'll use in one session this a.m.  Whew - packs a wallop!

Windy and Twyla will meet me in 2 hours and we'll go up to set up registration, hospitality and a supply room. We'll then pray for our ladies, relax and greet our women.

Pray for health. The virus is still wreaking havoc. Fever's gone.

Off to do a bit of couch school with the youngers.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

We Saw the Sun

From 2010-05-20

Yep, finally saw the sun for 10 minutes today.... this evening as it set. LOL

 The kids have informed me that they are going to have a "point system" for the family, while I'm gone. They have to earn so many points to get the ice cream cake on Sunday.

They've graciously decided that my ice cream fate will rest on how well I speak this weekend. What support! They've been listening to Krista too long. It appears that in order to get a full slice, I have to cry and make someone else cry sometime during the retreat. Nuts.

Seriously, join us in petitioning on behalf of the women of Misawa PWOC.

Choosing Joy!
 ©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Sound of Contentment

From 2010-05-17

Hunting sea glass with Stacia.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...