Today....

• Praying for our adult kids - Jamin and Jared starting new jobs....Josiah and Krista both interviewing for jobs in the fields in which they'd like to have a career.
• Getting ducks in a row for WILD Japan....praying for regional leaders for PWOC Japan. 
• Offends me illegal aliens (as opposed to legal immigrants) can get in-state tuition in TX but my son, a military dependent cannot because we live in Japan. This when TWO of my sons live and work in TX and one graduated from the college in December while the other ATTENDS same college. I'm not against helping kids and believe that was the motivation of the TX legislature - but what about military dependents? Don't they deserve the same chance? 
• Lunch and one hour board meeting with PWOC board - 2.5 hour visiting with board members after board meeting. ::snort:: 
• Dinner and family care
• Back to base to pick up Jared from his first night of work at Pizza Hut!

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Who says Homeschoolers aren't socialized?

Funny how Yuuki stays on Arielle's lap as she does school....they truly love each other.


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

School DAZE!

There have been a lot of things which haven't been very fun in the past 3 weeks....but one blessing is that we're ZOOMING in school. I had planned ahead to travel for 10 days ...and ended up not traveling. That put us ahead a week. In fact, most of our schedule has been cancelled for the past couple of weeks and so we've been HOME....not exploring, not serving, the weather's been fickle...and we've made lots of progress in school! In fact we may actually finish by the end of May this year...maybe the middle of May.  THAT is a God-thing as He KNEW I was bugged how school went on and on in never-ending cycles around here due to my travel-ministry schedule.

New school supplies matter! I bought a PENCIL sharpener.....and PEARL erasers....and STICKERS...and these two were happy to get right to work....

Love that concentration

I've been looking for some computer drill programs for phonics, math etc. BUT yesterday, I gave up and just bought a bunch of flashcards at the BX. I hate having them strewn around....and pieces get lost....but I have great hope this time will be different. I thought about laminating them all - but why? Other than I have a fetish about laminate. 

Currently, they're in a basket...but I'm thinking of the best way to store them. Any ideas? I've thought about hole punching them and putting them on a bit notebook ring....the kids can take them off and then put them back...now is the time to tell me all the wonderful ways to store flash cards that you've found on pinterest. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

How WINDY was it today?

Misawa's weather is hormonal - plain and simple. It blew a lot today, it rained, it snowed, it rained and snowed at the same time.  As the snow melted, I've been meaning to get out and clean the patio....wind took care of that....all the dirt, snow and furniture is gone. 

This wind chime serves as a quake detector  too.....but today it was busy chiming with the wind....

Neighbor lost some carport roof

But this poor neighbor lost his fence

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Day in the Life

• Love meeting God in the Word - lots of good stuff in Mark 4....Secrets, Sowers, Seeds and Storms. A key thought for me today is God reveals (shows openly makes visible) His secrets (mysteries) to those who are in relationship/intimate with King Jesus. 
• Snow on April 4th???? Yes!
• Asked Stacia and Zander what type of English muffins I should make today. 8 "normal" and 8 "chocolate chip". Not too bad....especially with peanut butter...guess they DO put chocolate in bread over here. 

• Just how windy is it? See post to follow.* 
• Two more weeks of Tapestry done. 
• School supplies matter. *
• Parenting would be easier if there WERE formulas and manuals guaranteed to work...simply doesn't work with man's free will playing involved in the mix....and who would want to do away with free will? 
• Paperwork - the plague of ministry! 
• Jared is now officially signed up as an AAFES employee....putting the cafe behind him.

• Ordered Vol. 7 of What's In the Bible. I'm always surprised at how much the kids enjoy these and how much they learn. Arielle and Nolan have been using them in the homeschool room at PWOC. 
• Michael is very tired today - trying to get him ready for work on Friday and it seems he was up too much yesterday....
• Working on documents and such for WILD Japan! 
• In the Philippines Typhoon warnings didn't come with snow. Just sayin! 

Choosing Joy!

©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

"To Do" Idol

A dear friend gave me this very cool, PWOC Turquoise devotional the final morning of Asia Region Conference 2011 (though we now know it is ok to say Asia Region Conference without a year as there will only be one! How's that for ground BREAKING? ::snort::)

Anyway - Aside from being pretty and something I  love to hold - the words in this devo often provoke "deep thoughts from this shallow Christian." ::grin:: 

Here's a freebie from  Mar 22nd - "Human weakness, CONSECRATED TO ME, is like a magnet, drawing my power into your neediness."  This was the day I EXPECTED to hear "all clear" from Michael's surgeon....good words on which to meditate. He is close!

April 1 - "Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me. A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day. Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life."

I love this. My heart's desire is to let HIM speak to me, direct my steps, declare my success throughout a day and not my ever-present and demanding "LIST".  How odd  I'd not realized how "that list" can become an idol....something which I give great energy and thought to, something which directs my actions and controls my sense of worth. No longer. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Terrific Tuesday Status Updates

• Whew - got us to the chapel at 07:56 - good PWOC day
• Love our e-100 group - we RACED through 10 readings this week; glad we don't have to do that often. We covered both Samuels and both Kings in 1.5 hours. Amazing. God give me a WHOLEhearted passion for You!
• 10 word summaries are a lifesaver when doing a summary with lots of discussion. 
• Confirmed lodging for WILD Japan! 
• Woot! Stacia got table school done at PWOC; Zander got table school done with Michael. 
• We've done 4 weeks of TOG already this week! We are rocking this!* 
• Stacia moved to a new math book and Zander to a new phonics book this week. We seem to get a lot done when life slows down to the basics....take care of Michael, stay home, do school. 
• Back to base for another test for Michael and drama for Nolan. 
• Walking her home - tear jerker - blaring from the KP crew. 
• Yakisoba for dinner - yummo! Michael ate fruit. 
• I refuse to think of things that I did NOT get done - I got done all that HE ordained to be done in this day! HE directs my steps, it's HIS voice loud in my head - not the to do list. *

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...