Fantastically NORMAL Friday

I took Zander to play with a friend on base today. At one point we saw a whole flock of turkeys fly through the yard...yep - we knew where the boys were. ::snort:: 

We managed to get two days of table school done today. 

I received a text with this photo! LOVE it...and love that Dakota told me how to get it from my phone to my computer. LOL  Arielle is enjoying her time in OR. Today she and Krista hiked to the top of Spencer's Butte. She made it...she tends to have oxygen issues...but the mountains are lower in OR than in CO or Japan.

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

SNOW in Oregon - what's next?

Shortly after my last trip to Eugene, a freak snow storm hit the area. Michael is always after updates from the Elder Gherkins and asked BreAnne to send us some photos and a story for the blog. She did. I'm just now finding the time to post it. 

View from apartment

  We were bestowed with over a foot of snow across the southern Willamette Valley from early Friday morning and throughout the day. I knew we were supposed to get snow on Friday. However, having lived through four Oregon winters by now, I was really skeptical that the snow would last more than several hours. After the blizzards of Washington and Alaska, not to mention Montana, I viewed Western Oregon snow as wussy.

BreAnne rethinks her disparaging thoughts about OR snow

 However, we did get some snow and it is rather cold. The forecast only predicted one to three inches however, Eugene received eight inches of snow and it is sticking. They are saying it will actually stick around until Tuesday. Eugene 911 got more than 250 accident reports on Friday. People here just don't know how to drive in the snow.

No worries, Mom, none of those included any of your darlings. (I'm holed up at home and Krista has been snow bound at some friends' home.)

We are supposed to get below zero degrees F tonight (Saturday night). At 9pm, the Eugene airport registered us at three degrees F. They say this is the coldest it's been in Eugene since December 11, 1972.

On December 8, 1972 it got down to minus twelve degrees F which was the coldest temperature recorded since they began tracking the temperature in Eugene in 1892. Suffice it to say, "Baby, it's cold outside!" Source: KVAL13

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

Fear and Conception

I woke this morning to the first day of reading through the New Testament. I woke late. 

Self talk - "That's o.k. Matthew 1 - you've got this. One big point for the chapter - Matthew 1 - what was the main point - "Family Matters."  It's just a long list of names. May as well read it before you journal." 

And there...nestled in the long list of names and the familiar story - God showed up! 

"...don't be afraid....because what has been conceived...is by the Holy Spirit." Matt 1:20.

There it is. Black and white. My fears, my wrestling, my heart. 

BreAnne prayed in family circle something to the effect of, "Give Mom peace as they follow God. We're all o.k. We're o.k."

And I cried.  I still cry.

Following Jesus is costly. I'm torn. I want to courageously say yes. I want to follow Him with laser focus. Yesterday was a "goodbye day".  As they left, I realized, I also want to remain close to all the Gherkins. As if my physical presence, my mama eye, is somehow essential for their well-being.

I walked. I prayed. I reached the same conclusion.

"Your will, Abba, not mine."

I will live courageously.

I will love courageously.

I will follow courageously.

And this morning, here it is, as I prepare to rush through my reading and journal that deep thought - "family matters."

Don't be afraid - Fear causes me to run from following Jesus. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear..." I Jn 4:18. I hear the Divine whisper, "Trust me. Love courageously. Follow Me. I'll watch them. They're o.k."

That which has been conceived is of the Holy Spirit. The dream planted in our heart, in the very soil of our family, is of God. It's been generated by the Holy Spirit. It will grow, it will bear fruit and it will bring forth new life in the Kingdom of God.

He met me in the sanctuary/the secret place of His word.

What about you? Has the Holy Spirit conceived something new in your life? Embrace it. Do  not be afraid...you can follow Him with courage and full trust.

Sorry about the red font....if I use white it won't show when the blog is printed. I tried to just bold but all the font is bold...so there you have it.

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