She's DRIVING and I'm Progressive!

I didn't blog Sunday or Monday due to our Internet outage - here is what stands out in my mind. 

Zander is over his fever as of yesterday and seems to be feeling fine. Thankful this flu hits hard but it short-lived.

Arielle is really and truly driving and she's doing great. She drove to Yuba City - over the 5th street bridge, she drove in the boonies and she drove us to and from the optometrist yesterday! 

Optometrist? Yes...Arielle has new contacts. *I* have a prescription for glasses.  

I tried to pick some out - I just couldn't. These are to be progressives and be on my face - always. I like zany readers. I love colors and fun. As I went to buy a pair I realized......I have to wear these always....um.....


And so I am searching and asking questions: 

Some are telling me bigger frames, plastic, bolder....sounds like the 80's to me.... Ugh....not so sure about this...

WHAT do you look for in glasses? 

• WHAT do you do if your fun glasses are a color that clashes with your outfit of the day? Say purple with green? 
• WHAT is in style? 

As an aside....I was walking through Walmart....I had my readers on so I could read a price...and realized I would soon not have to dig them out of my bag each time I needed to read something.....It seemed natural to me to slide them to the end of my nose and practice the "progressive look thing"...you know up for far away, down for close....and I was so busy practicing I slammed right into an innocent gentleman. I apologized and told him I was practicing seeing. ::snort:: 

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

Offended? Offended at God?

Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.  Luke 7:23

John prepared the way for the Messiah by preaching repentance and forgiveness. (Luke 3)

John was among the first to recognize and reveal Jesus as Messiah.

Jesus is performing miracles, prophecies are being fulfilled...and John sits in a jail cell.

Things have not turned out the way John may have imagined they would have. Life with the Messiah does not meet John's expectations.  He sends his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the expected One or do we look for someone else?" Luke 7:20.

Jesus encourages them to go recount what they have witnessed to John. Then he ends with this comment, "Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."

Blessed - not happy. This person knows he possesses God's favor. He is fully surrendered and satisfied with God's dealings with him.  This type of satisfaction has little to do with my circumstances. This one is blessed because he is not offended, he doesn't stumble, as He observes God at work in his life.

It sounds sacrilegious to say we are offended at God. Yet, we often are offended at God, while thinking we are offended at another. I have been offended at God and I have also walked in surrendered trust.

Via Google Images

God doesn't act as I think He should. I obey and expect He will make things easy - they're hard! I pray for healing and it doesn't come as I expect it to come. I pray for life and experience death. I pray for freedom and I don't see it as quickly as I'd like. I've been the "good girl" - why am I living with this pain?

It's in those times - when God fails to meet my expectations -  that I have a choice.

I choose offense and become confused, bitter, and stunted in my spiritual growth.

OR

I choose to authentically bare my soul and heart to God and then....I choose to turn my back on the offense. I choose to forgive - to release it. I forgive God for not meeting "my" expectations. I trust.  I surrender. I recognize I am STILL blessed because God is still God - even when He acts differently than I expect.

I reject the offense and I embrace the blessing of walking surrendered to Jesus...even in the dark, hard, scary places.

I follow. He leads.

Pssst....I wanted to say "let it go" but I knew I'd lose 96% of the readers who would start singing THAT song. AND we've been without Internet since Sunday and wow - is it nice to be able to WRITE. 

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