One Day Way Winner

We have a winner - Roxanne! Please email me with your address and I'll get this right out.

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

Techie Debates

Those who love me best seem to think I would not be happy with a Kindle. I'm torn about it, still thinking after all these months, and so this is most likely an accurate observation. I do love the sensory pleasure of reading...though I'm not so excited about the bottom of my carry on ripping out at airports. ::snort::

I'm on to new techie debates...a mini-notebook or a small laptop? I use our laptop as MY computer. It's got a big screen, I love that for home...but it's HEAVY. I've been eying mini-notebooks.....but again...debating because I'm not sure I'd like a mini for every day use. The girls love their Dell mini-notebook. Mike has found a smaller-than-I-have laptop, probably one size up from a mini, that has 500 GB on the hard drive (I've maxed out my current laptop) and a DVD player....more options than a mini.....still small.....but then do I really WANT small? I mean I wanted it desperately when we were traveling and living in TLF and hauling my big laptop and stack of books back and forth...but now that I'm at home.....

Yes, we will be buying some sort of laptop. It is our understanding Mike can't be patched through to our home phone on DSN lines for moreale calls as we are no longer in America. Therefore, we want to send him with a laptop so we can try to Skype from the rock pile....if, of course, there is Internet connections....which I assume in this day and age is one of the items set up first for official communication purposes. He can't put Skype on an official computer....and this way he can keep up with the blog - which was a HUGE help for his transaction back to family life when he was deployed in 2007. We will be purchasing another laptop....should it be a mini-notebook, a smaller notebook or another BIGGEST-SCREEN-I-CAN-FIND laptop?

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

The Week/Weekend/Birthday I'll Never Forget

Where to start?

Last week was FULL of taking care of various PWOC Asia things. I had been "on break" while the boys were here, and things had piled up.

A highlight of the week was hosting our weekly Bible study group in our home again. We are still finishing up Beth Moore's, Esther.

I spent a significant amount of time recreating my notes for a 7 hour Inductive Bible Study Workshop. I have no clue what computer ate them....but it is a computer that I no longer own.

Yesterday was the Bible Study Workshop. I realized, as I began, and Mike was making encouraging signs from behind the women, that he'd never heard me speak before. He isn't usually at Women's Bible Studies or Ladies Retreats. He seemed to really enjoy the whole experience and I must say he was the BEST workshop prep team I've ever seen. The day went well.

As the day wore on, I noted that one lady was standing up periodically and getting a bit red in the face, then sitting down and joining back in. I'm observant this way....us teacher types are. ::snort:: Seriously, Tanya went into labor. It became apparent that the contractions were becoming more intense and more frequent. Mike finished the section on Word Studies (which we'd planned anyway) and I walked Tanya over to the hospital. I could have driven her but I knew if they were false pains they'd go away....and they increased. They were 3 - 4 min apart when we reached the hospital. How fun! I got to walk the halls and visit with Tanya. I got to bounce on the birthing balls between a contraction - because she didn't want to. I left when her dh arrived.

Today, I got to hold a darling 9 lb baby boy - born on my birthday. Mike took a photo. I told Tanya this photo will be shown at every workshop from now on - much like Sarah's James observation sheet is currently shown. I'm going to tell everyone at workshops that I expect great things of them during the day - and challenge them to "try to top this"!

We had lunch at the food court. We had ice cream. Arielle played Happy Birthday and everyone else sang.

A package with goodies for all arrived from Mom and Dad.

I got lots of hugs at chapel.

I received gifts and I'll have to show photos of that later.

I got incredibly sweet emails from Jamin and Josiah.

I was able to skype with Krista and Bre.

I spent the past couple of hours downloading the Digital version of our curriculum. I'm EXCITED. We were able to get the DE for only $20 when we ordered the print version. Mike wanted print in case the company ever goes out of business....we'll still have something. Makes sense...but I think we are going to have the best of both worlds.

I started researching the world of Doulas. Tanya says I'd make a good one...and she should know...she watched me bounce on the birthing ball.

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

Amusing "Sign"

OK - this is really the logo on a child's snow suit. It was a darling outfit. The logo cracked me up. Can you read it?

From 2010-01-11 mall, bowling

"Every day which plays as happily as it flies about vigorously.He likes various doing things."

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Need a Laugh?

I've never heard her before but this is just what I needed to start a long day off right. If you read this in the next 10 hours....pray for the kids home alone and Mike and I leading a workshop. I should be back to normal posting by tomorrow.

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

Forgiving Once Again

I recently heard a great illustration of forgiveness. I could do a whole post on what forgiveness is NOT and what it IS....but THAT would be a rabbit trail. The great illustration?

When someone has wronged you, you are like a bank that holds a mortgage. Sometimes the banks will sell that mortgage to another bank. The debtor receives a notice telling him that he is no longer in debt to the original mortgage holder, but to the new bank. He still has a debt, but that debt is payable to the new mortgage holder.

Forgiveness is "selling the debt". That's become a phrase I think of often. When someone unknowingly hurts my feelings, when I have to tell a child something I've said a million times, when Mike misses the laundry hamper with his dirty clothes....."sell the debt"...and believe ME they have ample opportunity to learn the same lesson living with me.

I'm preparing for a Bible Study Workshop that Mike and I will be teaching this weekend. He's asked me to take the lead. I've done many of these workshops in many formats: day long, weekend, 4 week Tuesday a.m. - you get the idea. I'm familiar with the process....but guess what?

This morning as I prepare, I note again the great loss of my OLD BIBLE. It was a New Inductive Study Bible. In MY times of study I'd charted most books of the Bible, written in key words etc.....and when I thought this morning, as I got ready to make the final decision about which book we should use for our hands on exercises,...Titus, Ruth, 2 Thess, Jonah..."Let's see what the main points of each book are." I had a complete brain fart and totally expected to find the books outlined, the chapter themes and key words listed.....but my new Bible is gloriously blank...waiting for me to hit those books again in my times of study.

I have sold that debt.

"Lord, those thieves got a priceless gift. May You allow your Word to
end up where it will be read and appreciated. Your Word won't return void
when it is sent out, regardless of how it was sent. ::snort:: I've sold the debt. It's not my business."

I had a good chuckle when I realized the thieves have a nifty cheat sheet I'd created on the Inductive Study Method which was tucked in my Bible. I found a copy....it doesn't appear to be on my computer.

Yes, I would love your prayers as we prepare for Saturday's day long (0900-1500) workshop.

As for today MOPS, Bible Study and School.

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

Armstrongs!!! and PWOC!!!

You should have seen the excitement when the kids saw that our packages were from Armstrongs.

From 2010-01-20

I told them it was GRAIN. Stacia said, "MOM - it's Armstrong your friend, your friend."

From 2010-01-20

Deja, you were the hero. I "never" buy Gummy Bears so YOU must have sent these. ::snort:: I'm glad you told me about the sale. I'll have to remember this in the future. ::snort:: You ARE a friend, thanks for helping me out with my grain issues. ::snort::

Did y'all know that PWOC is like Doritos? You can't eat just one? It's true. I slipped. I let my boundaries slide. I've spent most of the past two days solely on PWOC. That would be fine, if that's what I'd scheduled. But it isn't. Pure and simple....I slipped. My heart is to serve my women and be readily accessible. I realize this is a ministry/job that will never be totally "complete," therefore, I need to have boundaries. The very first one is one that I've had for years....but we lost after moving to Japan. We've gotten into the habit of turning the computer on, "for just a bit," to see if family is around to Skype. If the computer's on, I check email, I research...do you see where this is going? I'm simply going to have to discipline myself to stay the course. It's really not a PWOC thing....it's a me thing. I learned this lesson in Alaska.

No lectures needed....lecture has been self-administered. ::snort::

Mike and I went out tonight with our calendars. This was fun. Well.....the talking and eating part; not so much the calendar part.

I took a bunch of photos and ordered a flat daddy.

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