Preparing for the Bridegroom

This afternoon was our PWOC "spring" Tea. Our theme was Preparing for the Bridegroom. We fondly remembered those things we did in prep for our weddings and marriages. These women are good! Several mentioned learning what they could about the military lifestyle as they were about to become military spouses. WOW - I hadn't thought of that and it tied in with how we can spiritually prepare for our Spiritual bridegroom. We can learn about his lifestyle, study how we can be fit to help etc. We then talked about having a Tryst - "a secret, arranged meeting between lovers"; instead of a "spiritual discipline". I thought of passing out silky pjs but figured these ladies may not know me well enough for that. ::snort::

Trish had sent me the "insides" for 3 of the journals she makes. Thanks Trish.

The afternoon was fun...though I was a tad bit spacey. I loved that I didn't have to do anything except show up at 1:40. Here are some glimpses:

Vera & Debbie did all the set up. Everything was so pretty. Vera invited us into her lovely home.

Yolanda, made the elegant flower arrangements....and we all brought finger foods to add to the scones, crackers, cookies and drinks that Vera and Debbie had provided.

I'm not sure if you'll be able to see this little lady. I knew she would be the perfect hostess gift for Vera. She says "ready for love" and we talked about being ready to receive and give love to our Bridegroom. My children thought it was inappropriate for Miss Vera....but she seemed to love it.

I loved how God worked out the Tryst Journal doorprizes. Laura (nearly 20), Yolanda (30's?), and Evelyn (older than 30) all won.....isn't that great? Trish, all liked them. And there I am on the right in my new dress...I look rather matronly with my hair up and all. I was surprised how many didn't recognize me. I really need to get out of jean jumpers and capris more often. ::snort::

Saturday Summary

The day began early as I prayed through what I would say at our PWOC Tea.

Our United co-op order is coming up. I sent out emails about that, set up the order form at google docs, sent the link to everyone, fielded questions from several new members and then....

Jamin wanted to drive to work. He's driving with a permit and will soon have a license. I jumped in the shower so that I wouldn't be caught in pjs at the mall.

I decided to run into the mall and find a couple of springy dresses that would fit me in my fluffy stage. ::snort:: I also bought gift bags for door prizes at the tea.

Standing in Halmark I realized I was shaking, my head was light, my muscles were rubbery, and I was sinking. Hmmm. I hadn't eaten and it was 11:30 a.m. I suppose I need to face the fact that metabolism is not the only reason I need to remember to eat every few hours. I seem to be having wild sugar swings. I came home and Mike stuffed a banana in my mouth. I told him I'm going to find a medic bracelet to wear that says, "If I seem spacey - FEED ME CHOCOLATE - QUICK!" ::snort::

I ate a banana. I prepared door prizes and a hostess gift. I made a fruit tray. I loaded things up and left for the tea.

I'll do a seperate post on the tea.

The littles and I went to price above the ground pools. It's HOT around here and only getting hotter. We also checked for a local spot that can print 12 x 12 prints for us.....no luck so far.

I shopped online for spots to print out 12x12 digital pages. I've checked 9 spots and have lots of factors to compare now.

Mike got home and fixed my mouse so that I could work on some digital pages. BEFORE I began that we went out for a powerwalk. He has longer legs than I - that isn't very fair. ::snort:: I haven't made it to the gym for 4 days so I knew something drastic like this would be coming my way. It was fun to huff, puff, talk, and get a workout in. It was more of a workout for me than him.

I made 10 pages in an hour while we waited for the call to come to pick up Jamin at work. That's 24 pages since 4 p.m. yesterday!

Friday continued....

We watched a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movie from Netflix: Artists and Models. The kids put on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I decided to whip out some more pages. I've done 13 since 4:00 p.m. It takes about 5 minutes for me to do a page (remember the photos are ready to go on my computer, have already been edited for previous blog use).

I think this will be great. I THINK I'll be able to work on scrapbooks anywhere I have my laptop.....nothing else to carry or take with me. Nothing to take out, put back....

Here are a few of my favorites from the night, the photos will be familiar:

FRIDAY!!!!!

Produce co-op is growing and that is nice. It's my big social outing of the week. ::snort::

Sherri brought me her catalog so I can pick out perfect paper to match the albums I have and get started on my new style.

Deja and I decided to get our kids together this afternoon. They have the best yard in town....however I am content with our small yard...less to mow. Right? Right!

Here are some photos for THAT - can you believe it? Not more than 10 minutes and they are ready to print.



Our little mechanics cracked me up. They were playing and then the truck quit working...in nothing flat they were kicking tires and such - and it worked.


Tonight we'll eat pizza, watch movies, play games......Tomorrow's the PWOC tea. Oh NO - I just realized today was the SACHSA End of Year Pool Party. Oops.

Scrapbooking!

Less than 5 minutes to do these pages! Can you believe it? The photos were on my computer, I dragged them and wala......

These are random photos I took yesterday - a sample of our day:

I'm not sure you can read the text here...but the recipe is even on this page! LOL

Any room can be the school room

Thanks Cindy for calling me this a.m. and telling me I needed to try this! ::snort:: Go visit Cindy to see more layouts she has done. I think I'll continue with my current plan for the "hard photos" and then go digital when I hit the digital years.

I had no clue Smilebox did PAGES as well as slide shows. I can have these printed at a local store for less than it cost to buy paper, pages, stickers. The best thing is that Smilebox is running a free promotion for teachers. Go here to find more details. If you can't get in on the free thing - it's $39 a year - and you get TONS of templates for FREE on your computer. I can take ONE laptop to project night and scrapbook.

ALEX (Barton that is) Is SPECIAL

This story really disturbs me, you can hear it on The Early Show as well. I cannot fathom an adult who would think it o.k. to stand a 5 yo up in front of a class, let all his peers say the things they don't like about him, and then VOTE on if he should be in the class. She meant it as "discipline".....um....I have to say that if this is the sort of socialization the "experts" are after, I think my children will fare just fine in their home. Of course, before the mama bear in me completely takes over I will admit that I still believe this teacher's lack of discernment is the exception and not the norm.....and I AM woefully uninformed as to current trends having never seen any of the reality shows that are all the current craze. I do know children; and this appears cruel to me.

Since the incident in class Alex has been saying over and over, "I'm not special". Barbara, at Mommy Life, has started a campaign to collect cards from children and adults that specifically tell Alex he IS special. You can click either the photo of Alex or the link above to get the address and read more about this drive.

While I do not think this treatment is appropriate for ANY child in ANY school , at least not elementary school, I find this even more unthinkable as the young child is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrom and the teacher knew this.

An Example....

Below is an example of how devotional reading of the Word, the quickening of the Holy Spirit, my tryst journal and worshiping God with my mind, all work together in my life. Many fear that doing word studies will somehow make their walk with God dry or intellectual....I hear this in my workshops. I thought it would be helpful to show you how it worked on one a.m. in my tryst.

I try to read a Proverbs a day. This is devotional; not an in-depth study. I sometimes focus on one topic a month...currently I'm simply reading.

Proverbs 28:13 , "He who concelas his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."

I grabbed my journal and jotted the verse in the Proverbs section of my tryst journal. I knew from past word studies that "sin" is translated into at least three Hebrew words and each means something a bit different. I knew that "transgression" meant rebelling against the standard.

Holy Spirit Zinger - "De'Etta have you been rebelling against my standard in your life?" OUCH. I haven't been changing to keep up with a relationship as fast as I should. God has given me some clear instructions and I am TRYING but I keep "falling" right off the wagon....and really it is a case of rebellion. My standard is the "golden rule" - well do unto others as they've done unto you? ::snort:: In a book I read a few months ago the Aurora Colony lived by the "diamond rule" - making others' lives better even at your own expense. God has told me to quit defending my rights. Phil 2:3-8 - I'm to look out for others and be concerned for their welfare, more than I'm concerned about my rights.

This thought led to me flipping to a prayer page in the tryst journal. You don't need to know my specific prayer....and confessions.

Then my "mind" took over (though I believe that is intertwined with the Holy Spirit at this point) and I thought, "well I shouldn't cover or hide my rebellion...there's a list here." I should confess, forsake and then find compassion. "

I did a few quick word studies. These notes went in my reading page of the tryst journal (and I've learned to jot the date and section of other spots in the journal that relate to the same passage - my own "chain")

confess - #3034 yadah - acknowledging what is right about God and what is not right about myself and my sin.

You need to know that in the past few months the Holy Spirit has clearly dropped into my spirit on this one issue over and over the phrase "don't go there". Mainly I want to go to a place where I can bathe in self-pity and feel sorry for myself. It's rebelling against His clear standard.

forsake - #5800 leave, abandon, go to a new location (don't go THERE), ONLY ONCE but in Nehemiah this word is used to mean restore/repair This means that the most common use of the word is leave....abandon...go to a new location....but it isn't beyond imagination that it includes the concept of restoration and repair

compassion - #7355 compassion - mercy, the word pictures a deep kindly sympathy and sorrow for another who has been struck with an affliction or misfortune - and a desire to relieve the suffering

I need this. God offers this...if I confess and forsake my rebellion. Hmmm.....wonder what prosper means. I KNOW what prosper means. Well, I have the tools here....maybe I should check.

prosper - #6743 - made mighty and powerful through the Holy Spirit's presence, victorious, a successful person.

Wow - there was more there than I thought.

So what? Does it matter? Why spend all this time doing this? Because God pressed me to understand this verse deeply. That it would help me in my goal to be a victorious, powerful, mighty person due to His infilling presence.

It's time to take the definitions back to the verse. This is what it spoke to me this a.m.

Rather than covering or hiding my rebellion agasint God's standard, which will lead to me not prospering, not being the victorious Spirit-walking person I desire to be - I must acknowledge what is right about God's standard and what is wrong about my actions, I must leave my action; go to a new location, restore and repair what I can and THEN I will find compassion and mercy. God is one who sympathizes with my affliction and has a desire to relieve my suffering. He may even send other Christians to do the same.

Then I realized this had applications in my parenting....not just in my own struggle with rebellion against the standard.

*A child who rebels against God and/or his family's standard won't be victorious/mighty/successful

When he/she rebels I must lead him/her to

~acknowldege what is right about God's/family's standard

~abandon the place he is in and restore and repair what he can of the mess his rebellion has caused. Help him go to a new location.

~That child will then find from God compassion and mercy. *I* MUST be sure to extend cmpassion, mercy and sympathy for his plight...and I must pray that I am filled with, and communicate with the child, a desire to relieve his suffering.

It's not a formula....but it is an easy process of principles for me to remember.

Oh, I also added the verse to the Memorize section of the tryst journal.

It mattered a lot in my personal struggle. It also mattered in my parenting today. You may find it hard to believe but I had opportunity to help a child acknowledge his rebellion against God and family standards.....I was able to explain that he needed to go a new direction....and I was sure to remember to show compassion and mercy.

It all works together to help me on the path to being transformed into His image......Mark 12:30, 31...I worshipped God this a.m. with my heart, soul, mind and strength...and I loved a child exactly in the same way I had been loved earlier in the day. It doesn't have to be one or the other...emotionalism or legalism....it can be balanced....as we worship God as He calls us to - with all that He has given us.

I didn't make it to the gym this a.m. That is FINE - this was more beneficial.

©2008 D.R.G.