Sights Around Here

 A wonderfully, lazy day of schooling and "chillin." Just never sure what I'll see. 

Sweet memories - I had a sling that looked just like this which Stacia rode in for months. This one was made for Arielle and her dolls when Stacia was a baby. It was fun to see Stacia with it today. 

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

Discipleship Observed

...If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. Mk8:34

Peter (said) "Behold, we have left everything and followed You." Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age...but many who are first will be last, and the last, first." Mk 10:28-31

Matthew portrays Jesus as the King. Have I bowed my knee to this King in every area of my life?

Mark portrays Jesus as a servant leader. He also gives a clear picture of discipleship by sharing a couple of incidences and illustrating clearly what it means to follow Jesus.

Requirements to be a disciple:

• deny self - subjugate the works, interests and  enjoyment of self
• take up your cross - this can be defined as an "affliction endured as a trial of faith to conform us to the example of our crucified master." Dr. Zodhiates in the Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. 
• follow Jesus 
• lose life for Jesus and the gospel 
• leave everything
• there are rewards for following - both now and later - and they don't always look like rewards
• first will be last; last will be first - willing to live in the upside down kingdom

Follow (Strongs #190 - akoloutheo) abiding fellowship, to go with another....cleave to Jesus in believing trust and obedience, act according to His example, following denotes fellowship of faith and of life, outward fellowship can't continue without inward moral and spiritual fellowship, outwardly my life will resemble His and others will see a self-denying sharing of His cross.

I keep coming back to this word - follow. This concept of discipleship. I'm slowly learning as I listen to the Teacher.

• Discipleship is first inward before any outward attempts are authentic
• Discipleship is following 100% of the time - in the good times and the hard times
• Discipleship has both terrific costs and fantastic rewards
• Discipleship REQUIRES action - follow immediately, deny self, take up cross, leave....

Am I truly following Jesus? Or am I following a set of rules? A Bible study plan? A church program? 

Am I subjugating my self-interest, desires and pleasures for His interests? I will often find obedience enjoyable, but obeying is not contingent on my understanding or pleasure. 

Am I denying self or Jesus in my daily life? Am I denying self or Jesus as I walk out His work and boundaries in my life? 

My heart is to surrender 100%, to follow completely - it is. I AM discovering this leaving everything is a growing revelation and can be quite difficult to walk out Monday - Saturday. 

This is  a song which I first discovered when preparing a workshop on Biblical Hospitality. I think it illustrates a vision of the importance of caring for the needs of strangers.....it's a song I keep singing lately as I read through the gospels.  Follow You by Leeland and Brandon Heath

Choosing Joy!

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

Momentous Evening

Yes, it was a momentous evening! I went out with two ladies for fun....not a chapel event....though those CAN be loads of fun...but an invite to just go BE with grown up ladies! 

We've had families over and been invited over to visit other families. We've had staff over. I've met moms at parks...but this is the first time since moving to CA that I was invited out, without kids,  to  be with other women....and it was fun.

I picked up Rachel and we sat in the parking lot of Mi Pueblito and waited for April.  I can never get enough time to chat with Rachel, or  my "other grand kids," as Michael calls her children.

April met us and we drove to  Kingdom Builder Books in Roseville.  This is a store which sells home school curriculum and offers various classes to the home school community. I'm sure the youngers are going to be thrilled to see my loot. We needed a bit more seat work as they mentioned they need work to take to PWOC. This is as good as it gets for three home school Moms on a night out.  {Ed. note: Yep, Stacia just said, "GOOD something to do at PWOC." } 

We had our priorities...shopping first; but then we were hungry. We landed at Olive Gardens. I want my waiter sons to know I DID find vegan food and our waiter was gracious. I enjoyed a salad with the NEW Caprese toppings that are amazing (I simply asked them to keep the mozzarella bites) and instead of the famous Olive Garden dressing (which has Parmesan cheese in it) I sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. It was a yummy dinner, I stayed on my  plan AND I didn't have a migraine when I left. SCORE.

The conversation was fun and lively while we ate and on our way home....a very nice evening....and now that I write about it... ::blush:: I don't know that I WAS invited...April mentioned she was going to Kingdom Builder Books and I think I invited myself to go with her. ::snort::  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'm going to count it as my first friend out night anyway.

These were so pretty to come home too. Because I have a husband and children I love dearly. And Michael just likes to make me smile.

I love tulips!

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

Following Naked

A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body, and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked. Mark 14:51

These are the types of passages which capture my imagination. Obviously, I do not plan to base my entire theology on this verse.  I do ask questions: 

• WHY is he in the garden dressed like this? Didn't his  mother ever warn him to put on a clean toga in case of Roman capture?
• WHO is this? 
• HOW did he here that the action was in the garden? 
• WHY is this shared in the Word?

Mark's gospel is the only one to record this story. This has led to speculation that the young man following Jesus and stripped naked was Mark himself. 

We do know this was a young man determined to follow Jesus. Nothing stopped him from his quest of abiding fellowship with Jesus. I can learn from this nameless, naked, young man. 

This reminds me of a more dignified challenge in Hebrews 12:1b - 2a  "....lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...." 

I believe this young man's eyes were fixed on following Jesus. Nothing stopped him from following.

Following Jesus may lead to strange actions from me (how long would it have taken to throw on a toga?).

Nothing can be allowed to distract me from following Jesus. 

Following Jesus will often leave me feeling stripped naked - and that's good. 

Choosing Joy!

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

The Smell

There are still moments 20 months after Dad G's death when a memory catches up with us....

Or we think of something we know he'd love to hear.....

Or we have an adventure or mishap he'd love to laugh about....

Or longing for one last conversation takes our breath away.

Mom G gave Michael a sack full of Dad G's ties while we were in OR forBreZaak's wedding. Dad G was of the WW2 generation. These men dressed well when they went to church, or took their wives out for dinner, or attended a business meeting, or flew on a plane...you get the idea.  Michael asked if he could have some of Dad G's ties.

I was unpacking and opened the bag...it took my breath away. A whiff....I buried my face in the ties and breathed deeply...the smell of Dad G and Crescent City overwhelmed my senses. I remembered. I thanked God for legacy that can't be purchased or lost.

Then....

I closed the bag up tight, sealed it and put it on Michael's side of the bed. I wanted him to have "the moment."  I walked in later and he had done the same thing...gotten one whiff and then inhaled deeply of the last scent of Dad.

It was a precious gift. I want to live so I leave this sort of legacy for my children.

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

Surrender

....Abba! Father! All things are possible for you; remove this cup from me; yet  not what I will, but what you will. Mark 14:36

Via Google Images

Observe Jesus:

• He affirms God's power and sovereignty
• He clearly states his desire
• He surrenders to the Father's will

As a follower of Jesus I must learn to respond to trials and sufferings in the same way. He is sovereign, I can share my desires, I surrender to His will. Surrender is often painful! 

When God requires me to walk through suffering, I can rest in the knowledge there will be good from it. He will redeem it. God's perspective is bigger than mine. 

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

One Thing - Wholehearted Following

Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me."  Mark 10:21 

Jesus felt compassion and love for this young ruler. This illustrates for me the truth that to love courageously sometimes requires us to say the hard things.

Via Google Images

I don't think this teaching is about wealth as much as it is about loving and following Jesus wholeheartedly. Jesus fingers the one thing which competed for this young man's affections and asks him to surrender that thing in order to follow Him. Who knows, he may have gotten it back...but he couldn't, or wouldn't,  surrender this one thing.

Following Jesus requires I give up the one thing - anything - which the HOLY SPIRIT (as opposed to others) points out is competing with Jesus for my heart. Following Jesus requires a radical commitment.

What competes with Jesus for my affections?

What distracts my focus from Jesus?

Is there anything which divides my heart from following Jesus wholeheartedly?

What keeps me from deeper intimacy with Jesus?

That may be my one thing.

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