the real me....

The real me is a child of God.

Born…. And protected by God my entire life.

As a child my parents took me to church, chapel, vacation bible school, and they were involved in the church wherever we moved, serving and leading small groups and youth.  I had an excellent example! My dad had wanted to be a pastor, but God had a better plan for him.

One night as we left church late it was dark in the parking lot we ran to get to our car, my dad was away at work and it was just us girls, running in the dark.  “Whoooo” my mom said, as she rushed us to the auto, “we have to hurry we don’t want the boogie man to get us!”  “Oh my” I replied, “God will not let anything bad happen to us.”  My faith and the fact that a 5 year old would say it shocked my mom into calm. 

I grew and adjusted…. God continued to whisper into my ear… I listened. As a young child I was somewhat concerned that I would not confess my sin enough…so I prayed a lot.

At 14 I went to a Bible Camp in the mountains of Japan, there was an evangelistic speaker, Dr. Cook, who took us through the steps to salvation.  I had heard those before but for the first time I realized I didn’t have to continually ask to be forgiven.  I stood up and told my testimony to my group that I always knew God was for me and that I was saved but this was the way to find peace.

~~~ after 16 I had a heart break, a young girl with a broken heart is mad at everything, I turned away from God, and decided to do everything my way… It was a sad and confusing youth, the details that are not necessary to share…

One night at 19 years old, I was alone in my apartment, sad, worried, lonely, and self-evaluating….

I prayed for God to help me and told him I could not continue on my own because all my ideas had ended in more sadness and loneliness…  within a half hour, a couple of people knocked on my door and handed out a flyer for a new church that just opened up nearby… I knew this was the answer.  I attended and got baptized.

I continued to follow God and thought there were times of desert and times of full spiritual engagement… there was always God.

I have to say that in Christ is the way to peace… in Christ is the way to wisdom…. In Christ is the way to grow spiritual strength.

I think that there are times and seasons, for everything in your life… and there are spiritual gifts that sometimes show up when God needs you for them and then are not in your life for a while, or ever.  I have had many seasons and there are times I have had wisdom and times I do not… times I had discernment and times I don’t.  It goes on… and I know I am his.

A Study on the Movie "Eat, Pray, Love" and my own working out of grief.

Eat, Pray, Love Ha!

     When grief has got a hold, for any reason, a death, a broken heart, a broken marriage, weariness, or the death of a dream... it is.. more like this....
    It's cry, pray, eat or avoid eating, cry, pray, sleep or can't sleep, cry, pray, shop, shop, shop, cry, pray, hope or lose hope, cry, pray, grab loved ones or push them away, cry, pray, anger, cry, pray, bewildered, cry, pray, shop more,cry, pray, ...
     Find new life, still cry, and pray... stay stuck, cry, pray, Jesus, yes! Pray and ...find joy hiding, be confused and repeat above....
     I haven't read the book, I saw the movie.... when I do read the book I will have the right to criticize that, right now all I know is the bare bones of the story --- according to the movie.  In which a youngish wife leaves her husband behind to "find herself".  I found myself, my true self when I contemplated the same thing.   But my faith in Gods plan and knowing that I had to stay true to the promises I had made --- How could I trust another if I could not keep my own promises?  If I could run away from my life then all my new plans could fall apart too... All I knew ... Gods promises that he had a good plan for me even if I could not see the outcome it would be a good one.  I had to have faith.  It was a good life, it was the right thing to do. 
   I see in the movie she finds another to be her husband and puts her faith again in a man --- I still do not see how this new man will be any different than her first, could she not find herself and re-devoted her self to her marriage? 
     For me now I am free of such entanglement and I am now again on the launching pad of another adventure... something has to give... I have faith.  Big Breath! Jump In!!
     WHEE!!!!

with this group I Eat, Pray and Love...............................................................................................

love is like that

My daughter once gave me her heart..... she drew it herself!.. Love is like that!

Love One Another !

This is actually a photo of me and my sister, in 1973!

I Love this commandment and work to follow this one like no other!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
John 13:34
Jesus makes many statements in the Gospel of John, but this is the only commandment that he identifies as such, calling it "new." Perhaps if he emphasized it so specifically, we should cling to it with every ounce of our effort.

Yessssssssssss...sssssssss.......ssss.s.s..s..s..ss.s..s..

They did it!

Yes this is my mom !

Last month Costco connections magazine, she was so surprised! Nice.

HOME ~ ♪♫♫♪

I was on a short trip lately and ............... As we flew near to home... I looked out the window and there it was.... The Mountain. Mt. Rainer in all its glory, and I took this with my cell phone...























and this one too.





























As we landed we flew below those lovely clouds into the warm rainy gray day that is Seattle. I love where I live. Thank you God.

OUCH! Sumiko!

My darling little kitty cat Sumiko, cut her back leg on some sharp metal. The vet had to put her out to clean it up and sew it back together. This is right after I brought her back home, she had to wear a collar to keep her from licking it. She is all better now and the stitches are out... but I just thought I would share this funny little photo of her in her collar, my other kitty is tentatively sniffing her out, in the background.

Whatever ~ I love where I live.

I have heard and experienced myself the great many gray days here in the northwest! Some people come to visit and never see the beautiful mountains.... if they make an appearance...it is just a fleeting glance through the clouds. When I first moved here the trees, our neighborhood, and the rainy days kept me from seeing the mountain's for about the first 6 months. One day I turned the corner near our home and the sun had just popped out from behind the ever hovering clouds... Ta... DA ♪♫♫♪♪♪ ~ !!! I was then determined, from then till now, when I see those beautiful clouds lift, and I see the lofty heights of strength and beauty, covered in snow even in the summer, I will be glad. I will be filled with that view and really soak it into me. Thank you God! Then when my eyes fill up with the sight, it brings a kind of inspiring joy.

this is the morning & here is the JOY!

Today in my daily verse!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5
God doesn't hold grudges. His personality is not like ours; His ways are not like ours. Be free from your self-condemning chains. Be joyful this morning. Experience the grace and freedom that abound through Christ living in your heart!

Some thoughts I have had and have to keep re~learning.

Trials have no value or intrinsic meaning in the themselves... It is the way we respond to those trials that makes all the difference. J.E. Tada

My thoughts exactly..... as humans we tend to want to look only at our own hurts and either soak in the pain or lash out at others.

Both the the lamb (who soaks in pain) and the lion (who lashes out) feels the thorn prick each responds in an inappropriate way... for humans.

God wants us to "give him" the thorn and the pain and learn compassion for the experience or patience. Sometime the lesson is specific for us alone. We can either get bitter or better. Those around us will either suffer from our inappropriate responses or reap the added benefits from our learning our lesson. What a "better way" to learn how to, take care of another with pain, than have experienced it yourself.

Peace!

Displaced Orphans International

Displaced Orphans International is a registered
501c(3) non-profit foundation started by a
small group of Christians in Washington State
who are intimately familiar with the critical
problems facing displaced orphans on the
borders of Thailand. DOI was formed to
provide hope to those children who currently
have none.
The board members of DOI are all employed
individuals who have been led by personal
beliefs to assist the forgotten children in this
area of the world. These children are not
recognized by any national organization as
refugees and hence receive little or no aid.
DOI pledges that 100% of all donations will
go directly to the support of the children and
that all overhead expenses such as fundraising
activities, will be borne by the board members
themselves.
Strict accounting practices are followed and
annual audit reports are filed with the IRS as
required. These reports will be disclosed to any
sponsor upon request to DOI. If interested,
DOI can make arrangements for the sponsor to
visit the orphanages in Thailand so you can see
the results of our work first hand.
BROCHURE Click HERE