Back to School

Hubby and I are going back to school tonight.

We will be headed to the local community college

to take an 8-week course on American Sign Language.

We believe that all total there could be 24 weeks of classes if we take all 4 units.

2 of the units are offered back to back in the Spring

and another 2 units are offered back to back in the Fall.

Why a Sign Language course?

Well, the church we are presently attending has a ministry to the deaf.

And while we may never reach interpreter status,

we would at least like to be able to "speak" with the other folks that we are worshipping with.

So here we go!

If you think of it,

you can pray that we can learn it well

and be able to use it where God has placed us now and in the future.

Family Photo IV

One of the family pictures involved fruit.

It was a clue taken from the book of Haggai.

The clue told the family what book the uncle is writing on

and encouraged them to set the right priorities.

We were sent pictures of guava, starfruit,  and dragonfruit. 

We have been intrigued by dragonfruit for a while, so we tried it this weekend.

You cut it and scoop it out like an avocado. 

It has seeds and texture like a kiwi.

It is not overly sweet and even approved by the keto diet.
In the picture, it doesn't look all that great, but it was good.

Overall, a fun experience.

Building Strength: Resolution 1

It is typical this time of year to hear of resolutions.

"I will work out more."

"I will lose weight."

The local gyms are packed with people starting the year by making a change.

There are many new runners along the side of the road.

The local stores are advertising weights, yoga mats, and protein shakes.

I will admit,

we did buy a new pair of dumbbells to add to our collection😃

I do advocate good health.

I like to encourage exercise.

I try to be a balanced example in my eating.

But more important than physical muscles and strength

is building a reliance on God.

Psalm 105:4

Seek the LORD and his strength.

I need to seek Him and His strength

in service, 

in everyday tasks,

in hard places,

for wisdom and direction,

for victory over sin,

in ministry,

in my finances,

in the face of temptation,

in sickness,

in areas to exercise discipline,

for guidance in witnessing.

Later in Psalm 105 ...

Psalm 105:37

...there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Out of all the Jews in the wilderness, ... not one lacked strength.

They had the LORD's enabling and strength.

Why then do I try to work in my own strength when His is so much greater?

Family Photo III

I actually can't remember the order of the photos

so I apologize if this one is out of order.

The clue was "We are enjoying having workout space in the garage,

show us your best muscle man (or woman) pose."

This photo does not show our muscles,

but we did just finish a Christmas Eve Workout.

Family Photo II

Christmas is a wonderful time to relax.

Hubby had 2 days off for the holiday.

We enjoyed some foods that we don't often splurge on.

And we enjoyed some extra treats because of the gifts we were sent.

On the family photo search - 

the clue was Daiya roasted vegetable or Udis uncured pepperoni.

We had ours on Christmas Eve for lunch.

We almost forgot to get a picture before finishing it off! 

And while we didn't get to Togos or No Baloney

(both sandwich shops that offer gluten-free options),

we did go to Burgerville for lunch last weekend

and to Panera for a coffee date.

We enjoyed our burgers and split an order of rosemary fries!

Another mocha no whip

cinnamon spice latte with coconut milk, no whip

And we also made an awesome Beef and Broccoli

complements of some Omaha Steak that arrived in the mail.

Family Photo: Part I

I consider all of my readers to be family,

but please excuse me for a few posts while I share with my family by birth.

I sent them on a little trip to share photos of their Christmas with hubby and me

since we are so far from them.

Clue # 1 should have sent them in search of Donuts at the local bakery of their choice.

So dear family,

Hubby and I hit up our local donut shop last Saturday.

Here is the picture to prove it.

A Vegan/Gluten Free/Dairy Free Gingerbread donut for the Aunt

and a mocha for the Uncle.

Merry Christmas ... He's Coming Again!

Hubby and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

What a blessed time to celebrate the birth of a Savior!

He is Savior of the whole world,

and yet sadly, not everyone will accept Him as Savior.

He is not just a baby in a manger,

He is the Savior of the World.

He came to earth as a man (while still fully God).

He lived a perfect life.

He paid the penalty for my sin (and yours) in His death on the cross.

He did not stay dead (as many leaders of various religions).

He rose again.  He defeated death.
And He offers salvation to all who will accept His free gift!

While I was reading in Revelation yesterday,

I was reminded that while we celebrate His birth today,
He is coming again!

3 times in Revelation 22, it says,

"Behold, I come quickly!"

It is a reminder!

I need to be obeying His Word.
I need to protect and maintain His Word.
I must watch and wait!

It won't be long.now!

Enjoy your celebration of His birth today
and KEEP WATCHING!

The Power of the Pause (or I am not busy, busy, busy)

Have you ever noticed how often the answer to 

"How are you?"

or

"What are you up to?"

is 

"busy, busy, busy"?

Listen for it.

You probably won't have to listen long.

Maybe you will even hear yourself say it.

And maybe the speaker truly is busy.

 I have noticed that when I can't honestly say how busy I have been,

I feel bad - 

isn't that odd?

Why is busy-ness the accepted and expected norm?

At the beginning of December,

we celebrated 6 months in Oregon.
How time has sped by!

Starting over is always difficult for me.

At the beginning it is busy,

it is challenging in a fun way,

there is a house to set up,

there are new stores to learn,

there are new routines to establish,

there is just adventure in the newness of it all

...

but once we are settled,

it is quiet ... very quiet.

I have to find the people who need my ministry.

I may have to invent a new ministry.

I have to find a place in a new church.

I have to establish a new "normal."

And until those connections are made,

it is quiet.

Enter "the powerful 'pause'"

It is not bad to be quiet.

It is not bad to be still.

It is not bad to slow down.

It is not bad to be challenged in new ways.

I have thought much about the times God says to "Be Still" or to "Consider."

Though I often want to complain about the quiet,

God has used that quiet over and over and over again in the past 6 months.

I have been given a gift.

In the quiet,

I have found women online who have challenged me ...

in Bible memory,

in Bible study, 

in witness.

In the quiet,
my dependence on God deepens,
my soul searches harder for truths in my quiet time,
Scriptures stand out in new ways because my needs are more clear.

In the quiet,

I have had more time with my husband each week.

More time to read with each other.

More time to truly listen to each other.
More time for dates and walks.

In the quiet,

I have had to look harder for the outreach

resulting in more focus on the lost around ME

instead of just the ministries already established by my church.
The "pause" led to the tract bags to give out around town.

Giving Fun III

So far, the gifts mentioned on the blog have been for people that we know.

We also have had fun giving gifts to strangers this month.

We made some cute bags that have a tract, a candy cane, 

and one other gift (gum, chapstick, or trail mix).

Since we walk a lot in town,

we give to people that we pass,

we give to folks waiting for buses,

we give to the staff at restaurants and stores who serve us,

we give to bell ringers,

sometimes we even leave them where they may be found later.

True story:

Last Saturday,

we passed a woman on our local bike path.

I handed her a bag that had a chapstick in it.

She first seemed incredulous that I had handed her anything,

then she flipped it over and saw the gift.

Then she teared up and explained that she was going through a hard time.

She had just used the last of her chapstick and here I was giving her a new one.

Then she saw the tract title (True Peace) and explained that she needed that.

She asked for a hug (which we gave her),

we told her that Jesus had led us to her and that He loved her,

and we told her to give her problems to Him.

We don't know if anything will come of it,

but hubby commented that the bag was an example of meeting a physical need

 in order to address a spiritual one.

The gift bags have helped me to be bolder,

and so we are going to change the tract in the new year and hand them out around town all the time!

Giving Fun II

After being in the south for over 10 years,

it has been a shock to be in a more "guarded" area again.

It is very hard to connect with folks.

So we were looking for another opportunity to make connections with our neighbors.

So we thought Christmas was a great opportunity.

Bath and Body Works has had some great sales.

$3 soap combined with a 20% off coupon sure helped.

We "wash" you a Merry Christmas!

Get it?  Huh?

Hubby and his mom helped put the gifts together on the weekend after Christmas.

...and I got to deliver them today.

I am having a really good time.