2013 in review

It's been quite a while since I blogged here! It's kind of like at the table when the meal is really good and all talking stops because people are busy eating. Evidently, I've been busy living and the writing waned through the year.

Looking at my two (yes TWO) posts from this year, I can say that I did accomplish my goal of reading the Bible in its entirety this year, but I switched back to my NASB for at home reading. I kept forgetting to take my work Bible back to work on Monday. I didn't read a chapter a day in German. That only lasted for a couple of months. I did pick it up again in the fall, but I'll have to attack that goal in 2014.

The second post was a spring update from our OLD apartment. God is very good to me. We moved over the summer and one thing I asked Him for is an upgrade in my view. I didn't want to have a better apartment with a worse view. Oh, yeah! He answered that one wonderfully! It almost feels like we live in the country. What a blessing.

That's it for now, since the lunch break is over. Full blog post coming soon!
Happy New Year!!

Random Ramblings

Beautiful day! Sitting in my living room, looking out our bay window at the fresh growth on the hedge and the crab apple blossoms just outside our window. God is so good to me. He knows what I like - nature close at hand and beautifully visible. There's a nice breeze coming in today also. The temperatures here are reaching my optimum levels. I'll enjoy them while they're here.Soon enough it will be summer in Oklahoma which means temps considerably above my optimum.

Dave is teaching TKD this am and I'm at home with no vehicle, but on a day like today I don't feel trapped. All that's required are a pair of walking shoes to go anywhere I'd like to go. And I may just make that happen. But first, writing. I'm priming the pump with this post this morning. (Getting the words flowing, for those of you who don't know what "priming the pump" means). It's farm terminology. Man! I'd love to be on my family's farm right now.

2013 Plan

Here's the plan for 2013!

Got a new Bible when I started working at RBTC late last year. Every day we read a daily portion together. What a great place to work! So...I'm aligning my goals. I'll read the NIV in it's entirety this year, and one chapter a day in German from the NLB (Neues Leben Bibel). 

Just add java!

I'm tracking my progress with SLFC's Yearly Bible Calendar.

 Orange highlight=read once in English. 

Blue highlight=read once in German. 

Green highlight=read in English and German.

2013! Let's do it!

Auf Deutsch?

I've been putting in about an hour a day learning/ reviewing German. It seems to be affecting my English as well. I just finished responding to a couple of emails and noticed that my grammar and sentence structure were more formal than I would normally use. (I JUST finished my lessons.)

I also noticed that as I'm doing my lessons my spelling is sometimes "D'Englisch", as one of my German friends calls it. The same concept as Spanglish, but different languages being merged. Not quite German, not quite English.

Example: I trink milk. (huh?) -OR- Wir drinken Orangensaft. (what?)
The computer does not recognize either of those answers as correct. My brain knows the right answer, my fingers just didn't spell it correctly. Oh, well.

Good times!

For the German speakers I've included two favorite phrases from today's lesson below.

Die Verfasserin schreibt gern!
Es ist notwendig, daher ist es moglich. (Sorry, not able to umlaut the last "o" on this keyboard.)

Translations to follow in the comments for non-German speakers.
Bis dann!

Long time!

It's been a while since I've blogged here. You are past due for some updates. It's the first of November and I'm feeling pretty on top of things. TKD calendar and newsletter ready to copy and distribute. (check!) NEW and IMPROVED TKD schedule ready to copy and distribute. (check!)

We're adding a sparring class to our schedule. This will be for intermediate and advanced students only (green belt and above.) I noticed when I was making my final adjustments that my dear husband has added a white belt orientation class on Monday nights. At this exact moment that is exciting and exhausting all at the same time. Exciting because my husband made changes on a computer document without any help or coaching from me! (I think I hear angels singing.) Exhausting because we'll be getting home an hour later on both Mondays and Tuesdays now. That's okay, because that means increase! I receive, Lord!

We graduated our 2nd black belt from the Rhema Martial Arts program! Emily Blevins is an outstanding student and is continuing to train toward her 2nd Degree with us. We also have two brand new white belts that began this week. Looking forward to more new growth in that area as well.

We finally have internet in our home! (More angel singing.) In the process, we changed our web browser and I discovered a fun learning website: duolingo.com. I have been making steady progress through the levels in German. In fact, the first few days I had to force myself to stop doing lessons because it is so fun! Occasionally I disagree with their "correct" translation, but for the most part it has been a great tool to expand my vocabulary and refresh my German tenses.

That's it for now. God bless you!
dcp

Updates after exiting the Editing Cave

I finally finished the latest editing project! (YES! Another one!) I'm still learning how to estimate the amount of manhours it will take to complete a project and also the amount of man hours I can fit into one day. Plowing through 10 hours a day sounds all well and good until you try to do it. There's Karate, Mary Kay, volunteering...sleep. Oh, and my own writing. Five manhours of editing is a full day. 9.5 manhours is a 13 hour workday. The brain and the eyeballs need occassional breaks.

Dave started his first day of classes today in the third year pastor's group!! He was very excited during orientation, but this morning even more so.

Our August trip to visit family was outstanding! We got to spend a few good days with mom and grandma in Kansas. Also met/ reacquainted with mom's "spiritual support group". Great cooking and great fellowship that night! We were sent on our way to St. Louis with an overflow of love and provision.

We drove straight to a gathering at a friends home that evening in St. Louis. Eight hours of driving, followed by several hours of visiting and eating. The night culminated in ministry, of course! That's what we expected and wanted. A young man was encouraged that he was made a new person, he has a new name and his past is not who he is anymore, once he was born again. He was filled with the Holy Ghost that night!!

We had a great time with Dave's family in the following days. I was in the transcription cave part of the time. (Boy, howdy! That was another learning experience.) Fortunately I was working on a book that was encouraging me in my Christian walk. God is good!

Wish I had pictures to post. We're working on that. If anyone would like to donate a device that will get pictures from my camera onto my laptop, let me know. It will take the blogs to a whole new level.

Love to everyone!
D&D

RBTC Praise Report

September 5, 2012

Yesterday I volunteered at RBTC registration handing out textbooks to incoming students. Amanda G. hung by me much of the morning. When David picked me up he felt prompted to pray with Amanda concerning her neighbors – a chemically dependent couple (alcohol among other things) with two children. We encouraged one another in the similar ministry God had us in – her with the neighbors, us with a friend. She shared what was happening with her, then we prayed with and for one another.

Our time together was winding down when a young woman named Brianna came into the admissions lobby carrying her brown bag of Rhema books. I initially mistook her for a 2^nd year student. Some of them were changing groups and needed to exchange books. We let her know the windows were closed until 2:00, but she could come back then to exchange her books.

She said almost imperceptibly, “I'm here to pull out my tuition.” She looked confused and sad. “I just talked to someone in admissions on the phone. She said I could come over.” She glanced at the closed windows.

Dave asked her, “Did you say you were pulling out your tuition?”

“Yes.” Her emotions were close to the surface. “I had a hard time finding a job when I first moved here. I just got kicked out of my apartment. My parents want me to come home.”

Dave looked at her directly. “Why did you come to Rhema? What brought you here?”

Without hesitation she answered. “God.”

“If God brought you here, this is where you need to be.”

Dave shared some of the faith triumphs we had during our first two years at Rhema and also the current hurdle we were facing.

Amanda did the same. She shared her family's response to her when she told them she was moving away to go to Bible school. “My family said, 'You're just running away from your problems. You're just looking for emotional healing.' And I was needing emotional healing. But I also knew what God said to do. Sometimes you have to do what God told you, even when your family doesn't understand. If you will obey God, He'll take care of you and it will be so good. If you don't, well....it's not good.”

During Amanda's testimony, tears flowed down Brianna's cheeks. David asked if she had checked in to student housing as a place to stay. She had. She needed something less expensive. Amanda asked if she had checked the student resource room for “roommate wanted” postings. She had done that yesterday and hadn't found anything.

Finally Dave asked, “Do you need a place to stay tonight?”

“No. I'm staying with my aunt. They go to Rhema Church and work here at the ministry.” She mentioned their names. She said her cousin sang in the choir. I knew who she was.

“I bet if you ask your aunt they would let you stay with them through orientation week,” I said. “I really feel like it's important for you to get through orientation. See what God can do over the next week or two.”

We talked for a few more minutes, then had to leave. When we got home Amanda texted to let us know that Brianna had spoken with her aunt and uncle, who were on vacation with her parents. All of them were fine with her staying, and she has three job interviews today.

Praise God! Meeting Brianna was no accident. Sometimes people just need a boost. It helps to know you're not alone and that other people have made it through the tough spot you are currently facing.

Little steps of obedience lead to great opportunities in ministry. I was extremely tired that afternoon. If I had become impatient, we would have missed the appointment God had set up for us. Doing things our way because it's easier or more convenient may seem like a small thing, but it can numb you to the gentle leadings of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, obeying the Holy Spirit can become so natural you're hardly aware it's happening. He'll put you in the right place at the right time if you practice listening and obeying His leadings.

Be available and obedient. See what God will do.

Love to you all!

Dave & Della

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” -Romans 8:14

I was recently encouraged to complete the editing work on Haiku Devotion which will be my first published work. I'm printing one season at a time. Below is a sneak peek at the weekend format.

If any of you have been reading the original posts at Gut Level Christianity thank you! I didn't realize how much editing I had not done on some of the posts. I have a tendency to edit as I write which can lead to never completing anything so, God gave me a daily writing assignment. Some of the posts are a little rough editorially, but I pray the Holy Spirit anoints His message from His heart through this clay vessel.

We are God's building

land He has cultivated

God's fellow workers

1 Corinthians 3:9

God! humility...

applying to my own life

the things You show me

no more comparing

“they've done this...why haven't I?”

in God's time, not yours

God makes us fruitful

Don't stress about, “How can I?”

He's working in you

Venerate: Psalm 104

Consecrate: Psalm 86

Rockets Over Rhema!

Dave and I just fininshed working at our church's yearly 4th of July event on Sunday. Dave was in charge of making sure all the traffic and parking issues ran smoothly. It was his first year being in charge of the event. That may sound like not too big of a deal unless you've ever been to Rockets over Rhema. 50,000 people converge on the campus of Rhema Bible Church. There are giant blow ups, face painting, food vendors, "sponsor row" (where I was at all day) and several live bands throughout the day. Officially it kicked off at 5 pm and culminated in an outstanding fireworks display at 10 pm. After the fireworks the 50,000 people who trickled in throughout the day all want to drive out at the same time...

...enter the Rhema Traffic Team.

Evidently it went very well this year. Pastor Bob Keich made sure the traffic team had small walkie-talkies which was a HUGE benefit! Overall it was a great night.

While Dave was busy coordinating and directing the traffic team I was busy at our sponsor booth for Rhema Karate. We had several students and families help and/ or visit throughout the day. Ronda and Phoenix were there for the duration as was Amanda G. We also had Michael for a bit and the Jacoby sisters, Morgan and Emily demonstrating and helping for a couple of hours. Overall it was a lot of fun and we connected with quite a few families we hope will be joining us for Rhema Martial Arts.

Since we handed out flyers all day long that said "Find us on Facebook!" I guess I'd better get that facebook page up and running. Hmmm. Off to another part of cyber space.

WOOOOOOO!!! I just completed my first editing project. Emailed it to the author one minute ago. I'm so excited to have something I helped with being published! Next goal: to have something I AUTHORED published!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

I need coffee.

Blessings, great and small!

End of May was very full! The main event was Dave and my graduation from Rhema! Ready for the next step. Praise God!! For David that is 3rd year pastors program at Rhema. For me, that is working & teaching with Dave in the Rhema Martial Arts program. I'm seeking God about what the rest of the details are for me. 

All of Jacob's belts from white belt to 1st Degree Black.
Way to go Jake!

The Saturday after graduation we conducted our first Rhema Martial Arts Black Belt test, and graduated Jacob Steckler to 1st Degree Black Belt! His parents, Jim and Pam, were in our graduating class and were a great blessing to us personally and to the Rhema Karate program. Jacob had a good audience for his test since family and friends were in town for Jim and Pam's graduation from Rhema also.

Dave presenting 1st Dan Black Belt to Jacob after his test.

Dave and I are helping with student handbook ad sales again this summer. We've also been teaching the Rhema Daycare kids again this summer. We have about 100 kids coming on Wednesdays between 10am and 3pm, in addition to our regular Rhema Martial Arts students on the other days of the week.

My heart is in writing and illustrating, though I've not been able to spend as much time doing that as I would like. One project I'm working on is illustrating one of James Whitcomb Riley's poems that is a personal childhood favorite - The Man in the Moon. I've also recently found my German cassette tapes (yes...tapes) from college. I'm using them to immerse myself in German and brush up my German speaking skills. The Haiku devotions are still simmering, but haven't been posted at Gut Level Christianity recently.

We were recently blessed with a 4hi vertical file and a bookcase among other things which has made a great difference in our home! Finally all the financials are in one place that is easy to organize and access (they were in boxes in the closet prior to that. David also has his very own bookcase now to store all of his Rhema notes and CD subscriptions in addition to his books. We each have our very own bookcase! What a blessing.

I definitely fall into the "sequential" group.
New file has made me very happy!-dcp

God is into details. The day before we received the bookcase from a friend Dave was telling me about how he wanted to put all his notebooks and CD's on the shelves next to his books. I had asked God for a 4hi file months ago, and just recently mentioned it to one of our martial arts students. Now we have both!

Facebook...what to do?

I've been reevaluating my cyber-friendships. Some of the friend requests I've been getting on facebook give me pause. For example: It says we have "24 mutual friends", but when I look at their photo I have no idea who they are, and our mutual friends are public figures like Rhema instructors or pastors. Hmmmm..... What to do? I do want to be friendly, but I'm not sure I'm ready for my private life, random thoughts and personal photos to be readily available to everyone. Ironically, I'm posting this on a public blog. Go figure.

Facebook makes me wary. I have +/-300 friends, some of whom I have never met. What kind of relationship is that? It seems the people I know the best I hear from (on facebook) the least, not because they don't post, but because their post hasn't gotten enough "likes" and comments to show up at the top of my page. Since I'm on facebook for a few minutes at a time that's usually all I have time for. What to do?

This is undoubtedly why they've added the close friend - friend - acuquaintance -.... function to facebook. So going through and updating everyone's friendship label or quitting facebook (which I had considered when I found out they were tracking what websites you visit even after you've logged out of facebook) seem to be my best options.

Fortunately this is nothing that must be decided today. It's time for my volunteer work. Praise God!

(very) quick update

Dave put in his application for the 3rd year pastors program at Rhema yesterday! Very exciting. We have a fun/ awards night planned for our Rhema Karate students next week. Which reminds me that I promised to post fitness test results this evening in class! Better get to that and blog later.

Cheers!
dcp

Priming the Pump...

Working on the May/June TKD newsletter and calendar. Just to get the words flowing thought I would post a quick update on the Peasels. Our graduation ceremony will be here soon - May 18 is right around the corner!! Three weeks of school left.

I'm not feeling particularly focused or inspired at the moment, but writing must happen so I'm pressing through. I'm using the free wifi at our clubhouse, and the soft rock radio station is playing at a decible level that I've been struggling to block out to no avail. Solution: create a wall of sound with Water from the Well, by the Chieftans playing through the laptop speakers. It seems to be working pretty well, except for those 1 second pauses between songs.

I think I've come up with my article topic for the newsletter: endurance! We've been running laps as a part of our warm up for NRC Karate classes and we're up to four laps which equals half a mile on our track. Next month we start running five! Believe me that requires endurance. I get excited and inspired thinking about running and talking about it with other parents and students in the class. However, when the time comes to run my body complains and wants to stop on the first lap. One thing I've discovered is that if I refuse to stop and keep running, by the third lap I'm warmed up and I enjoy the fourth lap more than the first. Another thing I've discovered is that having a running partner makes enduring easier. When you're running alone you notice every person that passes you, every person that's stopped and not enduring like YOU want to do. But when you're running with a partner you're not focuses on what everyone else is doing, only on what you and your partner are doing. The Bible calls the Holy Spirit our comforter, counselor, helper and stand-by. (Check out the Amplified version of John 14:16.) He's the running partner that God's given us to help us through this life! YEAH!! Without Him, its not just harder, its impossible. Thank You, Lord, for Your Spirit living in us!

Run!

We've been running as a part of our warm up in TKD classes. We started with one lap in January, and we've added one lap each month. April is four laps, which on our track is a half mile. I'm definitely not the fastest runner on the track, but the fact that I'm running (and I use that term loosely) half a mile is pretty exciting to me. I've challenged myself to run with some of the kids and my time has improved, but I'm not where I want to be. I want to run a lap per minute and maintain that pace for a mile.

I was doing some running research and discovered this evening that I have poor running form. I hit my heels hard all the way around the track. (This is also the way I walk...just look at the bottom of any of my shoes.) Apparently I'm supposed to be landing on the middle to the front of my foot and pushing off into my next stride. I'm putting myself on a training regimen to improve my stride. I'll keep you updated.



Tae Kwon Do class warm up! Pilsung!!



It's ironic that I'm excited about running and planning for quicker, better running workouts. When I was a child a hated running! Looking back I think it was the fact that running around other people pointed out how much of a graceful gazelle I wasn't. Now that I've grown up and come to terms with not being a gazelle, running has more appeal.

Alot of my favorite scriptures involve running. (Hebrews 12:1-2, Isaiah 40:31, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Chariots of Fire is one of my favorite movies! I've always admired running and been inspired by runners. Now I am one!

Early Morning Update

Woke up at 3:46 this morning, so I have time to post an update before going to class. February was a full month with mid-terms and Winter Bible Seminar. Look for "A Day In The Life At Rhema: Winter Bible Seminar" coming to your mailbox soon!

Dave and I are helping out for the next few weeks with the Wednesday evening kids program at Rhema. They are doing LINK teams for the kids, and we are hosting a Martial Arts LINK. Some of our students are part of the Wednesday evening church services, but so far they've all chosen "Duct Tape Crafts" as their link. Since we see them in class three to five times a week, it makes sense for them to do something different on their night off.

Term 3 is winding down. Finals are next week , and we turned in our Church History essays last Friday. Dave chose to write about Martin Luther and I chose Charles Wesley. The assignment was: write at least 500 words about a denomination, movement or person who affected Christianity for the good. I started early reasearching, reading, drafting, rewriting, editing.... It took me about 5 weeks to complete including research time. Dave, on the other hand, did not even start reading until the week before it was due. Most of the students I talked to leaned more toward his schedule than mine. Several didn't start until the week it was due.

I read somewhere that being a writer doesn't mean you write faster than others. It means you take ten times longer to write something than others.  I laughed when I read that. To me...it's funny because it's true.

Love to you all!
D&D

pil·sung: A Korean word that translates “I am confident of certain victory!”

As Pastor Hagin would say, “I cannot be defeated and I will not quit!” I don't know about you, but those words on the wall have helped me a few times while running laps around the track. What is it that makes us confident of our victory? It's Jesus in us. Romans 8:37 says: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Paul refers to persecution, distress, peril, famine and sword as things that cannot keep him from being an overwhelming conqueror! There is hope no matter how hopeless the situation may look to other people. We know something that they don't. We know that God causes us to win if we refuse to quit.

Sometimes we need a little encouragement along the way. Today I want to encourage you.

You are going to make it!

You are mighty in Christ.

God has good plans for you.

You are an overcomer.

Keep pressing in!

Being an overcomer means you had to come over some things. Being a conqueror means something tried to beat you and couldn't. Just like running, it may not always be easy, but it is simple. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never...”

-Winston Churchill

Mid-month update... a couple days early

Enjoying a writing moment at the NRC while Dave is teaching afternoon class. We'll be back this evening so I'll get my two laps in then.

Mid-terms week here at Rhema, and we finally got a snow that has stuck around past noon. Seems as if some students may have granted themselves a snow day as classes were a bit sparse today. Been getting interesting snippets of news between and sometimes in class. (I'm sitting next to a TV streaming CNN news.) End times, baby.

Nur auf Deutsch. That's my plan for next term. Stefanie, an international student from Germany in my group, is going to speak German to me and I'll answer in English for now. I have four weeks to get my verbs and vocabulary in order! All things are possible. I've been taking my Luther translation of the Bible to class with me this term. I'm looking forward to having a newer translation after Winter Bible Seminar.

Hope to post some pictures soon!
Love to you all,
D&D

Details

Does God know where we are at each day and where we'll be the next? I believe yes. Yesterday I felt strongly that I needed to finish and post the Haiku devotion that had been on my heart for a couple days. Dave brought home a movie and I really wanted to watch it with him, but I kept geting checked to sit down and finish writing, so I did.

This morning I pour my morning coffee and pull my daily reading Bible from the shelf. I get a nudge to pull Sparkling Gems as well, so I do. I turn today's devotion and the verse of scripture Rick Renner is explaining is the verse of scripture God had me close with in the Haiku devotion. Coincidence? I think not. I don't read Sparkling Gems every morning, and when I do I'm not always reading the devotion for the day. I may be reading March 13 in January or December in June. Today I knew I should read today's entry.

God just loves me that much. (And you too.) If all this sounds like a bunch of hooey...it's not. Read Romans 8:14. If you are a child of God, He will lead you by His Spirit. Believe it.

D&D Mid-month Update

If you are unfamiliar with Tae Kwon Do the following paragraph will be a blur of words not found in your spell check. Thank you for you patience. Had two great classes at Rhema Karate (TKD) this morning. During the advanced class I brushed up on two of my forms - Tae Guk O Jang and Tae Guk Sa Jang - in preparation for testing for 2nd Degree black belt this year. The exact test date is still to be determined based on how long I need to renew the things I've already learned and learn the things that are new (aka -Koroyo).

Whew! No more martial arts talk. Looking forward to a three day weekend relaxing with Dave, studying for finals and finishing up reading assignments due next week.

I've picked up the bookwriting again in the form of a short story to be submitted to the Tulsa City-County Library writing contest. I'll keep you updated on the results.

Dave went street evangelizing last night with a group of fellow students. I was working and praying at home. Great results! There were twelve people who went out in three teams. People were saved, healed and filled with the Holy Ghost! Praise the Lord!