Finally I started going to the women’s prayer group at the church I’ve been attending for a year. All last school year I wanted to go but pressures of school made it so I just couldn’t spare the time.  But this year I don’t have that, so I started going.  Wow.

These women are kind, sweet, spirit-filled, full of grace and power from the Lord.  We pray for each other and others, and sometimes one of them gives us a word from the Lord.  And it’s not just a weird dream or vision, it’s based on what the lady has been reading in scripture and something struck her that she shares with all of us so we can be blessed.

I’m just getting to know these ladies.  One of them is a “neighbor” — she lives one block north of me on the same street.  She and her husband were not able to have children.  She prayed for a child, but then 3 years ago they started the adoption process.  Last week they got a phone call saying, “come and pick up your son.”  The baby is about 10 days old now.  What a blessing from the Lord this is for them!  So Julie won’t be coming to prayer group for a little while:)

Another lady shared a book she is reading, and I got it and have started reading it.  It’s called “The Breaker Anointing, by Barbara Yoder”. It’s a short book and an “easy” read but you DO want to look up the scriptures she mentions. I woke up in the middle of the night and read two chapters.  Like I said, it’s an “easy” read, but on the other hand you don’t want to read this in a hurry, or you’ll miss out on the powerful impact of what she says.

I want to be involved in the Lord and not feel like I’m looking through a window.  Worship and praise is not performance art for us to watch at church, it’s for us to participate in!  And the same is true of our relationship with the Lord.  We’re to go out “to all the world” (which means wherever the Lord puts you in your life) and “preach” the gospel to all nations (and it’s been said “preach the gospel daily, if necessary use words”, so it means preach by your actions, to whomever is around you).

The book of Acts chapter 2 describes the power that descended on Pentecost.  In the description of this event, reference to Joel 2 was made, that “in the last days” men will dream dreams, etc.  That was two thousand years ago, and the writer called THEN the “last days”… aren’t the days we’re in “more last” than that?

I just think we need to think outside the little comfortable box we’re in and stop treating church like performance art for us to enjoy once a week.  We need to stop limiting what God can and wants to do in and through us.  We talk about God and the Holy Spirit and yet “deny” His power by either being afraid of it, or blocking it or limiting its flow.  Miracles happen in other countries, why not here?  Why not in your own church?  Why not in your own city? Why not inside you?

I think we too often have the attitude God will do what He will do, and view Him as being a bit far off, looking “down” to us.  But I think we need to view Him as being IN each of us from the time we were saved.  And so we need to “invite” Him to do more in our lives.  Not just “give us stuff” but to ask Him to “activate” the Holy Spirit we received when we were saved.

That doesn’t necessarily mean running around laying hands on people and yelling “be healed”.  it means mostly being so in touch with God that you are active with Him, participating, acknowledging Him in you to the point where you can be a “Kingdom influence” on others.  Matt. 28 was for us too, not just for the apostles. 

You know the silly saying “wherever you go, there you are.”  Where?  In your mission field.  And it’s white, ready for harvest.

I recommend this book as well as the book I read a few years ago, “Lord Disciple Me” by Richard Mull.  God is IN you, let Him do more through you.

Love to all,
Gerrie

It’s a little after 9 pm here — I’m exhausted and coming down with a cold so I’ll make this short.

Just writing to share what a lovely day I had with my son’s family today.  It’s grandson Tyler’s birthday (he’s 8) and so we went to a theme partk called Legoland, in Carlsbad, CA (near San Diego).  I went along so I could drive a couple of the boys (they brought a 2 of Tyler’s friends and cousin Nathan whose family lives with me), and so I could take care of my precious baby granddaughter while everybody went on rides:)

We had a good time.  The sky was mostly overcast, the high was about 71 (around LA it was in the 90′s), and so that made it a great day to enjoy the park. I forgot my camera but my son had the camcorder.

Here is a picture of Tyler and his baby sister.  She was a week or two old when this was taken.  Tyler is a very sweet, kind boy who loves to have fun:)

That’s all for now, I’m gong to bed to fight this cold:)  My university mentor is coming 2nd period (my worst bunch, and he knows it) to watch me teach.

Love and blessings to all,
Gerrie

Some of you know I teach Sign Language at a high school, and that I was an ASL interpreter before that.  What you may not know (Jimmish does), is that I love music to the point where it touches and feeds my soul.  Worship music feeds me and helps me get my head on straight.  Signing to worship music takes it even a few steps further.  The double whammy of auditory input from music and visual or kinesthetic input from sign hits me emotionally on several levels (including spiritually) like nothing else can (Spanish songs come close).

One of my students told me about a website called D-Pan.  They have made several music videos including sign language, combining video elements just like on MTV with signing.  The impact is indescribable.  The original purpose was to bring music to the deaf in a way they can enjoy it more than they already do.  And yes, many, many deaf people love music!

Very few deaf people are completely deaf.  Most of them have at least SOME hearing, and with earphones turned up real loud, or the drum/base line at maximum, they can enjoy music…  of course they can’t usually hear the lyrics but they enjoy the music in their own way, and many love to dance to music.

Enter D-Pan:  Deaf Performing Artists’ Network.  The driving force behind this is a young deaf man born hearing to two musical parents, who lost his hearing at age 1, and has always loved music.  With him is a successful producer who shares his passion for bringing music and creative videos to the deaf.  They have made videos of several popular songs (not worship songs).

I don’t know how to put a video in a blog, but you can find their videos on You Tube.  Just search for DPan.   Their rendition of the Christina Aguilera song “Beautiful” is innovative, and “Waiting for the World to Change” by John Mayer is fun and touching at the same time.  You can also see some of them by going to the website http://www.dpan.com.

There are several more; my student loaned me the DVD she bought, and tonight i bought my own.  I showed these above two videos to my classes and they loved them.

Watch them, and let me know what you think.  Notice the “other” parts besides the signing, of “Waiting for the World to Change.”  It’s a message the deaf community has wished for a long time that the hearing community would get.

Even the Bible has a scripture about not putting a stumbling block in front of the blind or talk about the deaf behind their back.

Love to all,
Gerrie

I’m going to break my habit of not posting very often… well, I do have something to say this time, that I feel compelled to write (I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep because this was on my mind).  And no matter how you think or feel about Todd Bentley and Revivals, don’t stop reading here, because what I’m about to say applies really, to “everybody”.

Todd Bentley has a ministry that is pentecostal and full of “signs and wonders” in nature.  Some would say he’s just another nut like (you fill in the name here).  Others would say God works through him in a strong, tangible way and that his ministry changes lives for the better, and that miracles happen in his meetings.  I’m not going to pass judgment on his ministry right now, because a) I don’t know enough to make a “decision” on it yet, and b) that’s not my purpose for writing this.

A couple of months ago in Lakeland Florida, Todd Bentley preached for several days. Many who were there (and who heard from people that were there) witnessed and experienced things that inspired it to be called a “revival”.  I wasn’t there.  I read things about the meetings and saw a few minutes of it on God tv.  Again, I’m not going to pass judgment on it.

I had dinner last night with a dear female friend, and she told me that it was just announced from Todd’s ministry, that he and his wife have separated, and that Todd “had an inappropriate emotional attachment to a female member of his staff”.

I’m sure his critics are having a field day with this.  But I’m writing because I feel compelled to say a few things about condemnation.

We have all read about evangelists, ministers, etc., being caught being bad examples, doing immoral things, and even doing outright criminal acts.  Sometimes things are so bad that it destroys their ministry (Jim and Tammy Faye Baker for one) and undoes any good they may have  done (whether on purpose or accidentally).  It also offends people to the point where they want no part of Christianity at all (which to me is the worst effect).

I say to all of us:  instead of condemning ministers like this, we should be praying for them.  We should be saying, “Lord, please help this person repent before you, and change his life so you may use him again for your purpose and glory and furthering the work of the Kingdom.  Please turn evil for good, let no weapon formed against Your work prosper; turn the enemies of your work away and please don’t let any good that’s been done come undone.”

Even if you don’t like Todd Bentley or his ministry, pray for him, that this scandal doesn’t do what I just said I think is the “worst” effect, that of turning people off from God completely.

Scriptures come to mind like the one telling us not to try and take the mote out of someone’s eye when we have a whole beam in ours.  Or the one that says, “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”.  Or the famous saying not in scripture, “there but for the grace of God go I.”
Or the phrase, “love delights not in iniquity “(I Cor 13 I think).  I’m sure there are lots more scriptures that fit this situation, all telling us to not judge but pray for someone overcome by sin.

And this applies not just to famous people or people in ministry, but people in our own churches that we hear gossip about.  Scripture calls Christians the “weak of the world”… and the devil spends way more time trying to mess Christians up than he does non-Christians… 

Instead of writing Todd off as being somehow not credible any more or this being “proof” that his ministry was fake in the first place, pray for him.  Pray for any place God is or may be working, whether you think He is or not.  Pray for the furtherance of the gospel and for the Lord to stay the hands of the enemies of that gospel.  And pray for Todd personally, this has got to be hard…sure he brought it on himself, but isn’t it better that he be “corrected” in this and not allowed to just go his merry way down to destruction beyond the point of no return?

Paul mentioned that while he was in prison people were bolder about preaching Christ, and even said some were doing it out of bad motives — but that it was “ok” because even that would further the gospel, which is the bottom line anyway.  So I’m guessing that even “bad” ministries (or ministries that you think are weird) might be doing some good for some people.  That’s why I say pray for any place God might be working, whether you think He is working in that ministry or not.  And pray for your brothers and sisters in your congregations, too, when you hear they’ve “been naughty”.

I’ll get off the soapbox now.

Love to all,
Gerrie

I’m back from a wonderful 3 weeks in Germany and Italy with my brother and his family.  This year I went alone and timed it with their vacation from school and work — we drove down to Italy and spent a week in a rented house with  a pool — had  wonderful, relaxing week there.  One day we drove about 30 minutes to the city of Pisa, where the famous Leaning Tower is.  Another day we drove to the city of Lucca, the birthplace (150 years ago) of the opera composer Puccini.  More on the vacation later.

As some of you know, I have been praying for God to do a miracle and bring me someone I could partner with in a marriage and service to the Lord.  It’s been an interesting 3 years since I first prayed that.  I joined eHarmony and have read profiles of hundreds of people and have even met and dated some.  This is just background for what I’m about to say.

You know how Jesus said it’s very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom?  It’s not the money, it’s the person’s “confidence” in the money and lack of dependence on God, that makes it harder for such a person to live by faith.  I’m coming to the conclusion that it is the same for an “intelligent” or well-educated person.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not downing education or intelligence.  I have a master’s degree, I’m intelligent and well-educated and have a head full of trivia and facts!  And one man I dated is very impressed by that, and tells me i should be very proud of myself for having gotten my master’s at age 53 and becoming a teacher at age 51, etc.  And in a sense, yes I am proud of it because I worked very hard to get it, but more importantly, I thank God for the opportunity and that HE worked it out so I could do it and change occupations.

But my answer to his statements is that like Paul said, all of that is nothing compared to the truth of God, to my being one of His children, or what I can and should DO with my education.  The diplomas I have plus about 4 dollars will get me a nice cup of mocha cappuccino from Starbuck’s.

The people I have met that are very intelligent and Mensa material, etc., seem to have one thing in common and it grieves me.   They seem very independent and not “needy for God”.  They think that the intelligence God gave them (and yes it’s correct they give credit for THAT where it’s due) will help them solve their problems and figure out what to do next in their lives.

A few of them seem to not see any weaknesses in themselves… and so they don’t depend on God like they should.  One time Xangpastor wrote a blog about this fine line we must walk, to “work out our salvation” and yet depend on God completely.  We’re supposed to use the talents God gave us and not bury them, but at the same time we are not to lean on our own understanding.

So I’m frustrated and grieved that yes it’s a pleasure to be with someone intelligent, but they’re way too “independent”– when the Lord brings me this partner, he needs to be even smarter than I am…but I want it to be someone who in spite of his intelligence, sees his need for God to help him every day.  One day i was thinking about one of these people I’ve known and started crying — because unless this person sees his absolute need to depend on God, the Lord can’t use him (maybe I’m wrong about that one).  Another more recent acquaintance is searching for the perfect doctrinal explanations for things… he came out of a cult and accepts mainstream Christianity except for a couple of things… Maybe I’m wrong and upset for nothing…  So many of them are searching for the partner that is the “optimum choice for him”… using a checklist of qualities they’re looking for….

I think of what Paul wrote about all his accomplishments in the flesh being worthless to him compared to his need for Christ, and actually viewing them as needing to be discarded so he could move on toward Christ.  Paul was an amazingly intelligent man, highly educated, as “perfect” as anybody could be in human terms, and yet even he said he struggled, doing things he didn’t want to and failing to do what he should do, and that without Christ and the Holy Spirit, nothing was going to work.

I’m intelligent but I am SUCH a ditz!!!  I need God to help me with many things, especially decisions for my life… there are so many struggles…

So again I feel like i’m from another planet and wonder if there is anybody on this one that thinks like I do and would be an available, willing partner….  one more reason to need an absolute miraculous, “arranged marriage”…

Will write about Germany & Italy later…  just had to get this off my chest…

Love to all,
Gerrie

These days it has been not very often that I post.  Mostly because of being busy and coping with a situation, that, the more I leave in God’s hands, the more peace I have.  I don’t want to write unless I have something worth saying..

This year I am at my brother’s house again, and I came alone.  I really need a vacation after school and college and remodeling!  And God has blessed me to be able to do it.   Once I am here I need very little money because my brother is so sweet.  I am writing while he and his wife are at work. 

You have not lived until you have tried to type on a German keyboard, which has the y and z traded places, and much of the punctuation moved around!  Touch typing takes on a whole new life here:)  Of course it is very convenient when I use babelfish  internet translator for a German word and need an umlaut letter like ü or ö   And the internet is sometimes an adventure getting to American sites.  Amazon is easy, but I have not found the American Myspace yet (yep, there is a Deutschland version of it)!

Friday afternoon our time we drive down to Italy, which they often do for their vacations.  Because I got to time my visit better for once, I get to go too:)  We are staying in a rented house near Florence and Pisa and Luca (not sure of spelling for this one).  We will be there for a week.

As for my college courses, I finished all I needed for the special ed credential, the final level, called “clear”.  For the single subject one to teach ASL at the high school it is a different story.  The law changed so now I need MORE courses. At first the news freaked me out, but God has blessed me in giving grace and favor with the head of that department.  She is waiving some courses and accepting others from the special ed work to satisfy other courses, and is even letting me do one course via independent study with her, and even gave me the book for it!  So although my work isn’t done yet, it is not as bad as it could have been, needing only ten units instead of 25.  So next school year will be interesting, especially since I get to have my own classroom.

That is about all that is happening right now.  I will of course take pictures and post some when I get back.  Please know I pray for dear friends here, even while I am away.  Some have been so helpful and encouraging in the trials I have had this year and really over the last two-plus years, and I thank you for the prayers and love.

DO pray for Ideaguy, that his wife gets a job.  Pray for Janet (Lamentations something, you can see the name in my subscription list), pray for Bumblypick and Proudmom87, and well, just pray for each other!

Love to all,
Gerrie

Rejoice with us, we have another new baby in the family!  Little Mila (pronounced Mee-la) Desi was born today June 29th at 6:55 am, and she weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces!  And she was only 4 days overdue:)

My daughter-in-law had contractions all day yesterday and of course all night, too.  They went to the hospital yesterday afternoon but got sent home; they went again around 11 pm last night and stayed.  She’s a real trooper, stayed very calm the whole time, and just relaxed as much as she could.  They gave her something for the pain and later an epidural and I’m really glad because then she could relax and sleep a little.  She was SO tired after the birth!

And I’m so honored she let me stay in the room with her and daddy (my youngest son) when she gave birth.  The nurse-midwife said she was very impressed with how well she did!

She and baby were moved to another room and after that she slept I’m sure.  Baby is a sweetie and is easily soothed, even though she cried when they were poking and prodding her and the lights were so bright!

Of course I was up all night too and came home and slept.  Im still tired but don’t want to get my days and nights mixed up because tomorrow this grandma has to go to work! (I get to teach the high school  deaf kids for 5 weeks of summer school.)

As I “gain” a new grandchild, I “lose” another:  my son and his wife and 6-month old baby left last Tuesday to relocate to the island of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey.  Monday night I went to visit with them and we went out to a nice dinner together.  I’ll miss little Calvin, he was just starting to know me and I could sing him to sleep — but I’m very happy for his other grandparents to have him by them, too, that’s important.  Calvin will grow up bilingual, learning both English and Greek.

So now there are 5.  First granddaughter will be 10 years old this July, then there are the two 7-year olds (one is Mila’s older brother), and little 6-month old Calvin, and now Mila.  I highly recommend being a grandmother:)

Love to all,
Gerrie

Finally I’m up to writing.  The stress from going to school and working (teaching) full time was building and I just didn’t feel like writing.  When I counted it all up, I realized I took 6 units during fall semester, and 12 units second semester this year!  Some days I’d teasingly tell my students that I was lucky I knew my name:)   I’ve enjoyed reading the blogs from everyone, though.

Last week I finished my last two college classes, and it was also the last day of school where I work.   May 17th I again took subtest 3 of the state test for American Sign Language (it was the only one I hadn’t passed last fall).  It takes a month to hear whether you pass or not, which adds a little bit of nail-biting.

I thought the stress would just melt away immediately, because after all, I was finished!  But it didn’t.  Last week 3 times I got the squiggly vision that is the precursor of a coming migraine.  Once was at school during a final exam my students were taking, once was just as I was looking for a parking place at graduation (teachers had to be there), and once was at home.  I’m fine now, but wow what a week!

Summer school started Monday, and I’m teaching deaf students.  It’s fun but physically exhausting signing for almost 5 hours straight.  The good news is I get to have a job I like, another month of “pay” and it’s only half days for 5 weeks.

Other good news is that not only am I finished the courses, today I  got official news in the mail that I passed the state test!  That means I’ll never have to take this test again, and  I am officially “qualified” to teach special ed AND ASL as a foreign language!  Today I was told at school that I’m going to have my own classroom next year:)

Praise God that He gave me this job (it was definitely miraculous), that I’ve been able to do well, that I’ve been able to do college and pass this test, and that I’m able to come back even in the climate of teacher layoffs.

Now for the fun of “getting a life.”

Love to all,
Gerrie

Looking at my list of blogs, I noticed the last one was dated April 5… it’s been six weeks since I posted last?  Eeek! Well I’ve been busy…the kitchen is almost done… last to go in is under the cabinet lighting, and to line the recessed circle ceiling lights…  my son is doing the electrical.  He’s doing  a great job but it’s taking a bit of time, because he works full time, last weekend had a marathon 31-hour day (he works for the electric dept (as in where the people get their electricity) of a city… if something breaks, guess who they call?)  When it’s all done I’ll post a picture…  and to whoever commented that doors would be a good idea, yes, we have cabinet doors now:)

For Mother’s Day my two sons took me out to Macaroni Grill for a late lunch.  I got to play with the newest baby grandson (5 months old now), and even got him laughing!  My daughter and her little family were driving back down from having gone to Seattle for the funeral of a beloved family friend (my grandson is named for him).

The weather here is weird this week…hot, then rainy and chilly, then hot again…  my daughter was to have surgery to correct carpal/cubital tunnel syndromes, but had to have it postponed due to her getting sick with a flu-like cold.  I know, we don’t have real winters…

This past weekend I attended an “ASL celebration” in Long Beach… got to go to great workshops, met 3 other high school ASL teachers, and learned some new things and found good videos to get for my students.  Next Saturday is my state ASL test… I took it last November and passed 2 out of 3 of the subtests…so this time only need to take the one… it’s the hardest, which is why I went to the workshops…   I covet prayers for passing this test, from anyone who is willing.

It looks like I won’t be laid off, so this would be the first summer with no need for job hunting, after two summer hunts in a row.  Pray for Ideaguy’s wife so she doesn’t have to hunt!  Oh yes, Xangpastor’s wife, too.

I’m in the last two college courses I have left for my credentials…  they both end the same week my teaching school year ends, and I can’t wait!!  Only 4 more weeks left:)  It looks like I get to teach summer school to deaf kids, too:)  So far so good, the courses have gone well…

That’s about all the news…  hopefully it won’t be a whole six weeks till the next post:)

Love to all,
Gerrie

I’m taking a new course called Technology for Teachers I.  One assignment was to write a “newsletter”.  I couldn’t think of anything to write about school so I did a silly little thing about “my family”…  I’m going to try and post it here.

Spring 2008

Gerrie Goes to School Again!
 
 
The job teaching ASL at South Hills High School requires a single subject credential.  Gerrie’s credential is in mild/moderate special education.  This credential is preliminary level and expires in 2009.  So Gerrie went back to school.  At first she took only one class at a time at Azusa Pacific University.  But then in the spring she realized if she did that, she would be going to school all summer taking classes at University of San Diego.

    So she decided to enroll at USD to take the online courses required for all teachers: Health for educators, and Technology for Educators 1, and Technology for Educators II.  These classes are simultaneous with the APU classes during Spring 1 and Spring II sessions.

    It’s hard, but worth it.  She decided that the extra stress was worth being able to finish by middle of June.  So when the High School year ends, her college year will end, too!  And by Fall 2008 she will have two clear credentials: a mild/moderate special education and a single subject credential.
 

 
Tyler Leimbach Reads at Fourth Grade Level

Grandson of Gerrie, Tyler, loves to read.  He goes to Bradoaks Elementary School in the city of Monrovia, and is in second grade. He is also into sports, plays video games, plays with his dogs, goes 3-wheeling in the desert with his parents, and participates in many other physical activities with family and friends.Page 1

You’d think with his love of physical activity, that he’d stick to books that have lots of pictures or are easy to read.  But, surprise!  He loves to read story books, and even some chapter books.  His teacher reads to the class and some of those she has read are part of a series. Tyler has fallen in love with some of those, too.
And here is the best part:  Tyler reads at the fourth grade level!  That means he is two years ahead of what is normal for his age.  We are very proud of him – Go Tyler!

It Took 60 Years, But Better Late Than Never

 
Gerrie’s kitchen is being remodeled.  It was very ugly and old-fashioned looking, with original cabinets and plumbing from the 1947 building of the house.  It’s a small room, only ten feet square.  Without knocking out walls and moving plumbing, there can’t be many drastic changes.  But with custom-built cabinets, new granite countertops and tile flooring, it’s surprising how different you can get it to look.

First came getting a drawing from Home Depot.  Then finding someone who could build cabinets (just “happened” to meet someone at Panda Express).  This person then brought together a team of professionals who do drywall, painting, countertop, and tile floors.  Gerrie already had a plumber and her son is an electrician.

    Coordinating the team was the challenge.  Availability of the plumber became the fulcrum around which everything else was scheduled.  It’s working!

The prices were right and the workmanship good.  We’re not done yet, but we’re almost there!
 
                    
          Before                              After

Love to all, Gerrie