Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Summer To Remember

Dear Friends and Blog followers,
Let me start by saying "wheeuuww"!  We've almost made it through the summer here in the Northern Hemisphere.   I thought I would give you an update and fill you in on what Robert and I have been up to.
A couple's prayer for Christina and Chad at their wedding reception.
  For those of you who also follow us on Facebook you've more than likely seen that our daughter, Christina got married on August 21st!   What a great day it was, beginning with a lovely service in our own Laguna Presbyterian Church here in Laguna Beach, which happens to be the place where I attended Sunday school as a child.   Robert was father of the bride and walked her down the aisle, Dr. Robert H. read a scripture which Christina had selected, and her brother, Bobby conducted the service and pronounced them husband and wife.   Afterwards we enjoyed a beautiful and very lively reception at our friends, Mindy and Glenn Stearns' house in Pelican Hill, Newport Coast.  All in all it was a perfect day filled with love and the many blessings of God.

Crazy enough, twenty-four hours later Robert and I were on a plane bound for Mongolia where we spent a week participating in a global peace convention and festival.  The main purpose of this particular peace conference was to set the stage for a meeting between North and South Korea in November.  Mongolia is positioned to mediate this next gathering as they have diplomatic relations with both Koreas.   It is anticipated that our next meeting with take place in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.   We are hoping and praying that we can make a difference in not only helping people find inner peace, but with helping to facilitate what is surely on God's heart, and that is to encourage peace in all corners of the globe.  For more information you can go to their website at globalpeacefestival.org
Robert and I in front of "Great Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade"
Me speaking on "Family As The Foundation For Peace"

Upon returning home a day and a half ago,  we have moved out of the apartment we were staying in and back into our home.  There is something really great about sleeping in your own bed after being away for seven weeks!   We have also launched a very exciting project! We have opened our home for "spiritual retreats".  We look forward to hosting retreats for 1-4 people where we will help people grow closer to God in body, mind, and spirit.   As many of you might recall, this is what we did for years at Rancho Capistrano with our "Possibility Living Seminars."  As an ordained pastor with years of life experience Robert is well-positioned to shepherd,  mentor, and counsel.   As a certified nutritional consultant and a family systems student and teacher for the past twenty years,  I know I  am prepared to help people with their physical issues such as diet and exercise as well as joining my husband in counseling and mentoring.    Both of us also have a passion, a desire,  and the experience to help individuals with family disharmony, business or financial struggles, grief, dealing with children, and other challenging issues.  We want to help people make sense of it all and more importantly find peace and wholeness through the process.   For more information on our retreat go to airbnb.com   Type in "Laguna Beach" and then "Robert A. Schuller Spiritual...."below on the right.
The beach is a great place for spiritual reflection
I don't know what most of you are facing today or what challenges you are dealing with.   What I can assure you of is this:  whatever you are dealing with, God will get you through it.    I am convinced and certain that the promises of God are real and you can count on them.    I say this as one who has experienced the death of my father when I was a child,  a divorce in my 20s,  marrying Robert and helping him to raise his two plus our two,  a life-threatening illness of a daughter, and finally the betrayal of close family members.  These are only the heartaches and disappointments that come to mind immediately.  I know that a lot of you have lived through similar situations and have experienced personal growth in wisdom and patience having survived them.  So have I.   This is a perfect example of God's message of hope and restoration!
In the new testament book of Peter, chapter one, verses 10 and 11 it is written:
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."
Remember that we cannot count on things happening in our own timing but if we continue to rely and trust in God, in his timing all will be made right... somehow, some way.
Remember...God is blessing you.   Donna

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful to "click" to your Blog and the beautiful photo of Christina and her husband told me you were back! Congratulations on all fronts...and there are a lot of positives, front and center in your blog: The wedding, The Global Peace Conference, your return to your house, the new "spiritual retreat" of your's and Robert to list a few!

    Thank you for sharing your life journey, and yes, God "always leads us (me) through" these times as many of us know. HE is Love and as you wrote and I also like to say

    God is Blessing you
    J-M

    PS Great to have you posting a blog so until next one, welcome home!

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  2. Sounds good "Spiritual Retreats"! You'll tell us certainly more about your experiences with it later...!! - We can't change other people or our past, even the past was only yesterday! Just we ourselfs can change our attitudes and behavier...!!! So go ahead and look for a better future. - I was treated not right from my parents as a child and now as an adult. Treated as a no-good. Everything I do helping them in the houshold, my vacation destinations, my outfits etc. are rubbish. That all made it not easy to start an adult life. Job and having friends. I met only (really) the wrong men, just wanted my body and some women wanted to make their advantage out of me! To sad to continue telling...!!! I begun to walk with God and being interested in church services and singing in church with the congregation worship songs (I do not care that it sounds like a cat meow) was not accepted from my parents. Take care they only want your mony (My parents). My colleagues just smile about...! I "shrug my shoulders" and continue to live my own life even it's not easy and means to go over obstacles. - Blessings, Donna, Robert for your project! Swiss Rose

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  3. Dear Michael,
    Yes, I am glad to be blogging again. I can't promise that I will be as consistent as I have been in the past but I will do my best! We still have our home available for rent so I may have to move out any time. This makes for a hectic and disorganized life! Oh well, it's only for a season. Thank you for the congratulations.
    Rose,
    I appreciate your transparency in sharing what you have gone through. You have used your past to make a great future for yourself. I am so glad that you found a church where you can sing and be a part of a greater community. Just keep being you Rose.
    God is blessing you. Donna

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  4. Dear Donna and Robert, It is so good to hear from you again. Please be careful and give
    yourselves a chance to have a rest.

    It is so good to see the photo of you both as
    well as the one of the wedding couple

    God bless you both Barbie M

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  5. Dear Donna and Robert,
    It's great to hear from you. Your daughter, Christina looks beautiful. My step daughter got married in Jamaica in April. It's very exciting!
    I'm impressed by the way the two of you give so much
    of your time to others.
    God bless you both.
    Liz

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  6. Hi Liz,
    How great that your step-daughter had a destination wedding in Jamaica! Congrats to your family.
    Thank you for the kind words.
    God is blessing you, Donna

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  7. My heart breaks for you both, how dictorial your extended family has been. One day Donna we all have to answer to our God. I pray for you both. In our hometown of Prince George BC, Canada, we had a major fire at Ness Lake Bible Camp during our New Year Eve Teen Camps. It totally destroyed the Gym and Chapel. The camp ministers to thousands of children and teens. YES, we live in a broken world and I do not always understand the whys. BUT God is in control and I praise Jesus for saving us. For you both I pray for a special New Year, filled with God's Love and Hope.
    Sincerely,
    BECAUSE HE - JESUS CARES
    Tony Romeyn

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. Please try to stay on the topic and remember also that there are many who are struggling through all kinds of challenges. Let's all be kind and thoughtful with our comments please! :D