The Envelope on the Tree

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

morning pages

Some of you may be waiting for the end of the story.

I woke up on Christmas Day to the rattling of the newspaper being read by Terry who had come back to bed returning from his early morning (3 am) route. As Terry quickly fell back to sleep I enjoyed a time that I rarely take to read the morning newspaper in bed. I was drawn to an article entitled Small donors, big hearts by Neal St. Anthony. It was about Brownie Troop 1957 who had stepped up to help the family of an African immigrant who was badly burned in a house fire. St. Anthony wrote, "We're just living by the grace of God," Gippleh said the other night at a party thrown for his kids at Hennepin county Medical Center. "My children are so grateful for this. Life is not easy right now, but I have hope." One evening in July, Roosevelt said good night to family members and walked to the attached garage to start his old junker and drive to work. The engine caught fire and Gippleh couldn't douse it. He ran inside to awaken the family, call 911 and evacuate the house, before returning to the garage, he walked into a fiery explosion that engulfed him in flames, severely burning 75 percent of his body. Neighbors pulled him from the garage and rolled him on the ground to smother the flames. Doctors doubted that he would live. After 10 weeks in a coma, Gippleh started to come around. Today, he is a walking survivor of numerous skin-grafts, living at home and doing therapy four hours a day at HCMC. His health insurer, Cigna, has paid the $842,000 tab so far for doctors and hospitalization, HCMC officials said. However, Gippleh was laid off last summer from his job. The family was iving on $220 weekly short-term disability payments that have expired. There home in Brooklyn Center is now in foreclosure due to the fact that they have been unable to make the mortgage payments for several months. Many people have helped, their neighbors, their Liberian friends, their friends from Bridgewood Community Church and yes now us. We have chosen to give the gift of the envelope on the tree to this family. Will this small gift help? Only God knows!

If you want to help ...

Gippleh's pastor has started a fund for the family at

Bridgewood Community Church

11670 Lexington Ave NE

Blaine, MN 55449

Putting the Gippleh Family In His Arms, Beth

Christmas Day 2007

"Playroom"

I am so thankful for family and fun and that is just what we enjoyed last night as we celebrated "Walker Family Christmas" in our small little townhouse. At first we thought that it would be just too small but I noticed as some gathered around the table in the kitchen, some around table in the dining room, the cousins sitting together on the couch, and as little Maggie put it so well "come to the playroom mommy" (which was our bedroom) that all were having a good time. It is wonderful to think that I am blessed with family and can enjoy a meal and fellowship together. I indeed missed some of our families who now live in California and Ohio, one who had to work at a hospital, and even one of our little ones who spent the evening in the emergency room at Children's Hospital with a virus that the doctors say "will have to run its course." Many of these family members I only see at Christmas so this is an important time for me. It is a time when I think about having lost my mom before I was able to celebrate Christmas with her and my children and grandchildren. I believe she would be so proud to see the manager scene that my dad built for her, my 2 sisters and 6 brothers displayed in our home and to know that Christ's birth is celebrated in our home through many family traditions, one of which is the "Walker Family Christmas."

Celebrating His Birth, Beth

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2007
morning pages

I love the fact that a good part of my life is worship and Spiritual Celebration. Today I celebrate with you the birth of our Savior.

Good People all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind,
What our good God for us has done,
In sending us His beloved son!

I love you all,
Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 21, 2007
Evening Pages

OK so I am getting some harassment from family and friends for having not written for some time and also that most of my posts have a spiritual bent towards them. Well, the not writing for a while has to do with the fact that I have had a lot of school work to complete and it seems I am using all my extra time completing that type of writing. (yuk!) I also have been using other spare moments holding, loving on and playing with my new grandson who seems to be growing ever so quickly.

As for the spiritual bent ... All I can say is that I do have that tendency but .... I do think of myself as one who reads and writes to teach and teaches to read and write. I want to do this through this blog and in other creative ways.

Tonight, as I write I will teach about traditions through my own experience and in hopes of inspiring you to consider what new tradition you may start this Christmas ....

A family tradition started six years ago as my husband and I were serving with the Joni and Friends Area Ministry. My children asked me what I wanted for Christmas and that year I stated all I wanted was to give to others. This began the "Envelope on the Tree" tradition. Each year I place an envelope on our Christmas tree and the children (now adults) place money in the envelope. No one knows when and who and how much is placed there, but they do know who will receive the gift, sometime after Christmas, because it is written on the envelope. The first year we did this, the money was given to Joni and Friends, MN to be used to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the disabled community in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Each year since I have been able to select the receiver as my Christmas gift from the kids. Because I love to give, this tradition is a favorite of mine. This year in the busyness of the season I almost forgot to put the envelope on the tree but was reminded by my daughter Carrie (who will not be with us this year for Christmas for the very first time). She asked who the envelope would be going to, because even though she would not be with us this Christmas, she had included money for the envelope in her package sent to us by mail. As of today the envelope is on the tree and does say from the Pederson's but there is no "to" yet. I am still not sure who the envelope will go to but as I pray I am open to how the Lord will lead.

In His Arms and In His will, Beth

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
morning pages

A word so clearly given to me from the Father this morning through the reading of Luke 8:48.

One small verse, yet so much power!

"Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

"Beth, your many sins have been forgiven for you love much!"

Thank you Father!

Constantly feeling His arms, Beth