Christmas Day Personal Devotional Thoughts

Christmas Day
December 25, 2008
morning pages

ponder; to weigh in the mind; to consider carefully

treasure; to keep as precious; something of great value

As I have focused my study these past 25 days on the Christmas Story in Luke Chapter 2 I have thought deeply about the word "ponder" as it states in the NIV and the ESV and the word "treasure" in the NLT. What does it mean to ponder and do I take the time to ponder? And what about treasure ... what do I treasure, keep at precious and think of as great value. Well after time, thought and deliberation, I have found that I do indeed love to be able to take the time to ponder God's words. I like to study, and come up with questions regarding the scriptures. I often can not answer the questions myself, but I love that I can go to Terry and Andrea who usually have an explanation for what I am unsure of. Recently, while reading the story in Luke 2:9b I began to think, what does the radiance of the Lord's glory look like? For this question, I had some thoughts that others, who are fully and totally in love with Jesus, display this radiance. But I believe it is more than this, yet I am just not sure. Because of my uncertainty, I will ask. Yesterday, when I read through the story the word that struck me was "ran" in Luke 2:16 NLT.
I like to think, that I too, am like the shepherds, and that I "run" to Jesus, not just on the day of his birth, but daily and often during the day. My prayer today is that you, the reader and I the writer, will daily and often during each day run to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day and night!~ In His Arms, beth

Christmas Day 2008

Even though this photo display took some time to enter into the blog I know it is well worth it for Carrie and Jacob and of course our sweet Annika to see ....

We miss you more this Christmas and we love you more this Christmas ... Wishing you were here.

"How does one photoshop those cousins who were not with us into this photo anyway?"

"It always begins with Luke Chapter Two."

"Leg Warmers, Yeah ... I love them!"

"Voted, Best Gift ESV Bible to Adam from Ashley"

"Do you really have to wake me up just to open gifts?"

"OK so I'm not in the PGA but I will be dry on my way to and from work!"

"How does this work anyway?"

So Grateful

YouTube - Team Hoyt - Redeemer

This is one of the finest I have seen ... so grateful this Thanksgiving for each of you my children and grandchildren, Lisa, Matt, Carrie, Jacob, Adam, Renee, Kelley, Josh, Ashley, Sid and Annika!

I thank my God everytime I remember you in my prayers.
lym mom

A Tribute to Laura Pederson ....

We will miss you mom but memories of you will always be our comfort ....

Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted ....

Peru Praises!

Milagros, Praises God for the gift of mobility and the gift of salvation!

Love Sundays

Saturday, November 15, 2008
morning pages

Who ever would have thought that it would take me almost a week to enter a "Love Sunday" that was written last Sunday in my quiet time notebook ... despite this I will now entry it on my blog before we have another new week starting tomorrow ...

Love Sunday waking up in Peru

Love Sunday as I wake up to hugs and happy birthdays from my Peruvian sisters and roommates Cecilia and Norma

Love Sunday morning quiet time in the word as the roosters crow outside the guest house window

Love Sunday breakfast of eggs and fruit, all food I can eat

Love sharing the word with Norma and seeing the Holy Spirit open up her heart to Christ

Love Sundays sharing in the fellowship of Peruvian believers

Love Sunday lunch with the team

Love Sunday bus tour of the wheelchair distribution site and the beach

Love sharing my birthday with John from CA, his wife Norma, and the team.
(John, Norma and myself laughed so hard we cried all day)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
election day prayer

Heavenly Father I approach your throne today in freedom and confidence that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on this election day!

I like these journal prompts from the Simple Women's Day Book ... Above is the picture thought I would like to share for today ....

Monday November 3, 2008

evening pages

Outside My Window ... it is now dark due to daylight savings time.

I am thinking ... about the reading I need to do for school and the reading I want to do for fun. Which will I choose?

I am thankful for ... my husband and the awesome eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns he fixed for dinner.

From the learning rooms ... I am learning how to better manage my time and take the time for the things I want to do.

From the kitchen ... I am about to stop blogging and clean up the dishes. I have a plan with my husband that he makes dinner and I do the dishes.

I am wearing ... cords and a short sleeve shirt but I will soon be in my jammies.

I am creating ... a scrapbook of my pictures from South Africa so when I return from Peru I am ready to scrapbook those pictures.

I am going ... to Peru on Friday (I am very excited).

I am reading ... War of Words by Paul Tripp.

I am hoping ... to build relationships with the people of Peru and to bring Christ to people with disabilities and bring people with disabilities to Christ.

I am hearing ... the washing machine as I try to get a load of towels washed and dried tonight.

Around the house ... I found signs that my grandson had visited today while I was at work.

One of my favorite things ... writing, of course!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: pray, read, work, eat, play and pack.

~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wheels for the World Peru

Tuesday October 28, 2008

Dear Family and Friends

Some of you may remember that a year ago I was all set to travel to Honduras with Joni and Friends, Wheels for the World and was unable to go due to a contusion to my head and a fractured thumb well …. I am all set to go now on my first Wheels for the World trip but this year the trip is planned for Peru. I am getting prepared to leave on Friday, November 7th and I will return home on Sunday, November 16th.
I would be honored to have you pray for me during my time away. A couple of ways you can pray specifically for me are:

Safety as I travel
Health while I am away
Unity for the team (we are from all over the United States)
Food intake (I have recently found out that I am gluten intolerant)

Some of the verses God has prompted me to pray for the team and myself are:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

“Be wise in the way you act toward others; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10

‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Luke 14:21

As God prompts you would you pray one or two of these verses for the team and
myself while we are away? I am looking forward to how the Lord will use me to serve the disabled community of Trujillo, Peru. I hope through the power of the Holy Spirit
to bring people with disabilities to Christ and to bring Christ to people with disabilities.
Thanks for your prayers!
In His Arms,
Beth Pederson
ps you can follow the comings and goings of our days at
http://wftwtrujillo2008.blogspot.com

Love Sundays

Love Sundays

Love reading the Bible aloud to Annika, my granddaughter this morning

Love seeing Adam direct the Teen Challenge choir and give his testimony at Brooklyn Park EV Free church today

Love worshiping with family

Love praying with my "family" of younger "Pray-ers", the 4th-6th grade HopeWatchers prayer group

Love showing off my granddaughter, Annika who is visiting from Texas to my New Hope Church friends

Love spending time with family, Mary Catherine, Catherine, Amelia, Marlee, sisters, cousins at Kelley's baby shower

Love celebrating with Kelley's friends as she is expecting our 2nd granddaughter

Love having dinner with Terry and Carrie

Love that I can start and end my day with the reading of your word

Thursday October 16, 2008
afternoon pages

It was just one year ago today that I received word from my doctor that I would not be able to go on an upcoming missions trip with Joni and Friends, Wheels for the World to Honduras. I am happy to report that as I began my study in the word today I am preparing spiritually to go to Peru with Wheels for the World for the first time.

Today, I came across this verse in Zechariah 13:1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity." I have personally struggled with sin this week and when I found this verse it was like a light went on ... this is truly something that can be experienced today for me and for others ... the cleansing from the fountain, Jesus Christ.

Joni says it so well in the Encouragement Bible ..."God has opened up a fountain to you through the Lord Jesus. He invites you to come on in and enjoy his love. Don't stand on the edges of his joy. He has washed away your sin, and you, like a child, can be free and full of life."

What a powerful message for me that God has washed away my sin of this past week and He desires me to enjoy His love and fully experience His joy ....

May you too enjoy His Love and fully experience His Joy ...

Always remaining In His Arms, B.

Saturday, October 11,2008
morning pages

In reading through Psalm 107 for the 3rd time this week I am grateful for His words to me ... Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever. Let me consider the steadfast love of the Lord today. In a day of uncertainity in the world around me I am thankful that the Lord never changes and His love for me continues to be steadfast!

Always In His Arms, B.

Love Sunday

Sunday, September 21, 2008
afternoon pages

One of my very favorite things I Love about Sundays is the fact that I have more time, to do what I love to do, read and write. So here I sit hoping to update you on my summer, my fall, and my life. It was a very busy (not like I like it) summer as I took on a full-time job for the months of July and August. It was of course, good for paying the bills, but as for having the extra time to read and write let's just say it did not happen. Although, I did have the privilege of being a part of a book study, so I can say that I did completely read one book cover to cover and I am currently working on finishing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for school. It is so fun to read these classics that I did not read when I was in grade school or high school.

I also had a summer of many physical tests because of my lack of appetite and loss of weight. What I loved about all the uncertainty through this time, is that God remained Faithful and Sovereign, even when I had no idea what was going on in my body, I was confident that He knew. Is it not true, that when our life becomes unmanageable by us, we run into the arms of the one and only God who can manage our lives? Well, come to find out that I am gluten intolerant ... this is new for me and I am learning just what I can and can't eat to remain healthy. I am so thankful for so many others who have gone before me gluten free that I can learn from.

As I jumped into fall these last couple of weeks I found myself in still another hard situation. It's as if I want to have control of people and circumstances that are clearly beyond my control. It would seem that I would have learned my lesson through my health issues this summer that were unmanageable but no ... not me. Because I am strong-willed and sometimes stubborn I have to be taught over and over the same lesson again and again.

Now having spent the morning (remember Love Sunday morning) with the 4th-6th graders who pray with faith I am reminded once again of my purpose to know and love the Bible and to glorify Him in all that I do, say, and am.

Going back to loving to read and write ... I love the book that was written to me by my Savior and Friend ... The Bible, and can I say too, that I love to write about what my Friend teaches me .... There is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother ... He continues to teach me to rest
In His Arms, B.

Monday September 8, 2008
morning pages

My first week of school as a teacher was the most difficult week I have had so far in my teaching career. So, because of this, let's just say I was less than excited to get up this morning and go in for my second week.

What was interesting to me though is that God has me in Matthew 6:5-13 a very familiar passage to everyone "The Lord's Prayer". As I was reading and praying this morning not really sure how to pray ... I thought about the phrase "my will be done". It occurred to me that I need not think or worry about school, the students, the teachers, etc. because if I leave all of this into the hands of my Father indeed His will will be done!

Remaining In His Arms today, B.

Love Sundays

OK, so it's a week and a day late but still very important Loves about the last 2 Sundays

love family
love friends
love celebrations
love gifts
love smiles
love food
love cake
love Sundays

Sid opens Uncle Jake's, Aunt Carrie's and cousin Annika's
gift with the help of papa Pederson and daddy as mommy
and grandma take pictures. Happy 1st Birthday Sidney!


"This is kind of like my dad and mom's moped, do I need
a license to drive this in North Minneapolis?"

" I love Dinos"

"Hey Uncle Matt and Aunt Lisa if you had not eaten all your

wedding cake we could have used it for my party. What's up with that?

Our new son-in-law, Matt

Matt and Lisa

Matt's 'so cute' nephew

Matt and his Dad

Jackie and David

Love wedding receptions in Iowa

Love our new son-in-law Matt

Love Jackie and David, and love their gift of hospitality

Love that we had opportunity to meet Matt's dad, Bruce.

Love the beauty of the lake and the enjoyment of time spent with new friends and family.

Always loving Sundays!

August 28, 2008
morning prayer (so simple but so profound)

Father,

Help me to live today in purity, in humility and in love, through Jesus Christ my Lord.

The Fisherman

Sunday
August 17, 2008
evening pages

Yesterday, I decided it was time to get some exercise and go for a walk. I walked down and around to a near by park and pond area and ended up at Bass Lake, one of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota. As I walked I came to a bench overlooking the lake where I stopped to sit for awhile. I noticed in front of me on the rocks near the shore a fisherman. I don't really know a lot about fishing but as I watched I saw this young man cast out his line only to reel it back in to see weeds on his hook. He cleaned off his hook and cast his line out a different direction. He watched with a careful eye and as soon as the little red and white ball sank he reeled his line back in once again only to find weeds on his hook. As I sat and watched he did this several times. All the time I watched he did not catch a fish. But as I sat and looked on I was impressed by how patient and persistent this young man had been while fishing. I thought of Jesus calling the disciples and asking them to put down their nets and follow Him. Jesus was teaching us about becoming fishers of men. I began to think about my faithfulness or better yet my lack of faithfulness in "catching fish" ie; praying for those who still do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I was reminded that I have not been patient or persistent as I believe Jesus would want me to be in praying for and reaching out to the lost. As I got up and continued my walk home I pondered on these thoughts and began to pray more and to pray harder for those who do not know Jesus. When I returned home I gathered my Bible, Journal and Pilgrimage of the Heart a Bible Study that I have been working through. My study for the day, you guessed it ... Matthew 4:18-5:1, Matthew 14:22:36 and Matthew 26:6-13. I love how Holy Spirit works through all things, my walk, the fisherman, and the Word.
Finding myself once again In His Arms, B.

Thursday

August 14, 2008

morning pages

I feel as if it is time to write an update journal entry on my ongoing health issue .... The following is an e-mail that I sent out just one week ago followed by a couple of prayers written and sent by friends ...

"Some know but for others I want you to know that I have not felt well since April of this year. My symptoms have been nausea, loss of appetite, and loss of weight, As I have gone to the doctor and then on to a specialist, one test result has lead to yet another test.

It seems they have found 2 cysts one 5mm and the other 2 mm on my liver and a spot on the tail of my pancreas which is somewhat larger than the remainder of the pancreas.

I will be going in on Thursday, August 7 at 10:30 am for an Endoscopic Ultrasound at Hennepin County Medical Center.

I know and believe that God can completely heal as He has in the past, yet I also know how important it is to pray according to the will of my Father who has given me such peace throughout the past 4 months. thank you for joining me in prayer on my behalf!"

Blessings, Beth

"But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more, my mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day for their number is past my knowledge." Psalm 71:14-15 ESV

Dear Gracious God, I pray for Beth and Terry and al the Pederson family today. May Your perfect peace which does pass all understanding be theirs as they await this next test. I pray that each moment that anxiety or fear tries to rear their ugly heads, that You will quietly calm their fears and strengthen their faith. You have graciously reminded us that Your ways are so much higher that ours and we rest in that today. In the powerful, precious name of Jesus, who will raise us up on tha tday, I pray. Amen. B.F.

Lord Jesus, you are the one we love, honor, worship and serve. your are our King and our Lord and the master of our lives. We acknowledge your ability to completely heal Beth in this very moment and we ask that you do just that. We ask for peace for Terry and Beth, wisdom for the doctors, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to be more present that ever. In Your powerful name. Amen. Love you, friend. B.F.

It may seem like these prayers were written by the same person but these prayers came by e-mail from two different friends with the same intials. Have you considered sending an actual prayer like these by e-mail.?These have been powerful in fact ....

I am happy to report that my size and shape of my pancreas are indeed different but to no concern and they found a benign tumor in the surrounding area again of no concern. So you may be thinking how am I feeling? Well about the same so I am going to experiment with some changes in my diet and see if this makes a difference in how I feel. I will keep you posted.

In His Arms, Beth

Love Sundays

Love Sunday
August 10, 2008
Celebrating 35 Years of Marriage



Love celebrating 35 years of Marriage

Love my best friend, Terry

Love that we celebrate our faith together on Sundays and other days of the week

Love the flowers, balloon, and coffee Terry brought to me at work today

Love sharing a steak together

Love that we enjoy the simple things in life

Love that we still kiss at red lights

Love that we like to hold hands and hug one another

Love that we know what one another is thinking

Love just silently spending time with Terry

Love you more T.

B.

Love Sundays ... but dont' like how I feel !

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Afternoon Pages

OK ... so usually on Sundays I love to write about what I love about the day and I still intend on doing some of that but like the title of this blog says I don't like the way I feel physically. This is precisely why I have not written the last 2 weeks in addition to the fact that time has been flying by.

So ... I did love the prayer time with friends today and especially having Russ, Ken and Ginny pray over me for healing. This past week has been especially hard as I have had so much more nausea and lack of energy. In spite of this I loved singing worship songs today that remind me of Your faithfulness. Even when I do not feel good, You are good all the time, all the time You are good.

So ... I love when one of the children reminded me through her prayers that You are always by our side and then Pastor Steve confirmed this in the preaching when he said You would never leave us or forsake us.

So ... I love continuing my reading in The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges

As for me "liver blog" dated back to May 3, my liver is still not quite working normal in fact not only my liver is involved but my pancreas is not doing it's job either. I mean really it's a Sunday and I don't especially like getting up and fixing a morning drink that includes, green food, fiber seed, yogurt, 1/2 banana and almond milk although this is what seems to agree with my stomach these days.

I found out through a series of tests that I now have 2 cysts on my liver and an abnormal spot on the tail of my pancreas. Although I am anxious to have the doctors get to the bottom of what is exactly going on in my body and making me feel the way I currently do, I have learned a lot of lessons along the way. I am also confident that this is not about the doctors but is rather about the Great Physician.

Here are just a few of the lessons I have learned

1) I have learned to control my appetite for physical food and replace this with spiritual food
2) I have learned that it has not been all bad losing the weight I have put on over the years. I'm just not sure I would have chose this way to lose it.
3) It could be expensive to lose weight because it requires a new wardrobe but my daughters have taught me to be a thrifty shopper and shop at second hand stores and thrift stores.
4) I have learned and have chosen to eat organic food which overall is so much better for me.
5) I have learned that suffering causing me to lean hard into the arms of Jesus.
6) I have learned the peace that comes from having friends and family praying.
7) Once again I have learned that it can be helpful to write as I contine to journal about the faithfulness of God.

Remaining In His Arms, B.

Love Sundays con't

Totally forgot to put these pictures from our fun time with my neice on my first Love Sunday post. Again Catherine, thanks so much for planning this outing with first and second cousins ...

Love Sundays

June 29, 2008

Sunday evening pages

LOVE Sundays when I can reflect on the past week and wow what a week it has been. Carrie and Annika were here for a visit and even though she came to help Kelley who is now pregnant (LOVE that I will be a grandma again) some family members made plans to visit with us. She came in late Monday night and Tuesday morning my niece, Catherine planned a get-together with the cousins and now second cousins. We LOVED seeing Catherine and Jackson along with my sister Mary Catherine and sharing Annika with them. On Wednesday, I LOVED that we met up with Ashley at work, had coffee together, and went to her apartment and then back to our home and just hung out as girls with Sid and Terry close by. Thursday was the day that papa enjoyed the US open so Carrie, Annika, Kelley, Sid and me hung out at Kelley's house. LOVED the opportunity to grocery shop and cook dinner that evening for Terry and Josh. Friday was such a fun day as we were able to hang out as a family because Adam was home for several hours.

LOVE family time

LOVE Friday night pizza

Usually Love eating all the chocolate goodies Carrie made

LOVE watching the babies

LOVE playing Apples to Apples and winning

LOVE that we took so many pictures to remember these times together

Don't love it when we have to say goodbye to Carrie and Annika but I do know how much Jacob will LOVE to have Carrie and Annika home.

We miss you big, We love you big, and we are praying for you lots.

LOVE that we are all constantly In His Arms, B

Love Sundays

June 22, 2008 afternoon pages

So have you ever spent a great deal of time writing a wonderful blog only to lose power on your computer … yes, it happened but maybe it is only me that thinks this was a wonderful writing anyways, I choose to begin again ....

So what I love about this Sunday, is that I woke up early to join others in prayer and I was excited to have 4 of our HopeWatchers (members from the children's prayer team) in the prayer room praying this prayer with me … I praise you God that you love me even if …. He is indeed so great that He loves us even if we disobey, even if we get mad, even if we don't read the Bible, even if we forget to pray. even if ....

Today I love this Sunday, because Terry and I traveled to Fort Ripley to enjoy an Army National Guard Family Picnic with Ashley. We met a few of the other soldiers and enjoyed food and fellowship with one another.

Today I love this Sunday, because when we returned home I took a long afternoon nap. You see, I usually don't get the opportunity to take a nap because I serve as a receptionist at our church each Sunday.

Today I love this Sunday, because after my nap I was able to get 3 assignments and I quiz done for my online health course that I am currently taking at Crown College.

Today I love this Sunday, as I begin my second week on the Maker's Diet. Even though I still struggle with my health it felt good to learn more about good foods for my body and to begin to think about what goes into this temple that my Maker has created. I would recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, another good read for those of you interested in nutrition. The book contains an immense amount of information of the culinary customs of our ancestors and ideas for a future of great health for young and old.

What I love the VERY most about this Sunday, is that tomorrow Carrie and Annika come for the week to visit. I am so excited to see Carrie and also to see how much Annika has changed and grown since March when I went out to CA to see her. Unfortunately, Jacob will be unable to be with us this week. Jacob we will miss you and wish you could be here ... although I am at peace knowing you are In His Arms, B.

Love Sundays

Sunday, June 15, 2008
afternoon pages

Well I am finding myself not only in Love with Sunday but in Love with Summer as well. It is great to have extra time to read the books that I want to read and not necessarily books that I have to read. This leads me to my post about a book I am currently reading as a part of a book study. The book: The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. I am reading a bit ahead and have been pondering the following statement ... "It is our habit to live for ourselves and not for God". This statement struck a cord in my thoughts because I believe this to be true of my life many times. One of those habits of mine that I have been studying and learning so much more about is the habit of eating. Why do I eat? What do I eat? What is emotional eating? How was food intended to be used for the body and soul? How do I get fed ... is it spiritual food? Is it milk or is it meat? Does what I eat have anything to do with making every effort to be Holy? How is one to be holy and blameless in his sight and eat at McDonald's? Sorry but I could not resist this last statement as I think about how many unhealthy food choices I have made in the past. Well, suffice this to say that this is the day the Lord has made and I will be glad and rejoice in it ... for this Sunday I love because I will make a deliberate intentional action towards greater health according to the Maker.

Because I have been so sick for 2 months I simply know that there is a purpose for everything. The purpose of the last two months have been for me take the challenge to read more about health and diet. The book recommended by my daughter's Lisa and Kelley, who often make healthy choices has been The Makers Diet. The book makes sense because as a believer who reads and studies the scriptures I can see how the author brings me back in time to the foods of the Bible and how food was intended to be used to nourish my body.

OK Time says that I need to close for now but more thoughts on this to come so stay posted ....
B.

Love Sundays

June 1, 2008
Sunday Afternoon Pages

Wow, today was a very different Sunday morning. It brought back memories of the past when I had to get both myself and my kids ready for church and did not get up early enough to read and pray before dashing off to church. Well, today was the first morning, shall I say weekend that we had our grandson Sid stay with us for the weekend so ...... when I got up at 6 am, I quick got into the bath tub and took a rather short, hurried, bath while grandpa slept and Sid talked and played in his bed. When I was done, I got Sid out of his bed and let him crawl around while I got myself dressed and ready for church. Once I was done, it was Sid's turn. I fed him his breakfast of cereal, raw egg yolk and applesauce and then I got him dressed in his Sunday best. Shortly after this he went back to bed for his morning nap and I was off to church.

At 10:30 I met grandpa at the main door and took over. Grandpa seemed a bit disorganized himself as I am sure he did not quite remember the extra time it would take to put his grandson in and out of the car seat.

And what I especially loved about this Sunday is that I was able to "show off" my grandson and all he can do .... make the Indian sounds when you tap his mouth, clap his hands when you say pat-a-cake and crawl which is a newly acquired skill as of
Friday, May 30.

But what I especially don't love about Sunday is when we can not be together as a whole family. I miss having Jacob, Carrie and Annika around. I am happy to be just a phone call away and was so sorry I did not know how to get her connected on her computer, which seems to be on the blink today. I miss seeing Annika grow but am thankful that Carrie is so good about updating her blog even with live video occasionally.

Well, I have just 3 and 1/2 days of school left and then I anticipate having more time to sit at my new desk and write my heart out.
Constantly holding all of my children, their spouses, futures spouses, and grandchildren in my prayers and always wanting them to be In His Arms, B.
Happy Sunday to all!

Stay posted for more to come on my new desk ... I needed to post the picture for Carrie ASAP but I hope to write more about it soon ... but for now I have a little more work to complete for my Reading and Communications Course in order to be ready to teach a couple more lessons this week with my 5th and 6th grade boys.

Love Sundays

morning, afternoon, and evening pages
May 25, 2008 (my best friend Pam's birthday)

Love Sunday, truly a day set-apart

Love Sunday morning worship prayer time

Love Sunday in the summer as the pace is unhurried

Love Sunday morning preaching from Nehemiah

Love Sunday gatherings ... today it was a picnic at Josh and Kelley's new house

Love Sunday, when God speaks to me through the scriptures ... tonight it was 1 Samuel 25, when Abigal bows facedown and says "I am your servant. I'm ready to serve you."

Love Sunday sitting and writing at my new desk (see picture above)

Love Sundays when I don't work the following day ... 3-day-weekend-Yeah!

Love Sundays

May 18, 2008

LOVE SUNDAY as the sun shines every so brightly through my office window as I meet with the Lord.

LOVE SUNDAY as I spend time by myself in the quietness of my home.

LOVE SUNDAY as the Lord brings many names to my mind for prayer.

LOVE SUNDAY as the pace for the day is so different than any other day. It truly is the Lord's day.

LOVE SUNDAY as today we will recognize all the children who have memorized verses from the Bible this year. (seems like yesterday that I was working with my own children as they memorized verses)

LOVE SUNDAY as I meet with both my friends and the kids prayer team to prayer.

LOVE SUNDAY night prayers ...

Father,
I ask for divine guidance for my children. I trust that you have already gone before them and prepared a place for them. You have known them from the foundation of the world. I commit my children into Your hands and pray for wisdom as to how I should relate to them now and in the future. I release my children from all my expectations and entrust them to be who You want them to be. I pray You will give my children wisdom in choosing a future spouse and in relating to their spouses. For those You will bless with children and those You have already blessed with children I pray they will train their children according to Your word and that they would teach them how to trust in Jesus as their Savior. May I be the grandparent You want me to be. I pray as Jesus prayed that You keep my children from the evil one and sanctify them in Your word for Your word is truth. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ who was crucified, died, risen and who will come again. AMEN

Remaining peacefully In His Arms again, Beth