A Year in Review 2013

Reflecting on the year of 2013 as we move into 2014

December
When I think about the month of December I find myself writing about a concern that tuned into a joy. On Friday, December 27 at 9:30 pm we received a text from my son stating that he had found his son Beckett not breathing. Beckett's grandfather and Renee's uncle started CPR and brought him back to life. Today, just 5 days later they are headed home from the hospital .... God is a miracle working God and I am praising Him for the life of my grandson today! You can read the rest of the story here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/beckettbrady






November
Joy; Christmas tree cutting as a family
Concern; Kelley's health (she is doing awesome now, thank you Lord)

October
Joy; My husband's health and ability to still work part time and we get word that our littlest is getting married
Concern; healing for our entire family

September
Joy; Gratefulness for the beginning of my 7th year at Edinbrook Elementary
Concern; Part time hours and no benefits (Praise the Lord I had benefits by the end of September)

August
Joy; An anticipated first family vacation at the Grosser's cabin
Concern: Ashley's collapse and hospitalization and my health and hospitalization at Mayo (we are both doing well now, thank you Lord)

July
Joy; The celebration of Terry's birthday and the birth of Beckett the very next day!
Concern; How would the delivery of the twins go for Kelley

June
Joy; Summer off from work
Concern; Safe delivery for both Renee and Kelley

May
Joy; the ending of a good year of Real Women seeing spiritual growth in each of the women
Concern; No real concerns because God is meeting my family and I in all of our concerns

April
Joy; Ashley returns from Afghanistan
Concern; Ashley was hospitalized in Fort Worth Tx ... follow-up here now in Mpls

March
Joy; Friends who sit at hospital beds
Concern; bronchitis, pneumonia, an allergic reaction that required an epi pen and a 911 call and a day stay at Maple Grove hospital for me

February
Joy; A new year has begun
Concern; just beginning to get physically sick

January
Joy; A full month of intentions started and kept
Concern; Longer recovery than anticipated from a student-related injury

It was a full year of sitting at hospital bedsides for our family. I am praying and hoping for a healthier 2014!

This is the teacher I strive to be ...

She has dual vision, able to simultaneously see a student's current state and their potential.

She is quick to affirm what a child is already doing, even if the child can't articulate it, helping to identify the skill and move it to a place of cognitive awareness.

She tailors instruction to meet each child at their level, building in small increments so each step can be mastered.

She teaches skills and concepts in context instead of using seemingly meaningless exercises.

Once students have learned a skill, it isn't discarded, but instead new skills and concepts are layered on, increasing the student's sophistication.

She focuses not only on technical skills, but on a positive attitude, individual goal setting, perseverance to achieve those goals, and the intrinsic sense of worth that comes from growth and success.

She makes you feel like it is truly an honor to be your teacher.

 

 

 

Strength Everyday

Be Strong in the Lord ... that's what the e-mail said this morning. I said, "gratitude is everything".

I said this for the simple reason that I have made a personal goal to say this each morning this week. I found myself even saying this throughout my day yesterday.

I love that out of all the e-mails, subscribe to blogs, RSS feeds that one can sign up for and read each day I have chosen Zondervan's daily verse.

It's just a sinpet and takes less than a minute to read but I always find that the words are just what I need for the day ahead.

It' raining this morning and the rain will turn to snow this afternoon when it gets colder her in Minnesota yet I wake up to the same God who does not change with the weather.

As I start my day with hot water and a smoothie and I fix my lunch of applesauce, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs and ensure I continue to remember that He is my strength everday.

I am looking forward to the day and also counting down the days (just 6 now) when I will be in TX where He is the same God who does not change with the weather.

Praying you all will have a blessed day In His Strength!

In His Arms,
Beth

I am currently giving thought to these worthy questions as I determine to write my intentions for 2011 ....

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

Take more walks.

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

I feel as though this will be the salvation of family and friend's who do not yet know Christ.

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

Listen more.

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

Solitude and Silence; I will intentionally get away to retreat areas for longer periods of time.

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

Watching TV; I will choose good books over TV.

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

Make disciples.

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

My family of origin.

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make

Exercise More.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

Listen and pray the scriptures for myself and others.

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

I plan to train up disciples to encounter and engage with Christ through the scriptures, prayer, and genuine fellowship.

Donald Whitney's 10 questions to ask at the start of the new year ...

I thought these were worthy questions to ask as I search to see what Christ would have me "intend" on being and doing in 2011.

Stay posted to this page for upcoming words regarding my 2011 intentions.

ps I had the amazing privilege of putting together my own personal vision board for 2011 at my daughter Lisa's workshop yesterday. (Lisa it is finished and I am pleased with the end result) I am certain some of the things from my vision board will be a part of my post on intentions so .... stay be sure to come back here for further thoughts ....

Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.

Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Saturday, January 12,2008
evening pages

OK so I have been thinking about my intentions and how I am doing .... it's week two and I have begun and continued to read through the Old Testament each morning. I am loving it. I am reading things that I have read before but are full of fresh new insights. As for the food intake that is going well too. It is amazing to me that to just write down what I choose to take into my body makes me aware of how I am taking care or not of my "temple". When I was a little girl I hated to read. Mostly because reading was so hard for me. I struggled through Kindergarten and then in first grade because I did not know how to read I was held back a year. I was always in the lowest reading group. I was the kid who fell between the cracks. The one who struggled with learning disabilities. Now, I love to read and can't seem to take the time to do it which is why I was intentional on the goal of reading 1/2 hour a day a book of my choice. I say my choice, because believe me, being in school, I have plenty to read for my class. I have taken the time to read, and one book I am falling in love with is, I Exalt You, O God by Jerry Bridges. Another book I want to finish is The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes. Let's just say this last book is one of those books on my shelf that I bought, started to read, but have not finished. Next blog two times a week, I am just under the wire as this is my second time and I know I needed to complete it before midnight to count. As for the writing group and scheduling the silent retreats I still have time. Well, I am off to fold laundry and then I hope to have a quiet dinner with my husband and read some more .....
B.

New Year's Resolutions, Dreams, Wishes, Hopes ...

No matter what you may call the thoughts you have today as I do they all involve change. I like to call them goals and usually I think about them long before January 1st although this year it has just been the last couple of days that I have given serious thought to my personal goals for 2008. As I read yesterdays Star and Tribune article Resolutions that Stick I could agree with many things that were stated but I especially related with 2 items:

1) Do it your way
Just because Atkins or joining a gym or a Bible study works for someone else it will not necessarily work for you or me.
2) Find ways to treat yourself
We all need to be encouraged. So when you follow you resolution or reach a goal (or in my case follow a goal for say 21 to 30 days) reward yourself.

I believe it is important to know that it takes 21 to 30 days to change an old habit. With that said I found myself successful this past summer as I joined several Boot Camps with my daughter and personal trainer, Lisa. I was exercising 6 days a week then .... work began and I stopped. So, you guessed it one of my goals for the new year is to exercise 3 days a week and more in the summer when I am out of school. I am setting myself up for success ...

Goals for 2008

Read through the Old Testament
Exercise 3 times per week and journal food intake each day
Leisure Read 1/2 hour a day
Blog 2 times per week
Join a writing group
Personal silent retreat 4 times this year

I would love to have you weigh-in on this topic (no pun intended) and let me know what your New Year's Resolutions might be ... I would be happy then to encourage you along the way!

Blessings, Beth