Tradition, Tree, and Truth

Glad my intention more than 4 months ago was a loose intention to blog on Mondays. Since my kids set me up on instagram I have been using this more than blogging however it is still important for me to write and post pictures. Blogging presents itself an opportunity to write more than the brief things written on instagram.

Christmas Tree Cutting 2014

So .... as I was looking back at pictures I found the below picture and compared it to the above picture!

Christmas Tree Cutting 2013

It's how we start the beginning of our Christmas Season. Tree Cutting. It's often about family, traditions ... things we love to do and things that bring us together as family! 

The tree cutting then leads to advent, which leads to Luke, Chapter 2 and Unwrapping the Greatest Gift ever, Jesus! It's how I was raised (me above on my dad's lap) and how we raised our children and how our grandchildren are being raised. 

So grateful for the lineage of my family and the 

lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ!

May, June, July Highlights

On May 23rd He ...

Gave her ....

... over to Him

What a blessed day we were able to celebrate as a family on May 23, 2014 with our youngest daughter marrying Dustin, our newest son-in-law. As the story goes they met in the army and spent months getting to know one another overseas in Afghanistan and were engaged in October, 2013 with the celebration of a wedding in May, 2014.

In June we had a couple of birthday celebrations but I don't have pics downloaded  yet so on to July .... 

In July we celebrated a visit from the golfer's sister from Washington. As the golfer and his sister headed to their all-school reunion in Bagley, I headed to the Red, White, and Boom 1/2 marathon to see my only son at the finish line! Awesome running and so much fun with the family too!

Then I had my first bath time with Beckett along with my first date day Friday for the summer with him. It was supposed to be boy's date day but Sid was with his cousin ....

He Lives!

1007. Grateful that He Lives in me

1008. Grateful that we were able to celebrate Easter here:

Adam gives directions for the Easter basket hunt

Time to color the eggs

1009. Grateful we were able to celebrate Easter here:

                https://www.facebook.com/newhopechurchmn

1010. Grateful for His forgiveness

1011. Grateful for the sunrise

1112. Grateful for the sunset

Linking up here:

href

="http://www.aholyexperience.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff162/annvoskamp/multitudesonmondaysbutton2-1.jpg" >

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!

My favorite story read at a favorite time! Merry Christmas!

 

Luke 2

New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Pederson / Larson family pics

 Love Family!

When he was 5 and now he is 6

So when Sid was the first grandchild to turn 5 I started something new .... I remember when our children turned 5 they got a "table knife" for the first time. Seems odd but our younger kids always wondered when they would be old enough for a table knife so the golfer and I decided that 5 was the magic age for each

of the children to have a table knife.

 

When the grand kids started turning 5 I decided to start a rite of passage as a

5-year-old grandchild. I have prayer beads that I made and I use to pray for my immediate family members. When the grand kids would stay over night or when I would stay in Texas overnight they would ask me about my prayer beads under my pillow. I thought to myself it would be a wonderful time to teach them about my prayer beads and for them to get a set of their own. So .... the first grandchild to receive the beads was Sid and I included this card with the beads:

 

Dear Sid,

Many times you have slept over at nana's house and many times you have asked me about my prayer beads in my night side table. When You're mommy was little and she turned 5 years old she received her own table knife at the the table for the first time like her big brother and sisters. It was a "rite of passage" so to speak. For you because You're 5 Nana has made you your own set of prayer beads. You can keep them in your bedroom under your pillow, if you like, to remind you to pray for your daddy, mommy, you and your little sisters. Happy Birthday! I love you more, Nana

 

 

Sid plays on the teeter-totter ... the same handles from his mommy's teeter-totter (made by the golfer) and the same handles from the orginal teeter-totter

made  by grandpa Walker for Lisa (3rd generation backyard toy with a new board) 

 

 

Even though the motorbike says number 5 Sid turned 6 on September 10th 

My Friend, My Sister(s) in Christ

 

 

 

Holly fixing her hair before having her picture taken

 

I could not sleep tonight so I am up and writing about the reason I could not sleep. You see, tonight was the night I presented the devotions at my friend's bridal shower. Since I wrote a post last week about my birth sister I thought I would follow it up with a post about my sister in Christ, good friend, funnest person on this earth, Holly. She will be getting married in less than and month and I am very happy for her but ... the reason I can't sleep is 'cause even though I am happy for her I am sad because there will be a distance between Holly and I after she gets married 'cause she's moving to Nebraska, to be a farmers wife. It will be a great loss and since I am prone to have "attachment disorder" :-) it will be extremely hard to have this good friend move away from Minnesota. I see Holly most every week and we, Holly, my other sisters in Christ Andrea, and Lisa have this yearly tradition of enjoying taco salad with homemade salsa (by the golfer) each summer. What I love about our time is we share with one another Bible verses that we can be praying throughout the coming year for each  other. This year Holly has been praying Psalm 91:1 for me, and I have been praying Hebrews 12:5b-7 for her. With Holly I not only receive the gift of an amazing friend but the gift of an amazing praying friend. I love you Holly and I will miss you big time!

 

Below are the words that I shared with Holly this evening:

It is a delight to be here this evening to celebrate and honor you, Holly as you get married to Chris in June.

When I thought about what I would share tonight I felt sad … ‘cause I thought about

how much I would miss our summer time taco salad’s;

how I would miss “hearing” our love language  of “sarcasm” with one another

and how I would miss our hug’s and check-in’s at the front desk

But then I thought about how happy I am for you Holly. How happy I am that you met Chris, that you love one another well and that you plan to be a farmer’s wife for the rest of your life ….

A farmer’s wife must be strong … not just strong enough to pail hay, drive the John Deer tractor, or bring in the crops but …

1. strong in who you are

2. strong in your ability to study the Bible and pass it on to others

3. strong in your prayer life

4. strong in your relationships

5. strong in your love for others

6. strong in your joy

1. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in Who They Are
We've all heard those age-old questions, like, "Who am I?" "Where did I come from?" "Where am I going?" Isn’t it great Holly that as a Christian woman you know who you are? I love that you know you are a child of the King. You know who your creator is. And it is my hope that knowing who you are in Christ will give you satisfaction and strength.

In the scriptures in Ephesians 1:4-6 The Lord says:
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

2. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in Bible study, Bible knowledge, and passing that knowledge on to others
Staying in the Word daily builds up our bodies. It's like those exercises that you have to do so many repetitions every day in order for it to do any good. We've just got to keep reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word to keep fit and strong. When questions and things come up, we need to know what the Bible says about it. If we're grounded in God's Word, we are better able to be strong and resist temptations too. We need to have the answers and Bible knowledge right there to grab and use as things come at us. In Psalm 119:11 the Lord says: I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And in 2 Timothy 2:1-6 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,  and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.  An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.  It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.  Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Because I would love to encourage you to be strong Christian woman of the word I have this gift for you (Give the gift of the Bible Study)

3. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in their prayer Life.
Making prayer a vital part of our lives gives us such strength. It uplifts and strengthens us as we go on our way. Prayer is such a powerful thing. We have loved one another well by praying for one another. Thank you Holly, for praying for me and it has been an honor to pray for you! I believe that to be a praying wife is the most powerful way you can encourage your husband Chris.

In Psalm 55:17 the Lord says Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
And in 1 Thessalonians 7:17 He says that we are to Pray without ceasing.  

Because I would love to encourage you to be a praying wife I have this gift for you (Give the gift of The Power of the Praying Wife and for Chris The Power of the Praying Husband)

 

4. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in their relationship with their husband.
We are gathered here tonight to honor you Holly and your marriage to Chris. The strong Christian women I've known over the years have all had a strong and good relationship with their husbands. I think that's so important. When you marry Chris, he will become your husband and he will be the second most important person in your life. How you interact with him is going to affect how strong you are. Always remember to be building him up and you will be strong.

In Proverbs 31:28 the Lord says: Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. 

And in Ephesians 5:22-24: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.   

Because I would love to encourage you to be strong in your relationship with Chris I want to give you this calendar. On it is marked every 15th of the month because you will be married on the 15^th of June. I believe that if you intentionally set aside that day each month to date one another for the rest of your lives that you will remain in love with one another just as if it were the very first day you were married. (Give the gift of the calendar)

 

5. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in their love for others.  There's nothing like concentrating on others to give us a boost. They say having a genuine love for others is like drinking one of those sports drinks. It will restore all those minerals you've been missing! Think about how love was a big part of Christ's life. It definitely should be a big part of yours Holly. I am confident it will be and as you continue to care, reach out, encourage, and pray for others you will be strong.
John 13: 34-35 states:  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Because I would love to encourage you to be a strong in your love for others I want to give you this package of note cards so you may encourage others as you have encouraged me. (Give the gift of note cards)

Finally,

6. A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in their joy.
Holly, maybe at some point you have memorized the last part of Nehemiah 8:10, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

It's such a simple phrase but so powerful. We can tap into His strength daily by having His joy.  We don't need the latest outfits, a membership to the gym, a really nice home, a new John Deer tractor or financial security. We just need to find the joy of the Lord in our lives and we'll find our strength.

Let’s Pray ….

 

 

 

 

 



Happy Birthday to my Favorite Daughter-in-law!

 

 

I love when I hear my older brother Pat introduce me or tell others that I am his favorite little sister ... I often wonder why he states this and then I am reminded I'm his only little sister. It's kind of like that with Renee. When I say my favorite daughter-in-law, because we only have one son, Renee is my only daughter-in-law ... but she truly is my favorite. I could not ask for a more caring, sensitive, loving and supportive daughter-in-law! I love everything about this girl and I love that my only son choose her to spend the rest of his life with. so ... A very Happy Birthday Renee!

 

Friday, April 5 came around and we were happy to be together as a family again for Friday night pizza. We were especially grateful to celebrate Renee and her birthday along with our littlest, back form Afghanistan, daughter's new friend, who happens to be a boy, named Dustin's birthday too. (I'm pretty sure that was a run-on sentence) :-)

(Hence the reason the cake states: Happy Birthday Renee and Dustin).

 

We have a family tradition of Friday night pizza. When our kids were little we began to have Friday night pizza which often included a movie and games. When our first grandchild was born more than five years ago, our daughter said to us ... let's start our Friday night pizza time again so .... each Friday we gather together to have pizza. Any of the kids that are available come.

On Friday night, April 5 at 6 pm we gathered together to celebrate Renee!

 

I realized as I typed this blog post that when my only son Adam had a birthday I did not write a post about him (sorry Adam) but it is easy to include him on this post. It's easy because Adam is married to Renee. Adam and Renee have a tradition of having not just a birthday celebration but a birthday week celebration. So we had fun starting out Renee's birthday week celebration because her actual birthday is not until today April 13th!

 

So Renee here's to your birthday week which I am sure has been and will continue to be fun for you. We love you so much and we pray for this year ahead as you welcome the next generation of Pederson boys into your (our) family to be a blessing in every way. Praying  for you as "God's chosen woman, holy and dearly loved, may you clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ...  and may you continue to love with genuine affection and take delight in honoring others. We love you very much!

Faith, Hope and Love ....

 

 

Expectation; June 9, 1975

linking up and giving in to just 5 minutes ... no edits and joining the Gypsy Mama on Saturday with 5 minute Friday .... the prompt: Expectation

http://thegypsymama.com/category/five-minute-friday/

Start:

It was thirty-seven years ago plus the 9 months prior to the ninth of June that I found myself expecting my first baby. At that time there was no finding out weather it was a boy or a girl beforehand. Instead I waited expecting that I would be pleased with a healthy and happy baby regardless of the sex.

My only wish was for her grandma Walker to know her and hold her. So with great expectation she arrived and because my mom had died ten months earlier I called my sister Mary Catherine with all those first time mom questions ...
why is she crying?
how do I know she is getting enough to eat?
how often do I change her?
when can I expect her to sleep through the night?

And now with great expectation we celebrate with family here and family afar (because of Skype). We expect that we will have a wonderful time celebrating this one, oldest, courageous, beautiful, loving, compassionate, persistent, daughter and we did!.

Happy Birthday Lisa ... I love you more!

$37 ones a family tradition

"cheese"

Carrie and the girls skyped in

Lisa chats with Ash

Stop

A Week of a Birthday

My birthday was the day after surgery so …. I didn’t really feel like celebrating. This was the most likely reason why some of my family members and friends choose to celebrate throughout the week before and after my actual birthday.

Friday night started with pizza at Josh, Kelley, and the kids home along with Adam and Renee and Terry. I wasn’t exactly feeling that great prior to surgery yet it was a fun evening of homemade gf cake from Kelley and an amazing pair of cute, cute black boots from the golfer, the littlest, and the Larson family. Plus a gift certificate to go out to eat at a fancy restruant with the golfer from my only son and his wife, Renee!

On Saturday, November 5 a few days before my birthday I had the fun adventure of going to the Mall of America, where the OM Collective was the studio of the month at Lu Lu Lemon. Because of this Lisa taught her sati class there and after class she gave me a free birthday shopping trip. I have to say I got these pants which I love and which have worked incredibly well post op since I have a catheter.

Then there was the day before surgery when I was met at the hospital by my good friend Ginny and she gave me a beautiful set of handmade cards she had made just for me!
The day of my birthday, 1^st day of recovery after a long surgery the day before, I received many, many, calls from family singing but the ultimate greeting was one such video of my granddaughters in TX singing that was posted on daughter # 2 blog! Also a good friend and ministry partner, Holly brought over homemade gf meatloaf, rice and vegtables for the golfer. YumYum!

The day after my birthday I had a visit in my home with my good friend Andrea who brought me a new “army” green lunch bag. Can’t wait to go back to work and use it. With the lunch bag she included a homemade card:

"May this be a year of gazing at Jesus

and glancing at your circumstances

while being led by the good Shepherd

as you graze on His word

and experience restoration by

quiet waters in your heart and mind.

Happy Birthday Beth!!

A few things I appreciate about you are that you are loving, lovely, encouraging, praying servant-hearted, dependable, passionate, invested, dependable, faithful and a great time keeper J

I love you and I wanted to find something that might continually bless you this year. This new lunch bag will hopefully remind you that you are loved as well as remind you that the “”crisis’s” this year are opportunities to let God show you more of Himself and for your faith to find feet. So, as you feast at lunch, may you also feast on His word. Even days your body may be in pain or reject Him, you can still pack the true feast. And army colored, you can pray for Ashley. Love, Andrea”

My birthday is not over yet because even though I was unable to go to TX due to my surgery I can expect a gift in the mail for the Davis family sometime this week. I can only guess that it is something handmade but I will keep you posted on this one.

Another year is ahead of me and I fully intend

to make it a year of significance

 as I continue to grow deep

in Him while remaining In His Arms!

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

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