Wednesday, January 30, 2008
evening pages

Well, it seems that 1 month after making intentions, goals, resoultions, plans .... is a good time to evaluate how it is going. But I'm not going there ... instead I am thinking I love taking the time to blog and I really like that I am desiring to grow deeper spiritually.

I heard a writer on Oprah today and I realized that this is still something I am passionate about and the only way I will learn to write is by writing. I will contine to intentionally take time to write and tonight I will write a bit about my new position.

A couple of weeks ago the Principal and Assistant Principal at the elementary school where I work approached me and wanted to meet with me. Well, of course when you get called to the Principal's office, you may wonder, as I did, what kind of trouble am I in now. After being called down I realized that this was not the case, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Both of these men were asking me to switch gears mid year to a different classroom. They asked me to do it for the students because they believed I had the "skill set" to work with these hard-to-reach students. This week has been my first week and I can say that it has been a challenge.

The challenge just for today is I went to sleep thinking about my new students last night and I woke up thinking about them. I want to have an impact on their lives for good. I really care about them. My promise for tomorrow is I will let each student in my classroom know that I care about them through words, and deeds. In His Arms, B.

Sunday, January 20, 2008
afternoon pages

Wow! What happened to my week and my intentions. I only exercised once this week, I journaled some of my food intake, I read some of my novel but not necessarily 1/2 hour a day. I did not blog at all and I did read my readings in the Old Testament.

OK, so I fall short but I am working on getting back on track this week and I know I can do "all things through Christ who gives me strength." I will be thinking about how all my school work fits into my intentions this week as well. It seems I must make up an incomplete in one class, do work for another class and begin thinking about my Reading and Communication class that starts in February. Whew! I am getting a bit overwhelmed! Oh, and did I say my position at school changes some this week too.

But on with Loving Sundays ......
I love the message that Pastor Jeff Preached today in the absence of Pastor Steve ... from his readings about the missionary John G. Paton.

1. Rediscover Backbone (what am I doing that involves courage and endurance when it comes to my walk with the Lord?)
2. Spiritual conversion (conversion means repentance, what am I doing to turn away for sin?)
3. Recover a Biblical Sabbath (this is powerful to think on)
4. Reassert God's total sovereignty (God is more interested in the process of me becoming more like Jesus)
5. Jesus Has no grandchildren

I loved these thoughts, I loved the message and I love thinking deeper about my relationship with Him. In His Arms again and again .... Beth

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.

Love Sundays

Sunday, January 6, 2008
evening pages

Love that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th our Sundays

Love that my Sunday routine includes rest

Love waking up under the warmth of our new down comforter next to my husband Terry

Love that we have a car to drive to church; something I sometimes take for granted

Love to see and pray with friends, Richard, Russ and Ken this morning

Love powerful times of worship and learning new songs

Love a new year, new start, new intentions as Pastor Steve refers to resolutions

Love seeing the children worship and bow down before the Lord in prayer in big church

Love hearing the children's intentions; to resist temptation, to pray twice a day, to read the Bible 5 out of 7 days a week, to journal every day etc.

Love serving others at the front desk of New Hope Church

Love when I finish some reading and some school assignments (classes start again on Thursday night this week)

Love saving money and eating leftovers for dinner

Love getting into my PJ's and just hanging out with my husband before going to bed

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

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