Friday, March 21, 2008

morning pages

Planned by God so that I might have my sins forgiven the death of Jesus opened the pathway to heaven -- A pathway prepared and paved with His blood ... Oh Father, how exceedingly grateful I am for the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the scene I have visited this morning occurred twenty centuries ago it is as if I have just witnessed Your death today. How horrible it was. I can not even imagine the pain you bore on my behalf. It was because of my sin. In this quiet moment tears of gratitude well up within me and I pause to say I love you, I'm sorry, please forgive me and thank you.

Because of Christ I find I am always In His Arms, B.

Wow! Almost forgot to post I am a grandma to a beautiful baby girl

Annika Elizabeth born March 11, 6:01 pm 7 lbs 10 oz and 19 inches long ....

March 15, 2008
afternoon pages

Intention; is the general word implying to have something in mind as a plan or design; or referring to the plan had in mind; intent; purpose; aim; goal etc.....

I really do love going back to this week after week and many times day after day. I would love to set an intention, plan or design for my day but often I am nearing the end of the day wondering what were my intentions or promises to myself that day. I miss spending time writing. I know that I can do anything I set my mind to do but I just have not done that with writing. Yes, I do continue to journal often but I wanted to at the very least blog twice a week and that has not happened. I also had intentions to exercise each week and that is another issue. I know what I need to do to be spiritually, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially healthy but I am choosing not do to what I want to do but rather do what I do not want to do.

I continue to be In His Arms, wondering, asking, questioning, wanting, waiting etc ... B.

Saturday February 23, 2008
early morning pages


Today to Adam ....

When I think about my son,
and there is only one,
I think about how proud,
of my one and only son,
I can be as a mom.

Even though many struggles and trails may hit,
I am reminded of God's son,
His only one,,
who works all things together for good,to my son,
who loves God,
and who has now been called according to God's son's purpose.

Thank you Father, for victories you have won , progress, growth and answered prayer in the lives of my children, their spouses, my grandchildren and future grandchildren.

praying for all my children and grandchildren today
placing them all In Your Arms ...

Love Sundays

Sunday, February 10, 2008
Carrie's Birthday
afternoon pages

Love Sundays


Love the light that comes into the windows in the morning

Love the sun even when it is bitter cold outside

Love to celebrate Carrie's birthday even from a far

Love the light that comes from being in God's house

Love the light that comes from the hearts of God's people

Love Sundays as they trully are a time of respite from what goes on in the day to day world

Love Sundays especially this Sunday as Pastor Steve preaches on encouragement I feel encouraged

Love getting some of my homework done on Sunday

Love spending time in the word and in prayer

Love to look back on my intentions and see that I am doing fairly well on the ones that are most important to me. I am no longer writing down my food intake as I am instead aware of what I am eating and am making good choices. I have exercised 2 times this past week and I intent to go for 3 this week. I have been reading each day both the Old Testament and leisure reading. And I am once again getting back to blogging which is always so fun for me.

Tomorrow I promise to read and pray and I look forward to going back to work and walking in the light. My promise is to encourage each of my students at least 2 times tomorrow with WOW, WAY TO GO, FANTASTIC, NICE WORK, YOUR INCREDIBLE, BRAVO, HOW SMART, GOOD JOB, NOTHING CAN STOP YOU NOW, GOOD FOR YOU etc.

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