What to do when you arrive at the art institute for class one week early?

picture of homemade organic strawberry gluten free pie in the making

June 17, 2010 afternoon pages

You may not have even thought of this question, or even have the answer to the question, but can I just say, because that is excatly what transpired in my life today, I wanted an answer to my question.

With great anticipation and excitement I drove to the MIA (Minneapolis Institure of Art) not to be mistaken for the MOA (Mall of America)... yes, I drove to the Minneapolis Insitute of Art, on the wrong day and wrong time, but everything happens for a reason .... right?

And yes, I did fully intend on taking an art class today, only to find out that I arrived at the class a week early. Now I am a person who likes to be early but I usually do not show up a week early. I left where the class was to take place on a quest to answer my question.

So I made a phone call or two and found instead of spending time with others I would check out the play at the children's theater only to find out it was sold-out!

Now, I wondered how many times that happens on a weekday morning at the theater? Another good question, I did not have the answer to, but no problem, since it was a sunny Mpls day and most of the past few days on record maybe 16 or so have been rainy I thought it's a perfect day to go to the farmer's market.

Since unlike my husband and children I am a novice when it comes to plants and food grown by farmers I deceided to learn some more today ... I learned about home grown organic strawberries.

Now, so you do not think that I know nothing, I want you to know, that I did know that strawberries in the grocery store can be quite large. So of course, I wondered why the strawberries grown on a MN farm were quite small. I found out they were grown on an organic farm and of course organic means no added stuff to make strawberries large!

Q: So to answer the question what to do when you arrive at the art institute a week early and it's sunny out and you have never made a homemade strawberry pie, better yet a homemade strawberry gluten free pie?

A: Go to the farmer's market, buy organic strawberries, come home and make homemade strawberry gluten free pie!

School's Out! Reading, Writing, and Art are In!

June 16, 2010 Morning Pages

I am so excited to share that school is out and therefore my mornings will be filled with reading, writing and art ... most likely, more reading, than writing and art yet, I do have concrete plans for the later two.

I have already started a new book on my kindle. As I was scrolling my kindle and scoping out some books I found a book of interest. What I love about my kindle is that I can download any book and sample it before I decide to buy the book for cheap ... this book $9.99. The book A Young People's History of the World by Howard Zinn.

I find that I have a deficit in knowing history, but I know there are many ways to learn history. One of these ways, of course, is by reading. In the past, I have had a tendency, to read authors I am familiar with. This particular author I did not know, he was not recommended, yet I found myself drawn to him. I even asked my husband (a history major some years ago) if he had heard of Howard Zinn.

I learned that Zinn, through this book, choose to use some unlikely voices, to teach about history, and some of these voices, include children. I also learned, by reading the sample of the book, that Zinn would choose to tell the truth of history through his eyes and knowledge. Of intrest to me, Zinn's truth may not be in the current history books our children are reading.

A quote to close my blog with today ....

"In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn"

What I have not yet learned, I believe I will be unable to teach. Therefore, I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer ... to be learning, through the disciplines of reading, writing and art!

Graduation .... most important part .... Family

Can I just say what an amazing weekend ... it really does not get much better than this ....

Just a few highlights for now ....

1. an evening of practice for just Terry and I (Friday)



2. family



3. a good night's rest and another drive to Crown College (Saturday)



4. family



5. a morning of celebration (BS in Education Studies)



6. family



7. a reception at Crown College



8. family



9. an open house with amazing fun, food, and fellowship



10. family



11. a kindle, a gift of books yea!



12. family



13. a good night's rest with Carrie, Annika, Eden, and Ashley (I did not hear anything after going to bed at 11:30) until ....



14. mother's day breakfast 6 am (Sunday)



15. family



16. mother's day choir with 3 girls and and Eden in tow



17. family



18. a Sunday afternoon nap



19. family



20. Chipotle and game night at Kelley's

Oh and did I say family?

May Update

I am not really sure what happened to April except that it seemed to fly by and because of this or for whatever other reason I did not follow through with my intention of blogging monthly at the very least and completely blew it! I did not blog in April ... please forgive me ... my faithful readers .... you know who you are ....

So now it is officially the 7th of May as the clock in our living room just struck midnight. I am having a night where I am unable to sleep because of burning pain in my face due to a head injury which occurred on April 15.

I am somewhat excited and yet apprehensive for the next couple of days as I practice for graduation tomorrow night and then graduate on Saturday with a party to follow and then celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday with all 5 kids.

The excitement comes from the completion of an intention for 2010 ... graduate in May with my BS in Educational Studies (a bit of a change due to the fact that I did not do my student teaching and instead took 12 additional credits, hence Educational Studies rather that Elementary ED).

The apprehension comes from the burning sensation in my face and the somewhat unsteadiness in my balance due to my injury.

All in all though it should be a great weekend of celebration ... graduation, mother's day, all my kids, (minus my son-in-law, Jacob who is unable to be with us in MN this time around) grand kids, family and friends .... it will be a weekend to remember ... more to come ....

Inviting you to celebrate Easter

KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul - Church shares Easter message with graffiti

Enjoy this Easter message from myself and our community of friends at New Hope Church. I love that I know the artist and I believe he did an amazing job in bringing the message of Easter to all those who drive-by. May you prepare your hearts this Holy Week for the Resurrection of Christ.

Yep, I still Love Sundays

OK it is the last day in February and with trying to stay on track with my intentions I will post today and that will actually make it 2 posts for February. I have been journaling weekly and I have more often then not been drinking the smoothie 5 days a week. I am on track with graduation in May. In fact, I presented an art project yesterday for my art course and the presentation went extremely well. I was excited to get all the positive feedback both from my professor and classmates. I actually have the kids at EB Kidstop and EB elementary and NHC prayer team to thank as it was their drawings that I presented in class yesterday. I find I am loving art and especially enjoying teaching art to the kids and want to go on to take more art courses ... in fact, I have, as intended, registered for a course with the Maple Grove Community Education (on track for that Life Long Learning intention). It is a watercolor landscape class and Terry will be taking the class with me. I'm thrilled to be doing this with him as he has a lot of art knowledge. I have enjoyed times of having Terry read though Proverbs at the dinner table with me many evenings. As for the walking let's just say I'm slacking there with the exception of all the miles I put on at work each day running with and after kids. Fnances ... well I don't always remember to pray before spending, but I have a written account of all money being spent, which should in the long run prove to be a good tool for setting a spending plan with Terry. I plan on writing down one more month of spending and then give an account and set up a plan. Bible reading is on track and as for EX 2:2 I have been tyring to read 5 pages a day but have slipped a bit this week due to the completion of my art project. Prayer day-aways ... tried to reserve Pastor Dave' s cabin for Saturday March 6th but it is not available. I may just look at Saturday March 13th more to come on that ... and lesson plans for Kidstop they are all done for the next 2 weeks Yea! Whew I have written and now I am off to read .... In His Arms, B.

Intentions 2010

January 2010 has come and gone and now February is upon me ....

After much thought and prayer I have narrowed down some categories and intentions for 2010 and they are the following:

Intention: to have something in mind; a design; a plan

Spiritual Intentions

• Finish reading through the Bible in a year " all scripture is God-breathed, useful for training, reproofing, ...."
• Four intentional day-aways (24-48 hours) of retreat, refresh, re vie, renew through prayer
• Bible reading most days aloud with my husband Terry
• Continue to "be" a disciple and know fellowship through Ex 2:2, Real Women, HopeWatchers

Intellectual Intentions

• Graduate in May with a BS in Elementary Education
• Take a class through Maple Grove Community Education
• Always be one week ahead with Kidstop lesson plans
• Read good books often
• Continue to "be" a lifelong learner seeking wisdom from the Lord as "anyone who lacks wisdom can ask of God ..."

Emotional Intentions

• Blogging monthly
• Journaling weekly
• Continue to share my heart with the Lord and with family and friends "a friend loves at all times ...."

Physical Intentions

• Walk 1-2 mile 5 days per week
• Smoothie for breakfast 5 days per week
• Continue to be conscious of my "body being a temple of the Holy Spirit"

Financial Intentions

• Give much to many " give generously ...."
• Keep track (written down) all spending
• Hope for a spending plan written down together with Terry
• Continue to prayer before spending and know that all I have belongs to the Lord.

Most of these intentions, goals are measurable. It is my prayer and hope for 2010 that I will be able to look back monthly to these intentions and know that I am staying on track. I publish these with the intention of having others hold me accountable for personal growth because of these intentions.

Always remaining in His arms, B.

Forgotten God by Francis Chan

January 30, 2010
early morning pages

I find it interesting to read what I have written years ago. As I look back on past journals I am amazed at what the Holy Spirit has done in my life.

In reflection of the post "Journals Past; Pictures Present" regarding my prayer for the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on my kids each day. Because of my learning from Forgotten God today I pray differently.

I pray that the Spirit of God would dwell in Terry, Lisa, Matt, Carrie, Jacob, Adam, Renee, Kelley, Josh and Ashley.
It is my hope that there will be a huge difference in their lives daily because of the Spirit of the living God within them.

My knowledge of the Holy Spirit is greater now than in the past.
My prayer is different now than in the past.

"We need the Holy Spirit in order to live faithfully. But we also need one another as we work out our faith." Chan

Family, I need you as i work out my faith and thanks for needing me!
In His Arms, B.

New Year 2010

Yep its true it is a new year and as of yet I have not set completely my intentions for 2010 ... having said this I am thinking and in prayer about what I want to accomplish in 2010. One reason for having not written thus far into the new year is because one intention would be to graduate in May and this is my excuse for not taking the time as of yet to write and publish intentions for 2010. My written work is school work, EX 2:2, and Real Women which is comsuming most of my present "extra" time in the day. So .... keep visiting my blog and you shall see that by the end of January 2010 I shall have my intentions for the new year posted.

"Journals Past; Pictures Present"

I am hoping to have an edge on Christmas blogging this year and be the first to post ...

One of the main reasons I am able to do this is because Terry and I plan to spend our first Christmas Day quietly with each other. A very different Christmas for us and yet a realization that our family is growing bigger in a very special way where the kids are spending time with their extended family and friends.

Yet for us Christmas would not be Christmas were it not for my Christmas' past where our family of 7 children (yet my older brothers and sisters remember 8) would celebrate Christmas around the manager scene my father built which I now have in my home.

Christmas would not be Christmas without the "Walker" side and the "Pederson" side of the families and now added to Walker Christmas is Van Ahn, Davis, (although they were with us for Adam's wedding but not Christmas this year)Pederson, and Larson! I love that the cousins get to see cousins and now second cousins get to see and play with second cousins.

Christmas would not be Christmas without the reading of the story of Jesus' birth happening thousands of years ago from Luke. This year Terry did this at Kelley's house where we celebrated the Pederson Christmas after the Walker Christmas.

For me Christmas is just not Christmas without times of reflections on Christmas past and present .... so I leave you with pictures present and journals past (as recorded with pen and paper and now recorded electronically ....

12/26/82 Lisa went forward and said to Pastor that she did not want to live a “boring Christian life” in her child-like way. Ruth went out and prayed with her and Lisa now has an interest in being baptized. Lord, I just pray that as parents, Terry and I instruct Lisa in a biblical way. Guide us as we talk with Lisa about baptism.

12/20/83 Lord, as Terry goes back to BSF after the 1st of the year I ask that you might help him to make a New Years commitment to be in the Word each day and completing his study on a daily basis.
12/20/83 Be with Terry during this busy season of year. Have him keep his eyes upon You for complete guidance.

December 25, 1984
It's Christmas day and I just feel that I have received so many gifts all year long. Lord, so many blessings have then poured out onto us as a family.

My prayer tonight is for Ken Meschad--this person that Janine works with. I pray that Janine may have more opportunities to speak with him and that he may come to know You as his personal savior.

My scripture reading today is Psalm 106.

December 26, 1984
Lord, I am thankful for my children. I love each one of them and they are special in their own way. Thank You Lord.

My prayer today is for vacation. I thank You For this time to enjoy all my children together. I pray that You might give me patience when I am having a hard time. I pray that you might make this a time for Lisa and I to share.

My scripture reading today is Psalm 107.

December 25, 1992
Lord Jesus I don't want to follow a format ... I just want to write, It is Christmas day and this is a special time of year. I am so thankful that I, as a Christian can have God's gift of His son with me all year. Lord Jesus, thank you that all went well on Christmas Eve as the Walker families came here. Lord we are moving into a new year. Help me to make some changes in my life that will make me a better Christian, wife and mother.

Christmas Eve Day 2007
Father as I sit before the candle light once again this morning. This Christmas Eve day I am reminded that I am to share the Light of the world with my family .... Oh Father, help me to do this today. Luke 10:17-24 vs 20 Oh Father, I do rejoice that my name is written in heaven ...
Oh Father, how I love to worship with You and Your disciples at New hope Church. I love the fact that a good part of my life is worship and spiritual celebration. I will never be good enough for heaven but because of the cross I enjoy the CRADLE the CROSS and the CROWN!

Christmas Day 2007
Oh Father how thankful I am that you came to serve not to be served. Thank you for allowing me to serve my family (Walkers) in my home last night. Oh God how I pray for Terry, Lisa, Matt, Carrie, Jacob, Adam, Renee, Kelley, Josh and Ashley. I pray that in 2008 the Spirit of the living God will fall afresh on each of them. I thank you Father for the love they have for one another. I pray for Sid and Annika that they will know you personally as their Savior. Thank you for Your grace and mercy.

Many things are important but one thing is essential: Jesus

In His Arms, B.