The Study of Ruth

It has been fun to begin a study of the book of Ruth, at the request of my daughter Ashley. I remember when we would read the Bible together when I home-schooled her and the other kids. Reading the Bible and studying the Bible are two different things. As Ashely and I studied separately but answered the same questions it was fun to see that not all answers were the same. As women we come from very different walks of life yet many heart issues are the same. I believe both of us desire to be like Ruth in being women who are self-sacrificing. Father teach us to be women who have great concern for others. Thanks for studying with me Ashley!lywm

A Blogger's Prayer from Ann Voskamp

I found this at Ann's blog Holy Experience. It is one of the few blogs outside of family blogs that I spend time reading. I liked what the prayer said a lot so I post it here in the hopes that I will remember ... why I write would be to bring Glory of God!

Yahweh, You alone are my God, not Google

Jesus, You alone are my Savior, note site meters

Holy Spirit, You alone are my Comforter, not comments….

So be it, today, yesterday, and every post to come.

This is my prayer I have made on earth and over this keyboard…

Let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Still counting 201-210

Today as I continue on the theme of gratitude I thought I would add to my list by counting my top ten people, things, etc I am grateful for ....

201. My Bible

202. My relationship with my Father

203. My Family, Terry, Lisa, Matt, Carrie, Jake, Annika, Eden, Adam Renee, Kelley, Josh, Sid, Pru, Len and lastly and mostly Ashley.

204. Praying friends, Andrea and Ginny ... I know there are other friends who pray with and for me but these 2 make the top.

205. My Home

206. My job (ministry) as a teacher at Edinbrook Elementary

207. My journals

208. My scrapbooks

209. My Kindle (love to read)

210. My Alphasmart (love to write)

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?

A Year in Review

I was totally inspired after I read Catherine's and Lisa's blogs to post a year in review and I loved Lisa's approach by going from December-all the way back to January. It seems to me that my mind will remember the most recent joys and concerns of 2010 first so .... with that said here goes ....
December
Joy; A surprise visit from our TX kids and grand kids for Christmas which meant that we were all together this Christmas, sons, son-in-laws, daughters, daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughters ... Yea! Also a joy was a time of welcoming women and one special man into our home as Kelley and I hosted our annual "Blessings" Open House.

Concern; The loss of one of our 3-grade students totally unexpected.
November
Joy; A missions trip to Liberia but not before spending time with MN family cutting down our Christmas Tree ... I love this tradition.

Concern; The loss of my nephew of just 33 years of age also totally unexpected.
October
Joy; Women of Faith and a restful time at the Prestigious Plymouth Pederson B&B. It is always so fun to entertain in our townhome. This year was a special time of B&B as I was able to host some new friends and one old "best" friend, Andrea. We talked, we laughed and we talked some more.

Concern; One of my good friends was told she had cancer and another good friend's husband of many years left here.
September
Joy; School begins and I am ready for routine. I was asked to serve with a great team of 1st grade teachers along with my regular assignment in the EBD classroom.

Concern; I just was not sure what I would do with all my free time now that I had finished school. It seems that this did not turn out to be much of a concern.
August
Joy; The most amazing and fun Anniversary with my sweet husband of 37 years as we road-tripped to the west coast stopping along the way at the Black Hills, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, the Grand Canyon etc ... fun, fun, fun!

Concern; none really
July
Joy and Concern Can't really remember anything
June
Joy; Planning to take my grand kids overnight each Wednesday night for the summer and then go garage sailing with Kelley. (well it wasn't exactly the whole summer much to our dismay!)

Concern; The summer would go much too fast and it did!
May
Joy; Graduation after 5 years of college at Crown College. And the most thoughtful and well-planned graduation open house hosted by all of my kids at my daughter, Lisa's house. Thankful for the accomplishment and even more thankful for the love of my family and that they celebrated me!

Concern; Would I really complete my course work and graduate?
April
Joy; Traveling to TX for the first time by myself to spend time with Jake, Carrie and the Kids having all of them to myself. Don't get me wrong I do like to share but there is just something sweet about having alone time with my kids and grand kids.

Concern; Would I experience complete recovery from a fall I had while restraining a student. (mostly recovered)
March
Joy; An art course I took to fulfil some credits and I fell in love with the professor, the class and the process of art.

Concern; Would I complete my course work and graduate?
Febuary
Joy; Reading and writing and being encouraged to read and write by my daughter Lisa1

Concern; Will the winter ever end?
January
Joy; Being a part of the first EX 2:2 class at my church. I learned so much and read so many good books which I am excited to use as I disciple others in the coming year.

Concern; Would I blog my intentions and even more important would I even be able to live out my intentions?

anew, everyday

Isaiah 43:16, 18, 19

"This is what the Lord says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

This is just a simple thought for today that I received in my in box ... as I reflect on the past year and look forward to next year this brings great encouragement. Throughout the valleys of this past year I am reminded that the lessons are learned in the valley ... love you all, praying for you all ....
In His Arms, B.

Continuing to Count my 1000 Gifts

181. life and breath

182. the gift of salvation

183. family

184. friends

185. His word and in particular Psalm 27 today

186. health

187. peace

188. the grief never too hard for Him to bear

189. dependence on Him

190. love for my "golfer"

191. whiter than snow He washes me!

192. a fellowship of believers

193. Christmas break and extra reading and writing time

194. an indoor park to play at with my grandchildren on a 10 degree weather day

195. caribou coffee made with a note "lym" by my youngest

196. the quietness of my kitchen table

197. a long nap under my mother-in-law's (gone to be with Jesus) Indian wool blanket

198. knowing that I am loved by family

199. knowing that I am loved by friends

200. knowing that I am loved way more by HIM

Day 30 Christmas Surprise

We were quite surprised when we arrived at Adam's on Christmas Eve for breakfast when the doorbell rang and Adam indicated it was a neighbor when in fact it was Jake, Carrie, Annika, Eden and Jake's sister Cassie. Without us knowing they arrived in MN on Thursday evening after driving here from TX.

The fact that they came and our whole family was together this Christmas was wonderful. Family for me is the most important part of living ....

I am so grateful for the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus that is the reason for us to be together yet one more time as the "Original Pedersons" with spouses and children celebrating His birth.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight. Sleep, sweet in Jesus' arms! B.

Home Again (day 29)

9/26/2010 Who would have thought that it would take me a 3-month period to follow through with my goal of 30 days of writing but it has ... and I am totally OK with this, today, being day 29!

I have been home since Monday, December 13 but am just now sitting down to blog for the first time. The trip to Liberia was amazing! For now I would like to share just two quick stories to go with the above pictures in this post ....

On the 3rd and 4th day in country the team from New Hope Church facilitated a conference on Reconciliation and Evangelism. I was a facilitator for 2 of the workshops on Evangelism. The first conference day there was a women named Rebecca who participated in the one of the workshops I presented. At the end of the workshop I told of how I had come to Christ in January of 1977. I gave everyone an opportunity to pray to receive Christ. After the workshop was over Rebecca came and asked me for my mailing information and said that she had received Christ that day! I was thrilled but of course God was more thrilled. This past Monday I sent a Bible to Rebecca and to another individual who received Christ! I will now continue to pray for Rebecca and for her growth in Christ.

On one of our final days we traveled to one of the villages where we gave out the gifts provided by the kids from the NHC children's prayer team, Hopewatchers. The gifts were school supplies. Pictured here is one of the girls using a crayon for the first time. Each child was given one crayon from the box of 24 crayons. What wonder to see and appreciate this act of giving from the kids in MN to the kids in Liberia. As a teacher this was especially meaningful as many of these children did not have school supplies or even know how to use them. So many things we just take for granted in the United States!

I am every so grateful to each of you who "gave and sent" me to Liberia to be the hands and feet of Christ.

We make a great team! In His Arms, Beth