So Excited to Host in our Home...

I was so excited to have guests in our home this last night. You see, we have been attending the same church for 23 years and years ago the church began an evening before Thanksgiving tradition of having a time of open mic where the people of the New Hope Church would be given a chance to give praise and thanksgiving publicly at the mic to the rest of the body of Christ. After this time all the attenders would bring a pie to share and we would enjoy a pie social after the service.

Several years later there was a decision to keep the service going but to not include the pie time. It was at this time that my husband and I choose to invite a few families to our home for pie and since then we have enjoyed the pie social time in our home.

It works well for us because we generally are not the ones to host Thanksgiving the next day. This year when we had family and friends over for pie I was able to set the table with this amazing silverware caddy thanks to Dayspring.

I also found that when not in use for company I could use this caddy for my colored markers, pens, and pencils that I use each morning at my kitchen table when I meet with the Lord.

Dayspring is graciously giving away a coupon code for $20 off their products to one reader of Conversations.

To Enter:
Visit Dayspring, come back here and let me know what product you would love to have: I will keep you posted on the winner in the very near future!

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 Source

It’s the source of everything you do and it is under constant attack

I must have the heart of a warrior. I must be alert but not afraid

The heart of my mission is to make disciples; first, those who do not yet know Christ and secondly, that those who know Christ would grow in the fellowship of believers

742. leftovers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          leftovers
743. walks in the woods with a friend

744. women’s conference shared time with a co-laborer

745. courageous conversations

746. a great workout with LVA

747. a hard surgery and a hard recovery

748. the thoughts, words, and deeds of encouragement from family and friends

749. His word fresh each day; today Psalm 138

Heard it on past Sundays and now so grateful to believe and live it out on Monday and for that matter the whole rest of the week ahead of me.

750. a heart for His glory!

Handwritten Journal Entry November 8, 2011

Surgery is today at 10:30 am at the University of MN Medical Center.

Today, I thank you Lord for the many, many, verses of scripture and prayers prayed by family and friends this past month, week and day leading up to surgery.

You are my strength every morning, my salvation in times of distress. May I bring glory to your name hour by hour.

Thank You Lord that Your name is a Strong Tower where I can be safe and encouraged!

Next time I blog I will be on the other side of surgery. Praise the Lord!

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is

stayed on You."

Sabbath: Release, Review and Remember

I have this weekly practice on the Sabbath to:

Release concerns
Review the past week, good, bad, feelings, emotions sins etc.
and then to
Remember His faithfulness and express praise and appreciation for who He is and all He has done in my life

This is my entry from yesterdays practice of Release:

Father,
I may not get much further than the release today as there is a lot on my mind. I am just 2 days away from surgery now and I am struggling to have peace even though ...

I know this is what You want from me.

I know You want me to trust you for the outcome.

I know You want me to believe that You are the same Great Physician; the same Comforter; the same Peace giver; and the same Healer that You have been to me in the past. Yet to be totally transparent and to be totally honest I am fearful of the outcome of my pending surgery. So .... I desire to put off fear and worry and put on peace.

Thank You father that Your words spoken to me through Your son and my husband today were ...

"Peace I leave with You, my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives; do not let you heart be troubled Beth and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind Beth through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Putting Off the Old

Love this quote about being chosen, holy, loved:

 “The measurements are in and the character clothes are going to fit. The wardrobe is ours. There is only one more step, as it were, to donning the virtues that hang literally within our reach. Our old vices and habits must go. The petty practices we’ve worn, the bland shades of bitterness with our beads of resentment, all of it must go. Shoved into bags and left on the curbside so we’re not tempted to try them on again in four years when we can’t find a thing to wear! We must ready ourselves for the fitting room where the curtain is drawn, and the old is gone, and we slip into something altogether new. And when we emerge, only God knows what we will look like—I suppose beautiful will have something to do with it.”

Grateful for the difficult and the refining from my Lord!

Although at times it seems difficult to be grateful I continue to know the grace God has given me to walk through difficult times. The grace comes through Him, His word, prayer, family and friends for which I will always be grateful.

724. a solid night of sleep

725. friends praying for me

726. Hope in Christ not in circumstances

727. family

728. words of encouragement from a friend

729. His Word to me

730. A God who leads the way

731. painful experiences yet a joy-filled heart

732. walking weekly with a friend

733. a husband who loves me

734. peace, His perfect peace

735. a friend who sits by me at hospitals and doctor offices

736. my greatest defense against worry … staying in communication with Him

737. comfort in the midst of unknown health issues

738. encouragement in my time of confusion

739. peace of mind at times

740. The goofy faces of my grandchildren

741. Your hope in the moment of greatest discouragement

What Women Fear

I am kind of excited to begin another Bloom Book Club book. The first book I read with this online book club opportunity was One Thousand Gifts and I am still counting.

Then this summer I read The Fitting Room. I love this opportunity for a number of reasons. The book club involves viedos with the authors and other women, the books have been great in helping me grow spiritually and finally I love that I can listen to the videos at my own pace morning, noon or even midnight in the comfort of my own home.

Now I will join in and read What Women Fear by Angie Smith. Want to come along for the read? Just click below!

It has been more than a year

It has been more than a year since I began the gratitude journey. As I look back I am grateful for having read the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Vonskamp. The book has changed my life!

Looking at the character of Christ, who He is and what He has done in my life has been a great reminder of His love, His grace and His mercy towards me and others around me so today ...  more than a year later I am continuing to count my gifts:

701. Freedom in Christ
702. knowing I am His co-worker
703. His provision not only for my needs but often for my desires
704. the golfer getting up early to provide for us
705. good friends

706. knowing I have been chosen and appointed
707. knowing that I am dairy intolerant and now after months of feeling physically sick I feel so much better
708. the crisp morning air
709. a book that is "rocking my world"
710. a son with the gift of hospitality (I just love my only son so much)
711. a wonderful teaching job to go back to  tomorrow (beginning my fifth year at EB)

grief and loss

I received an e-mail message from a dear friend and partner in the ministry of prayer this week that he lost his wife to a short battle with cancer. Loss can be so hard on me personally. For I have found that the bigger the family and the bigger the network of friends one has the bigger and harder the loss.

Because this friend is one who I love dearly in the Lord and was one of the first persons I knew to be a pray-er and taught me to pray the connection spiritually is so strong even though we have a distance between physical location. I so would love to be with Steve during this time and because I am unable to I wrote this note on the Caringbridge site.

Please if you are reading my blog today would you agree in prayer for my dear friend and co-labor in Christ Steve. Could I also ask that if you have read and prayed that you would encourage my heart by leaving a comment below. This is a hard time for all of us who have been touched by Steve and Marilou.


Oh Steve,

How very sorry I am to hear of the loss of your love, your best friend, your wife and my dear friend and fellow pray-er. My mind is in shock and my heart is heavy for you, me and others left behind. I rejoice in the hope of heaven and a time when we will be reunited with those we love, but for now I am sad, so sad for your loss. May memories of Maryilou bring you and your family comfort during this time of loss. Words cannot express how my heart hurts and how I want to be by your side, encouraging, supporting and hugging you during this time, yet distance makes that impossible. Please my friend, the one who first taught me to pray, may you know that now, more than ever, I uphold you in prayer knowing full well that "Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted."

May we all remain In His Arms, B