It was 39 years ago, even though Lisa would like to think only 29 years have passed

Thirty nine years ago today I sat at Fairview Southdale Hospital thanking the Lord, the all-wise creator  for creating Lisa Ann Pederson. As I sat in the chair I was able to praise You, Lord for the honor of having created my first daughter in Your image, personally formed by You, for Your glory. Even though at this point in my life, as a new mom, I did not have a personal relationship with You Jesus, You were looking out for Terry and I and our good as we became parents for the very first time. How grateful I was for this day and for you Lisa. 

Today, I thank God for your strength and ability and for every desirable trait that the Lord has given you for surely He has been good to you. Loving that today is the day I get to celebrate your life, who you are, and who you continue to become as a young women.

I love you Lisa so much more and I am so grateful for your life and that you were my first, my oldest, my daughter! I  hope and pray  you have a wonderful birthday year filled with many blessings from the Lord as you choose to follow Him daily!

"I have not greater Joy than to hear that my 

 children are walking in the truth." 3 John verse 4 

In case you want to learn more and participate in the Best Boot Camp Ever click the link below:

http://lvafitness.com/fitness-training-minneapolis/

# 13 October 20 2007

I want to preface this letter with a couple of my own comments. First, I wanted to get all of Ashley's handwritten letters to me typed into my blog before she got married. I am happy to report that as of today, May 23, her wedding day I have accomplished my goal. It's hard to believe how much she has grown over the years and who would have ever dreamed she would be getting married. In fact, it was just 2 years ago on Memorial Day we were sending her off to Afghanistan with no idea that she would fall in love with Dustin, another soldier. (We love you Dustin!)

Next, an important piece of information to share is at the beginning of this letter it states she was mad / sad about Carrie not being able to come to her graduation from boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri.

Finally, I am very grateful we are all together this weekend as a family as we celebrate the wedding of our last and littlest. Ashley, I am so excited for you and I am so proud of the woman you have become. 

Here's the last letter from boot camp ...

Hey Mom,

I got your letter a couple days ago. It was very nice. I'm sorry for getting so upset last night on the phone talking about Carrie. It just really made me sad. I know that you understand to a point. I know you know that it meant a lot to me for her to be there. I didn't mean to yell at you or get out of hand. I hope you'll forgive me. Well, right not it's 0230 in the morning and I'm working CQ. It's when two privates work downstairs for the drill Sgt. doing cleaning or preparing things for the next day of training. I'll be down here until 0400 in the morning and then wake up is at 0430 ... so this is pretty much the worst shift you can get. It doesn't really matter to me cause it means I'll get to sleep all through for tonight which is awesome cause we get to sleep in on Sunday morning. I will be so happy to be able to sleep thru the night when I get home. Knowing me though, I'll probably wake up in the middle of the night and early in the morning for the first couple weeks just cause of habit. 
:-) So what do you wanna do with me when we get home? I'm sure we'll have to grab some Caribou :-) oh yeah, don't mind the back of this sheet. It's for passes but seeing as how our drill Sgt. doesn't have us doing anything right now, I took this from the rack to write you! I love you so much and can't wait to see you in 25 days! I really hope that time just flies by because the homesickness is getting worse and worse. Next week will probably be slow cause we have a bunch of make up detail and stuff. I'm probably gonna go to sick call on Monday for my pinky cause it hasn't gotten any better. Well, I'm gonna wrap it up,  but please write me a couple more times before the 31st! That's when you guys can't send mail anymore! Crazy right? Its coming mom! I love you! can't wait to hug you in 25 days and counting ..... :-) Ash

You will make a beautiful bride 

Happy Wedding day Ashley!

# 12 Dear Papa Bear October 9, 2007

It's just 6 more days before my "littlest" and last child gets married. It is a bitter-sweet time to think that we have raised our 5 children and now they will all be married. We are very excited to be together as a family to celebrate Dustin and Ashley as they get married on Friday, May 23rd ....

Tonight's post includes a picture from the shower her sister and sister-in-law planned and threw for Ashley a few weeks ago ....

And tonight's post concludes with the 2nd to the last letter she sent to her dad from boot camp in 2007, a little less then 7 years ago. 

Hence the post title: 

Dear Papa Bear ....

Well, it's Tuesday night and I had some extra time so I thought I would write to you! I had such a good time talking with you the past couple days. I really hope it happens again soon. :-) Anyway, today we worked on more detainee operations. Today was pressure points and restraints. I learned like 20 different places to cause pain and how to move an unruly detainee. It was a lot of fun. Tomorrow is the last day of classroom stuff so I think we'll have our practical exercise on Thursday. I'm gonna be so happy to get out of the classroom finally! I've decided to go on a diet for the rest of my time here. I would still really like to lose weight so I'm gonna try my hardest. So when did you start training at Balance with Lisa? I think that's great. Have you lost weight because of it? I'm sure that You are still going to be golfing for a couple weeks so that's a good source of exercise. I've decided that the last couple nights here have been amazing because I haven't had fireguard. This is the 4th night in a row that I haven't had it and that is a first. I mostly hate it because everybody is supposed to clean, but there's only a handful of us that actually do clean. Shifts are an hour and a half so you get really tired by the end of your shift. Well, I'm still counting down the days and soon enough I will be counting down the hours! Trust me it will definitely be one of the best days of my life I know that for sure. I have to get to bed now, but maybe I'll get my cell phone tomorrow night so I can call you! I love you and I miss you with all of my heart. I can't wait for that Big bear hug!! 36 days!!! 

Ashley Pederson (#5)

Saturday Fun!

My dear sister, Mary Catherine turned 70 years old on Saturday and we celebrated by walking around Lake Harriet in honor or her ... so very fun! Here's a few pictures. Enjoy!

I think there were at least 70 people there ... the golfer and I are waiting to begin the walk. I made it all the way around the lake!

We really look alike and we also look much like our mom

From left to right me, my brother Pat, my sisters Mary Catherine and Diane and my brother Tom

He Lives!

1007. Grateful that He Lives in me

1008. Grateful that we were able to celebrate Easter here:

Adam gives directions for the Easter basket hunt

Time to color the eggs

1009. Grateful we were able to celebrate Easter here:

                https://www.facebook.com/newhopechurchmn

1010. Grateful for His forgiveness

1011. Grateful for the sunrise

1112. Grateful for the sunset

Linking up here:

href

="http://www.aholyexperience.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff162/annvoskamp/multitudesonmondaysbutton2-1.jpg" >

The Gospel Unites Us!

Hoping to read this book that I just read a blog post and 

watched a video about over here:

http://www.incourage.me/2014/04/united-in-sisterhood-and-a-book-giveaway.html

be sure and check it out...

Obedient to her calling

Obedient to her calling, Andrea Tyson, a single, 20-something women’s ministries director at New Hope Church (New Hope, MN) invested in and discipled Beth—never knowing it would lead to becoming a "grandmother" of sorts.

As Andrea and Beth were spending time with each other, Beth met Helen at the Sunday prayer group. Helen was attending the Sunday prayer group at New Hope Church in search of a deeper prayer life. It was there, Beth and Helen became friends…meeting regularly to share life, talk and pray together.

As Andrea shares, “It was fun for me to be in the background praying for and coaching Beth to be a disciplemaker with Helen. After a couple months I said, ‘Beth, Helen knows you love her and care about her; but, at some point in the conversation, she needs to be asked, ‘Does she want to put her faith in Christ and be His disciple?’”

Beth followed Andrea’s advice asking Helen that important question. What was Helen’s answer? A resounding, “Yes!" Beth experienced the joy of leading Helen to Christ.

And that’s how Andrea, a 20-something became a “spiritual grandma.”

For Helen, I have been praying In confidence, I will say to this mountain of cancer in Helen’s body to be taken up and cast into the sea. I will not doubt but believe that what the Lord has said, He will do. Knowing that as I have asked in prayer, believing I shall receive it (Mark 11:23). 

Happy Birthday Renee!

I am so very grateful for this young woman, my daughter-in-law, Renee, and the celebration of her life today! I have been totally blessed with the most amazing, caring, loving, and kind daughter-in-law. 

I love her as the wife to Adam (my son) and the mom to 

Beckett (my grandson). 

I love the way she smiles and brings encouragement to my family and everyone around her. 

Renee, you are strong and sensitive to the needs of others.

I am thankful you are, who God has made you to be, a woman, full of grace and mercy. 

Happy Birthday ... I love you so much!

trusting today

I trust in Your unfailing love … Psalm 13:5

I lift up my soul; in You I trust … Psalm 25:1

In God I trust; I will not be afraid … Psalm 56:4

Those who trust in the Lord .. cannot be shaken … Psalm 125:1

Writer

My story as a writer starts here:

http://inhisarmsagain.blogspot.com/2009/07/becoming-reader-and-writer.html

And it continues here on this blog and in my fifty fourth (54th) journal I have laying open on my kitchen table. 

I love to write  and this year have made a commitment to hear, read, meditate, memorize here:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/01/scripture-memorization-for-the-rest-of-us-the-jesus-project-memoryproject2014/

and write here:

Psalm 51:15 written yesterday!

the word of God daily! 

This practice has been amazing and has transformed my mind and heart as I think to both verses of scripture I am learning by heart  and writing by pen.

In addition my role as a writer continues during pockets of time I have to type my handwritten journals to pass on to the generations of Walkers and Pedersons to come.

Here are the faces of two of those "next generations" who met me for coffee yesterday and drew in my journal!

Just 5 minutes of writing for FMF no edits and linking up over here: http://lisajobaker.com