A Year in Review 2011

It can be overwhelming to think back and remember 2011 as there were many joys and concerns. Yet in an attempt to look back and begin a tradition on my blog of review here goes:

December
Joy: family; this can be a repeated joy for me because I love to spend time with family. This December was a time of welcoming a new member to our family, Nora Lynn Davis. It was a joy to hold and  love on this little one along with spending time with the entire Pederson family and on Christmas Eve time with the Walker family as well.
Concern: losses; this month was the loss of Adam and Renee's baby. I am praying God's grace, peace, and His will for their lives ahead in 2012.

November
Joy: spending time monthly with younger women in the faith than I and discipling them to be
Christ-Followers who encounter Christ through His word.
Concern: a surgery I had on November 8th that was quite hard on my body. As I wait for complete and total healing I am amazed at how the Father has already done a great work both physically and emotionally.

October
Joy: to see the growth in my best friend and husband after attending the Men's retreat. We are learning to love each other more each day and I am loving spending time each Tuesday night away from all screens (TV, Computer, Texts) and sharing time as we read a good book together.
Concern: thinking forward to the time when my youngest daughter, Ashley deploys in less than 7 months, desiring to know that her strength is in none other than Jesus Christ, her Savior as she is away briefly from me.

September
Joy: a new school year, a new teacher, a new opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child, one student at a time.
Concern: using my time wisely as working full-time limits my time with family and friends

August
Joy: times of meeting with two girlfriends, Andrea and Ginny and learning from one another how to best invest in the women of New Hope Church.
Concern: for a friend who had many needs with the greatest one being a need for Christ

July
Joy: preparation to "go" to the mission field of Minneapolis with my husband to help with tornado relief.
Concern: will we be able to raise the funds to "go" (and we did, Praise the Lord)

June
Joy: school's out for the summer and the joy of reading books and walking outside in His creation.
Concern: I will not be able to do and go all the places I want in the coming 3 short months of "summer vacation"

May
Joy: always a joy for me is to sing in the mother's day choir at our church. I do not know how to sing and I do not know how to read music but this is the one time per year that I enjoy singing with my girls at our church.
Concern: I have had some stomach issues once again and have had trouble finding the root problem. (finally after many tests and doctors visits I am lactose intolerant)

April
Joy: A trip to Dallas TX, time spent with grandchildren and a weekend spent with my 2nd daughter at her women's retreat. What fun to get to know the women she shares life with each day so many miles away from Minneapolis.
Concern: I am still working on not spending my money on earthly things, temporary stuff, things I don't need.

March
Joy: during the winter months my joy is having and taking time to study the word each morning.
Concern: my student loans are now coming due and at times I get concerned with making the payment each month.

February
Joy: evenings where the golfer and I have time to just sit by the fire and watch a little TV
Concern: a good friend walking through cancer (I love you Judy, and am praising God now December 31, 2011 that you are cancer-free)

January
Joy: a time to reflect on where I want to be personally, professionally and missionally through the vision workshop led by oldest daughter. (want to think forward plan on attending this year, more information here):
http://lisavanahn.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=107#2012_visioning_worshop
Concern: making the time I need to read and write more.

Counting gifts from His Hand!

787. God sending His son

788. the time to read good children’s literature (The Tale of Despereaux)

789. a decorated house done by the hands of the golfer

790. all 5 kids and their kids home for Christmas

791. Christmas Carols

792. hot tea warming my body and the Word of God warming my heart

793. His healing, His grace and His mercy

794. seeing missionaries in person that I have prayed for all year

795. sending gifts to missionaries that I will not see but have prayed for

796. a baby loss yet a sovereign God

797. a house broken into, some things taken, but family is safe because He is our protector

798. time spent with youngest daughter soon to be deployed

799. hugs from family and friends

800. holding a new granddaughter

801. a Spirit-filled Christmas Sabbath day celebration

802. a smile brought to my face as I looked at the artwork of the grandchildren

Gratitude ... I just keep Counting!

751. watching as He enlarges my heart of gratitude today
 
752. recovery from surgery

753.Thanksgiving spent with family and friends

755. a hot water shower

756. hugs from the golfer

757. a reminder to pray as Daniel did morning, noon, and night

758. days off from my job at Edinbrook

759. library time

780. warm coffee and the word

781. for mentors who love the Lord and want to see women grow in Christ

782. God’s creation: these turkeys greeting me at our patio door on Thanksgiving morning

783. new granddaughter Nora

784. skype time with Dallas daughter, husband and granddaughters

785. a book that is changing my thinking and helping me to look deep in my heart

786. Dallas daughter who is an amazing knitter and has made these recent gifts for the
        golfer and me

Closing with this quote tonight:

“Gratitude that is pleasing to God is not first a delight in the benefits God gives (though that will be part of it). True gratitude must be rooted in something else that comes first — namely, a delight in the beauty and excellency of God’s character. If this is not the foundation of our gratitude, then it is not above what the ‘natural man,’ apart from the Spirit and the new nature in Christ, experiences. In that case ‘gratitude’ to God is not more pleasing to God than all the other emotions that unbelievers have without delighting in Him.” [John Piper, God is the Gospel.]

Remaining In His Arms, B.

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