James and "O Church, Arise"

I have been working on finishing a Beth Moore Bible study on James for quite some time now and am in my last week of it.  Today was focused on how James could have died through looking at the history and tradition related to it.  I love the confidence we can have in Christ and I think it is a great blessing to think of and study those who have followed Christ before us and successfully made it to the end.  I think the lyrics for the following song encompass that and I wanted to share them with you.  

O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict'ry march continues till the day
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him. 

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev'ry stride,
Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

2014 Begins

With each new year that starts I find myself reflecting on the year that ended and making goals for the coming year.  I want to be the best version of myself and to grow as an individual and it seems goal setting is a good way to work on this.  I prefer to set goals in categories and I think it helps to be specific.  Here are my goals for the coming year:

Spiritual: The last two years I have read through the Bible in a year.  This year I hope to listen to the Bible in a year while doing some other more focused studies.  I have a few Beth Moore devotional books I am excited about and some others as well.  Michael and I are also going to memorize our church's fighter verses each week. 

Physical: I have a weight goal just like most people...I am hoping to be there within 3 months.  More importantly than weight (because weight can be fickle), I want to consistently exercise and eat well.  I am starting the year with a workout routine of 4 of Jillian Michaels' videos.  I am shooting to exercise M-F and also Saturdays whenever possible.  I also am hoping to run a big race before the year is up--thinking a half marathon. 

Other (because I don't know what to label the categories for these):
-Finish a crocheting project.  I have a blanket I started last year, but I would actually like to complete it this year. 
-Improve my baking skills in the areas of pies and Norwegian food.  I got a lefse griddle for Christmas and a krumkakke  baker.  I would also like to try making kumla and practice kringla again. 
-Try not to waste food by forgetting about it in the fridge. 
-Be intentional in my relationships--including Michael.  In our marriage counseling we were challenged to see how many of the five love languages we can use with each other in a day/week (I don't remember which) so I am hoping to put that more into practice this year.

I am really excited about this new year.  I know it will have joys and pains, but I am thankful for the blessings God has given me and I know he will remain faithful through it all.

Happy New Year from us!

  

A Few of My Favorite Things

This post stems from a few things.  For one thing, I thought about it in November when I was thinking about different things I am thankful for.  A second thing that made me think this way was watching The Sound of Music Live on Thursday night and listening to "I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad...".  The third and final thing that has led me to think of these things is recognizing how God made each person unique and knows them specifically.  He knows what upsets each person and he knows what makes each person smile.  Each day we wake up is a day He has given us life which is a miraculous act of grace.  Life is by no means a cake walk, but God has been so kind in filling his creation with things that not only bring him glory, but with things we can enjoy as well and praise him for in the process. 

So because of the above reasons, I would like to share a list of ten of my favorite things. 

1. Puzzles--I love puzzles!  I enjoy the way it allows my brain to both relax and work at the same time.  I love that I can do puzzles and watch things with Michael at the same time--this comes in especially handy when he wants to watch something that is almost too intense for me to handle :) 

2. Cows in fields on the countryside--I started getting really happy about seeing a nice group of cows in a nice green field maybe with some trees or a little creek a few years back.  It is something that always makes me smile.  In fact, I even have a favorite group of cows to drive by in Iowa. 

3. Snow on evergreen trees--I just find it to be absolutely beautiful. 

4. Holding babies--ah babies are so precious.  It is incredible to me to consider the miracle of life!  As it is close to Christmas I find myself more aware of the babies around me and marvel at the fact that Jesus came as a baby!  Back to the holding babies though, this is something I have always loved and I can hardly wait until Michael and I start a family and I can hold my own sweet babies. 

5. Squirrels--I really enjoy watching squirrels do their thing.  I think in some ways this stems from my mom liking to watch squirrels.  Last weekend I spent some time with my nephew, August, watching squirrels run around the back yard. 

6.  December--I love December!  I love the first 'big' snowfall that often comes and I love preparing for Christmas.  It is such a happy and beautifully reflective time of year.  Along with this I really enjoy Christmas decorations--especially Christmas lights.  They make everything so festive and cozy. 

7. Laughter--I so appreciate laughing alone, with others, and hearing others laugh.  I think laughter is a sweet gift from the Lord.  We all have unique laughs and laughing is a nice way to bring people together.  Listening to other laugh almost always makes me smile.  In fact thinking of specific individual's laughs makes me smile--thinking of my brother Sam's laugh right now. 

8. Reading a good book--I really enjoy getting caught up in a good book.  I started and finished the Divergent trilogy in two weeks.  Oof really enjoyed those books.  I also appreciate when books surprise me. 

9. The Swinging Bridge--I think this bridge in my hometown in lovely.  I like to walk on it and I like to look at it.  My grandparents had several paintings/drawings/pictures of the bridge up in their home and now I have one of them up in our home. 

10. Pie--delicious.  Actually I like pie for more reasons than just because it is yummy.  Pie brings many fond memories for me.  I remember baking pies with my Grandma Karen in the summer, I remember my mom working on making pie crusts with our neighbor Doris, I remember eating pie at several of our birthday parties with grandparents growing up, and pie was often present at family gatherings on the Clayberg side.  One of my goals for the next year is going to be improving on my pie baking skills--slightly concerned about my waistline as I look towards this endeavor (someone has to eat all the pies I am going to practice making), but I am really excited about it!  :) 

There are obviously many other things that would fit into my favorites--I didn't even talk about learning or relationships or faith all of which are important to me.  I love who God is and I love that while He is a God who must be glorified, I love that He designed us to enjoy his creation.  What a great and gracious God. 

Ok so this is kind of unrelated, but another one of my favorite things is songs that proclaim truth.  We sang this song in church this morning and I have been thinking about it a lot today, so I wanted to end with this:  All Is For Your Glory

An Encounter with Grief

Grief in an interesting thing.  I was struck by this today during our car ride home from our Thanksgiving weekend.  The ride was fine, but towards the end I started to feel a bit carsick--stomachache and headache, just feeling lousy.  This lead me to feelings of frustration and self-centeredness.  I was crabby about feeling gross and that spread to negativity towards going back to work again tomorrow.  To combat this negativity and to try to distract myself into feeling better I put in my headphones and put a song I have been enjoying lately on repeat, then I leaned my head forward to just "soak in" the music and try to "escape" for a few minutes. 

As I was listening to the song I recognized and appreciated a hint of country sound in the artists voice. 

Country music always makes me think of my dear Grandpa Butch. 

Thinking of Grandpa reminded me of what was happening during this upcoming week 6 years ago--finding out Grandpa was fighting a losing battle, finding out he would be removed from the machines assisting him in living in a few days, seeing his smile one more time, rubbing his head, saying a tearful goodbye, and hearing the news I was expecting to hear on that Wednesday afternoon on December 5th that Grandpa had passed away. 

And suddenly I was in tears missing my Grandpa and the wonderful man that he was.  I miss his laugh, I miss his smile, I miss sitting on his lap, I miss his hugs, I miss hearing him talk, I miss the mouse in his arm, I miss his whisker rubs, I miss truck rides, I miss lazy afternoons, I miss everything about him. 

These overwhelming feelings of missing him came out of no where and without any warning. 

When you lose someone important to you it seems that while time heals the wounds and allows you to return to a new normal, there is still an inexpressible ache that comes from missing them.  There doesn't have to be a big reason for the grief to occur, sometimes it just stems from hearing a little country twang in a song. 

I appreciate grief.  I like the reminder it brings of how important and special that person was and still is to me.  I would be a different person today if I hadn't had such an incredible man like my Grandpa Butch involved in my life. 

For me grief also pulls me to Jesus.  As I was quietly letting the tears fall in the car I found that I didn't want to be around anyone, but I didn't want to be alone--enter Jesus.  Jesus knew and loved my Grandpa better than anyone and He knows and loves me better than I know or can love myself.  He knows my heart and the sad ache that comes over me when I miss that man.  He sees and cares about every tear. 

I found myself silently worshiping my God who loved my family the same even when our lives were changed forever as Grandpa was taken from us. 

Through remembering my Grandpa and my time of quiet worship, I was convicted of my attitude...God did not create me to be a fussy individual who dreads going to work after a long weekend.  My Grandpa was a wonderful example of an individual with a positive attitude and what it means to live a life that is selfless, dedicated, and hardworking.  He did not waste his life and I do not want to waste mine. 

God does not forsake his children.  He is with them in good times and bad.  He is with them in life and in death.  I love the song "Wonderful, Merciful, Savior".  I love how it describes God as Father, Savior, and Spirit.  It is the song I was lead to in my worship this evening and it is the song I leave you with tonight. 

Listen to "Wonderful, Merciful, Savior" here

Grandpa and 3 of his girls...some of the sweetest blessings and memories God has given me. 

Thankful for Five Year Olds

I never wanted to teach kindergarten.  I mean never.  It seemed overwhelming to have so many little ones with minimum school experience under my watchful eye and teaching guidance every day.  Don't get me wrong, I thought they were adorable, but I did not think I was cut out to be their teacher.  The idea of teaching not one, but several (ahem, 23) five-year-old children the basic building blocks that are essential to the rest of their school learning experience is a rather daunting task.  How does anyone do this?

Of course I know the educational answers to this--repetition, multiple representations, activating multiple learning styles, etc.  But, things get messy when you are actually doing this with real children.  Children who miss their mommy and daddy, children who have tummy aches, children who need to use the bathroom, children who have no idea at the beginning of the year why they are at this place called school.

I love my kiddos.  They make me absolutely crazy, but I am wild for them.  They stole my heart the first time I met them on that incredibly hot and humid August evening.

Here are some of the things I love about them as a whole:

1. They show me love in consistent ways.
          I am not kidding when I say they make me crazy...I think almost every day there is some point in time when I have to put both of my hands on my face, think to myself "oh my goodness", take a deep breath, and persevere despite their lack of focus and tattling tongues.  However, they are so sweet.  It doesn't matter if I just finished scolding them or praising them, every day I am met with hugs, "I love you Mrs. Olson", and the love sign language.

2. They love to sing.
          I never thought I would sing in my classroom--ha!  What a joke that seems like now.  We sing every day and multiple times a day...in fact I make up at least one, if not two, new songs for them each week to learn our new sight words for the week.  They love to sing with me and they love to sing on their own.  It is delightful to hear them singing our songs while they work.  It was adorable on our field trip to the pumpkin patch when we were on a tractor ride and they were belting out our "October" song together all on their own.  Music is so important in learning.

3. They love painting and special projects.
          Today we did a special turkey craft that they knew was coming and looked forward to all week.  Ah, they get so excited to paint and they paint and paint and paint over the exact same thing until they are sure it is thoroughly covered--wow that paper is wet by that point!  I love how excited they get for little things and how focused they are during that time.

4. I love seeing their learning.
          Yes!  They are learning!  Not only do their assessments show this--almost all of my kids know almost all of their letters which is a HUGE improvement from the beginning of the year, they are so much stronger in other areas as well--but I see this every day.  I love seeing their growth in all areas of kindergarten...when I consider what they were like the first day of school I think it is remarkable to consider where they are at now.  Wow.  No other grade level allows such a total transformation for all students in a trimester.  It is truly incredible.  Even now I am smiling as I consider how awesome that has been to see them learn and own why they are at school and to see the emotional and academic progress.

I have been learning so much about myself and teaching through being these 23 children's kindergarten teacher.  They challenge me and excite me.  I have been convicted of my need for more patience and grace on several occasions so they are also pointing me towards my constant need for Jesus.

I am thankful to have the next week off of work--I need a break, they need a break, and we all need rest (we are a bunch of snotty, coughing individuals), but I will be missing them and excited when I can greet their smiling faces next Tuesday for our first day of kindergarten in December!

Where our learning and growing takes place :)

Thankful for Friendship

Human beings were not created to live life alone.  This is clear throughout scripture and it is not that hard to figure out as we live life.  Do we need to be around people all the time?  No.  However, I think companionship is very important.  Sharing life with others stretches us and causes us to grow.

As I think of the friendships I have and those that are especially dear to me, I find myself considering what about those friendships I am most thankful for.  What makes a good friend?

In my life, I consider a good friend to be...

1. Someone who shares my love for Jesus.
This is crucial in my life.  It's not that I cannot be friends with unbelievers, but when I don't see eye to eye with someone on something so important to my identity, it can be hard to go as deep in conversation.  There are also many places in Scripture where we are given direction as to the kinds of people we should spend most of our time with and be closest to.  When I think of my closest friends, I cannot think of them and my time spent with them without including our spiritual conversations.  Such a sweet blessing.  Ah it makes my heart happy.

2. Someone I can count on.
Now I will be the first to admit that you cannot put total dependence on anyone or anything apart from God, but I do think you should be able to count on close friends.  That is not to say that they won't let you down sometimes--we are human and as such we struggle with sin and living selfishly.  However, the people I consider to be my closest friends I know have my back.  I know that if I needed them, they would be there for me as best as they could.

3. Someone I can be myself with.
I am a relatively shy and quiet person.  I do not usually talk a lot in groups and it takes me a while to get comfortable enough to be myself.  Some of this stems from self-conscious sin issues, but some of it just comes down to how much I trust the other individual.  It is such a sweet blessing to feel comfortable enough around other people to be myself and be vulnerable.

4. Someone I can talk with.
Good conversation is important to sharing life with others.  Good conversation can be had when both individuals are talking about something they agree about and when both individuals see a given topic differently.  Both can be challenging and can lead to growth.  However, I think to best have these deep conversations and grow and be encouraged, Jesus needs to be shared between the two individuals.

5. Someone who will share themselves with me.
Honesty and vulnerability are important in relationship and I think to best build trust in friendship these things need to go both ways.  It is an honor to share trust with people and it leads to stronger relationships.

I love true friendship.  I love that there is depth.  I love that the relationships are going somewhere.  I love that I don't have to wonder if they care for me in return.  I love that they love Jesus.  I love that we can share this life together, encouraging and challenging one another along the way.

Thankful for Family

This post contains summaries of my families and also specific reasons why I am thankful for each person involved in my life through family.

I love my family.

I love the little family Michael and I share together.  While it is just the two of us for now, I love the foundation we are building through Christ that we will get to share with our children someday.  I cannot think about it without getting excited.

Michael--his God-centered wisdom, his generosity, his sense of humor

I love the family that I come from.

My parents are wonderful.  How great to have a mom and dad who love Jesus and have stressed his importance in our lives for as long as I can remember.  My parents seeking to honor God with their lives has played a huge role in shaping not only myself but also my brother's and sisters.  Each of us have our own faith, but our parents have been faithful witnesses to the truth.  It is also awesome to have parents who love each other.  Not everyone gets to witness a consistent and good marriage.  Seeing my parents relationship with each other has played a role in the way I act towards Michael as his wife.  Finally, I have been blessed with parents that love me and my siblings despite our imperfections.  I could go on and on and on about how much I love and appreciate my parents.

Dad--his spiritual leadership in our family, his genuine heart for others, his honesty
Mom--her nurturing actions, her positive attitude and joyful heart, her encouragement 

My brothers and sisters are four of my best friends.  We share many things in common.  We share a love for Jesus, we share a history, we share a similar sense of humor, we share some similar interests.  I love spending time with them.  I love sharing life with them.  I love playing and laughing with them.  I love singing with them.  I love the freedom we have to be ourselves around each other.  I love seeing their faith in their actions.  I love talking about Jesus with them.  I love that we can be honest with each other.  I love how Shelby, Sam, Charley, and Jos each play an important and irreplaceable role in our family.  

Shelb--her compassionate heart, her willingness to laugh, her honesty
Sam--his joyfulness, his silliness, his genuine love
Charley--her sense of humor, her genuine heart for others, her independence
Jos--his leadership among peers, his discipline, his good humor

I love how my family has welcomed Michael with open arms.

I love the family that I married into.  I love that they love Jesus.  I love that they have real relationships with one another.  I appreciate that they can be honest with one another.  I love how silly they can be.  I love their laughter.  I love their generous hearts.  I love how Michael's parents love their boys, their daughters-in-law, and their grandchildren.  I love having Jason and Claire as a brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  I love spending time with them.  I love have nephews and a niece who are cute and silly.  I love being a part of this family.

Dennis--his discipline and his generosity
Denise--her silliness and her willingness to serve others
Jason--his patience and his dedication to go above and beyond to make a difference
Claire--her activeness and her intentionality in relationships
Jonas--his enjoyment of others and his interest in learning and growing
Freya--her feisty attitude and her obvious love for others
August--his attempts to keep up with his brother and sister and his quick smile and laugh

I love my extended family.  I have loved growing up with grandparents and great -grandparents.  I love the legacy they have left for the families.  I love laughing, playing, and visiting with them.  I treasure the relationships we share.

Grandma Mert--her positive attitude
Grandma Book--her happiness
Grandpa Book--his sense of humor
Grandpa Sodey--his kindness towards others
Grandma Sodey--her enjoyment of others and relationships

Grandpa Butch--his joyful heart, his purposefulness in relationships
Grandma Diane--her gentle and quiet spirit, her servant heart
Grandpa Denny--his sense of humor and his supportive attitude/actions
Grandma Karen--her laughter and her care for others

I love having aunts and uncles.  I thankful for their involvement in my life.  I appreciate the ways they have shaped my parents.  I love having 16 cousins.  I love the unique relationships that we are able to share with one another.  I love laughing with them.  I love remembering with them.  I appreciate how our relationships have shifted and changed as we have gotten older.  While the relationships I have with each aunt, uncle, and cousin are different, there is something specific I appreciate about each other them.

Uncle Scott--his enjoyment of joking with others to and his sacrificial love
Uncle Brett--his sense of humor and his genuine care of others
Uncle Kent--his joy and his thoughtfulness towards others
Uncle Bruce--his laughter and his relational heart
Uncle Mark--his acts of service and his steadiness

Aunt Cathy--her purposeful investment in others and her creativity
Aunt Kelly--her silliness and her intentional relationships
Aunt Meg--her quick laugh and her honesty in interactions
Aunt Kim-- her gentleness and her love for others

Uncle Brent--his steadiness and his loving support of others
Uncle Marc--his good memory and his appreciation for laughter
Uncle Trevor--his interest in our families' pasts and his concern for others

Aunt Shauna--her dedication towards friends and family and her heart of service
Aunt Michelle--her discipline and patience towards others
Aunt Liz--her joyful heart and her ease in conversation

Jon--his drive to work hard and his dedication
     Katie--her confidence and her commitment to others
Jess--her discipline and her contribution to the lives of others
Max--his humor and his heart for others
     Kristin--her genuineness and her friendliness
Jordan--his leadership and his appreciation for goofy things
     Hannah--her easy-going attitude and her happy disposition
Steven--his thoughtfulness and his desire to always be the best version of himself
Jackson--his compassionate heart and his silliness
Beth--her purposeful attitude and her care for others
     T.J.--his hardworking attitude and his devotion
Nathan--his sense of humor and his certainty in who he is
Noah--his consistency and his willingness to help others
Natalie--her servant heart and her sweet nature
Nolan--his sensitive heart towards others and his playfulness

Maddie--her goal-driven attitude and her ability to let loose and be herself around others
Tanner--his ability converse and his good-natured attitude 
Kinz--her fun-loving disposition and her dedication towards others
Rachel--her confidence and her quick laugh
Mia--her sense of humor and her concern for others