Berson Blog

The Gray Sweatshirt

2010-12-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

I have been away from my blog for a very long time. Much of my blogging has been along the lines of some very serious content, and today I return with a rather light-hearted post!

We live in the desert, and even though folks often talk about the horrible summer heat, there is something to be said for the winters. Not bad! Not like Buffalo NY or the Twin Cities in MN! Not like the brutal winds of WY or the bone chilling dampness of MO! Just 'chilly'! It is at this time of year that the gray hooded zip sweatshirt makes a real comeback!

When I first get out of bed, rather than turn on the heat, I zip up the hoodie. It's been with me since 2003 or 2004 and is holding up well! There is a logo on it that reminds me of Jesus, as it has crosses as the main focal point. I then live in the hoodie until it is time to run.

After I have my running clothes on I put the hoodie on top. It is there before I run and I put it on right afterwards to cover and warm the body that is sweaty. Thus, a sweatshirt! It keeps me warm and happy!

If I'm going about town on errands I use this hoodie. You see, when you are inside the stores it seems warm, so I take it off and tie it around my waist. The zipper is an exceptional feature because you don't have to mess up your hair by pulling it over your head. Just unzip and tie! Bam! It comes off and goes back on again while outside in the FREEZING TEMPS of the low 60's!! :D It then comes off in the car, which is plenty warm due to solar heating. Off and on...easily!

At night, when it's dark outside and I am in my home the hoodie makes it's last appearance of the day. It's my 'housecoat' over the pj's until I get in bed.

Just can't say enough about this dear 'friend' of mine, my gray zip hoodie!
Happy Friday to all!

A Long Dry Spell!

2010-01-23T06:33:00.001-08:00

Greetings Readers!

It's been a very long time since I posted something on this blog. Sorry about the long dry spell. In fact, I have been trying for the last 10 min. to post a couple of pictures and it's just not working. I'll try again after I type the text of this post!

Here are some highlights to share: We had a wonderful trip to Ecuador in September with Compassion International. We got to meet the girl, Vanessa, whom we have supported for 11 years! She turned 15 in December! We also added a new girl to support, Karina, and we were thrilled to meet her as well. The trip to Ecuador is one we will always cherish. We've made some new friends who were also on the trip.

In November we found out that Nolan's cancer is back for a third time. This time, however, there can be no treatment. The tumor in his lung cannot be opperated on, and no chemo is being given. Nolan's prognosis is terminal. He is now 5 years old and attends Kindergarten. I write on January 23 and he is still doing OK, but some signs are beginning. Hospice is already involved and will be there to make him comfortable in his last days. We don't know when that will be, but Jim and I, as well as all of Nolan's loved ones from near and far, have spent as much time with Nolan as they can. We are thankful to have a home in Albuquerque so we can go over there often and spend long periods of time near Nolan, Eric, and sweet sister Claire! ( 16 mos) Jim is able to work from that location, which is an added blessing.

Jim's work: Going very well. He was so very busy and traveling most of 2009 and was the leader of launching the mines as an IPO. Rio Tinto mines are now available for individual investors to purchase shares under the code: CLD ( Cloud Peak Energy) There is one mine that was not 'spun off' and Jim is the president/CEO of this mine located in Colorado. We enjoyed going to Craig, CO, for the company Christmas party!

A blessing to see the following dear family of ours during the months of November and December: Jim's parents, Carole and Dwight. Jim's sister, Peg, and husband,Dennis; Ingrid, Drew and his wife Lindsey, Sarah ( all the way from Ukraine!) and Eric, Nolan, and Claire. Also a wonderful Christmas Eve service at Christ the Ray of Hope where Nolan was a shepherd and many family members from Harold and Sherry's gang were there! 19 folks in Nolan's family photo that night! Truly a celebration of the salvation we have which began in the birth of the Christ child. And Nolan knows his Savior! Therefore, all is well.

Finally, the training which began in Aug. and ended 6 days ago on Jan. 18th with Team Diabetes. Our 4th year to train and fundraise for the American Diabetes Association. This year I was the top fundraiser with $7,200.00 and Jim was second with $4,100.00. All going for ADA! And our races....PFChang Rock N Roll...Jim did a great job on the full marathon and was pleased with his outcome, and I was SUPER excited that I set a personal record, my fastest half marathon out of 6 of them! My time was 2:37:19 and that's an achievement for me.

So, on this rainy Saturday in Scottsdale AZ I will sign off now, try to attach a photo or two before I hit the publish post button, and send you my love and the love of the Lord Jesus!

All is well.
Sue

June Joy

2009-06-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers,

June has come and gone so quickly. Here are just a few highlights:

1. Jim and I celebrated our 19th anniversary in Scottsdale. The restaurant had beautiful views at the base of Camelback Mountain.

2. June 11th to June 27 were days away. The majority of the time we were in Albuquerque in our home there. We got to hang out with the grandkids and also take a few more steps towards the completion of a master bathroom renovation that Eric is heading up for us. Good times in Albuq. with running and some classes in the gym, too. We enjoyed the MUCH cooler temps. there.

3. Over Father's Day weekend we made a quick trip to Denver. Enjoyed spending time with Jim's parents and his sister Peg and her hubby Dennis. So glad we made the trip!

It seems we'll be sticking around Scottsdale in July. I have a 45 hour course I must take to renew my teaching certification. Glad my friend Susan is taking it with me.

See you next time.

May you know the JOY of the Lord!

Graduation Guy!

2009-05-20T07:02:00.001-07:00

Hip Hip Hooray!!

We were so pleased to make a trip to So California this past weekend to celebrate the graduation of youngest son Drew. Jim and I traveled on Wednesday and Thursday and enjoyed time with Drew and Lindsey before the activities began on Friday.

Friday morning was Baccalureate on campus. What a joy! Singing, sermon, and commisioning of the graduates to go out into the world with the Good News of Jesus rocked my socks off! ( I was wearing sandals, but you get the picture!)

We enjoyed spending some quality time with dear friends Patra and Peter and their little ones. Then, it was off to the graduation where we met up with daughter Ingrid.

Commencement was also very good. We heard an inspirational message entitled, "The Worth of a Man" from baseball legend Dave Dravecky. He attributed his worth in life to his relationship with His Lord, Jesus Christ. The celebration of Drew's accomplishments at Concordia University were a moment that will become a joyous memory. As you see in the picture, our family of consisted of Jim, Sue, Ingrid, Drew's wife Lindsey, and of course, the graduate Drew!!

Cheers of you, Drew Berson, and God's most perfect joy and peace as you continue on to your 'next half', four years of Seminary in St. Louis!

Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Jacaranda memories

2009-05-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

I will never forget the day I was on a walk in the area of my home in Sydney. I was in a neighborhood of small homes spaced closely together. As I walked I was approaching an open area and in just seconds I had a view that I will never forget. Below me was an area of homes that were built in a forest of jacaranda trees! Literally hundreds... all in full purple splendor! The sight took my breath away. The color was vibrant and the blooms were huge. I didn't know the name of the tree but since that time I have seen many jacarandas, although nothing has compared to that area of Sydney. (it would have been November, their spring)

The jacarandas are in bloom in Scottsdale. Even though we lived here before I never noticed them. Perhaps that is because they are not nearly as magnificent as those in Oz, or perhaps because I've gained new eyes for seeing things in a different way as I get older. Memories and present day all have their place in this complicated thing we call life!

Here's a post in memory of Sydney's jacarandas!

Cheers!

Triple Triumph!

2009-04-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers!

Here is the triple triumph!!!

1. Jim set a personal record of his best time in Pat's Run out of 3 years (07,08,09)

2. I set a personal record of my best time in Pat's Run out of 3 years (07,08,09)

3. And the third accomplishment is the photo appearing on this blog. I received this picture from Coach Dave( our Team D coach)in an email and I figured out how to move it to my pictures and was then able to put it on my blog. A first! For those of you who know me well (tech. challenged) this is indeed a huge triumph!! Yippee!!

I thought it was really cool the way Dave put the date/caption over the picture!
Thanks, Dave.

JOY for today!
sue

Jim's 55/10 day!

2009-04-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Jim's birthday...he is 55 years old today! I've been hearing him talk about 55/10 lately and this day is a very big one for him because it is connected to his company's health benefits policy. If I am understanding this correctly, the health options become more secure if retirement occurs at age 55 and with 10 years of service. Jim has hit 55 and his years of employment with his company will be 18 on May 1st! So, this milestone is important to him, especially when you consider the weight of medical costs for his Type 1 diabetic wife! (that's me!)

We've had a fun day which started early and took us to a 7 am start time for Pat's Run, a local race which is done in honor of Pat Tillman. It's a short run, of only 4.2 miles which is in recognition of his jersey number(42) when he played football for the AZ Sun Devils. We finish on the 42 yardline of Sun Devil's stadium! We both ran well, we think it's our fastest in the 3 years that we've done this run. PR!

Next was our Praise Band rehearsal...which lasted 2 hours! Yikes! But our music tomorrow for 2 services should sound just fine. We're playing/singing with new people so the group was not quite as familiar with each other's styles. God be praised!

Tonight Jim is cooking a rack of lamb on the BBQ. That will be really yummy! It's just the two of us, a very small party! The special highlight in addtion to the lamb will be the bottle of wine from Australia. This wine is a Penfolds Grange. Many of you may know the label Penfolds, but this particular type ( Grange) is something very special. It was a going away gift when we left Australia and is expensive...like in the hundreds of dollars! First pour was 2007, but it's fine to keep it longer. It's a 1997 vintage/ bottled in 1998. I'm not up on all of that, but I do know we've been waiting to open this wine for a long time! We had planned to open it when Jim retired, but he's having a lot of fun in his job so that's a ways away...time to open the grange!!! And to you, Jim Berson, I raise my glass and say, "Cheers! I love you, and may God's grace and love overflow today and always!"

I Left My Heart...Again!

2009-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jim and I just returned from a long weekend in San Francisco. It had been 18 months since our last visit to this city by the bay, and the one U.S. city that we never grow tired of. We have made many trips to that beautiful place, and with each return trip we find something new to see and do. Here are a few highlights:

1. We managed the BART transport(train) both from the airport and back. We had to link the BART with a city bus ( and one short taxi ride due to an error on our part) but for the most part it was smooth sailing to and from the city. Saved a lot of money on cab fares as well, and exciting to learn new things.

2. We enjoyed a couple new restaurants in the area. One was a fantastic Indian called Dosa and the other was Thai, also outstanding food.

3. We caught two Farmers' Markets, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The hightlight of those was the freshly popped Kettle Corn. Yum!

4. Having received a tip from the concierge of our hotel we took the bus to the theatre district/ Orpheum and put our name in a lottery drawing to see the Sunday matinee of the Broadway musical WICKED. About 60 people gathered at noon for the drawing. If your name is chosen from the group of people you are then given the opportunity to purchase tickets in the 'limited view' seats. The seats are somewhat obstructed, so you miss about 20% of the scenes on the side where you are seated. But you can't beat the price...a normal ticket sold for $99.00 ( and they were sold out for the next 3 weeks) and a lottery ticket was $25 cash only. Well, wouldn't you know, our name was drawn and we had $50 cash so we saw WICKED on Sunday afternoon! GREAT SHOW! OH!! This was so cool, Patty Duke had one of the lead roles! AWESOME afternoon!

5. A lot of running and a very long walk...Jim and I had several runs on the Embarcadero and a long walk from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate. We had done that the last time we were there ( photo is from that earlier trip Oct. of 2007) but this time we stopped only briefly at the Golden Gate and then continued west to the Cliff House. Almost all of this hike was along the water/cliffs and the scenery was beautiful. The total trip was just shy of 8 miles! It was so much fun!

Good weather, good companionship, good food, and a time with no schedule and only a few business calls that Jim had to take. Not too shabby!!

JOY!

Birthday, Balance, and Blessings!

2009-03-16T08:54:00.001-07:00

Greetings to all of you,

Jim and I were so grateful to make a trip to Albuquerque the last days of February to celebrate Nolan's 5th birthday! The picture on the couch is in our home in Albuquerque, and was taken the day after Nolan turned 5. We are so thankful for his very life, considering the challenges that he has had to face in his short lifetime. And the recent blessing is that he is cancer free! The scans taken on March 3 came back clean. Praise God for that answer to prayer! However, the advice of the doctor was for him to undergo two more rounds of chemo, which he will have. So please continue to keep all of them in your prayers during these next two months.

The second picture amazes me! Beth has one posted on her blog that is very similar. This was taken on Sunday, March 1st in our Albuq. place as well. Claire was one day shy of six months in that photo. Beth has said that if it was anyone other that Eric doing this trick she would not allow it...but because it is Eric, we are all fine with this balancing act, as we know his capacity for balance and reflex!

One final blessing...Jim's latest job assignment to divest the coal mines in North America has one success to date. One of the coal mines has been purchased and he has succeeded wonderfully well!! We were in Gillette just a week ago today when it hit the headlines...Arch Coal buys Jacobs Ranch mine...front page Top Story!!

I write this blog with thanksgiving and send each of you love, from Jesus and me

Connections and surprises!

2009-02-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Some little things of late that make me smile!

FINDING FORMER STUDENTS! Jim and I went to a musical production on February 7th because we were invited by one of the performers. Natalie is in 9th grade and goes to our church. She was excited for us to see this show and it was a dressy event, and had a silent auction to benefit the Christian Youth Theater so we thought it would be fun. The show was wonderful, and we had a very fun evening. But the really interesting thing was that the vocal director for this show is a woman in her late 20's. She is a former student of mine!! She was in the 5th grade when I taught a half a year at Christ Lutheran School in Phoenix in 1991. Isn't that just too crazy! Fun to reconnect.

That, then, led me to the quest to find another former student who lives in the area. I'm still working on that one. But if anyone out there reading this knows Joe Gullekson, tell him to call me, please!

MISSION/ OUTREACH/ RECONNECTING AGAIN! On Feb. 11th I was happy to reconnect with a dear friend from Salt Lake City who now lives here. Our younger kids ( Sarah and Drew) used to play with her kids...and Eric and Ingrid used to babysit Lisa's kids. Well, as it turns out now Lisa works for a wonderful non-profit organization called Food for the Hungry and I got a tour on Feb. 11th. We then went to lunch and we talked about the international kids...her oldest Emily in Africa doing nursing with AIDS/HIV patients, Drew just coming back from China and getting ready to go to Ukriane to see his sister. Sarah living in Ukriane now and will for two years teaching English for the Peace Corps. We are just amazed at the places these kids have been and will be going! Another friend of mine, Susan, has a daughter who just returned from Ghana. This is not what I would have pictured, but God's plan is always something to anticipate and celebrate!

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Tonight Jim and I went to help out at the International Friendship House. A group from our church was going to serve a meal that we provided. We made soup, salad, brought bread and cookies and drinks. Then we were given the opportunity to chat with the students from places all over the world. They gather to eat and then to practice their English with local folks. I was wearing a T shirt that said " THIRST" which was given to me by Ingrid for a District Youth Gathering a few years ago. A young man(not an international student) walked up to me and said, " Did you go?" as he indicated my t shirt. I said, "Yes" and his reply was, " I was a speaker there" and then the light bulb went on!!! "You're Sarah's friend! I remember you!!" As the conversation unfolded he said he had seen Drew just last Friday at Concordia. He spoke of his wife and their plans to go to South Africa for 16 months.
I can tell you why I didn't pick up on it right away...his name tag said "KEN" and if it had said "CHIT" I would have totally caught it!! Small world. We got to hang out with international students as well as friends of Sarah and Drew from days past!
And, another familiar face that I figured out was Lisa's aunt...the Lisa from the previous paragraph! I knew her when Jim and I attended Christ Church 18 years ago!

To all of you reading this, whether you're stateside or somewhere else in the world, I'm so thankful I had the chance to RECONNECT with you tonight! JOY, always, in Jesus!

January JOY!

2009-01-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

There has been an amazing answer to prayer in January. Eric and Beth went to an appointment to get the results of Nolan's recent scans in order to decide the next steps. They were hoping that the tumor in Nolan's right lung would be small enough to operate/remove it. What they were told when they went was, 'There is no evidence of cancer in the lung!' The tumor is GONE! Praise God! NO SURGERY! Nolan will still have a bit more chemo, two or three more rounds. But this is wonderful news, a miracle! Thank you all for your prayers and support of this family.

In other news for January...Jim and Sue completed a FULL MARATHON yesterday, January 18th. We have been training since August with Team Diabetes and we both finished the PF Chang Rock and Roll here in town. It was the 4th marathon for Jim and my first. We are thankful that we only have sore muscles, no injuries. The weekend was especially fun because Ingrid came and had two friends join her as our houseguests for the weekend. Her two friends ran the half marathon, both of them running this distance for the first time. They did well! There was a lot of laughter, eating, drinking celebratory beverages, and just plain JOY! Great to have the company of Ingrid, Chris, and Laura! (and HONEY!)

Finally, we enjoyed the company of friends Phil and Donna from Gillette last week. They are dear friends and they were in town for a conference. We were able to spend some quality time with them as they were staying just 5 miles from our house. What a treat!

January JOY is the best way to put it!

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS from the Bersons

2008-12-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Savior born in Bethlehem. We wish you JOY in Him!

On January 18th of 2008 my mom went to her final address, heaven. It was a very sudden death and we are thankful that she went quickly and without pain. We think she had a heart attack after shoveling snow. Mom had spend about 6 weeks with us in AZ just weeks before, and we cherish those special memories.

Our family is ever changing as our children get older. There is another grandchild to celebrate, and we welcomed Claire Shelby Johnson into the family on September 2. She and her dad, Eric, mom, Beth, and big brother Nolan(4 yrs.) live in Albuquerque. Nolan's cancer returned in April and they battle on. Chemo and radiation brought some wonderful results, however, and healing is taking place. We thank God for that, and invite you to keep this family in your prayers. (check earlier blogs)

Jim travels a lot with his work. This past year it has been mostly within the USA, with an occasional trip to London. He was also given an additional responsiblity as CEO/President of Colowyo Mining Company in Craig, CO. Rio Tinto is shifting and redirecting its holdings as many companys are doing in this challenged economic time. We are thankful for this new opportunity for Jim. I am still subbing, but haven't had a lot of jobs this fall. I am hoping that picks up soon...love the kids.

Volunteer stuff includes: Music at church, Life Care message for me once a month, prayer shawl knitting ( you guess who does that!!), Jim is an elder, and we've served on various think tanks/ committees. I've joined the prayer ministry team. We are also both training for the Rock and Roll FULL MARATHON with Team Diabetes and raised money as volunteers to support the American Diabetes Association.

Summer brought about more change: Ingrid moved from CA to Albuquerque and is currently working for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New Mexico. She enjoys being near the Johnson clan! Drew and Lindsey remain in So. CA where they both work and both attend school. Drew finishes at Concordia in May of 09. Lindsey is currently working on her degree as a Nurse Practitioner. Sarah made her final arrangments with the Peace Corps and awaited her assignment...Ukraine! She said farewell to us on Sept. 19th and has just received her two year placement assignment in Tartarbunary!
July also included a trip to LaCrosse, WI, to bury Mom's ashed next to my dad's. Jim and I also attended my 35th High School reunion in Fairmont, MN. Fun!

I had the honor of being trustee of Mom and Dad's trusts. They were distributed by the beginning of August and after we considered our options Jim and I decided investing in a property rather than the stock market seemed wise. We were able to buy a small home in Albuquerque. We continue to keep our Scottsdale home as our main residence. It's nice to have a place to stay when we visit the grandkids...and this summer it will offer an escape from the desert heat for a week or two at a stretch.

A momenteous occasion was celebrated in Denver the weekend of Aug. 8th...the 60th wedding anniversary of Jim's parents, Dwight and Carole Berson!!It was a great party and such a wonderful tribute to two people who have been dedicated to their union and family for so many years! We are thankful and blessed.

Full circle..January 18th, 2009 is the date of the Rock and Roll Marthon...Jim's 4th and my first. Being the one year anniversary of mom's death you can bet I'll have have a HUGE smile as I think of her and her enduring spirit. JOY!

May the Peace of God, the Love of the Christchild, and Hope in the Spirit be yours, today and ahead in 2009.

Much love,
Jim and Sue

STRENGTH!

2008-11-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

It is with great joy that I write this entry. The picture you see in this blog was taken almost a year ago, Thanksgiving 2007, in our condo community pool. I am choosing this photo because I want you to join me in giving Thanks to God for His strength being poured out on Nolan, Eric, Beth, and little Claire. Here's the latest, greatest news:

Eric called today with the best news we've heard in a long time. The area in the upper leg that had the turmor removed last summer has NO SIGN OF CANCER! The tumor in the lung has shrunk by nearly 50 percent!

The next steps are: Do two more rounds of chemo and then the doctors will look at removing the lung tumor. After he recovers from the surgery there will perhaps be two or three more cycles of chemo. But the bottom line is this: HEALING is taking place and cancer has been defeated in one area. God be praised!

As Eric said in his email, Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I concur, and ask that you would please continue to pray. It was amazing just how strong Nolan was through all of this recent chemo and radiation, and I know that's because so many were storming the gates of heaven!

Philppians 4:13 I can do everything though Him who gives me STRENGTH!

Not Even A Month!

2008-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers!

It hasn't even been a month since my last post. That's pretty unusual!

I'm going to steamline my bits and pieces of news and hopefully post a couple of pictures, maybe even three:

. Sarah made it to Ukraine safely and she's loving the experience so far. She lives with an older woman who teaches English. They still try to speak Russian in the home, as this will move Sarah along more rapidly in her grasp of the language. She attends formal classes in Russian as well. Her attitude is positive and happy.

. Nolan has had two intense weeks of both chemo and radiation. Trips to the hospital Monday through Friday for two weeks straight took the entire afternoon. He has a break from chemo now for two weeks, but the radiation will continue. Beth is a trooper and Claire cooperates by being an easy baby. Nolan's spirit is strong. He takes it all without complaint, and he enjoys playing a lot! Even his appetite remains good. God is pouring out His strength on Nolan and the family. Keep praying!

. Jim and I are running in the Long Beach Half Marathon this weekend, Oct. 12. Then we'll reunite with the Team Diabetes training group to prepare for the Rock and Roll Marathon that will take place in January of 09. I am fundraising like crazy. I have set a personal fundraising goal of $5,000.00 for the American Diabetes Association. My sincere THANKS to all of you who have donated so far. If I reach my goal I'm hoping to run/walk the FULL marathon this time, with my doctor's permission. If you haven't donated and would like to, I'd appreciate it! The donation link is:

http://www.active.com/donate/teamdiabetes/SBerson1

May you know the Joy of the Lord, today and every day! sue :D

Peace in the Core

2008-09-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

It seems that lately the excercise experts are recommending strengthening your core muscles. If the core is solid and well, your body will be much healthier overall.

The last couple of days I've had to exercise my emotional core, that being my heart. Sarah is heading overseas to Ukraine for 27 months with the Peace Corp. We had to say goodbye to her early this morning at the airport here in Phoenix and send her off for training, and then she'll be sent on her Peace Corp assignment. The reality of the loss in closness to her physically hit my core very hard. Tears were shed, and are flowing freely now. But not tears only of loss and sadness, also tears of pride and joy and love! In fact, mostly tears of pride and joy and love!!

My mind has worked on exercising my core with positive thoughts; memories of years long ago and recent memories made in these past two days while she was here. I've thought of the positive impact Sarah will make on so many lives. And she will grow in this experience. I've prayed, a lot! I am thankful to God for His Spirit giving peace to my core.

And to you, Sarah:

Bless you, Sweet Sarah.

May the peace of Christ dwell in you richly.

Peace in the Core!

Another LONG dry spell!

2008-09-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

Hello Readers,

What can I say, it's the desert, the desert has a lot of dry spells.

Today is Sept. 15th and Jim's father, Dwight Berson, is 83 years old today! Hooray!

Another announcement...drum roll please...the arrival of our second grandchild, this time a girl, to parents Eric and Beth and big brother Nolan. Claire Shelby Johnson. Claire arrived on Sept. 2 at 5:17am and is in excellent health. Jim and I were in town the weekend before her arrival, over Labor Day, and I was just dropping him off at the Albuq. airport at 4:45 am when I got a text message from Eric telling me to stay in town. ( I had the car packed and was about to drive back to Scottsdale.) So, the Lord blessed me by being able to meet Claire the day she was born. Jim needed to make his trip, so he caught his plane and I made my way to the hospital. Both of us were able to make the drive to Albuq. this past weekend and attend the baptism.( Sept. 14) We celebrate Claire's birth and baptismal RE-birth in Christ!

Nolan continues to undergo treatment for his cancer. He has had chemo, and is on a break from it now. They were able to successfully take the tumor in his groin out on August 27th
and there were good margins. They are hopefull that they got it all. There is still cancer in his right lung. That will be treated with radiation. Those treatments were supposed to begin today, but had to be postponed. Today brought another medical treatment, however, in the fact that he needed surgery on his stump. The first surgery on his stump (July 28th)was to trim it up a bit so it worked better with his prosthetic. It was just not healing up correctly, so they had to go back in and rework that area.

I know that many of you, dear readers, keep Nolan in your prayers. Thank you for that. I'll try to do a better job of keeping you informed. But over all I can tell you that Nolan is full of LIFE! He just goes and goes and goes. He loves playing and is 'all boy'!! It's just a joy to see him in action. God's love is evident in all.

Time to try to attach a few photos. I'll give you more on the rest of the family another time.

God's blessings to all,
sue

2008-09-15T14:53:00.001-07:00

Father's Day

2008-06-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to be back on the blogging. There were some very difficult days since I last wrote,as well as wonderful days. Even though I'm not going in to a lot of detail, perhaps a time of reflection would be in order:

1. Mom died on January 18th and my life as the trustee of the estate and also the named personal representative has become one of duty, honor, and somewhat of a time commitment. What I've found to be a bit surprising is how much RESPONSIBLITY I feel towards their estate. I want to do it just the way they would want, and I'm happy to do it for them. Glad I'm a product of both as I'm using my dad's business sense and my mom's careful watching of the pennies. It's almost done, and I thank God for His speedy timing in the house sale and other things. I missed my mom a lot on her birthday in April and Mother's Day in May. And my dad today. But the Lord is enjoying them and they are celebrating each day with Jesus. Praise Him!

2. Nolan, the wonderful grandson, has cancer again. I think many of you have linked to Ingrid's or Beth's blog to read about him. If you haven't, I'd invite you to do so. The bottom line is this: Nolan has cancer in two places in his body, a tumor in his groin and a small area of this right lung. He has begun chemo again. It has been such shocking and awful news that I really can't put my feelings in to words. But I have watched his parents, Eric and Beth, carry on with more strength than I could ever imagine. I am so proud of them and the way they continue to parent Nolan. And there is another baby on the way...a girl due in early September. JOY! Please, please, keep praying for all of them. God is faithful and He is able. I am trusting in Him and therein is my peace.

3. Sarah!!! She has found out that she is going to be placed in Ukraine with the Peace Corps. I wish I had her blog link on this blog, but you should be able to find her through Ingrids. ( I don't know how to add names and when I first set this up, Ingrid put the two on for me and Sarah didn't have one yet...hope you find her!) She is making all the necessary preparations to make this happen. She's be missed greatly, but I KNOW she'll make such a difference in the lives of all those she encounters. You make me proud, Sar!

Jim and I continue to live in Scottsdale and right now endure the heat. We get up at 5 am most mornings in order to run outside before it gets too hot. Jim is traveling a lot, and he was gone about 75% of the months of April and May. We enjoyed visits from our CA offspring...Drew and Lindsey, ( a quick trip to the Grand Canyon) as well as a fun, random visit from Ingrid! We have lots of room if anyone wants to come see us...we'll share the heat!

This week I'll be joining Jim in Montreal, Canada, on a business related trip. Fun for me, work for him.

That's the news from the desert for this round. Hopefully it won't be such a long DRY spell before the next time...a pun IS intended!! Bless you! Sue

Fairmont Friends

2008-03-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nancy and Shelley are friends from childhood. The three of us lived next to each other on Day St. in Fairmont, MN, and were very close from elementary school through high school. Nancy was two years ahead of us in school, but we had so many things in common that it was bound to be a friendship that would last over the years.

As young girls we played dolls together, snuck lemon drops and pink peppermints from Nancy's family candy jar, and spent countless hours on our bikes, riding to 'the lake' to spend the summer afternoons swimming and just hanging out together. In later years we all played clarinet, we were all twirlers, and were a part of the marching band that went to California and performed in Disneyland, the Angels stadium, and Knots Berry Farm. There are many memories of a wonderful childhood with wonderful friends.

On March 18th we were togther for the first time in 32 years! We had seen each other on separate occasions but not all three of us at the same time. We are in touch at least a couple of times a year, so the information on each other was fairly current. But what was clear to me is that girls who play dolls together and raid the candy dish and make each other laugh so hard that one of them has to run to the sink because milk is coming out of her nose are friends for life!!

I raise a glass of milk to you, Nancy and Shelley. Cheers to our forever friendship!

Superhero Friend Turns Four!

2008-03-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the Superhero had his fourth birthday the end of February. Jim and I were able to drive to Albuquerque the weekend before Nolan's birthday and celebrate an early birthday with him.

We got there late Friday afternoon and in less than an hour after our arrival this is the scene you would have seen at the Johnson household:

Nolan and Grandma Berson wearing superhero capes ( blankets tied around our necks) carrying the toy guns I had used as a child...cap guns that have lost the ability to work properly but not the ability to entertain and captivate the imagination of an almost four year old! We were the SUPERHERO FRIENDS and we were hunting the Monster.

Yes, you guessed it, Jim was the Monster. He hid and we searched. Nolan and I would hunt room by room to find that monster, but when it was a little bit dark the smaller of the superheros would duck behind the larger superhero and the monster would jump out and scare us. And it would start all over again...

After about a half hour of this game I plopped down on the floor in the livingroom with my cape still in tact and my capgun/pistol in hand. Jim said, " Oh, I wish I had a picture of this!" Sorry, no picture to share, only the memory of a great time with our grandson! Sharing another photo instead, and so thankful I have the picture of an event called SUPERHERO FRIENDS FIND THE MONSTER in my head and heart!

Two weeks

2008-02-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

It has been almost two weeks since I received the phone call. It was late afternoon here in Scottsdale, January 18th. We were leaving soon to meet up for dinner with friends Phil and Donna, in town for a Mayo Convention. The day had been so special, as I'd been able to hang out with Donna all day! The phone rang, and the news I received was shocking.

Mom's good neighbors in Lincoln were calling me to tell me that my mom was no longer alive. When mom's friends, a dear couple who would take her out for dinner and play cards almost every Friday night, did not get a response to their knocking they went next door to gain access to the home. Mom was found in her street clothes, sitting on the loveseat with her boots on, but unzipped.( the logical explaination is a massive heart attack related to shoveling.) She had laid her head on the pillow and had died with a peaceful look on her face. Yes, peaceful! Oh, what a blessing to die a non-violent death in your own home. I thank God for His mercy!

These last two weeks have been a blur. I am the named Trustee of both of the trusts, Mom and Dad each had their own. Therefore, I am in charge of seeing that arrangements and all necessary action be done in a timely, prudent, godly way. I take this role very seriously, and try to make all decisions as my Mom and Dad have taught me so faithfully. The list of decisions goes on and on, and is still by no means over. The point I'm trying to make is that my mind has been so caught up in the business end of their lives I've not slowed down enough to shed tears. Until just now.

I opened my 3 girls' blogs: Ingrid, Sarah, and Beth. As I read the tributes Ingrid and Sarah made to Grandma, complete with pictures, the tears started to fall. I cried and am now crying as I type. And then when I read Beth's little New Year's blog I also cried, tears of joy in the dear grandchildren/great-grandchildren of my folks and how life continues and is new and exciting to the living! Praise God for those dear bloggers, their words, and their pictures. It feels good to cry. It was time.

And am I crying for my mom...HECK NO! She's having the time of her life..eternal life that is. She is where she longed to be, dancing with Jesus! Probably with her BOOTS on!

ps. you can access all 3 blogs if you go from mine to Ingrid. Then Ingrid will have Sarah and Beth on hers as links. I don't know how to add Sarah to my links...Ingrid did that for me. Sorry, but I know you can figure it out!

I Finally Figured It Out!

2008-01-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

I have been questioned over the years about my love for hosting garage sales. Yesterday I experienced such a sale, one that I held with my friend Susan. How many garage sales have I been a part of? I don't really enjoying GOING to garage sales, but I sure love having them! Many people have asked me why I don't just donate my discards and write it off as a charitable donation. I would sort of stutter around and say something like...'because I love having garage sales' and that was the end of the conversation. Well, yesterday I gained an insight into why I like these things so much. In no particular order... my reasons for having garage sales!

The first part is the joy in 'weeding out'. It's fun to clear out those closets and cupboards of items that no longer work in our lives. With a little bit of prompting I can get Jim to 'go through' his personal items and release them to my care. He found four pair of shoes that were no longer meeting his needs. I washed up the two pair of running shoes and thought to myself...someone will love getting these because they were still looking good, just had too many miles on them for a marathon runner.

The marking portion is fun, too. I try to determine a value that is fair to the buyer. I often price on the 'low' end, but know that someone will be happy to get that item for such a good price. Helping people who may not have as much to spend makes me happy!

Then, the day of the big sale. Oh, just so much to enjoy! Here are some of the things that I remember about yesterday:
1. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Susan. We were together for about five hours and even though there were busy times, we still got to catch up on so many things. The conversation is always so good when having a sale with a friend.
2. I watched families come together. There are often three generations represented in one van that pulled up. Much of the time there is a younger person translating for an elderly person. I saw a mother choosing a couple things she liked and her son told her in spanish the cost and there came the change out of her coin purse.
3. The neighbors stop by. Granted, it's not at my house, but I do know Susan's neighbors and they checked in a couple of times. Social opportunities!
4. Kids and their thrill in the smallest things. There was one girl who picked out a pair of earrings out of Susan's daughter's discards...and she pulled out her own quarter and paid. She was so pleased, both with the earrings and with the fact that she used her own money. So sweet!
5. The same man who has come the last four years ( we have one every year) and asks, " Do you have any musical instruments?" We say 'no' and then just burst out laughing when he leaves. Every single time!
6. The man who told us his 'garage sale' joke a year ago...same guy, same joke! :D
7. The good coffee I get at Susan's house. We keep it going all morning long!
8. The joy of, yesterday at least, seeing about 80% of the inventory disappear.
9. The challenge of adding up each person's sales and then counting the money and seeing how close we came. We were only short by $2, so we each took a dollar less to balance the books! Perfect.
10. The aches and pains after a long day of physical labor are lessened knowing that many people would have something of value in their homes for a very small price.

That final wad of cash ( $10 of it in quarters!) was worth so much more than $74.00!

Priceless memories!

Remembering all the garage sale fun with Mom, Chris, Connie, Lisa, Kathy, Donna, Deepa, and Susan.

Priceless

Halloween and Reformation

2007-10-31T19:24:00.001-07:00

It's All Hallos Eve, the night before All Saints Day. I am remembering my childhood of dressing up, going Trick or Treating, and then coming home to change into my 'church clothes' and rushing off to church to attend the Reformation service.

October 31st has always been a huge day for me. It was the last day of October, and that being my birthday month, I felt I had come full circle and was ready to greet November as a much older and wiser person! It was a good way to close the month.

I would always dress up and go around the neighborhood and would come back with a load of candy! I loved it!

But I also loved getting into the church clothes and going to church on Oct. 31st. For Lutherans, the rememberance of Reformation Day. I embraced the organ's loud pipes belting out " A Mighty Fortress" and sang it at the top of my lungs.

Just to get you in the spirit of things...I've attached a picture of a very excited three and a half year old grandson in his costume. Jim and I went to visit this past weekend and Nolan was thrilled to be Spiderman.

Happy Halloween, Happy Reformation Day.

Scripture Alone! Grace Alone! Faith Alone! And always: Christ alone!!

Correction!

2007-10-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

I hurried too much on my last blog post and incorrectly stated that the Grand Canyon rim to rim occured on Sept. 13th. In fact, it was just two days ago...OCTOBER 13th.

Also, the pictures should be swapped around. The first picture of the day was the group shot, and the Greiwes are on our left ( we're in the middle!) The LAST picture taken just before hiking out was the one on the top...the glorious canyon!!

Cheers! Sue

Rim to Rim!

2007-10-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings on this Monday morning!

The Lord has provided MORE than we ever asked for. I prayed to have good blood sugars, and they were! I prayed to have legs and feet and knees to carry me out of the canyon before dark, and He answered. I did NOT pray for any particular weather, yet He provided a picture perfect day! Blue skies, crisp temperatures in the morning followed by warm afternoon temps, and the sun to shine! Glorious!

Jim and I had the thrill of hiking the Grand Canyon on Sept. 13th, 2007. We enjoyed the company of church friends Linda and Terry Greiwe and their friends from Chicago, Brad and Karen. Our group left the North Rim, called North Kaibab Trail at 6:25 am and Jim and I were the last of the three couples out at 5:45 pm that same day. Jim stayed by my side the entire time, encouraged me, and together we worked on making sure I had good blood sugars, and stayed hydrated. Terry and Linda were also huge encouragers and fun hiking companions!

The hike was 24 miles long. We took Bright Angel Trail as our exit of the canyon, and that puts your right at Bright Angel Lodge on the South Rim. What a celebration we had, thanking God for this day and for His provision. And we also celebrated with a cold beer in the Bright Angel bar and lounge!!

And that's the story of the Berson Rim to Rim...under 12 hours...to God be the glory!

I Left My Heart

2007-10-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity to travel to one of our favourite places...San Francisco! We flew out early on the 6th of October, took the BART ( subway) in to the city, and we checked in to our hotel by 2pm. After a quick regrouping, we hit the city hard on foot.

The entire trip was one of wonder! The city never ceases to offer something old and familiar, as well as new and exciting. It was 'fleet week' and the navel ships were in port and the city was alive with sailors and energy. The weather was absolutely perfect so our exploring was all done on foot or city bus. We just had the best time walking up and down the steep hills, running along the embarcadero/ bay, and hiking a new path/trail to the base of the Golden Gate. ( picture)

New places to eat as well as finding a little coffee place that also sold Krispy Kreme donuts was so much fun. We felt that all the hills were good training for our next trip, which will begin tomorrow at the Grand Canyon!

So, watch for that upcoming blog and hopefully a picture or two!

God's blessings and JOY in Jesus to you all!

Ten Years Ago Today

2007-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

For me, it was like those other tragic days in history...the ones that happen and your world sort of comes to a standstill as you absorb the event. You remember where you were and what you were doing at the time when you heard.

For me, this news was like that. I remember where I was (Gillette, WY) and what I was doing (driving to work). I remember pulling my car over so I could concentrate on the newscaster's story. Rich Mullins had died in a car accident. My world stood still and I wept.

Some of you will connect with this date, and others of you may even be saying, "Who is Rich Mullins?" For those of you who may not know the name Rich Mullins you might know some of his songs. He wrote 'Awesome God' and co-wrote 'Sometimes by Step' with his friend Breaker. That song is more commonly called 'Step by Step'.

Today I write to remember. I write to remember the songwriter, the artist, the rebel, and the man of fierce faith who has impacted me, my music, and my relationship with God. Rich wasn't so much about 'doing', but more about 'being'. He just wanted to 'be God's'.

Rich was also all about praising God. And so I close with just one of his choruses of praise to the only One who is worthy of praise and I'm singing at the top of my lungs, playing on the piano, and Rich and a whole company of the Heavenly Hosts is right there with me...

Oh, God, You are my God and I will ever praise You.
Oh, God, You are my God and I will ever praise You.
I will seek You in the morning and I will learn to walk in Your ways.
And step by step You'll lead me and I will follow You all of my days.

LABOR weekend!

2007-09-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Greetinge to all my dear readers, wherever you may be!

After the National Youth Gathering was over I was all over my training for the half marathon that would be run on Sept. 3, 2007 in Disneyland, CA! I was up there in milage and was even getting faster! That is, up until I broke my toe! Yep, I tripped and broke a toe on Aug. 21st. It brought my training to a screeching hault.

With the permission of the doctor I started running a couple short runs just before we left on Aug. 31st. Jim was ready also, and had worked hard to do his personal best in this Half Marathon.

Labor Day weekend! It had finally come and we were in California. The beauty of this race was that it coincided with Ingrid's 26th birthday. I always thought it was humorous that I gave birth to my lovely daughter on Labor Day! ( Sept. 1st)

We had a great time with Ingrid on her birthday. In addition, we were able to spend time with Sarah, Drew and Lindsey, and Patra and her two little ones. Good times with all! Really great to see our grown up off-spring in their realm. ( Picture taken at dinner on Ingrid's birthday.)

Back to the half marathon. It was on Sept. 3 and the weather was so hot. Triple digits and humid. I later heard that there had been talk of calling it off. But, no, they did not. Jim and I both took off around 6:10 am. To make a long story short, Jim did just fine. Was a bit slower than he's hoped for, but did well. I, on the other hand, LABORED through and did finish, but by the skin of my chinny chin chin! And it was NOT blood sugar related, as I had thought.

I crossed the finish line and felt like I was going to pass out. Was taken by wheelchair to the med. tent. Afer seeing that my blood sugar was just fine, the blood pressure became the give away. LOW. I was dehydrated! I was told either I get an IV hooked up or it was off to the hospital. I took the IV! Just needed fluid. I had refused at first, trying to leave once I knew my sugar was OK. I was supposed to meet up with Jim and I knew he'd be concerned, since he had finished over an hour ahead of me. A kind lady from the med. tent went and found him for me.

The story ends as follows: Sue finished in 3 hours 9 min. with dehydration and huge blisters on the bottom of both feet. Jim finished in a bit over 2 hours.

Broken toe is almost healed. Doctor gave his blessing for me to do another half marathon, said that what I experienced had NOTHING to do with my diabetes, just unusual conditions that any human would struggle with. I am back running.

And as always, I LABOR on, with the Lord!

LCMS National Youth Gathering!

2007-08-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

You are CHOSEN!!

We heard that over and over again while attending your Lutheran Church's National Youth Gathering. The gathering was held in Orlando, FL from July 28th to August 1st. Around 25,000 youth attended and it was fantastic! Jim and I were so blessed to be able to be a part of this magnificent gathering.

While there we experienced lots of lines and lots of waiting! Lots of walking and lots of water! Lots of laughs and lots of love! And lots of PEOPLE! CHOSEN people. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people BELONGING TO GOD!!

Saw two youth that we haven't seen for awhile. David Segar from Iowa City, Iowa, and Kelly McMahill from Gillette, WY. Got to see Ingrid for short 5 or 10 minutes at a time several times while there. It's just hard when you've got you own group to direct/lead. She had 31 and we had 12!

Jim and I came back with tired bodies and happy hearts! We thank God for His hand on the whole trip and know that we were chosen for this special task of leading.

I will close with the theme Bible verse for NYG 2007:

But you are a CHOSEN people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. That you might declare the praises of Him who called you OUT of darkness, into His WONDERFUL LIGHT!! 1 Peter 2:9

May you know joy in your heart because this verse is talking about YOU!
Bless you all!

Sydney and Singapore!! Cold to Hot!

2007-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Arizona!

June has come and gone and I thought I would do a quick recap. Since I last wrote Jim and I have literally traveled the world! The last two weeks of June were spent in Sydney, Australia and then on to Singapore. Jim had work in both locations, and I got to tag along!

The weather in Sydney was cold and wet. Well, it is winter there and even though we lived there for 3 winters I don't remember a string of days quite like the 6 that we were there. The weather did, however, lend itself to lots of indoor time and the chance to catch up with dear friends! Wonderful times with church friends and even a chance to see Stuart, one of the 'blokes' who had worked on the renovation of our flat. Just good to catch up with the many people who have 'caught' our hearts!!

After Australia we made our way to Singapore. We landed around 9:30 at night and walked out of the airport into the tropics! Oh so humid! Even though the temperature was in the 80's it felt like it does here when it's 115! But the scents and the sights were absolutely lovely! Such a welcoming place. I asked our taxi driver why it is so very clean. In a lengthy explanation he said something like this: "There are plain clothes police. The are laws against littering. If you litter even a small amount...even a cigarette butt, you will be fined $500."

While Jim was in his meetings I was able to scout around the city and did my travel by public transport. I bought one magnetic card the size of a credit card, loaded it up with a whole $15 Sing. dollars and off I went. It worked on the bus, the train ( underground) and even McDonalds!! Yes, you could swipe it for a coke or anything on the menu! I stayed entertained for two days that way. Saw lots and probably the most fun for me is just 'being' in the areas where tourists are not.

We are officially over the jet lag...going from Singapore back home was pretty rough. The other direction is always easier for us. But we're doing just fine and are enjoying the summer in Scottsdale. Yes, we are some of the few who do enjoy it here in the summer! Call us crazy, but we like the fact that the roads are not congested, there is only a 5 min. wait for a table at a restaurant, and the pool is very close by! Jim even golfs in the heat...the tee times are usually $15 to $20 and you never have to wait to get on! There is always something to be thankful for!

I'm thankful for you! And may God bless you all richly this summer. Jesus is Lord!

Correction!!

2007-06-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

In my haste I misspelled Ivadelle's name. Her last name is Repschlaeger. ( Schlachter is Jim's sister and hubby's last name...both good German names!)

Also, I posted the same picture of Nolan twice. I did not intend to do that.

Thanks for your patience with this less than savvy blogger!! Time to pack!

3,125 Mile Road Trip!

2007-06-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings from my computer at home!

I did not think that I'd have a chance to post a blog. But, if all goes well I can get this one up and running and catch you up a bit. I have discovered that I have MORE than two faithful readers! Whoo Hoo!!

Jim and I left home very early on June 3rd and in the following list you will see our stops. Some were just for a night, and the most consecutive nights were in Lincoln at a Fairfield Inn. ( I would NOT recommend that motel is you are ever staying in Lincoln, NE> We got it for free with Marriott Rewards Points. It's a good thing it was free!)

1. Albuquerque ( Stayed with Eric and Beth and the wonderful Nolan)
2. Lincoln, NE
3. Lyons, NE ( Stayed with Dave and Kathy Friedli and their two kids.)
4. Guyman, OK
5. Albuquerque ( Stayed with Eric, and Beth, and the wonderful Nolan)

People that we saw:

1. Eric, Beth, and the wonderful Nolan
2. Mom, Sister Sandy and husband Bob, niece Sarah, nephew John and wife LeAnne, Denise Munderloh, friend.
3. Bob Widener ( and many of his family members including Mary Snow), Dave and Kathy Friedli, kids Corey and Calvin. Farm friends: Vernon and Leanna Munderloh, Lauren and Delores Wegner, Ivadelle Repschlachter, Donna Reppert.

Our trip was blessed with good weather, good food, good family and friends, and safe travel. Jim and I had a blast playing silly games in the car...some we made up and then there was the old standby; 20 Questions. We arrived home mid day on Wed., June 13th.

After doing laundry, playing last night for our midweek church service, running many errands, and Jim going to work today I'm about ready to pack my suitcase for the next destination: Sydney, Australia and then on to Singapore. I'm tagging along with Jim on a business trip.

Less than two hours until our departure!! ( It's Thursday, June 14th.) We'll be back in the States on June 27th.

Bless you all and may you know the JOY of JESUS!

Where did May go?

2007-06-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all my faithful readers! It's been over a month since I've written a blog and to tell you the truth, I'm having a bit of difficulty now getting two pictures to post. I guess I'm one who just has to use this technology more often for it to sink in. With hope and a prayer I'm going to attempt to add two pictures to this post. They will both be of Jim's mom's 80th birthday celebration. I would include pictures from Sarah's graduation, but I'm sad to say that they were somehow deleted from our memory stick so they're gone. Bummer!

Our highlights from May included two trips. The first trip was a road trip to Califonia to be a part of Sarah's graduation from college! Yes! She completed her BA in English and will be credentialed in Secondary Education as well. She did graduate, but in CA student teaching occurs after all the course work, so Sarah is scheduled to do 90 days of student teaching in the fall. Her student teaching will take place in a Lutheran school as well as a public middle school in Orange County. It was a wonderful weekend with Sarah and Ingrid. Much to celebrate and be thankful for!

The second trip was just this past weekend. Jim and I flew to Denver to spend the Memorial weekend with Jim's parents, sister and husband, other relatives and friends, as well as Sarah and Ingrid once again! As I mentioned, Carole celebrated her 80th birthday. It was quite the gathering with lots of good cheer! Peg, Jim's sister, made beautiful plans and all came off seamlessly. We praise God for Carole's life.

Well, that's May in a nutshell. Of course, there were many other happenings, including last night when my 6th grade class from Shepherd of the Desert graduated from 8th grade. Jim and I were the musicians. What a joy!

Looking ahead in June...two trips once again. The first begins on June 3rd, a roadtrip to Nebraska. After returning from that trip we'll have just 24 hours at home and leave on a business trip to Australia and Singapore. Hopefully I'll get another chance to blog the end of June.

Grace and Peace to you all, in the wonderful name of Jesus. JOY!!

Guatemala's Heart

2007-04-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is the heart and soul of Guatemala, the faces. The faces of children and adults are the very core of what makes Guatemala so amazingly wonderful. The grace of a loving God can be seen on the faces of the ones who touched us this past week. Young faces, old faces, it made no difference. Literally, the JOY of the Lord IS their strength. I will write more about our week in Guatemala another day, but for now, I'll close with a quote from a prayer warrior for God, an elderly woman named Margaritia. Our trip can be summed up with one word..."ALLELUIA!"

Celebrate Numbers 84 and 6.8

2007-04-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

On April 7th there will be a celebration of 84 years of life! Yes, my dear mom, Marian Prellwitz, will be turning 84! She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska in the house that she and my dad bought in 1981. She's alone now, as my dad passed away in December of 2005.

But those of you who know my mom know that she's seldom alone. She enjoys people! She thrives on them! Mom loves to go out to the stores just to see people. She calls it, "plowing around". She's also still keeping up with her bridge friends and spends time up at church putting the bult. tog. most Fridays. Her slow days are when she stays home and gets caught up in a book. Mom certainly has been a trooper about finding joy in daily life even without my dad.

The best way to sum her up is to reiterate something Ingrid said recently. Ingrid had called Grandma Prellwitz and when Grandma picked up the phone Ingrid said, " How are you?" Her reply..." I'm WILD!" So there you have it in a nutshell. Happy 84th Birthday Wild Thing!!!

The next celebration is an achievement I recently accomplished. I've been working on this for almost 20 years now and it has finally happened. As you know, I'm a Type 1 diabetic and have to take insulin either by shot or the past 5 years, by the pump. I am careful about watching my blood sugar levels and yet my hemoglobin A1C ( It's like a summary of sugar levels over a long period of time) has never been below the magic number of 7. The closest I've come in the past has been a 7.1. I was so thrilled by that number that I went out and bought a new pair of shoes! I call them my '7.1 shoes'! Even though it's advised to be below a 7, my health is still quite good all things considered and my doctor was fine with my number in the low sevens.

I am so pleased to report that when I saw my doctor on Monday, April 2, I was given the great news that my A1C was a 6.8! He smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face, and I cried. In fact, I'm tearing up now as I type because it's just that big of a deal to me. I think this is one of the hardest things I've worked this long on, and tried so hard to do! 6.8!!! Praise God!

The numbers 84 and 6.8 are being celebrated on April 7th. Now I just have to figure out what my 6.8 purchase will be. Perhaps a new car? NAW! Let me know if you have any suggestions, and in the meantime, maybe I'll start looking in the shoe department.

GOOD Friday

2007-04-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Good Friday. When I was a child I often wondered why it was called good. It just didn't make any sense why the day that Jesus died was good.

As an adult, I now understand that what wasn't good for Him WAS good for us. In fact, 'good' doesn't begin to describe it. Perhaps we should rename it to....GREAT Friday, or The Day Jesus Defeated Satan Friday, or how about It is Finished Friday?

I went into our sanctuary at Shepherd of the Desert today with the intent of taking a stunning picture of this cross to post on my blog. The result isn't exactly stunning but rather pale and lifeless. But the one thing that does show up are the outstretched arms. The arms that answer the question, " How much do you love me?" " I love you THIS MUCH!"

Christ died so that we might LIVE. He came to give life, and to give it to us ABUNDANTLY!

And if that's not good, I don't know what is!

Romans 5:8

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Added Blessings!

2007-03-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Drum roll, please!

With great joy I introduce you to Drew's wife, Lindsey, and reacquaint you with Eric's wife, Beth. They are such an important part of our family, and I wanted you to see their beautiful smiles for yourselves.

In my last post I talked about being the mother of four adult children. Now I can add these two wonderful women to that group and say I am the mother of SIX adult children! Mom, step-mom, mother-in-law, and you might as well throw in GRANDmother...it's a role I truly cherish. I am blessed by each relationship. I thank God for you all!

Beth and Lindsey, you are valued and loved. I close with some verses from Proverb 31:

"A wife of noble character , who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."
"She is clothed with strength and dignity' she can laugh at the days to come."
"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Note: Eric and Beth were married June 7, 2003 and reside in Albuquerque with son Nolan.
Drew and Lindsey were married December 16, 2006 and are currently serving a mission
Guatemala City, Guatemala. They will return to the states this summer and move to CA
for Drew to return to his university studies.

Now it's four ADULTS!!

2007-03-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today marks a landmark event. I am now the mother of four ADULTS! Drew, the youngest of the four, turns twenty-one today!!! Happy Birthday, Drew!

Here's a bit of history to help you understand this blog posting.

The year was 1999 and Drew was turning thirteen years old on March 11th. It was a big deal. The other amazing thing was that with Drew marking the beginning of his teens, Eric was winding down. Eric was still nineteen at that time, but would have his July birthday that year and turn twenty, leaving the teens behind.

The kids presented us with buttons that said, " I am the mother of four teenagers!" for me, and the one for Jim read, "I'm married to the mother of four teenagers!" We laughed and laughed and I wore mine not only on that day, but for a long time afterwards. I was thrilled to be the mom of four teenagers.

I continue to be thrilled to be their mom. Mom, or step-mom, to me they are all four children of my heart! I thank God and praise Him for the gift of four remarkable, no longer teenager, ADULTS!! May God bless you and keep you, Eric, Ingrid, Sarah, and birthday 'boy' Drew! I love you!

On My Own!

2007-03-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Sue, the blogger!

Here we go, this is the 'solo' flight of Sue the Blogger. There is no one around to help me and I've gotten up the nerve to try this without any of my grown up kids... On my own!

The part I've enjoyed the most about the blog aspect is the ability to attach pictures. I never mastered that on the emails, so hopefully when I finish writing this brief note I'll be successful in posting a couple of pictures. That's the goal, at least.

I really am on my own for the next week, as Jim had to make another trip to Colombia and left late Sunday morning. After considering the choice of being bummed that he wasn't here, I gave up on that idea and decided to go for a long walk and see what was outside my four walls. What I found was wonderful! I saw many beautiful plants and spring starting to bloom here in the desert. I saw things that I normally don't see because it's usually dark outside when I run, and when I run I'm using up every bit of energy on the activity itself. So walking was great.

What I did realize is that I wasn't on my own. I was walking with the Lord and He was showing me that He loved me in so many ways. He just had to slow me down and get me off by myself. It was like water to the parched soul in the desert...a refreshing time and even better yet, a much better option than the pity party I was headed for. I even carried my water bottle with me, which I don't do when I run.

The thirst was quenched, and it was my thirsty spirit that was filled. And to be perfectly candid, I enjoyed being on my own! I highly recommend it!

Hoping to find a couple of pictures of water...representing the water of LIFE! Drink up! Cheers!

ps. Picture on left is in the desert/sand dunes of Namibia, Africa in June 2006. Picture on right is the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA in August 2006. Nalgene bottles have high milage on them!

Nolan's birthday trip

2007-02-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

It's wonderful to be back on the blog! I ran into trouble after writing only one blog and needed help. Jim and I are here in Albuquerque for a quick 'Third Birthday' trip and Beth has patiently worked with me to publish a second blog complete with a couple of pictures! Thank you, Beth!

Nolan turns three on Feb. 26th and Jim and I have been enjoying playing with this precious grandson of ours. He's full of energy and smart as a whip and we cherish this time we've had to hang out with him and play! The great news is that his most recent screen for cancer came back clear! We thank God!

It's my goal to be able to continue making additional posts when I'm on my own, so watch for them. If you don't see anything until the end of March you'll know I wasn't successful, and needed to wait until Ingrid visited us the last weekend of March so she could attend a good friend's wedding. I rely on those wonderful tech/computer savvy kids of mine for help.

That's all for now. There are many more pictures I'd like to share, so watch for more in the near future.

JOY in Jesus!
Sue

Sue Berson is blogging!

2007-01-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is funny to me. I actually have no idea what I'm doing creating this blog. Most of you know that I am not 'gifted' in the world of technology and therefore I am really out of my personal comfort zone.

Nevertheless, I shall try to get started in this world of the 'blog' and see where it leads.

My inspiration has come from my kids. Beth, Ingrid, Sarah, and Drew all have blogs. Some are a bit out of date, but still they do exist. I do find reading their blogs very enjoyable, and many times informative! I love seeing the pictures that Ingrid and Beth attach frequently and I hope to be able to do the same. Perhaps not in this first blog. ( So if you don't know what I look like, you can find me in Ingrid's blog!)

The one thing that I thought I could write about was the P.F. Chang Rock 'n' Roll marathon and half marathon that occured here in beautiful Arizona yesterday. It's quite a huge event, this being the fourth one. It gets bigger every year, and I believe there were close to 40,000 runners/walkers this year.

Cold temperatures were not exactly good for running, but at least there was no rain ( or snow) as many of you are experiencing. Jim and I got there very early, around 6:20am. Our Team Diabetes met for a group photo at 7am and then Jim had to get going for the marathon start. My half marathon was later.

We both finished our races and felt we had accomplished a goal that we had worked towards for five months. Jim's was his second marathon, the first being the P.F. Chang in 2005. He was a little bit slower than the first time,( by just a couple of minutes) but overall ran a better race. He came through with a lot less pain and felt strong the entire way. I have only run one other half marathon, and this second one was much improved over my first one. I did well, finishing one minute under my targeted goal. My official posted time was 2 hours 39 min. and 12 seconds! I thank God for running with me every step of the way! I praised and prayed, and in the end gave thanks!

Jim and I both raised money for Team Diabetes, and together we raised almost $6,500.00. My thanks to the many of you who donated to ADA. There might be another opportunity for you to donate next year, as Jim and I are planning to do this again, Lord willin'!

Since I'm not even sure if this will become a real blog, I'll stop writing now. As you read this blog, if indeed I'm successful, keep in mind that I won't have any pictures on this first blog, since I don't know how to attach photos at all. I've never emailed anyone a picture from our digital camera. But, hey, I guess then there's something to look forward to, as I get better.

One of my goals for 2007 was to create a blog, learn how to attach pictures, and learn how to use my ipod and download songs. I have gotten much better with my ipod, so there's still hope.

Yes, there's always HOPE! May you be filled with hope for 2007 in Christ, who makes all things NEW!

Blessings in 2007 and I'll try to improve my blogging skills.
Sue