Road To Avonlea

Growing up, my family had favorite sitcoms to watch.  We loved Perfect Strangers, Full House, and The Cosby Show.  Later I learned that Todd loved Hogan's Heros and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.  As a girl I could not get enough of the Dick Van Dyke Show or The Brady Bunch re-runs.

But, my ultimate, all-time favorite series to watch?  Road to Avonlea, created by Canadian Kevin Sullivan and appearing on the Disney Channel in the 1990s.  The 45-minute episodes are about a farming family called the Kings, growing up in the early 1900s on Prince Edward Island, in Canada.  The series lasted for seven seasons, so viewers truly got to see the children grow up on the screen.  Avonlea is based on the book The Story Girl by Lucy Maud Montgomery, who also wrote the Anne of Green Gables books.  The director, Kevin Sullivan, had created a beautiful mini-series of Anne of Green Gables in the 1980s, and used the same set and many of the same characters when he created Road To Avonlea.  Most of the filming was done in Uxford and Toronto, but some footage was done actually on Prince Edward Island.  When I visited Prince Edward Island in 2003, it was extremely exciting to me to find locations from both Anne of Green Gables and Road To Avonlea.  My favorite?  Having high tea at the White Sands Hotel (actually called Dalvay By The Sea) with my kindred spirit friends, Amy and Jess.

As mentioned above, Road to Avonlea was about the Kings:  Alec and Janet ran the family farm and brought up Felicity, Felix, Cecily and Daniel.  Next door lived Aunt Hetty (a school teacher) and Aunt Olivia (who wrote for the local newspaper and later married Jasper Dale).  Hetty and Olivia raised their niece, Sara Stanley who was about the same age as cousins Felicity and Felix.  Sara was "The Story Girl" because she told stories so well and knew so much about far away places.  Sara had been raised by her rich father in Montreal, until she came to live with her deseased-mother's sisters on Prince Edward Island.  In addition to Alec, Hetty, and Olivia, there was another brother, Roger who only appears on a few episodes because he is a busy geologist in South America.  His son, Andrew appears in the first few seasons of the show while he is living with the King family too.  Of course, we get to know many other townspeople through the King family.  I appreciated how Kevin Sullivan always had the episodes have a connection with the Kings.  We don't ever watch an entire episode about some other family without it connecting to the Kings somehow.  There is an eccentric woman living in the woods that the children call The Witch of Avonlea.  There is a Scottish hotel owner at the White Sands Hotel who mentors Felix King.  A very gruff former soldier named Clive Pettibone moves to Avonlea to teach school when Hetty quits teaching to write novels.  Mr. Pettibone has children of his own who provide new friendships for the Kings.  We get re-acquainted with Muriel Stacy, Marilla Cuthbert, and Rachel Lynde (from Anne of Green Gables) who play major roles in Road To Avonlea.  Marilla Cuthbert even tries her hand at raising two more orphan children (Davy and Dora) who provide some wonderful childhood story lines again once the original King children have grown.

As a girl, I usually watched Road to Avonlea in the living room each Monday night.  Sometimes my brother David would watch them with me and often Mom would peek around the corner of the kitchen while doing the dishes and follow the story line that way.  I was about the same age as Felicity King and David was about the same age as Felix King.  So, stories about Felix were always David's favorite.  David's wife, Julia grew up watching Road to Avonlea in Montana and she now appreciates that David is familiar with the storylines.  I loved all the old fashions, the ways the homes were decorated, the old-fashioned one-room school house, and the innocent fun the children had growing up on such a beautiful island.  The red dirt roads and high cliffs over the water always fascinated me.     

Although, I originally watched the series off the TV, I now have the DVDS and have watched the episodes numerous times.  My husband and I have watched all seven seasons twice now (in our 4 1/2 years of marriage).  Todd likes the show partly because of all the great old farm machinery and antique tools used during the show.  He opens my eyes to a lot of details I had never noticed before.  As a girl, I related most to Felicity.  But, now as a married gal, I relate most to Oliva.  Todd and I joke around that he and I are like Jasper and Olivia because Jasper is sort of a fix-it guy who is resourceful and kind, but doesn't like to talk in front of people.  Olivia is a dark-haired writer who is quite emotional (both when happy and sad) and she loves her husband like crazy.  We can relate.

I think part of what makes Road to Avonlea such an excellent show is that viewers can relate to the characters.  There are so many characters that Kevin Sullivan truly develops in these seven seasons.  Alec King is not only a farmer, but a leader in the community.  He's a father and a husband who is often the peace-maker in the famiy.  He is a man of integrity who reaches out to others with his kindness and wisdom.  His wife, Janet is a dedicated mother who has spunk and wisdom of her own.  She stands up for what is right (including trying to help women get the right to vote).  Janet has the daunting task of dealing with her difficult sister-in-law, Hetty.  Hetty is the eldest and the leader of the King clan and she lets everyone know it.  When I first watched Avonlea episodes with my friend Angie, she could not believe I liked the show because of how awful Hetty acts toward others.  I agree that Hetty has some unacceptable behavior, but if you stick with her, you soften to her.  She loves her family, her town, her island, and her job.  She just doesn't always know how to show it.  And, Hetty learns lessons.  She is teachable.  She is an important character.  Hetty's sister, Olivia is now my favorite character, as mentioned above.  In the early episodes, she gets pushed around a lot by Hetty.  She sort of finds herself in the early episodes and has to defy Hetty at times to do that.

When Kevin Sullivan began Road To Avonlea, I think he was planning Sara Stanley to be the main female character.  She is a very important character, but before long it is obvious that Felicity King is going to develop into the leading role.  Sara is a peace-maker and a story-teller, but the personality that bursts open on the screen is Felicity because of her growth as a person.  She goes from a spoiled, selfish, egotistical young girl to a beautiful, elegant, kind-hearted woman.  She goes from wanting to be a beautiful princess (as most young girls do), to a mom (with dozens of kids), to a school teacher (because all the top students go to teacher's college), to a doctor (she loves the excitement of being one of the first women to attend medical school), to a manager of an orphanage (as she tries to find meaning for her life again after a great loss).  And, then there is the romance in Felicity's life: David Hawes, Edward Ray, Gus Pike, Arthur Pettibone, Stewart McCrae......  great storylines!

Girly storylines not your favorite?  Never fear!  There are plenty of plots about Felix, Andrew, Gus or Davy to satisfy you.  Felix King is an adorable little boy who struggles in school, is too competitive for his own good, gets extremely annoyed by his bossy older sister, and is full of schemes to earn more money!  It seems he is always coming up with some new idea..... that simply gets him in trouble!  He learns and grows and finds his way.  He is very endearing.  By the end, a viewer feels downright proud of him and how far he has come!

The other great thing Road to Avonlea has going for it is the excellent guest stars throughout the series.  Michael York, Christopher Reeve, Peter Coyote, Christopher Lloyd, Treat Williams, and Robby Benson each do an excellent job when they guest star.  The regular actors themselves are fabulous!  In all the interviews I have seen, the actors felt happy on the set and felt like the cast created a second family for them.         

I was sad when the series ended, but I feel just as sad knowing that Avonlea never existed.  It was always a made-up town with made-up characters.  The storyline was created from a novel written in 1911.  It was a happy made-up place.  Some people say to "go to your happy place" in your mind when you need to get away.  When I need to get away, I think of Avonlea.  I think of the white puffy clouds over the yellow wheat fields and the sound of the waves crashing against the high cliffs over the water.  I think of canoes and lobster traps and red roads and horse-drawn buggies.  I think of wild flowers and waving grass, trails in the woods, and a cool glass of lemonade.  I know it's not real, but it is happy and it is peaceful and maybe it is real in my heart. 

My top 5 books of 2012

I love to read!

It's not too far into a conversation when I ask someone, "What are you reading these days?"  My mom has a sweatshirt that says, "So many books, so little time!"  I couldn't agree more.  Most of the time, I choose to read novels over summer or holiday breaks.  This is because I have trouble putting novels down!  I devoured The Yada Yada Prayer Group series by Neta Jackson.  I loved The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I read all of the books about the Wortham Family (starting with Julia's Hope) by Leisha Kelly in only days.  If you haven't read any novels by Susan Meissner, they are all excellent as well.   

So, yes, I love novels, but I also love to read people's stories.  I read a wonderful memoir called The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure that had great information for this Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, and the love story of Ree Drummond, which read more like a novel than like true events was fabulous:  The Pioneer Woman:  Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - a Love Story.  And, who doesn't love Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. from the "Full House" T.V. show)?  She's written a very inspiring book called Reshaping It All that truly motivates one to eat right and exercise.  And, then there was an excellent thought-provoking book by Donald Miller called, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years:  How I learned to Live a Better Story.  So, I would recommend all these books!

But, when it comes right down to it, books that have the biggest impact on me are books you find at a Christian bookstore..... ones that teach you a lessson..... ones that help you live your life differently. 
In this post, I want to tell you about MY top 5.  I'll list them off first:
#5:  Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst (2010)
#4:  Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman (2010)
#3:  Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis (2011)
#2:  Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (2006)
#1:  Grace For the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman (2011)      

All five of these books have helped shape me and grow me and refresh me this year.  But, if you only pick up one, please read Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman.  While reading this book, it was as though Emily already knew me.  She knew my anxieties, fears, shame, perfectionistic ways, and my struggles to please everyone.  She knew my tendency to hide behind my mask and not live under the umbrella of Grace.  That is not what God wants for my life.  He wants me to experience freedom, joy, peace, and strength.  Believing in Grace makes that possible.  I wrote a blog entry on September 9th about my thoughts about Grace.  Check it out:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2012/09/grace-personally.html.  My favorite quote from Emily's book is as follows:

"You are not accepted because you are good.

You are free to be good because you are accepted.

You are not responsible to have it all together.

You are free to respond to the One who holds all things in His hands.

You do not have to live up to impossible expectations.

You are free to wait expectantly on Jesus, the One who is both author and perfecter of your faith."  (Freeman page 137).   

Once God had been working on my own heart to better understand Grace, He sent someone into my life to remind me of the importance of forgiveness.  I struggle to forgive people who have hurt me or my loved ones.  I don't want to be that way.  I know it grieves God when I hold on to unforgiveness.  So, I picked up a book I had read years ago when I was struggling to forgive someone else and I read it again, this time with a new focus.  Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss is about just that - it's about CHOOSING to forgive.  It is a choice.  I was not ready to forgive until I had some quality time with God and some pretty strong convincing from Nancy in her book.  The two choices had never seemed so cut and dry before.... if I choose not to forgive someone then I am choosing to let all the bitterness and junk and yuck stay inside me and fester.  Then that comes out in hurtful ways in my other relationships and in my ability to trust.  If I do not forgive, I am choosing to live with poison inside my heart.  If I DO forgive, I can be cleansed.  I can have a right relationship with God.  I can trust the people around me.  I can think about those people I have forgiven and not feel sick to my stomach or wish bad things to happen to them!  It is a choice.  I choose forgiveness.  Daily.

Kisses From Katie is one of those books you can read over and over again and find some wonderful new nuggets of inspiration each time.  In a nutshell, it is about an 18 year old girl who leaves her "perfect" life in America and chooses to live in Uganda with the 12 children she has adopted.  She runs a ministry called Amazima and has helped numerous children and families in Uganda out of poverty.  She runs a school and provides meals for a huge amount of children.  She runs a sponsorship program for children to be able to live with their families and still attend school.  She sells necklaces made by some of the women who live in a very poverty-stricken area, so they can provide for their families.  But, above all these wonderful, admirable things that Katie has done, shines her heart.  She loves God.  She loves her children.  She loves all God's people.  She is real and vulnerable and able to communicate beautiful thoughts.  Her book is not only about her ministry, but about her journey of faith and all the ways God is encouraging her and loving her and growing her.  When I read it, I was inspired to love the people around me with new fervor.  I was honored that the same God who gives Katie Davis strength and hope and wisdom, is the same God working in my life in Becker.  Katie inspires me to look for God in my life and look for opportunities to serve Him.

Another book that inspires me to see God at work in my life is a book by Mary Beth Chapman called, Choosing to See.  This too was written by an inspiring woman of God who is real and vulnerable and soft-hearted.  She tells her story... from meeting her husband Steven (a Christian singer), to her battle with depression, to her family's decision to adopt children from China, to the reality and pain of losing her youngest daughter in a car accident, and through the whole grieving process and then finding hope again.  It is sad and raw and beautiful and healing all in one book.  I can never expect to understand the true loss that Mary Beth and Steven went through, but I can be inspired by the way they chose to see God in their lives.  They created a ministry to help orphans in China who have medical needs (preventing them from being adopted) called "Maria's Big House of Hope."  I was so inspired by their ministry that I wanted to go to China and volunteer (after going to Uganda to volunteer with Katie Davis, of course).  Instead I bought a happy green sweatshirt with a drawing on the back done by Maria before she died.  It says "SEE" on the front.  I am choosing to see God when times are tough, when times are good, and all the times inbetween.  

The last book I am going to mention is Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  Personally, I have been struggling to take off the weight I have gained over these last ten years or so!  I have read lots of great books with great advice and I am following some of that advice now (I look forward to my snack of an apple each day).  But, Lysa's book inspired me to think about my weight loss goals as more than just weight loss goals.  I want my body to be a temple where God's Holy Spirit dwells.  I want to fill that holy temple with good, healthy foods that nourish my body and keep me healthy.  I want to exercise my body to bring down my high blood pressure and high sugar levels.  I want positive endorphins rushing to my brain as I exercise and take good care of me.  It can be an act of worship.  God can give me the strength to say no to that brownie and yes to that salad.  He can push me to exercise and stay active.  I need to remember that God cares about every aspect of my life.  I need to be leaning on Him.  He won't fail me.  God can satisfy my cravings.  This book inspires me to let Him.  

HAPPY READING!!      

How to make photo blocks

Buy some wooden blocks from a craft store and paint them.

Ahhhh, what lovely colors!

Cut out photos or pictures and other do-dads you're going to put on the blocks.

Lay out on a table everything you need before you start gluing.

After you have glued everything on, use a fancy schlack glue over the top to make everything secure and shiny.

Slowly it will dry and you'll be able to see your pictures again.

I had Todd drill a small hole in the top of each one.

Put the photo holder in the small hole and put a picture in it and "ta-da!" you're got a photo block!
Enjoy!

How to Make M & M wreaths

A completed M & M Wreath

1st:  bend and cut a hanger...

2nd:  Get Todd to weld the cut hanger closed...

3rd:  Cut pipe cleaners into about 2 inch pieces...

Fun and colorful...

Making wreaths involves jobs for everyone...

Drew loved his job...

Drew and Ben counted out 15 M & Ms....

Patty cut the plastic wrap into squares...
 

 

We wrapped the M & Ms in the plastic and used the pipe cleaners to close them and attach them to the hangers...

Kimberly is holding up a partially completed wreath...

Yum!  A completed wreath.....

 

 

We made one for each family:  The Breuns, The Hensens, The Iversons, and the Sapps...

You may be wondering what makes these M & M wreaths special.... Well, my Grandma and Grandpa Alber always had one of these at their house when we would visit over Christmas vacation.  All of my cousins and siblings fondly remember that we could have one baggie of M & Ms a day.  What a treat!  My Grandma's friend was the one who made them each year.  So, at Thanksgiving this year, my siblings, my mom, and I made our own M & M wreaths.  I think Grandma would have thought that was pretty great! 

Merry Christmas from The Sapps!

 

 Greetings from Todd and Jennifer!  We hope this note finds you happy and well!  Here is our Christmas letter.... a year in pictures....enjoy!  God bless you!  Love, Jennifer

Daniel graduated in May!  He works at Buffalo Wild Wings and goes to St. Cloud Technical College for Industrial Electronics.  He spends a lot of time working on his 1977 Ford Ranchero.

James and Jaimee Sapp got married in June!  They live in Becker.  James works at Remmele Engineering and Jaimee is going to St. Cloud Technical College studying to be an Administrative Assistant. 

Daniel, Jennifer, Todd, James, and Jaimee Sapp!
Merry Christmas, 2012!

Todd and Jennifer enjoyed a trip to Colorado this summer!
It was nice for Todd to get some time off from Remmele and I enjoyed each day of my summer vacation from teaching.   

This is Todd's 1948 Ford Truck and a 1957 Foley lawnmower that belonged to Todd's Grandpa Sapp, and two stationary engines (one with a grain grinding attachment).  We displayed these things at Albany Pioneer Days this fall.

Jennifer's extended family got together for Thanksgiving at the Sapp house this year!

Grandma Alber went to be with Jesus last year, but this year my siblings and I made M & M wreaths to remind us of all the great times we had with our grandparents through the years.  Yum!



We love picking out our own Christmas tree each year! 
Enjoy your family traditions!

Todd and I about to go underground on a mine tour in Colorado!
We are carrying flashlights to help us find our way. 
We are so grateful Jesus was born to help us find The Way!

 

 

 

Oh, Freedom!

Oh, Freedom!

    I adore being a second grade teacher!  November is one of my most favorite months in which to teach.  Each day, my students write down something they are thankful for.  Listing thirty things seems overwhelming to a 7 year old at first.  How rewarding to watch them come to understand the concept that you can be thankful for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!  It's a choice and it's easy.   

   I love telling my students about those first Americans who left their native land to come to the New World full of new freedoms.  They left a land of being told what to believe and were instead able to build up their own churches and develop their own faith freely.  They abandoned a land where they had to keep their opinions secret to find that in America they could express themselves in newspapers, on soap boxes, and anywhere they went.  It is hard for my second graders to comprehend a world where someone didn't have these freedoms.  These lessons build up an appreciation for our country and the freedoms we still enjoy.

  The Church recently celebrated Reformation Sunday and the impact Martin Luther had on the history of our Protestant faith.  Because he was willing to protest and make reforms, we can enjoy freedom to know God in a very personal way.  Luther rewrote the Bible from Latin to German so we could understand it and read it ourselves.  Luther taught us that we do not have to go through a priest to connect with God, but we can pray directly to God.  We no longer have to pay large sums of money to the church or do elaborate good deeds to be assured of Salvation,  but we know that it is through Jesus we are saved.

   While Luther was doing his own searching before the Reformation, he searched the Bible to find the answer to how he could be SURE he would go to Heaven when he died.  He focused on Galations, Psalms, and Romans.  Luther came to a deep understanding that it is by faith we are saved, not through works.  The heart of his discovery was found in Romans 3:21-31.  Here is Romans 3:21-25: 

   "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice......

So, everyone has sinned.  Sin must be punished.  Jesus took the punishment (He was the sin bearer) so God could be just in forgiving us.  The only way we have "right standing" with God is through Jesus.  Once we understand this and put our faith in Jesus, we begin the process of sanctification and we do our best to uphold the law and do what it is God has laid out for us to do.  

    So, just as the first Americans were free, the first Protestants under the leadership of Luther were free.  What a weight lifted off their shoulders.  Free to be.  Free to enjoy God's grace.  Free.  I'm thankful for freedom.   

95 Years Ago today

 

front:  Bob, Jean, Jane, Dona  back: Lois Ann and Bill

     My Grandma, Lois Ann (Gustin) Alber was born on September 24th, 1917.  So, 95 years ago today a midwife and doctor were at Lois Ann’s mother’s bedside bringing a crying, wriggling baby girl into the home of Ethyl and John.  Lois Ann was their first of six children.  Ethyl had been a teacher for eleven years before marrying John who was a farmer and cowboy.  Together, they raised their children in the town of Grand Island, Nebraska.  Some of Lois Ann’s childhood was spent in town and some out in the country on a farm.  The farm was bought using the savings from Ethyl’s years as a teacher.
    Lois Ann remembers her home in town as being rather large.  It had electricity and a coal-burning stove.  There was a pot bellied heating stove to warm the living room and dining room.  But, Lois Ann slept in an unheated bedroom with her siblings.  John worked at a wholesale house for $100 a month.  He roasted coffee and peanuts.  He even ordered his own green coffee from South America and created his own blend called, “Blue Ribbon.” 
    In 1928, when Lois Ann was ten, her family moved out to the farm that was 4 ½ miles from town.  There was no electricity, so among other things, the family could not use the vacuum cleaner they had enjoyed in town.  It was Lois Ann’s job to sweep the floor with a broom.  In an interview done in 1999, she explained to me, “In the winter the living room was cold because we had no heat in there except for Sundays.  I would go out and pick up snow and bring it in.  I would sprinkle the snow around on the rug and that would collect the dirt and then we’d sweep the dirt up into the dustpan.”  In the summer they would take the rug outdoors, hang it up, and beat the dust out of it with a rug beater.  The vacuum cleaner lay under the bed, unused.  Lois Ann said, “I can remember lying down on the floor and praying to God that we could get electricity, which never happened.”
    It was also Lois Ann’s job to do the ironing.  While Lois Ann worked, she sometimes sang duets with her mother (who was usually cooking or baking for their family of eight).  Lois Ann sang melody while her mother sang harmony.      
    In addition to no electricity, the house on the farm also had no bathtub.  So, the Gustin children took baths on Saturday night in a round washtub.  It was Lois Ann’s job to help wash her twin sisters, Jean and Jane, who were four years old when they first moved out to the farm.
    Lois Ann’s brothers (Bill and Bob) had to help out on the farm by shoveling grain, and shocking wheat and oats.  Sometimes during harvest, the whole family would help with the shocking, help put hay in the haystack, and help guide the work horses as they went around and around.  During dry years, when there was not enough hay to feed the cows, the children herded the cows along the road so they could eat the grass out of the ditches.  When it was time for threshing, the Gustins would have about a dozen men come to work and it was up to Lois Ann and her mother to prepare the big noon meal.  The made beef roast, potatoes, beans, corn, tomatoes, and apple or cherry pie.  The only time they put ice in their icebox was when the threshers came.
    Lois Ann’s childhood wasn’t all work and no play.  She and her family would have checkers or dominoes tournaments in the winter.  In the summer, the kids would play with the dog and cats or their pet pony.  They made up games, climbed trees, played Hide and Seek or ball games, picked mulberries, pulled weeds and played in the creek.  They had very few dolls or toys and didn’t have any playmates outside the family.  When extended family came, they would have homemade ice cream and sit at their sixteen-foot long lumber picnic table John had made.
    John moved the family to the farm in 1928 because he was hoping he could support them better on a farm than doing his peanuts and coffee roasting in town.  Little did he know that the stock market would crash just one year later (1929).  The crash didn’t affect the Gustins much at first because they were growing so much of their own food.  They had no money in the bank and were living from one crop to the next.  The girls (Lois Ann, Dona, Jean, and Jane) got to make three new cotton dresses every fall.  They would wear one for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and they would wear another one Thursday and Friday.  They washed the dresses on Saturday and started out on Monday with the third dress.  Special Sunday clothes were worn to church.
    The family regularly attended Sunday morning AND Sunday evening church services.  They sat in the back row.  John and Ethyl sang in the church choir and Lois Ann was often a soloist for church.  Her first solo was bright and early on an Easter Sunday before she was ten years old.  She and Dona had matching white dresses that year.  When Gustins arrived home after church on Sunday morning, they would sit and read.  They often had a Sunday afternoon picnic of hot dogs, beans, and coffee by the creek.  Faith was always important to Grandma.  She wanted to either be a missionary (like her pen-pal missionary friend in the Philippine Islands) or a teacher.
    Lois Ann and her siblings got one pair of new Sunday shoes every year, and wore the old ones for everyday.  The soles would wear out, and they had to put cardboard in their shoes.  They had dresses made of flour sacks.  John would buy a large amount of flour at one time so the girls could sew one dress using all the sacks at once.  The funny designs were used to sew their underwear.
    By 1933 (four years into the depression), John sold two loads of calves and got what he had paid for one cow in 1928.  He had to sell the cows in order to buy shoes for the kids.  The family couldn’t afford to butcher their own meat, so Bill and Bob shot pheasants, rabbits, squirrels, possum, and ducks.  The family also ate potatoes, milk, and eggs.  They canned corn, beans, and tomatoes and ate pies of mulberries with rhubarb.  Ethyl could make a one-egg cake using just one cup of sugar and flour.  The cake was big enough for everyone in the family to have a piece.  There was no electric mixer so Bill would beat the cake because he was the strongest.   
    Looking back on her years of living during the depression, Lois Ann said, “I hated being poor.  I hated peanut butter sandwiches.  I hated pancakes.  They were a cheap food for breakfast.  I felt people were always looking at me because I didn’t have nice clothes.  A lot of people were poor, but I still felt people were looking at me.”
    Lois Ann was in fifth grade when they moved out to the farm in 1928.  School was three miles away, so John would drive his kids in their Model T Ford.  Lois Ann described the car as a gas-guzzler!  The one-room schoolhouse was taught by one male teacher, who taught first through eighth grade.  The students marched in and out of the classroom to a tune played on the piano.  Students had to put on boots and coats just to go to the outhouse in the winter. 
    Lois Ann attended 9th – 12th grade in town (Grand Island) from 1931 to 1935.  She lived with her aunt and uncle during the week.  Her dad brought her home for the weekends.  Lois Ann walked to her aunt’s house for a hot lunch each day, stayed to do the dishes, and then walked back to school for the afternoon. 
    Music was a huge part of Lois Ann’s high school life.  She sang in a girls’ glee club and a mixed chorus.  She was in a triple quartet that sang semi-classical music.  In tenth grade she was in the chorus for the musical “HMS Pinafore” and then in eleventh grade she had the alto lead in “Rosamunde.”  That same year, she won top rating in the high school competition for vocal low solo.  Lois Ann also sang a vocal solo for her high school graduation in 1935. 
    Looking back on her childhood Lois Ann said, “One of the things that my dad tried to teach me was to be yourself!  That was way back before psychologists started telling people that.  To find yourself, who you are and then be that person…don’t try to be somebody else.”   

Lois Ann's graduation picture in 1935

Grace, Personally

“You are not accepted because you are good.
You are free to be good because you are accepted.
You are not responsible to have it all together.
You are free to respond to the One who holds all things in His hands.
You do not have to live up to impossible expectations. 
You are free to wait expectantly on Jesus, the One who is both author and perfecter of your faith.”  (Freeman p. 137)

Grace, Personally 

      There are times when I just know God is trying to teach me something.  For about the past year or so, I have felt a desire to better understand Grace.  Conversations and songs and written text with the word Grace in it jumps out at me and says, “Pay attention!”  By God’s Grace, I am learning. 
      I am a Christian….a born-again believer who has been saved by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Grace is humongous and beautiful.  God is enormous and good.  This same big God that created the world created me.  This same overwhelming concept called Grace is also a very real personal gift that can bless my individual days.  In this blog I’d like to tell you a bit about my Grace journey.
      As a child growing up in the church, I heard many a time that I am saved not because of any work I have done, but because God adopted me into His family and saved me….. by Grace.  God desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us but sin separates us from God.  God sent Jesus to be the bridge that connects us to God.  Jesus had to die on the cross, bearing the weight of all the sins we have ever committed or ever will commit, and endure being separated from God for a short time so that we could live in freedom and know God on a personal level.  I’m so very glad that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive!  He is sitting in Heaven with God, as God, because they are one and the same.  Confusing, I know!  But, by God’s Grace, maybe someday I’ll fully understand!
     Grace became a little clearer one evening during the summer of 2002, when I was visiting the parents of my friend Jill in Ottawa, Canada. Her parents explained that they didn’t know why anyone bothered with God.  Their idea of God was that he was a taskmaster who was constantly requiring work to be done for Him.  They wondered how I could live day-to-day trying to please him, hoping I was being good enough.  All at once I was explaining Grace and what an amazing gift it is!  God spoke through me.  By His grace, I was able to make it clear to them, as it became clearer to me.
     I think I understand the big concept of Grace.  Basically, God chose to save us even though we don’t deserve it.  God pours out to us His mercy and kindness and compassion and love, even though we don’t deserve it.  I am saved because God extended Grace to me, even though I don’t deserve it.  He knew his children would need Grace.  He’s our creator.   
    But, I believe God also knew we would need His grace extended to us in a way that would be uniquely personal to each one of us.  I recently read the book, Grace For the Good Girl:  Letting Go Of The Try Hard Life by Emily Freeman.  Emily is speaking my language in this book. Lysa Terkerst calls Emily’s book, “the most beautiful picture of grace I’ve ever read.”  That sums it up for me as well.  Never have I quite understood the way that grace can be a gift in my every day life until reading this book. 
    Truthfully, I struggle with fear, anxiety, shame, and a desire to please EVERYONE on a daily basis.  That is NOT living under the umbrella of Grace.  It is not what God wants for my life.  He wants me to experience freedom, joy, peace, and strength.  Believing in Grace makes that possible.  About fear and anxiety, Emily wrote, 

“I set my mind on the truth of my salvation, as one who has been given a 

spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. 
The soul screams, but the Spirit whispers. 
Fear shouts for me to run. 
The Spirit beckons me, Come. 
Fear pushes me to hide, take cover, and protect myself. 
The Spirit whispers, I have already overcome. 
Fear hurls insults, chaos, and anxiety. 
The Spirit lavishes love, steadfastness, and peace.”  (Freeman, p. 165)

    About shame and trying to please everyone, I have learned that shame happens when I try to be perfect and can’t be.  I fail.  I mess up.  It’s impossible to please everyone!  Believe me, I’ve tried!  I am learning how to give myself Grace.  “Jennifer Sapp, you don’t have to be perfect.  It’s okay to mess up.  God can take that failure and turn it into something wonderful.  God’s Grace is new every morning.  It doesn’t matter what others think.  Live your life for an audience of One.  God is bigger than you realize!  Experience His Grace, today!”
      How do I see Grace in my life day by day?  I acknowledge that I don’t deserve Grace, but it is a gift of God to be enjoyed and appreciated.  Here are some examples:
      I teach second grade in a public school.  I greatly need God’s grace to help me through my days.  He can take my weaknesses and grow them into good.  Because of Grace, I have taught for 12 years! 
      I share music at church.  I desperately need God’s grace to turn my efforts into heart-connection beauty for the people listening.  By God’s grace, this occurs Sunday after Sunday.  I couldn’t do it on my own.
       I am a step-mom who doesn’t always know how to connect with the teenagers in her life.  God pours Grace on me as He takes my feeble attempts at conversation and helps these young people see my heart and motivation.
       I write blogs, converse with friends, give advice to people around me, and try my best to communicate with words.  God takes those words, infuses them with Grace and helps me express my heart to others.
       I try hard, but I can do nothing without God’s help, in the form of Grace.  Grace is beautiful.  Birds are graceful and beautiful as they fly and enjoy their freedom.  I want to be graceful.  I want to be gracious.  I want to be full of grace – accepting it in my own life and giving it out to those around me.  Why get upset with people?  Give them grace.  Why get frustrated with people?  Give them grace.  No one is perfect.  As my sweet two-year-old niece Anna told me after I commented that her sunglasses looked perfect on her, “God is perfect and Jesus is perfect.  They are the only ones who are perfect.”  The name Anna means “Grace.”  And, Anna’s middle name IS Grace.  I pray that she will learn to accept Grace in her life in a very personal way.                    
       As Andy Stanley wrote in his book, The Grace of God, “Grace is birthed from hopeless inequity.  Grace is the offer of exactly what we do not deserve.  Thus, it cannot be recognized until we are aware of precisely how undeserving we really are.  It is the knowledge of what we do not deserve that allows us to receive grace for what it is.  Unmerited.  Unearned.  Undeserved.  For that reason, grace can only be experienced by those who acknowledge they are undeserving.”  (Stanley, p. xiv)
       When I experience Grace to its fullest, I am free.  I would like to end with the same words by Emily Freeman that introduced this blog.

“You are not accepted because you are good.
You are free to be good because you are accepted.
You are not responsible to have it all together.
You are free to respond to the One who holds all things in His hands.
You do not have to live up to impossible expectations. 
You are free to wait expectantly on Jesus, the One who is both author and perfecter of your faith.”  (Freeman 137)

Open House vs. Assessment Days

 

Open House vs. Assessment Days:  
One Teacher’s Perspective

       I am a teacher.  I became a teacher because I love kids and want to help kids to love learning.  Most days I am excited to get up in the morning and start my day working with my seven-and-eight-year-old second graders.  But, there is one day when I am not excited to get up in the morning.  That day is Open House!     
       Picture this:  You have 26 students whom you have never met.  You have been busy all day preparing the classroom and writing student names on lockers and desks and workbooks.  The students can enter your classroom anytime between 5:00 and 7:00.  Most of them come at the same time!  They come with parents, grandparents, siblings, and sometimes a second set of parents.  It can be hard to tell which child is the second grader as they come in various sizes!  It is always hard to keep track of which child goes with which parent!  You don’t know which parents are divorced, so that can be akward.  While you try to greet everyone as they come into the room in droves, your mouth starts to hurt from smiling so much and you can’t remember which child you asked about his/her summer and which ones you haven’t.  They unpack their bursting backpacks and you try to direct where tissues and paintshirts go while parents start to surround you to tell you important information about their child.  Again, you can’t remember which child goes with which parent!  And, then sometimes a name can be either a boy’s name or a girl’s name and inevitably you guess the wrong one and the parent is offended.  You grab a notebook to write down one kid’s allergy, while you listen to tales of woe about summer illnesses or parent anxiety.  All the while, you are trying desperately to make a good, confident first impression, when all you truly feel is like you are caught in the middle of a tornado!  Then once the room empties, you have to translate your own messy notes, re-do many of the name tags because John goes by “Johnny” and you spelled Anabella wrong!  It’s exhausting!
      This year Becker Primary and Becker Intermediate chose to try something a little different.  We are going to use the first two days of school as an opportunity to spend time with each individual child.  At their scheduled conference time, a student will come to the classroom, put his/her things in his/her desk and then sit down with the teacher for a beginning-of-the-year asssessment.  In the meantime, the parent sits in the hallway and fills out forms, watches an introductory video on the i-pad, and reads the classroom newsletter.  Once the assessment is done and the teacher has gotten a few minutes to talk with the parent, the two of them go to a number of stations around the school.  So, “Johnny” gets his LifeTouch picture taken in one room, gets tested on Reading Fluency (Dibels) and 200 High Frequency Words by friendly interventionists and knowledgeable specialists, and does an active SMART assessment with a Physical Education teacher.  Moms get to pay for lunch and milk break, update Skyward family information, and buy their child a special book bag, clear folder, and headphones!  Uff-dah!
      What you may not know, is that these Assessment Days save us weeks of valuable learning time!  It takes at least an hour per classroom to get fall photos taken from Life Touch.  The Dibels test takes 30 minutes per classroom and uses all the interventionists in the school for up to three weeks.  That means those interventionists cannot be working with students for three weeks!  They are simply assessing.  What a waste of valuable learning time!  The High Frequency Words are usually done by the classroom teacher in addition to the beginning-of-the-year assessment.  It takes approximately 45 minutes per child to do those two tests. 
      Now picture this:  As the teacher, you know this time of year is crucial to creating the type of atmosphere you desire for your classroom.  You have only begun to explain classroom procedures and expectations.  Very few routines are perfected.  Students are “testing” the teacher to see what they can get away with.  And, what are you supposed to do?  Individually test each child (for 45 minutes) as the rest of the class is kept busy.  What?!?!  Are you crazy?  A child can only read or color or do busy work for so long!  What a stressful situation!  In addition, the child you are testing is being distracted by the other students in the room, the loud new kindergarten class in the hallway, the 4th graders playing mini golf for Gym outside, and the telephone ringing!  Not ideal!  There must be another way!
       As a teacher, I am extremely grateful that there is another way!  Assessment Days are the way to go!  This year I am not as stressed out as usual.  I am enjoying getting the final touches of my classroom ready.  I am excited to spend one-on-one time with each student next week.  And, I truly appreciate the extra effort the parents are making to help make these days possible. 

If....

Anna with Auntie Jen

      If I had more time I would spend hours and hours with my niece Anna and my nephews Kit, Benjamin and Drew.  I would play piano and violin more and maybe join an orchestra.  I would be an exercise fanatic and make healthier meals.  Even more blog entries would be written and maybe I'd even write the book Benjamin's Rainbow Train as a sequel to Drew's Rainbow Ball.  I'd talk on the phone with friends longer.  Every minute my husband is home, I would spend by his side.  I would scrapbook more.  I would read more.  The list goes on and on.  You know what I mean.  You could make your own list!
     But, then there's a whole next level to this "If" thought.  If I had the time and energy, what kinds of things would I choose to do in the area of ministry?  Whoa!  Let me tell you about it....

• I would start a Liturgical Dance group to perform for church.
• I would do a discipleship group with middle school girls.
• I would start and lead an after-school kids choir to sing for church.
• I would lead a worship-music-themed aerobics class.
• I would help high school kids express themselves through Art in Worship (finding ways to use art mediums to express worship to God - photography, clay sculptures, watercolor, woodworking, paper, etc.).
• I would put together letters and packages to send to our missionaries on a regular basis.
• I would organize a fundraiser for either Feed My Starving Children or Show Hope Ministries in the form of a Chocolate Cook-Off that was a huge success in my brother's church.
• I would start a ministry of having kids read the Bible to people in Nursing Homes.
• I would help Todd and three of his buddies prepare Southern Gospel songs for special music.
• I would create a 16 member Carolers group to sing at church during the Christmas season.
• I would lead a small group Bible Study, a worship team, and the Children's Christmas Program!

But, alas, I am a teacher.  My life is being a teacher, a wife, a friend, and a child of God.  I know my limits.  I cannot commit to much of anything because teaching takes all of me - my energy, my creativity, my time, my brain-power, my motivation, everything.  I'm not bitter - I'm just in mourning that the summer is over and all these dreams and ideas seem impossible while I'm a teacher.  So, God uses me as a teacher.  Teaching is my ministry.  God has a plan for my new school year.  It's going to be good. 

Why I Write

"I write to find out what I'm thinking about." - author unknown

       I used to have that quote on a piece of cardstock taped on my old Apple computer.  I cut it out of a pamphlet from Concordia College's Writing Center.  It had an author documented, but now that the cardstock cut-out is long gone, along with that large-floppy-disk-friendly computer, I can only remember the quote.  That reminds me of how I can memorize Bible verses, but can never seem to remember the chapter or verse......(Hmm, "perhaps somewhere in one of Paul's letters?")!

     As a child, I would write pages and pages of fiction stories about bunnies or girls like me.  In junior high and high school I wrote for the school paper.  I liked to create multiple choice quizzes under the title, "The Choice Is Yours!"  The quizzes always had to do with silly things like what you would do if you stepped on an ant and knew the Ant Patrol saw you!  When not creating humorous quizzes, I liked to interview people and turn the interviews into short articles. I wrote about Sara who loved cats and Corey who adored her Grandma and Helena who was adjusting to life in America as a foreign exchange student from Sweden.  I wrote so many articles, that our newspaper advisor would call me his "Head Writer."  I was asked to be the editor of the paper in the fall of my senior year of high school.  I regret saying no.  I had just agreed to edit the school yearbook, and looking back, I would have much preferred being the Newspaper Editor.  But, as my mom would say, "You can't change it now!"

     Besides my public writing projects, I wrote in my journals a large amount.  There were definitely times when I just felt all mixed up inside and didn't know why.  I would sit down and write pages and pages of "stuff" and pretty soon, as the quote above explains, I would figure out what I was thinking about.  I would work through it in my writing.  I would write until I found a better perspective or until I had set some new goals for myself.  I always felt better after writing something out.  Sometimes I wrote letters to someone - honest letters that I would never send.  Sometimes I wrote letters to God - full of raw emotion and questions.  A few times I wrote letters to pastors who had given sermons that morning that I disagreed with:  "God Gets the Last Laugh" was not a good picture of the character of my compassionate, loving God!  Then there was the sermon about Jesus writing people's sins in the sand - when Scholars have written about how NO ONE KNOWS what Jesus wrote in the sand that day and I believe the character of Jesus would never do such a thing!  I could go on and on.  Grandma Alber used to call me her little Theologian!

     I also enjoy writing real letters that I do actually send.  I've always had pen pals.  I've always looked forward to getting the mail each afternoon.  And, now I enjoy emails and facebook and blogs so much that I've become a bit of a "junkie!"  But, it's all an art form - this way of expressing yourself with words.  It's fun!

    I write because it's fun.  It fills up something in me that needs to be expressed.  Writing is a part of who I am.  I may not always be able to express myself in a conversation satisfactorily, but give me some time to write it all out and I've got clarity and confidence!  I'm thankful God made me the way I am.  And, I'm thankful for my MacBook that I can carry around and write to my heart's content.  I know that some of my blogs never get read by anyone but my biggest fans - my parents, but I don't expect to have a huge following (like "The Pioneer Woman").  Perhaps one of my blogs at some point helps some person in some way and that makes it worth it. 

Puppet Louis is a star!

Allow me to introduce you to Louis!  Louis has played many roles.  He began in puppet ministry in Sharon, North Dakota and then was given over to Cornerstone Outreach Group at Concordia College in Moorhead and then he and his best friend Sasha were given 

 to me to use as a teacher or in other ways.  Ahhh, little did they know just how often Louis would be used simply to entertain!  You see, I've had a lot of friends get married through the years and so I've enjoyed providing them with some laughs.  I simply

pretend that Louis is the groom and I am the bride and we sing a very romantic song together.  Actually, we lip sync to the song "My Darling" by Doris Day and Buddy Clark.  We swoon and smooch and have a dramatic good time.  Louis has been Larry, David, Peter, Keith, Zach, and Brian to name just a few.  My dear Todd just saw Louis do his stuff on Friday night.  His response?  "I've seen Jennifer do a lot of things, but nothing quite like this!"  I think he liked it!

    My inspiration?  Sheri Lewis!  I was a huge fan of hers as a child.  I memorized the William Tell Overture words that she created to tell the story.  I knew the names of all her puppets.  In addition to adoring Sheri Lewis, I also LOVED to lip sync.  I would give performances for my parents, my friends, even the video camera in 6th grade (just imagine me lip syncing to Whitney Houston's The Greatest Love of All?).  Ha!  Ha!  Ha! 

   I've also always enjoyed using puppets to play with my nephews and niece and kids I've babysat for.  It's amazing how every child giggles and giggles when Louis pretends to eat his/her hand and then spits it out with a funny sound.  Belly laughs from sweet kids!

   I recently found this photo of me giving a puppet show at my Grandma and Grandpa Iverson's house.  I guess I've always loved puppets!     

Walk "wah wah"

In Ukraine

In Germany

I'm gonna walk "wah wah"
Sing "la la" 
Shout "OH!"
And clap my hands 
Until Jesus Christ comes again!

I know I have a friend who lives inside of me and every time I call on him I walk in victory.

Hey!  Hey!  I'm gonna walk
"WAH WAH"
Sing "LA LA"
Shout "OH!"
And clap my hands
Until Jesus Christ comes again!

Oh yeah!

Gotta love songs from our childhood.  That was one we sang in Sunday School a lot.  Some of my earliest, happiest memories of learning about God were in Sunday School Singing Time!  Here are some others I particularly remember:

"The Arky Arky"

"Praise Ye The Lord"

"I've Got Peace Like A River"

"I Will Call Upon The Lord"

"This Little Light of Mine"
"Joshua Fought The Battle of Jericho"

"Seek Ye First"

"Jesus Loves The Little Children"

"Beloved, Let Us Love One Another"

"Ho-Ho-Ho-Hosanna"

"Make a Joyful Noise Unto The Lord"

"He He He He is Alive!"

"12 men went to spy on Canaan!"
"Let's Have a Party" (from Story Tellin' Man)  

14186 Pineview Drive

 It was December of 2004.  I was a 27 year old single gal who planned to teach in Becker the rest of her life.  I had moved every fall for the past 9 years.  I was ready to own my own home.  I had a fabulous roommate (Angie Arthur).  I felt so grown up!  I had signed all the papers and had the official "closing."  This blue-sided home you see in the picture was mine!  I was soooo excited.  Allow me to give you a tour of the home I lived in for three years before I met and married the man of my dreams (who whisked me off to his home).

      Angie and I called our home "The Moose Lodge" because of the awesome decor.  It was very North Woodsy with log railings on the staircases, log walls in the living room, birch bark laminate on the kitchen cupboards, and shiny wood floors in the front room.  There was a light made of moose antlers (from Cabella's).  Angie used to tell people I would swing from the antlers sometimes!
     Todd and I still call it "The Moose Lodge" to help keep straight which house we are talking about.  After we got married, we rented "The Moose Lodge" to a nice young couple who take excellent care of the place!  It will always have a sentimental place in my heart! 
    

    I turned 28 in January, soon after buying my house.  When I came home from my birthday supper, I found my house full of streamers and balloons and my CD player was playing tunes from "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!"  What fun!  Sarah

 Olsen and some of her friends had been at it again.  That was awesome!
    Angie and I had such fun adding to the unique decor.  We were always on the lookout for greenery or "moosey" things.  We had a monkey hanging from one railing and a bear hugging another.  
    We had two open houses for church family and neighbors.  The house was jam-packed with people.  An open house was definitely Angie's idea of fun, but I'm sure glad I went along with it.  Good

 memories!
     Our living room was a place to sit and talk or read a book or listen to music.  When I had mono we brought the TV up into the living room and I laid on our couch watching movie after movie.  
     On Halloween, we had trick-or treators.  That was the first time I'd ever given candy away for Halloween from my own home.  That was great!

my bedroom

The International Room

The kitchen

The office/exercise room/music room

     My bedroom was jam-packed with "stuff" and was a fun place to decorate with dolls and pictures and things that made me happy. 
    We had three rooms in the basement - a bathroom/furnace/laundry room and two rooms that could be used as bedrooms if needed.  The International Room was also our TV room.  Angie and I loved to watch "Travel the Road" episodes down there or play "Disney Scene-It" with company.  We had things displayed from Ukraine, China, Africa, Germany, India, Papua New Guinea, Japan, and more.  The other downstairs room had my exercise bike and Nordic Track for exercising.  It had my piano and a place for my music.  It had my desk and computer too.  
     The kitchen was a great place to talk, make fabulous concoctions and enjoy tasty treats.  Our small table for four was in there (but not in any pictures).  We enjoyed eating meals there and having occasional company over to try things like "Chicken Curry" or "Pad Thai."  We creative cooks!  

Merry Christmas from Jen and Angie!

   We had our own Christmas tree (thanks to the Olsen family for giving Angie their old one).  We set up Nativity Scenes and played Christmas music all of November and December!  
    One special memory I have is of my grandparents coming to see my home.  I remember thinking that they may not ever meet my future husband or future

Grandma and Grandpa Alber got to see my home!

kids, but I was glad they could see my home and my school where I taught and my church where I attended.  It turned out that Grandma did live long enough to get to know my husband Todd.  What a blessing!  
      I have been asked if I wished I had waited and not bought a house since I only lived in it for three years (and I bought it at the height of the housing market - cha ching!).  My reply?  There was absolutely no way for me to know that a husband was coming along and I was ready to move on with my life as a single gal.  I wanted to buy a home.  It was a dream for me and I made it come true.  I think I made a good choice.  I wouldn't change a thing.