Amy

Celebrating our January birthdays together in college

Anne of Green Gables vacation to P.E.I.

Amy loves music

The beautiful bride

Amy and Peter

Celebrating the upcoming birth of Amy's daughter

Amy with daughter Miriam

Allow me to introduce you to one of the dearest friends I've ever had.  Amy and I have been friends since our freshman year of college in 1996.  My experience at Concordia would not have been as rewarding without Amy there.  We did almost everything together!  Studying together, singing together, leading Christian outreach teams together, going on band tour together, walking and talking together, always laughing, being roommates two of the years, doing our student teaching at the same time, eating meals together, praying together,  celebrating our birthdays together, and spending many of our breaks together too.  I'm so thankful for our years together in college.  Amy inspired me to be a good student, to work hard on my music, and to draw closer to our faithful God.  
    Our friendship didn't end when we graduated.  We got together pretty much every month.  We were both teachers after we graduated (Amy teaching music and me teaching second grade).  We still had "Fifty Billion Things" to tell each other each time we got together!  I loved hearing about her students and the concerts Amy would direct.  Amy always had a passion for teaching music.  She now has her master's degree and continues to be an excellent teacher.  She inspires me to be the best teacher I can be.  I admire her love of teaching, her organizational skills, and her amazing abilities as a musician.  
   Both having summers off, Amy and I have taken trips together.  We went to North Dakota to see our friend Pauline and to Madision, Wisconsin to visit our sisters.  One summer we went on a three week adventure to Prince Edward Island in Canada.  It was the perfect trip for Kindred Spirits to take together.
    Amy married her wonderful husband, Peter, in 2004 and I was bursting with happiness for them.  When I married Todd in 2008, we found that our husbands got along too!  We continue to enjoy getting together often.  
    Amy inspires me in my walk with God.  She is a prayer warrior and a faithful woman of God.  We often lend each other books and attend Christian concerts together.   It is always an encouragement to learn about the ways God is working in each others' lives.  God teaches me powerful things through Amy's words.  I am so thankful!      
   In September, God gifted Amy and Peter with the most amazing blessing yet!  Sweet Miriam Joy was born.  And, what a JOY she is.  I can hardly wait to see all God is going to do in her life!  She is blessed to have Amy for a mommy.  And, I am blessed to get to be her Auntie Jen!
     Today is Amy's birthday!  What a great day to share a blog post about this amazing person!  Happy Birthday, friend! 







To read more about our trip to Prince Edward Island, click on this blog:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2011/08/pei-here-we-come.html


To learn more about the "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" project, click this link:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html   




    

Missionary #2 (Asia)

     I have a friend who is a missionary in Asia.  She grew up in Minnesota, became a first grade teacher, married the man of her dreams, and together they joined a missionary organization and moved to Asia.  They work with different people groups to create a Bible in that group's language.  It's complicated work, but my friend and her husband are the BEST!  I am so proud of both of them.  And, since this is a blog in my series of "31 Days of Family and Friends Who Inspire Me," I want to tell about ways that this friend inspires me.  Ready?  Go!
    The first word that comes to mind when I think of this friend is JOY!  She has a beautiful, huge smile, a wonderful laugh, and a contagiously positive outlook on life.  She has found contentment in being a Child of God and she exudes such peace.  One of my favorite memories of her is from her wedding day.  When it was time for the congregation to sing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" the bride and groom stayed in the center, faced each other and sang their hearts out.  It was beautiful.  Then and there I decided I would sing worship to my God at my wedding someday too.  She inspired that.  
     This friend became a teacher the same year I began teaching.  We both taught in Christian schools.  We had such wonderful conversations about the ups and downs of teaching.  She was always so encouraging!  I remember one particular conversation when we were throwing ideas back and forth about how to teach our students the concept of God's grace.  She always inspired me to be the best teacher I could be... and to give myself that same grace that I was trying to teach my kiddos.
    One example of learning to give myself grace included a life -changing conversation with this friend.  I was beating myself up about all the mistakes I make when I play piano for church.  I was feeling like I was ruining people's worship time with my fumbles and wrong notes.  This friend explained to me two very important things:  First, that playing piano is worship to GOD and therefore everything we offer Him in worship is beautiful.  A clanging cymbal is beautiful to Him.  My musical offering brings God joy.  The second was that it's not my responsibility to bring people closer to the Lord through my music.  Anyone can worship in any environment.  It is God's grace that will turn my music into something that touches people's hearts.  I just need to show up, do my best, and worship.
    On a similar note, I had a separate conversation with this friend about the pressure I was feeling to do more at church.  I can't remember if it was teaching or music or what.  But, her reply has always stuck with me,  "God never calls us to do something out of guilt."  Powerful, true words.   
    This friend also taught me how to improve my prayer life.  She herself used a prayer calendar to pray for the people in her life.  She would pray not only for their salvation or their growth in the Lord, but she would pray practical things about each person (such as help in their schoolwork, their jobs, their health).  She kept a copy of her prayer calendar on the dashboard of her car so she could pray for people even when waiting at a stoplight.  She inspires me to have a consistent prayer life too.         
    This wise friend of mine inspires me daily.  When something is hard and I have to persevere through it, I think of how she worked so hard to learn Greek and never gave up.  When I feel myself listening to the lies that I'm not good enough, I remind myself of the contentment and joy that my friend has (and I can have) because of what Jesus did for us.  When I have conflicts with people in my life I remind myself to give others grace, the way this friend would give it.  When I miss family and friends that are far away and long to be closer to them, I remember the sacrifice this friend is making by being a missionary in Asia and I'm full of thankfulness.  She is living her life for God and I want to be more like her (and ultimately more like Jesus).  I'm thankful for this friendship.  


The day of Missionary #2's wedding...

My Super Mom!

Mom and I at a popular Iverson photo spot (2014)

Mom and Dad (2010)

Mom is often seen behind a piano (2011)

     I'm posting this blog about my Mom on my birthday because that was a big day for her too!  After nine months of carrying me around, she finally got to meet me!  The day I arrived, back in 1977 was a record-breaking cold day!  Mom hates being cold, but at least she had to stay in the nice, warm hospital for a while after I was born.  
     Some of my earliest memories are of my Mom reading to me and my sisters while sitting on the warm kitchen floor.  She loved to read to us.  Mom had been a first grade teacher for three years before my oldest sister, Patty, was born.  Her favorite thing about being a teacher  was reading to her students.  Now that I am a teacher, I love to read to my students too!  Mom was also a librarian while in high school and college.  Reading is still one of Mom's favorite hobbies.  Our conversations often revolve around what we are reading. 
     Another one of Mom's hobbies is music.  She is an excellent piano player and violinist.  She has a lovely singing voice too.  When I was growing up she was the piano accompanist for the church choir and she played violin in a string quartet.  Later, Mom taught violin lessons and played violin in the community orchestra.  My siblings and I were extremely blessed to have a mom dedicated to helping us become accomplished musicians.  We each took private lessons on piano and on a stringed instrument (violin, cello, or viola). But, Mom was our one-on-one music teacher each day.  She sat with us while we practiced.  She taught me how to count, what fingerings to use, how to play musically, how to get a good tone, and so much more.  She tirelessly pounded out the notes on the piano while I tried to match the tones on the violin.  She faithfully clapped the steady beat while I tried to master a tricky rhythm.  She skillfully played the piano accompaniment while I perfected a violin solo.  I would not be the musician I am today without Mom's help and guidance each day.  We have performed for churches, funerals, weddings, and nursing homes together.  Mom taught me how to love sharing music with others.    
     Mom and I still enjoy making music together.  We like to play piano duets or play violin/piano pieces together when I come home on visits.  In 2013 we created a CD of some of our favorites.  Mom played piano and I played violin.  It was hard work, but a very rewarding project!

The day we made a CD together in 2013.

     Mom loves reading and music...but she also loves sudoku!  I consider sudoku to be a mathematical skill, so I stay far away from it!  Math and I are not on speaking terms.  But, Mom is good at math.  She was even a bank teller for a short time.  I'm not sure I would have graduated from third grade without Mom's help in math!  She was my personal math tutor all through school, actually.  Each afternoon, I would come home from school, eat my snack, and then sit at the table and work on math homework.  I'm very thankful Mom was there to help me.
     Mom is also an excellent typist.  She can type faster than anyone I've ever seen.  When I was growing up, I often heard the sound of her using the typewriter.  She was the secretary of Gopher Music Notes magazine that Dad was editor of for 15 years.  Mom moved on from the typewriter, to the computer keyboard, and now she uses an iPad!  
     Mom is a wonderful homemaker.  She and Dad made it a priority for our whole family to sit down together for supper each night.  Mom prepared healthy meals that included vegetables.  We had fruit for dessert.  We talked together around the table each night.  I never want to take that for granted.  Mom taught me how to eat a balanced diet, but I also think I inherited my love for popcorn from her!
     One of the phrases all my siblings and I have learned from Mom is, "You can't change it now!"  Mom taught us not to look back on events, but instead to "let it go" and go on with our lives.  Good words to live by.  She also taught us the importance of being nice to everyone we meet.  Mom would often say, "The world would be a better place if people were just nice to each other!"  So true.  
     Mom has taught me so much, but now that I am 38 years old, what I appreciate most about Mom is that she is my friend.  She understands me better than anyone in the world.  And, I often know what Mom is going to say before she even says it!  We can talk about pretty much anything.  I'm glad I have her for a friend and a mom!  She is always there for me.         
     Mom was born in Arkansas and grew up in Iowa and then moved to Minnesota when she married Dad.  I enjoy hearing stories of her growing up in the 1950s.  I wrote a blog post about it.  You can read it by clicking on this:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2012/06/growing-up-in-boone-iowa-in-1950s.html.

Mom and me on my wedding day in 2008

     Mom goes walking at the mall with some of her friends every single day.  She knows how to take good care of herself.  I remember as a kid going for walks with Mom.  Before our trip to Disneyworld, we would walk as a family every night       


walking me down the aisle...

after supper.  We were trying to condition ourselves for all the walking we'd be doing while in Florida.  But, the best walk that I've ever taken with my mom (and dad) was on May 3rd, 2008 when they walked me down the aisle to my Mister Wonderful.  Mom tells me that I giggled the whole way.  Good memory.  That was a very special day and I'm thankful Mom and Dad were there to share it with me.
     Mom is now a Grandma.  She and Dad have six grandchildren (three grandsons and three granddaughters).  Mom's favorite thing to do with them?  Read to them, of course!  We all gather together each Thanksgiving to spend the day together.  I'm thankful for family and for the wonderful parents who bring us together.        

Mom with her three grandsons...

Thanksgiving 2014 with the whole family

To learn more about our experience recording a CD, click here:

http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2013/04/recording-cd.html

Shannon

Shannon and daughter, Chloe

Working in the nursery together

Shannon is my newest friend.  We have attended the same church for years, but didn't connect until last fall when our mutual friend, Angie suggested we should be friends!  So, when there was an opening in the church nursery for a second helper for the Sunday School hour, I jumped at the chance!  I got to spend an hour each Sunday with Shannon...and some stinkin' adorable kids!  Each week as we played with the kids, we also talked.  We had some great conversations and our friendship grew.  We seemed to never run out of things to talk about.  We both have a passion for kids and education.  Shannon home schools her kids and I teach in the public school.  We both desire to live natural, healthy lives in the foods we eat and the products we use.  Shannon was the first person I knew who owned a juicer.  We both love travel and photos, in fact, after two of my vacations, Shannon has come over to my house to look at the hundreds of photos I took!  We both want to grow closer to the Lord.  To encourage each other, we have memorized Bible verses together.  When she went on a mission trip to Haiti, I prayed her there and back and everywhere in between.  Shannon has prayed for me on numerous occasions as well.  I can always count on her to be a prayer warrior!                
     Shannon is very real.  We can share how we feel about things and not have to sugarcoat anything.  Life is full of joys and struggles, but God is always there...listening.  He cares.  And, I have found that Shannon cares too.  I can share with her little things that bug me and big things that bring me to tears, and she listens and understands and cares.  And so, Shannon inspires me to be more real with the people in my life.  She is definitely someone worthy of my "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" series!  I'm thankful the Lord orchestrated this friendship.

Shannon with her kids...

   To learn more about the "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" project, click here:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html           

David

Childhood playmates (1983)

     My siblings and I are each three years apart: Patty, Kimberly, me, and then David.  David and I were playmates.  We played with Strawberry Shortcakes, dolls, and stuffed animals.  We used the Monopoly board for a magical land that our Get Along Gang figurines lived on.  We played dress up with old dresses and shawls.  When we played cars it was as if we were playing dolls because the cars all had personalities!  We played board games.  We went to the park together.  Part of what made my childhood so special was having David as a playmate.  I'm glad he was such a good sport!
     My brother and I were creative.  We even made up our own fitness routine called Fancy Fitness.  You can read about it at:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2011/08/fancy-fitness.html   
     As David and I grew older, we both became very busy with school and our various activities.  We both diligently practiced our musical instruments.  David played piano, viola, and trombone and had a wonderful singing voice.  Sometimes David and I played duets together or sang together with Mom playing piano accompaniment.  Together with our older sisters we are "The Iverson String Quartet."  One summer David got to be the director of the pit orchestra for a musical production put on by Glenwood Community Theater.  I played violin under his direction.  He did an excellent job and we were all so proud of him!  David also provided music once a week for a nursing home in Alexandria during his senior year of high school.  When I was home from college I would join him for a song or too.  He was good at sharing his music with others.  I've always admired David's talent and his generosity in sharing his talents with others.  
     David majored in Music at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.  After graduation, he was a band director for three years.  But, soon it became clear to him that he was meant to have a career in math.  He switched careers and became an actuary.      
     Actuaries have to be very good at math.  David is perfect for the job!  Some of my earliest memories of homework were of Mom helping me learn my math facts and David (still a preschooler) shouting out the answers from across the room.  He just thinks in mathematical terms!  He talks about percentages and ratios without batting an eye.  He can figure things out in his head that would take most people hours (with pencil, paper and calculator).  God has gifted him, that's for sure.  So, now David works for Traveler's Insurance in St. Paul as an actuary.  He's a dedicated, hard worker.  I'm proud of him.  He inspires me to work hard in my career as a teacher.  He also inspires me to try to make math fun and exciting for my students.    
     David met his wife Julia while he was singing in the Men's Chorus at St. Olaf College.  She played oboe for one of the pieces.  That's where the magic all began.  They were married in 2003.  They now live in North St. Paul and have two beautiful daughters, Anna and Naomi.  David is a fabulous dad.  He spends quality time with his girls and loves them unconditionally.  He is patient and fun.  Anna loves to dance with her daddy around the living room and Naomi always wants to be held by him.  Maybe all those years of playing girly things with me when we were little has helped prepare David to be a daddy to his girls?  He's a natural!
     David is a kind, good person.  He's a man of integrity who loves the Lord and serves Him with his life.  David is intelligent and clever.  He has a good sense of humor and a giving heart.  He accepts people and cares about their lives.  He is pleasant to be around.  There are so many things I admire about David!  I'm so thankful to be able to call him my brother.  

The Iverson String Quartet (1997)

David and Julia (2008)

David with Anna and Naomi (2014)

Brother and Sister (Thanksgiving 2014)

Caroline

Caroline and me at my wedding shower

My mentor teacher and me on Tacky Day!

     When I came to Becker in 2003, Caroline was one of the first people I met.  In fact, she was one of three people who interviewed me for the position of third grade teacher.  She believed in me and then hired me!  She and her husband (Pastor Rob) were a tremendous help in getting me moved into my classroom.  Caroline kept on giving and giving.  She became my mentor teacher.  She was the most supportive and helpful mentor a new teacher could have!
     Not only did Caroline help me get settled into my new teaching position, she also helped me get involved in my new church.  She let me sit by her week after week at the morning service.  She introduced me to people and made me feel so welcome.  It was such a blessing to have a friend!  She took interest in my life and my faith.  I get overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about how helpful and kind she was to me during that time in my life.
     Caroline is a woman of God with wisdom and depth.  I admire her so much.  She has listened to me and given me council on numerous occasions over the years.  We have prayed together and laughed together.  She has taken me under her wing as one of her "extra daughters" at times.  She and her family have helped me celebrate my birthday.  The year I turned 30 they made me a poster with 30 words on it that described me.  It was so encouraging!  One summer, I went to Ukraine with Caroline's two daughters and our mutual friend, Angie.  Caroline and Pastor Rob prayed for all four of us throughout that experience.  I could feel their prayers.
     When Todd and I began dating, Caroline was one of the first people with whom I shared the exciting news.  She stood by me in the entryway of her home and prayed over me.  She prayed for Todd and me again at our wedding ceremony.  She and Pastor Rob have been such a support to Todd and me during these first seven years of marriage.  They have touched our hearts.
     When I decided to do my "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire me" project, I knew I had to include Caroline.  She inspires me to be the best me I can be.  She has always believed in me, so she helps me to believe in myself.  May I grow to be a wise, caring woman of God touching the hearts and lives of others...just like Caroline!     


Pastor Rob, Caroline, Jennifer, Todd (2008)

The Olsens

To learn more about the "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" project, click here:
http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html

My Terrific Dad!

Dad attending one of my recitals (2003)

     I will forever be grateful to my dad for the many things he taught me and all the ways he provided for me in my growing up years.  He has always been an inspiration to me.    
    Dad always supported me and my siblings in our music.  He and Mom came to every concert and recital that they possibly could.  I like to say that they are my "biggest fans!"  My siblings and I each took private piano lessons and private string lessons (violin, cello, viola) plus David took trombone and I took voice.  That's a big expense, but Mom and Dad made our music a priority.  Practicing our instruments was a priority too.  It was considered our "chores" and if we missed one day of practicing, we had to do double the next day.  This helped me learn how to be a hard worker.  I am very grateful Mom and Dad expected us to practice.  They gave us the gift of music.  That is a gift we can enjoy the rest of our lives.
     My dad has always been a hard worker himself.  While I was growing up, he was an elementary music teacher, editor of a music journal that went to all the music teachers in Minnesota, landlord for many apartment complexes, and choir director of the Methodist Church Choir.  In the summers he taught Keyboarding at summer school too!  Now that he is retired from those things, he works for Allied Concert Services.  He helps communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana bring live concert performances to their towns.  It's a huge job, but Dad thrives in it.           

Dad was Grand Marshall of the Vikingland Band Festival in Alexandria.

     I knew I wanted to become a teacher when I was in about eighth grade.  Part of what fostered that was the fact that my Dad was a music teacher.  I enjoyed helping Dad put up his bulletin boards each fall.  In the photo below you see a bulletin board that I put up using pictures that Grandma had made years prior.  Grandma was a first grade teacher and Grandpa was a math teacher, music teacher, and superintendent of schools.  I have always been proud to be from a line of educators in my family.  What an inspiring heritage!        

Dad's mom and me in Dad's music classroom (1993)

    My dad is a good conversationalist.  In fact, he is a master at it!  He can talk to anyone... and he does!  He has had fascinating conversations with people on airplanes, standing in line, attending conventions, sharing a meal, etc.  He asks great questions and is extremely knowledgeable.  He loves to learn from people and that inspires me.  I once heard that the definition of an extrovert was someone who got energy from being around others.  That would be an accurate description of my dad!         

Dad and Mom at my wedding in 2008

     Dad loves travel.  As a young man he and a buddy took two scooters and drove around the perimeter of the United States.  After that successful adventure, Dad scootered around the world!  He saw some amazing sights and met some interesting people.  He collected instruments from all over the world and shipped them home.  As a child, I was fascinated by his stories and by the international instruments we had displayed in our home.  He inspired in me a desire to see more of the world.  

     Dad and Mom took us kids on some wonderful family vacations.  The trips always included visits to as many national parks as possible.  This developed in us an appreciation for the natural beauty all around us.  Dad grew up in Montana and North Dakota, and I always enjoyed hearing him expound upon the joys of the big, open sky and the freedom of the wide open spaces.  

Dad drove us away in his Saab convertible

     Dad appreciates art.  He and Mom have some very unique pieces of art in their home.  Dad has a good eye for lighting, technique and artistry.  He could have been an interior decorator.  He can visualize a space and bring it alive with just the right piece.  I'm not surprised that when looking for a home for himself and his new bride over forty five years ago that he chose one designed by an architect.  Their home was designed by the same architect who created Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis and St. John's Abbey at the University of St. John's.  Some day I plan to write a blog post about the house.  

     The four of us kids all attended college (thanks to Dad and Mom) and are grown and married now.  We all appreciate Dad and Mom and all they did for us as we were growing up.  Now there are six grandchildren who enjoy coming to visit Grandma and Grandpa's house.  New memories are being made.  And, I'm thankful.              

Dad with two of his grandkids, Kit and Tia (2014)