March 30, 2010 Pray for Holly

Wind!  I think I'm back in North Dakota...uff da.

I have a prayer request for a young woman, Holly who has LAM. She has received a double lung transplant and like our Lindsay has retroperitoniel cysts that are causing bleeding and clots which can be fatal if not controlled. Holly has had ups and downs since her transplant but showing improvement.
Pray for healing and strength for her in these days of recovery. Pray for her parents Roxy and Bruce. As parents we sit, pray and wait beside our loved one with sometimes a heavy heart. Pray for hope and joy in this Easter season as they celebrate the Hope of the World, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

March 28, 2010

Fifty years of ministry were celebrated today at Prince of Peace. Many memories and really funny stories were shared. It is good to laugh. I was again amazed at the number of young families and children filling the worship center this morning. Signs of "new life" amid the recollection of the past were permeating the church today. We were challenged to "fix our eyes on Jesus" each day as we follow in the Way. With a grateful heart to all who call Prince of Peace their home, Lois and I drove away knowing that Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" as we look forward to the next fifty years of ministry as a church family.

March 27, 2010

It's my sister's birthday today...Happy Birthday Bonita!!
I sat with my Father and Mother this morning and we talked to Bonita on the speaker phone of my cell phone. My Dad said "hello" to my sister which is very special these days. It was such a joy to watch Dad's face with a glimmer of a smile on it. He was so pleased with this moment with his family. God is good.

I had a special experience yesterday that I will never forget. As I pulled up to my son's home in my truck I could see my grandson, Haakon in the doorway window. I stepped out to hear a gleeful cry, "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Haakon's hands and arms were waving and his face was a glow with a huge smile. It was one of those moments I will never forget.

We have been given the privilege of crying, "Abba, Abba... Father" because of what Jesus did on the Cross for us to become children of God. When we cry out, "Jesus...Father God...Spirit of the Living God" it is sweet music to the ear of God. In joy or sorrow we come as children to be welcomed by the Father in the name of the Son, Jesus.

Romans 8: 14-17
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.


Abba Father hear our prayer and receive our praise, Amen

March 24, 2010

Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
exulting in his salvation.  Psalm 35:9


Friendship is one of those gifts one needs to continue to give thanks for and rejoice. My wife best friend from childhood has a birthday today. We give thanks for the love shared and the tough times lived through together. We have dear friends from California who we celebrated 39 years of friendship with recently.
Oh how God has blessed us. Friends in Christ and life!

March 17, 2010 Happy St Patrick's Day/Dancing Haakon

Check out my dancing Grandbaby at the MN State Hockey Tournament! He is such a joy and gift.
You can find him on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM2qSrU0U4Y
Love him to pieces!
Blessings my friends
Tedd

Lucy, Lindsay's dog, has been my constant companion the past two months. Whereever I go Lucy follows me. She sleeps close to me so if I move she will be ready to go. We have become "close" as they say.

During this time I have sought the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort.
Like Lucy, the Spirit of Jesus is always close. The presence of the Spirit of the Living God continues to seek us out.

Opening up to the Spirit of Jesus is simply saying "Come Lord Jesus, abide in me more each day."
Jesus desires to give us life and peace.
Ask. Seek. Knock. Find.

Tori and Lucy keeping an eye on the front door!

March 6, 2010

Adorable, precious, inquisitive and simply lovable...words to describe our grandson, Haakon. We had the joy of watching him this afternoon and evening. He is sleeping now and is a picture of pure joy. We are so fortunate and blessed to be able to care for him. He entertains us with his repetition of words and actions. He is like a little sponge. He is soaking up everything...the good and the questionable stuff too. He is so good it makes one wish time would stand still for awhile so we might be able to enjoy him longer at this age.

He is a gift from God!

Thank you, Father!

March 5, 2010

For anyone of us who might be struggling with life's challenges...words of hope and life
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

Take time to read   Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 This was a part of my devotions this morning from Robert H. Schuller's writings... it challenged me "to grow where I am planted." Risky Business? Or A Dream of Possibility?

March 04, 2010

Robert H. Schuller

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." ˆ Exodus 15:2a I will never fully know to what extent being born an Iowa farm boy made me the possibility thinker I am today. I don't think anything is more exciting than springtime on a farm. I remember many years when Dad needed all the grain of last year's crop to feed the cattle and livestock. But there was one little corner of our corn bin where there was grain, and Dad would never touch it. I would say to him, "But, Dad, you still have some grain in there." And he would tell me, "No, Bob, that is next year's seed corn, and I cannot use it for feed." So he saved it. Then the spring came. How desperately he needed every kernel to feed the livestock. But what did he do? He buried it in the ground. Now suppose my father had studied the odds. Suppose he had said, "Let's see, I've got a kernel of corn. If I feed it to the cattle, I know it will be productive. I can be sure of it. There is no risk. On the other hand, I can plant that kernel of corn in the ground. That's infinitely more risky. Weeds could choke it, birds could eat it, it could rot, or the hail and winds could destroy it just as it starts to grow. It could be worthless. It's risky to put the kernel of corn in the ground. But if I do, it just might multiply a hundredfold!" Don't wait because something is risky. Break loose and begin before it's possible. Only then will your dream really become a possibility! Prayer: O Lord, you are my strength, my song, my salvation. Therefore, I will risk doing what I've never dared doing before.  * * *  Where in your life do you need to risk more? In a relationship? In a work venture? In tithing? In giving your life more fully to God? Now think about this: "Great people are common people who dare to make uncommon commitments to God."

March 1, 2010

On Sunday little Sophia was baptized. I have had the privilege to baptized hundreds of babies and adults. This time I simply watched. Yet the words "Sophia, child of God you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the sign of the Cross forever..." are some of the most beautiful words spoken and written. They tell me "Whose I am and who I am."

I watched her Mom and Dad as they looked into Sophia's face as the water touched her head. Such love in those eyes of the parents. Sophia came to the "waters" with her pacifier in her mouth...Love it! She didn't have to do anything but receive the "Gift of New Life" that she will be raised in and called upon to affirm and embrace in the years ahead.

Someday Sophia will look into the eyes of her parents and say, "I believe; I know that Jesus is the Forgiver of my sins and the Leader of my life." The gift of faith is passed on by the Holy Spirit in such a profound yet simple and natural way. Thanks Jesus for caring so much for all that you would die and rise again for the forgiveness of sin...so too we go with you through the "waters of dying and rising" each day of our lives in You; sealed and marked.

February 24, 2010 LAM Foundation

Lindsay Ostrem Roach 1977-2003

Missing her today...Oh what blessings we have!

Praying for all the Lammies out there.

http://www.firstgiving.com/Tedd_LoisOstrem

February 22, 2010

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything.  With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.  Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand.  And this peace will control the way you think and feel.  Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper.  Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.
~Philippians 4:6-8 (CEV)~

Ever wonder or worry about "tomorrow"?

Most of our worries never become real. I find myself struggling with some piece of life and it keeps me awake at night most frequently. I turn to what I know; meditation on the Name of Jesus. I shut out the noises of the day or the dark of the night with the Name of Jesus. As I pray and focus on Jesus it helps me to be still. Seeing Jesus in my "boat asleep during the raging storm" gives me confidence I too may sleep and not fear or struggle. I see the calming of the storm as Jesus comes to sit with me. He calms whatever fear or anxiety I might have and sleep comes.

What a great way to go to sleep...try it.

February 18, 2010

 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
       my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
       he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
       he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
       pour out your hearts to him,
       for God is our refuge.
       Selah

                          Psalm 62

My blessings!

My beautiful wife and grandson. God is so good.

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:10-12

Happy Valentines!

Hope you had a special Valentines Day. Lois and I were able to spend two great days with my father and mother. We had our grandson, Haakon and his Mom and Dad with us. We took a four generation picture with my father. Dad was very lucid and enjoyed his great grandson, grandson and grand daughter-in-law. They sat by each other as Haakon checked out his great grandfather's shirt and hands. It was the best Valentine celebration in years for our family. I hope this picture speaks for itself.

February 9, 2010

Jesus taught his followers on a hillside to "let their light shine"...

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16 ESV

This past week Lois and I were able to pick up Grandson Haakon from pre-school. When he got home he was so glad to see his Daddy. He went over to his pile of books and grabbed his favorite...his Daddy read to him and sang the song in the book..."This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going To Let It Shine". He held his little index finger up as his Daddy sang, "Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine! 

Passing the light on is done everyday in so many ways. Jesus' Light shined all over us in that precious moment with Haakon and Justin. 

May Jesus, The Light of the world, shine on all of us. "Shine Jesus Shine!"

Oh When the Saints came marching in...2010!

What a year for the New Orleans Saints! They were the "Cinderella" team that seemed to be destined to be victorious. A bunch of cast-offs and hard luck stories came together to become the champions. I've not been a great follower of pro football for a number of years but with Favre fever in MN and "The Saints"...Who Dat! it was a year to watch.

Dear Friends and "Saints"...
Sometimes we might feel like a bunch of cast-offs and misfits full of hard luck stories. It is probably true more often than I wish to admit that I tell myself those defeating messages in life. Isn't it interesting that we would tell ourselves things about ourselves that we would never think of telling others to their faces. It is at times like these that I need to remind myself...I'm a saint. By the righteousness of Jesus Christ I have been made a saint. By Christ's Cross I am redeemed and restored daily. Not a misfit or a mistake but a "made new creation" in the image of God in Christ. Imagine your Image in Christ. Oh when the saints come marching in...your in the ranks!

February 3, 2010

Living and growing...
One of the ever present calls on our lives is to grow and live as Jesus would desire for us. It is not an easy journey. The scriptures are full of illustrations and exhortations. Paul's is one of the most compelling.

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:3-11

Humbling oneself or allowing oneself to be humbled is a growing experience. It is counter intuitive. We are taught to strive to be number one by our culture and our nature. This is a season of learning new things about myself. Growing in different ways than anticipated. Praying and listening. Being lead; not leading. Learning to "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...".

January 30, 2010

Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. 

For consider what great things he has done for you.    1 Samuel 12:24

The gentle reminders of Scripture ripple through time...serve and give thanks to the Lord.

Finding our place and purpose in the seasons of life is challenging. Keeping our eyes and hearts on Jesus helps one sift through the distractions of life as we seek to serve. Considering the wonders of God's love shown for us in Christ is the root of all thankfulness in a redeemed and regenerated life. 

Child of God you have been sealed with Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ forever!

January 29, 2010

I have had "light" shined into my life this week by numerous friends and family. My prayers for "light and life" continue to be raised up for all of us in our lives. Relationships are the fabric of life and mine has been rich this week as Jesus' Light was "shined" on me through others.

In my devotions the following quote stuck with me because I have been the recipient of such "Light".

Why not be a light (Eph. 5:8)—through your smiles, kind words and deeds, and diligent work. Ask God to bring opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ. You may be the only light a co-worker sees today.  — Dave Branon