Bear with me as I brag a little. I’m certain I have the cutest and smartest grandchildren ever. They’re growing so quickly and they amaze me with all they’re learning. They’re constantly listening and repeating each other, their parents, and me. They know song lyrics and bedtime stories by heart and they’re already memorizing scripture. …
Jesus In Me
How long have you known me? All your life? All my life? A few days, weeks, months, years, or only for a season? Much of your knowledge of me depends on our relationship to one another, but even more on your relationship to Christ. In families and within communities, there are degrees of relationship. I …
Invited By The Bride
When you’re invited to a wedding, where do you like to sit? If you’re close kin, your seat is usually reserved, but when you get to chose, do you sit close or near the back? Do you choose an aisle seat for a quick escape or so you can see the faces of father and …
Eyes To See
New grand-babies means additional car seats and I believe in being prepared, so I used some of my Christmas bonus bucks to order the first one last week. It’s stored away in the guest closet and I have the bruises to prove it. When I hoisted the box chest-high to clear the footboard and stepped …
Eye To Eye
Little Amelia points to the floor next to her and says, “Sit down, Lolly.” She has a game she wants to play or a book to read, or maybe she just backs up into my lap or grabs me around the neck and gives me the biggest hug she can muster. When we’re playing outside, …
More Than God
It’s the time of year for making wishes and wishlists. I’m from the era of Sears Roebuck & Co. Christmas Wish Book. Eldest of three, I learned that checking the mail insured I got the first look. I remember pouring over the pages, cover to cover, listing, revising, and listing again. My shopping was limited …
Drawn To The Light
We added room darkening shades to our guest room so our granddaughter will nap. We thought it would keep her from waking at the crack of dawn as well, but she is her father’s child. He has always been an early riser. She is awake with first light and often before. One day last week, …
Show Me
YouTube is proof positive that we live in a show me culture. If you’re unsure of how something works or how to fix it if it’s broken, a quick search will bring up half a dozen video how-to gurus. I needed to know how to prune my fig tree last year. I found nine different …
Answering the Enemy
What are your last wakeful thoughts before you fall asleep each evening, the thoughts that follow you into sleep, whether consciously or subconsciously, informing your dreams? Mine tend to be instant replays, like a slide show of conversations or events from the day. Sometimes I’m deliberate about transferring them into longer term storage because they’re …
This Way
Most grandparents have an advantage over parents in one respect- we have long ago gotten over ourselves and we do the silliest things without batting an eye to get a giggle from our grands. Most parents, even the fun loving ones, hesitate to be thought undignified, especially when anyone’s watching. I remember my own daddy …
A Fitting Reply 