You're never to old to learn

My husband and I were blessed to have brunch with our son and his family this Father’s Day. Of course, Little J stole the show. Little J’s parents are going to have so much fun watching their son grow and learn. I still have fond memories of some of the great truths my children have learned over the years, truths like:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They (parents) always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10)The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.


And what I have learned? I've learned that:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt. (Much)
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

Tomorrow, I hope to visit my father; he’s 95 and still has a thing
or two to teach me. I already know what he’d tell me, go for the gusto, forget the nuts and enjoy the fudge. Don’t worry about the wrinkles – they are merely badges of honor – wear them proudly.

No worries

A week ago today we were celebrating our daughter’s marriage. A lot of work goes into planning a wedding; it seems kind of strange not to still be in that planning stage. The event itself comes and goes; it’s almost a whirlwind of memories in my mind. All the things my daughter and I were anxious over never came to pass. Our worries were in vain. God had everything under control – all in His hands. It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful day for a wedding. God provided everything we needed and more.
I don’t know why I was so anxious over the wedding, I guess I forgot that scripture where Jesus says “Be anxious over nothing.” He provides all we have need of it.

When I think about times spent with Heidi, the best memories that come to mind are those when we did nothing special. We simply talked, walked, laughed, cried and lived life. And now she gets to enjoy these moments with her new husband of doing nothing special – just enjoying one another.

Life is precious folks, its God gift to us – what we do with that life is our gift to God. Make every day count, be anxious about nothing. Let go and let God have his way in your life.

Here Comes the Bride

“Little girls are really kind of nice
Especially when they put their
Arms around your neck
And hug you tight.

And sometimes only daddies
Can tuck them in at night
Fix their dolls and broken toys
And help them ride a bike.”

(From the book “Bits and Pieces From my Mind”
By Connie L Hawkins written for daughter, Heidi)

Our little girl is grown and in fact getting married this month.
Planning a wedding reminds me what an
important job parenting is. It’s not an easy job.
Training them up in the way they should go
means using tough love and making sure the
word ‘no’ is never misunderstood. Sometimes it
means traveling down their path to see where they are
coming from or where they are going.

I remember in the heat of an argument my daughter telling me,
“Why can’t you just treat me like a friend?” To which I responded, “You
Have plenty of friends; but only one mother.” And nothing has changed.
So many parents try to be a friend to their kids when what they need
most are a mom and a dad – parents presenting a united front.

I hate that phrase, “I’m just a homemaker” -- it is THEE most important
job you’ll ever do, pleasing in God’s eyes! I wish for my daughter a
happy life. I know she’ll be a terrific wife and a great mother. After
all she had a good role model and I had a great teacher--my mom!

(This article is also scheduled to appear in the June issue of His Banner Newspaper)

A Faithful Friend

I can’t believe we’ve been in this house ten years. I remember the move like it was yesterday. We lived in the Linwood house 27 years; it was a bit overwhelming to pack up and move. I stood in my kitchen surrounded by piles of boxes praying, Lord, I can’t do this by myself. I need a helping hand. That’s when the phone rang. It was my friend, Betty, asking me if I needed help packing. Did I ever! Betty is a whiz at organizing things. She had the packing detail whipped into shape in no time – even Bill’s corner of the basement! By the time the movers arrived everything was packed and labeled.

I remember telling Betty, that it would be nice if God came down from the heavens to lift a hand and she said, “Here I am. If you need help, all you have to do is ask.” Someone has said that God has no hands but ours…no feet but ours. Sometimes we are God’s hands and feet as Betty was in my life the day that I needed help. A friend is only a phone call away.

“A faithful friend is an image of God” French Proverb.

Happy Mother's Day

My mother taught me everything I know and a few things I probably didn’t need to know! She’s been gone awhile now but in my thoughts and in my heart she is still very much alive. If she were today I would say: Thank you, Mom, for stretching me. For helping me to see new ways of relating, new causes to consider, and new interests to explore.

Thank you Mom for all the time you spent pondering my concerns, pacing the floor waiting for the phone to ring because I said I would call and didn’t.

Thank you Mom for respecting my opinions and for supporting my decisions and my projects; for the down-to-earth practical help you’ve given me both as a parent and a friend.

But most important, thank you Mom, for instilling in me Christian values and for reminding me that when facing life’s challenges to never forget that with Christ as the centered of my life nothing is impossible.

This is a day to rejoice in

I love watching my grandson play. He goes through the toy box with eager anticipation; he can’t wait to see what he’ll find. He loves everything inside that box…a new book to read, a stuffed bear to hug whatever the treasure he trusts you that it’ll be good for him. Oh, the wonder of being a child, when everything is new and fresh – and every day exciting. That’s kind of what it’s like when we first come to Christ. Everything is new and exciting. It’s an excitement that we should never let fade away. We should never take one single day for granted but bask in the glory of being alive pausing to remind ourselves ‘this is the day that the Lord has made, we should rejoice and be glad in it.’.

Little J fights taking his naps because there is so much to see and do and he doesn’t want to miss a single minute of his day. We should fight the sin in our life in much the say way ‘resist the devil and he will flee’ only then can we really enjoy every single minute of the day that the Lord has made for us. Nothing is worth more than today. “When one has much to put into them, a day has a hundred pockets.” Friedrich Nietzsche

A day with Little J

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Looking forward to a day with my grandson even though Grandma isn't quite with it today! When I arrived at J's house, he was just waking up from his morning nap. He was all smiles as he showed me his new giant Elmo purchased at the mom-to-mom sale! He drags it around with him from room to room; it's bigger than he is -- so cute. Mom wanted to bake so my job was to keep the little man occupied and out of the kitchen, but first things first -- lunch. After a delicious but messy lunch tray of Mac & Cheese and peas (Yuk) we are off to the living room to stake out the toy box but J was more interested in what was going on in the kitchen. What's to go into the oven? Hum-m I wonder what he's thinking? Oh, to get his little hands into the mixing bowl!

In the mean time in spite of the fact that the little man has attached himself to Mom's leg, Mom is trying to mix up a batch of muffins, but interruptions abound.

"I think I smell something," I say, "A poppy diaper, perhaps?" With rolled eyes, Mom, hoping Grandma would do diaper duty, stops what she's doing to change the little man. Back to the toys we go, but little man wants to know what's happening in the kitchen so off he trots to help Mom load the dishwasher...well, she's loading, he's unloading! Grandma is falling behind in her job to occupy J.

"Hey," I say, "We should go outside. I can take J for a stroller ride." Mom stops what's she's doing (again), hauls the stroller out of the garage, buckles the little man into the seat--that takes a little doing; Grandma would have never figured that one out. Whoops need some sun screen and a sun hat. Mom dashes into the house for the necessary items but not a toy in sight for the little man to keep him busy as we merrily roll down the side walk. It's almost 2pm. Sun is hot -- it's 80 degrees out! But there's a breeze which is nice. Up and down the sidewalk we go. I doubt we even traveled a block, but up and down we went -- three times. Little J is having fun taking his hat off his head and throwing it on the ground. Grandma soon tires of this game.

"Knock knock--we're back!" Mom throws open the kitchen door, and looks at her watch. We've been gone all of 20 minutes -- maybe. "Hey, we're thirsty!" I say. "And it's hot out. Can we come in?"

Well of course, Mom smiles. At least the muffins got into the oven this time! Back inside we attack the toy box again and Elmo. Toys all over the floor and books scattered everywhere, I'm thinking Grandma needs a nap. But the little man wants Grandma to read the bubble book. I thought we hid that book! OK then...'bubbles bubbles everywhere...' 3:00, time for a juice break and a diaper change. Isn't it napping time? Yes, it is. J goes happily down for a nap with Elmo in tow. Grandma can't believe it but she's thankful. "Good nap little man." I blow him a kiss. Ah, there's Grandpa; he's come to retrieve Grandma who needs a nap of her own!