Answers in Faith ~~ "A Grandmother's Double Delight"

To my delight and unspeakable joy, I became a grandmother several years ago.  When the first was born, the miracle of birth, of two people becoming three, amazed me even more than when it happened to me.  As I held that tiny boy, my heart swelled with so much love that tears leaked out of my eyes.  It happened again when the second boy was born.

We live in another state from our grandsons, so our trips to see them are far between. I send cards, but preschool kids don’t appreciate them like they will when they learn to read. When we visit, I always take gifts for both boys so now they expect it. I usually take them books, but from the looks of their two full bookcases, it may be time to expand my selection of gifts.

Watching these boys grow up and learn new things is rejuvenating for me. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child makes me feel young, although it’s exhausting to keep up with them. They can play and run for hours, but I cannot. I do the best I can before resting and telling them to continue their play.

We spent two weeks helping our son with our two grandsons while our daughter-in-law was on an overseas business trip. During those two weeks, we played on the floor, read books, drew pictures, ran races, played outside, went to the park, went to stores, went to McDonalds, and in general, did everything they wanted to do. We even did a few things they didn’t want to do, like picking up toys and being quiet while their dad worked in his office. We ate together, watched TV together, played games together, and lived together for two weeks.

At the end of our time there, I was packing my bag when the oldest grandson came in to watch. “I’m going home tomorrow,” I told him.

He gave me a very puzzled look and said, “But I was just beginning to like you.”

I hope someday my grandsons will appreciate the time I spent with them. I hope they never forget me. I hope they pass on my songs and lessons I’ve tried to teach them. I hope they grow up into responsible, caring, Christian men. It’s my prayer.

II Timothy 1:5 “…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is also in you.” I hope I’m like the grandmother Lois, and I will establish the faith of Christ in my grandsons so that they know it from childhood (II Tim. 3:15).

“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them” (Psalms 103:17-18 NKJV).

I want to thank my guest blogger and fellow author, Carol Kjar, for this uplifting and instructive writing.  My favorite line from the blog is when her grandson looked at her and said, "But I was just beginning to like you."  I'm confident that's a precious memory that will stay in the Kjar family for quite some time. 

As Carol mentioned in her blog, long-distance grandparenting can be a challenge. The Lord will give us wisdom how to accomplish this in a memorable way as our legacies continue.

Carol C.S. Kjar, (pronounced "care") lives with her long-time first husband in their empty nest in Boise. She spent her life doing many different things. She’s been a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a secretary, a statistician, a literacy tutor, a newsletter editor, a timber sale accountant, an archeological technician, and best and longest of all, a technical writer/editor.  

After retiring, Carol focused on writing fiction. Her novels are sweet and wholesome, suspenseful with a touch of romance. She has also written children's, middle age books, and one non-fiction book about quilting. When not writing or traveling with her husband, she loves to quilt, sew, read, draw, paint, and read to her grandsons.

Here's Carol's contact information where you can read her blogs, take a look at the books she's published, etc.

My blog is found at www.cskjar.com/blog

I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cskjar/

I’m on Twitter at @cskjar

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For those of you who are already grandparents or about to become ones, celebrate and enjoy your gifts from God as your legacies live on!  

Happy grandparenting!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Let Us Not Forget"

Let us not forget what Memorial Day is all about,

            And remember the men and women, who without a doubt

Gave of themselves to serve, many giving up their lives

            To defend our God given freedoms by their sacrifice.

Freedom is not free, it comes with  a very great cost

            By the many battles won and by some that have been lost.

Freedom is worth defending, something we do not want to lose.     

            Peace is what we long for in our present and in our future too.

So as we celebrate this day with family and friends,

            Remember those who fought for our liberties to the end.

Let us give thanks for those who served and paid the price,

            That we may enjoy our freedoms everyday of our lives.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

Submitted by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.

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Poetry & Prose ~ "The Eyes of My Heart"

Mom, the eyes of my heart will forever see,

            Just how special your love will always be.

Throughout the years you were always there,

            With gentle smiles and many heartfelt prayers.

Unwavering in your unconditional love for everyone,

            Your embraced us in the warmth of your love.

When the storms and trials of life came our way,

            You always had words of wisdom for each new day.

You freely gave of yourself to give us a better life,

            Putting aside your own desires, making many a sacrifice.

You laughed with us through the joys we shared,

            And cried with us showing how much you cared.

Now that you've gone home to be with our Lord,

            I know that I will see you on Heaven’s shore.

You are with that great cloud of witnesses watching from Heaven above,

            Cheering us on in prayer, surrounding us with your love.

           

From the depths of my heart, I thank you once again,

            For being my mom and for being my friend.

For it is the eyes of my heart that will always see,

            Just how much your motherly love means to me.

From your loving daughter, forever.

       

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures. 

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence & Happy Mother's Day!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Dad, This One Is For You"

As I reminisce about the many cherished memories

I have of my dad when I was just a child,

Like sitting on his lap listening to his funny stories

Or his silly songs causing me to laugh and smile.

My dad was a kind-hearted and humble person

Who always seemed to understand,

When I would need a hug to enfold me

Or feel the strength of his caring hands.

Even though he was a man of very few words,

He would know the right things to say.

When doubts and fears assailed my mind,

He would say,"Don’t worry, everything will be okay."

When life would bring about turbulent times,

He faced them with calm assurance and laughter in his eyes.

He reminded me that each day held promises of hope

And would point to the double rainbow in the sky.

He had an ability to discern when it was time to share

His words of wisdom and offer ways to help.

He knew when the time had come for him to step aside

And let me stand on my own and do things myself.

With heartfelt thanks and gratitude,

And without a doubt, I want my family to know,

I am grateful for lessons of life he taught me,

And he will always be my hero.

For it was only when I started my own family

That I began to ponder and reflect,

What it meant to be a loving parent

Wanting to nurture, provide and protect.

Thank you, Dad, for showing me what it means

To live my life with honor and integrity.

Thank you for being an awesome father

And being the best dad one could possibly be.

Dad, This One Is For You.

Ephesians 6:2-3

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures. 

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "In Memory of You"

    

I can close my eyes

        and vividly see you.

It’s as if you’re forever

        plainly in view.

Your smile never fades

        nor the look in your eye.

The words you so often spoke

        still make me cry.

Your favorite food, activity, and song

        I can readily recall.

When we celebrated those

        we really had a ball.

Framed photos speak volumes

        and bring a smile to my face.

The trips down memory lane

        are filled with such grace.

I’ve stopped counting the time

         since you left this earth.

That exercise is too painful

        so I choose to divert.

All of our days were fashioned

        before one of them dawned.

In a fleeting moment

        it seems as if they’re gone.

My love for you

        will always remain true.

So I’m penning these words

        in memory of you.

        

               

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Real Women - Real Answers ~~ Be A Memory Builder

Something a bit ironic happened to me this morning.   I was thinking of a topic that I could write for this blog post.  As I was getting a grandbaby ready for church, I thought of the other children in my life. Most of my own children are grown, with only two teenagers left at home.   However, I have had lots of interaction with the kids of our church.   We have had various youth groups through the ten years that we have been here including Vacation Bible Schools, Awana, and Sunday Schools. 

I realized the importance of this interaction one night at our Awana youth club when one of the 4 year olds in the class was examining a picture on the wall.   Softly, she asked me, “Who is that man on the cross?” I told her it was a picture of Jesus. She had such a somber look on her face.   “Why is he bleeding?”   We put aside any plans I had for that night’s class as I gathered the children around this picture that I was now holding in my lap, and we talked about the “man on the cross”.  I had always taught older children in a church setting. I realized now that I was with the younger children I was introducing Christ to some of them for the very first time!

The kids at the church run to me, hug me, and tell me about their weeks. “Miss Jo! I lost a tooth this week!”  “Miss Jo, I have been good for Mommy this week!” The kids in my Kindergarten to sixth grade class  visit with me about their personal interests which allow us to relate that to the gifts God has knit into them and how they can use it for His glory. I love observing as they discover the things they are good at and wonder how those passions will fit into their future.  

Let’s not forget the teenagers. Many of them are in our Civil War re-enacting group.  We can get into some deep conversations ranging from  the Word of God to real-life struggles.  We spend so much time with these kids, introducing them to their Creator, teaching them how to pray, and how to trust God.

Last week, I drove to the airport with one of the young moms in our congregation. Her five year old is in one of my classes.   He said, “Miss Jo, are we going to your house now because I sure would like to spend some time at your house?” His mom told him that we had better wait for the next week when his brother was out of school because it would not go over well if one got to come but not the other.   So I was able to share my day with these special kids in my life. 

I wonder sometimes if we are really making a difference.   I mentioned that something ironic happened this morning.   It wasn’t so much ironic as it was a confirmation. I heard a knock on my door. This is highly unusual at our country home and on a Sunday morning. I opened the door and I heard, “Are you not having services on Easter Sunday morning?” It was a boy (now almost a man) who was in one of our first youth groups when we came to the church. I am still in contact with his mom, but had not seen him for six or seven years! We visited for a few minutes while catching up on the happenings in our lives and walked down to church together.  After the service, this young man came up to me, hugged me, and said, “Thank you, Mama Jo. It was good to see you again.” My heart melted.

It made me realize that we have been handed such an awesome opportunity to impact the children around us. We are in a position that we can minister to these kids on a personal and spiritual level.  We are building memories for them that they will never forget.

Be a memory builder!

Follow JoEllen Claypool on her blog at http://joellen-love2write.blogspot.com/

Happy Memory Building & Reading!

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