Have a GRAND Summer! May 29, 2009

They are both clearly etched in my mind as if I was still a little girl.  Nannie and Granny were two of my favorite people.  I loved the way they looked, smelled, cooked, laughed and made me feel so loved.  I remember running my fingers over their wrinkles and asking Granny where “they” came from.  (I certainly know now!!)  I didn’t know my grandfathers, but my grandmothers were precious to me.  They still are even though they’ve been gone for decades.

Grandparent-grandchild relationships are truly special.  Perhaps you’re a grandmother who visits our little blog.  Or a mom whose children have one or more grandparents who provide the roots of your family tree.  Whether “grands” live nearby or across the country — Christians who share our values or unbelievers — keeping that tie is usually very important!  Here are some ideas for grandmothers and mothers to keep “grands” in touch over the summer.

Grandmothers:

• Offer to babysit so Mommy and Daddy can have a night out; and bring their favorite treats or maybe rent a movie (check with their parents first on this one…smile).
• Build a “fort” under the dining room table with pillows for “sleeping”, snacks and a book to read.
• Play dogs and use raisins or fish crackers and apple juice in bowls on the floor as the doggies food and water.  (Yes, get on all 4′s and lap it up with them!)
• Bake cookies together and enjoy warm ones with a glass of cold milk while others are baking.
• Call them just to ask how their day is going — whether near or far, grandkids love to get phone calls!
• Email them an ecard: there are lots of fun interactive ones at places like www.hallmark.com or www.happydaycards.com.
• Kids love getting mail!  Send them a card, note, McDonald’s gift card, simple gift….the sky is the limit!  (Again, even if you live closeby this can still be fun.)

Moms, help your kids to:

• Make pictures and send them in the mail.  Most grandparents LOVE refrigerator pics.
• Take some “grand” pictures with the kids doing different activities and with varying expressions (including goofy ones) to mail or email.
• Make a video of the kids telling stories, talking about their trip to the zoo or just greeting the grandparents.  You can even post this on utube if your parents use computers.
• Call and let Grandma and Grandpa hear their little voices.  I know how much this means to grandparents who live out of town — I’ve heard they LIVE for those moments!
• Train your children to warmly and affectionately greet their grandparents.  (Whether in person or just over the phone.)  Some children do this naturally while others need training.  Whether they see their grandparents regularly, occasionally or rarely, this is a simple way to honor their role in your children’s lives.
• Include grandparents in special events with a call or email:  getting or losing a tooth; riding a two-wheeler for the first time; sounding out the first word they read all by their self; crawling or walking; etc.

Perhaps you don’t have a close relationship with your or your kids “grands.”  If not, I’m thinking this must be challenging for you.  These kinds of little things can actually help to build a better relationship one little step at a time.

Whether you are close (relationally or geographically) or not, make this summer GRAND for your family!

Posted by Kayla, Wyatt, Annie, Danae, JJ, Elsie, Sam, Issac and “coming soon’s” Granma

Christmas Day is Here! December 25, 2007

Luke 2:8-20 In
that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch
over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing
you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will
be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and
lying in a manger.”
   

And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them
and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord
has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and
Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they
made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard
it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all
these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had
been told them.

On behalf of the Metro Blog Team, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas! 

Posted by Debi

1 Day To Christmas… December 24, 2007

… Ask good questions.

You know it’s good to ask your kids deep questions. You can tell a lot from their answers.  When I ask them "What is your favorite thing about Christmas?" or "Why do we celebrate Christmas?" it can be a very good indicator of where most of their ideas of the Christmas season are coming. 

It’s not just about tradition for me these days.  Yes, I love our advent calendar and pulling out our Little People Nativity set.  But I have a bigger challenge on my hands; the large task of laying a foundation and readying the soil of my children’s hearts for the Holy Spirit to work. 

We are celebrating The Savior’s birth.  The Savior that I pray they will one day know and love and serve.  Yes, it’s better to give then receive, and yes, getting our tree from the same place every year is very special.  What is most precious to me is watching them learn and begin to understand that Jesus, who paid for their sins and rose from the dead at Easter, came as a baby in Bethlehem in a manger.

AMAZING!!!

Posted by Taraleigh

2 Days To Christmas… December 23, 2007

…The Christmas I remember most.

I was 16 and my brother was 10.  Mom and Dad had been through a very challenging year.  Finances were tight and Mom was worried about Christmas.  Money had never allowed for many gifts, so Mom learned how to stretch her limited resources to make Christmas special.  (And, of course, there was that special Christmas when Santa brought me a new bike!)  So she was thrilled when Dad told her he would receive a $300 bonus from work!  That was a lot of money — especially in 1970.

Then Dad attended a holiday missions presentation at our little church. 

You would have to have known Dad.  He regularly brought home stray animals and often gave whatever small amount of money in his pockets to the lady taking Salvation Army donations in front of the grocery store.  So when Pastor Day talked about the needs of a missionary family serving sacrificially oversees, Dad gave generously. 

In fact, he gave all $300 of the Christmas bonus.  Without talking to Mom.

I didn’t hear their exchange when Dad got home.  Mom was a very generous and tenderhearted woman, always ready to give to anyone in need.  But this was her children’s Christmas Dad gave away.  At 16, I was old enough to know Mom wasn’t happy with his decision. 

That Christmas there wasn’t much under the tree.  I later learned she skimped on groceries and washed clothes by hand in the bath tub instead of using the coin-operated washers at our apartment development to save Christmas money.  But I remember the off white pant suit with the pretty gold pin and the cool brown boots she had noticed me admiring weeks before. Mostly, I remember the year Daddy gave away his Christmas bonus to people who needed it much more than we did.

Were your finances tight this year?  Were you unable to get the things for your children you’d love to surprise them with?  Has God providentially hindered you from making Christmas as "special" as you’d like due to situations out of your control?

This Christmas may be the one your children remember most.

Posted by Sheree

3 Days To Christmas December 22, 2007

…How God used Santa for GOOD in my life!

I grew up with Santa Claus.  He was probably my favorite person for the early years of my life.  I received gifts from him on Christmas morning and I thought he was the cutest person in the world.

It was Christmas Eve 1961 and my brother and I were in bed for the night.  I couldn’t sleep…neither could he.  Suddenly he ran into my room whispering, "Sheree…get up…Santa is here!!"  I was scared to death.  If Santa was here I certainly wasn’t going to go and actually look at him!  What if he saw me?  What if he punished me for spying on him by taking my presents?  But Randy grabbed me by the arm and insisted we tip toe down the steps.  I remember feeling like my heart would beat out of my chest.

He was there!  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  And he had brought the two-wheeler I had asked for!  It was the most exciting moment of my life.  But then he turned his head and I noticed how much he looked like my Uncle Ray!  Same round face.  Same big nose.  Same big belly and large hands. What in the world was happening?  Was my Uncle Ray Santa Claus?!?!?

That night fleeting thoughts I had refused to let sink in were confirmed.  Santa Claus wasn’t real.  That’s why he looked a little different every time I saw him.  I remember feeling a little sick to my stomach that night.  I remember having thoughts in the years following that I wouldn’t let my children believe this lie.  Besides, JESUS was the reason for Christmas. I no longer loved Santa.  In fact, I didn’t like him at all.

Perhaps this girlhood crisis made me want my children to know the One who is real and who no one can impersonate and who will never disappoint.  My parents did a wonderful job teaching me about the true meaning of Christmas.  Yet Benny and I decided to let our children know from their youngest ages that Santa was cute — but not real.  We have no pictures of our children sitting in his lap.  And when then 5-year-old Josh told the children next door that he wasn’t real (even after we had told he and Jaime that this was our secret and to please not tell it to other children!) we were very apologetic when their mom expressed her great disappointment in our son. 

But, frankly, even though we were genuinely sorry for his disclosure a part of our proud, self-righteous hearts were kinda glad our son had taken a stand for the real meaning of Christmas.

Your friends and family may celebrate differently than you do.  Maybe your holiday traditions are more "spiritual" than others or you feel their purchases are excessive and rooted in worldliness.  Or perhaps you feel superior to others because your holiday traditions are much more "unselfish" and other-oriented.  Please don’t repeat our mistake by allowing self-righteousness to invade your heart. Perhaps their traditions and spending are completely fine with the only One who truly knows the hearts of men.

God used Santa to expose my self-righteousness, and He has been faithful to continue to use other situations over the years to continue to do so. (Like the more recent Christmas when I had the proud thought that someone I knew sure was spending a lot of money on extravagent gifts for their children…as if it was any of my business!) Is there anything He is using in your life this year to expose sinful attitudes toward those who celebrate differently than you?  If so, the conviction of this sin may be a priceless gift to you — and to me — this Christmas.

Posted by Sheree

4 Days To Christmas… December 21, 2007

…CHARACTER BREAKFAST ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

A tradition we started the year of Caleb’s first Christmas was to go out to Disney for a Character Breakfast!  (Something my family had done a couple different times when I was a child.)  We started out just going with my in-laws, but over the years, different family members have joined us.  It is so much fun to have a big breakfast, get to see all the Disney Characters and just be together!  We have made so many memories at those meals! 

After breakfast, we always jump onto the monorail and ride around to the other resorts to look at all the fun decorations!  They have massive Christmas trees, a life-sized gingerbread house, candy sculptures, etc.  We often pick up last minute stocking stuffers in the stores as well!  (Can’t beat Mickey lollipops!)

Our family looks forward to this fun tradition every year!

Posted by Stephanie

5 Days to Christmas… December 20, 2007

…Traditions passed on to a new generation

One of my favorite childhood memories is getting up on Christmas morning and hearing Daddy read the "Christmas Story" from Luke 2. He and Mom wanted Christmas morning to begin with the reminder of what we were celebrating. Even though my little hands wanted to tear into the gifts as a girl, over the years I came to treasure hearing Daddy’s voice…"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus…."

I can almost hear it now, even though he’s been with the Lord for over 30 years.

When our children started coming Benny heartily agreed to take this tradition into a new generation.  The first time I heard him start reading Luke 2 my eyes filled with tears; It had been 5 years since Daddy died.  And now it was my son’s Daddy reading him the "Christmas Story."  Every year since then the story has been read.  In their early years the story was read in the Virginia home we purchased from Mom after Daddy died…and now at home in Orlando. 

Three of my children have little ones of their own.  Will they carry on the tradition to yet another generation?  Sometimes I picture little people I will never know hearing my grandchildren and great grandchildren reading them the Christmas Story.

Thanks to Daddy.

Posted by Sheree

6 Days To Christmas… December 19, 2007

…HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY JESUS.

One day every year my children can count on having Chocolate cake for breakfast.  And that day is Christmas morning.  Every year, usually right after they see their first presents under the tree, we bring out the cake.  It is no ordinary cake, but a special birthday cake for Baby Jesus.  We write "Happy Birthday Jesus" on the cake and sometimes sing to Him.  It is a wonderful reminder of why we are celebrating that day and who it is all about in a way they can really understand.  And for us the cake is always chocolate since we think that is what He would have liked best.

Posted by Elyse

7 Days To Christmas… December 18, 2007

…Commemorative Ornaments.

A fairly new tradition we’ve begun is actually celebrated on New Year’s Day.  As the Christmas ornaments begin to go on sale, I look for ones that I can give to each member of my family as a token of what we’ve seen God doing in their lives throughout the past year.  We gather for lunch on New Year’s Day to eat, and as each gift is opened we remember what God has done.  It’s amazing how many varieties of ornaments that you can find, and even if I haven’t found exactly what I am looking for, the Lord provides a way for me to make it. 

For example, last October our married son and daughter along with their spouses took a trip together to North Carolina.  Both my daughter and daughter-in-law were in their first trimester of pregnancy, so Tom let them take our SUV for their comfort as well as their safety.  Little did we know how important this decision would become to our family;  On their way home a semi-truck driving in front of them lost its
rear axle sending it bouncing into their path.  It hit the front end of our SUV and bounced over the roof and into oncoming traffic.  It missed hitting the front windshield by inches.   Our daughter-in-law was sleeping in the front seat and would have been seriously hurt had the wheel hit any higher.  Our family was greatly aware of God’s protection on their lives in those few seconds.  He spared not only our children, but the lives of our unborn granddaughters!

To commemorate such an event I wanted to find an ornament that looked like a wheel or a tire.  Tom said that would be impossible…or was it?  Shopping at Publix one day I happened down the pet toy aisle, and guess what I saw?  A miniature black truck tire (some billed it as a chew toy for dogs), but I saw it as the perfect ornament to give to my son and son-in-law.  All I had to do was add a Christmassy ribbon, and it was perfect.  This ornament reminded us all that God is leading and guiding us, and He will bring us safely to where He wants us to be.  After laughing at the unlikely Christmas ornament, we were all acutely aware of God’s sustaining grace. 

Posted by Debi

8 Days To Christmas… December 17, 2007

…Candy Cane Evangelism.

Many of us make and give away so many goodies during the Christmas season.  I know I certainly love to do this, especially to neighbors, the mailman and others that we may not get to show our appreciation for during the year.  Several years ago, after reading "The Legend of the Candy Cane" my son asked if we could give out candy canes and share the real meaning of them with our neighbors.  I thought it was a wonderful idea, and we typed out copies of the Candy Cane poem and tied them on to candy canes.  We then attached these to all our goodies as an easy way to share the gospel with others.  It only takes a minute, and it’s an easy way to share the true meaning of Christmas with those who may not hear it at any other time of year.

Posted by Elyse

P.S. from Sheree:  I’m so glad someone found something meaningful to do with "Old Man Canes."  I’m grateful to have inspiring friends like Elyse to humble me…and provide YOU with a compelling example to follow!  She has obviously been much more successful with her young children than I was at using the canes to teach a wonderful lesson to them.