On Growing Up Fully Alive

Image by Ted Kerwin
Flickr,com_photos/tedkerwin/4244725464

My two middle grandchildren started preschool this week. While I'm excited for this milestone, deep down my heart wants to wrap them up and put them on a shelf for safe-keeping. But that's impossible and it wouldn't be fair to them (or us or the world, for that fact), if stopping time were actually an option.

There's just something about their innocence, their childish giggles and freely-given embraces that I want to keep around forever. They face each new day fully alive, anticipating new experiences looking at all things as if it was brand new and I don't want that to change in them.

In Madeleine L'Engle's devotional, Glimpses of Grace, she quotes a passage from Meet the Austins on family comforts:

"Johnny said, 'Why do people have to ... grow up and get married, and everybody grow away from each other? I wish we could just go on being exactly the way we are!'

Redefining Your Passion - or- When Life Interrupts

Image by Lew (tomswift) Holzman
Flickr.com_photos/tomswift/4837657_CC BY ND 2.0

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 1 Timothy 5:4 NIV

Passion - the past decade's buzz word. Discover your passion and immerse yourself in it and your days will overflow with joy! But sometimes, do you ever find yourself scratching your head wondering if you got it all wrong? You realize one morning your passion's steeped in hard work and toil overflows more than joy?

Sweet Comfort

Madonna- www.flickr.com/photos/michaeljzealot/
CC BY ND 4.0

He will take great pleasure in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

A medley of hymns from my childhood rings clearly in my heart when I close my eyes and listen. They were completely separate tunes until my mother gathered me in her arms and strung them together as one. It's impossible to count how often she sang over me, but this I know: it comforted me.

Decades later, I gathered my own children in my arms and rocked away the nights in darkened rooms gently whispering that same strung-together-medley: "Jesus loves me this I know...Oh how he loves you and me...Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name...On a hill far away, stood and old rugged cross...Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord." Every time I sang over them in love. Every time, it comforted them.

I miss those lingering moments of new sleep when I studied their sleeping little faces, inhaled their clean baby hair and thanked God for the precious gifts they were.

Now, six grandchildren later, I sometimes relive those times when they spend a night. Gathering them into my arms, that old, familiar, strung-together-medley reemerges, and usually, within minutes, their little bodies relax and their eyes close. If I’m honest, I linger with them when their fast asleep, tracing their familiar profiles and delighting in their presence.  

It awes me to know God looks at us the same way. I wonder how many lingering moments-when our hearts are quieted by His love-He rejoices over us with singing?

Do you have a favorite childhood tradition or memory that you’ve carried over into your own parenting or grand parenting? If not, memories can be intentionally created. Why not start today? Choose something that shows you delight over them like singing over your children as they fall asleep or sending them to school with a prayer. The sky’s the limit.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for taking pleasure in us, quieting us with your love and rejoicing greatly over us. And for those times when we might feel unloved, bring to mind how much you delight in us. 

Holy Knees

Day 14_365 by Megapixx_Flicr.com_5747041178_5d7d312d94_CC BY ND 2.0

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. " 1 Samuel 1:27-28

I crawled on my knees, for what seemed like forever, after my babies were born. As soon as they got past the sleeping/eating/sleeping routine and stayed awake to play for awhile, I was on the floor cooing and playing with them while they got their necessary social and physical exercise. Then they became mobile and I was on my knees making sure the house was baby proofed, crawling with them, chasing after them and picking up the debris (also known as toys) they left in their wake.

Prior to babies, a pair of jeans lasted me a few years. Post babies, they wore out at the knees after only a year. I remember reserving one pair of jeans as my "good jeans"; the ones I only wore out in public or on a date with my husband because they didn't show where my knees were.

Children grew into adolescents and I often missed those days of holy-kneed jeans. I didn't miss the physical exhaustion as much as the uncomplicated simplicity of those peanut butter and jelly vs. bologna and cheese type of days. It was stepping back as they made their own decisions - good and bad - when I wished for simpler days.

When boundaries set meant boundaries tested I found myself back on my knees. But this time, instead of crawling after them, I was crawling toward Jesus' feet. I was on my knees praying for them - for God’s Truth to pierce their hearts and redirect their paths. There were days, weeks, months, and years when I wondered if God heard me.

Then He reminded me of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:27-28:

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord.”

Like Hannah, I prayed specifically for my children and dedicated them to the Lord as infants. But somehow through the years I took back possession. I’d forgotten they were God’s gifts with their own hearts, traveling their own God-journeys.

And so, back on my knees, I offered my children back to the Lord - trusting His plans for them - knowing the same God who promised to never leave me nor forsake me offered those same promises to my children.

How's the knees of your jeans looking today?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." 
Proverbs 3:5, 6

Be a Life Preserver

On the ferry by C Carlstead
flickr.com_photos/cristic/560163635_CC BY-ND 2.0

Life was smooth sailing until the summer before my tenth birthday when my father walked out on us. Forever etched in my mind, it was the first day I ever felt lost.

Everything in my life changed that day--holidays, church gatherings, even after school routines--and I found myself gasping for air, barely keeping my head above water.

Our home, once overflowing with family during holidays and birthdays, now sat eerily empty as half our extended family wondered what to do with us. After-church dinner invitations halted and television noise filled the air instead of friendly conversations and kids' laughter. And, worst of all, a locked door and empty house greeted me after school because my mom now worked.

Oh, how my heart yearned for normal and the family comfort it once knew. So, I sought out family wherever I could--looking for hope for my future--praying that God would somehow allow me a glimpse at what a forever family looked like. And He was faithful.

While I bobbed in a sea of raging chaos and change, God threw me four life preservers that helped me navigate those choppy waters of a fatherless childhood and adolescence:

• An attentive teacher. Mr. P was my first male teacher and one I'll always remember. Rather than coddling me, knowing my family situation, he taught me courage. Oh, he had my back, like a good father, when the class bully picked on me, but most importantly, he helped me discover my voice. He gave me the courage to speak up for myself and to be comfortable with the sound of my own laughter. 
• A caring faith community. Shunned from our "family" church, my sisters and I sought out a loving faith community across town; one with an active youth ministry. The youth group became my family; a place of comfort and belonging, spiritual encouragement, and growth. It's where God grew me up into who He created me to be through the leadership and friends.
• A loving extended family. Newly married, my eldest sister and brother-in-law took me under their wing. They welcomed me to their extended family celebrations where I witnessed numerous godly marriages that extended decades. One celebration, in particular, a fiftieth anniversary, stood as the catalyst of hope for me. Attending with my then boyfriend (and now husband of 32 years, yay!), it hit me...there is such a thing as a godly, forever family. 
• A generous friend. Adolescence was a tough road for a single-parented child, especially one whose sisters were both married. God graciously gave me a friend from seventh to twelfth grade who generously shared her family life with me. Her parents meant the world to me as they often invited me to stay for dinner, go on vacation with them, and allowed me to share the day-to-day routine of their family. It was in that home that I caught a glimpse of a normal, loving family; the one I longed for someday. Truly, a gift from my heavenly Father.

I am forever thankful that God placed these people in my life. The lessons I learned from them remain even decades later. And as I welcomed my children's young friends into our home, I prayed that God would use our family the same way He used those precious life preservers of my youth; that for those seeking acceptance, normalcy, family, and God, they would find it all under our roof.

Are there children or young people in your life who might be drowning in some rough family seas? Are they seeking some resemblance of normalcy in their world? How might God use you and your family to ease them through this tough time?

(If you joined me here from the Christian Children's Authors blog, Welcome!)

6 things Alice Through the Looking Glass teaches us (about life and family)

Alice through the looking glass by Sami Davis Dog
Flickr.com_4243505603_c52b2c9890_CC BY-ND 2.0

I break the rules in movie theaters quite often. Like, I tuck my own healthy snacks inside my purse in order to avoid my weight gain inducing, popcorn, cheesy tortilla and soft drink cravings. But mostly, you'll find that I'll pull our my iPhone and jot down life changing tidbits hidden within a movie's dialogue on my Notes app that strike a chord. 

That said, here's the 6 things Alice Through the Looking Glass teaches us about life and family:

1. "Very important thing, a family. You only get one,” said the Mad Hatter.  Living within our families isn't always easy. I know growing up in mine wasn't easy. One day we were the perfect, twice-on Sunday and once on Wednesday church-going family. The next day, we were the newest broken, absent-father, lock-key-kid, mother-working divorced and church-shunned family in the pews. No matter how I wished my family were whole again, or wished I could live in a different family, I soon realized you only get one. You only get one family and I wanted my whole one back. 

While my prayers were eventually answered, (unique among divorced families), we weren't the same. We were still a broken family striving to erase the mistakes of my father's indiscretions.  But, living through those broken and mending years reinforced in me was that we only do get one family and I wanted mine to work.  I wanted a Godly husband and family characterized by God-centeredness, unconditional love, loyalty, fidelity, honesty, transparency, and forgiveness toward one another and our “neighbors.”

2. "If you don't go back and reconcile, you'll be sorry...You're family will be lost and you won't be able to do anything about it, " said Alice to the Mad Hatter. While my parents' reconciliation was my heart's greatest desire, it took me thirty years to work through the heartache and pain of an absent father. Unforgiveness became my secret defense weapon—holding him at arm’s length protected me from further pain. Unfortunately, I carried every relationship I had at arm’s length, hoping to protect myself from their possible rejection and abandonment as well.

3. "Forgive me?" asked the White Queen. "That's all I ever wanted," replied her sister, the Queen of Hearts. In the movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass, we learn the back story of why the Queen of Hearts harbors so much anger. You see, everyone has a back story which doesn’t dismiss their misbehavior, but it sure explains a lot. Once I learned my father’s back story and God helped me see my father through His eyes, (how God created him, how nothing could stop God from loving and forgiving him)   then all my excuses to withhold forgiveness fell away. How could I not offer my father what Jesus so freely offered me? Freely offers the world?

4. "You cannot change the past but I dare say, you might learn from it," explained Time. No, we cannot change the past, even when we offer forgiveness. We don't own a chronosphere to travel back in time to make things right, like Alice did. But, we can move forward, learning the lessons from our past and with God's help, (always with God's help) we can forge a better future. 

5. "To do the impossible, you must believe it is possible," declared Alice.  Forgiving someone who has wronged you and hurt you deeply, may seem incredibly impossible to you right now. I get that. Although God confronted me about my unforgiveness, it took me over thirty years of working through my woundedness before I finally asked God for the impossible—the courage to face my father and offer him forgiveness and ask forgiveness of him.

6. "Everyone parts with everything, eventually," explained Time.  While God created all things for his pleasure, including and especially family, sin entered the world through the first family of creation, and therefore, we all pass away...eventually. My father suffered a long good-bye. In some ways, I'd never want to relive that again and yet, it was the sweetest good-bye I've ever experienced. During his last months of life, God reconciled all the stolen years. We talked about the past and said all those important, unregrettable last words to one another. Best of all, God taught me how to be a good daughter to him; how to love and care for him unconditionally, until his very last breath.

Do any of these statements challenge you today? What are some great life lessons you've learned from stories or a movie recently?

If you joined us from the Christian Children's Authors blog today, thank you! Welcome to my blog.

Lost and found Bunny: a lesson in prayer

The Beloved Toy Rabbit by Alyssa L. Miller
flickr.com/photos/alyssafilmmaker/3601329354

If you're joining me from the Christian Children's Authors blog, Welcome! 

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6 NIV

Bunny went missing. Oh, not the Peter Rabbit sort that live outside among the garden rows and feasted on carrots and cabbages whilst we slumbered. No, this missing rabbit was affectionately called Bunny by my adoring five-year-old daughter ever since it traveled across the continent to our home via Grandma's suitcase four years prior. And now it was nowhere to be found!

Panic struck about 8 p.m. on a school night just as "T" returned to her bedroom with a glass of water in hand. Proud that she'd earned the right to fetch her own night-time drink, "T" woke me from my power nap as she snuggled between the sheets and drew up her blanket. Adjusting her pillows, she reached for Bunny only to find...nothing. "Bunny's gone!" she shrieked.

Now fully awake, I leaped to the floor and felt under her bed, under the covers, behind the bed and in her closet. Clearly, Bunny, not being "real" (although her fur had become worn, her plastic eyes were chipped and her nose was almost rubbed off)  could not have run off on her own.

We recruited the help of Daddy and Brother and after turning the whole house upside down Bunny was still lost. "T" was inconsolable and I only imagined a sleepless night ahead. Like lost car keys, God whispered into my ear, "Nothing is too small a request. If you ask me, I will find Bunny for you." Okay," I conceded. "But you'd really better come through on this one, 'cause it's "T" who's watching you!" I warned God.

Holding my sobbing daughter, Daddy and I led her in a simple prayer, "God, Bunny is missing and we can't find her anywhere. Please show us where to find her because "T" loves Bunny so much. Amen." After that God said, "Retrace T's steps." Oh, that's right, she'd walked downstairs to get her own water without me. She's the only one who could retrace her steps.

"Okay, T," I explained, "You need to think hard and retrace your steps from the time you left the room with Bunny in your arms, okay?" We followed her out of her bedroom, down the flight of stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. Still no Bunny appeared. "God, she's trusting you to help her find Bunny. You see this, right?" I pleaded.

T opened the cupboard where she reached for a drinking glass. No Bunny in there. No Bunny on the counter where she rested her glass. No Bunny on the floor or under the sink. As T headed toward the refrigerator my heart sank. "Oh, Lord, don't disappoint her. This little one's faith is strong, please show us Bunny, please."

She pulled open the door and peered inside. "Bunny!" she shouted. Yup, there was Bunny propped up next to the jug of water  with her well-loved bald spots, chipped eyes and worn off nose just smiling back at us. "Oh, Lord," I whispered through my giggles, "you certainly do have a sense of humor!"

As silly as all this sounds now, I look back at it as a tremendous lesson for T. At such an early age she learned that God answers prayers, no matter how big or small the request. When something is important to us, it's important to God, too.

What a great lesson for us all.

Blessings,

Dawn 

Purging the Attic

Image from addspacetoyourlife.com

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 NIV

It's not the first time we've cleaned the attic. In fact, it's been a process over that past six years since our kids married and flew the nest. We thought we had a good handle on our "accumulated garbage" until an insulation contractor crept up the attic stairs and started poking around. 

Armed and ready we climbed up the attic steps last weekend and began hurling unwanted, broken household items out the window and filling garbage bags to overflowing. It was easy, even liberating to rid ourselves of all that unnecessary stuff. Why would anyone keep old wire hangers or old curtain rods or broken lamps? What's the use? Those things were easy to toss!

Some boxes, though, stopped us in our tracks; (Pssst! Join me for the rest of the story at Christian Children's Authors blog. Just click here.)

Unintentional Ministry: Becoming the home where kids gather

Between Christmas and New Years Eve our home rarely sat quiet. Around noon the day after Christmas, my kids' friends trickled into our house one-by-one with their newest video game or movie under their arms until our house looked like NASA and Best Buys combined.

While the boys set up Command Central on the dining room table and fought virtual enemies, shoulder-to-shoulder, through various computer controls, the girls clumped together, dreamy-eyed, watching their newest chick flicks on the living room floor.

My husband directed Command Central and kept the boys at bay, while I gladly placed the pizza orders and collected delivery money, stocked the 'frig with soft drinks, and strategically placed platters of leftover Christmas cookies within their reach.

As the hours wore on and the all-nighter gang gained parental permission to stay and clear pick up times were agreed upon, we'd slip upstairs with our own new movies and keep our ears to the ground through the night.

It wasn’t always pleasant or easy hosting these all-nighters, whether planned or impromptu, but they were worth it...

(There's many benefits I learned as a Christian parent while hosting these parties. Join me at Christian Children's Authors blog for the list of benefits).

She Helps Me Count

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Bubble-bath clean she looks up at me with her half-mooned baby blues spilling crocodile tears and my heart puddles on the bathroom floor. She pleads with pouted lips, "Grams, I'm too tired to go home. I've just GOT to sleep here at YOUR house, please? I've GOT to."

(Grab your hot coffee or tea and read the rest at {re}fresh? Just click here.)

Endless Possibilities

Photo from The United Reformed Church UK

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

The moment the obstetrician pronounced me mother-to-be my mind swirled with questions and endless possibilities. What will I have, a boy or a girl? Will he favor me? Will she wear her father's dimples? What will he become? Will she chase after God's heart?

Through both pregnancies, I realized I was only a vessel, carrying a child created in the image of my husband and myself, but ultimately formed for God's predestined purpose. They carried an individual purpose planted deep inside that held God's unique fingerprint. It wasn't always evident the first few years of life where innocence prevailed, but rather revealed itself through life's messiest experiences and spiritual battles.

As much as my mother's protective instinct kicked in during their messy brokenness, there were situations where I had no control.

(Fly over to the Christian Children's Authors blog for the rest of the story, won't you?)

 

Less is More

From PracticalMachinest.com

 ^"Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19 (AMP)

Since I first saw the movie, One True Thing (1998), starring Meryl Streep, William Hunt and Renee Zellwger, I've adopted George's (William Hunt) mantra , "less is more." His wife, Kate (Meryl Streep) disagreed and so did my husband, arguing "more is more," until recently.

We knew there was a lot of stuff scattered throughout his dad's basement workshop and stuffed inside his back yard shed. The harsh winter of 2010 collapsed his garage and exposed his treasured heaps. We blamed the storms for the destruction and clean up, but there were no excuses for touching anything else. So, we didn't until he passed.

This weekend, between the basement and shed, we hauled off four truck loads of Dad's treasures to the dump discovering a handful of valuable or nostalgic pieces that caused us to pause. But mostly, we scratched our heads wondering what possessed him to accumulate so much stuff. Maybe it was the result of growing up lacking and never wanting to feel that emptiness again.

It wasn't the first time I've filtered through another person's earthly possessions and witnessed the liquidation of their lifetime savings. In both cases the truth about Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-20 rang clear:

 "Do not store up treasures on earth...but, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and vermin do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal."

Less is more when we invest our wealth of time, energy, talents and money into those things that last - God's kingdom and our family. The less material treasures, the more room we make to invest in eternal things. The less we accumulate, the more time we gain to invest in people, or as Ellen (Renee Zellweger) said in One True Thing, "The ones who love you; that's what counts."

Exhausted at the end of our second day, we gathered hand-in-hand around the dinner table as Mom said grace. We laughed, shared stories, gave thanks, and enjoyed our loved ones' company. That's what counts.

If someone were to sift through your possessions, what would they say mattered most to you? Is it time to start simplifying to make room for what matters most - God and family - the ones who love you?

For Mammie

Juanita Witham Bardon (left)
June 11, 1958 - March 29, 2013

 

Life surprised us last Thursday - knocked us off our steady feet. Our world came to a screeching halt and our hearts cracked right in two.

 

The woman who bore the sweetest daughter-in-law, the one my grandchildren called Mammie, suddenly left this world and entered Heaven's gates.

 

We know she's in a better place - dancing, singing, shouting praises to her King - but we are left behind gathering all our brokenness and missing her loving embrace. It seems too soon. We want one more hug, another spoken "I love you," to hear her contagious giggle and to look into her sparkling blue eyes.

 

Many more have known her longer, but it didn't take long to love her. God melded our families with unconditional love and acceptance in every respect. We loved sharing our children and grandbabies, alike. We were part of the same family where ties were extended, not broken or bound up tight.

 

We miss you, Juanita, more than words can express. While you're praising our Jesus in heaven above, I'll care for our grandbabies and tell of your love. You were best at preserving photographic memories, but I'll try harder to remember "a picture's worth a thousand words" especially to Grandmas with Cameras!

 

 

Grandmas with Cameras
by Sally Dube

Something happens to most mothers

When they are old (but still quite young =)

Their children grow up, marry

And have a daughter or a son!

This baby is the sweetest

That on earth they’d ever seen

Now that Mother has a new name

She’s now “Grandma” her ultimate dream!

She rocks and sings that little one

Her heart filled with so much love

She never knew how blessed she’d be

By this bundle sent from above.

Her camera never leaves her hand

So not to miss that smile

For this baby IS the cutest EVER

So lots of pictures in a short while

Laughing, crying, sleeping, yawning

Making sure to get each look

Rolling, sitting, creeping and crawling

Why her grandchild should be in a book!

Grandmas with cameras are a special breed

Never missing a photo op

With a flash and a snap and a “say cheese”

Their pictures just don"t stop =)

 

It's Obvious How Much He Loves Me

Yellows, oranges, and reds splashed against autumn's bright blue skies while fallen leaves rustled around my feet. First frost lingered and I inhaled its cool breath as I walked back and forth behind the mower creating almost straight diagonal lines, just for fun. Yes, I think yard work, especially mowing, is fun. Creating designs on my lawn, watching nature's changes from every corner of my yard, neatening unruly bushes, and enjoying visits from the birds and bees and butterflies thrills me. It's like playing at God's house. He lays things out there and says, "Hey, here I am. I love you."

I enjoy creating a home on the inside, too. Maybe it's the creative brain syndrome but I love decorating, rearranging, straightening, mopping, and cleaning. But, ask me to cook and I get all frazzled. Maybe it's the undoing of things, the floury messes, sticky sugar stuck to the floor, the cluttered counters and stained stove tops. I'm not sure.

But come Sunday, I cook my heart out AND enjoy every minute because that's when three (occasionally four) generations gather 'round the table and we serve up love.  We share our weekly ups and downs, cheer for our biggest and smallest achievements, celebrate milestones, make memories, and play. It's where God shows up in my sons' and daughters' conversations and through the anchored faith in my granddaughter's whispered dinner grace. It's where God lays things out around our  table and says, "Hey, here I am. I love you."

In Song of Songs 2:4 (NLT), the woman says of her lover:

 "He escorts me to the banquet hall; it's obvious how much he loves me."

It's that way around God's dinner table. He cooks his heart out, serves up love all 'round and makes it obvious how much he loves us. We are his family and He is our home. He loves us first and He loves us most. It's where he lays things out, cheers us on, listens and loves unconditionallly and says, "Hey, here I am. I love you."

How does God make his love obvious to you?

Silent Saturday

"So Joseph (of Arimathea) bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb." (Mark 15:46)

The gospels fall silent on Saturday after Jesus' body was buried.

Being the Sabbath, I'm sure Jesus' disciples gathered for the Sabbath meal but also to mourn the loss of their dear friend and teacher.

As they broke bread and drank the cup did Jesus' own word cause them to wondered what they'd missed?

It seems not. For in their mourning their hope seems lost and the realization of God's kingdom come a broken promise.

They had yet to experience the joy and promise of Sunday...Resurrection Day...the fulfillment of hope and God's promise to restore his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Our waiting for Resurrection Sunday is quite opposite of the first disciples because we know that Jesus did not remain dead but rather transformed and resurrected into his new heavenly body which brought us all the reality of forgiveness and the hope eternal life in God's restored kingdom.

Today, may you be filled with joy as you anticipate family and worship gatherings in celebration of God's restorative promise and resurrection hope through Jesus Christ.

Buzzing Around Today

Devo Kids is part of Christian Devotions Ministries whose mission is to entertain children with fun activities and sprinkle it with the teachings of Christ. Http://www.DevoKids.com

Today I am excited to join Kendra Cameron Jarvis at Devo Kids to discuss our shared passion for children's literature and my writing journey. 

Devo Kids (part of www.christiandevotions.us) is a fun, creative, family friendly website whose goal is to be THE place for families to go for spiritual study, prayer and family fun.

DevoKids posts weekly devotions from Christian writers, authors and KIDS. They encourage children to write about their favorite scripture or about their personal experiences with Christ.  Children or adults may submit art work, art projects, nature events and all around kid-fun.

Click here to see the interview and while you're there, browse the other exciting features at Devo Kids. You'll want to make it a weekly stop!

Thankful Thursday: Family

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Strong, skilled hands built it to last. Every beam and stainless steel bolt driven by love for his grandchildren. Standing tall and sturdy, I wondered how we'd ever take it down when they grew up--too cool or too big for it.

After countless swings and slippery slides, secret forts built with sheets secured with clothespins I think it's time to disassemble. But no. Instead it becomes the teenage hangout and quiet conversation spot.

Standing underneath that sturdy frame on a cool autumn day, twenty-two years of memories wrap warm around me. My son's image smiles back at me from that familiar swing--blond hair, the same overlapping front teeth, that familiar twinkle.

I call my granddaughter by her auntie's name. Wasn't it just yesterday that I pushed my daughter way up high? We sing silly made-up songs, listen to songbirds and slide down that sheet of stainless steel--all connected in love.

That's how God forms families. When we include him--invite him to build our family foundation--he fastens us together and builds us to last. From generation to generation he promises to bless those who honor him.

"His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation." Luke 1:50

Today I breathe gratitude for:

• Godly foundations
• God's images in our faces
• Sturdy hands who built in love
• Children who still love coming home
• Generational blessings
• Silly, made-up songs
• Swinging and sliding
• Building forts fastened with clothespins

Sweet Worship From Generation to Generation

“Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.” Psalm 79: 13


Since our children married I find myself longing for them during Sunday morning worship. I miss watching them get lost in praise and witnessing God’s precious Spirit wash over their faces.


God must have been listening to my heart because he gathered my family together for worship, this Sunday night. As the lights dimmed and the music began to swell my heart was full as I stood amongst my family who invited worship. Soon, my three year old granddaughter beckoned me to dance. “Grams, can we dance? Will you dance with me?”


I must admit, at first I struggled with how to use this as a teachable moment for her; to teach her that we dance or raise our hand in worship to Jesus, not just because it’s fun to move to the beat of the drums. Then Jesus whispered, “Do not hinder the little children to come to me.” So, I kicked of my shoes (and Dakota’s too) and we danced and we swayed and we worshiped Jesus together. There we were, side-by-side lifting our voices, raising our hands, raising our banners of praise to the Lord. I find it almost inexplicable.

In a quiet moment near the end, the band began to whisper a melody that has been sung to comfort four generations in my family:

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus. Let all heaven and earth proclaim. Kings and kingdoms may all pass away, but there’s something about that name.”

I was swallowed up in God’s presence at that moment, holding my granddaughter close, watching those familiar faces soaked in His presence; I was so grateful to be worshiping with my family. I am thankful that He has blessed my family from generation to generation with a passion to praise Him.


Thank you Lord, for the blessing me with a family that worships you. May our lives continue to honor you and our lips to worship you from generation to generation. Amen.

"His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation." Luke 1:50