Abundance

Flowers = Abundance,
Abundance of colour,
Abundance of scents,
Abundance of beauty.

Jesus said "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly."

Abundance of joy,
Abundance of peace,
Abundance of love,
Abundance of grace and mercy,

When I drink in the beauty the surrounds me I am mindful of the beauty that abundantly flows through me when I bow down and say, "Not my will by Thine be done."

Small Children: How They Empower Me

They light up when I come into the room.

They never notice that my hair looks like a rat’s nest.
Frumpy clothes don’t phase them.
They don’t cover their ears when I am over exuberant.
They don’t complain that I ramble on.
When I screech them a song they say “Again, pleeeease!.”
They wade through my clutter thinking me a kindred spirit.
Misspelled word are not within their radar.
They beg me to join them in their playground games even when I’m a klutz.
My beliefs and opinions are never too radical or offensive to them .
They are quick to forgive me when I hurt them.
They love me unconditionally.
God give me the grace to be as accepting of their quirks and idiosyncracies as they are of mine.

Bringing Up Mother

My children have dedicated their lives to bringing up their mother to be a credit to them. As I waddled my way through pregnancy and delivery they taught me that dignity is a luxury that is highly over-rated. During their infancy they taught me to love sacrificially. My babies and toddlers taught me to be still and to live in the moment. When they were little they showed me that looking at the world with a sense of wonder could help me find my way as I travel through life. During their childhood I learned patience. As teens they tried to cultivate in me a sense of style and sophistication that could be paraded in the public domain with no embarrassment to them. Instead I learned humility. As young adults they are teaching me to let go. Children - how could we ever grow up without them.

Scrubbing and Cleaning Can Wait

Scrubbing and cleaning can wait till tomorrow
For babies grow up we’ve learned to our sorrow.
So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

My wise mother-in-law made me a cross stitched sampler when my first baby was born with this poem on it. It hung by my rocking chair and was a constant reminder that there was nothing I needed to accomplish that was nearly as important as time spent savoring the people God had entrusted me with. I think I might just hang it back up.

A Letter From Grandpa

Dear A.,
It is 11:23 a.m. January 21, 2010; twelve short hours after your birth. A few minutes after you were born Grandpa and Grandma gazed with amazement upon you; a miracle, conceived in love, nurtured by your mom and dad and skillfully delivered by the hospital staff. We are thankful for your safe arrival and for a gracious God who makes provision for such a miracle as you. Today is the beginning of life for your precious soul with intelligence and emotion to expedience each day to its fullest; both its joys and its sorrows, and a spirit to guide you now and into eternity. May God grant us all, as your family and community, with love and the wisdom to provide you with the nurturing necessary to propel you into a long spirit guided useful life - a life of love and service to God and kindness and compassion for others so that you may soar and become everything God destined you to be with His grace.
Warmly, always with love,
Grandpa

Our Precious Boy

It was ten o'clock at night when we I was jarred out of my stuper by a call from the hospital. "They are doing a C-section," our son said. "If you get here by 11:00 they will let you see the baby for a few minutes." (A few minutes turned into almost two glorious hours.) Mom is doing better than expected. Baby weighs 7 lb. 5 oz. Dad is glowing. Grandpa marveled, "How can anyone so beautiful be formed by two cells coming together?" Me, I'm a happy, exhausted grandmother. Nanna and Pappa G. are sad that they couldn't be here but thanks to modern technology, saw pictures of their grandchild as soon as we saw him.
Here he is. Isn't he amazing? Thank you to all of you who have been praying for his safe arrival over the last several months.

The Matriarch

She bore little resemblance to the picture on the mantle of the radiant young bride. That picture was taken over sixty years ago. Today she sat in the corner at the family gathering with her white hair plastered tight against her head, wearing her pale blue blouse with the pink flower print, tucked into her polyester pants with the elastic waist. She had on her grey orthopedic shoes. Her hearing wasn’t what it used to be and there she sat, the matriarch of the family, unable to follow the conversations that were going on around her. Was it really worth the effort to bring her to these family gatherings? But look more closely. You will see the beauty of Christ reflected in her eyes as she gazes at her family gathered around her and if you listen carefully you will hear her say the same words to you that God said to His people thousands of years ago, “You are precious to me. I love you and give you honour.” When she is no longer able to attend these family get togethers it will feel like the fire has sputtered and died and no longer provides light and warmth for the family.

Which Lap

He said, “Come child, come sit on my lap.”
“Have you been a good girl?” he asked. “I don’t give toys to naughty children you know.”
I assured him that I had been good.
“Have you cried? I don’t like crying and pouting.”
“No I never cry. Sometimes I feel like it but I suck it up.”
“Good girl,” he said. “Now tell me what would you like for Christmas? I can have my elves make you whatever trinkets your heart desires.” (It wasn’t until later that I learned that his elves where really children working in sweat shops in third world countries.)


He said, “Come child. Come unto me.”
“Oh no I couldn’t.” I said. “I’m not good enough to come into your presence.”
“Nonsense! My love is not conditional on your goodness. I molded you in your mother’s womb. I have delighted in you since before you were born. Just come as you are.”
I came. He comforted me while I poured out my pent up tears.
He lavished me with gifts.....gifts like an exuberance for life, serenity, and the ability to love others freely.

I was left with a choice. What would I celebrate this winter..... Santamas or Christmas.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
So there lay Humpty - broken, lonely and dejected until he looked to his Maker with tear stained eyes and a submissive heart.
His Maker picked Humpty up and meticulously transformed him into a stronger and more radiant egg than he had ever been before.

The Way I See It

Hello! My name is Charlie. I spend a lot of time in quiet reflection. As a result I have acquired several pearls of wisdom. This is what I have learned:

• You don't have to do anything. If you just sit and watch the world it will still continue to rotate.

• You might as well just enjoy the moment.

• It's wise to find pleasure in little things.

• Play hard. It heals the body and refreshes the mind.

• Be curious about the world. It's amazing what you can learn.

• Choose your friends cautiously. Not everyone who goes gaga over you has your best interests at heart.
  

• Don't let the mood of others dictate your mood. Sometimes when others are grumpy they just need someone like you to show them a little love.

• Eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you're satisfied.

• Time spent having a nice relaxing bath before going to bed will help you sleep.
  

• Stretch your body and mind. It keeps them flexible.

• Greet your loved ones warmly every time you see them.
  

• There's nothing as satisfying as snuggling up with someone you love and having a nice nap and that's just what I'm going to do right now. I hope you've enjoyed my pearls of wisdom.