A "Real" Red Elephant, God's Faithful Love & Trust!

Today I want to share something with you once again, which I originally wrote a year ago, and then add a few more thoughts. Last year I wrote . . .

“My three grandsons are young; seven, four and two years old. I love these ages, because they are just the right size for time in grandma’s lap – which of course, just fills my heart with joy! I know when my own children were young, they were the same way, but as they grew up, “lap time” came to an end. So, I treasure these few years when my grandsons are young. I enjoy the things they say and do which make me laugh and I love opportunities to snuggle them in my lap. 

Because they are still young, there are times when this is more clear than others. Today I’m going to share one such time with you. My grandsons typically spend Friday night at their Poppa’s and my house for a sleepover. Last Friday, Caleb (four years old) brought his red elephant toy/pillow with him. It reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit, so I’m quoting a bit for you . . .

grandma's cookbook - Potato Soup in the Slow-Cooker

I love cooking with my slow-cooker and I love a nice, hearty, soup – especially on a cold, winter’s evening. It is pretty wonderful when you are able to combine these three things . . . or at least two of them, because this year it is not really so very cold here in Michigan . . . it is 37 as I write this and expected to reach 55 in a couple days.

At any rate, when you can combine these things, it makes for a wonderful meal for family – any time of year! So, when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for a potato soup which you make in the slow-cooker, I had to check it out!

The recipe looks pretty simple (you'll find it at this link) – chop potatoes, veggies and add cubed ham, cook for a few hours, add a little flour, cream and sour cream – cook a bit longer and voila! Soup!

grandma's cookbook - Pizza!

My grandsons find pizza to be a treat they enjoy . . . no big surprise, but one grandsons in particular; my five-year old grandson, LOVES pizza! On his birthday when he gets to choose the menu, he chooses pizza. When it is not his birthday and he is at my house, he asks – ever so sweetly – if we can have pizza! Yes, he is a big fan of pizza.

Sometimes we order pizza, but other times I like to involve my grandsons in helping me make our own pizza, so last week I decided to make pizza and wanted to try a new recipe I found for the pizza crust. I have to say, the crust recipe is excellent – you’ll find it at this link. It is really easy to prepare and bakes up tender and just perfectly!

Gabriela, the 2017 American Girl Doll Girl of the Year™ - I'm Giving One Away in May!

Friday the delivery truck brought a box to my door – inside was the new American Girl Doll Girl of the Year – Gabriela! So, today I’m very happy to announce, once again on May 24, 2017 I will be giving an American Girl Doll away – this time it is the very lovely Gabriela!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway in Five Days

I’m happy to say Leela is the winner of the book; God Made You Nose to Toes! (You’ll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Leela for reading grandma’s cookie jar (please email me your address at [email protected] by January 24, 2017, so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Choose to Be an Intentional Christian Grandparent who Trusts God

Recently I wrote about trust, and what it looks like for my grandsons to learn to trust God by trusting me and my love for them. But, as I read in 1 and 2 Peter today I was challenged to think about what it looks like for grandparents to trust God. To really, sincerely trust Him.

The world we live in is at times frightening. At other times there is a fair amount of uncertainty - we wonder what things will be like for our grandchildren as they grow up in a world which is increasingly moving farther and farther away from God.

I know there is nothing more important to me than to be able to see my grandsons choose to love, know and walk with God. How could anything else be more important?

It can be too easy for us to think no one cares as much as we do about our grandchildren choosing to love, know and walk with God; and may even think God does not care as much as we do. But nothing can be further from the truth. God does care. He cares the most; even more than we do.

Grandparents Can Make a Difference - By Being Intentional Christian Grandparents

Yes, I originally shared this with you this past November after the first-ever Legacy Grandparenting Summit, but since I've been writing about how grandparents can make a difference in the lives of their grandchildren, I decided I wanted to share the Intentional Christian Grandparenting Declaration with you once again. Larry Fowler challenged us with this in his general session that Tuesday evening (November 15, 2016) - is it not how you feel as an Intentional Christian Grandparent? Watch this video . . . 

Grandparents Can Make a Difference . . . By Helping Their Grandchildren Know God

I’ve been writing about how grandparents absolutely can make a real, significant and important difference in the lives of their grandchildren – they can point them to Jesus and they can regularly and faithfully pray for their grandchildren. Doing these things absolutely makes a real and significant difference in the lives of their grandchildren. Today I want to write about another thing we must do . . . help our grandchildren have open eyes so they are able to identify how God works in their lives, develop a thankful heart and remember all He has done for them.

Throughout the Old Testament we see how generations of Israelites grew up who did not know God or remember what He did for them. When this happened, they fell away and no longer followed God.  Just a casual look at the world around us shows how this is happening once again – generations have come along where they do not know God or remember all He has done for them.

I want my grandchildren to know God. I want them to have open eyes, so they are able to identify how He works in their lives. I want them to have thankful hearts and I want them to remember all God does for them – which is an essential part of them having thankful hearts. So, I’m going to share with you some of the things I’m doing with my grandsons to help them with these things . . .

just for fun - Let's Have a Heart Hunt!

Valentine’s Day is just about a month away, so if you are looking for a fun idea you could try with your grandchildren; consider holding a “heart hunt”. What is a “heart hunt” you ask? Well . . . think Easter egg hunt, or like I wrote about last month, a Candy Cane hunt, but substitute small paper or foam hearts.

Grandparents Can Make a Difference . . . By Praying for Their Grandchildren

Yesterday I wrote about one way grandparents absolutely can make a real, significant and important difference in the lives of their grandchildren – they can point them to Jesus. I shared a simple way we can do this . . . by reading books to and with our grandchildren and let you know about several of my favorite books I like to read with my grandsons.

Today I want to point out another important and essential thing we can do as 

grandparents to make a real, significant and important difference in the lives of our grandchildren . . . we can – and must – pray for and with them.

Grandparents Can Make a Difference . . . By Pointing Their Grandchildren to Jesus!

If you read the Legacy Coalition facebook page, you have likely noticed, and probably enjoy, the photos or memes, which are posted, typically, a couple times a week. I have several which are favorites . . . I especially like the one of the grandpa holding a grandchild and says; “Grandparents, the Original Laptop!”

 

The other day they posted one of a grandpa holding a baby and it said; “One Grandparent Can Make a Difference”. This is absolutely true. Grandparents absolutely can make a difference, so for the next few days, I’m going to share with you some of the ways we can make a real, lasting and important difference in the lives of our grandchildren; starting with . . . we make a difference in pointing our grandchildren to Jesus!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway in Five Days!

I’m happy to say Jessica B is the winner of I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! (You’ll find my full review at this link). Thank you Jessica for reading grandma’s cookie jar (please email me your address at [email protected] by January 17, 2017, so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

I'm Giving Away a Book Tomorrow

Tomorrow, on January 10, 2017, I’m giving away a fun new book . . . one copy of, I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! You’ll find my full review at this  link  along with all the details for entering the drawing! You still have time to enter . . . someone will win . . . maybe it will be you! 

Fun with the Boys Which Really Matters

My grandsons were at our house for their weekly sleepover this past Friday night, so Saturday morning, after our usual breakfast of monkey bread, bacon and scrambled cheesy eggs, we spent time doing Science, the Bible & Fun. The boys did a fun experiment with cooking oil, water, food coloring and Alka Seltzer tablets . . . they LOVED the “explosions” – we will do this project again for sure . . . we learned about the eight-year old boy named Josiah who became king so long ago, how he made the choice to obey, what we can learn about obeying from King Josiah and we worked on the boy’s prayer journals.

It was a fun morning – filled with many things which make this grandma’s heart “sing”, but the thing which still has me so happy is when my sweet Caleb (five years old) climbed into my lap, looked at me, smiled his biggest smile and said; “Grandma, I love you and I love Jesus, too!”

I love to spend time with my grandsons, but beyond having them over each week 

because I like to be with them, I do this because I want them to be boys who choose to love, know and walk with Jesus - now and throughout their lives. If having them over and spending time with things like Science, the Bible & Fun give me the opportunity to help them learn more about God, then it is well worth the time - there is nothing I could do with my time which matters more.