Have You Ever Been There?
We've been brainstorming and setting up a new blog at our house. A Mother's Rewards will remain active. There were just so many tips and ideas on economical living coming our way. That we decided the best way to share them would be to just begin a completely new blog. Doing this will enable A Mother's Rewards to remain focused on its purpose while providing an opportunity for the rest of the family to contribute as well. We have been having a lot of fun setting it up and sharing our ideas with each other. There has also been a lot of opportunity for me as a mother to sit back and observe my children operate in their individual giftings. What a wondrous blessing that has been.
As much fun as getting Living Large on Less online has been, it has also provided me with numerous opportunities to observe some not so blessed yucks in myself. One of these "yucks" is that I really don't share very well. I have been suspicioning this for some time. Unfortunately, I had to face the ugly reality of truth in this matter. Being of the fix-it sort of mentality, once the truth sank in, I immediately set about eradicating this sin from my life. Guess what? Sin is rarely present in only one area of our life. I don't fail to share well only in teamwork situations, I fail to share well all of the time. Yuck O Yuck! No wonder my children find sharing so difficult to do. I don't provide them with a Godly example. Needless to say, I share better now than I did several days ago, but there is still much room for growth. I imagine that there are attitudes to root out and eliminate from my heart before the fruit of selfishness is completely gone. This revelation wouldn't have been such a humbling thing if I hadn't just been reading a book by Ted Tripp titled Shepherding A Child's Heart. In this book, the author was addressing the discipline of addressing the heart issue behind a child's behavior. For example, if a child refuses to share his/her toys, the issue isn't not sharing. It is that the child is failing to prefer another as the Bible teaches. Ouch! As I kneel down to confess my sin before my Heavenly Father, I have to ask: Have You Ever Been There? Have you ever had an ugly truth about yourself laid bare? Have you ever realized that even though you've been walking with the Lord and seeking His face, there are still ugly places in your heart and life? If you haven't been there, then you aren't growing. For the Father disciplines those that He loves. Hebrews 12:6 Praise the Lord, He loves me, and He loves you as well.
On a different note, my grandmother is very close to going Home now. Thank you for your prayers for my family and myself. I am so thankful for the blessed, happy memories and final time with Grandma during the holidays. The wonderful memories of her smile and joy of the children will help to tide us over beautifully until we are all together again AT HOME.
The Seasons of a Grandma's Love
A Grandma's Love it knows no bounds
It goes and goes and goes
Through storms and trials
The ups and downs
Her love, it overflows
When I was small
She blew on my neck
Sweet or Sugar is what she'd say
I never knew it was coming
But I always knew what she would say
The roses and iris the other flowers too
They knew her love as well
For her they would grow
Their blossoms they'd spread
In a beautiful multi-hued swell
From a little girl's ways
Through a teenager's views
To adulthood and marriage
The years of my life sped on by
How they flew
My children arrived, they lit up her eye
Their cheeks and necks she did kiss
Now to Home she must go
We're trying hard not to cry
For a Grandmother's love we will miss
Yet this truth I know
Without any doubt
No matter how long life may be
Nothing shall ever get in the way
Of my Grandmother's love to me
Noone can steal the memories made
They cannot be broken
Nothing can cause them to fade
They only grow sweeter and then sweeter still
Each time they're brought out to share
A Grandma's love it goes and it goes
Though storm clouds come and they go
Through good and the bad
The happy and sad
It floods the heart til it overflows
Someday I'll too have a grandchild to love
A baby to kiss and call Sugar
The roses and iris in my garden will bloom
And the dresses of frills I will give her
At this time my love will be what flows
When that time comes
And those little hands
The ones that as yet are not born
I'll tell of the love that my Grandmother gave
And then I will sing them a song
As much fun as getting Living Large on Less online has been, it has also provided me with numerous opportunities to observe some not so blessed yucks in myself. One of these "yucks" is that I really don't share very well. I have been suspicioning this for some time. Unfortunately, I had to face the ugly reality of truth in this matter. Being of the fix-it sort of mentality, once the truth sank in, I immediately set about eradicating this sin from my life. Guess what? Sin is rarely present in only one area of our life. I don't fail to share well only in teamwork situations, I fail to share well all of the time. Yuck O Yuck! No wonder my children find sharing so difficult to do. I don't provide them with a Godly example. Needless to say, I share better now than I did several days ago, but there is still much room for growth. I imagine that there are attitudes to root out and eliminate from my heart before the fruit of selfishness is completely gone. This revelation wouldn't have been such a humbling thing if I hadn't just been reading a book by Ted Tripp titled Shepherding A Child's Heart. In this book, the author was addressing the discipline of addressing the heart issue behind a child's behavior. For example, if a child refuses to share his/her toys, the issue isn't not sharing. It is that the child is failing to prefer another as the Bible teaches. Ouch! As I kneel down to confess my sin before my Heavenly Father, I have to ask: Have You Ever Been There? Have you ever had an ugly truth about yourself laid bare? Have you ever realized that even though you've been walking with the Lord and seeking His face, there are still ugly places in your heart and life? If you haven't been there, then you aren't growing. For the Father disciplines those that He loves. Hebrews 12:6 Praise the Lord, He loves me, and He loves you as well.
On a different note, my grandmother is very close to going Home now. Thank you for your prayers for my family and myself. I am so thankful for the blessed, happy memories and final time with Grandma during the holidays. The wonderful memories of her smile and joy of the children will help to tide us over beautifully until we are all together again AT HOME.
The Seasons of a Grandma's Love
A Grandma's Love it knows no bounds
It goes and goes and goes
Through storms and trials
The ups and downs
Her love, it overflows
When I was small
She blew on my neck
Sweet or Sugar is what she'd say
I never knew it was coming
But I always knew what she would say
The roses and iris the other flowers too
They knew her love as well
For her they would grow
Their blossoms they'd spread
In a beautiful multi-hued swell
From a little girl's ways
Through a teenager's views
To adulthood and marriage
The years of my life sped on by
How they flew
My children arrived, they lit up her eye
Their cheeks and necks she did kiss
Now to Home she must go
We're trying hard not to cry
For a Grandmother's love we will miss
Yet this truth I know
Without any doubt
No matter how long life may be
Nothing shall ever get in the way
Of my Grandmother's love to me
Noone can steal the memories made
They cannot be broken
Nothing can cause them to fade
They only grow sweeter and then sweeter still
Each time they're brought out to share
A Grandma's love it goes and it goes
Though storm clouds come and they go
Through good and the bad
The happy and sad
It floods the heart til it overflows
Someday I'll too have a grandchild to love
A baby to kiss and call Sugar
The roses and iris in my garden will bloom
And the dresses of frills I will give her
At this time my love will be what flows
When that time comes
And those little hands
The ones that as yet are not born
I'll tell of the love that my Grandmother gave
And then I will sing them a song