Grandparenting with Grace: Day 6 of 31 Days of Family Life-Possible

I am trying to catch up-only to get behind again as I am going on a weekend adventure with my lovely daughter this weekend, Away from internet. I will have to play catch-up again on Monday.


Possible

How is it possible
 that I could go from knowing to no longer knowing?

How is it possible
 to have been so confidant as a young mother
  to being this uncertain the 4th time around?

Oh I still know what I should do,
 and generally do it-

but I know the possibility
 of controlling the outcome is unrealistic.

Expectations most possibly will disappoint-
 unless our expectation
  is to submit to His perfect possibilities.

Then it is possible to be amazed
 beyond our expected possibilities.

Grandparenting with Grace: Day 5 of 31 Days of family Life-Home

My goodness how is it possible that 3 days have passed since my last post? I thought I could do this 31 days of writing every day, but it looks like I may need some "grace" in my failed attempt. The prompt for Day 5 is Home:

Home

Home is a safe place, with warm fires and bread baking,

 and soup.

You can stretch out at home. 

Wiggle your toes. 

At home there is evidence that you exist- 

art on the refrigerator, 

books on the table, 

dishes in the sink, 

and shoes at the door. 

Home lets you experiment 

on becoming who you will be 

without giving up on who you are. 

Home offers another chance to get it right, 

even after you've done it wrong multiple times. 

A home with children is filled with grace,

children just naturally offer it -

every time it's needed. 

And I need it often.

Thank-you my precious little one.

Grandparenting with Grace: Day 4 of 31 Days of Family Life-Embrace

Embrace.
 Now that's a word.
First thought is: Embrace, as lovers embrace.
 I like that. Warm. Exciting.

Yet from there I moved to Embrace your life,
your gifts, your calling.
Not so warm or exciting for everyone.
Maybe terrifying.

I mean after living more than half my life I know the possible outcomes.
And they're not all pretty.
There's some trepidation sneaking in here.
Along side trepidation, there stands uncertainty.
Uncertainty allows despair to get all clingy.

Embrace.

Move into that life; embrace that fear.
Grab hold of those gifts, shake off that uncertainty.
Hear Him calling? He's expecting you.

Grandparenting with Grace: Day 3 of 31 Days of Family Life-Capture

I am a day behind. Life got in the way yesterday as I took my grandchild-almost adopted daughter- trail riding and we enjoyed some of God's beauty in nature and each other.

Yesterday's prompt was Capture.

Oh if I could capture joy and hold it each day, what a treasure that would be.

 I'm trying hard.
Looking for those little snippets placed in each day.
That toothless smile.
The giggle when I nibble/kiss her sweet little neck.
The "I love you Mama," breathed as she snuggles into her cozy bed exhausted from a day of play outside.
A walk in the woods with that small precious hand in mine.
Her silly way of charming the chickens-they follow after her as chicks after a mother hen.

But I get so tired from late nights, and the wandering restless little one.
All the spills, the messes, and the refusals.
It's hard work to grow a little one.
I tend to forget the joy in the midst of mess.
It so easily slips through my fingers.
Perhaps I need to start a Joy list, just to remember.
I need to remember. . . that smile, the I love you, those fingers, her sillys. . .
It's the best medicine.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22, ESV)

Grandparenting with Grace: Five Minute Friday-Family

I believe all families are messy, even those that look perfect from the outside are messy -and that's okay. I mean how can a number of people live within the same house and not make messes within the walls of their relationships? How can any of us pursue relationship with another and not take a misstep on occasion? From the smallest of babes to the eldest of us, we have needs and desires that clash. We often use words that hurt those we love the most, and in our imperfection we fail showing the small niceties to our family that are so easily given to others. 

Messes are a given in family life, but they don't have to be our ruination. No, instead our family messes can build our communication and deepen our relationships if we let them. All it takes is offering others our love and forgiveness, time and time again. Whether it is our biological family, or our church family, or a close group of friends-relationships need our attention and time. Family. Relationship. Important. And worth every moment of perseverance necessary to  build and strengthen the bonds.

Grandparenting with Grace: 31 Days of writing; a challenge every October, every day

You're welcome to join me in experiencing 31 days of writing for five minutes a day on Family Life- specifically Parenting as a Grandparent. This is an extension of the Five minute Friday group writing on a specific word prompt. Come here each day to find the days thoughts on Family Life while parenting as a grandparent.

Day 1: 31 Days of Family Life: Calling
Day 2: Five Minute Friday: Family
Day 3: 31 Days of Family Life:Capture
Day 4: 31 Days of Family Life-Embrace
Day 5: 31 Days of Family Life: Home
Day 6: 31 Days of Family Life:Possibility
Day 7: 31 Days of Family Life: Love
Day 12: 31 Days of Family Life: Storm

Grandparenting with Grace: Day 1 of 31 Days of Family Life- Calling

31 Days of Family Life: Calling

Family has always been important to me. I remember as a child wanting to be a mother. I knew I'd marry and have children; you could say I felt it was my calling from a very young age. I loved children, babysat often, and sought out kids in every setting. Now as a mother/grandmother, I still believe mothering to be  a divine calling.  However, not every woman is content to mother. Many other occupations and endeavors are calling for a woman's time and attention. Society can cause a mother to doubt the importance of the call to motherhood. Mothering is difficult and demanding. It asks a woman to put the needs and desires of another first over and over again. A woman can get lost mothering. I know I did. When the calling of motherhood seemed more like a call to suffer trials and persevere through heartache I felt myself slipping- but I found: Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  And I claimed that verse, not only for myself, but for my children.

Now as a grandmother, once again mothering the grandchild, I can become discouraged as I see my peers free to indulge themselves in life. Their Grand-parenting is limited to a day here or there, piling on the fun stuff, while I'm once again called to the role of parent. I don't send the child home after spoiling her, I am the parent. I'm not called in as support staff, I am the full-time 24 hour staff. I get tired, lose patience, feel selfish in my desire for quiet, and time to pursue. . . What? Something of little Kingdom value? Indulgence in earthly things? Over and over I struggle with this, yet I know the eternal value of this little life I have been entrusted with and I realize my life is His and not my own. After all, I am called to give glory to God, " Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them." (Isaiah 47:7, NLT) and I am called to eternal glory in Christ,  "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10, ESV) What can be better than to be called to glorify God with our life and be called to glory for eternity in Christ Jesus? Nothing. Yet it isn't always easy to fulfill His call. It will stretch us, purify us, burn out the dross that tarnishes the hidden corners within us, and although we are all given a choice to follow His call on our life (that thing called free will) one can be sure the call is immutable. "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29, ESV) We can deny Him or ". . .We can walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we (sic) have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV)

I'm still working on this last one, I think it is a not done till eternity thing.