Day one of fun! Spending time with the Grandkids!

So this morning I began my "weekend of fun"!  I am up at Gwen's house watching the kids (and the dog) for the weekend.  I have been looking forward to this time for several months.  It is something to spend so much time with these little cuties.  While it would be nice to have them come to my house, with 4 kids and a dog, it is better to be in their own home.  And, here it is 9:14pm and all of them - including Chandler, the dog, are asleep!  I'd call that a good end to the day!

This afternoon a couple of  friends came over for a play date with Lia and Ellie.  Anna was napping so the kids spent most of the time outside, loving the sunshine and wonderful weather.    When Anna woke up, we walked to their local playground, just a couple of blocks away.  The girls rode scooters or bikes and Zeke "mowed the lawn" the entire way there and back with his play lawn mower.  Anna was quite happy just riding along in her stroller.  It was good to be out and enjoying the bright blue sky and the comfortable temperature.

While we were at the park, I spotted this one little flower kind of hidden by the sidewalk.  Since it is October, it is pretty odd to see a flower blooming.  And it was so pretty.  I just loved it.

Anna was just mesmerized in her stroller, looking up at the trees.  The particular tree near the bench I was sitting on, was dropping tons and tons of little seeds.  It sounded like water hitting the pavement.  Anna just laughed every time the wind blew and these seeds fell.  It was so fun to watch her reaction to the leaves and the wind.   You can see some of the seeds on the ground in the flower picture!

You hear it over and over, that we need to be like little children.  All you have to do is spend some time with humans under the age of 9 and you get the picture very clearly.  Here are a few reminders that I got today (thanks to Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna)......
*Why walk when you can run?  I mean really, it's much more fun to run!
*there is nothing better than a cold juice box after some time in the sunshine.
*Who needs expensive toys when you can cut up paper into little pieces for over an hour? And then you can spend another 20 minutes picking up all the little pieces on the floor and putting them into a ziplock bag.
*Sisters and brothers are great friends...even if they annoy you at times!  They will always play with you if you ask nicely.
*Helping is so much fun....setting the table, unloading the dishwasher, stirring the food, opening the can....it is ALL fun!

So.... to recap these points......  Let's run into the future!  Let's get out and enjoy the sunshine and the SONSHINE and then refresh with some good drinks of living water.  Look around you and find that you have everything you need, even if it seems really simple and silly.  Cherish the people that are close to you, they will be there for you.  Everyone can use a little help sometimes. And helping is FUN!  Great advise that I need to take in and follow every day!  Thank you Holy Spirit for this revelation!

Yes, this was a great start to this weekend.  But this Grandma is tried and tomorrow will come early, I am sure!  So, goodnight all!

Jesus, thank you for this day and these amazing children.  Thank you for your plans to prosper them and give them a future and hope.   Bless Gwen and Tim and the youth and adults that they are with at Insight.  Give them times of great sharing and great revelation of your presence, Jesus.  Let them hear your voice with clarity.  Thank you for sunshine and special gifts of a beautiful little yellow flower.  Amen

Basking in the sun (and the Son!)

 

So I got to be Grandma Lyn again today.   It is simply wonderful.  And I just had to include a couple more pictures of Anna!  I got to Gwen's early enough to help with the before school scramble.  Anyone with multiple children will understand what this is like.  It was quite something getting three kids out of bed and dressed, getting some food into their tummies, getting all the hairs combed and fixed, finding shoes, coats, hats, snow pants, backpacks, and making sure the dog went out,  in time to make the bus.  Gwen managed to shower and dress and feed Anna during this same time frame. We made the bus, got Ellie and Zeke to preschool and made it to Anna's doctor appointment on time. So Anna needed that dreaded heel stick blood check to determine her bilirubin level since she is starting to look a bit jaundiced.  The doctor recommended the old fashioned light treatment.... a sun bath! Since today was a wonderful sunny day, Anna got her time in the sun this afternoon.

She was quite relaxed and mellow sitting in the sun.  On the way home tonight, I was thinking about the times I have been able to "Bask in the SON"!  You know what I mean.... those wonderful worship times when you are filled with the warmth and presence of Jesus! I confess that I have been blessed to have lots of these basking moments, and they are not all "big event" times.  It's a wonderful thing that all alone, in your quiet spot, you can enter into that presence with just a single word - Jesus.  Or you can find that warmth and peace just by reading scripture.  My favorite place to "bask" is the car!  I turn on that worship music and the atmosphere of my car becomes a real "Son bath"! 

Considering my blog yesterday......today was a wonderful time of stepping out of my regular world.  It might not sound like this was a relaxing day, in fact, tonight I feel calm and rested.  Holding a sweet tiny baby or a rambunctious two year old or a cuddly 4 year old or a loving 7 year old, causes you to know that nothing else really matters.  All of that day to day stuff, all of the concerns and cares, all of the trying to figure it out stuff, just melts away.  I can honestly say that today felt like I stopped on a warm beach and just rested! 

My encouragement to you today is to do some basking!  Stop and breath deeply.  Close your eyes and call on the name of Jesus.  Put on some music and let it soothe your soul.  Let the light of the SON clear out the junk from your spirit in the same way that the light of the sun helps to clean Anna's blood of that excess bilirubin. 

Jesus, thank you for this reminder today of the value of basking in your light and love.  Holy Spirit, continue to show us all how to be rested and refreshed.  Jesus, watch over Anna and bring peace and health to her body.  Give supernatural rest and refreshment to Gwen and Tim during these stressful first few weeks with a new baby and three older children.  Thank you for the doctors and nurses who watch over new babies and their mommies and daddies.  Thank you for the sunshine and for the SON!  Amen