89 ain't just another number

Eighty-nine. My grandma celebrates her 89th birthday tomorrow. What was life like 89 years ago in 1923? As I imagine it, life was simpler yet more labor intensive. Horses were more commonly a form of transportation than automobiles. Telephones and radios offered a limited forms of social/technological distraction. People read books made of paper, wrote letters with a pen, had morals and respect. They worked hard without an entitlement mentality; hard work was its own reward.

Grandma was employed well into her eighties. She kept her home immaculately clean. No one had reason to call her lazy. At age 70, she stood on the roof of the two-story home our family was building and rolled tar felt in preparation for attaching the shingles. 

My Grandma lived through the depression, two world wars, and through the trials of a difficult marriage while raising three children.

Her strong and enduring faith has deep roots; her reliance on God is surely not a Feel Good Religion. All of her children lead healthy, productive lives.Two of the three also have a strong relationship with God. I have a strong faith as well, due in part to the faithfulness of my grandmother passed down through the generations.

To my three and five-year-old, "Grandma Great" is a woman who watches with a smile, walks with difficulty and is not too much taller than they themselves! I hope to teach them the concept of what a legacy is. My grandma has left them with the blessing of a legacy: a strong spirit, a hard worker, an enduring faith, a reliance upon God.

Blessings to you, Grandma, as we have been blessed through you!

"My Green, My Green!"

Most kids have one. Some carry with them drama to a greater or lesser degree, but a favorite doll, stuffed animal or blanket can carry a child through much in life. My son calls his favorite item "green," and it is a silky-on-one-side-soft-on-the-other baby blanket. And, oh yeah, it's green. 


He clings to this swatch of fiber as if it had life-saving powers. It is his comfort, his joy and is always on his mind. He loves to share it in playtime with his sister: for a picnic, an island, a sled, or whatever else comes to his mind. If he has his green, he is satisfied.


Do I cling to the Lord of my life with the same passion? Is His presence the first thing I look for in the morning, the last thing I seek at night? In the Lord alone do I find my comfort and joy? Do I allow His presence to fill me with peace and silence my fears? Do I share the Lord with others?


The LORD is my light and my salvation, the stronghold of my life. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Ps 27:1