Bliss

 Becoming a grandmother or a "Nona" is incredible. 

As a writer, I have to say this has for now left me without words. But, I have LOTS of pictures—most imprinted in my heart. 

I've enjoyed watching my daughter and son-in-law pull together—they didn't really need to pull much closer. They are working like a team. 

I forgot how a tiny cry can turn a house upside down. That first night with the baby home it seemed to take three adults to figure out what to do each time she awoke—loudly.

Holy Moments

What makes a moment sacred? Is it a time of awesome worship? Or is it a season of deep prayer in which we totally commit ourselves to God?

Moms often feel that they can never "do" ministry. Once they finish wading through the stacks of dishes or the piles of laundry, there is little time left to be used by God. They may even find it difficult to stay awake long enough to talk with Him. 

When my first child was born, I went from business suit to spit-up-covered warm ups overnight. I worked until the day I went into labor.  

The adjustment was abrupt although I anticipated it with excitement. The first week after the baby was born, my husband returned to work and my mom went home. I was solo and honestly, the moments seemed to crawl by although I could never point to a completed to-do list. 

The tasks were often mundane. Feed the baby, change the baby, wash clothes, cook, feed the baby.... and the list went on and on. Unlike the board meetings I was used to where tasks were discussed, delegated and then later applauded, I was working in obscurity. Often, I could point to few real accomplishments at the end of each day. 

Did my tasks have value? Did they matter to God?

And whatever you do in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father 
through him.

Colossians 3:17

Moses' life plan included 40 years of watching sheep in a wilderness. David's early years included a solitary life of singing Psalms to God and the sheep in his care. 

I think of the last night of Jesus' life on Earth. He didn't find it too mundane to wash the feet of those He loved. 

If we consider our daily tasks of childcare and husbandcare, they are acts of service for those He has placed in our lives--as mundane as these jobs may seem, at times. 

They are also acts of worship to our Heavenly Father. They are indeed most holy moments. 

Stuart Little

Curling up together on the couch for a read aloud has always been a favorite pastime in our family. We've sat on the magic reading carpet and let our imaginations take us to the past and the future. We have talked to animals and travelled the world through the pages of our books.

When I had two little girls and one on the way, I read often. I was too tired and too big to get up and do much else.

As I approached my due date, we happened to be reading the classic, Stuart Little. The book is far different than the movie.

One of my favorite parts of the story is when Mrs. Little delivers--not a typical baby--but a mouse. The doctor tells Mr. and Mrs. Little that this happens from time to time, although it is rare.

As I read this part of the story with great emotion, I looked down and saw my youngest daughter staring intently at my swollen belly.

"Now, you KNOW that I am not going to deliver a mouse, right? That is only in the storybook."

My daughter twisted a strand of her hair slowly as she continue to concentrate on my waistline. "Well, it COULD be a mouse!"

I am not sure if she was disappointed when she came to the hospital soon afterward, and held her baby sister for the first time. Her new sister was not a mouse.