Flowers For The Birthday Girls

My very first grandchild was born today April 28, 2011 at 9:36 A.M.  She weighs 7lbs. and 14 oz and is 20 inches long. She has a little bit of brown hair and is “just perfect” according to my son. Her name is Caroline Faith VC and can be called Callie. Her mom coincidentally has a very good friend named Callie. We are thrilled and cannot wait to go to Kansas to meet her in person although we will have a Skype date later today. We are blessed on this beautiful spring day. The tulips just opened up for the first time today.

Birthday girl number two is my dear sister in law Jill married to my only brother.  I didn’t realize today was her birthday as well until I called to give my parents the good news about baby Caroline. It is good to have other people you love to share a birthday with.

Birthday girl number three is Dayana in Guatemala. We started sponsoring her last fall when we learned our grandchild was to be born in late April. I chose Dayana because her birthday was April 28^th but didn’t really think our granddaughter would actually be born that day. Dayana is eight years old today and is a Compassion ministry child. She lives in a very impoverished area but gets extra help with food and clothing through the local ministry team and also receives Bible teaching. I had to send her birthday card out (in Spanish) weeks ago.

What a happy day for us. I love all the birthday girls.

Lou       

Rain

Today we are receiving the first real rain of the spring season in our town on the high plains at 6,000 feet.  Not an icy rain turning into snow and accumulating on the grass, but real rain, pure rain and it is lovely, plus S. fertilized the yard over the weekend so the timing is perfect.  People in dry lands and producers who rely on it to nourish their crops love the rain. Of course there are those who bemoan the rain and see it as sadness with the gray skies and all. There is another way to perceive it as a metaphor for God’s grace ever flowing into our lives waiting for us to receive the blessing and in turn giving the blessing on to others.

In my preparation for Easter I have been reading a new book “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. She is a blogger whose site I like but while I have been on my blog reading holiday I have not gone there lately. I am reading her book though that gives the background for her spiritual healing. She tells of the process that lead her from a life of fear and ingratitude even as a Christ follower to a life of gratitude and grace through choosing to see God in all the little things that  bless her life. She literally set out to make a list of one thousand gifts.

Ann’s childhood and her family life is forever changed due to a tragedy that unfolds before her four year old eyes. It lead to a troubled childhood and to cutting herself as a teenager and to panic attacks.  The lingering affects continue to steal her happiness as a happily married adult with six young children of her own. Her account is well written and personal but also triumphant.

I read chapter 10 today “empty to fill” here is an excerpt from page 184.

     "I turn my hand over, spread my fingers open. I receive grace. And through me, grace is meant to fall, a rain …again, again, again. I could share the grace, multiply the joy, extend the table of the feast, enlarge the paradise of His presence. I am blessed. I can bless. A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ

     I listen to wind in the corn, rain on the pane, and I find my place. All the lost pieces are finding their place.”

Later on pages 196-197 She quotes from Isaiah 58:10-11

Feed the hungry,

     And help those in trouble.

Then your light will shine out from the darkness,

     And the darkness around you will be bright as noon.

The Lord will guide you continually,

     Giving you water when you are dry

     And restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

     Like an ever-flowing spring.

Quoting Ann again. “It’s the fundamental, lavish, radical nature of the upside-down economy of God.

Empty to fill.”

I think that message fits in well with the message of Easter.

Happy Easter to my family and friends.

Lou

Admiration from two aisles back

I first noticed the man with the two children when we went through the security check and was glad I didn’t have to manage getting my shoes off while pushing a stroller and handling two kids. I noticed him again while we were in the boarding area for our flight from Wichita to Denver.  He held the (I’m guessing four month old baby) in his arms as he stood by the stroller and his little girl (I’m guessing about three or four) played nearby.  The little girl made the baby laugh and squeal each time she ran by and touched the baby on the foot.

Soon the waiting passengers dispersed from the boarding area as an airline representative announced a delay for maintenance on the plane. The dad (no mom around) put the baby in the stroller and went to a seating area behind us. I saw the little girl continue to play around and she was deep into imaginative play. She had no toys that I could see but she had some kind of game going on and she talked to herself and danced about and sang. After awhile her dad let her go try the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall. The first time she missed catching the stuff and it fell to the floor. The next time she caught it and her dad praised her. I never saw her fuss or whine. She was quite active though and her dad let her run from one spot to another and back. The baby fell asleep in the stroller.

After about an hour we were allowed to board the plane for the flight to Denver. The pilot said due to the snow and low visibility in the Denver area he was not allowed to shave any time off the route and it would take the full time of an hour and fifteen minutes or so.I have heard so many horror stories from mom’s of their flights with children that I wondered how this family would do.I was sitting on the aisle about two rows back from the man with the two children traveling alone. I still wonder why he was traveling alone, I’ll never know.

He held the baby the whole flight and his little girl had the window seat so I couldn’t see or hear her really.  I could see the baby’s legs kicking and heard a little fussing once and saw the dad bouncing the baby but then things seemed to settle down, maybe he gave a bottle. Soon the little legs were still, and dad seemed to be interacting with the older child. He did not take any beverage when it was offered nor the chocolate chip cookie later.

Another younger infant further up front cried quite a bit on the flight and could not be comforted.  I never saw the man two aisles up lose his cool or even raise his voice with the children. He seemed completely in control juggling those two kids even dealing with the unexpected delay without a meltdown. What a marvel!

The only time he needed extra hands was as we disembarked and he retrieved the stroller and was trying to unfold it in the jetbridge area and struggled as he was still holding the baby.  Another man stopped to help him, I thought that was great too.  The little girl wanted to run ahead up the long ramp after being cooped up and she got ahead of her dad. Erin and I were just ahead of her and told her to wait for her dad and she did. I wish I had stopped to tell him what a wonderful job he did with the children.

All this to say I greatly admired this dad and pray that my son and son-in-law will be equally confident and capable with their children after a little practice of course.

Lou