I Have a Winner!

I'm very happy to say Jennifer Geipel Browne is the winner of the Cross Botanica Red Hummingbird Vine Selectip Rolling Ball Pen. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Jennifer for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 7, 2015, so I can send it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Cross for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Thank You!

It has been a fun month of Birthday Giveaways . . . thank you to all who entered the drawings by commenting, sharing and liking grandma's cookie jar. I most sincerely appreciate all of you who take the time to read this little blog!

I had a lot of fun giving away so many fun things . . . this year I had 22 items I gave away in my Birthday Month of Special Giveaways! I do love my Birthday Month of Special Giveaways - I'm glad for all who won!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Kathy Davis is the winner of the book, The Day Is Waiting. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Kathy for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 6, 2015, so I can have it sent it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

More Fun Ideas for A Summer to Remember!

I truly want my grandsons to not just like being at Poppa's and grandma's house, but to love being here! I want them to experience things like, digging for pirate treasure in the sandbox or finding Treasure Rocks. I want them to know grandma's lap is always available for snuggling! I want them to want to be at our house! I want them to be able to look back on their childhood and have amazing memories of being at their grandparent's house.

So, when I saw a pin on Pinterest this morning for, "37 Ridiculously Awesome Things to do in Your Backyard this Summer", I had to check it out. I'm so glad I did! I found several ideas for fun things we could do at this grandma's house this year! I wonder what Poppa will think about idea #8 - "Make a Race Track"?

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Joan Rohrs Salsbury is the winner of one Jackpot Candle. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Joan for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 5, 2015, so I can have it sent it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Jackpot Candles for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

just for fun - 32 Ideas for Backyard Fun!

My grandsons have birthdays in July, August and September, so I've been watching for ideas for fun things we could do at a party (since I have a large yard, their momma and I have been thinking about having their party here this year).  Today when I browsed on Pinterest I found a link for not just one or two great ideas, but 32 ideas! And, they are excellent, doable and fun ideas!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Debbie Ketcham is the winner of the book How Penguin Says, "Please!". (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Debbie for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 4, 2015, so I can have it sent it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

SKY SPILLS OVER by Michael W. Smith

When my husband and I were first married (nearly 34 years ago), we began listening to a new Christian artist; Michael W. Smith. We really enjoyed the sound of his music and especially loved the powerful lyrics in his songs.

Now, all these years later, Michael W. Smith has released yet another album - Sovereign; I'm very happy to say I'll be reviewing it in a few days, but today, I've been given the opportunity to share with you the just released music video for one of the songs - Sky Spills Over.

Michael says; "I’m really passionate about the song SKY SPILLS OVER.  It was fun creating it in the studio and I’ve been overwhelmed at the response it gets when we perform it live every night.  My son Ryan is a really talented filmmaker so I always enjoy working with him on a project.  But what made this project even more special was three of my own grandkids were in the video.  This video was a lot of fun to make.  I hope people enjoy it!"

These are the lyrics - enjoy the video on the top right side of grandma's cookie jar! And stay tuned for my review of Sovereign and a giveaway, too!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Jenmalonee is the winner of one MONOPOLY: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Edition.  (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Jenmalonne for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 3, 2015, so I can have it sent it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you USAopoly for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

The Very Best Kind of Gifts!

Over the weekend I celebrated my birthday - my daughter got up at 5am to surprise me with homemade blueberry muffins on my birthday! (We had to leave by 7am for church - otherwise none of us would have been up that early!) The muffins were delicious, but the gift of getting up so early and baking muffins for me is one which brought tears to my eyes and one I will treasure!

My grandsons gave me birthday hugs and kisses - even Caleb (three years old), who told me; "I do NOT give kisses anymore!" Then he looked at me and gave me a big hug! He looked at me again and gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek! Then he said, "For your birthday." Apparently, he was able to make an exception for grandma's birthday to his new rule about kisses!

Josiah made a paper creation for me - it was made with great love and I treasure it! Caleb and Shane made drawings for me - also gifts to treasure as they all did this on their own because they wanted to make something for me for my birthday! 

Then, my son and daughter-in-law had the boys sing, "Happy Birthday" to me and filmed it. What a wonderful gift! I have watched it over and over - I love this little video and truly treasure this gift!

Yes, for my birthday I received gifts I absolutely treasure from my children and grandchildren. Gifts of love - the very best kind!  A very, happy birthday, indeed!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Terri Connor is the winner of the book; Catie Conrad: How to Become the Most (un)Popular Girl in Middle School.  (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Terri for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 2, 2015, so I can have it sent it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you BH Kids for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Treasure Rocks at grandma's!

The boys were here Friday night for a sleep-over, so Saturday morning, we had our first hunt for "Treasure Rocks"! I color-coded the "rocks", so each boy knew which one they were looking for. Poppa hid them in the yard and then the boys went out to find them! Of course, once found, they then had to get the "treasure" out of the "rock" . . . which involved vinegar and a squirt bottle!

Treasure Rocks are fun . . . and just take baking soda, water, a "treasure" and vinegar! They are fun to find and fun to get the "treasure" out . . . lots of fizzing fun!

This Summer there will be lots of Treasure Rocks at grandma's . . . after all, it can not be boring to be at grandma's house!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Loving Mommahood is the winner of one set of glass magnets.  (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Ashley for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by June 1, 2015, so I can send it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Shutterfly for sending a set for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Mami2cjn (Mary Happymommy) is the winner of one American Girl Doll and Paperback Book - Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year Doll.  (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Mary for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by May 31, 2015, so I can send it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you American Girl for sending one for me to review and give away!

Thank you everyone who entered - I wish I had a doll for each of you, but I will probably have another to give away at Christmas! If I do get one then, someone will win it!

American Girl Doll Giveaway Tomorrow - May 24, 2015!!!

YES!!! Tomorrow is the day I'm giving away one American Girl Doll and Paperback Book - Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year doll! Which means, you still have time to enter the giveaway today! How do you enter, you ask? Well . . . 

Passing on a Heritage of Faith is Essential & Can be Fun, too!

I've been writing all week about passing on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. As I said

yesterday; "We so easily become distracted by the things in this world. We lose focus of what is truly most important and think things like earning more money, taking bigger and better vacations, owning a bigger and new home, driving new cars, etc. are important, when in truth, none of these things matter. Not really. If we end up with all these things, but fail to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren will we say, "Oh well. I had a great car, house and big bank account!"? No. Nothing, please allow me to repeat, NOTHING is more important than passing on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren.

If we are serious about passing on a heritage of faith, we have to stay focused on what is really important so we do not become distracted by this world."

I absolutely believe passing on a heritage of faith is of utmost importance, so for this reason, I have been working on writing a curriculum I could use with my grandsons; Science, the Bible & Fun! Each week's resource includes a science project (my grandsons love science projects!), fun options for Minute-to-Win-it-type games, crafts, recipes, time at the park and service projects. But, while all of these things are fun, the core part, or at least the most important part, is where we will be spending a year praying through the Psalms. I want my grandsons to know and walk with Jesus and learning how to really talk with Him is essential for them to learn if they are going to know and walk with Him. In addition, each month we will learn about a different Bible person. We will spend an entire month learning about one Bible person - this will give us the opportunity to look, really look at this real person and how they chose to know and walk with God!

I Have A Winner & the American Girl Doll Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Nita VanHoy Carter is the winner of the books Sleepy Puppy  and Sleepy Kitty - from Sterling Children's Books.  (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Nita for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by May 30, 2015, so I can send them to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

How Do We Pass on a Heritage of Faith? Serve God & Do Not be Distracted by the World!

I've been writing all week about how we are part of God's plan to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren, and we need to focus on doing so. Today as I finish looking at Deuteronomy 6, I want to think about what it means when it tells us to - 

Fear the Lord  your God, serve him only.

Yesterday I talked about how the people of Israel had trouble with remembering all the things God did for them; how He saved them, led them and provided for them. Over and over they forgot. I said; "We tend to do the same. We think the things we have are because of what we have done instead of remembering all we have are blessings from the hand of God. We forget God's goodness, but He says to be careful we do not forget. He wants us to remember and we need to remember. It is an important part of passing on a heritage of faith because if we do not remember God and His many blessings, our grandchildren are unlikely to do it. When this happens, we slip into sin." 

We so easily become distracted by the things in this world. We lose focus of what is truly most important and think things like earning more money, taking bigger and better vacations, owning a bigger and new home, driving new cars, etc. are important, when in truth, none of these things matter. Not really. If we end up with all these things, but fail to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren will we say, "Oh well. I had a great car, house and big bank account!"? No. Nothing, please allow me to repeat, NOTHING is more important than passing on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren.

If we are serious about passing on a heritage of faith, we have to stay focused on what is really important so we do not become distracted by this world. We need to remember Who we serve. We can do this in the following ways . . . 

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say latanya t is the winner of one Tech2, Tender Rose Ballpoint Pen with 6mm Stylus - from Cross Pens. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you latanya t for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by May 28, 2015, so I can send it to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Cross Pens for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

How Do We Pass on a Heritage of Faith? Pay Attention & Remember Our Blessings are from God!

We have been looking at how we are part of God's plan to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren, and we need to focus on doing so. Today I want to think about what it means when Deuteronomy 6 tells us to - 

Be careful that you do not forget  the Lord.

Apparently the people of Israel had trouble with remembering all the things God did for them; how He saved them, led them and provided for them. Over and over they forgot. We tend to do the same. We think the things we have are because of what we have done instead of remembering all we have are blessings from the hand of God. We forget God's goodness, but He says to be careful we do not forget. He wants us to remember and we need to remember. It is an important part of passing on a heritage of faith because if we do not remember God and His many blessings, our grandchildren are unlikely to do it. When this happens, we slip into sin. 

Psalm 78 tells us how this happened with God's people over and over. They received blessings from God, parents and grandparents thanked God. Then, they forgot to tell their children and grandchildren and they slipped away from God and into sin. Bad things happened, they turned back to God, thanked Him for His blessings, then forgot, didn't tell their children and grandchildren and it all happened all over again.

If we are serious about passing on a heritage of faith, we have to remember our blessings come from God, teach this to our children and grandchildren, so they can do the same. We can do this in the following ways . . . 

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Cindy Mouthaan is the winner of How Tiger Says Thank You! - from Sterling Children's Books. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Cindy for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by May 28, 2015, so I can have it sent to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

How Do We Pass on a Heritage of Faith? God's Word on our Hearts

We have been looking at how we are part of God's plan to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren, and we need to focus on doing so. Today I want to think about what it means when Deuteronomy 6 tells us to - 

• Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Bible times people had little boxes with Scripture inside - they wore these on their foreheads and wrists and a sign on their doors. A very literal following of these verses; which certainly we could put Scripture in our homes on the walls, or even wear jewelry with Scripture on it, but I think this is about really having God's Words in our hearts and directing our lives. God's Word has to be more than things we wear or decorate with; it needs to be on our hearts and lived in our lives and we can do it in the following ways . . . 

I Have A Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm very happy to say Teresa Maddox is the winner of Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Teresa for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by May 27, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com) and thank you BH Kids for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Summer Fun at grandma's - Treasure Rocks!!!

The other day I wrote about making Ice Eggs - this is definitely something I will be doing with my grandsons this summer, but today as I browsed on Pinterest I found another idea which I can do for them as well . . . Treasure Rocks!

What are, "Treasure Rocks", you ask? Well, you take a little toy, mix some baking soda and water to make a clay/paste which you wrap around the small toy. Let dry overnight and hide outside. When your grandchildren find them, they can spray vinegar on them to watch the "rock" dissolve - in a very fizzy and fun way - to show the toy inside!

Sounds like great fun to me! What do you think?

How Do We Pass on a Heritage of Faith? Talk about It!

We know our job is not "finished" just because our children are grown. This is what  Deuteronomy 6 is talking about when it says we are to, "talk about God and His Word in our day-in-day-out lives". We need to remember we are part of God's plan to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. 

Deuteronomy is not talking about just the occasional word to our grandchildren about going to church or praying, but a living of our lives in a way which reflects how important God's Word is because we live it every day. Deuteronomy 6 says to - 

• Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

This is not talking about a casual, once-in-awhile, once a week focus on God and His Word. No. This is about a day-in-day-out life. God and His Word applies to and impacts every aspect of our lives, so if we are serious about passing on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren, we need to live like this is true; because it is!

This is all about connecting God and His Word with our everyday lives and we can do this in the following ways . . .