Their Poppa Was There - Please Check This Post on the Legacy Coalition - Grandparenting Matters Facebook Page!

A couple weeks ago I posted a photo on the Legacy Coalition - Grandparenting Matters Facebook page of my grandsons climbing our "family tree" - an enormous maple tree which their grand uncle and dad climbed when they were boys and carved the names of all our family members on the branches. I wrote about Isaiah 49:16 and how God's love for us is everlasting and faithful and spoke about helping our grandchildren - no matter their age - love, know and follow their loving and faithful God all of their lives.

Ten days ago I mentioned one more thing about the photo of my grandsons in this tree . . . did you notice the boys' Poppa is in the photo, too? When our grandsons where up in this enormous tree, he was standing right there, watching over them, ready to help - or catch them, should he need to do so. The boys knew this and enjoyed their time in the tree, trusting Poppa was there to catch them if the need arose!

Free Paper Dolls & I'm Giving Away an American Girl Doll, Girl of the Year 2016 - Lea

When I was a child I loved Raggedy Ann and Andy. I also loved paper dolls, so if you could put them together and have Raggedy Ann and Andy paper dolls . . . well, it would be difficult to find a more perfect combination . . . or at least I would have thought so when I was a child! So, as I browsed on Pinterest, I was very happy to find a link for Raggedy Ann and Andy paper dolls which you can print  . . . if I had a granddaughter I'd definitely print them for her! Just follow this link and you'll find a page where you can download the paper dolls for free!

So, what about you? Did you like paper dolls when you were young? 

grandma's cookbook - Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

Summer is just around the corner! Warm days! Hopefully, this year it will be warm enough for us to open our pool - the past couple years the summer was just too chilly to want to go swimming. But, this year I have high hopes . . . and so do my grandsons!

With thoughts of summer fun, I'm thinking it is time to make my Lemonade Ice Cream Pie! This pie is so tasty - and simple to make . . . and, while I've shared this recipe before, in case you didn't get the recipe or are new to grandma's cookie jar, I thought I'd share the recipe with you today!

You just need four ingredients . . . 

crafting with grandma - Twig Crafts!

What do you get when you combine a yard with a fair amount of trees and a windy
winter? A yard with many branches and twigs all over it just waiting to be picked up! So, I am planning to have my grandsons help pick up sticks and small branches next week when they are here for Spring Break, then we will use these sticks and twigs to make some fun things!

But in Fact Christ Has Been Raised From the Dead!

Today is Resurrection Sunday! The most important day in all history! Just look at I Corinthians 15:1-28, 51-58 - 

"Brothers and sisters, I want to call your attention to the good news that I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand.  I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures. He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me.

Tomorrow is "Make Your Own Holiday Day!"

Tomorrow - March 26th, is, "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day", and since my grandsons will be at my house . . . and they have very fun imaginations, I thought it would be especially fun for us to make up our own holiday!

crafting with grandma - Make Your Own Reed Diffusers

I truly believe the most important days in all of history are the day when Jesus died,

was buried and then rose again! As I said a couple days ago, Resurrection Sunday is the most important day in the history of man! If Jesus didn't rise from the dead then our faith would be in vain. But He did rise from the dead! This is one of the things which sets Him apart from all the other religious leaders throughout time! I Corinthians 1512-22 . . . 

"We have preached that Christ has been raised from the dead. So how can some of you say that no one rises from the dead? If no one rises from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, what we preach doesn't mean anything. Your faith doesn't mean anything either. More than that, we would be lying about God. We have given witness that God raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if the dead are not raised. If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith doesn't mean anything. Your sins have not been forgiven. Those who have died believing in Christ are also lost. Do we have hope in Christ only for this life? Then people should pity us more than anyone else.But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise. Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did. Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive." (NIrV)"

My grandsons and I talk often about Jesus' promises and how He always keeps His promises! It makes my heart so happy to hear the certainty in my sweet, young grandson's voices when they talked about Jesus keeping His promises! So, the following project I found on Pinterest is a great project to make with my grandsons to remind them - and me of how Jesus keeps His promises!

grandma's chuckles - If I "Need" . . . or "Want" Something!

Have you noticed the little "On This Day" area on your facebook page? I really love it because it shows me things which happened on this day in previous years. I love how it helps me remember everything from photos to comments . . . and things my grandsons said and did when they were younger. 

So, in the "spirit" of the, "On This Day" tab, I'm happy to share with you something my grandson Josiah said and did, two years ago . . . 

"Egg" Your Grandchildren & Have them "Egg" their Friends!

A friend's daughter recently posted photos to her facebook of her daughters as they "egged" their friend's homes. Don't worry . . . it is the best, sweetest way to "egg" someone you could ever imagine!

If you - like me - had never heard of this before, I'm very happy to explain it for you today (I looked it up online) . . . you still have time to "egg" your grandchildren and then have them "egg" some of their friends' homes, too!

Climbing Our "Family Tree"!

A few days ago I posted on the Legacy Coalition - Grandparenting Matters Facebook page about an enormous tree in my back yard. This Maple tree is enormous . . . well, not compared to Redwood trees, which are truly enormous, but compared to normal Michigan Maple trees, this one is huge!

At any rate, it is a tree which has been growing for a very long time - my brother climbed it when he was a boy (it was in my grandparent's yard at that time), my son climbed it (when we moved into this house) and now my grandsons are climbing it . . . with a little help from their Poppa! 

Feel free to check this link to find the full post about an enormous tree, why this tree is our "family tree", two sweet boys and how it all reminded me of Isaiah 49:16.

Decorate Those Eggs!

Last year my grandsons had great fun decorating their Easter eggs - we tried several ideas I found on Pinterest. Since it was so much fun - and the eggs turned out great, we are going to use some of the same ideas this year! So, since Resurrection Sunday is just a few days away, if you are looking for some fun ways to have your grandchildren decorate eggs this year, look at these great ideas I found on Pinterest . . . 

Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! - Mini-Edition is FREE for Five Days!

I believe one of the most important things we can do for the children we love - both our own children and grandchildren - is to pray for them. While we may believe this to be true, we may also feel confused about how to pray effectively for them. This is why I love praying Scripture for my adult children and my grandchildren - and is why I've released two Scripture prayer books . . . Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Old Testament Edition and Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Psalms Edition.

These books give you 52 weeks of Scripture passages - one passage a week - which are then personalized into a prayer for yourself and for the children you love. These passages are divided each week into seven portions which allow you to focus on a specific portion of the prayer each day. The goal for each book is to guide you into thoughtful and specific, focused Scripture prayer, each day for a year.

Heritage - Memories and More!

A few days ago I wrote about my heritage - how I live in my grandparent's home - for the Legacy Coalition Grandparenting Matters Facebook page. In this post I shared memories of going to my grandparent's home for sleepovers, and now I'm the grandma in this house and my grandsons come for sleepovers!

You'll find my full post at this link - please check it out . . . and you'll find many more posts of interest, including one from Sherry Schumann about how to make Resurrection Rolls!

And, this photo is one of my grandma and my dad - when he was a boy celebrating his birthday - in front of their house . . . which is now my home!

Lea, American Girl Doll Girl of the Year for 2016 - I'm Giving One Away & Where Would You Like to Visit?

As I announced a couple months ago, I have the new American Girl Doll - Lea, the Girl of the Year Doll for 2016 which I'm very happy to give away so a little girl will be able to enjoy having this lovely doll. I've shared how in the story which comes with Lea, she and her family travel to the Brazilian Rain Forest and the Ocean off the coast of Brazil to learn about some of the creatures which live in these places.

I've shared unique Rain Forest and unique ocean creatures with you, so today I thought, since Lea visits Brazil, it would be fun to think for a minute about a place in the world which you would visit if you could visit any place! For me it would be a toss-up between visiting the true Northern California area I love (Redding area - Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, Burney Falls, Castle Craigs, the Redwoods and so much more amazing beauty!) and visiting New Zealand - it looks so amazingly beautiful in the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings movies! It seems like it would be such an incredible place to visit!

So, what about you? Where would you like to visit? If you comment below to share the place you would like to visit, you will receive one entry in the drawing for the American Girl Doll, Girl of the Year 2016 - Lea, Doll & Book on May 30, 2013! You will find all the details about this lovely doll, her "story" and how you are able to receive additional entries in the drawing at this link!

loved+blessed® Review & Giveaway!

I was recently invited to take a look at a new resource - the loved+blessed® Box . . . it sounded interesting, so they sent me a box for free which gave me the opportunity to look it over and let you know all about it. Plus, there is a really great giveaway for a fully year subscription to the loved+blessed® Boxes! First, my review . . . 

I Have a Winner!

I'm very happy to announce Janet Watts is the winner of one Normal Norman book (you'll find my review at this link)! Thank you Janet for reading grandma's cookie jar (email lyndagcj@gmail.com by March 23, 2016 to let me know your address, so I can have it sent to you!) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one copy for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Look What People are Saying About Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Psalms Edition - & I'm Giving One Away!

Yesterday I was very happy to share with you the news about the release of my new book - Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Psalms Edition. I think this is a book which will prove to be a very useful tool for grandparents and parents as they focus on praying for their grandchildren/children . . . but, then I did write it, so it is possible my opinion would tend towards the "biased" side!

So, today I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the opinions of people who read my book before it was released . . . 

Announcing - My New Book - Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Psalms Edition!

I'm very happy today to share with you my new book - Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - Psalms Edition!

I firmly believe one of the most significant things we can do for our grandchildren/children to pass on a heritage of faith is to be consistent and faithful in praying for them. This book will help you do exactly this by guiding you each week for a year in praying specific passages from Psalms for yourself and for your grandchildren/children.

Check out the New Legacy Coalition Grandparenting Matters Website & Facebook Page! Great Resources for You!

For forty years I served in Children's Ministries. I am all for Children's Ministry. I believe an effective Children's Ministry can, and does, make a difference in the lives of children. I believe it matters what we do in our churches with the children. I believe a strong church has a strong Children's Ministry.

Having said these things, I also believe the ability of a Children's Ministry to significantly impact the lives of children in a lasting way is limited if the Children's Ministry does not also focus on the family. When studies show the average child is only at church twice a month (check this link and this link for the specifics on the studies) . . . which works out to about two hours out of every 336 hours - yes, two hours - we can not continue to expect the church and it's Children's Ministry to be the primary - and in far too many cases, the only - place a child is influenced for God.

So, how do we do this? Keep in mind, God's Word tells us children are to be engaged and reached in all 336 hours we have in a two-week period of time - and in all the hours of each and every week all year long. Since it is clear church can not possibly engage children for all these hours, we have to focus our efforts on following God's guide-line for children . . . which is of course, the best guide! In Deuteronomy 4 and 6 He says teaching and engaging children has to be a day-in-day-out focus. This is the role of the family.

My "Grandma Challenge" & Signs of Life/Spring

When it comes to passing on a heritage of faith, there is a certain amount of doing so which requires us as grandparents to learn, to read, to pray and to be challenged by the truth of God's Word. So, we read, we learn, we pray and we attend conferences - or at least we can do this now! (Check this link about the very first ever Grandparenting Conference in Eden Prairie, MN - just outside Minneapolis - this coming May . . . and please plan to join us!)

And while all of these things are excellent - and necessary things for us to do, there comes a time when we have to "act". When we have to engage our grandchildren as we are active about passing on our faith.

My grandsons are young - seven, four and two years old - so I focus on engaging them while they are young to build a foundation on God's Word for them to hold on to. One thing I am doing with them is called my "grandma challenge"!

Elephant Design!

When I look at the world around me I see detail, wonder and design. It is impossible for me to believe it all "just happened" or one creature had the intelligence to determine it needed legs or wings or whatever to survive and the ability to just grow those things. I believe God designed and created our world with all the wondrous creatures and beautiful features we can see today!

Having said this, did you know . . . 

A "Real" Red Elephant & God's Faithful Love!

My three grandsons are young, seven, four and two years old. I love these ages because they are the right size for time in grandma's lap - which, of course, just fills my heart with joy! I know when my own children were young, they were the same way, but as they grew up, "lap time" came to an end. So, I treasure these few years when my grandsons are young. I enjoy the things they say and do which make me laugh, and I love opportunities to snuggle them in my lap. 

Because they are still young, there are times when this is more clear than others. Today I'm going to share one such time with you.

My grandsons typically spend Friday night at their Poppa's and my house for a sleep-over. Last Friday, Caleb (four years old) brought his red elephant toy/pillow with him. It reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit, so I'm quoting a bit for you . . .

Check This Out - Another Facebook Page for Grandparents!!!

For the past five years I've been writing about being a grandma, the joys which come with it and passing on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. Many of you have been reading my blog and fb page since the beginning - thank you! Others of you have joined in during the past five years - thank you! I most sincerely appreciate each of you taking time out of your day to read what I write and to connect and interact by commenting and sharing with the people you know!

Today I want to invite you to join me on another grandparenting facebook page where I'm posting every day. The Legacy Coalition Grandparenting Matters facebook site is at this link and I, along with other Legacy Coalition staff are writing posts to encourage you as you navigate through being a grandparent - and most importantly, passing on a heritage of faith to your grandchildren! Sherry Schumann, Bill & Nicky Gibbons, Jane Larson, other staff from time-to-time and I post, so each day - and several times throughout each day, there is new content for you to discover! We invite you to read and join in by sharing your thoughts and our posts!

Please check our facebook post out - we would would be honored to have you join us!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway in Six Days!

I'm very happy to announce Latanya is the winner of one Snuggle Time Prayers book (you'll find my review at this link)! Thank you Latanya for reading grandma's cookie jar (email lyndagcj@gmail.com by March 16, 2016 to let me know your address, so I can send it to you!) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one copy for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Legacy Grandparent Conference - Please Join Us!

Don’t miss the first regional Legacy Grandparent Conference on May 9-10 at Grace Church of Eden Prairie, MN, with national family ministry leaders such as Larry Fowler, Wayne Rice, Rob Reinow, Linda Ransom Jacobs and more.

Grandparents have incredible influence and a biblical mandate to disciple the next generation. It is time for us to recover a biblical understanding of the place and purpose of grandparents to change a generation for the glory of Christ and the good of families. 

The Legacy Grandparent Conference is for grandparents, pastors, church leaders, and anyone who wants to pass on a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ to future generations. 

Mon-Tues, May 9-10, 2016 | Monday, 4p-9p; Tuesday, 9a-4p, Grace Church. This is a conference unlike any other, where you will:

SoulFeed Box from LifeTree Family & Save $5!

Yesterday I wrote about one of the most important things we can do as grandparents to pass on a heritage of faith and shared LifeTree/Group's Buddy Box with you. While many of us have younger grandchildren - grades four or five and below - many grandparents do have grandchildren who are in college, so today I'm very happy to let you know about a unique and excellent resource for college kids, which you can send to your college-age grandchildren . . . and you can save $5, too!

Subscription boxes have become quite popular - you can get them filled with most anything; in this case, the SoulFeed box is a subscription box which is filled with items to get college students thinking about God, His love for them, and their walk with Him. You may choose the length of your subscription for these care packages - monthly, every four months, every eight months or individual boxes, which gives you a lot of flexibility! Group Publishing/Lifetree sent me one box for free, so I could see what is inside and let you know all about it.

Buddy Box from Group & a $5 Discount!

One of the most important things we can do as grandparents is to pass on a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. Some of us may be confident in doing this and others may wonder where to begin. Happily, there are some excellent resources available to help us do this - whether we are confident or unsure. Today I'm very happy to let you know about one such resource . . . and let you know how to save $5, too!

Subscription boxes have become quite popular - you can get them filled with most anything; in this case, the Buddy Box is similar to subscription boxes in how it is filled with items to get families thinking and talking about God, His love for them, and how they can know and love Him back. It is different in how it is not a subscription! You may choose the boxes you want, whenever you like without being locked into a subscription! Group Publishing/Lifetree sent me one box for free, so I could see what is inside and let you know all about it.

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway in Three Days!

I'm very happy to announce Karen is the winner of one Little Love Letters from God book (you'll find my review at this link)! Thank you Karen for reading grandma's cookie jar (email lyndagcj@gmail.com by March 14, 2016 to let me know your address, so I can have it sent to you!) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one copy for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!