I Have a Winner

I'm happy to say Leela is the winner of the Custom Yeti Rambler from personalizedcart.com. You will find my review at this link. Thank you Leela for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me at lyndagcj@gmail.com by August 20, 2018 to get your Yeti) and thank you PersonalizedCart for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away.

National Tell a Joke Day is Two Days Away

Thursday, August 16th, is National Tell a Joke Day, so in leading up to this fun day, worthy of celebration, I thought it may be fun to share a few jokes with you . . .

• What do you call cheese that’s not yours? - Nach-o cheese.
• What time do ducks wake up? - At the quack of dawn!
• What do you call a blind dinosaur? - A do-you-think-he-saw-us.
• How do you catch a whole school of fish? - With bookworms.
• What do cows read? - Cattle-logs.
• What do you call it when a dinosaur crashes his car? - Tyrannosaurus Wrecks.

Well, these are just a few jokes to get you started. What is one of your favorite jokes?

TreeRunner Adventure Park

Aerial Adventure Parks are becoming popular and I was recently given the opportunity for my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons to visit TreeRunner Adventure Park here in Grand Rapids, MI. If you are wondering if these parks are a safe option for the children you love, today I'm happy to let you know about this unique and fun place where you are able to spend time and build amazing memories with the children you love.

crafting with grandma - Chalkboard Vase

From time to time situations arise where you might wish you had something you could give as a gift . . . it is for times such as these where this gift idea I found on Pinterest this morning will absolutely come in handy! Super simple, very inexpensive and yet, personal . . . this chalkboard vase is one which you can make up and then personalize as you need, add some flowers and have a great gift in minutes!

Follow this link for the specifics then stop by the store to pick up mason jars, chalkboard spray paint and chalk markers, paint several jars and store them to have on hand when you need them!

Praying Scripture - Psalm 34

Praying Scripture is one of the most powerful things we are able to do for our family, so today I'm sharing a prayer from Psalm 34 . . .

Make Your Own Minion Tic-Tac-Toe Game

If you have grandchildren who are fans of Minions and who enjoy crafts, look at this fun idea I found on Pinterest this morning for a Minion tic-tac-toe game! All you need is paint, flat stones and a chalkboard.

grandma's cookbook - Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Fall, the return to school and the arrival of fresh apples are nearly upon us! So, if you are looking for a recipe you could make with your grandchildren to celebrate the crisp, days of Fall and brighten the day of others, consider this recipe I found on Pinterest for Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies!

This is a recipe your grandchildren could enjoy making with you . . . and will certainly enjoy eating! You'll find the recipe and all you need to know at this link. Have fun making the pies and then take some to elderly neighbors, shut-ins, your local police/fire departments or package up to send to school with your grandchildren for their teachers.

Grandparents & Love

As I was thinking about what to write today, God brought to mind 1 Corinthians 13:4 . . Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

These verses give us a very clear view of what love is, and shows us how to love our grandchildren in a way which points them to God. Love is not an emotion which comes and goes. It is not something which depends on how others treat us or how our situation looks. Love is a choice. Period. We choose to love others – no matter what, because this is how God loves us; no matter what.

grandma's chuckles - "Hugs Are Good For You"

My grandsons have spent several days a week this summer at my house - with just a week and a half before school begins, I'm remembering things they have said and done - it has been a wonderful summer for sure! Today I'm sharing with you something my grandsons said on one of their sleepovers. We were getting ready for bed and I hugged Shane, hugged Caleb then asked Josiah if he wanted a hug, too. Josiah wanted a hug, so of course, I happily hugged him. 

Poppa said hugs are good for us and this surprised Josiah. They then talked about how studies show people who hug and receive hugs are healthier and live longer. To which Josiah said; "Then Caleb, Shane and I will be very healthy and live a very long time, because we get LOTS of hugs; especially at your house!" Then he looked at me and said; "And apparently you are going to be very healthy and live a very long time, too, grandma, because you give a LOT of hugs!" Caleb added; "And, you get a lot of hugs, too!" To which we all hugged again!

We are "View-Givers"

Today I want to write about something important. Handing down a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. Three years ago I heard Steve Bell (Willow Creek Church) say something which got my attention: "How we feel about our grandchildren is how they will feel about themselves."

Fill Your Heart, Your thoughts and Your Home With Praise!

Neta Jackson is one of the devotional writers for the NIV Grandmother's Bible and she wrote about praising God. She said,  "The more I meditate on this Scripture, (Psalm 8) the more it makes sense. Satan's work thrives in an atmosphere of doubt, worry, distraction, busyness and discouragement. But praise? Praise to the living God is not Satan's working condition. If I want to build a stronghold of protection against that old devil, I need to fill my heart, my thoughts and my home with praise!"

So what are you doing today to fill your heart, your thoughts and your home with praise? When your grandchildren are near you, do they see and hear you praising God for the many blessings, big and small in your everyday life? Do you help them lift their hearts in praise to God for the big and small parts of their everyday lives? Make a point of praising God throughout your day and make it a goal to help your grandchildren learn to do the same!

New Beginnings

I read this morning's devotional in the Grandmother's Bible - written by Barbara Johnson - I thought I'd share part of it with you . . . although all of it is amazing!

Choices and Celebrating

Tomorrow David Lee Freeman Sr and I will celebrate 37 years of marriage! I'm so thankful for each day of the past 37 years and look forward to many, many more days and years together!

Some of you may not know it, but Dave and I were married on my grandpa and grandma Fullmer's 55th anniversary . . . yes, they were married on August 7, 1926! Talk about a heritage of faithfulness and an example to follow! I look forward to celebrating our 55th anniversary - eighteen years to go!

My sister, Loretta Baughan, wrote a book about our grandparents - Clarence and Faye (https://www.amazon.com/Clarence-Faye-Loretta-B

…/…/1516844718). They faced many challenges and hardships Dave and I have not faced . . . the depression, serious illnesses, being caught in a tornado and more. Throughout their lives they remained committed to each other - an example Dave and I choose to follow each and every day.

People ask what the "secret" is to a long and happy marriage. I believe it is about the choices we make. We choose to love. We choose to be faithful. We choose to forgive. We choose to keep our vows. Yes, life brings with it challenges, but it also brings blessings. Dave is absolutely one of God's greatest blessings in my life and I am so very thankful!

Celebrate - it Matters

I am in favor of celebrating with grandchildren. Celebrate special days, celebrate milestones, celebrate just for the fun of it. I believe it is a great way to build a strong relationship and because it gives us opportunities to hand down the faith.

A few years ago when I was researching child slavery I learned one of the biggest ways those who prey on children build relationships with children, is by celebrating those children. These horrible people act like they care about a child, pay attention to them and even listen to them talk for hours. They do all this to get a child to believe they really care about them.

As my grandchildren grow up I want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt their family loves and celebrates them! When an adult pays attention to them, I want it to be their grandparents /parents. When an adult listens to them, I want it to be their grandparents/parents. When an adult celebrates them and the mile-stones in their lives, I want it to be their grandparents/parents.