Share How Your Family History Shows God's Hand

Do you know your family history? Are there accounts of your ancestors which have been handed down from one generation to the next? Have you spent time researching your family genealogy? Are you able to see God's hand through your family's history?

My sister has researched our family history quite a bit. She discovered how some of our family came to America on the Mayflower and another ancestor was shanghaied from his home in Scotland, brought to America and sold as an indentured servant for seven years. 

Hand Down the Faith with Mystery Bags - Stained Glue Valentines Day Hearts

From time to time I browse on  Pinterest to look at ideas for projects I might try with my grandsons. A few years ago I found a wonderful craft which is perfect for Valentines Day - Stained Glue Valentines Day Hearts - and since it is just a month away, today I'm happy to share it with you as our "Mystery Bag" project for this week.

This craft would be great fun to make with your grandchildren over several days. Stained Glue Valentines Day Hearts make wonderful gifts for them to give to their parents, teachers or to anyone on their Valentines Day list and a fun way for them to share God's love with others as well.

God is Big Enough

On my other blog - Grandmas with Heart - I wrote about how we are able to know God is big enough to handle whatever we are facing. I thought you might want to read it, so today I'm sharing it with you as well.

 While we certainly have many times in our lives where we experience joy, we live in a fallen and broken world and there is no shortage of sadness, confusion and even grief which is experienced by us and the people we love. It is not difficult for us and the ones we love to wonder where God is and if He is able to handle the difficult things in our lives. So, today if you are experiencing a difficult time, I want to share these verses from Isaiah with you.

Saturday - January 19th is National Popcorn Day

This coming Saturday - January 19th - while a special day at my house as it is my daughter's birthday - is a special day, because it is National Popcorn Day! I personally enjoy a nice red popcorn, popped in sunflower oil with a bit of Himalayan Pink Salt on it, but it is difficult to go wrong with any popcorn as it is all tasty!

So, I thought I'd give you a heads up, so you are able to plan to celebrate this tasty day with the children you love. Consider sharing with them some fun popcorn facts . . . did you know . . .

I Have a Winner

I am happy to say Terri Conner is the winner of Narwhal's Otter Friend - you will find the review at this link. Thank you Terri for reading grandma's cookie jar, please email me by January 25, 2019, so I am able to have the book sent to you. And thank you tundra/Penguin Random House for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

As I mentioned last week, while most of the books I review are clearly for younger grandchildren, many grandmas (and grandpas) have older grandchildren, so today I'm very happy to let you know about a "must-have" book for grandparents and for older grandchildren.

Sometimes when we talk with our older grandchildren about reading the Bible, they say they do not read it, because they are not able to understand what it says. This is where a resource like The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament becomes such a valuable resource - for you and for them.

The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity

I review quite a few books on grandma's cookie jar; the vast majority of which are books for children. And, while many grandmas have young grandchildren for whom these books are great "fits", many also have grandchildren who are teens and young adults. It is important for us to build a firm foundation on the truth of God's Word while our grandchildren are young, but we must continue to build upon the truth as they grow older. 

InterVarsity Press has published some excellent books for us to read and share with our older grandchildren and I am delighted for the opportunity to let you know about a few of them over the coming week.

It is important for us as grandmas (and grandpas and even parents, too) to recognize the world in which we live has changed and is changing; and so have our churches. Many of our grandchildren are growing up and leaving the church in record numbers. If we educate ourselves and have important conversations with our grandchildren, maybe we will be able to see them stay in or return to the church - and even better, see our churches become healthy and what God wants them to be as well.

The book I'm sharing with you today is a book which will open your eyes and give you many excellent conversations with your older grandchildren.

Our Grandchildren are Watching

When all is going well it tends to be easy to trust and hope in God - after all, all is going well. But, when times are difficult and things are not working out the way we hoped, we may find it more difficult to trust and hope in God. 

Words Have a Lasting Impact on Children

Over the years I've shared posts with you which my friend Maralee McKee, the Manner's Mentor, wrote on her blog; today I'm doing this once again. Maralee once wrote about her visit to a store where she heard unkind words being spoken by a mother to her daughter. Maralee said, "Words linger . . . words wind their way through our mind dropping off in every nook and cranny. They're never forgotten. Our sub-conscious holds on to them. After all, our parents voice is our first voice of truth. Mama said it's so, so it has to be right."

Maralee is right. Words do have a lasting impact on children; they do "linger" and are remembered throughout a lifetime.

She went on to say; "One of two things will happen in the coming years if she is talked to often in this way; she will spend her life trying to over-compensate and feeling like she never measures up, or she will rebel into a reckless lifestyle feeling like, 'What's the use? I'm useless.' Our voice is our child's destiny. Pray daily we will speak gracious life into our children, our correction will be with love and our encouragement will be to build their character, not their egos. And most of all, our words will elad them to their Heavenly Father, so when we mess up as parents, (and we do and we will some more) they will know their one Parent Who always speaks life . . . glorious life to His children."

"This is All I Wanted to Say"

Today I'm remembering how last year on a Wednesday night - as on most Wednesday nights, my husband picked up our grandsons on his way home from work. As he was getting the boys into the car, he called to let me know they were about on their way.

Our then four-year-old grandson heard me on the phone and wanted to talk. He said; "I love you grandma! And, I like you, too! This is all I wanted to say."

An Eight-Year-Old's View of Grandparents

A few years ago I saw a post about how eight-year olds describe grandparents. I do not know where it originally came from, but today I thought I'd share just a few of the quotes with you - get ready to laugh!

The Four Steps for Making Great Memories with Your Grandchildren

One of my favorite devotions from the Grandmother's Bible was written by Bobbie  Wolgemuth and is entitled, I Will . .  I Will . . .  She says, "Psalm 9 contains a great 'I Will' activity list to remember when you spend time with your grandchild. First, start with an attitude of praise. Tell the Lord what you are thankful for. Count your blessings, name them. It will be easy to have a heart full of thankfulness after you've named even a few. Your heart will be full and running over with the kind of attitude which pleases God and spills over on the young ones with the love of the Savior. Second, tell the children what God has done in the past. One of our greatest resources as grandmothers is the history we have lived. Everyday miracles fill our memory banks.  Pull a few past marvels out of your memory treasure chest and tell your grandchild of the Lord's wonders. Third, be a happy grandmother. Open the door with a smile and a hug. Let your face show the gladness of the Lord. Your inside joy should envelop your grandchildren with every encounter, no matter where you are. The fourth 'I will" is my favorite: sing. Sing with your grandchildren. Leave a song in their hearts."

just for fun - A Heart Hunt

Valentine's Day is next month, so if you are looking for a fun idea you could try with your grandchildren; consider holding a “heart hunt”. What is a “heart hunt” you ask? Well . . . think Easter egg hunt, or like I wrote about last month, a Candy Cane hunt, but substitute small paper or foam hearts.

Tomorrow - January 5th - is Spaghetti Day

My grandsons love spaghetti and since they will be at my house tomorrow for a sleepover, and tomorrow is Spaghetti Day, we will definitely be eating spaghetti! 

I found some interesting spaghetti "history" on-line and so, today I'm sharing some of it with you. Did you know . . .