Spring Gift Review & Giveaway on May 21, 2018 - Grandma Photo Frame

I was recently invited by GiftsForYouNow to participate in a special review of their lovely "grandma" photo frame - it arrived a couple days ago, so today I'm very happy to let you know about it and announce a giveaway as well!

Be the Precious Gem to Your Family

Oh yes, we grandmas (and grandpas, too) are a precious, valuable gem; people of great value to our families . . . or at least we have the potential to be this for them. But, what does it look like for us to be this "precious gem"? Let's look at these verses for some insight . . . 

Be a Grandma with Joy & Laugh Lines!

A few months ago my grandsons and I were talking about the Fruit of the Spirit when my nine-year old grandson said he thinks of his poppa and I when he thinks of the word "joy"; my six and four year old grandsons agreed! This is one of the most wonderful things anyone has ever said about me!

While we certainly want our lives to reflect the love of God, reflecting the joy is extremely important. And, when we are people who show joy; who are quick to smile and laugh, who consistently greet our grandchildren with a smile on our face and a twinkle in our eyes, our grandchildren will be pointed to God. Why wouldn't they want a life of joy? And, why wouldn't we want our grandchildren to not just see us as people who live joy, but to remember us as such! . . . 
#grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose  https://grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com/2018/04/be-grandma-with-joy-laugh-lines.html

Spring Gift Review & Giveaway - Reed Diffuser Sun Drenched Apricot Rose

I was recently sent a box of fun from Yankee Candle. In this box was one of their Yankee Candle Reed Diffusers, Sun-Drenched Apricot Rose. Today I'm going to tell you about this - and announce a giveaway for one as well!

Everything is Possible for God & A Prayer for Those We Love

Pray. It is one of the single-most important things for us to do for the grandchildren God has given to us. It is one of the single-most powerful things we are able to do as well as we approach our loving God who wants us to bring our concerns and joys to Him. He promises to hear. He promises to listen. He promises to answer. And God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

As a mom and grandma, there isn't anything more important to me than for my son, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandsons to grow to be people who know and love Jesus. This world is at times a scary place; it seems evil is laughed at, discounted and accepted like it has not been before . . . at least in my lifetime. As I think about the things I want to pray for those I love, I think about the things Jesus prayed for His disciples, and for all of us, as recorded in John 17.

Jesus prayed His disciples would be protected by the power of God's name, so none of them would be lost. He did not ask God to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one, so they - and we - will have unity and the world will believe.

I believe there is good reason to pray these same things for my family and others as well . . . 

Speak the Truth

The world in which we live is filled with blessings from God all around us - our families, friends, the beautiful Earth on which we live, the gifts of a bountiful harvest and clear, clean water - this list could, and does, go on and on. God is real and His great love for us is obvious everywhere we look. This is the truth.

But, this world also is filled with those things which have the potential to sidetrack and derail our faith, and the faith of those we love. All it takes is a quick look at the culture in which we live to see this is true. It is all too easy to become caught up in things which push us away from God. There are many in this world who say there is no God and we are far too easily deceived into believing difficult times in our lives means God does not love us. . . . https://grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com/2018/04/speak-truth.html#more

Spring Gift Review & Giveaway - Folkmanis Woodland Animal Finger Puppet Set

From time-to-time I am able to receive a box of fun from Folkmanis Puppets - a box filled with the most amazing, and fun, puppets! Recently, one such box arrived at my house, so today I'm happy to let you know about a few of the puppets in the box - and a giveaway as well!

A "Picture" of God's Love

As grandmas, of course, we love our grandchildren unconditionally. As grandmas, we tend to be our grandchildren's biggest "cheerleaders". As grandmas, when we say; "I love you" to our grandchildren, it is not really a surprise, because they hear it from us - and experience it from us . . . often!

But these things are very positive things, because when our grandchildren experience how we never turn them away and are never too busy for them, they will better understand - and believe - the same is true about God . . . on an even bigger scale! Make time for your grandchildren today and connect with them in person or through tech. Tell them about how God is never too busy for them - it matters!  #grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose 

God is Faithful!

It is so very important for us to help our grandchildren learn to see God's "fingerprints" in their lives. Listen to this clip from when Lynda Freeman spoke for the Legacy Coalition in the closing general session at the Legacy Grandparenting Conference a few years ago and how she encourages us to help our grandchildren see how God was faithful yesterday, He is faithful today, so they will be able to believe he will be faithful tomorrow.  

https://www.facebook.com/thelegacycoalition/videos/1638548016173066/

Who Are You? Please Take Our Poll!

Who are you? Grandparents today are young and tend to be active. We also want to be engaged with and involved in the lives of our grandchildren. While there are interesting stats out there about who we are, I thought it would be fun to get a "snapshot" of who we are! So, on the Grandmas with Heart blog, on the right side of the page, you will find a simple poll about Grandparents Today. Please answer - feel free to check as many boxes as apply to you; it will be fun to see how we compare with the national "stats"!

So . . . who are you and what do you do???

Blessings from the Hand of God

I love a feature on my facebook called "On this Day", because each

morning when I look at it, I am reminded of the many blessings with which God has showered my life by the adorable things my grandsons said and did when they were younger. For example, "On this Day" when my oldest grandson was just three years old, he asked me to call him, "Super, Snazzy, Mighty Josiah", not just "Josiah"! Then he proceeded to "save" me from a "scary" bus which was trying to "suck me into it forever"! What would I ever have done without "Super, Snazzy, Mighty Josiah"?!!! . . .

And we would enjoy the opportunity to share in your blessings, too! Please share in the comment area about a time when your grandblessings brightened your day!    #grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose

https://grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com/2018/04/blessings-from-hand-of-god.html

Grandparent on Purpose - It Matters!

As grandparents we know something important which parents do not know. We know children grow up so very fast. At the time when we were "knee-deep" in potty-training, getting children to school and the day-in-day-out busyness of life with children, it did not seem like they were growing up so very fast. In fact, there were times we may have wondered if they were ever going to grow up.

But, looking back we know how vary fast they actually grew up. We are now able to see those years flew by. And, added to this we know there are likely more days behind us than there are in front of us - we are not getting any younger. Our grandchildren are growing up and we are getting older, so it truly matters for us to make the most of the time we have with our grandchildren. We need to grandparent on purpose.

As the weekend is upon us, let's make time to connect with our grandchildren on purpose - no matter their age or location. Clearly, if they live near it is easier to do this, but even if they live far with facetime, email and even just a phone we are able to connect. Consider the following ideas . . .  

 #grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose https://grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com/2018/04/grandparent-on-purpose-it-matters.html

Spring Gift Review & Giveaway - Riehel's Select Popcorn

Yesterday I wrote about a new popcorn popper Cuisinart sent me for review, so today I want to write about an amazing popcorn I just received for review - and some I'm giving away in our Spring Gift Giveaways! 

God's Great Promise & a Prayer

(Since I now have the Grandmas with Heart blog available, I will not duplicate entire posts here on grandma's cookie jar. Instead each day I'll post a short clip from the day's post on Grandma's with Heart along with the link, so you will be able to find and read the full post.)

When we first became parents, if we were people who knew, loved and followed God, we certainly wanted this for our children as well. As they grew up, we did what we knew to do to point them to Jesus and rejoiced as they put their trust in Him. When they married, we experienced the joy of watching them start to build their home on the firm foundation of God and His Word.