Pursuing More

I received the most exciting news this week! Our son and daughter in law are expecting a baby! By early July, I will be cuddling my very first grandchild! This baby will be the 1 st great grandchild for my husband’s parents and the 40 th   great grandchild for my parents. I’m calling him/her “Baby 1-40” for now until we have a better name. This grandma thing is going to be great! The excitement builds each day. The girls and I found instructions online to make chew toy necklaces, so mommy can be both stylish and provide teething fun at the same time. There are visions of cuddling, ice cream, slip n slides, games, puzzles and so much more dancing in my head. There are so many fun things I want to do with my grandchildren (I started an idea file years ago). Though I have been borrowing young children for some time now so I would be all practiced up when the time came, I feel it’s just not the same really being a grandma. This granny thing is all new for me. Think of all the ways ...

Have you ever asked “Why is this happening to me?”   For most of us that question in one form or another has been on our lips at at least one point in our lives. Suffering comes in all colors and sizes and in varying degrees and it leaves us filled with questions. To be able to see a purpose in suffering is like a light at the end of the tunnel. It is a gift. For if there is no purpose in it, we can be left empty and alone.   But to know that we are a part of a divine plan laid out in heaven brings a ray of hope. Sometimes the purpose in our suffering is for our own growth. Psalm 119:67 “Before I was afflicted   I went astray, but now I obey your word.”   The purpose is all about me, my need for growth and the opportunity to respond to God’s call. At other times, the purpose is not about me, but for others. Psalm 119:74 “May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.”   My obedience, faith and trust in my Father through ...