"YOU ARE FREE"

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FREE

    On the way home from picking up my grandson from kindergarten, we stopped at a convenience store to "borrow" their restroom and purchase the obligatory Diet Coke. You never want to go into a store to use their facilities without buying a $1.00 drink, right?

    Well, the restroom was occupied. I stood, not so patiently, outside the door. Obviously, the person inside intended to take every second of their time, after all, they had probably done their own "potty dance" waiting in line. 

    I was about to knock on the door and ask if I could have just a couple seconds and then would gladly return the room to them. Just before I knocked, the door opened and a small child who looked vaguely familiar came out. The door slammed shut behind him and he stood there looking up at me as if I should know what he needed to do next. There really wasn't a lot of time for six-year-old instructions so I waved him to the front and mumbled something about picking out some candy.  I'm a pretty reasonable grand-motherly type but there is only one reason you risk a pubic bathroom, so I bolted inside. As the door slammed behind me I realized I had just given my grandson free rein of the candy section.

    Finishing as quickly as possible, I washed my hands and dried them on my jeans. No paper towels of course. I've always felt the bottom of my jeans must surely be cleaner than the napkins sitting on the sink, right? In less dire straits, I headed to the front.

    As I approached the register to pay for my drink, there he was, scoping out the candy beside the register. I'm not sure the lady behind the counter could even see the top of his head. 

    I watched, eyes wide, as his hand went in his pocket. Still, it never occurred to me to question him to see if he had anything "unpaid for" lurking inside.

As we left the store, being the grandmother I was, I started asking what was in his pocket.

    Kneeling in front of my wide-eyed grandson I began asking questions and asked him to show me the candy. As he pulled it out, tears formed in his eyes. I could tell my little guy was confused and was trying to say he hadn't meant to take it and didn't know how it got into his pocket. I knew how badly he wanted it but knew he needed to learn a very hard lesson.  them came back in. The mom said to the lady behind the counter, "We have something to tell you". The little girl looked up and said, "I'm sorry I,... Umm I didn't mean to,... well I'm sorry I almost took your candy". By this time the lady's husband was standing behind the counter with both hands on top of it. They both looked down at her and the man said, "YOU ARE FREE. YOU ARE FREE, YOU CAN GO". He gave her a big smile and she wiped her eyes with her little chubby hand and smiled back. As they were leaving the store the last time, the little girl looked up at her mommy and said "I don't feel guilty anymore"!

Even I had to wipe my eyes. It could have been me, or you, or anyone with children or grandchildren. If we could free others from their guilt, we ourselves would feel free just like the little girl did. I picture her skipping down the sidewalk in front of her house singing joyfully.

BEING FREE MEANS "NOT FEELING GUILTY ANYMORE"

Good night and sleep in peace.

A HEART THAT IS PURE

A LOVE THAT REACHES ACROSS THE OCEANS

..."religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself
from being polluted by the world." Jas. 1:27
What can "keep oneself from being polluted by the world", and "looking after orphans and widows", have to do with each other? Maybe the prevailing idea that it isn't "our responsibility" to look after helpless humans made in God's image (regardless of parental origin) is pollution from the world?

Friends, I have come face to face with a precious baby girl, a child with
beautiful brown eyes and chubby cheeks whose parents could not raise her and give her the care she needed to survive in a country that does not place value on human life. Rather than kill this child, they loved her for a month before making the heart wrenching decision to leave her on the steps of an orphanage thousands of miles across the world. God's world.


My niece and her husband and their girls have been waiting for a "baby
girl" to become theirs for nearly four years. During those years they worked extra jobs, gave up things you and I expect as our rights, learned things about living for someone else rather than for ourselves, shared their dreams with others and at times wondered if that space in their hearts and home would ever be filled with the laughter and patter of little feet. The feet of the little girl left on the steps of an orphanage by birth parents whose circumstances forbade them watching her grow into a young woman.


Tricia and Eric have saved thousands of dollars toward bringing their baby Lydda (age 11 months now, soon to be a year old) home to live in a family who has been loving her and waiting to share a "pure and faultless" religion
with a child who might never have known a loving Father God. They are still short on the money needed to accomplish this by several thousand dollars. While I'm not asking you to send money to a family you do not know, I am asking you to lift this need up to the Father of all children in prayer.

They need money for:
...three visas and passports
...airline tickets for two to the country to get Lydda
...and for three to bring them all home
...hotel expenses for their two week stay
...$5,000 to pay the orphanage when they receive her

Friends who have gone through this journey with them are helping with fundraisers and auctions and by donating proceeds from various other efforts. They are donating airline miles, etc. If there is any thing you can help with, please let us know. I am going to post Lydda's picture and give you a blog site to visit so you can meet Eric, Tricia and their family.

"and now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is LOVE". I Cor. 13:13

Meet Lydda. She has already made a huge place in my heart. I love you so, sweet Lydda.

Dee Dee

www.thejoysofmommy.blogspot.com

Planning a Retreat

??????????HAVE I LOST MY MIND??????????

How many of you would even think about planning a retreat for women? That's what I thought. I HAVE lost my mind. Of course I've been called a lot of things in my short life time, but "The Brightest Crayon in the Box" hasn't been one of them.

Last summer I accepted a volunteer position, Women's Ministry Leader, at our church. We only have about 125-150 women ranging from young mommies to great-grandmothers in our congregation. There hasn't been anyone "in charge" (like anyone is ever in charge of that many women) for about five years. They really are a sweet group of women and are always ready to lend a hand, at least until you start planning a retreat for them, that is.

So, I have one lady helping me plan this retreat for the last weekend in February. She will be in charge of music and worship. That, my friends is a VERY good thing since I don't know a note, from a bar, from a staff, and would not know how to put any of them together, unless the staff would write a note to someone in the bar. No?, I thought not. I have a lady who will do the layout of the program and one who will print and assemble name tags.

I have done enough retreat planning in our former church and on my job for fifteen years one would think I could do it with my eyes closed. Here are just a few of the obstacles I've faced in one week.

*Made a typo on the poster I put up in the restrooms and foyer

*Sent the info to the church secretary to post in the bulletin -

cost not designated as per person on it.

*Had to call the ladies already signed up and explain cost

*One lady told me she called the hotel and they don't have queen beds

*Sent out e-mails to ask for help on different things - no responses>br>

All except the last one is fixable. Everyone seems to be excited and looking

forward to the weekend. I guess though they think chocolates will put themselves in the guest rooms, the rooming list will appear out of thin air, the program will be written by God himself, the small group questions will be pre-printed and someone from the hallway will lead the groups, the chef will just know what food we want to serve, centerpieces will be donated by every one else except them, a prayer walk is something made out of concrete, decorations jump on the tables and the props are purchased on-line. Oh, did I mention we will need about 20 dozen cookies with affirmations written on them. I think the biggest mis-conception though, is that this Women's Ministry Leader has it under control. Anyone out there want to be the MC? If you do, you have to think of something to say all by yourself.

I know this sounds crazy, and it just might be, (it did to him too) but I keep hearing the words "remember Gideon" (thanks Tricia for the reminder I had to look up the story and read it again)...long story short, God accomplished with 300 men what Gideon had assembled 30,000 men to do. Of course, Gideon was defeating a nation, I'm planning a women's retreat. Gideon, where are your 30,000??

Anyway, I'm sure on February 28Th, the day after the retreat, I will have had all the help I needed. I am looking forward to it. Anyone out there, ladies, who wants to attend a well though out and semi organized retreat, let me know.

I think I say all this to say I'm having a blast, and a few sleepless nights!

To God Be The Glory

Just A Few Memories

.......................From My Heart To Yours.......................

In choosing to write this, I have had to think over events long past and by some, maybe best forgotten. I don't, however choose to forget a man who has lived just weeks short of 92 years on this earth.

On the lives he touched, and in most cases changed, finger prints were left to be read like one might read a book. Though all the stories would be the same. 'Live life, love people and serve God".

His story started with his wife "Dot" (or granny to the family), and his kids and extended family, and traveled with him to church, and through out many counties and even states.

I remember:

... him driving an old blue truck

... a rambler with the back floor board out

(and him spitting out the front window and it flying in the back window)

... holding "little Wayne" in the front room at the old house

... a green pick up with a dash so full of papers he couldn't find anything

... calling home to see what granny needed from the store

...him with "toodles"(granny's little dog) at the old house

... chopping and stacking wood

... his face when Jonathon started to lead "Elvira" in church

... reaching out to the "younger generation" RJ and David Hutton

at the "new house"

I don't remember:

... him getting angry

... spanking a grand child

... loosing his temper

... stopping at a red light

I know there are many people who saw him every day and remember many stories and adventures they shared with RJ Redd, they are worth a mint. Please remember and share these memories, keeping the legacy alive for his family and yours. You will be continually blessed.

To my sister-in-law Linda, her sister and brothers, my nieces and nephews and their families, and to my own children... my heart goes out to you. He was a special person.

May His Life Continue To Glorify God Through Each Of You
..

TIS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

? Did I say..."It's Beginning to Looking A Lot Like Christmas?

What I meant to say is... it's the night BEFORE Christmas and it looks like

Santa threw up in Nana and Papaw's house.

Does that bother anyone here? No sir it doesn't because that is a normal state in this house. What is beginning to bother a few people, Nana included, is all my presents are getting mixed up under the tree. (not unusual either). This year though I thought I had a fool proof system. I made my list early and it went every where I went, even to church. If you ask Papaw, he will tell you what a professional Christmas list maker I am. Each person has several lines under their name and the items I wish to purchase are listed under their name. As I purchased my gifts with loving care (and sometimes I had to exchange a gift item because I found a more perfect one), I put a check by the gift and stored the bags in secret places around the house (uh, maybe this could be a clue). Then as I wrapped a gift I put a star beside that item and put it under the tree. As I completed each person's list, I cross them off. Here's where the problem(s) started this year.

Right in the middle of my quest for the perfect gifts, we acquired two new families (eight or so) to buy for who weren't on the original list. These gifts needed to be purchased and wrapped much earlier than Christmas so I switched to another list and in the process I left my original family list on a counter at Wal-Mart. I panicked...I even called the store to see if the cashier had found a three page list with a bunch of names and gift items that had been crossed off or stars placed beside them at her register. (how on earth do you explain my system to a stranger?) Of course no one ever came back on the line to put my mind at ease. Papaw drew the line when I told him I was going back to Wal-Mart at 9:00pm to see if anyone had turned it in. The only thing left to do was try to remake the list. Now I have a "second edition" and there are checks and stars and gifts under the tree. I'll have to let you know next time if everyone got what they were suppose to get. I guess so long as the guys don't get the girls gifts and vice versa we will be okay.

I've completed the necessary things for Christmas Day and still have another week to catch up on what still needs to be completed. That will be the easy part though. (no list needed).

This has been the shortest four weeks in Christmas history. Hunter and I shopped, I wrapped late each evening after they went home and papaw went to sleep. Tonight, December 24Th, Christmas Eve, I still have a couple gifts left to wrap for tomorrow morning, but it's quiet and peaceful for a few hours. Even though we won't have everyone here on Christmas Day, we will only be as far away as the wishes in our hearts that you will all know we love you and would love to see you. I will leave you tonight with this thought...

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight"

p.s. Okay, so now it's the night AFTER Christmas and I hope to get this blog posted before NEXT Christmas. I hope everyone had a wonderful day and will be looking forward to a wonderful year.

Maybe soon I will post some pictures taken with the camera Santa brought me. Love you all!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

****Nana and PawPaw's... A Month Before Christmas*****

We start pulling out the decorations and memories the day after Thanksgiving.

In years past, we took trips to tree farms, cut down our own tree and after having hot apple cider and a ride on the back of a diesel driven tractor, drove home. By that evening everything was done. The Christmas dishes were in the cabinet (the regular ones, you know the Styrofoam ones, put away), the tree is up with all the decorations shining from each branch, our three little trees with the snow and nativity nestled under them is in place in the front window, cookie jar out, bathroom candles ready to be lite. Ask Kaela about that one. She scraped red wax off the toilet and floor until she looked like she was bleeding. The floor still has red wax on it this year. We would even have a few presents wrapped and under the tree before going to bed that night...then the kids grew up and moved away.

We have had Christmas mornings (actually some of our best) when we would wake up to coffee brewing and muffins being warmed, fruit and cool whip ready for Christmas breakfast. We've also eaten Christmas breakfast at Denny's and IHOP and shopped at Cracker Barrel. We've decorated table-top trees with ornaments and celebrated in hotels. It's not been all about "getting it right". We have always told the kids it's the spirit of giving and believing that lives inside us ( the spirit of the One in whom we believe and who gave all) that makes it Christmas.
(the two pictures below were about thirteen years ago)

(This picture, was at Connie's about three years ago)This year, paw-paw grew the tree a couple days before Thanksgiving (no lights until the Saturday after though) Then on Wednesday Zackary and Hunter came over and helped with the small trees and nativity and put some of the Christmas Around The World keepsakes out while their mom and dad went to class. When they got back we had supper and watched Rudolph while we decorated the tree. Before we were done, we had egg nog and cookies. I'm not sure how far Hunter made it before losing his egg nog.

Boxes are still sitting around in every room, the left over polyester snow is still on the floor and there is no centerpiece on the kitchen table yet. We have the snowman dishes in the dishwasher and the regular ones on the counter. It is now three weeks before Christmas, but we are still working on it. When Zackary comes in now he says "okay, Nana, your best decorationer is here". In the next day or so we will be done, all except watching the stars in their eyes.

We've had snow and a fire and a few extra days off work (for paw-paw). Nana has been making her "list", checking it and re-making it, and probably having as much fun as any of the little ones. Even though we will not have our family Christmas this year until after Christmas I'm looking forward to getting together with everyone as often as schedules allow.

As this season progresses and gets more hectic, I pray we will all take a few minutes each day to reflect on the blessings of family and friends and on the true Reason for the Season, Jesus.
Love to you all,
Nana

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

OR SHOULD I SAY, WHO YOU SAY IT IN FRONT OF??

You would think after 18 years of being a grandmother I would have learned a thing or two. Well, "I might have been born in a barn, but NOT at night" (Michael, age six). So, a word from a slow learner, be careful who you use your most expressive words in front of. Yes, there is a memory in the making here.

Thursday afternoon after Hunter and I picked Zackary up from school, I had to pick up a perscription from the drug store. The whole trip from his school to the house is about twenty-five minutes, if we get behind the school bus on Monroe. So needless to say I was just a little preturbed an hour and a half later when we weren't home yet. This is how it happened...

...Wrong turn in subdivision to avoid school bus (fifteen minutes wasted), prescription not ready at Walgreens (just give me about ten minutes, Mrs. Fenter) okay, so we waited 10 minutes, another pass through the drive-through and "we're having difficulty getting it to go through, can you give us about fifteen more minutes?" (now we have twenty-five more minutes wasted), second pass through... bag flys out of the little box and goes under the car which is pulled very close to the curb, visual NOT pretty and Zackary can't understand why I'm on my knees mumbling (another five minutes wasted). Okay, prescription retrieved and we are on our way. Ten minutes and we should be home! Turn left onto the 'short cut street' to make up time...OH NO bridge under construction turn left into a side street to detour, NO OUTLET, turn around in driveway back to the 'short cut' street and back to Walgreens parking lot (total of twenty minutes wasted!) Cut through to main four lane street to go the L-O-N-G way home and the car behind me cuts around and in front of me causing the car passing on the street to slam on their brakes and me to honk my horn (five minutes wasted)...here are the words of wisdom...

Don't say CRAP with your seven year old grandson in the back seat, because if you do, you will likely get a lecture on why that wasn't a good idea to say that.

The conversation went something like this:

...Nana, "Oh Crap, Dude, that was stupid."

...Zackary, "That probably wasn't a good thing to say."

...Nana, "WHAT?"

...Zack, "Just saying, you know with HIM in the car, (that was a head motion in Hunter's direction) I don't think mom is going to like it much when he says that word, you know the one you just said."

...Nana, "Huh??? Yeah, you are probably right."

If you think God gave you children to help you aquire patience, I wonder just what it is we are supposed to learn from our grandchildren...wisdom?

I love all of my grandchildren and you would think I would be pretty wise by now, thirteen of them later, but I'm still learning.

Love You All