I will always be a mom but now I'm a Grandma!

At times lately I've felt like my job is done being a mom because my children no longer live in my home. Not quite a year ago, God was telling me to meet with this women weekly for an accountability partner, but I kept putting it off. I didn't understand why he would want me to meet with her because she has 4 little children still at home and my children are all raised. Why God, I need someone else to help me through this time in my life. Wow, does that sound selfish or what? It's all about Him, not about me! I am human. Anyway all along I'm wondering Lord, am I really being a mentor to her like I should be, because I haven't had my study done on several occasions. We are trying to do a Beth Moore bible study online together and I just keep putting it off. Like I said before I'm human. Sorry, Robin, I wouldn't blame you if you found someone else as your accountability partner and friend.

There's been several times I have left after being with her and thought man did I mess that time up Lord, I'm sorry I didn't even make sure we took time to pray before we ran out of time. Well guess what she gave me this great Christmas present and it is an awesome prayer journal called "The Busy Grandma's Guide to prayer" by Lisa Whelchel & Gentry Coleman and this has helped me realize that I'm not done being a mom because my children still need me to cover them in prayer as they raise their own children, my grandchildren! First I pray for myself, in this journal, then my adult children, then my grandchildren, then my grandchildren's future, then my grandchildren's character, then the children of the world. It is amazing how I'm still needed in my adult children's life.

She also wrote me a letter and stuck it inside the book, one thing that stuck out to me was this little part right here. Robin, I hope you aren't mad that I'm sharing online with everyone. "God knew I needed somebody to laugh with and cry with - and laugh till I cry with - and He sent me You!" Does God know what he is doing, of course, she needed me and I needed her, and I'm very greatful for my accountability partner, she has taught me I will always be a mom but now I'M A GRANDMA! Now she just needs to help me pray that maybe some day I can be a close by grandma instead of a long distance grandma. I have 3 grandchildren 500 miles away and 1 grandchild 1000 miles away. By the way Robin why weren't you here crying with me when I kissed Dylan goodbye. (He's the 7 month old that lives 1000 miles away from me.) I needed you big time that day! Just kidding, my sweet hubby held me that day, I think he was crying a few too, but he wouldn't let me see them.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Merry Christmas from my youngest grandson.

"I am getting spoiled from my grandma and grandpa, they won't quit kissing me since they don't get to see me that much. My grandma bought me this silly hat I'm wearing and she keeps taking pictures of me right and left. I think she is a little proud to have me as her grandson!"

Merry Christmas from Dylan!

Deck the Walls!

Merry Christmas, come on in and have a tour of my home, actually it's not my home it's God's, because he provided if for my husband and I back in 1996, when we moved into this log cabin, with no doors, no windows, and we even hung our clothes from the rafters. We were able to finish it in 1998 and it was completely paid for, only by the grace of God! You see my husband and I are founders and program directors of a non - profit boys ranch for at - risk boys and we said we would only expand when money came in, so we would not ever borrow money. I had to give you a little background before I take you on the tour, because of some of the things you will see. So here we go hope you enjoy, would you like a cup of french vanilla coffee? The first treasure we stop to see is kind of wierd. Years ago, I read about a christmas tradition I wanted to start with our three children and we didn't have a whole lot of money so I bought this little baby Jesus at the dollar store, and I agree it is ugly, but what we do with this baby Jesus is hide it early Christmas morning then before the Christmas story is read the kids have to find Baby Jesus. Then we read the story.... then they get to open up presents!

It is a fun tradition!

See what I mean by a little wierd?

Now let me take you to the beautiful tree that our 4 at - risk boys decorated after I read them One Incredible Moment by Max Lucado. We cranked the tunes up and listened to Mercy Me Christmas CD and had a lot of fun. Then we had hot chocolate together. One of the boys shared with me that one christmas his dad didn't put up a tree so he drew one on paper, cut it out and put it on the wall. Did that make me feel guilty as we were putting up this beautiful tree!

Now let's take a look at this wooden set of trees that the boys made this christmas, they made 30 of them, cut them out, and painted them. We gave them away as gifts to a volunteer group, who comes out to the ranch once a month. Aren't they just so cute?

They really look nice in a log cabin!

You're probably wondering why, did she name this deck the walls, well here it is. My husband doesn't like it too much when I have the boys decorate his pride and joy, but he loves me so he let's me do it, anyway. They usually have red noses on, but I keep forgetting to pick two up at the dollar store when I'm out and about, maybe next year they can be rudolph again.

My daughter and I about 9 years ago took old christmas cards that I had been saving for a couple years and made this collage to cover a deer mural, and we also made a back groud for the fish tank. Enjoy!

I have some more things I want to show you in my home, but I'm running out of time. I hate to be a rude hostess and all but my daughter, son-in-law, 7 month old grandson and my son are coming home Monday from Texas, they all work at a children's home there for girls and boys. So I will walk you through the rest of the house without saying a whole lot. Sorry to be so rude, but hey I have to get all my wrapping done, so I can just sit and hold that grandbaby. I can't wait! Have a Merry Christmas and remember Jesus is the Reason why we celebrate this time of year. Thanks Boomama for setting up this Christmas Tour of Homes, it was great fun to share with everyone. Hope you all enjoyed.

Mary, my unsung hero!

I can’t imagine being a young virgin girl, taking care of my everyday chores and suddenly a stranger just appears in my house. This stranger says something like, "Look at you! God has looked upon you as a special woman. God is with you!" Wow, I think if that happened to me that I would have to sit down and take a deep breath, before I fell down. Then I would be wondering why me? I’m just an ordinary girl. Why would God say that about me?

Then out of the blue this stranger says, "Hey, girl, calm down, it’s okay, God has picked you out of all the girls around to have you carry his Son. You will give birth to this child and you will call him Jesus." Wait a minute, that is so far fetched, there is no way, I have never slept with a man, how can this happen? The stranger answers "Yes there is a way, young one. The Holy Spirit will come down on you and the power of God will cover you. Anything is possible with God."

I can’t imagine I would tell this stranger that I understand everything he is saying and I do want to serve God with all my heart. So I will wait for this to happen.

How could I show my face when everyone knew I was not married, but pregnant? Then when the time came to have this baby holding him in my arms, knowing that some day I would watch him suffer, a very brutal death, to save the world. How could I do that?

How could she have possibly done this? As we approach this Christmas Season let us remember Jesus is our "HERO", He is the Reason! As an empty nested mother I would have to say that Mary is my unsung hero this Christmas, because She gave birth to Jesus and later let go of him trusting God to finish her job.

Thank you God for choosing Mary and not me!

My Most Memorable Christmas!

My husband and I had felt the Lord calling us back to our hometown area to start a boys ranch after working at one in Missouri for a year and a half. We moved back in March of 1992, the ranch become a non profit corporation in July 92 and we were living by faith trusting God for everything. A couple weeks before Christmas that year, we had no boys yet at the ranch, we sat our 3 children down ages 5 - 8 1/2 and told them since mommy and daddy were trying to get this ranch started to help trouble boys, we didn't have any money to get Christmas presents this year. The older two were just kind of quiet and accepting, then all the sudden, our youngest one says, mommy, all I want is just one present, I just want a violin, that's all. Wow, just a violin, that's all! We had to explain that he probably wasn't going to get that or anything. They finally understood and were okay with it. A couple days later we recieved a phone call from an individual who had no idea about our conversation with our children. This individual told my husband to come over because she had a gift for us for the ranch. When my husband came back home he had tears in his eyes, with a check for the ranch for $10,000.00 and and personal check for Christmas of $5,000.00. Our son did receive that violin that Christmas, and the presents under the tree that year, said from: GOD! That is probably the Christmas I will never forget. Let us especially not forget the most important Christmas when Jesus came! Let us remember to keep Him in the center of our life, even during the busy schedules, shopping, and family gatherings. After all, He is the Reason for the Season!

Take My baton, Jesus!

Please don’t take this role in life lightly,
Accept the huge
Responsibility that God has given you to raise this child or children.
Every day ask Him to help give you the
Necessary tools to
Train a child in the way he should go.

This is not an easy job being a parent; as a matter of fact, it is the hardest job I have ever done in life. I started being a parent at nineteen; wow seems like years ago. Now twenty-three years later I am wondering what happened? I thought I had 3 children that God gave me, where did they go? What? He only gave them to me for a little while! Oh, so now I have to trust the second part of the verse and when he is old he will not turn from it. How do I do that Lord, because this is the hardest part of being a parent? I want to hold my little boys and little girl in my arms again every night and tell them I love them. I want to tell them that they shouldn’t do that because they might hurt themselves or someone else. I want to help them make the right choices, not make the wrong ones. I want to wipe their tears away when they are hurting. I trust you Jesus to finish raising the children that you entrusted to my husband and me for a time and season.

Please take them Jesus
Accept this baton that I’m handing over to you in this
Relay, that I am in, and help me to
Encourage another parent
Not to take this role lightly, because if we
Train a child in the way he should go when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

You’re not finished with me yet, Jesus, so I know you’re not finished with my children.