Hope

Since my last post 3 months ago (wow, it just doesn't seem like June was that long ago) God has really been showing me the true definition of HOPE.

Over the last three months I have seen a hopeless situation with a friends adoption turn to a celebration of a soon to be home coming with his forever family. I have seen the Anglican Catering School in Rwanda in need of many supplies to get up to standard  and have funds my parents had marked for another mission project become available to meet the wish list and then some. The matching fund check from the Gap that should have arrived months ago that was ear marked for supplies for the sewing school finally arrived. I have seen dear friends who should have been curled up in a ball for months based on the situations in their personal lives come out fighting with the confidence and courage that only comes from God.

These situations give me hope because God hasn't promised us life would be easy, He promised He would be with us always regardless of what we are going through. The other day, I was doing a word study on Hope and the blue letter bible 3176 word for hope drew me in. As you know, in Hebrew there are many meanings of a word. Hope has multiple meanings in the various contexts it is used. I looked up the verses whose definition matched the 3176.

Micah 7:7 drew me in and I looked it up in the NIV, NASB and NLV and was amazed at what I gathered. Hope means:

• watching for God

• waiting for God

• looking to God

• waiting confidently

• knowing God hears me

• knowing I will be saved

• watching expectantly

Hope is an action. It is a constant activity. It is state of mind that is constantly watching, waiting, looking, expecting that God will answer. How often I asked myself do I lose heart when my timing isn't matching God's in a specific situation? 

The jar pictured above is a blessing jar created for my Yada Yada girls. We each have our own but I made one for our collective group to be a reminder of God's goodness to us! God brought us together a year ago and we are all amazed how He has melded our hearts together. God knew we would need each other this year and through all of the ups and downs God continues to show us blessings in the midst of the downs and what it truly means to have hope.


"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

Inspiration from Re:New

A week ago I was in Wheaton, Illinois enjoying some time with my best friend before I headed to the wedding of one of the precious women I was blessed to mentor while she was at PBA.


My best friend Viv, told me about a shop called Re:New that was created for refugee women who had been placed by World Relief in Dupage County. I was excited to visit to see what types of bags and other items they were making. http://www.renewproject.org/story/


Adding 11 students to the scholarship program per my last post was exciting but it also meant that additional funds were needed. Ensuring we had funds once we figured out the plan for the widows was weighing on my heart. Knowing God would provide I was waiting with expectancy on ways that would happen.


Walking into the Re:New shop I was overwhelmed at the beauty and simplicity of the products the women were sewing. I asked the volunteer which bags were most popular and bought them to send as possible projects for the Vocational School. Knowing many have loved the handbag I brought back from Rwanda, I know there would interest in the other designs if they were available.

Cyrus will be taking the samples with him June 17th to share with the vocational school. I am hoping these designs will be something the sewing instructors embrace and find inspiration.


More to come... stay tuned.

God's Ways Are Higher Than Our Ways

Catering School Students

From left to right (in picture):  Zihinjishi Valentine,   Karegeya Fabrice(male),  Uwimana Epiphanie, Uwantege Laurence,  Mutezinka Eugenie, Rarubi Celine,  Nyiraminani Valerie,  Mukamugema Donatienne,Uwimana Josianne,  Musabyimana Adeline, Umutoni Fancoise.

Much work has been happening behind the scenes since my last post. Many have been praying for the scholarship recipients along with wisdom for the Pastor to determine the best path for those who were unable to go to school but desired to raise animals.

God continues to show me patience is required and although the need is great, His thoughts and His ways are always best. I am so thankful that the Pastor of the Blessed Mango Tree has demonstrated diligence and thoughtfulness to determine the best plan for these women. As he has continued to work with the women on next steps God is showing us a need to wait. 

Why wait? As you can imagine, the animals would be highly desirable and many others would want them as well. Safety and security for the family and animals are required so it will take time to finalize the plan.

For those attending school they still need to earn an income so we are working through how they can do both.  The good news is the women feel loved, cared for and not forgotten. They know when it is worked out it will be the right time and they are grateful for our love and concern.

While we have been working through this, an immediate need has come to the Pastor. 10 women have just been rescued from being trafficked and they desire to go to school to start their new lives! So, these 10 women will take the funding we have had on standby and start Catering School immediately. In addition, the pastor has found a young man who is an orphan of the genocide who desires to go to Catering School so he will be joining the 10 women.

11 precious lives forever changed through your prayers and purchases of the handbags.

How You Can Help 

• Pray for the students that they would do well in school and would continue to be healed and restored, as they have been set free from captivity.
• Pray for wisdom regarding the widows as it relates to how we can support them while they go to school and/or keep them and the animals they desire to raise safe.
•  Continued provision as it relates to donations to ensure we can meet the needs of these widows as the plan unfolds.

More to come on the 11 students in school as Cyrus will be back in Kigali June 17th so his first hand report will be coming shortly.

Ordinary Turns Extraordinary

I am blessed to work for an employer who believes in giving back to the community and has a very generous gift match program. I have always taken advantage of my Gap Match and believed I had maxed it as we can do a lot through payroll deduction.

While printing out info for my taxes, I decided to see if WorldHelp was a 501c3 as Gap does not support religious organizations unless than have a sector devoted to social responsibility. I was overjoyed when I saw that WorldHelp came up as an organization that qualified for Gap, Inc. Then my heart sank as putting my donations through WorldHelp would mean removing that match from other organizations. For some reason a link I don’t remember seeing caught my eye and I discovered I actually had close to $2500 more available for me to have matched. I read the fine print and it said it could not be used for education but otherwise as long as the donation was made within 3 months of the match request I was good.

Remember back to the earlier post on my Audacious Prayer? Yep, the one where I wrote the check and emptied my emergency fund? Remember part of my audacious prayer was to have $1000 to put toward the school so they could have supplies to make bags ahead of time and not be dependent on the order?

I just filled out a one page form and very soon, Gap, Inc will be giving a check to WorldHelp for about $2500 that Cyrus will give direction to the school to buy fabric to get orders made in advance and use the balance for bicycles or additional sewing equipment for the school.

God took what I thought was the answer to the audacious request and showed me through an every day act of printing out a tax receipt what audacious answer to prayer looked like

Obedience brings unexpected blessings. May we have the courage to be obedient no matter the cost as we have know idea how God will use that obedience to bring blessings.

Do What You Can Do - Part 2

Scholarship Fund Selection Process
As I shared in earlier posts, Pastor Nathan and his assistant let it be known there was a scholarship fund and women were interested in applying to set up a meeting. Thirteen women were ultimately vetted as those Pastor Nathan believed had potential. Pastor Nathan is a godly man who has since been promoted to Bishop of another area but he is invested in the lives of these women along with a boarding school called Star School that he remains connected.


Meeting the Recipients
Cyrus was in Rwanda a few weeks ago and was able to meet with 9 of the women who were ready to move forward with the scholarship fund. As I shared in the last post, it has been determined that although there is a willingness and a desire, some of the women do not have enough schooling. Our focus will be on helping them find a sustainable means of income to meet their current needs.

One of the women who will be attending school was sharing issues with her eyesight so part of the funds will be used to get her to an eye doctor and get glasses. I am committed to each of these women having what they need to succeed using their country to supply the resources to allow the right economic cycle.

Below is Cyrus's report along with the pictures of each of these precious women. I was reminded as I was doing my memory work in James 2 today when James says " Did not the Lord God choose the poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom he promises to those who love him?". These women are indeed rich in ways we will never be. I pray that as we love on them through prayer and gifts that we too will gain faith in what God can do when we trust him to "do what we can do". In God's economy I continue to see it is not the economy of this world. Just as he took 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed over 5000 people, he can take our funds to achieve far beyond what we could hope or expect for these women and their children.

I encourage you to print this out and put it in your prayer journal, mirror or wherever that you can lift these women up in prayer. As you can see school doesn't always solve their concerns, some comment below that they still have to figure out how to make money while going to school or to cover an emergency. I know our God is the great provider and I encourage you to pray in anticipation of how He will provide for the needs of these women.

Profiles of the women from the BMTC (Blessed Mango Tree Church)


Rachel Uwamahoro


Rachel is 25 years old. She is married and has a 5 year-old son. Her husband is an auto-mechanic. He is not saved and is very abusive. The money that he earns is always spent on alcohol and Rachel does not get to see any of it. She struggles to support herself as well as her son. Rachel has finished HS but was never able to go to college because of the lack of funding. She got married very young because her parents have been killed during the genocide. The only way she knew to receive any type o support was to get married. Her desire is to go to college to study management. She is willing to enroll in the vocational school in order to learn a trade.


Dorcella Mukandamge

Dorcella was born in 1975. She had 7 children but has lost 2 children from illness because she could not afford the medical treatment for them. She now has 5 children alive (2 boys and 3 girls). The oldest child is 12 years old and the youngest is 3 years-old. Dorcella would like to enroll in the tailoring at the Anglican vocational school. Her challenge is to find a way to support her family while in school.

Veranda Mukagatare

Veranda is 48 years old. She is a widow and does odd jobs in and near town in order to support her family. She also works for a coffee manufacturing plant. Some days she is hired other days she is not. This job is unreliable. She would like to find something that is reliable in order to me her parental obligations. Her desire is to have a livestock pan so that she can raise rabbits.

Goretti Hategekimana


Goretti is a 32 year old mother of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. She never went to school and because of the lack of education; it is extremely difficult for her to get a decent paying job. She has been widow for a year and half. She own a small property that she wants to put to good use. She wants to raise some produce.

Juliette Nyirandikubwimana

Juliette’s main challenge is housing as well as the school tuition for the vocational school. She enjoys learning how to sew, but cannot afford to be in school and earn money at the same time to support her children.


Matilda Nyirahabineza

Matilda is a 25 year old mother of 2 children. She has been a faithful member of the BMTC. Her husband is uneducated and works odd jobs. There are times that he can get jobs; other times he can’t find any job which makes it very difficult to support the family. It is her desire to enter the vocational school at the Anglican Church.


Jacqueline Mukantwari


Jacqueline is a 32 year-old mother of 5 children. Her first born died because of the lack of funds to pay for medical services. Her husband has abandoned her with 5 children, and it has been extremely difficult making hands meet. As she was sharing with, she was sobbing uncontrollably. She explained that every month it is the same struggle, just making the payment of the rent and at times her children go without food. She has to rely on the good will of neighbors. Jacqueline noted that she too has never attended school. As much as she wants to attend the vocational school, she can’t read or write. Her hope is that, through the BMTC she will be able to get a reliable source of income to be able to support her 5 young children. When the children get sick, she cannot even afford to take them to the doctor. That is why 2 of her children have died.
She sells fire woods and does odd jobs to earn money to support her family. She would like to be able to someday go to school even as an adult to be able to read and write. She hopes to raise livestock.

Diane Mujawamariya



Diane is a 33 years-old widow and mother of 2 boys. Her desire is to get into the catering school at the Anglican Church. While attending school, she would like raise some goats in case of an emergency while she is in school.

Alianne Umurerwa


Alianne is a 22 year-old orphan and mother of one year old Esther. She has completed 6th grade. She could not go further in school because she had no one to pay for her school fees. That is why she got married very young in the hope of having someone to support her. She wants to be enrolled in the tailoring program at the Anglican Church in order to earn a stable income. She too has been attending the BMTC since this church has been established.

Hope Awakens

God continues to blow me away how He has taken my purchase of 100 bags to start a scholarship fund to now, four months later having faces of the precious women selected for the scholarship funds on the pages of this blog!

Faithful Friend


I am forever grateful to Cyrus Mad-Bondo the Director of Africa for World Help for many reasons.
1. He was willing to haul 100 bags through Rwanda and Uganda and clear customs with them and send them to me in Florida.
2. He met with the 9 women we have scholarship money for to record their stories and pictures so we could put names and faces to our prayers.
3. He knew my heart was to help these women earn a living so he has been diligent in finding alternatives for the women who due to lack of education did not qualify to go to vocational school. He is resilient!


Hope Awakens
God has created us to have hope. For those who know Christ we have an eternal hope which is a promise. While on earth, those of us in the United States for the most part have grown up with hopes and dreams of having a good life. We envision living in a house, driving a nice car, having a family, and taking vacations.

For the women of the Blessed Mango Tree Church, outside of their hope in Christ, their one hope is to provide for their family each day. As I read the stories Cyrus recorded from the 9 women, I am humbled. The women asked Cyrus why there was interest in them? They shared others had come before and promised to help, took down their stories but never heard from them again.

Cyrus shared there were people in the United States that cared for them and wanted to help them have a better life; people committed to helping them. I was saddened to learn many of the women that had been approved by Pastor Nathan and his assistant were not eligible for the school because they could not read. Before I could respond to that, Cyrus shared he was working on options to use the scholarship money earmarked for them ($700 a woman) to help them provide for their family - for most it looks like live stock.

I was thrilled that Cyrus had already moved to the solution phase for the women unable to go to school. Vocational school is a great opportunity but the purpose of the scholarship was to give the women a skill so they could earn an income to provide for their family. I am excited we can still help these women have a way to support their family and it is my hope we will continue to raise money to allow these women the opportunity if they desire, to get an education so they can read.

Some of the women who qualified for school asked if it would be okay if they wanted to study something other than sewing. I was thrilled to know that hope was coming alive – they were able to see the dreams that they had stuffed deep down inside could come out and be a reality!

Helping
How you can help these women and the other women who have been approved for scholarships? You can provide a donation in exchange for a bag that was made by the women at the Anglican Vocational School. 100% of what you donate goes to the scholarship fund. A minimum of $20 donation is requested per bag.

If you would just like to make a donation, you can send it directly to World Help at the following address:
World Help
Attn Cyrus Mad-Bondo
PO Box 501
Forest Hill, VA 24551
Note on your check – Blessed Mango Tree Scholarship Fund


How to get your bag (s)
If you are local, I will bring them to wherever you are as well as I well have a basket of them at church. If you would like me to mail them to you, please send me an email. Each bag has a hangtag explaining the hope each donation brings to the Women of the Blessed Mango Tree Church.

Bag Patterns
There are 5 patterns and all have the zipper closure and two side pockets. They patterns are pictured below.



Do What You Can Do
I reflect back on what the Bishop of Rwanda said, “Do what you can do”. I had no idea when I felt God saying buy 100 bags that today there would be 9 women who would have hope awaken and see what was once a dream become a reality. They know they are not forgotten, that God is watching over them and is using the love of people on the other side of the world to encourage them.

There are still 4 more women we desire to get started, we have the funds for two and need the funds for two more. It is also my desire to give the Vocational School Seed money so they can have bags made up in advance. That means we have at least $2500 to raise as well . We will need additional funds if we hope to help those who did not have appropriate education have the opportunity to go back to school as time allows.

James 1:27 – True religion that God our Father says is pure and faultless is this – take care of the widows and orphans in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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Sometimes Your Audacious Prayer Requires an Audacious Response

First let me say, to all who are reading this blog I trust that the lesson’s God is teaching me give you courage and faith as you grow in your relationship with God. This blog is for no other purpose than to share the stories God keeps writing in my life. As you have come to see, although many think I have it "together" I really don't. Praying you are encouraged and inspired to do audacious things in response.

I like to say I am not always the quickest to learn things but when I get it, I get it. Well, this Audacious Prayer thing is one of those examples. Most of you probably already “got it” when you read my prior blog post but alas, it took God two more days of work to help me “get it”.

As I was writing the post and talking about my emergency fund, I heard God saying, do you have to have an emergency fund? I even wrote that the people of Rwanda don’t have funds but some how I was able to keep writing and not “get it.”

God Speaks
Today as I was walking to the post office to mail things for work, I thought it would be a great time to pray my audacious prayers. For those who know me well, you know being still is not a quality I possess. My best praying occurs while swimming laps, riding my bike and walking outside. As I was asking God to provide a way for the remaining 9 ladies to go to school I heard him say, “why not use your emergency fund? “Hmmm, I said back “if I do that God, how can you answer my audacious prayer”, this seems like an anti climatic answer I thought to use money already available to answer most of the prayer request.

I told God I would percolate on that the rest of the day as I was thinking the answer should be BIG and I didn't want to get in the way of how He would want to answer this prayer. Tonight I was finishing up my James week 2, day 3 lesson and God just pulled it off the page for me. I do my lessons in the morning but this morning I decided to spend more time on my memorization and only got through half of day 3 before work.

The Word of God Speaks
Beth Moore was having us compare James 1:11 with Luke 12:15 -21. I just heard God say, why are you so foolish, it is all mine, and why are you storing up money that I have given you for your own emergency when there is an emergency situation that you can help? I heard God so clearly say “the audacious prayer is not funding for 9 women to go to school, the real audacious prayer– “God give the courage to trust you knowing that the year has started and the fund is depleted. Give me confidence in knowing you will provide everything I need this year.”

The last verse I was working tonight was James 1:11 “blessed is the one who perseveres under trials and passes the test, that person will receive the crown of life that God promises to those who love him”. I couldn’t help but think of those precious women at the Blessed Mango Tree Church. I have persevered so little compared to them. James calls these women “believers in humble circumstances” and they are to take pride in their high position. I don’t even know these women but they have taught me so much. They are to be lifted up and ensuring they can support their family is one way of doing that.

The Real Audacious Prayer
God give me the courage to be obedient no matter the cost.


Scholarship Fund - Call to Obedience
Check in the mail tomorrow to World Help that will now secure 7 of the 9 scholarships. If anyone else feels God is leading you to say, let's get these women through school we need another $1400!

If you are in, send your check to:
World Help
Attention: Cyrus Mad-Bondo
PO Box 501, Forest, VA 24551

Please write on the memo line: Vocational School Scholarship

My prayer for you is that you will step out in faith and do what God has put in your heart and trust that He will make a way.

DO IT LORD!

Big Hairy Audacious Prayer

This past Sunday Pastor John (I keep telling him he has to stop being so direct in his preaching of God’s word as I can’t take so much conviction! For those not faint at heart if you live in WPB, Sunday’s at 9, 10:30, 12:12 and 7 pm, you are welcome to join us.) He was teaching about praying big Audacious prayers. It was the last message in the series of Chasing Giants. Using Joshua as an example, he reminded us that Joshua was obedient in doing crazy things like telling the priests to step into the mile wide Jordan in flood stage and have the rest of the Israelites follow as they stood in the middle and marching around Jericho for 7 days that seemed a little strange. He did all this without blinking because he knew his God was AUDACIOUS doing things that he could never have believed or imagined..

Many of us have read Ken Blanchard’s books and one talks about BHAG. So as I was listening I wrote down “what are my big, hairy, audacious prayers (vs goals)” that I need believe that God will do and/or answer?

My Big Hairy Audacious Prayers
Below is what I put down although I was feeling like a loser because I was still not trusting God to be BIG ENOUGH:
1. Provide $6300 to cover the 9 scholarships even though the bags will only bring in $2400.
2. Provide $1000 of seed money to give the school so they could make bags in advance to have inventory so they could sell locally to visitors.

Cyrus called after church to confirm the Western Union Money Transfer for the bags. He asked me to pray about a new need that had been brought to his attention when he arrived in Rwanda. This is where it gets pretty audacious - I am way out of my league.

The Really Big, Bold, Audacious Prayer
Due to lack of feminine hygiene products, girls are missing too many days of school each month and are getting kicked out. Precious girls desiring to learn that are being denied their education because of their monthly flow because there is no good alternative. For the women reading I know we can all identify; imagine trying to figure out another solution that is practical, while wearing a school issued uniform that will keep them from being teased by the boys… next to impossible! These young women need products so they can stay in school - provide a way God!

Cyrus asked me to pray about this so I have said, “God you see my first two requests but this one is so AUDACIOUS. This one is bigger than Rwanda it is all of Africa! I am saying God, you figure it out. I am ready and willing to do what you tell me to do. First thing God said was “get your Audacious prayers in the blog so others can pray with you and I can start answering these prayers through you and others.”

Believe God will Give Wisdom
I am memorizing James with my Bible Study Girls as we took the Beth Moore Challenge in her “James –Mercy Triumphs” Study. Last night I was working James 1:1-8. I was hit hard as I worked “but when you ask for wisdom you must believe and not doubt….. (The one who doubts) should not expect to receive any good thing from the Lord. Such a person is double- minded and unstable in all they do.”

When I am praying audacious prayers I am also asking for wisdom and direction. Coming boldly before him I must BELIEVE He will give wisdom. He will provide a way if it is His will. The thought of being seen as double-minded and unstable puts me over the edge, not two words I want associated with my name.

Confident in God’s economy none of these prayers are audacious to him but I come before him saying “I BELIEVE He will give wisdom generously to me”. “DO IT LORD”!


Stay tuned and join me in praying AUDACIOUS prayers!

Lesson 10 from Rwanda – Giving without Sacrifice is Meaningless

The Sunday Pastor John was so kind to let me display my bags for donations, he spoke about sacrificial giving (week 2 Advent Conspiracy). The message was something like, if it doesn't hurt or cost you much, it isn't a sacrifice.I felt God saying, "all the money you receive for the bags is to go to the scholarship, you are not to take out what the bags cost you. What kind of sacrifice are you making in this endeavor if you recover your cost?" We are called to give sacrificially and God was making it clear I had some sacrifices that needed to be made.

Right before Christmas, I took my car in for service. My emergency fund for the year had almost been depleted and the decision to not to replenish the $1000 for the bags kept it next to nothing. Sure enough this was the service appointment that all 4 of my tires needed to be replaced along with 2 of my timing belts. Wow. As I paid that bill, the emergency fund and then some… gone. I had a few moments wishing I could take back my decision about not replenishing my fund for the cost of the bags. God continued to message He was big enough and would work it all out. God reminded me that those in Rwanda don't have an "emergency fund" so what was my issue.

Later that same day, I was given an unexpected check that allowed me to not only deal with the “and then some” from my car service, but it allowed me to fully replenish my emergency fund. Once again God showed His provision and His commitment to the Isaiah 58 project. Oh how I would have grieved if I had received that gift and had chosen prior to replenish my fund vs sacrifice the initial $1000 cost for the bags.

The story gets even better if you can believe it! Cyrus (World Help Director Africa) told me each scholarship was $700. I checked the “Rwanda Isaiah 58 fund” I had set up and I only had $2400 vs. the $2800 needed. I told him I would send the $2800 and that $400 would come from somewhere. I asked him to purchase another 100 bags for me on his upcoming trip end of January. I was getting ready to transfer money out of the emergency fund to cover the bags when I opened my mail to see an insurance credit for some dental work in the figure of $1491 – the amount of money I needed to transfer for the bags and cover the $400 needed for the scholarships.

God’s provision continues to amaze me. Even after years of seeing his faithfulness to me I am still in awe. My lesson is not a new one, and I don’t share this story for any other reason than to encourage you to trust that your Jehovah Jireh – your provider will provide. In God’s economy it may not always be financial, but the one thing I know for sure, when we are obedient, we receive blessings that ultimately allow others to be blessed in the name of Jesus.

Isaiah 58 Scholarship Fund
Pastor Nathan identified 13 women in his congregation he supports for the scholarship fund. He and his assistant took the time to interview each woman who was interested in the scholarship. I am excited that 4 women are now starting vocational school. Cyrus will be sending pictures so stay tuned for future posts. The sad note - there are 9 women still needing scholarships. I have been wrestling with this knowing the 100 bags that Cyrus will bring back mid February will take care of 4 more scholarships but that will still leave 5 women. Not liking this at all; my heart is breaking. God is breaking it because He has made it clear I have a lot to learn in trusting Him to provide beyond my wildest imagination.

More about this in the next post.

Reflections and Lessons from Grandma

Today, after 93 ½ years of living and 76 1/2 years of marriage, Jesus decided today was Grace Meeder Beaumont's last day on earth. Although tears flow as I write this, inside my heart is so happy that she is finally with Jesus, a place she has longed to be for a while now. What better gift could a granddaughter have to know her grandma is with Jesus?

God blessed my mom with quick thinking on New Years Day that saved my grandma’s life when she performed the Heimlich on her when a piece of chicken got stuck in her throat. My mom thought she had failed and that my grandma had already gone to see Jesus when an EMT came out from the kitchen of Wendy’s and gave her additional instructions that caused the piece to come out just as the paramedics arrived. My mom remembers saying “Oh God” when she thought after 5 attempts that grandma was gone and that was the moment the EMT arrived. No chance occurrence in God’s economy. (Also thankful for a quick thinking dad getting 911 and moving my grandpa so my mom could get to my grandma). God prolonged her life for an additional week, for reasons we may or may not ever know. I am sure there will be someone in heaven because of the testimony that occurred this last week of her life and what a joy that will be.

The picture in this post is from November. My grandparents ate at Wendy’s every day and the staff loves them so much they have made a reserved sign for their special table.

I consider myself so blessed to have forty some years of memories of my grandma, to have felt her love, prayer and encouragement for all those years. I was blessed to have just spent Christmas with both my grandparents and parents watching grandma my last night enjoy “dinner” of the cut out Christmas cookies I made along with ice cream. I am confident they truly are her favorite cookie, but sometimes it is hard to tell as Grandma always loved everything I made because she loved me! I am thankful for such a good last memory of our dinner in which she insisted we get out holiday napkins and place mats so we ate in style.

About 7 years ago I came across a journal in the bookstore titled A Mother’s Legacy. I bought one for my grandma, mom and sister to fill out. We are always so busy doing life we never have time to document our stories for future generations. I was reading her journal again tonight and I thought I would pull from it to share some “lessons” in addition to other words of wisdom she gave over the years. One of the things she noted in the journal was her wish that she would die before grandpa, as she couldn’t imagine living without him; God chose to honor her request.

I would encourage you to a journal together if you are a parent, grandparent or give one to your parents/grandparents so you have this treasure of information. You can find the journal on all the major book sites and it is around $10.

Lessons Learned
1. Thank you notes are a must. – Grandma lost her mother at age 13 and the aunts who were in charge of teaching her etiquette instilled the art of thank you notes. Even this past Christmas, my grandma had the list of all the gift givers and gifts and had her thank you note out the week of Christmas.

2. When you leave the house dress for success - even at the age of 93, grandma ensured when she left the house she had her make up on, her hair looking good and her outfit coordinated. Even on Election Day, she said she needed to look good to go vote. She would always remind me wearing sweats outside of the house was not the way to make a good impression.

3.A slip is a must when wearing a dress/skirt - modesty is always in style and there was never a day, even with her severe osteoporosis that she would think of going out without her slip. It might have required adjustments based on how she hunched, but the slip was non negotiable.

4. Good things are worth the wait. Growing up we lived about 3-½ hrs from my grandparents. I always hated to leave and the tears would flow so grandma started making what she called “Thruway boxes”. In New York, the main road is the Thruway. We had at least 30 minutes to the Thruway from grandma’s house so we were given our shoeboxes full of goodies and treasures but couldn’t open them until we got on the Thruway. The box was always worth the wait.

5. When you can’t sleep – pray. Grandma was a prayer warrior. One that I took great comfort in as when she couldn’t sleep at night she would get up and pray for her family, her version of counting her sheep.

6. Always remember the truth – Jesus loves you! In the journal she recalled one night she came home from school and her parents and sisters hadn’t returned. It was getting dark and she started singing “Jesus loves me” she continued singing until they came home. She noted in the journal “at the age of 86 he is still with me today”.

7. Be willing to work hard for what you want. Grandpa proposed to grandma when she was 16 and he was 19. Her father said she must finish high school before she could marry. So in her senior year she added a class before school and one after school so she could graduate a year early and get married. She was married a month after she graduated at 17 years of age.

8. Saving is a way of life. My grandfather always said he made half the money and my grandma saved the other half!

9. Always set a nice table. Regardless of who is eating and what type of meal, make your guests feel special.

10. Together we achieve more. One vacation I came across an embroidery sampler that wasn’t finished. I asked if I could finish what she started as she was no longer embroidering. Our masterpiece is now displayed in their living room. I love to visit and see our handiwork.


Guiding Light
The journal asks what scriptures/books you turn to for inspiration or guidance. Grandma’s inspiration:

Matthew 5:6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 6:33-34: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worry of its own.

Matthew 7:7: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:13-14: Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.


Celebrating her life
Today I took my favorite bike route along the ocean to take time to reflect my memories of grandma and celebrate her life. I always default to Steven Curtis Chapman when I am in need of a boost and one of the songs that played on my iPod was “Last Day on Earth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGCF9nJZt5Mt it was a reminder to me that I have accountability for each day that God gives me, what will I do with them? What have I still to do? What do I need to edit out to make room for what I am still to do? Those are questions I am wrestling now as I know Grandma would want me too and she will continue to cheer me on in heaven.

I know for sure when grandma saw Jesus today he said “Well done.”