Listening Ears

What a hoot! I love a 5 year's perspective! One of my grandgirls is pictured here. She and her family came to spend a couple of days with us after Christmas.

As in our tradition of motor vehicle records, Nani's car is the car to ride in when you are going places. Aside from the DVD, etc. conversation is important.

Such was the case on this day! EK asked if she could ride back to Nani's house in Nani's car. Her older sister wanted to ride with her parents because she had just spent over 3 hours in the car with her younger sibling. An older sibling truly needed her space!!!

EK and my conversation began with the usual Christmas conversation - how are you, did you have a good Christmas, etc. EK answered sadly, "Yes, I did have a good Christmas and no, I didn't get everything I wanted." To that, my ears perked up and I quizzed as to what present was missing from her list?

She said that she had ALWAYS wanted a Pillow Pet. Now mind you, I didn't even know what a Pillow Pet was until November of this year. However, this is something EK wanted - badly!!!! In fact, according to EK, she was even given the opportunity to earn a Pillow Pet. Now I am not talking about an average Pillow Pet. I am referring to a white unicorn with a pink horn or a blue dolphin Pillow Pet. Yes, they do make all kinds...apparently...

"Well, EK, what happened? Did you earn it?" I asked. She shook her head, "No, Nani, I didn't earn it, " she replied - now very, very sad. "What happened that you didn't earn your Pillow Pet, EK?" I asked. She began, "Well, Nani, I just couldn't keep me LISTENING EARS on. They kept going off and on...off and on. So, I didn't get to earn one." (Now lip is stuck out and face very, very sad.)

I have to say that it took all my restraint and strength not to swerve off the road from laughing so hard. Trying to mourn with EK over this loss, I replied, "Well, EK, you know, Nani has that same problem." She looked up with a smile and said, "Nani, how is it that you don't have your listening ears on?" "Well, EK," I answered, "sometimes Nani chooses not to listen. You know, EK, maybe you and I need to work on that." So, we agreed we would do just that!

Have to say when her mom snapped this picture, EK had had her listening ears on the whole time. We had just completed a test recipe in her Nani's Test Kitchen of Brownie Covered Oreos. Not only was EK a tremendous help with mixing the ingredients, she was more than willing to help clean up the utensils - licking them clean!

And, in case you were worried about the "missing" Pillow Pet - thankfully it was wrapped along with some ladybug slippers and awaiting EK when she arrived at her Nani and Saba's house.

Love the time with all my grandchildren. Wish there was a way to bottle the memories so that I could pull them out on rainy days - oh, wait, there is...my heart!

No Room In the Inn

It is now after midnight and I am sitting down for the umpteenth time at my computer. Whatever did we do before we were able to Google to find our answers? "Can you store baked potatoes in aluminum foil in the refrigerator?" No, you need to put them in a ziplock bag – fine! "How do you arrange 1 dozen roses in a rose bowl that was made for 2 dozen roses?" Go to Youtube and watch a video. Oh, wait they are using 2 dozen roses. Okay, plan “R” - You go outside to the holly bush (yes, it is after 10 p.m.) and pray that as you cut the stems off the holly bush you don’t cut the string beautiful blinking lights woven with great care – okay, check! Four pies made – check! Tablecloth on dining table – check! Napkins out and semi-folded – where are those blasted napkin rings? Great!! the dishes I wanted to use are in storage – possibly could use chargers and white plates instead – no wait, I’m serving soup in the small cups – never mind! All this drama over a luncheon tomorrow with friends!

Can you imagine what state I would be in if Mary and Joseph arrived at my house right about now? Or even better – what not tomorrow during the luncheon! Sure, let’s add a couple of chairs, no problem, oh, plenty of food, no problem. Oh, you are in labor??? Now that’s a problem!

We laugh at this scenario but is it so far from truth? What is all the hustle and bustle about anyway? Why have we allowed ourselves to be marginalized into thinking that immediate is better? That waiting is wrong – on so many levels!!! Feeling overwhelmed??? When does the tyranny of rushing about and non-stop planning end?

It seems that the Inn Keeper in Bethlehem was overwhelmed. Possibly, could it have been too many people in town for the holidays? By being so busy and overwhelmed with the circumstances, the Inn Keeper was not a participant in the birth of our Lord. He was simply a spectator.

What would happen if you and I stopped being a spectator in celebrating the Lord’s birth and became a participant? What would that look like to you? Somehow I don’t think it looks like standing in a flowerbed after 10 o’clock in the evening cutting holly stems from a blinking bush!

Let us make room in the Inn of our hearts – Come, Lord Jesus! Emmanuel – God is with us!

My Dad Has Cancer???

Who knew that Lainey would see the flyer in the school office and read the word that strikes fear in all our hearts – cancer. You see Lainey is quite the little prayer warrior. Her legend of her faith in prayer is stellar for a young lady of 6 years old.

You see Lainey knew her dad was sick. He had been in the hospital, had an operation on his head and had to go to the doctor a lot. So concerned was Lainey about her dad’s medical bills that she came in to her dad to share her money from the Tooth Fairy. The tooth fairy had been very generous this year leaving Lainey $3.00!!! So, Lainey brought the money to her dad with this explanation. “Daddy,” Lainey explained, “The Tooth Fairy left me $3.00 for my tooth! So, here is what I want to do. I want to give $1.00 to tithe, a $1.00 for me to spend at the Dollar Store because, Daddy, you can get a lot for a $1.00 at the Dollar Store. And the last dollar is help pay your medical bills.” See, she is quite the special little girl, isn’t she?

On this particular day, Lainey had been in her grandmother’s office at the school. Lainey’s grandmother is the school principal where Lainey goes to school. A meeting with a teacher sent Lainey out into the office area to wait so that her grandmother could talk privately with the teacher. Lainey saw her dad’s picture on a flyer. Thinking that her dad had won something, she went over to read what her daddy had won. But, instead, Lainey learned the terrible truth that the rest of us knew. As she sounded out the words on the flyer, she looked back at the school secretary and said, “My daddy has cancer?” My daddy has cancer? Does my daddy have cancer?”

The secretary quickly scooped Lainey in her arms while another office staff member called Lainey’s mother. The grandmother’s meeting ended shortly after that and the secretary told Lainey's grandmother what had happend. And God being so like God, had Lainey surrounded by a praying staff of people - her grandmother is one of the best prayer warriors I know!

So, Lainey and her grandmother went into the grandmother’s office to talk about the flyer. They both cried and then Lainey suddenly took charge. She said to her grandmother, “Nanna, we have to tell everyone about my daddy. We need to tell them that he has cancer so that they will know how to pray for my daddy.” Her grandmother told Lainey that people already knew but they would make sure that everyone knew about Lainey’s daddy and would know how to pray for him.

That night, Lainey and her older sister, Morgan, sat down with their parents and were told as much as you can tell a 10 year old and 6 year old. As, being the family of faith that they are, Morgan took little Adam Michael (8 months old), propped him up on the sofa then they stood up as a family, held hands and prayed for healing for this young father of three. I would love to have had Heaven's prospective of that sight - a mom, a dad, two little girls leading the prayers and a baby named after Adam - the first man made by God and Michael - after the archangel Michael - and also named Michael after his dad.

Lainey’s dad’s brain tumors are inoperable due to the location and depth of the tumors. His doctors have told Lainey’s mom that he has less than a year.

Lainey raised as a prayer warrior knew just what everyone must do – pray! So, I ask you, “Will you join me in praying for Lainey and her family and that God will heal her daddy?”