Evaluation Grandmother Camp 2010

What an awesome God we serve.  I just wish I was smart enough to know how to post our little program on the web.  It was fantastic. When Papa gets his pictures from the camera to the computer I will post some pics.  I think I can do that.  The kids did not disappoint me.  All of them are such "hams". Why should I have worried?  A big thank-you to my awesome daughters and sons for allowing us to influence their children's little lives for a whole week.  It is amazing what you can teach children through song and art. My only worry is how will we top what God did this year??  Oh, yea, He will be here next year too!! I learned or re-learned that you do forget pain.  About Wed. I thought " I just don't know if I can continue to do this". But we made it through and then when they showed off so well what they had learned I knew it had to go on.  I will be putting all of you grandparents out there who are raising their grandchildren for whatever reason on my uppermost prayer list.  (For real- many of you are in my church).  Hats off and praise to these wonderful people. We did something different this year that I hope will become a tradition. Aunt Sharon and Uncle Sammy hosted us for a family picnic and reunion at their farm in Laneville.  It was  absolutely wonderful.  HEH! Aunt Sharon I know what.. you can have your own grandmother camp the same week that we do and then we can come together on Saturday for one big grand finale.. That is what God is doing with us here.  He is training us by growing us in families to live with Him in heaven forever.  Sure, there are sorrows along the way.  We have all had them, but we are not going to waste our sorrows, but instead learn from them . I truly believe that those who have had the most sorrows and learned the most from them are going to be way up there in heaven!! I will be honored to know you.  I learned that I am not suppose to C-O-V-E-T, but I do ask for your prayers as I come down from this heavenly place and back to work at the bank on Monday.  I know that God has had me there for all these years for something and I cannot slack off now.  In this too I must persevere until my days are done there so that I will be well pleasing in His sight whether I'm teaching my grandchildren the Ten Commandments or helping struggling souls with their filthy lucre (Bible-speak for money).  Leave a legacy--make memories everyday..

Grandmother & Papa Camp 2010-Midweek Progress

Well, this post will be brief, but I just wanted to pass along 2 valuable lessons this ole Grandmother has learned or maybe re-learned.  It is amazing what you can teach young clean, uncluttered minds.  That is why Jesus said: "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not".  It is Wednesday and they know all of the Ten Commandments and most of them in order.  I can yell out Commandment number 3 :: And they can say: "Do not take the Lord's name in vain" or Honor God's name.  The second thing I have seen over and over is that it is the simple things that they learn the most from; unstructured play or as they say "free play"gives such opportunity for sharing and being kind and working out their own problems.  It is hard to just get out of the way and let them, but it really works.  I call them my "city mice" and they do not get much of this kind of time.   I know it is a different world that this generation of mothers and daddies are raising children in, but please for their sake let them think they are doing a few things on their own.  We never leave them unsupervised because you just can't do that today, but we do try to stay back a little and let them grow..  Well, we just fall into bed each night with precious little time to rest up for tomorrow, but we can see the end.  Tomorrow will be our last full day of God's Top Ten.  We must put together our "closing ceremonies" program.  Yes, it's gonna be so cute if they will cooperate and grandmother & papa will truly shine.  Yes, just a little pride oozing out there.  I'm sure God will remind Who is to get the glory.  Yes, it's Him and Him alone who deserves all the praise... Friday is the big day that they have all been waiting for.  Not the Ten Commandments, not staying up late, not eating anything anytime they want, not the zoo, or even swimming at Bro Wayne's & Ms Donna's pool.  But are you ready for the best thing they are going to get to do.  Go to the movies & see Toy Story 3!!!.  Yep, I told you they were city mice.  But praise the Lord how I love them.  Even if they love Woody & Buz Lightyear more than Thou shall not covet!!.  I will give the grand finale a little later next week.  I do have another week of vacation to rest up.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!

Grandmother & Papa Camp 2010 doesn't officially begin until Monday June 14th... but we get the first installment of campers tomorrow night and the other 2 Saturday morning.  All of you bloggers out there please pray for traveling safety as we do the grandkid shuffle. Then of course pray for us as we attempt to have one glorious week learning God's Top Ten aka the Ten Commandments.  But most of all pray that we will build memories that age & time will not erase.  Stay tuned!! If time and stamina will allow I will be sharing as the week progresses!!

When Leaders Fail

Today I want to talk to you a little about the lesson I had to teach on Sunday.  It was taken from I Samuel 2-3.  This is the story of  the priest Eli and his 2 wicked sons and the boy Samuel that delivers God's message of judgment on them.  The moral of this story is: Parents correct your children when they are young or God just might have to take you and them out!! Not a pleasant lesson indeed.  We look around today and see many leaders that are failing.  Financial, political, and yes, even religious leaders are failing God and this nation.  But do you realize that you too are leading somebody!!. None of us are exempt from that role.  Moms those children are watching and listening.  Dads those children and wife are watching and listening.  God gave Eli many chances to do the hard thing and discipline his boys, but he turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.  God finally had to raise up a young boy to deliver a message of judgment to this servant of God. The verse that was so convicting to me was I Samuel 2:23: "Why do you do such things"? Now this was a question that Eli asked his boys.  We have all asked our children this question.  You know the answer we always get is :  "I don't know"!  Well, the Holy Spirit asked me this week: Has God ever asked you this question?  He has!! Why do you do some of the things that you know is not on my approval list?  Why do you procrastinate in doing those hard things that you do not want to do?  Why Lanita, do you do such things?  You can fill in the blank for your life.  But just as the case with Eli and his sons, it is not sufficient to just ask the question.  You must determine to DO those things that are pleasing to Him and will make a difference in your family's life.  We must be the leaders that God has called us to be.  The risk is too great and the consequences too severe to not do those things that make a difference now and for all eternity.  We do not want to be leaders that fail.  It was Israel's downfall and I fear America's too.  But it all starts in the home with the family. Next week is : When Religion Fails. Can't wait to see how God is going to direct my thoughts in that area.  Be the leader God wants you to be and your legacy will last.