God brings people across my path regularly that I have the opportunity to pray for and encourage as they follow the path God has mapped out for them. I have been blessed by their unique ministries, as well as their friendships. Many youth and children I had the privilege of working with in my role as one of the leaders in our church in the 90’s, are now young adults with families. Some have PhD’s, some are Pastors, authors, teachers, nurses, and leaders in their churches and communities. I enjoy hearing about their accomplishments and praise God that they are following hard after God as they raise their children and pursue their careers.
Today, I have the privilege of sharing the debut single “Forgive Me” by Revival Band.
I am blessed to know Nick and his wife Sheena, who attend my church. I got to know them well as they were part of Team 35, who helped in the planning of our church’s 35th Anniversary last June. Nick, a gifted singer, and songwriter has quite a testimony as he works as a Paramedic, who struggles with PTSD, but has overcome addictions and depression by learning to lean on the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Nick’s band, Revival played at our church’s anniversary and I know I am a Senior Lady, but I grew up in the 70’s and I still like to “rock out” once in awhile! I fell in love with their music and the message of redemption in their songs.
In November, our church is playing host to Petra as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary, the only stop in Canada on their world tour! Revival is opening for this legendary band! Please give a listen to Revival’s new single and video released today. Please leave a positive comment to encourage them!
I was promoted to “Grandma” status on February 20th, 2011. My youngest grandbaby will be born in February 2024. So, if you do the math, that is a thirteen year spread between my oldest and youngest grand child, with five littles in between. Since August, I’ve had the privilege of babysitting my year old granddaughter a couple days a week. She was not a fan of going to daycare when my daughter, Carmen returned to work after her maternity leave was done, so family stepped in to help with childcare. Between both sets of grandparents and aunts and uncles we’ve got it covered. This week, my oldest grandbabies are staying with us while their mom and dad are at a Biblical Counselling course in California. Having two preteens in the house means I help with homeschooling, and we are driving them to piano lessons etc., and I am constantly figuring out what to feed two ravenous kids with decidedly different taste buds.
As much as I LOVE babysitting my grands, I am totally exhausted at the end of the day! There is good reason why we become parents at a young age. My body just doesn’t have the stamina it once had in my twenties and thirties.
Let’s face it, my husband and I have become pretty set in our ways over the years. Empty nesting does that. Our daily schedules don’t change very much. I putter around the house tidying places that don’t need tidying. We don’t create a lot of dust just the two of us, and we have a place for everything and everything is in its place. We enjoy our fairly boring lifestyle. It’s peaceful.
This morning there were wet towels on the floor, unmade beds, underwear in the entranceway (no one knows how it got there 🤪🤣). There are homework books strewn on counters, under their beds, and all over the kitchen table. There are crumbs everywhere, and hand and nose prints on all the mirrors that the one year old leaves behind after every visit.
Did I mention my dishwasher died last week?
I know it’s a luxury, but I’ve become accustomed to the convenience of a dishwasher, and washing dishes by hand is wearing thin on me, especially now when there’s double the amount of dishes being used each meal. (Yes, the older grands help with dishwashing, but grandma prefers her method to their less than fussy technique.)
I go from singing nursery rhymes to my little one year old, to watching “Stranger Things” with my oldest.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
There are studies that say having grandparents close to their grandchildren, interacting with them, and loving on them, is not only good for the kids, but also for the grandparents. I am blessed with having all my grandbabies live less than ten minutes away. My own grandparents lived in Denmark, and I saw them two or three times in my lifetime! I do not take for granted that my grandbabies live close and I see them often.
I read this quote the other day: “A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.” How very true! All six, soon to be seven, grandbabies are my joy and delight. I thank God and pray for each of them and their parents every day. They are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” according to God’s design and He has a special purpose for each of them. My prime responsibility as their grandma is to ensure they know that!
“When’s lunch, Grandma? I’m almost done my school stuff. I’m hungry!”
I guess I’m done blogging for today.
Now if I could just figure out what to feed them for lunch!
I learned over the weekend that my poem “Dragonfly Dance” won a Word Award! It is the second Canadian Christian writing award I have been honoured with by the Word Guild. I’ve had my writing shortlisted over the years, especially with my “Journey Thoughts” blog, but to actually win is very exciting!
I am amazed how God continues to bless my writing endeavours. My first published book, “Shoot the Wounded” is now fourteen years old. I thought when I published that book and the two other books in the series “Heal the Wounded” and “Love the Wounded” that if a handful of youth read them, I would be thrilled. The reality is that several hundred books have gotten into the hands of young readers, and I get feedback that those books are now being passed onto other youth! That excites me!
I can’t say I will ever claim book sales as my motivation to continue to write. I am probably like countless of other writers who definitely have NOT made money as an author and I still have boxes of my books at home if anyone is interested 😁. My blog has garnered the most attention from readers, and I believe it’s because I try to honour God in each of my postings.
I get comments from people around the world, who ask for prayer, they tell me they have felt encouraged by my postings, and just want to draw closer to God. That humbles as well as inspires me to keep writing. That God would use a little grandmother, from a small town in Alberta, to have any kind of impact on another through my writing, is beyond belief, but here I am praising God for this honour.
I would like to encourage all those Christian writers and bloggers across Canada to keep writing and perfecting your craft! There are countless readers who desperately need to read your work and find Hope in your message! The Word Guild is a great resource to connect Christian writers across our nation. I am one of many writers who has benefited by their prayers, as well as their expertise and zeal for recognizing the hard work of Christian writers through the organization and the Word Awards.
Thank-you to “That’s Life Communications” for sponsoring the award category I was shortlisted in, and to the Word Guild executive, and Word Award volunteers and organizers. As a Christian writer, I am thankful for your hard work, support and encouragement. Bless you for all you do!
I would also like to extend congratulations to all those writers who had their work shortlisted and those who won Word Awards over the weekend. May God be glorified in all you do!
Lynn Dove's Journey Thoughts 