The Wait is Over!

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Lynn

Paxton Levi Charles Dove was born on December 17th at 2:23 a.m., weighing a whopping 6lbs. 15 oz.  Our third grandbaby is doing well and my son and his lovely wife are trying to adjust to the new “normal” in their lives.  It may take some time 🙂

We are blessed that we live close so we saw little Paxton when he was only an hour and a 003half old in the hospital and yesterday my husband wanted to visit them at home with a cake in hand.  (see picture)  Both sets of grandparents are thrilled, as are great-grandparents, great uncles and aunts, and the numerous aunties,  uncles, cousins and second cousins.  Paxton better get used to being passed from arm to arm to arm because we all want to get a chance to cuddle with this little miracle over the days, weeks, months and years ahead!

Our son and daughter-in-law spent considerable time thinking up a name for their first-born and had it picked out long before he was born.  It seems so appropriate, with Paxton being born just before Christmas that his name means “Peace”.  The last name “Dove” is also symbolic of peace.  His middle name, “Levi” is equally interesting meaning “joined in harmony” but also has its roots with the priestly duties of the Levites in Israel.  Put it together it’s Peace bound in harmony with Peace.  How perfect is that?  I hope this little dude will be just as chill as his name!

Now his third name, “Charles” is to honour grandfathers, and great-grandfathers and other Charles’ in the Dove lineage.  However, the name “Charles”, in the European form, means “warrior” and “king”.  Whoa!  I wonder if my son and daughter-in-law planned it that way?  In the middle of my new grandson’s most peaceful name they have linked it with a mighty warrior king name.  Peaceful but also a mighty king.  What a brilliant name!  What a name to live up to!

Such a radical name; so meaningful…and yet so familiar…when our hearts, thoughts and minds at Christmastime are always focused on the NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES: A Man of Peace but also a mighty KING: Jesus!

In Biblical times, names actually meant something.  Often a child would be named in honor of an event that took place at the time of his or her birth, or for a unique physical characteristic. Adam’s name meant “earth” because he was taken from the dust of the earth. Esau’s name meant “hairy,” because he was hairy. Esau’s twin brother Jacob was born hanging onto his brother’s heel so his family named him Jacob, which means “heel-catcher.”

When God chose the Name, “Jesus” for His only begotten Son, He knew the Power, and the Importance behind that Name!  Isaiah prophesied: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace…” (Isaiah 9:6-7).  He would be called Immanuel “God with us” (Matt. 1: 23); and “Saviour” (Matt. 1: 21).

But there’s so much more about the name, Jesus!

Alpha and Omega – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Rev. 22:13

Bread of Life – “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35

Creator of Heaven and Earth– “By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.…” Col. 1:16-17

Deliverer – “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess.1:10

Good Shepherd – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Great High Priest – “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Heb. 4:14

I Am – “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58

Judge – “…he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.” Acts 10:42

King of Kings – “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Rev. 17:14

Lamb of God – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

Light of the World – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Lord of All – “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11

Redeemer– “Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Is. 60:16

Risen Lord – “…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Son of Man – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Son of the Most High – “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” Luke 1:32

The Door – “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9

The Resurrection and the Life – “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25

The True Vine – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1

The Way – “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”   No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The Word – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

He is the Only One Worthy of that Name with ALL its meanings!  He is the Only One we Worship and Adore, and I pray ALL my children and grandchildren will follow HIM all the days of their lives! 

JESUS!

 

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Still Waiting

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Lynn

the-value-of-waitingWe’re still waiting for Grandbaby #3 to be born!  Any day now, we hope… but boy it’s tough to wait when all I want to do is hug on that precious newborn.  (I’m sure his Mom and Dad are equally excited to welcome their son into the world, eh Chandler and Brett?)

This year we are excitedly awaiting Paxton’s arrival but I have noticed that we always seem to be “waiting expectantly” every Christmas season.  Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus at Christmas. We wait for Christmas festivities, gift-giving, a New Year to begin.  New opportunities, new possibilities, new memories to be made!  We’re already planning summer vacations and events to put on next year’s calendar.  Sometimes I get so excited and ahead of myself, I just can’t wait for it all to happen right away!  It’s weird, but the fun sometimes is in the waiting…not knowing what to expect!  It’s being pleasantly surprised, being caught off guard, to not have things turn out the way I planned them.  That is Life’s journey.  I like to make my plans but sometimes it’s God allowing some unexpected curves on my well-thought-out path that makes life interesting.

I think the hardest thing for me to do…EVER…is wait. I am not the “waiting” kind! I want things to happen yesterday, meaning I don’t have much patience or stamina to wait for anything, ever!

I learned I had this problem with waiting, especially around Christmas time and birthdays. I could not wait for Christmas or my birthday to arrive. It was my thinking and anticipating about all the great presents I would get that probably threw me over the edge. I just couldn’t wait to open all those gifts and start playing with all my new stuff.

One year, I must have been six or seven years old, curiosity finally got the better of me. My parents had put me to bed and then went downstairs into the basement to wrap my presents for Christmas. They did not know it, but a few months previously, my parents had inadvertently allowed me to discover a hidden secret in my room when they had moved my dresser to make room for a new bed. The heat register, that had once been hidden under my dresser, was now visible if I crawled under my new bed. The ‘secret’ was that it wasn’t really a heat register, it was just a hole that looked straight down from my room into the basement below. Crawling under my bed I had a clear view of our ping-pong table that was being used as my parent’s wrapping paper production line. While they talked and wrapped up all the toys for my brother and me, they had no idea that I was peering down through that little hole in the floor and watching every move they made.

I was as excited as I could be knowing the great gifts I would get at Christmas, and it took everything in me to not blurt out that I knew what I was getting for Christmas. However as the weeks dragged on until the big day, I discovered something else. I was not as excited about Christmas as I had been before I knew what I was getting. There was something about the anticipation of waiting that I had not counted on. I knew exactly what I would get at Christmas and I didn’t look forward to the day with the excitement I had in previous years. There was no surprise element! In fact, the more I knew what I was getting, the more disappointed I was. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the toys, I did…my parents had got me almost all the things on my ‘wish list’, but I was still disappointed. The whole fun of the day I had ruined for myself by not waiting.

I have often thought about how often God has asked me to wait, to be patient, to not run ahead of Him so I might miss out on what He wants to do in my life. The fun is anticipatingly waiting on Him! I’m a break neck speed type of gal. I like the fact I can cook supper in five minutes in my microwave, or I can message a friend around the world using my cell phone or Facebook. I don’t like to wait but lately God is challenging me to slow down, be patient and enjoy my time in…waiting.

So what am I doing while I’m waiting? Well, sometimes I don’t ‘DO’ anything. There is a time to be busy but there are also times to be still. I have enjoyed having some time to appreciate stillness!  I have also enjoyed this time anticipating what it will be like to be a grandma of a newborn…again!  I’ve been having fun going through some photo albums when MY children were babies and when my first two grandchildren were born.  I have enjoyed time spent with my husband, and our adult children, thankful for the blessings each of them are to me.

I have had to continually remind myself to slow down enough to enjoy those spur-of-the-moment times with family and friends that are totally unplanned and unexpected.  As much as I look forward with great expectation to what will happen a day, a week, a year from now, I need to remind myself to enjoy those in-between days, those sometimes mundane but spontaneous, out-of-the blue occurrences that catch me totally off-guard but give me a lifetime memory.  I know I may make my plans but God directs my steps.  (Proverbs 16:9)  It may not be at all like I expected, but whatever may come…

I am learning the value of waiting.

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We’re On Baby Watch

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Lynn

gods-wordIt seems so appropriate that we are on “Baby Watch” this close to Christmas.  My son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby and he’s due to arrive December 14th…or thereabouts.  This will be our third grandbaby and as I have said to anyone who asks, “Grandchildren are probably the main reason we have children in the first place!”  Yep, I’m one of THOSE grandmas!!

When Jaxon was born in 2011, I had no idea that my mother’s heart could grow two sizes bigger.  But it did.  When Kharis was born in 2013, my heart kept expanding too!  I knew I was crazy in love with each one of my three children, but I did not know the capacity of love until I held my first grandbaby in my arms for the first time.  In a few weeks, I will hold another blessed grandson and my heart will stretch even wider.  It’s just the way God made grandmothers I guess.

My son and daughter-in-law are busy “nesting”, and they have been outfitted with everything they might need to welcome their new son home.  Between generous friends and family who have passed along items, or contributed to baby showers and – spoiler alert – more gifts under the Christmas tree for them this year, they will want for little.  My son, bless his heart, asked for a video game for his birthday last week and we indulged him.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him his video-game-playing days are numbered now.  He’ll learn soon enough, and knowing my boy, he’ll be totally okay with the new shift in priorities.  He’ll make a good father.

But it won’t be easy.

Even with all the books on Parenting written, the countless Pinterest Pins on the subject, and the unsolicited and solicited advice from family members, there is not a precise manual that will educate parents well-enough to raise a child properly from birth to adulthood…save ONE of course.

The Holy Bible.

If you wonder what to get a young, expectant couple for a shower gift…give them a new Bible!  It was and has been my first and favoured parenting manual and the pages are dog-eared from over-use.  No, it may not be specific on what to do when it comes to managing a colicky baby or how to best potty-train a child, but it soooo ministered to me as I went through those ordeals with my babies.  Countless passages on patience, love, gratitude, and humility I claimed whenever I needed help to better parent my child.

When I felt defeated and discouraged at the end of the day because of strong-willed children, I found peace and encouragement in scripture.  When my children came home crying from being bullied or hurt, my mother’s heart ached for them and I found the words to comfort them through the Word.

When I was weary, I found strength.

When I felt upset and rattled by the task of parenting, I found the pep-talks I needed in the Bible.

As we welcome our next precious grandbaby into the Dove family, I know if my son and daughter-in-law stay immersed in the greatest parenting manual ever written, the Holy Bible, they’ll be okay.

Yes, there will be some long days and nights ahead…

But, they’ll be okay.

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