Check it off the List, Please!

Who doesn't love a check list. There's something about marking off that chore, that duty, that errand, that event that is so satisfying.

When my 2 boys were little I met a woman who had 6 children. Each Sunday they would trek across the church campus all dressed alike in their Sunday best....the tallest and oldest at the front down to the little one, appropriately a girl, delicate and small compared to her 5 older brothers. . Mama duck and her ducklings following behind in waddle fashion. She was beautiful, her husband was handsome and her kids were groomed and immaculate. You couldn't help but ask "how does she do it?" Well that was a question that never was fully answered, but she did share with some of us about her infamous job board!

Definition of job board- a handmade schedule organizer with adorable pictures of jobs to be completed by each child

I dug out the old photo copies and the instructions I used to create the job board so long ago for my 2 young sons. I called my friend (archive blog post- friends that last a lifetime) and asked her if she remembered us making those boards together.

"Of course!" she said, " I've already given the photo copies to my girls and they are cleaning them up and updating them for their kids!"

Perfect! Lucky me....I was able to glean from those young girls efforts to upgrade the photos. Thank you girls!

Of course the gorgeous grandmas got together and came up with some of their own versions of the job board!

If you would like to see the tutorial on how to make the job board go to my blog list and click on my friends  blog spot "Cultivated Lives" Then click on her archives tutorial for job board!

No Greater Love

It was one of those fun nights watching, playing with, indulging in one of those "no, you can't have that now" desserts, bathing and tucking in those adorable grandchildren of ours. Babysitting  was never my favorite job as a young teenager. I made money and that was the extent of my motivation to spend time with little children. But babysitting my grandchildren!..nothing compares to their unconditional love ...or (wait...)maybe it is conditional based on one of those "no, you can't have that now "desserts :)

After granddad prayed for each grandchild and tucked them in to bed, our grandson asked if Go Go would come in. Of course! He never wanted me in there before, just granddad. Granddad did it right,...the routine:) I gingerly bounded (oxy-moron?) into the room and sat on the edge of my grandson's bed. My granddaughter standing up in her crib was watching, checking out what would happen next.

"Go Go? Why does granddad say in Jesus Name?"

Because he is praying for you.

"Who is Jesus?"

You know who Jesus is.

"Is He like Go Go or granddad?"

O, I smiled when he said that, but I knew Jesus was nothing like me or granddad.

No, He's better than a Go Go or a granddad! He loves you very much and gave his life for you.

My 4 year old grandson somehow had compared his grandparents love for him with the person of Jesus. Does that bless me...yes ,but  I know there is a battle with a selfish strong man inside of me of which Jesus overcame at the cross. How do you explain that to a little child. I guess it doesn't matter. Our daily lives allow Mr. Strongman to raise his ugly head more often than we would like and creates a teachable moment  to show how and why we surrender to the One who defeated that strongman.  Jesus reminds us by his Holy Spirit that He is love. I pray that this is who my grandson sees in his grandparents.... a transformed life through Jesus Christ.

 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Thank you Jesus