It Can’t Be So

I guess no matter how old they get, I’ll still be amazed at the age of my children. I remember when Destiny turned eight years old, and then six weeks later Courtney turned ten.  I was truly amazed that my kids were getting so old.  They look REALLY old here, huh?! All three of us look so sophisticated and beautiful.

Well, two days ago Destiny turned twenty-seven. My second-born baby is 27 years old?!  It can’t be!  Just yesterday she was hopping backward down the hallway with the end of the roll of toilet paper in her hand. Just yesterday she was sitting at the dinner table for two hours with a mouthful of vegetables that she refused to eat. Just yesterday she was telling everyone on the stage what to do during her ballet recital.  Just yesterday she was telling me that she had committed her entire life and future to a God who loved her with a Love that she would never fully comprehend.

Yes. Des is twenty-seven years old and pouring her life out for this generation here in Brussels, Belgium.  I love her more than I could begin to express. She’s the exclamation point in my life.

Also in case you haven’t heard, she is carrying our 8th grandchild!  I went with her and Jon to her first doctor appointment which happened to be on her birthday.  I had never had the privilege of seeing a sonogram of a twelve-week baby before, and I have to tell you, I was fascinated. I’ve seen quite a few sonograms in my life, but this one was pretty special. At twelve weeks the baby is only 2-3 inches long, so its image fits entirely on the screen. The baby was kicking and moving his/her little arms around. At one point he put his hand to his mouth then all of the sudden flipped over!  It was the coolest thing to see!  I immediately bonded with that little bundle of preciousness and can’t wait till she is here!  (You notice I used “he” AND “she”, cause I don’t have a clue.)

Just think. This baby is at the prime age for abortions. In Europe 50% of all pregnancies end in abortion. This hit me hard while I was watching this baby in that examining room. (more…)

Wordless: Bag o’ Belgium Baguettes

Wordless: G-kids Celebrate the New Year

Blow the Trumpets!!!

Shana tovah! For a sweet new year!

Tonight is the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets and the Biblical new year. It is the fifth of Seven Feasts recorded and defined in the Bible as “The Feasts of the Lord”. Our family is celebrating with extra sweet challah formed in a round loaf and dipping apple slices into honey as our pre-meal fun! I have found that the grandkids love the holidays. They don’t necessarily remember from year to year what it all means, but they definitely remember the food we eat. This morning Ashlyn (7 yrs old) started jumping up and down when I mentioned round challah along with apples and honey. “Oh, I remember! I remember! I LOVE apples and honey!”

We try to make every holiday something that the kids will enjoy and remember. If the kids remember, then it makes it more fun for the parental units as well.  The Feasts of the Lord are meant to be enjoyed, and they are precious family times!

The blowing of the shofar comes from Leviticus 23:24.

“Tell the people of Israel, ‘In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar.’”

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