Notebook, Tape and Scissors

My granddaughter was over and she got out a notebook I had bought at the beginning of the school season.  Her momma and her aunties are long past school age but I still can't resist the bargain prices for notebooks at that time of year.   There is nothing like a fresh blank page.  It just calls to me.  This one was the last one left, orange in color.  It was left last because I don't really like orange. So I had used the others colors first. Like red, who doesn't like red.  Or soothing blue.  So peaceful  You can write in a blue notebook.  

But I digress.  Bekki had gotten the notebook cause she needed paper.  I almost didn't let her use it.  Last one and all.  I sometimes battle with a mentality I don't fully understand.  I wasn't brought up in the Depression  Era but I worry we won't have enough.  But I caught myself and let her have it easily.  Before I knew it she wanted tape, and then scissors.  She quietly played and talked to herself most of the day.  She cut and assembled  long stripes of paper to put across the doorway.  Not sure why she did but I had to explain that blocking the bathroom doorway was a bad idea when your grandparents both take diuretics for high blood pressure.  She relented.  She made Valentine scenes to go with the big Valentine posters we had up.  There were little people holding hands in love and lots of hearts.  Next she said the notebook was her journal and instead of writing in it, she drew about 10 pages of pictures.  She carefully described what each one was to me.  In case I didn't understand.  

But my favorite was the bird.  She showed me how to make it.  You fold the page accordion style then unfold and crunch it up real good, then you shape and mold it into a bird shape.  And it really looks like a bird. So seriously she explained it all to me.  She had an exotic whimsical name she had grabbed out of her fertile imagination.  Then of course, since the bird  was a house bird, she needed a bird cage.  More long stripes of paper where assembled.  After a few minutes voila!  She had a home worthy of any majestic canary or parrot.  I'm not sure just which kind of house bird she was.  But she did sit on your finger.  And she flew and danced about the room, helping Bekki with some story she had in her head.  Then we needed a friend for her and the whole process was repeated.  The second bird took flight and we lost her but we still have the other sweet bird resting in her cage. Tired I imagine from her day's activities. 

By the end of the day a good time was had by all.  Well, except maybe Poppa who wanted peace and quiet.  Sometimes you have to jump a little on the couch to fly your bird or get up on the love seat to attach her cage to the hanging picture thingy.  And just like a bird, our Bekki sure can chatter.  But all and all a fun time was had.  And just to think it was with just a thirty cent notebook, a roll of tape, a pair of scissors and an imagination straight from God.   



As I was telling this story it reminded me of something I heard.   If we open our hand, God will fill it. Like the story in the Bible of Elijah and the raven.   Don't remember it?  Elijah was a prophet and he was told by God to tell King Ahab that because of his worshiping idols there wouldn't be any rain.  Ahab got very angry so God told Elijah to go hide by the Brook Cherith.  He had water to drink.  But what to do about food?  Well, God told him ravens would bring him food morning and night.  He raised his hand and the raven would drop meat in his hand.  God provided for him.



Also the story of David and the slingshot comes to mind.  ( I listened in Sunday School)  There young David was facing a giant that all the mighty warriors were afraid of and what did he have?  A mere slingshot.  But him and God overcame the giant.  

Do you have a need?  Open your hand, will not our God provide? Have faith. Rest in God.  He has all the answers you need.  He is right there with you.  Be still and listen.  Learn to let Him guide you.   Be filled with His Spirit and He will show you that often you already have what you need to finish your journey.  We run here and there, to and fro.  Searching.  Searching.  Missing that He is right there with us.  And we forget or don't really grasp that  with Him nothing is impossible.  

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phillippians  4:13


So like Bekki, what do you have in your hands, your home, your mind, your heart, your life that can make this a good day, even a beautiful day? Shine out and live well today.  Open your heart and mind and BELIEVE for your need to be supplied!!!

Finally He's Here!

This has been quite an amazing week.  My middle daughter, Carla loves watching the show, The Voice.  She is a staunch Team Christina member so her friends wanted to tease her.  They gave her a hot pink Team Blake shirt as a joke.  I think I should have a Team Jack shirt. Well, Mandi, Bill and I should have Team Jack shirts. 

Who is Jack, you ask?  He is the new love in my life.  My new grand!  Born on Tuesday at 5:48 A.M. 7 pounds 7 ounces, 20 and 1/4 inches.  Long little feet.  Bright intelligent eyes.  Beautiful!  Strong lungs wailing out right away!  I know because I had the extreme pleasure of being right there with my strong amazing daughter and her loving husband during the labor and delivery.  She was born to be a mom.  And all my experience of having 3 sweet baby girls made me ready to help my Mandi as she was in labor.  It was empowering, intoxicating, exciting and tiring!  You know that kind of tired that is laced with joy.  The kind a marathon runner must feel at the finish line?  The kind the music director feels when the last word is sung of the last production of the Christmas play.  That was the tired joy I was feeling.  I told Paul "Do you know how empowering it was?  Have you ever felt that way?"  He answered, "Yes, three times!"  I laughed.  I forgot.  He said that when I called (Yes, you can call and text right from the labor room). I was laughing giddy with excitement.  It was wondrous!  If you ever get a chance to be at a birth, I recommend it highly!

It was so sweet seeing Mandi and Bill first meet little Jack Reese Lynch.  They laid him up on Mandi and she was taken back for a moment.  After all that labor and after months of waiting and days late...there he was!  A real baby! Arms and legs failing.  Little lungs wailing!  And she smiles and says softly..Hi!  One of those moments in life I will never ever forget.  So precious. And I look over at Bill and his eyes are tearing up.  Team Jack had done a great job!  God was surely good to us that morning. 

Welcome to the world Jack Reese Lynch!  Welcome to the family!