I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!

Out of the mouth of my grandson, Jude, are words that continue to make me smile.  As soon as they do, whether it is in my car or at home, I write them down to return to later.  Words I don’t want to forget.  Moments to treasure that must be kept for me to read since my memory tends to lose a few.  I now keep a small notepad in my purse ready to capture the moments in ink.  God uses children more than we think.  Instead of just smiling in the moment, I’ve chosen to listen to the message.

It doesn’t matter if it is raining outside, there is always sunshine around little Jude!  A constant brightness and warmth to my days!

Jude has been potty trained for a long time.  One thing that is a little different than most is he sits on the toilet backwards!  To do so, he removes everything from the waist down.  I promise I am going somewhere with this… just wanted to add that part of the story because I, Granna, thinks it is cute… just like Jude. 

Anyway, this one day when he is done going to the potty, I hear him talking in the restroom.  I peek around the corner.  He is putting his pants back on.  As I look on, I see his arm stretched out pulling up at the bottom of his jeans to help get his foot through.  While he is doing this, he is talking to his toes.  I hear him say in a sweet voice, “Come out of there!  Come out of there!  Let me see those toes!”  I lean back on the door frame and smile.

Another time he kind of does the same thing.  After his nap he always gets a snack.  I hand him a little “Jude size” bag of pretzels.  He sits in my recliner eating his snack and watching a movie we picked out at the library.  His little hand reaches down into that bag of pretzels, brings one out, holds it up to his eye and says to the pretzel, “I’ve been looking for you!”  Oh my… forget cleaning the kitchen!  I walked over, scooped that little fella up into my lap and smiled.

Although God knows where we are at all times, I can’t help but think He wants us to come out of “hiding”.  Telling us, “Come out of there!  I’ve been looking for you!  Come sit with me for a while!”

SUGAR COOKIES AND SMILES

One evening my grandson, Jude, joins me in baking some delicious sugar cookies!  From another room he grabs his step stool sets it up next to the counter ready to help!  He is really good at stirring, sneaking cookie dough batter into his mouth and eating the cookies before they are decorated!  Nevertheless, I smile and continue on. 

Earlier in the day he hurt his finger on his “stirring” hand.  He tried his best to stir but the make shift bandage Granna had put on it got in the way.  So, he passes the job on to me.  I grab the bowl with my left and stir with the right…around and around the dough mixture goes while Jude looks on.  I never thought my stirring would impress anyone…but Jude.  He says, “Whoa…you’re doing VERY GOOD!”.  I smile.

My daughter-in-love Crystal and son, Josh, Jude’s mommy and daddy, show up and walk in the door to the smell of sugar cookies!  After supper, Jude offers everyone a cookie.  I make sure he doesn’t hand out the ones already carved from his teeth marks or has icing that was missing because of the swoop of his tongue!

Mommy comes into the kitchen, stands on Jude’s step stool and grabs a cookie.  I said, “Jude, look how tall mommy is!”  He quickly races over and says, “Mommy get down.”  I suppose he wanted to get back on it.  Mommy teases with him in fun and says, “You’re not the boss…telling me to get down.  Who’s the boss?”  Without hesitation Jude shouts, “Daddy is!”  Then, again without hesitation, daddy shouts, “You know I’ve got my household in order!”

Smiles were everywhere!!!!

LITTLE EARS

Last week I had the privilege, yes, the privilege, to watch my grandson, Jude, and his best buddy, Evan.  After picking them up from Preschool, we went through the drive-thru of most all kids favorite place, McDonalds!  “Chicken nuggets and french fries!” was the order than came from the two little munchkins in the back.  This particular McDonalds did not have a playground so to Granna’s we go with the chicken nuggets and french fries! 

Jude and Evan both took turns saying the prayer before we ate.    Amen!  Oh I just love those sweet moments...  Then I hear, "Ketchup please!", "I want something to drink!", "I have ketchup on me, I need a napkin!" Yep, the reverent  atmosphere of the prayers has left the building.  It is definitely mealtime with these little ones.  I smile and grab the ketchup, drinks and napkins.

Toward the end of the meal Evan tells me he is finished, and he was.  I don't think there was even a drop of ketchup left!  Jude then says, “I’m finished, too.”  I look at Jude’s plate and he still has a chicken nugget and a couple of french fries left.  I said, “No, you’re not through yet.  You haven’t finished your chicken nuggets.”  Immediately, without pause, Jude says “I don’t have nuggets, just one nugget!”  Those little ears don’t miss a thing!

That same day after Evan’s mommy picked him up, Jude got in my lap.  We love to watch the Christmas Hallmark movies that are on now.  It was time for a commercial break.  One of the commercials was advertising something for weight loss.  My ears perked up!  Well, not only were mine, but so were Jude’s!  At the beginning of this commercial a voice speaks the words no woman wants to hear!  Truth hurts! Here it comes, those three painful words...“ARE YOU OVERWEIGHT?”  Immediately, without pause, Jude shakes his head up and down, saying “Yes”. 

Here comes that smile again. 

Those little ears catch all and hear all.  Let’s remember to speak what is good.

Jude and best buddy, Evan!

I'M HUNGRY!

If I fed my grandson, Jude, every time he said “I’m hungry”, I would be in the kitchen 24/7, the pantry would be bare and the refrigerator light would go out for the first time ever in my life! 

One day last week was no exception, “Granna, I’m hungry.”  So, I tell him, “No, your tummy just had a hotdog, macaroni and cheese, and a cookie.  It’s not hungry.”  He persists with, “Yes, it is.  It says it’s hungry.”  Then me again, “Well, I didn’t hear it.”  Next thing I know, my back to him, I hear this sweet voice singing… “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”!   Jude, apparently got into my pantry.  There he is carrying a box of Ritz crackers!  He is holding it flat down and presenting it like it is a birthday cake!  I smile (knowing what he is up to) and say, “Oh, thank you!  How nice!  All just for me?”.   Smiling back at me with the twinkle in his eyes piercing my heart, he says, “For me, too!”.  Out, come the crackers!

I think in life we get full of what the world serves and are left empty, still hungry.  Feed on God’s word.    Hold it, read it, sing the praises.  Yes, it’s for you, too!

MORE THAN A SONG

Driving in my car.  Not just any car, she has a name…Molly.  Molly has been a loyal friend for 13 years!  Red and fun!  Well, to me, she is.  Now, my grandson, Jude, may think differently.  It is a small car, so, as he grows, Molly gets smaller!  So Jude can have more room for his little legs that stretch out from his car seat,  I scoot my seat up.  Knees to the steering wheel, hoping if the airbag has to release it doesn’t hit my double-chin like a punching bag!  Anyway, enough about that...

"Molly" takes us down Interstate 30, the path that leads us to the hospital where little sister, Briley is.  Big brother listens to the songs of Jesus blaring through the car stereo, filling the atmosphere.  Yes, he has a cool Granna!  Well, actually, he is always saying, “Turn it up!  I can’t hear it.”  So, I do.  I do because he loves to sing the songs on the radio as if he wrote them all!  This makes me smile.  But, there is a bigger smile coming.

Jude is always sprinkling sunshine on my day.  Today is no exception.

One other thing he does when a song comes on is asks this question, “Granna, what is that song talking about?”  He wants to know the meaning of the words sung!  Isn’t that why we sing?  For the words to resound in our soul with hope, joy, and thankfulness?

This day, the song that came on was called “When The Stars Burn Down” by Phillips, Craig & Dean.   “Granna, what is that song talking about?”  I said, “It is talking about when Jesus returns.  It talks about praising Him and thanking Him for everything!”  He says, “What things?”  In his language, I say “For the trees, the flowers, for saving us…”  He interrupts, “Wait, wait, wait!!". He continues, "Then, He gives us cookies and says rest.  He gives us cookies and tells us to rest. Uh huh.  Yep.”  Wow, I thought I had to break my answers down to his level.  But, Jude, my 2 year old grandson, broke the answers down to my level.

Here is what I received from what he said.  While here on earth, as God’s children, we work until His return.  We work at letting others know about Him and the hope of eternal life in Him!  We work hard and then WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! That's Him!  He returns!  Delivering His promise (COOKIES) and lets us know it is time to REST in glory, Singing… blessings, and honor and glory and power forever to our God!

"When The Stars Burn Down" (Blessing and Honor)

Treasures of God's Glory!

Italicized contributed by Beverly Turner (Jude and Briley's Idgie)

As I look out our dining room window and see the spectacular burst of colors. It came to mind, that we go through seasons of tests, trials, difficulties, & droughts, not just physically, but spiritually. As we perservere through these with FAITH, total FAITH, God never fails us! He always has ways, His treasures, that refreshes & restores our soul with these glimpses of His Glory!


Thank you, Bev, for painting a beautiful "word picture" and for sharing the photo you took of the tall trees displaying their beauty in the leaves flanked with Fall's colors!

The picture you see is also where Jude has been.  Oh, as I view this lovely picture, I can hear his laughter and the fallen leaves rustle as he runs through them as fast as he can!  After a visit to Idgie and Pops house he brought back a ziplock bag of acorns to show us all!  Idgie said Jude brought back his "Acorn Family"... daddy, mommy, Jude and Briley!  Then he said, "Oh, here's a Samson acorn!"  Samson is his dog.  Family complete!  He was so proud!

I know in my heart that as he was picking up acorns, he was leaving behind many Jude smiles; a treasure, a glimpse of God's glory!

A Place To Park

Here we go in my little red car, I call "Molly".  She has been in the family for 13 years.  As we both grow old, her grunts, groans and grinds sound a lot like mine!  But, she is also full of smiles and laughter.

Jude is talking non-stop as we head to the hospital to visit baby sister.  Love it!  I pull into the parking lot to see that every seat is taken!  Vans, SUVs, cars, jeeps, new, old, some with front teeth knocked out and dusty coveralls...but, they all got there...BEFORE ME!  As I am circling, and circling and circling, out of my mouth came "Ugh."  Jude says, "Granna, why did you say ugh?"  I smile and say "Well, I'm looking for a parking space and I can't find one."  Then almost as soon as the last word escaped me, there it was!  A place for "Molly"!  I say, "Thank you, Jesus!".

A couple of days later we return to the same parking lot.  As soon as we pulled in, with EXTREME excitement, Jude exclaims, "Granna!!  Look!!!  Jesus saved us a parking space!!!!!"

Together we said, "Thank you, Jesus!".

1 Chronicles 16:34

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!

Jude sure knows how to keep a smile on my face!

As A Child

The reason for beginning this blog is to be used as a reminder, through the eyes of little children, that no matter how hard life gets, there is always a smile to be shared and received.

In the hospital, once again.  Little Jude, not even three years old yet has been so good as we wait.  It is so appropriate, the name of the room we sit in.  The waiting room. 

As the day goes on, waiting gets a little harder for a youngster full of energy and nowhere to let it go.  Like a little balloon full of helium ready to be released!  We hold the strings as long as we can.  It's time for a walk.

I, Granna, take Jude for a little stroll as we have taken before.  But isn't it refreshing that no matter how many times the little ones walk the same path they discover new and exciting things?  "What's that, Granna?",  "Why, Granna?" and again "Why, Granna?"  I just chuckle and explain again and again and again.  No time for impatience.  Life is too short.  I'll take a "why" any day!

Our stroll takes us to the chapel.  Small, beautiful, an opened Bible, stained glass reminders and a peace rests there in the pews.  As I sit in this cocoon of peace, I tell Jude we need to remember to thank Jesus for taking care of Briley.  Briley, his little sister, is the one in the hospital with complications.  Jude is the big brother every little sister would want to have.

Jude sits with me for a little while and then slips out of his seat to explore.  It's a gentle adventure he takes for I believe he understands the reverence of this place.  The Chapel.  God's House.

Knowing it was time to get back, I tell Jude, "It's time to go."  He says "No!  Granna not yet!  I want to kiss Jesus!"  At the front of the chapel a stained glass display of Jesus holding a lamb is what I realize Jude is referring to.  Of course, the "gotta capture a picture of that" Granna comes out of me!  I know because his actions are so quick I need to delay a little bit to get my phone camera ready.  Little did I know what God had in store for me within the lens.  I immerse him with questions and just talk as I prepare for "the moment". 

The moment I was expecting was for Jude just to run up to the stained glass and just kiss it.  His height reached right around Jesus' knee.  Where I thought the kiss would land.  It was time.  I gave the "okay".

Jude runs to the stained glass image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He drops to his knee and kisses the feet of Jesus! 

Father, may I always come to You as a child.  As Jude has.  Running to You in anticipation to give You all I have.  To kiss Your feet for You are holy.

Luke 7:44-46

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.