Summer Journals

The first thing I did when the munchkins got out of school for the summer was buy them these journals at Walmart, a new pencil, a new box of crayons, and a new set of markers. Actually, it was the first set of markers I've ever bought them. This Gran doesn't like markers. Markers have this way of marking in places that are . . . well . . . NOT supposed to be marked on. BUT - a quick trip to Walmart with Hallie in tow - a little begging on her part (complete with what she calls her "puppy dog face" where she rolls her eyes and bats her eyelashes) - coupled with the fact that there were nice little packs of 10 markers available in both "Princesses" and "Lightening McQueen" - and the reminder that the munchkins are, after all, 6 years old now and used markers all year at kindergarten - and before I knew it, two packs of markers were in my shopping cart. What can I say? I'm a pushover. Isn't that just another word for "grandmother"? If not, it's sure another word for "Beverly"!

But back to the journals - these two little munchkins have learned SO much in this one year of kindergarten and I want to keep what they've learned current and even encourage some new learning opportunities this summer as they prepare to be quite grown up first graders next fall. So - I bought them journals and the instructions are: each weekday morning when they arrive at Gran's house, they are to draw a picture in their journal and write one or two sentences about their favorite thing from the day before. I think it will be a really fun remembrance for them (and maybe their mom) to have at the end of the summer. The first week went really well. They wrote about riding sea-doos (as you can see in the picture), seeing rainbows, Grandaddy killing a striped racer and then showing them snake pictures on the computer. It was a busy week.

It occurred to me that it might be a good idea for me to do the same thing on my blog. I'll use my camera instead of crayons and markers if that's okay with you. And instead of my "favorite" thing - perhaps I'll write about what I am most thankful for that day (that usually ends up being my favorite thing anyway - GRIN!) You'll have to bear with me though 'cause this old bird is WAY too wordy to sum it up in one or two sentences!

Today, there's no contest. Today the hands down winner of my "THING I'M MOST THANKFUL FOR AWARD" goes to my Sunday School Class. Oh my goodness!! I am SO blessed! I have the greatest bunch of women in the world to share Sunday School with and I am CRAZY about them! I look forward to Sunday all week long because I know I get to be with them. They are such a diverse group of women (and girls).

There are actually three teenage girls that come in the Women's class at our church with their moms. That means our class ranges in age from about 14 to over 70! We are a racially mixed group. In fact, one African American woman in the class, that I love SO dearly has raised 10 children. One of her delightful daughters is in the class and is a tremendous catalyst of energy and enthusiasm. She is so precious to me. Her smile just lights up the room when she walks in! Her daughter-in-law is now a regular and an absolutely adorable young woman. So, that means we have three generations from that one family represented. Is that too cool, or what! One of the women in our class is the mother of 6 yr. old quadruplets! She's late a lot of Sundays. I wonder why? (Just kidding, Linda. If I had to get four kids ready for SS, I'd probably NEVER get there!)

We have stay-at-home moms and working wives. Career women and single moms. We have empty nesters and those with married kids who've come back home for a season bringing wives and babies with them. We have divorced women, never married singles and one widow. We have some who are struggling in miserable marriages and some who are battling major health issues. It's a pretty diverse group for sure. But the one thing we have in common is - we all love Jesus! His Spirit unites us and He makes it so much fun for us to be together.

When God called me to begin teaching this class last year I never dreamed what a joy it would be. I had not taught for a number of years preceding my depression and certainly not during those years of descent into that dark pit. Communication was the area in which my depression had most crippled me and I was not sure I could ever teach effectively again. But God had other plans. And I'm SO thankful He did! I told him how deeply humbled I was to have the opportunity to teach again and He told me that humble is exactly what He wanted me to be. He told me that this diverse group of women are His daughters and He wants me to simply wash their feet with the water of His Word. I cannot even describe to you how precious it is to me to bow at their feet every Sunday morning to pray for them and then to rise to share God's Word.

We don't have SS literature in our non-denominational church so I write our lessons each week as well as a listening guide for the women. The women in our class have been so patient as we've worked out the style for their weekly outlines. At first, I printed them with blanks for the women to fill in like bible study workbooks. But since we didn't have a television screen projecting the answers to fill in, some would miss a word here or there and be frustrated. We've learned it works better if I just give them a filled-in outline with space for a few notes. I also started out giving them Monday thru Friday "homework" questions for the next week's lesson. Now we've discovered they prefer "reflection" questions that allow them to mull over and apply the truths of "today's" lesson all the next week.

Writing our lessons takes a lot of time (perhaps that's part of why my blogging time is as scarce as it is) but I absolutely LOVE it! I may prepare all week on whatever we're studying (currently we're working through some of the Jehovah covenant names of God) but when it comes time to gather my notes and write the actual lesson, my prayer is simply, "Okay, Abba - these are Your daughters - what do You want to say to them this week?" Oh, my sweet sisters, HE is SO FAITHFUL!! In all the years I have taught SS and Bible studies, it has never been as sweet as it has been this past year. When God tells me what He wants me to communicate about Himself to His daughters and by the time I finish writing the lesson, I can hardly contain my excitement. I am like a puppy straining at the leash wanting to get to my class to teach it.

I want to say something here, but please hear my heart, because I say this with the utmost humility and gratitude. This past year I have taught under an anointing of the Holy Spirit like I have never known before in my life. He is SO AWESOME! In years past, I used to be so grieved if I forgot something from my outline when I was teaching. Now - it's like that teaching outline is little more than a "suggestion" and I may or may not stay with it because I'm not the one in control when I'm up there teaching - HE is. Some Sundays it's like my mouth can't keep up with my spirit there's so much I want to share from the Word. There is a sense of energy and empowering that flows through my body when I am teaching that was never there before. Oh, sweet Holy Spirit of God! YOU are a marvel to me!

I love to study God's Word. Literally. I. LOVE. To. Study. God's. Word! It is LIFE to me! I love to teach God's Word. But, you know what - even more, I LOVE the women God gives me to teach! My heart burns for every one of them to know Him deeply and intimately. My spirit yearns for them to see themselves the way He sees them. Oh, precious Abba, thank You for entrusting Your daughters to me on Sunday mornings! Enable me to serve them in the power of Your Spirit.