Good Afternoon.  My son's girlfriend just graciously set me up  with a new blog account.

I am looking forward to posting articles that I have written priviously, along with thoughts that provoke my thinking, current events, issues of life and love and spirituality.  Heart issues.  We live in a society focused on materialism, education, me-ism, success and empty mindless media activities.  Like ancient Rome, or older Russia,  America has forgotten its heart, its foundation.  And we are this very moment reaping what we have sown.  It is a biblical principle, a Law of Nature that we cannot change.  When God set the world in motion with a word, he set in motion the laws of the universe like gravity, like reaping and sowing.

We look for the enemy but the enemy is us.  Just today, I bought my grandaughter a barbie for her birthday...why?  Why did I succumb to that pressure?  What does Barbie teach?  What does she contribute to the developing mind and values of my young granddaughter?  Do I want her to grow up with skin deep values?

We will take her to a ballet (culture) and hopefully enjoy a nice age appropriate conversation at lunch.   Hopefully, we will be teaching her to listen and to discuss.  Hopefully we will instill the value that her Creator made her unique and she is valuable to HIM.   But also, may she never get the idea the world revolves around her--expecting and demanding from others.

I see three kinds of people:  those who had and continue to expect and demand, those who never had therefore they expect and demand and those who have learned to give and expect only what God gives freely and lovingly to His precious children, what is good for their development and inner growth and strength.

So, we will suggest that our grandaughter give one of her Barbie's to a little girl that has no Barbie, and we will see how willing she can let loose of that she values for the benefit of others.  At 6, we expect only what she can freely give...and we will praise her every moment so that she learns the joy in giving.  Just as Grandpa and Grandma have so much joy in giving to her.  One day, one fraction of a lesson...and 7 grandchildren.  LORD help us.  Help us give graciously and generously as you do to us, but help us to wisely know what lessons may need to be learned and our part in that lesson.