Exciting news!

Besides writing blogs about travels and finger plays for preschoolers, I have been writing books-that-are-never-published. There was a flurry of successes back in the early 90s, including the first series of Bible board books, Baby Bible Storybook. Then while I was writing weekly sermons, publishing changed - faster, leaner and harder to break in. I am back to square 1, even with 20+ publications!

But determination (read: stubbornness!) is a gift. So in the last month I have been surprised to sign contracts with a Christian agent to do any number of books, beginning with a God Cares! board book set. This project has been in my brain for a decade and written, sent out, rejected and revised repeatedly for the last 5 years. Why continue?

Because it is the kind of book I envision my grandchildren hearing to surround their days with God's love as well as the family bonds. The day may come for all of them that parental (and even grandparental!) feet will be sighted firmly in the clay, opinions will be outdated, advice ignored. The day will come when the earthly bonds are broken. Then I hope they each dig down and find a endless source of unchangeable and unchanging love in God, perhaps in something I said or did or shared
.

Whatever your passion is - gardening or volunteer work or travel or baking - think of how you can share the activity with grandchildren so that God's love transcends and endures.

Back to Grand-nana-ing

Each summer we are blessed with a few days with each of our grandchildren individually. I love these times one on one - no siblings or mothers to interfere. The idea is not so much to spoil each one (although I think the amount of ice cream consumed might be over the home norm) as to give focused attention and be able to listen to what they have to say. We choose activities specifically for each child at the level of development and interest they have. This means I get to enjoy Chicago in all its varied glory!

This visit was the Horse Girl so we included a trail ride and horse show as well as state park hiking, movie, theater play. We watched the movies she likes without compromise and ate at restaurants we do not normally visit. And it is all great fun!

Because I am Christian grandparenting, I plan a service project of some kind for each visit - this one was buying food for 60 PADS lunches. The grocery store included "5th going into 6th grade" math and item location and estimating the total cost. Then we delivered it all to the church, demonstrating what a small part of the big process we have.

While at St. Mark's we looked at the icons on display and explored the chapel and alter and stained glass. It was not an extensive tour, but, since I had just spent time doing things important to her, she was willing to see some things important to us.

I love summer!

Not Memorial Day

I did not take a holiday yesterday from blogging or anything else. I am currently in Moshi, Tanzania,  volunteering for three weeks teaching English to preschoolers. We had a lecture today on the education system and there was one point relevant to Christian Grandparenting.

The speaker encouraged us to keep speaking English to the children no matter how young, even without comprehension. He pointed out English speaking children learn the language a sound or two at a time, encouraged by those around them. At home Tanzanian children learn the family tribal language. From ages 7-14, they are taught in Swahili. After 14 they are taught in English. The ones who do best are those who have had -  even in the very early preschool years - an exposure to English sounds. Subconsciously the base for English is there. So the work we do - in my case teaching the Hokey Pokey - is essential even if we will never know the results.

It occurs to me that introducing your faith to the grandchildren gives them the language to believe on their own later. Those who have never heard about God or Jesus or the Church or compassion or grace will struggle with the language when (if!) they are encounter it later life. If your interactions with the grandchildren, no matter how brief, include prayer, Bible stories and songs, even worship experiences, they will have tucked away a base for making a choice. The sounds and language will be there. As well as your care and love, supporting the care and love of God.

We probably won't be around to see the results, but we will know we planted a seed. God can water and make it grow!

Want to know about the trip? Blogging at rctanzania2014.blogspot.com

Nodding Nana

Still jet-lagged from Tanzania - it was a wonderful experience with preschool children in a Christian setting. I'll be posting here again next Monday, but until then take a look at rctanzania2014.blogspot.com and see the wild animals!