Abbie Grace with the pretty, pretty face#5

Abbie with her beautiful golden curls looks much like her mom did at this age. But she is much more of a clown. Sometimes she doesn't even mean to be funny. One day she was playing outside with Katie and Micah. I had the back door open so I could hear them. Katie starts hollering "Nana, Abbie is eating dirt." I came to the door and called her to me. Her mud streaked face revealed the truth of her play time. "Abbie why were you eating dirt?" to which she replied "I was making cakes for my doll and I wanted to see what it would taste like." Her imagination is so rich and free. Every time she comes over she will ask "Nana can I play dress up?" We keep the dress up clothing in the playhouse and one time I looked out to see her not dressed up in a costume but in her underwear with only a small blanket around her. That was her dress up. A few times she has run through the yard in her underwear to ask me a question.She is also as sweet as she is funny and I thank God for her pretty, pretty face.

"Daddy God, thank you for this little one. Use her imagination to teach others of your love and redemption plan. Help her always to have a quick laugh and and ready smile. Teach her your ways and give her a deep understanding of your Word.Grow her up strong and healthy and full of compassion and mercy.Protect her from temptation and from the evil one. Thank you that you love her even more than I do. "

Give it a year.

When Jenny first walked into my life she was a 13 yr. old girl who looked about 10. She she small and thin and shy and sad. Her short life had seen much disappointment and fear. She was a worship dancer at heart but did not have the freedom to express her worship in this art. As our shared time together grew she opened up to me and shared all the things in her troubled heart. I would say "Jenny I don't know why this is happening to you but give it a year and see what God will do." I always wanted her to realize that these hard times were temporary so that she would not loose her courage to go forward.I knew that God wanted to use these things in her life not only to mold her but to use her help someone else like herself. Always..in a year's time things would change and always she could look back and say "Look where God has brought me in this time." There were many tears, fears and even times when we would frustrate each other. Jenny knew it was safe to get mad at me and for me to be angry with her. Ours was/is a covenant relationship. Our love for Jesus who placed us together compels us to love each other..always. Jenny has come such a long way in these 11 years. She is now a confident woman and a registered nurse in a children's hospital. She dances before the Lord in grace and beauty. On Saturday Jenny will marry. The season of her childhood riddled with insecurity and doubts is over. She is a woman of God and now she is not just looking back over the last year but she is looking forward to the next one. Looking forward with hope and confidence knowing that she is loved. By Jesus, by Josh and yes, by me.
posted by Gwenn Mangine at 1:46 AM on Jan 9, 2009

My Brown Eye Boy, Grandbaby #4

We have a lot going on this week with Jenny's wedding on Sat. so first thing this morning I am wrtiting my fourth installment of "meet my grandchildren". The others might be delayed for a few days so I can be with my grandchildren. BRING THEM ON!
Nico came to us the hard way. With the other children we only had to wait 9 months. It was far longer than that for this little guy. Gwenn told me it would take months and we had pictures and updates from time to time. I kept thinking surly by the 4th of July, surely by his birthday, surly but Thanksgiving, Christmas...and so it went. He did not arrive until the following July! I was bonded to him before I ever laid eyes on him in person. Far smaller than his cousins in stature he is right up there with them in personality and volume. He has an amazing ability to remember everyone by name. He is social almost to a fault.

Gwenn and Nick made an emergency trip to Haiti in June so I took Nia and Nico to Creation with me. One afternoon we were sitting at lunch and I looked over to see Nico stroking the hand of an elderly man sitting next to him. I said "Nico don't..." the man stopped me and said "He's fine." I looked back the next minute and Nico's arm was under the man's arm and he was holding his hand. I know he blessed this man.

As with each child that enters my family I know my life would not be complete without Nico. God had it in His heart that I should be his grandmother.

"Father thank you for Nico. I ask you to bless his birth mom and give her the provision she needs today. Thank you that you have chosen us to be family to him. Thank you for his tender heart and quick smile. Thank you for his quick affection. I ask that you would grow him up to be teachable and usable in your kingdom. Protect him from the evil one. Lord continue to help him with his speech and development. May he come to you early."

Pray it Forward

If you are her to check out how Pray it Forward is going I have to say I don't know. I do know that 2 donations were made to the Haitian Children's home and I am so thankful for that but I am really waiting to hear what God is doing in people's lives. So if you are reading this and you took part in Pray it Forward I would love to hear how God touched you this holiday season. Just because Christmas is over we don't need to to stop praying it forward. If you have a bottle of vanilla from Pray it Forward spend some time with loved ones this weekend make some treats, enjoy the fellowship and then Pray it Forward!

(questions???let me know)

What are we going to do with a boy? Grandchild #3

When Micah was born it was a very new experience for us. Having parented only girls and then having 2 girl grandchildren, well, we just didn't know what to expect. Micah is a boy. He picks up bugs WITH HIS HANDS! He runs around the house at lightening speed and then does it again, and again and again. If he doesn't want to eat something he stores it in his cheek for hours at a time. He loves his grandad.

"Grandad, can I climb the ladder?" "Grandad can we play flashlight?" "Grandad can we play in the ditch?" All of these things are a great amusement to Micah. He loves Lighting McQueen and and his "little buddies" (action figures and little people)

We have gotten pretty used to having a little boy around the house.

"Abba, thank you for Micah. Thank you that at a tender age he asked you into his life. Lord protect him from the evils of this world.Keep him from temptation. Help him to grow to be a man of integrity and valor. Help him to be a protector for his sisters. Give him friends who are Jesus followers and help him to be a leader. Thank you for the time we get to spend with this little man."

A Favorite Grandmother Moment,grandchild#2

Nia (VirgiNIA) is my second born grandchild. She is a funny one. I don't get to spend as much time with her as I would like and a lot of the stories I rely on Gwenn to share with me. This is a little story from March 2005. Nia was 20 months old.

Gwenn was taking Nia to McDonald's for lunch. Outside there was a statue of Ronald McDonald sitting on a park bench. This caught Nia's eye and she became very excited and she started shouting and pointing "Mama!-Jesus!, Mama! Jesus!"

I love that even in at such a tender age my granddaughter would get excited about Jesus...even if it was Ronald McDonald.

"Abba, on this the second day of the week I pray for my second grandchild,Nia. Lord you know all the changes she has gone thought in her short life. You know the enormous changes she is about to face when her family moves to Haiti. Father give her an extra measure of attention and affection to help her in this time. I thank you that she has portents who are willing to obey you no matter what the cost. I ask for your protection in all ways. Lord grow her up to have a heart that is always turned toward you. Teach her your ways. Help her to be a source of joy and encouragement to her parents and a helper to her little brothers. Lord help us to stay close even though she will be so far away. It is often with a heavy heart that I think of this move so far away but I thank you for the honor of being the grandmother of this beautiful child."

A Favorite Grandmother Moment

Dated October 13, 2003

"Katie that's a nice dress. You look beutiful today." I said to my 22 month old grandaughter. She placed her dimpled fingers on my cheek and replied "Nanny beautiful too."

I felt like a princess.

Katie is still all the sweetness she was on that day more than five years ago.

"Father on this the first day of the week in the first week of the new year I lift up to you my first grandchild Katie. I thank you for this child who first awakened my mind heart and spirit to the world of grand parenting. I ask that as she grows and matures she will continue to grown and mature with the sweet spirit that you placed in her at her birth. I ask that you would give her a close friend who will help her in her walk with you. If it is your desire that one day she would marry I ask that even now you will be growing up a young boy who will love and honor you. Protect him from the evils of the world and grow him in to a man of integrity and strength. Cause Katie to know you beyond her understanding. Give her supernatural vision to see you at work in her life. Thank you Father for allowing me to be her grandmother."