No matter what the cards I select have written inside,  they can never say enough. On Mother’s day I am so very grateful for the wonderful mom I have and thankful that not only am I a mom of 37 years, but now am graced with 6 grandchildren, as well.  Love that! 

I remember so well the day I stood in our driveway watching our “baby” drive back to college after her first visit home.  I waved till she was out of sight.  She was so happy, but I could not supress my strange fears and surrounding sadness.  From that moment on, I knew motherhood would never be the same – a chapter in my life had changed forever.  Through the many stages of life and much change, fortunately I am finally learning to embrace each new season.  Not always easy, but, as I said, I’m learning.

As an empty nester, I continue to consider it a high privilege and honor to be a mother.  Even though my leisurely walks with a stumbling toddler have now turned into power walks on a treadmill at the gym, it encourages me to know that I am still somebody’s momma.  I love knowing that years from now when even my daughters’ children are grown, a portion of my love legacy will live on.   

Give me the grace, God, to live my life in a way that submits to you, perseveres to the very end, and  graciously loves my family well, leading them to You. I’m so thankful to be a mother!  How ’bout you? 

My heart, however, was not emotionally prepared for the many good-byes I would experience over the next few years with three of my grandkids who live a great distance from me. Sometimes I miss them till I ache, especially after sweet visits of sharing laughter and building memories. There are always tearful goodbyes.

It was after one such especially joyful visit that I sat blinking back tears in my assigned seat, 17C; exit row. That’s exactly what I longed to do. Exit the airplane. Our visit had been far too short.

Everything within me wanted to run back down the jet way to my precious granddaughter Ellie’s outstretched arms. Only as I’d rounded the last curve in the security line did I dare look back toward my daughter holding her. Tightly clutched in the pink blanket I’d made for her that trip, Ellie spontaneously flung herself forward in my direction and began to wail, as if pleading, “Nana, why can’t I come with you?” Wiping her eyes, the security screener told me she couldn’t watch the scene any longer; she had to look away.

On that flight home, I held on to a picture of Ellie like a life preserver. To someone who is not yet a grandmother, the only way I could describe it is like falling in love again. Living hundreds of miles away from my first grandchild was not easy. The aching loneliness to hold or tuck her into bed at night under the soft, pink fleece blanket is ever present.

But, from my experience that day, I had a flash of Godly inspiration that has changed everything for me as a grandmother. As I watched two little waving hands grow smaller and smaller as I walked down the terminal, I sensed God’s reassurance in my heart: “No matter how great the distance, Sharon, through Me there are loving ways you can blanket your grandchildren in love each and every day. It was one of those pay-attention-to God moments. Right there in my exit row, I scribbled down the word blanket on my airline napkin. With a heartfelt determination I vowed then and there to cover my grandchildren with valuable truths that each letter stood for – to instill in them something much bigger than the here and now. My legacy to them would be imparting assurances of my love and faith in God, as in the following acronym:

B – Bathe your grandchildren in prayer
L – Love, live, and laugh often with your grands
A – Accept, affirm, and appreciate each grandchild unconditionally
N – Never give up on your grandchildren – or their parents
K – Keep expressing reassurances of your love
E – Establish your own style of grandmothering
T - Take the time to leave a spiritual legacy

Funny, how one word changed the direction of the rest of my life that day. But, it has. Forever. It is my prayer that it will do the same for you. I’ve heard many grown-ups say, looking back over their lives, that a special grandmother was the guiding light of their lives. We can be that in our grandchildren’s lives. Covering our precious ones with a love that’s wrapped in fervent prayer can make a tremendous difference for today and all eternity. Encouraging, inspiring, praying, being there, affirming … loving.

This world could use a lot more women like that. And I’ll bet there’s a child in your life who could use a grandma like that; I know there is in mine.

Sharon Hoffman

• Your pastor and staff
• For Sunday’s services and the salvation of souls

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Heb. 10: 25 (NIV)

• Pray that people will support the church financially and that you will do your part sacrificially.
• Seek in prayer, a place of service in the church. Ask God for opportunities to use your gifts. Offer yourself.
• Pray for peace among the membership and unity. That no divisive factors will creep into theology, methods, and motives.
• Pray for a great love for your church.

“Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it.” Eph. 5:25

MONDAY: Prayer for your IMMEDIATE FAMILY

• Create a page for each family member – pictures, scrap booking fun borders and interest items with the pictures.
• One by one, with each of your immediate family members, write in needs, requests, desires, dreams, verses to pray for them. Be very specific.
• Trace the hand of each person in your family. Glue in the hand and feel free to do as I do as I pray for that person, I “hold” their hand.
• These pages are constantly changing in my journal – updating etc. and recording when prayers are answered.
• Remember to pray for yourself and put pictures of yourself in this section. Find specific verses that fit your needs, your husband’s, children’s etc. and place their names right in the verses as you write them. Organize in any way you choose – just so that you pause while praying and slow down. That’s the benefit of pictures, not just words.

TUESDAY: Prayer for your EXTENDED FAMILY

• On these pages, I do as above for my parents, sister and family, brother and his family, even those further in our family tree. This makes me feel closer to them, even though we all live far apart.

WEDNESDAY: Prayer for our Ministry Friends and MISSIONARIES

• All the bookmarkers, cards, and Christmas pictures that I receive throughout the year, go on these pages. They change often, but at least, I’ve taken the time to pray for those we know all over the world.

I love getting pictures and putting them in my journal – I used to just let them sit or put them in my Bible and never remember to pray. This way, I have a part in ministries all over the world through prayer.

• Whether your ministry is toddlers in church time, a junior high girls’ Sunday School class, a weekly Bible study, or what -ever! This is the day to devote specifically to prayer for the names in your group and individual needs, dreams, goals, future of, passion for etc.
• Make this section more than just words…..I like to use a lot of visuals that I cut out of various cards, Christian magazines, quotes to inspire me, poems, etc.
• List the fruits of the Spirit – and pray verses for yourself that you might display each quality in your ministry. Gal. 5
• The written Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit that must be used to resist the evil one – pray Scripture for victory! This is what our Lord used when He was tempted of Satan at the beginning of His ministry.
• “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Eph. 6 Pray to put on each piece of the spiritual armor.

FRIDAY: Prayer of PRAISE and WORSHIP

• On Fridays of each week, I use my prayer time specifically to worship and adore and praise our Lord. I have many, many specific verses written in or glued in my journal in this section, as well as, many hymns and praise songs that I sing/pray to the Lord. This time in love, adoration, and worship has literally changed my life to be more pressed closely to Him.

Lord, help me today not to be careless with my relationship with You.

• What a blessing to exalt God – it brings such joy to my heart and it will to yours. Praise is a powerful weapon against discouragement and defeat.
• “Let the godly ones exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword hand….praise the Lord!” Psalm 149:5-9
• Personalize and praise Scripture to God: Ex: “Father I trust in You, You alone. I trust in You with all my heart and I choose not to lean on my own understanding. In all my ways, I want to acknowledge You. I trust You, Father, to direct my paths.” (re: Proverbs 3: 5,6)

SATURDAY: Prayer for our NATION and OUR NATION’S LEADERS

• ~”If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14
• “Blessed is the nation….” Psalm 33:12
• Make a pictorial page of the President and other leaders with pictures, if possible.
• List our nation’s needs, sins, morals, self-indulgences, freedoms, problems of abortions and pornography, lowering standards, crime, lack of acknowledgement for God, riots, wars, unrighteousnesses.
• Be very specific, even cutting out articles and pictures from current magazines and newspapers. You’ll be heartbroken for your country before God as you do.