"Mimi & Grandpa's Book of the Month": An Easter Adventure

The Littlest Bunny in Texas - An Easter Adventure by Lily Jacobs is the March choice for "Mimi & Grandpa's Book of the Month." After moving to Texas, May and Joe visit a pet shop. They choose the littlest bunny for their pet and name him Flop. The children do not realize Flop is actually the Easter Bunny. Flop travels around Texas delivering Easter eggs. My grandchildren have visited several destinations mentioned in the story, and they will be excited to hear these familiar names. I believe they'll also enjoy imagining what it would be like to have the Easter Bunny as a pet!

The book's illustrations by Robert Dunn are bright and colorful. Eggs hidden in the pictures add a fun element.  Children love searching for hidden objects within a picture.

Although The Littlest Bunny in Texas - An Easter Adventure does not convey the Biblical meaning of Easter, it does emphasize the beloved traditions of the Easter Bunny and egg hunts.
 
My grandchildren know Easter's true meaning is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Son of God. I've given them many Bible story picture books to read and enjoy. We make resurrection rolls  together to celebrate our risen Lord. They also enjoy decorating and searching for Easter eggs.

May God bless you and yours this Easter season.

February's Choice: Mimi & Grandpa's Book of the Month

After World War II, Joseph Stalin blocked the Allies access to West Berlin, Germany. The Allies responded by air lifting food and supplies to the people. Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot, by Margot Theis Raven, is the true story of American pilot, Gail Halvorsen, who flew over Berlin dropping gum and chocolate candy to children affected by the blockade. Mercedes watched the sky, waiting.. hoping... for chocolate.

I chose this uplifting story because it's about demonstrating courage and kindness to help desperate people. It's about doing the right thing, even when it's hard. It's also the story that inspired "Mimi & Grandpa's Book of the Month."

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot was a 2003-04 nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award, a 2004- 05 Children's Crown Honor Book, and a 2006 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award nominee. 

What story inspires you?

Mimi & Grandpa's "Book of the Month"

I love a great story. As a children's librarian, I had the privilege of reading aloud to students. These memories inspired me to give our grandchildren a year-long Christmas gift: Mimi & Grandpa's "Book of the Month."

Our December selection was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

It's the story of the Herdmans, the worst behaved kids to ever walk the earth, and their eagerness to participate in the church Christmas pageant. An impish and rowdy bunch, the Herdmans were also clueless about Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a funny and delightful tale.

Robert the Rose Horse  by Joan Heilbroner is January's title. It's one of Grandpa's childhood favorites. Because roses made him sneeze, Robert leaves the farm, moves to the city, and finds a job. Sneezing remains a problem, so Robert changes jobs...until he find the perfect one. The book is illustrated by P. D. Eastman.

 I excited to mail our next selection to the grands! Come back in February for my reveal.  And yes, you can borrow this idea.

What beloved book would you give a child? I'd love to know!

Significant Ornaments: Island Life

My husband's work assignment transported us to Trinidad and Tobago, a two-islands nation located off the northeast coast of Venezuela. We traded our "life in the suburbs" comfort for the land where the steel pan originated.

Days after arriving in Trinidad, the earth shook under our feet. Our first (and not the last) earthquake. What was I doing here? Surely, the Lord did not bring me here to kill me. At the end of that stress filled day, Creator God provided a glorious sunset!

We desired to experience as much as possible.  We marveled the leatherback turtles nesting at Grand Riviere, and the scarlet ibises (the national bird of T&T) roosting in the deep green mangroves of Caroni Swamp. We sipped coconut water out of its shell. We savored doubles (two flat pieces of fried bread filled with curried chickpeas), and shark & bake. I learned to play "Amazing Grace," and "The Entertainer" on the steel pan.

New things, life-changing things, were born. I started my first blog - Callaloo Tales: Our Adventures in the Caribbean and Beyond. I planted a "Praying Grandmothers" group.

We're grateful for the opportunity to live among the expats and the locals and experience different cultures.  The friends we made touched our lives forever, and we will never be the same. 


For our 2006 significant ornament, I purchased a Trinidad-shaped souvenir key chain, and tied red, green, and gold Christmas ribbon around it.


My Trinidadian friend, Lee, gave me the "palm tree" pottery ornament when we repatriated in 2008.

What special ornaments hang on your Christmas tree?































The Ugly and The Beauty

My book club read The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Victoria Jones grew up in the foster care system. Feeling unloved and unworthy, Victoria disrespected and rebelled against foster parents until they sent her back. I too would have sent her packing- not tolerating Victoria's bad behavior very long - my eyes blinded to the beauty, worth, potential in her. In failing to see Victoria's beauty, I saw my ugly.

 

All experience pain. Everyone has been hurt, wounded, broken. There's ugliness in all of us. But we are created in God's image, and there is beauty and worth in people. I need to search for it, dig deeper. Find in the unlovable and difficult individuals the treasure of potential and gifts God gave them. And remember, God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5: 8).

 

 

Detached and wary, Victoria Jones learned to communicate through the Victorian language of flowers. She taught people to express their true feelings through the bouquets they sent. In general, lilies symbolize "majesty"; but, have other meanings depending on the color.







Counting My Blessings

"Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 106: 1

I lead women in Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts Bible study. Ann encourages us to slow down, discover, record, and give thanks for the gifts God gives us daily.

Here are a few of my gifts for which I give thanks:



• Pink-tinged morning clouds
• Sunrise, colors changing, declaring God's glory
• Morning dew
• Tropical rains
• Horses grazing
• Baby calves
• Cumulus clouds filling Texas sky
• Rainbow fragments
• Blue-green dragonflies dancing (& eating mosquitoes!)
• Freckles
• Curly hair
• Baby boy's blue eyes
• Stained glass windows
• Country roads
• Sweet corn
• Harvest moon

For what are you thankful?

An Unexpected Gift

Life holds unexpected moments.

Two months after having a brain tumor removed, my mother-in-law went to be with the LORD. The family expected recovery, but death came instead.

Norma lived a good life. She was married to her husband for 59 years. Together, they raised four sons- all good men. She accomplished her dream to visit Israel and was baptized in the Jordan River. She loved Southern gospel music.

At her gravesite, a family member texted me a picture of the Texas sky. A brilliant blue, cloud-streaked sky.







Noticing a bird-shaped cloud formation, I zoomed in on the image. It was a dove. A symbol of The Presence of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, hovering over us.

 



In the midst of sorrow and sadness, someone lifted their eyes to the heavens, capturing the dove cloud image. An unexpected gift. An "I am with you always..." moment (Matthew 28: 20).

As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, our comforting God is with us. And I am thankful.


What unexpected gift have you received from the Lord?