Grandchildren. Tiny, innocent bundles of joy—babies are truly a gift from God.

It seems like only yesterday that I was looking down into the face of my new grandson.  His beautiful blue eyes were shining bright.   However, it has been sixteen months and he is growing so fast.

What a marvelous feeling it is to be a grandmother and much different than becoming a parent.   A grandmother looks from the outside as a spectator, watching the pain and experiencing the joy.   The mother looks from the inside as the participant, feeling both the pain and the joy.

Do parents realize what a unique gift they have been given?  Are they ready for this enormous responsibility?   A valuable human life has been placed into their hands.  Just as a sculptor creates a piece of pottery from a lump of clay, a parent needs to carefully mold their child into something special. 

Was I ready to be a parent?  No, I really wasn’t.  I hadn’t taken any courses or read any books.  All I knew was what I had been taught by my parents.   They provided my basic needs and taught me some good values.  I know that they loved me, but there was something missing….emotional support.  

Children need to feel loved and wanted.  Many parents think that their children automatically know that they love them, but they don’t unless we show them.    A hug, a kiss or a gentle touch can mean so much.  A simple note telling them they are special.  A quick, “You are so important to me”, can have a huge impact on their emotional well-being.  I didn’t get enough of those things growing up and it created a feeling of loneliness inside.

Too often we don’t listen to what our children are trying to say to us or we completely ignore them because they are just children, but they are valuable human beings and they need our support in order to learn and grow.  We also need to keep learning and growing ourselves, so we can continue influencing them throughout their lifetime.  It doesn’t matter how old your children are, they are still your children and they need to know you care about them.

As a grandparent, I know that I made many mistakes as a parent and I’ve spend a lot of time trying to discover what it takes to be a great parent.  I want to become a positive role model for my grown children so I can influence them and help them become better parents.  

Teach your children to love.  The most important thing a parent can do is love their children unconditionally, just as God loves us.   Create a safe, loving environment so they know you will always be there for them.  Encourage them and show them how special they are.  This will help them build confidence and their self-esteem will grow strong.

Teach your child good habits.  Be a positive role model for your children.  It’s hard to be a good parent if we have bad habits and feel negatively about ourselves.  Children are always watching the adults around them and imitating what they say and do.  Try to be careful with your words and act in an appropriate way so they will develop good habits.

Teach your child to communicate.  Be open-minded and listen to what your child is saying.  You don’t always have to agree but your child needs to feel like what they are saying is important.  Try to communicate in a positive way so you will build a good parent-child relationship.

Teach your child discipline.  Set a few simple rules, discuss these with your child and explain the consequences.  Make sure they are fair and always enforce the rules.  When they do a wrong behavior  separate the behavior from the child and discipline with love.

Teach your child to help others.  Involve them in positive activities.  Involve yourself in their lives and demonstrate acts of kindness towards others.

Love your children in every way possible.  Love them enough to teach them good values.  Love them enough to influence them in a positive way.  Love them enough to support them even when they fail.  Just love them as God loves you.

It’s New Years Day. The rain has been pouring outside with a constant mechanical like rhytmn all morning. The floors of my home are filled with boxes that came out of the attic marked “Christmas.” The day is dreary inside and out. My heart looms heavy with sadness as the most joyous season is over. Resolutions and dreams await. To-do lists and goals. Better finances. Better health. More family time. More time with God. All the demands collide in unison and scream, “Hurry, hurry. Put Christmas away, hurry!”

But, this year, I don’t want to put Christmas away. You see, Christmas is truly magical for me. I slow down, laugh with my kids, play games, stay up late and eat cookies, sing with glee “just because”. I celebrate with joy all of the gifts that surround me and stand in awe of gift of Jesus and His presence.

The day ticks on.  The kids watch, begging me to stop, sad and helpless, as I continue to rid our home of Christmas decor. I have carefully boxed the snowman and trees, the ornaments are wrapped and packed, the lights turned off, the garlands carefully rolled up, the cookie tins empty. I’ve found the nativity box and carefully tucked Baby Jesus away, along with the stable and a host of the other prominent Christmas characters. There is no joyful music playing and I work, and I think.  Isn’t this sadness that resonates in the heart of many at the change of seasons, a clear indicator that Christmas is a gift that is meant for everyday? We daily need the joy that comes with the miracle of belief. The miracle of God’s presence here on our fallen, sinful and hurting world.

Christmas is the miracle of God with us. The unthinkable miracle of our savior becoming like us. The miracle of Jesus being able to relate to life as we sense it, through human eyes. The ever-changing volatile emotions, the various moments of favor and blessing, and often, those seasons of grief and hardship.  The mundane and boring weeks where apathetically we go through the motions of life and routine.

When we experience unspeakable grief, tragedies we can’t understand, and heartbreaks that feel larger then our faith we need a miracle. We need a Savior who has experienced all, who empathizes in our brokenness, yet offers floods of peace and assurance of His presence. We can move through this life with joy, even through uncertainty, only because He is with us.

When we experience immense joy, and unspeakable gladness we realize all is possible only because of the gift of Jesus. The love I experience as I mother my children and grow old with my husband, only possible because of the love of God in my heart. The glimpses of heaven on earth, a foretaste of the goodness that awaits when all is made right. And all will be made right, all tears one day wiped away, all the life hurt and the many injustices of life wiped from our memories…. It will be. But only because of the Christmas miracle.The miracle of God with us.

As you go through 2013 I pray that you will not leave Christmas in the attic this year. Don’t box Jesus up and ignore the gift of His presence. Don’t save it for Sundays or for the month of December. Unwrap the gift every morning. Jesus. Here with you. No matter what the day brings, no matter what the year holds, He is here. In your midst. Loving. Holding. Sustaining. and giving Joy. Deep, soul filled, overflowing, uncontainable joy.


Joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances, people, or conditions. Joy that has no exclusions. The joy of Jesus is the gift God wants you to have every day this year, don’t leave it in a box. 

Our homes, schools, workplaces, government, and churches desperately need the Christmas miracle. The Christmas miracle is manifested in each and every believer, who chooses to “leave Christmas up” year round. This year, I’m making a resolution to celebrate Christmas every day. Join me?