Well allow me to introduce you to our two year old grandaughter Olivia. She, her older sister Willow, mom Elise (our daughter) and her dad Ben moved in with us close to two months ago. Life’s been an adventure ever since!

After having them across the country in LA, it’s wonderful that we are now a flight of stairs away. They’ll be moving to Simpsonville once their house is built, but till then we’ll be a three generation household just like my mom grew up in in Brazil, IN.

In this season of Lent I said I’d be conciously focusing on gratitude/joy. Most days I’ve remembered to write some things down; a few days I haven’t. Grace abounds even when discipline goes down the drain. Perhaps especially then.

What I do know is each day I’m glad to be with family. It’s been fun to experience with our grandaughters various wonders of the natural world (thank you bunny for leaving a deposit in the garden), an owl hooting in our neighbor’s yard then swooping off to another perch, a red shouldered hawk screeching before it’s morning breakfast, and the various flowers and shrubs now in bloom. It’s fun when the girls can get such joy out of simple things like playing with a plastic sign – a sign of God’s love for us, and our love for one another.

God’s peace, hope & joy,

Pastor Jon