K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Sister!

January 2, 2011 3:38 AM 11

Good Evening Friends…
Today is almost over.  It’s been a good day with family and friends. Yes, being the Georgia girl that I am, I’ve had my collard greens and black-eyed peas twice today…both at lunch and then again at supper! And guess what? I grew the collard greens myself in my backyard garden.  What a simple pleasure!

Since this is the first day of a new year and the first day of a new decade as well (with a marvelous number pattern…1-1-11), I wanted to post a quick note.  I am getting older, thank you Jesus. I am loving this season of my life.  I’ve learned to pick my battles – to know the difference between the energy expended on events that amount to no more than an ant bite or serious enough to be considered a snake bite!  Wisdom comes with age and experience and it is oh so sweet. Tough, but sweet.

I’m not one to set unrealistic goals or make “new year’s resolutions.”  I’ve been there before and failed miserably and dealt with the self-imposed guilt that most always follows.  However, I do dearly love a fresh start and thank God for His mercies new every morning and His sweet amazing grace; so I am going to attempt to “KISS” this year which stands for Keep It Simple Sister! With the Good Lord’s help and in keeping His will for my life, I am going to filter requests for my time through my family’s needs and the women’s ministry I so dearly love.  Did you know that “no” is a complete sentence? I am going to slow down a bit and take better care of myself…so that I may take better care of my family.  This will mean regular exercise and smarter food choices.  I want to enjoy every single minute of my grandchildren and be able to keep up with them! (Zeke is not happy that he had to share his Gran Jan with the babies…)

Thank you for your love and support and for stopping by to visit my blog. One more very important thing…I’m going to do something wonderful for my soul this year, and that is to participate in Beth Moore’s Scripture Memory Team again.  What a JOY and DELIGHT!  If you haven’t heard about this, visit her web site here for instructions.  It is not too late to get involved and you will be blessed beyond measure for hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Remember, KISS 2011 by “Keeping It Simple Sister.”

*Gran Jan*

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January 2, 2011 3:38 AM 11

HIDDEN IN MY HEART

November 6, 2010 3:04 AM 3

Oh.my.word. I have found some of the most blessed and peaceful music I’ve heard in a long time. Breakway Music is a record company devoted to producing quality Christian music for children.  They say on their website that their “goal and passion is for kids to have a relationship with Jesus.”

If you need a gift for a wee one in your life, or if you just want a blessing for your own quiet moments, order this CD, Scripture Lullabies, Hidden In My Heart, a beautiful lullaby journey through scripture.  You can even get a free download here.  (About the time I have decided on a favorite, the next song begins.)

I bought one for each of my two precious grandbabies (Master Jackson and Miss Madie Ruth), who will both be celebrating their very first Christmases this year! I will be placing a CD in each of their stockings.

Your word
have I hidden
in my heart,
That I might not sin
against You.
(Psalm 119:11)

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November 6, 2010 3:04 AM 3

10-10-10

October 10, 2010 2:33 PM 1

Good Morning Friends.  I am writing this Sunday morning from the balcony of a beautiful condo in Sandestin, Florida.  My husband and I are here for an extra long weekend, a time of rest and renewal.  As my sweet daughter-in-law Carrie told me before we left, “this will be a vacation, when the whole family comes, it’s a trip!”  There are times for both, but she is right…this has been a vacation, long awaited.

I am on Day Eight of one of Beth Moore’s devotionals entitled 90 Days With JESUS The One & Only. I should complete this one around Christmas. This morning’s reflection was from one of my favorite passages in scripture, the verse from Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

As I was writing in my journal and took note of today’s date 10-10-10; and since I have time and haven’t posted in a while, I wanted to do a “Ten” List. Very unorginal, but I’m inspired with the whole Ten-Ten-Ten date today.  This list is not a Top Ten, but rather ten things I have often pondered in my heart.

Ten Ponderings
1.  The amazing grace of God and why He loves me like He does…
2.  The blessed gift of a long and faithful marriage with the love of my life…
3.  How absolutely right all my friends were about the sheer joy of being a grandmother…the inspiration for Gran Jan’s Joy
4.  The great delight it is to be friends with my boys, now grown men…and the thankfulness that their wives are taking such good care of them…
5.  How I absolutely love to garden and wonder if those things are truly inherited and if so, then it came from my maternal grandmother…
6.  Sometimes at night when I slip outside I marvel that God really gave names to all the stars and that He knows my name too… Psalm 147:4 “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”
7.  After my trip to South Africa last year, I think of the beauty there, but also the devastating poverty in the shanty towns, and I especially ponder a little boy that used a plastic bread bag as his hat. My South Africa journal for that day is here...
8.  How some songs are so anointed and touch me every single time, and how thankful I am to have my own music man for a husband and that I know I am and have always been his favorite choir member…
9.  When God allows me to serve other women even with all my flaws, His mercy overwhelms me…
10. The older I get the more I understand the peace of being quiet and listening more…and often wonder why I didn’t glean this truth earlier in my life, but the ways of God are a mystery…

Well, 10-10-10 is here and I’m getting up to enjoy my last day on the glorious Gulf Coast of Florida!

Blessings,
Gran Jan

P.S.  10-10-10 is also some mighty good garden fertilizer.  I’m just saying…

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October 10, 2010 2:33 PM 1

TWO YEARS OF PURE JOY!

August 18, 2010 12:51 AM 8
“Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged.”
Proverbs 17:6


I started this blog two years ago last month during a time in my life I call the “waiting room” a definite season in my life.  I desperately needed an outlet to share the pure JOY of becoming a first-time grandmother.  Now I am a grandmother three times over!  My sweet friend, Deborah  was so patient and helpful to me in my early blogging days.

Today is the birthday of my first born’s first-born…Ezekiel, my first grandchild we all call “Zeke.”  For one who never finds herself at a loss for words, I simply cannot describe to you the pure joy that springs from my heart because of Zeke’s life. This little boy LOVES life and LIVES with pure joy! 

Here he is trying to catch raindrops on his tongue when a nice summer shower passed through at his birthday pool party Friday night!

More evidence of his joy-filled personality:
Zeke, I love you with all my heart.  You are such a sweet boy, and Gran Jan is not the only one who sees the special way you touch lives.  You love animals, you love music (your favorite song is still “How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin), you love books, you love strawberries, you love tractors, and most of all, you love your baby sister Madie Ruth! 
You have touched my heart way down in the deepest parts, places I never knew existed.  I am so thankful for your life.  I can’t wait to teach you all that God is teaching me.
Happy Birthday to you Zeke!
I love you,
Gran Jan 
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August 18, 2010 12:51 AM 8

She Lived 25 Years…She’s Been Gone 25 Years

August 3, 2010 12:49 PM 31
Sisters are Different Flowers From the Same Garden…

I am the oldest of four girls all named by our parents with “P.J.” inititals, Pamela Jan, Phyllis Jean, Patricia Joan, Peggy Jo; all called by our middle names. This picture was taken back in 1981 as we celebrated our parents’ 25th wedding anniversary.  (We are standing in birth order, with me on the far left.)

This past January 18th would have been Jean’s 50th birthday if she had lived. But God had other plans, and my sister died on July 19, 1985, 25 years ago.  She was only 25 years old when a tragic car accident took her life instantly.  She’s been gone for as long as she lived.  Some days it seems like only yesterday…and other days I mourn every one of those 25 years. 

I have scanned in some photos from our early years.  Every memory I have of my childhood includes my sister Jean as we were so close in age.  This could well be one of our first photos together.  I was 2 years, 2 months and 2 days old when she was born in January of 1960.

 This photograph is one of my favorites of Jean and me with our mother.
I was a brown-eyed brunette (still am), and she was a blue-eyed blonde!
 Here we are on Christmas Day – I especially love my memories of Christmases with Jean.  We loved this kitchen set, and always played “house” with our baby dolls.
We played outside for hours with this old dog.
Even though I am older, she was often my defender in squabbles.
Here we are all decked out for Easter with matching hats and dresses. 
I was 7 years old, Jean was 5, and our baby sister Joan was 9 months old.
Jo was born the very next year on Good Friday.
 This is Jean and I in front of our home in Hawaii.
Our Dad was a career Marine, and our family lived in Hawaii during
his duty there. We loved our years in Hawaii and the timing was
great as we were teenagers and we loved the beach!

A few months ago when the thought resonated in my heart that Jean had been gone as long as she had lived, I asked my mom if us girls could spend the day togther to remember Jean and celebrate her life. So that is what we did this past July 19th.  My sisters and our mom went to the cemetery and put flowers on Jean’s grave. 

There is a quote that Jean always loved, so her sweet husband had it carved into her beautiful pink granite tombstone at the bottom.  It says:

With each rising sun,
think of life as just beginning.
Show kindness and love today,
for tomorrow’s chance may be lost.

It was extremely hot that day, and we didn’t tarry too long.  But we did what we came for. We talked about how much we miss Jean, and we shed some tears. We visited our paternal grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ graves, and many of my Dad’s siblings’ graves too.  After we left the cemetery, we had lunch together and did a little shopping.  It was good to just be together.  We wanted to remember her, but not to mourn as those who have no hope! Jean had a little girl, our sweet niece Amy, who was not quite two years old when her momma died.  I texted Amy and told her what we were doing, and she was so glad.  She lives out of state or she would have joined us.  She is so much like her momma.  It is absolutely uncanny when I watch Amy and see Jean’s hand motions and facial expressions.  She did not get the privilege to raise her girl, but she lives on in her every day.  Amy is so beautiful.

This picture of Jean and Amy was taken not long before Jean died.
I cannot tell you how Jean’s death devasted our lives. The morning of her funeral was the darkest day I have ever known.  My heart was broken for my parents more than anything. Jean’s death remains the greatest loss in our family.  But this I know! Jesus gives grace and He is so faithful.  We turned to Him for comfort and He met us every time.  We miss her every day, and when the family is together, we are not complete.  But I know beyond doubt that a day is coming when we will be together again in Heaven!  Because of the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross and our faith in Him as Lord and Savior – we will see her again one day, alive and whole.

Blessings to you all.  Love your family every day, for tomorrow’s chance may be lost…
Jan

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August 3, 2010 12:49 PM 31

So Long Insecurity – Part 2

April 28, 2010 1:52 AM 9

Back in early March I was having lunch with some co-workers when my cell phone rang. The caller was the Director of Living Proof Ministries, beautiful Sabrina Moore. She wanted to know if I would be willing to organize a group of women to serve as hostesses at the LPM resource tables during the So Long Insecurity event. I said “let me think, yes.” It took less than 2 minutes with a Facebook message later that evening to gather the 12 workers! A chance for us to give back a little by serving Beth Moore and LPM after all they have invested in us? Done deal!

The “Delightful Dozen Southern Siestas” were Fran, Robyn, Tammy, Stephanie, Nikki, Wendy, Emmy, Lora, Deborah, Miranda, Karen, and me! My friend Alaina and Emmy’s daughter Lizzy even helped us! We worked so hard and had so much fun! No one would have believed we were newbies.  You know why? We knew and believed in our products! Bethie’s books, CD’s, DVD’s and studies! We knew of what we “speaketh!”

Here are two overhead pictures of us in action…I cannot tell you how much fun we had, but we did. We laughed, explained, worked, walked back and forth, prayed, explained some more, hugged necks, answered questions, hugged more necks, and had a blast!
Robyn (blonde) and K Mac and Nancy!
(K Mac and Nancy are LPM Staffers)
Wendy is bagging up a purchase for someone!
K Mac, Nancy, Tammy and Deborah
Me, Alaina, Fran, and Karen stop for a picture
Nikki – I was so happy to meet her “in real life”
Lizzy, me, and Emmy
(Emmy and I traveled to Houston together back in January
to attend the Scripture Memory Team Celebration)
Karen is having a good time! (Always)
Lora is a sweetheart! She writes beautiful poems.
I am saying “So Long Insecurity!”
I can’t remember when I simultaneously worked so hard and yet had so much fun. I know it is because we were all like-minded in spirit and in purpose. Thank you Living Proof Ministries for allowing us to serve you and our sisters in Christ. We were SECURE in our love for you and in our jobs as resource table hostesses!  It was a great day that I will remember for a long time. I miss my siestas already.
Jan
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April 28, 2010 1:52 AM 9

So Long Insecurity – Part 1

April 26, 2010 5:38 AM 11

The long-awaited So Long Insecurity Conference at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA and simulcast to 869 locations for an attendance of 300,000 was one of the best events in which I have ever been privileged to participate!

Beth Moore taught from Ephesians 4 on what a “Secure Woman” is using the acronym for the word secure.

S = Saved from herself
E = Entitled to truth
C = Clothed with intention
U = Upended by grace
R = Rebounded by love

E = Exceptional in life

I will share my notes soon and which “letter” meant the most to my heart, but right now I just wanted to share some pictures.

Here I am on the bus with the book written by Beth Moore.  Go get it and read it if you haven’t. It will make a difference in your life and your attitude toward life. 

There were 300,000 women that participated in the conference, and 10,000 of them were at the host site at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia. They were great hosts and served us well.  I know their pastor, Dr. Johnny Hunt is so proud of them!  This is the women waiting to get in to their seats…

The worship, the Word, and the women were wonderful.  More to come…

Love,
Jan

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April 26, 2010 5:38 AM 11
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