Jesus follower, Wife, Mom, GranJan, biscuit-maker, gardener, quilter.
Daddy shows Zeke how it’s done…
Wow! Chair #2…with “Handlebars…our favorite barber!”
So far so good…Daddy on my right, and Grandaddy on my left!
The situation deteriorates quite rapidly…
It is ON!
My daddy and my grandaddy are in on it!
Can I ever trust you again?
“AFTER…and All is Well!”
I just had to put up a few pictures of the grandboy. Here he is above with his Mommy, having a wonderful time – he LOVED the water! He has been to swimming lessons already, which is amazing to me, since he is only 9 months old, but they sure do wonders with these little ones in the pool.
Here he is, nice and cozy with his Daddy after swimming lessons…monogrammed towel and all:
I am having so much fun! He is crawling and pulling up and chattering and talking and bringing joy to our lives.
Have a good evening my bloggy friends,
Gran Jan
I have been following Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick’s blog journal this week over at the LPM Blog. She and several other bloggers are sharing their journeys to India as part of the Compassion bloggers’ trip. It has been an amazing journey for that team as shared through their posts – and we have been privileged to participate by praying and reading their blog. Of course, the best way we can participate is by sponsoring a child. My husband and I have been sponsoring a little boy since February. His name is Iduar and he lives in Colombia, South America.
The following excerpt from Melissa’s post just wore me out:
A six-month old infant lying alone on a bed in a shack without any supervision *for the entire day* since both his parents are out working daily labor jobs and living desperately from hand to mouth.
The reason I am so slain by that thought is of course the obvious: six-month old babies don’t stay alone for any length of time, much less an entire day.
And another reason is that our 8-month grandson is spending the night with us tonight! We have enjoyed every minute of his company and he has never ONCE been out of our arms. We’ve visited all the farm animals (chickens, cows, sheep, donkeys) and we watched as my Dad, (Zeke’s great-grandfather) worked in his beautiful vegetable garden. Six adults and one blessed little boy – his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents all doting on his every action – laughter and joy abounding. 
My mind kept thinking about that 6 month old in a shack some- where alone because his parents had to do what they had to do to survive. I cannot wrap my mind around that.
One little boy here in the USA all tucked in tonight, sleeping in the very baby bed his father slept in – with a full tummy, smelling so sweet and clean, and rocked to sleep by his Gran Jan…
One little six-month old in India that was alone for a whole day – in filth, hungry, crying – oh God – why?
I say thank You Father for Your love, mercy, and grace to me and my family.
Mark 10:14 (Amplified Bible)
But when Jesus saw [it], He was indignant and pained and said to them, Allow the children to come to Me–do not forbid or prevent or hinder them–for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Please consider sponsoring a child – for $32 a month you can make a difference.
Blessings,
Gran Jan
My favorite Spring Sweetness of all is this picture from Easter Sunday. I cannot stop looking at my little grandson, Zeke. Would you look at that sweet face?
The pink flowering dogwood, pink azalea and wisteria vine are all so beautiful this time of year – reminding me of the change of seasons. Our lives have seasons and it is my favorite analogy of womanhood. All of life is a season. I am in the season called “empty nest.” But this I say…my nest is not empty…look how full my table was Easter Sunday!
They come home, they go. You young wives and mothers, please enjoy your time with your husbands and your children. Trust me – it flees quickly.
“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come…”
Song of Solomon 2:12
Jan
Easter is my favorite time of year, hands down! (Actually hands up as I praise His Name for all He did for me on the cross!) HE.TOOK.MY.PLACE. I will never get over that fact – ever – never – ever. (Thanksgiving is my second favorite – family, fall, football, food, and no commercialism…yay!)
Y’all know I began this blog out of the hope of waiting for a grandchild (if you have time read some of my very early posts about waiting). I call this bit of cyberspace “Gran Jan’s Joy” because of the joy of knowing Jesus and the joy of sojourning here until He calls me home.
This post is: “dedicated to the one I love…” My sweet husband of 32 years…The Reverend Gary Timothy Morton… My sweet girlfriend, Mrs. Lisa McKay, better known by her wonderful blog, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is beginning a new feature on her blog. Go here to read all about it…The Woman BESIDE the Man… I was thrilled to find out that I was to be the first PW she is featuring. I told her I feel like I won a “prize,” and I mean it! Let me tell you about my real PRIZE: my minister man! I am the most blessed wife in the world, and it is first of all because of the ONE I love, my Savior, Jesus Christ. He blessed me in my marriage with a precious young minister almost 32 years ago, and I have been honored to serve alongside him all these years. I have been to so many choir practices and church dinners and Sunday School classes and retreats and banquets and youth fellowships and lock-ins and missions conferences and revivals and Sunday mornin’, Sunday night, and Wednesday church…and NONE of that matters as much as the way this man lives out the life of a Christ-follower at HOME and in the trenches Monday through Friday! May I say this? HE IS THE MAN IN FRONT OF THIS WOMAN! Gary – I love you and I treasure you. Thank you for being genuine and loving and supportive of me – in all my seasons of life. Thank you for being an awesome daddy to our boys, and now “G-Daddy” to our little Zeke… May God continue to bless us as we sojourn together. I count it a privilege to be your bride… And as you say so sweetly, “our nest ain’t empty, we’re still here!” I love you, Jan
UPDATE: My daughter-in-love came home from the hospital and she said my son is taking good care of her and Zeke and for that I am most grateful. God is so good to me.
UPDATE: My sweet daughter-in-love is in the hospital and may be there through Thursday – she is a sick young woman – and has a serious case of pneumonia! PRAY FOR HEALING! I am going over to keep Zeke today and tomorrow at their house. Love y’all –
I have spent the entire day – today – Valentine’s Day – with my new love…Zeke, my 6 month old grandson! I call it “Plan B” for Blessings and for Boys! Blessings because I am so blessed to be Gran Jan, and BOYS, for you see – I am the momma of his daddy – the mother of boys, the grandmother of a boy…hence, Plan B! (I wrote an earlier post about this a while back.)
Plan B was put into action early this morning when my first-born son called and asked me to come get Zeke for the day. He had to study some more for his sermon tomorrow because he has been sick this week, and his wife, my daughter-in-love is also very sick (on the verge of pneumonia) and needed to rest. I had a BLAST with Plan B today – we played, we read the story of Jonah from the Bible Story Book, we rocked, we sang songs, we took several naps, I fed him 3 times – and we bonded. So on this day, Zeke’s first Valentine’s Day of his little life, I was able to spend the whole day with him. I am so thankful – God is good, and God is Love – perfect love. The purest and sweetest love of all is because of Jesus, and for that I am thankful as I celebrate this day of LOVE.
Blessings, boys, bonding… Grateful Gran Jan
Jesus follower, pastor’s wife, boy mom, mother-in-love, Gran Jan to 5, gardener, quilter, content homebody, biscuit maker, Wheel of Fortune Season 33 Winner!
I Love My Boys!
