Look at these cool cards. These really show the growth in my oldest grandkids. The words that go with the letters in Grandma show that the oldest is starting to see past the letters and words and deeper into meaning. If you wonder, I’m guessing the word dirt means either I hate it in the house or I love digging in it in the garden. Either way it is descriptive.

And what about that five year old? Can he do his name or what? I love the picture of Grandma hugging Caleb. On the other side, since you can’t see, he copied the words to Happy Birthday.

I always say that to write something must happen. In my garden, things constantly happen and as I connect those to faith I have lots to write. But, as grand parents know, there is Nothing like getting something from your grand kids to inspire you.
And I’m writing right back because one good letter deserves another.

Write to someone today – using plain old snail mail.

Have you seen snowdrifts? They are amazing when they get so big they actually hide things. I like to think about my faith drifting in unpredictable ways and hiding the everyday items of faith. Can you see the top of my garden cross? I’ve been drifting on this blog and I feel like the snow, that my everyday job of blogging has being hidden by the unknown.

I started out thinking that blogging for me would be like daily journaling. I know the language is different and the topics are predetermined but I still feel it is a daily task of a faith writer. My hope was to connect to others in faith, to inspire others to think faith in terms of daily life.

I was looking for answers when my daughter and son-in-law gave me a book for Christmas about Blogging. (Content Rules by Anne Handley and C.C. Chapman) I keep learning. After reading the book, I find that my original plan is more true to who I am and I was getting connected to more people. For instance, content rule 10 in the book is roots and wings. This is where my bi-weekly “resources” piece applies. I find that with only blogging 3X a week that gets lost.

So beginning the first of March I will return to 5 times a week to blog. I will blog on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. My categories will continue as faith families, grand parenting, faith communities, resources and home school faith. I will intersperse videos and quotes. All the blog posts will revolve around my passion of seasonal and faith changes and how they come together to help us grow. Life is not a mountaintop experience but a circle of experiences and relationships that form who we are as people of faith. Several times a year I will do a discussion around a book that makes us think. I hope you will join me as I drift back.

I seldom put pictures of my grand kids on my blog. My daughter says it’s okay, but I’m a worry wart. This picture is recent and is of my 2 year old grand daughter. She is sitting in a chair that Dad gave me last fall. I asked Dad to tell the story of the chair.

To his best recollection, the chair was in the house when his family switched houses with his grandparents. His family was living in a two bedroom house and his Mother was due with her third child. His grandparents were in a big house by themselves and the decision was made to switch houses. This chair was in the house. So that makes it my great grandmother’s chair.

The dress in this picture was my sister’s dress when she was little. The dotted-swiss was worn by my oldest daughter, too. So what we have here is my grand daughter sitting in her great-great-grandmother’s chair in her great-aunt’s dress. And if you haven’t noticed she’s been crying. Obviously this was more important to me than to her.

I have to remember that the stories that are important to me as I explore generations are not always important to others. Even if the “other” looks completely cute and just waiting for a hug. Stories need listeners. Hmmm… once again I am reminded that it’s not all about me!

There is another side to winter. Somewhere in this website is a picture that is taken at this exact place in another season. A different outlook and the other side of the same issue.

When I taught public school I used to get irritated when people said “I don’t do home school”. The reality is that even when a parent chooses to send their children to public school, we are still home schooling. We do spelling words at home and read books and do reports and homework. The underlying structure of home school and public school is the same: a deep desire to educate our children in the best way.

But as a parent and a teacher, I know that the best time for a youngster to do spelling words is not in the evening. A visual learner can write the words over and over at a desk and learn them. But if a child is an auditory learner who needs to hear the words over and over, that does not work as well in a classroom.

What does concern me is the “either/or” mentality. Many home school families connect to the public schools for music and sports. Many public schools expect home schooling by parents. We are in this together. We care about the kids and we need each other. The beauty of the sun shining through a perfectly made snow structure or the blooms of summer on the same structure both still bring growth and beauty. And God is present in the process.

Look closely at this baby in the middle. Watch as he turns his head towards voices he recognizes and faint images. He feel safe. He feels comfortable. He is surrounded by many generations that care deeply.

This picture is from a series of classes called Whole and Holy Families. This session is about studying holy texts in the family. Passing on the faith through the generations. There is a Bible study I sell on this website called “8 weeks, 8 stories”. It’s a family Bible study for use with families of all ages and all stages. And yet, the baby cannot read.

The littlest of our angels learn through soft voices joined together in study. They learn through the passing on of joy in exploration of the holy. It might be a Bible story book. There are some great Bible Storybooks. ( another post!) but mostly the non readers learn through the love of their family members.

A baby in the middle changes everything. We can see, feel and hear faith passing generations.

By now, you know that I consider faith formation a life-long journey with God that happens through experiences and relationships. There are many seasons of our faith. Times when we feel the hope of spring or the hidden growth of winter. We’re not in control of when the first freeze of winter comes or the first flower of Spring blooms. God is present in the seasons of the living world and our seasons.

This labyrinth in the physical representation of my seasons of faith. There are times of summer and times of fall. When I am hurt, I know that healing will come slowly, but it will come. Joy, hurt, love, pain are each part of a cycle that is lifelong and God centered. When I walk this labyrinth I am reminded of the reliability of my faith that brings me closer and closer to God.

What season of faith is your life following now?