The stocking are hung. . .

You don't have to be in my presence for more than about 10 minutes before I am telling you my latest adventure as a grandmother.

There is absolutely no way to ever explain how I feel about those 7 bundles of joy that I am blessed to include as my second favorite things about life.  Of course, I have those grands because of the first favorite thing.

When I was putting out my Christmas decorations, I was happy to find this.  For the 18th year, it hangs on the shelf with other significant stockings that have been a part of my life for many years.   One of them held a $100 bill, a gift from a friend who still remains among my dearest although we rarely communicate much less see each other - just know we share a love that is very special.  I digress.

As I hung the stockings and pulled the one that says "GRAND," I loved texting Abbie by now a Freshman in college to tell her how special she is to me. Her birth in 2000 was the beginning of this extraordinary life as a grandmother.  Each one holds a special place in my heart.

This past Fall, grandchild #4, the one I call Terrific, has spent many Saturdays with me.  We have enjoyed pizza, talking about his schoolwork, and playing various games.  He loves to tell people we meet that he may be my fourth grandchild, but he is my first grandSON.

He was excited a few weeks ago to bring his electronic Battleship game.  He knows that I used to play a similar game with his mom.  I tried to remember the game we played many years ago as we started and he assured me that it took him a while to learn it.

Finally, he took out the directions, scanned the pages and closed the book.

"It's not here," he said with a sigh.

"Doesn't tell me how to teach my grandma how to play this game."

As I reflected on that, I thought of my third favorite thing about my life this Christmas 2018 - the fact that every Monday night I get to be with an incredible group of women as we study the best directional book that I know of...the Bible.

Fortunately, it tells us not how to play the game but how to live the life...and as I follow those directions I find that I have joy, peace, and love.

I'm going to keep enjoying my three favorite things -- and pray that as I follow the directions in God's Word, those people are also going to enjoy me!

May your life be filled with enough Sunshine 

to make you appreciated the Shadows