Hi friend! It has been a little bit since I've blogged and I'm so sorry about that! Let's see if I can catch you up on what's been going on. I recently quit my job to stay home full time and care for my father in law who has dementia.
I also published my first book,
And Then There Were Five,
which is based on the true story
of my family and our call to adopt.
The book focuses on how my 4
biological kids accepted their new brother
and how a little kindness goes a long way.
AND...
I am a grandma!
Mom to Grandma
My grandson was born in January and my granddaughter was born just a few weeks ago! My grandma name is Nanny, named after my grandmother who loved Jesus and her family dearly. She was so sweet and kindhearted and her name brings such warmth to my heart every time I hear it.
So, there you have it. I've been busy, but I'm ready to jump back in with you! With that said, I thought I'd share a few resources that I've been using in my new role as Nanny.
Resource 1: An App
A few weeks before my granddaughter was born, my daughter was showing me the baby nursery. It is just precious with the soft pink accent wall, splashes of green, and Winnie the Pooh with his cute little quotes hung on the wall.
She sat down in the rocking chair and said, "Mom, will you put your hands
on my tummy and pray the blessing over her? I do it every day, but want you to do it with me!"
"Of course!" I said. I placed my hands on her belly and spoke these words over my unborn granddaughter.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6: 24-26
That is a moment I will never forget! What a privilege it was to pray over my granddaughter in such a tangible way.
As a matter of fact, I've been praying for my grandchildren since I found out my girls were expecting as I used the whattoexpect.com to track their development weekly.
This website is actually intended as a tool for new moms to track the development of their babies week by week and what to expect as their body changes.
But you know what? It's great for us grandma's too! I decided to check the website every weekend and see what stage of development my sweet little grand babies were in. The thought occurred to me that I could use the app as a regular prayer tool, praying specifically for their growth that week as they lay nestled sweetly in their Mama's womb.
Did you know that at week 21, the baby is the size of a banana and can taste? Here is what the website says,
"Speaking of milestones, whatever you eat this week, there's a good chance your baby will taste it, too. That's because when you're 21 weeks pregnant, your baby swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day — not only for nutrition and hydration, but also to practice swallowing and digesting, skills he'll need as soon as he arrives in your arms."
So that week I prayed Psalm 34:8 for our grandson that as he practiced his swallowing, he would also learn to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Resource 2: A Book
The other resource I would like to share is a book that my friend, Jill, shared with me.
This book, Praying for Your Child From Head to Toe, is a wonderful guide to direct you in how to specifically pray for your children. I've linked a video from the author, Sharon Jaynes, as she gives a great overview:
Be Intentional
Friend, while parenting your babies, toddlers, teens, or walking alongside your adult children and caring for those grand babies, may we still be intentional about praying for them.
Pray the blessing over them when they walk into school, when you tuck them in bed, or anytime they leave the house. Place your hand on their head and let them hear your prayer spoken over them as you pray to the Lord.
Make this a beautiful daily habit! It will give peace to your anxious mama's heart and it will also serve as a testimony to your children of how much you trust in Him.
And if you would like to order my book to read to your kiddos, you can order on my website crystalanderson.net and click the "shop" button. You can also find it on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
Blessings to you friend. I'm thankful you are here!
Crystal
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