photo by Jennifer Hanson

There are so many reasons I love kids.  In today’s blog I’ve only listed five. My post is short, but short is sometimes good! I hope this poem I wrote brings you a smile or two:

Five Reasons I Love Kids

By Rebecca Barlow Jordan

1. They can still visualize a wonder-full life.

2. They don’t think they’re always right.

3. They give good hugs.

4. They know how to play.

5. They sometimes act like angels.

Now, it’s your turn. What do you love about children? Would you share with us in the comments below? Your words might encourage someone today! You will not be hounded, prodded, or automatically added to my mailing list if you do so. Feel free to email this blog to someone or to re-post on social media, using the buttons below. If you’re reading this via newsletter you can always “share” my blogs from the large buttons at the end of each blog on my website here: If you want to re-post any of my blogs on your own blog or website, please contact me for permission first. And if you’d like to, you can sign up for my blog/newsletter and updates at the top of this website page/sidebar. Your e-mail address will never be sold or given to anyone!

Habakkuk Paraphrase Book Giveaway

Only three people entered the ”Habakkuk Paraphrase” Book Giveaway a couple of weeks ago. And their “poems” were so good, I decided to give a book to all of them. Now, don’t you wish you had entered? Maybe next time! 

photo courtesy of Dreegez www.sxc.hu

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”

When I saw that quote by Mark Twain, I thought about the recently released movie, Courageous. It demonstrated effectively both kinds of courage–physical and moral–and showed that if you’re courageous, with God’s help, you can truly change.

I never “review” movies, and I’m not doing that today. But every parent, grandparent, married couple, father, and family with their teens needs to see this movie. I haven’t laughed so hard or cried so many tears in a movie in a long time. The critics’ movie reviews are mixed, but the valuable truths in this great movie are not. See it soon.

What Is Courage?

What is courage? I once wrote that “Courage is the ability to determine what is valued. It is reaching beyond myself to a strength that is greater than my own and being willing to stand with Christ, with a faith that is greater than fear.” Many have lost that ability to determine what is true, valuable, and honorable.

When the exhortation, ”Just do what is right!” shrinks in its importance and turns to “Do what seems right in your own eyes,” the right kind of changes will never come. Perhaps that’s because real courage is a “God-thing.” And “doing what is right” means basing my every decision on biblical values, on what is right in God’s eyes.

That’s what makes us courageous, and that’s the underlying message of the movie, Courageous. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure and watch the movie trailer here.

What Needs Changing?

What needs changing in your life? Attitudes? Values? Lifestyle? Habits? Whatever it is, God can and will give you the courage to change. I love these biblical promises:

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT).

God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7, CEV).

I’m not sure how many of my readers are dads, but I once wrote this poem for fathers. However, the underlying principles could apply to all of us:

Courageous Fathers

by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

As courageous fathers,

they faithfully obey

and seek to honor Christ as Lord.

They fervently pray

for walls to break, for men to take

their rightful place again.

Accountable commitment

describes these kind of men.

They pledge their time, their loyalty,

to God and to their family,

uniting hearts together

to maintain integrity.

Coming Changes

Speaking of change, keep checking my website for some future changes I’ll be making. If you notice more updates than usual, remember that I am just trying to make it more user friendly and up-to-date. Also, if you are a subscriber, I’ll be sending out a special newsblast update just for you soon.

What do you think? What changes do you need in your life? Where do you need God’s courage to change? Please share your comments below. Your words might encourage someone today! You will not be hounded, prodded, or automatically added to my mailing list if you do so. Feel free to email this blog to someone or to re-post on social media, using the buttons below. If you want to re-post any of my blogs on your own blog or website, please contact me for permission first. And if you’d like to, you can sign up for my blog/newsletter and updates at the top of this website page/sidebar. Your e-mail address will never be sold or given to anyone!

Related articles

• How Deep Is God’s Grace? (rebeccabarlowjordan.com)

photo by RBJ

At one time or another, we moms may think we’re not doing “enough” to prepare our kids for life. Deep down we feel inadequate. We may not feel skilled or talented or creative. Sometimes we even start comparing ourselves to others as parents, which totally makes us feel worse.

Every mom, young or old, is concerned about making wise decisions. Are we giving our children the right training? We fear for our kids. Are they being bullied? Are they safe enough? We all want our kids to “turn out right.”

If you are a mom or grandmom, here are four things to remember that might encourage you as you prepare your kids for life:

1. God’s bigness is not limited by our smallness. In fact, His power shows up best in our weakness and inadequacies (2 Corinthians 12:9). God uses the little things we do and say for our children. I love the story in the Bible about the little boy who gave his small lunch of five loaves of bread and two fishes. Small boy. Small lunch. But he gave what he had. Jesus took it and fed 5000 men, plus women and children with that simple lunch (See John 6:5-13, Matthew 14:15-21). What am I saying? Think about the mom who probably fixed that boy’s lunch. It was a small gesture. I’m sure she had no idea how God would use that simple offering to her son to reach so many people. God will do great things with even our small investments into our children.
2. You are not the only influence in your children’s life. That’s good news and bad news. Sometimes we WANT to be their only influence. Not all those who will influence them will be good. But God has also given them friends, teachers, people of positive influence who become heroes in their lives. Do the best you can to lead your kids and teach them by the principles in God’s Word, modeling those principles yourself. Enlist other moms to pray for your child, and offer to do the same for them.
3. You can pray, lead, teach, and provide. You can set the right boundaries—but ultimately your children still make their own decisions. Pray for your children daily, and commit them to God. And pray for wisdom. God promises to give that when we ask Him. (James 1:5-6). Remember that you are a parent for life—all your life, even though your responsibilities will change as your kids grow up and have their own families. But your influence stays with them long after you leave this earth. Your “preparation” may kick in later for them in ways you never dreamed.
4. Do what you can, and leave the rest to God. He is a wonderful parent! He knows exactly where to apply pressure, when to encourage, how to humble, and what to do to fulfill His purpose for each child. When you have done your part; when you have done what you could; it’s enough. It’s not easy to do, but trust God to do the rest.

Hear Rebecca Online

The above helps are only a few reminders to encourage you, and ones you’ll find on my recent radio interview. If you’d like to hear more encouraging tips for women, moms, and grandmoms, listen to my online radio interview on “The Parent’s Plate” with host Brenda Nixon. You can hear the entire interview online now on my website/blog. It’s listed in the sidebar. You’ll find an hour of helpful encouragement there.

Hear Rebecca Speak

Another new addition to my website/blog sidebar is a sample of me speaking at one of my past women’s events.

Share Your Own Words of Encouragement

What about you? What other tips of encouragement can you add that will bless other women, moms and grandmoms–particularly in this area of preparing your kids for life? And if you listened to the online radio interview, what encouraged you the most about the things you heard? Feel free to share your comments below. You will not be hounded, prodded, or automatically added to my mailing list if you do so. And your e-mail address does not show to the public, only the name that you use. Feel free to send this blog to someone or to repost on social media, but please do so with the buttons below. If you want to repost any of my blogs on your own blog or website, please contact me for permission first.

Related articles

• Promise for Today: God’s Forever Faithfulness (rebeccabarlowjordan.com)
• Promise for Today: God’s Care for Us (rebeccabarlowjordan.com)

What’s in a Name?

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14

Choosing the Name

When my husband and I learned we would soon be grandparents, we casually discussed with our children what the grandkids might call us. I ruled out some common names like “Grandma,” “Grandmama,” “Granny,” and “Grandmommy,” since they reminded me of my own or my husband’s grandparents and great-grandparents.

My girls agreed. So I suggested “Mimi,” and my husband selected “Papa.” They just sounded good together.

No-no Names

Somewhere in the discussion my husband announced some no-no names: Forget about “Pe-po,” “Po-Po,” or “Paw-Paw.” Or “Me-ma,” I added for myself. By this time, we were on a roll. Then Larry remembered one more name from an old Jimmy Stewart rerun where Jimmy’s grandkids called him “Boom-paw.”

“Whatever you do, don’t call me Boom-paw.”

Big mistake.

Boom-paw?

As the birth date grew closer, one of our sons-in-laws decided to have some fun. Every e-mail and card began with “Dear Boom-paw.” Mercifully, however, the name began to fade, and my son-in-law used it only occasionally. The four grandkids have stuck to “Mimi.” But Papa didn’t win out completely. Our “boom-paw” son-in-law’s second child, Lauren, pronounced her own version of Papa’s name. He promptly became “Pop-pops” to her.

Your Choice or Theirs?

I’ve talked to other grandmoms about the origin of their names. Many, like me, chose them. Some children stated their preference without giving the grandparents a choice. But a large number of women live with the nicknames their grandchildren called them early on. I imagine that’s where all those, um, “unique” names originated. Eager to pronounce the name for the one they loved, little tongues started calling them an affectionate title long before they understood the meaning. Their motive was, no doubt, love. And in reality, we as grandmoms don’t mind at all.

I thought about that recently. What’s in a name? Why had I chosen “Mimi”? Larry really couldn’t have cared less what the kids called him, even if it was “Boom-paw.” But I wondered about my real motive in choosing my name. “Mimi” sounded younger, more modern, and somehow not as “old” sounding as some old-fashioned names. Perhaps it was my way of rebelling at the realization I was growing older.

Making It Personal

But whatever the initial motive, that name has become strangely personal. When my grandchildren approach me, they are still young enough to run to me in childlike innocence and adoration: “Miiiiiimiiiiiii!” as they throw eager arms around my neck. At the pronouncement of my special name, my heart melts. There are other women named “Mimi.” But my grandchildren’s name for me is different, because they know me personally. At that moment, I think I would do anything for my grandchildren.

The Meaning Behind a Name

What’s in a name, really? Apparently a lot, according to God’s Word. Throughout Scripture, God’s name was to be spoken reverently, with a holy hush. When God sent his Son, Jesus, that name would open up the way to a personal relationship with God. We could then “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).

Knowing about Jesus and really knowing him personally are two different things. When Jesus said, “Ask in my name,” he didn’t mean you could wrap your finger around God’s heart hoping to receive any selfish desire. He was referring to the power of that personal name.

When we run to Jesus with open arms of adoration and faith, when we cry out his name because we know him personally, God will do anything on our behalf that will ultimately bring glory to him. The name of Jesus literally moves heaven to earth.

It’s all in the Name.

DAY-BREAK

How do you approach God? Do you know Jesus personally? Write down what his name really means to you.

DAY-BRIEF

At the name of Jesus, all of heaven stops to listen.

DAY-VOTEDLY YOURS

Jesus, your name means so much to me. How many times have I cried to you, and you have answered me?  May I never take your name for granted, Lord Jesus. I really want to know you even more.

(c) 2010, Rebecca Barlow Jordan, Day-votions™ for Grandmothers, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Used by Permission, All Rights Reserved. (Subheadings in story added here for emphasis, not in original manuscript).

What about you?

Please use the comment section below and tell me the origin of your grandparent name. Who named you? Why that choice? How has that name become personal to you? How has the name of Jesus (and knowing Him personally) affected you? What are your thoughts?