Life, Passion and Growth in 2017

This week we are going to share with you our “Updates” on our lives, our passions, and the new activities that will be filling our lives in 2017………I am passionate about people. As a wife and mom and grandma (aka Gammie to 9 incredibly cool grandchildren), I am still madly in love with my husband and I find joy in serving my family and in having a voice of influence in the lives of those I love. I am very careful to remain a “cheerful consultant” for my 4 adult daughters and 4 SILs. I hope to continue to be a person they feel comfortable calling on for advice or just to be available to be a listening ear. My first priority passion (even trumping my love for family) is my faith, my love for Jesus and my unquenchable thirst for reading and studying the bible. Out of this passion, I carefully choose how to prioritize my time commitments. Currently I spend a good deal of time in a leadership role in a large women’s bible study in my community. I also serve on a board of directors for a really cool ministry called “Gogo Grandmothers” (I often write about this on our blog). This ministry has opened my eyes and heart to the joy filled people in Malawi, Africa. Their ability to find joy and peace amidst their difficult circumstances is humbling and helps me keep my perspective on the “hardships” I sometimes face. I am on the go visiting the grandkids a few times each month and try to make sure I spend equal Gammie time with all of them. My best friend, (Poppa to the grands)tries to come on at least one of the road trips each month so that we can both stay actively involved in their lives. After all that busyness,  I still manage to find some free time to share life with, encourage and mentor the incredible women that God has brought into my life. As I am studying the Book of Psalms this year, God is teaching me how to grow closer to Him through worship and obedience and servant leadership. These passions are right on target with the theme of our Gogo Grandmother’s ministry retreat, “You never know what’s on the other side of your obedience”. I am waiting expectantly to see how God will weave this theme throughout my life this year. I am hoping to be able to go on a “vision trip” to Malawi sometime in 2017. Another one of my passions and hobbies is fitness/nutrition. I love to do yoga, zumba, pilates and barre classes at the gym. My favorite forms of fitness are outdoor activities; hiking with friends, riding bikes and going skiing with my husband. The best thing my girls have taught me lately is how to gracefully manage healthy aging (I just turned 60!!). They all encourage me to daily pursue my health goals and they are my best examples of healthy eating and how to incorporate superfood nutrition into my daily regime.

My motivational quote for this year is “YOU CAN AND WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPACT”.
My goal is to stay committed to a life of obedience and servant leadership with a humble heart of lovingkindness and compassion. I want to live with no regrets, treating those I love with grace and forgiveness.