Just let my friends try to catch up! We are out of the chutes and running! Grandbabies are abounding and what a JOY! My daughter Cindy (with husband Ben) and my son Jesse (with wife Anna) surprised us by having their babies on the SAME night — January 9, 2003. The first two grandsons born on the same night? How often does that happen? (And the first great gifts were Anna and Ben!! We LOVE them! And we must mention our first grandson or daughter David Mary who is with the Lord because of a miscarriage. We are the recipients of his or her prayers.)
Anna is now ready to give birth to Maria Faustina within a few weeks and we just got a call from my daughter Cindy in Washington DC that she is pregnant again and due in January 2005. What a joy! Everyone is dancing around celebrating because of the good news — and I can’t wait to get the Jungle Gym put up and the kiddie pool filled 🙂
I love being a grandfather. Today is Mothers Day and I spent a good bit of time chasing Joshua around on my hands and knees. He is just over one year old and was so cute with his safari hat (like the one I wear in the videos). He was running and stumbling around trying to stay ahead of Grandpa who was growling and barking behind him. After we were both exhausted we just laughed together. And what a laugh we get when Cindy calls on the phone so we can hear all of Dominic’s animal sounds and to learn of his new antics.
But when diapers had to be changed — I get to step aside and talk about how cute they are 🙂 I love being a grandpa!
God is good and has allowed us to participate in his physical creation as well as in his Church. Both are his creations. The Greek word “poeima†is used twice in the New Testament from which we get our English word “poemâ€. The first is in Romans 1:20 (â€what has been madeâ€), and the second is in Ephesians 2:10 (“we are his workmanshipâ€).
 God has two marvelous “poems†which he has written and which can be read by all men. The first poem is the physical creation with all its order and beauty; the second is the Church with all its love and holiness — made up of us born again children of God. You can tell much about an artist by observing his work. God is good and Janet and I love being part of both creations of the Great Poet, God’s great works of art — his poetry.
Now, since we are made in His image, we are expected to participate in His creations — to cooperate with the Great Poet. My kids and grandkids give me great pleasure — but even for those without kids there is much creating to do because we are all endowed with creative abilities and gifts having been made in the image of God — the Great Poet. We must redeem and be salt and light in a fallen world; we also help our fellow men to become born again and to live in fullness of life in the Church. Create away! Blessed be God forever.
More later. Steve Ray 5/9/2004