Just a Memory

A pastor friend just shared a memory of his grandpa on Facebook.  The grandpa is still with them, but has Alzheimer's, so while he is with them physically, his memory is far away.  That's the way it was with my great-grandma in her last few years.

Growing up, I was so blessed to be able to have seven grandparents be a big part of my life.  My grandparents on both my Mom and Dad's side were living and my great-grandparents on my Mom's side were too, as was my great-great-grandma.  I want to share a couple of memories specifically about my Great-Grandma Skinner.

When I was twelve years old, my folks bought the family farm where my great-grandparents lived.  Later, this was to become a centennial farm as it was in the family for over 100 years.  As we moved to the farm, my great-grandparents moved into a trailer on the southeast end of the property.  We had lots of good years interacting with them.  I remember Grandma Skinner helping me with my Latin when I was a freshman.  She could remember a few phrases, especially "Puer est bonus."

When I was about 16, I was going to go out to the back 40 and look for berries.  I asked Grandma if she'd like to go also and she said yes.  So, this Grandma, that always wore a dress, donned a pair of my sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a pair of my tennis shoes and accompanied me to the back of the farm.  Dressing like that must have made her feel young again because she took my hands and we danced around the living room.  Somewhere, there's a picture of that.  It had been many, many years since she had been to the back fields of the farm and she enjoyed it immensely.  I don't remember if we found any berries, but I will never forget that day.

But the best memory of all that I have of my Grandma Skinner was shortly after my son was born.  On a particularly warm June day, I was visiting with both her and Gram (my maternal grandma who was Grandma Skinner's oldest daughter and who cared for Grandma in her later years).  At that time, I was still nursing my son.  I recall sitting on the floor in front of Grandma's chair.  She had her hairbrush and was brushing my waist-length hair while I was nursing my son.  There were only the three of us there that afternoon.  As I was nursing and enjoying the pampering, Grandma leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You know, you won't get pregnant as long as you're nursing!"

That was so, so precious to me ... first that she truly believed that, but also that she whispered those words because her generation didn't speak openly of such things.  I will never forget those moments!  A couple of years later, as her mind continued to revert to older days, I would come to visit and she would always ask (usually several times during the visit), "Leslie Anne, whose little boy is that?"  I would reply, "That's my little boy, Grandma.  His name is Brandon.  He is your great-great-grandson."  She would smile and pat him on the head.  And Brandon, well, he would time after time untie Grandma's tennis shoes.  She would smile and ask me again whose little boy that was as she patiently reached down and retied the white canvas tennies.

The best part is that even though Grandma's mind and body weren't well and whole, her soul was.  She had a personal relationship with Jesus and I know that she is there with Him today.  She was the one that told me so much about Jesus when I was a little girl.  That brings comfort to my mind as I think back to those days so many years ago.

Until the next time ... be blessed!

Leslie Anne

And Those Changes Just Keep on Coming!

Yes, more changes are coming in my life!  AGAIN!

To begin with, I have changed the name of this blog ... yet AGAIN!  It used to refer to my being a 60-something grandma.  Then it was Carousel Ministries.  But it now reflects what I know God is calling me to do in my life as I look to the future.

Over the last 20 years or so, I've felt that God has been calling me to use my speaking abilities to glorify him.  I tried to do that a long time ago, but I think pride got in the way and He closed the door to opportunities to speak.  Recently, I've felt that He has opened that door again, so I moved forward into creating a ministry called Carousel Ministries.

Recently, I was working in Mt. Pleasant, MI, when I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me in a way I'd never experienced before.  He asked me whose ministry it was that I was seeking to establish.  I replied, "Yours, Lord."  Then He asked me what carousels had to do with that!  Well, that was a whack up side of the head for me!  Yes, Leslie, get the focus off yourself and onto your Savior!  

I have an accountability team to pray for me and to encourage me in this journey.  I immediately asked them to pray about renaming the ministry.  As they did, I started jotting down ideas and then searched the internet to see if these names were already taken.  God led me to call this ministry Transforming Faith Ministries.  Let me tell you why.

Last year, as I was seeking to draw closer to the Lord, I asked Him to give me a word for the year ...  a word to focus on and to meditate on.  He gave me the word "transform" and led me to Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." (HCSB)  It was marvelous to see how often God caused me to see that word in my everyday life.  I did not have to be focusing on it and on how God wanted to transform me, but it gently encouraged me day-in and day-out.

As 2016 drew to a close, I began thinking about what word God would lead me to for 2017.  He very clearly pointed out to me that I should pursue a greater understanding and practice of FAITH!  I began to study faith, especially as directed by God in Hebrews, chapter 11, the Faith Chapter.  It seems that hardly a day goes by that that word doesn't impact my daily walk in this world.

So, as I brainstormed on a name for this ministry, God led me to put those two words together: Transforming Faith.  "Yes, that's it, Lord!  That's just right!"  That is what I long to share with others.  I want them to see how faith in Christ can transform lives.  I want them to see that it's not just a one-time thing, but a daily change ... a daily transformation.  I have experienced it and it's exhilarating.  I want others to have that same feeling.

Stay tuned for more information as I continue working on my website (www.transformingfaithministries.com) and demo video, focus on several speaking topics, and start reaching out to churches and other faith-based organizations to bring them whatever Christ has given me to share.  I am over-the-moon excited!  I hope you are feeling a bit of that excitement along with me.

Until next time,

Leslie Anne

Changes Coming!

Yes, more changes are coming in my life!  Again! 

To begin with, I have changed the name of this blog.  It used to refer to my being a 60-something grandma.  But it now reflects what I know God is calling me to do in my life as I look to the future.

Carousel Ministries ... dealing with life as it goes up and down ... like a carousel.  We all ride it.  We go round and round and at any given point, we find ourselves somewhere between the exhilarating feeling of sitting on top of the horse as high as it will go and then quickly descending to the lowest position on the pole.  Around and around.  Again and again.  Up and down.

Sometimes the carousel stops and people get off and others get on.  Some of us stay on for a longer ride, more experiences.  Sometimes the music soothes, sometimes it excites.  Sometimes the music stops as it changes to the next song.  All of this has an analogy to our lives.

So, with Carousel Ministries, I hope to address the issues that we face in our life, everything from the exhilarating joy of new birth to the lowest despair of death of a loved one.  But how we address and face this spectrum can all be viewed through the lens of faith in Christ.  That's what I hope to share with people as God gives opportunity.

Stay tuned for more information as I work to create a website and demo video, focus on several speaking topics, and start reaching out to churches and other faith-based organizations to bring them whatever Christ has given me to share.  I am over-the-moon excited!  I hope you are feeling a bit of that excitement along with me.

Until next time,

Leslie Anne