Kisses Of Sunshine For Grandmas

We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about thisbook to us in care of zreview@zondervan.com. Thank you.Kisses of Sunshine for GrandmasCopyright © 2005 by Speak Up, Inc., and Gracie MaloneRequests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataKisses of sunshine for grandmas / Carol Kent, general editor; Gracie Malone,[co-editor].p. cm.ISBN-10: 0-310-24766-7ISBN-13: 978-0-310-24766-11. Grandmothers-Anecdotes. 2. Grandparenting-Religious aspects-Christianity-Anecdotes. I. Kent, Carol, 1947- II. Malone, Gracie.BV4528.5.K53 2004242''.6431-dc22 2004022445This edition printed on acid-free paper.All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HolyBible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 byInternational Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.The website addresses recommended are offered as a resource to you. These websitesare not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part ofZondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life of this book.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical,photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printedreviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc.,7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.Interior design by Tracey WalkerPrinted in the United States of America05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?DCI/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1my children''s childrenGracie MaloneBefore you were conceived I wanted you.Before you were born I loved you.Before you were here one hour I would die for you.Maureen HawkinsOne morning our oldest son, Matt, called with the newsI''d been waiting for. "If you hurry," he blurted out,"you can make it for the birth of your grandson." Ijumped in the car and headed for the hospital. The drive fromour hometown of Greenville to theirs in Carrollton would takealmost an hour. On the way, my heart beat at a faster-than-usualpace as I thought about the new baby as well as the new role mychildren would be assuming. It was fun to imagine Matt as adaddy and Rebecca as a mom. I knew they would be good parents.And I couldn''t wait to meet the newest member of our clan.I whipped into a parking place, pushed through the frontdoor of Trinity Medical Center, and headed down the halltoward the maternity wing. Rounding the corner into the wait-ing room, I spotted Matt dressed in hospital scrubs, a surgicalmask hanging loosely around his neck. Apparently the childbirthclasses had prepared him to be a fully participating memberof the delivery team.With a broad sweep of his hand he motioned me onward."Follow me!" Pushing through the swinging doors, he escortedme down the hall and into the birthing room.Rebecca was nestled in a contraption that looked more likeJoe''s recliner than a hospital bed. She looked tired, but, to mysurprise, was fully awake and smiling as she extended a tinybundle in my direction. "Want to hold him?" she asked.Yes! Of course I did.I gently took Baby Luke from his mother''s arms and pulledhim close to my bosom. He was only minutes old. The tiny littleboy felt warm as he wiggled and stretched. I''d forgotten howsmall a newborn baby is, barely big enough to fit in the crookof a woman''s arm. As I gazed into his slate blue eyes, strainingto focus in the soft light, I was suddenly overcome with emotion-the same feelings I''d experienced when I held my ownnewborn sons-love, joy, hope, and a swelling sense of pride.I swallowed hard, choking back the lump rising in my throat.My eyes examined the features of my newborn grandson-a perfect heart-shaped mouth, tiny upturned nose, a slightcrimp on both ears. I folded back the corner of the blue flannelblanket that swaddled him and touKent, Carol is the author of 'Kisses Of Sunshine For Grandmas', published 2005 under ISBN 9780310247661 and ISBN 0310247667.