Conversation with my Grandson on Smiling

Little one,
you have such a beautiful smile! When you smile, it is as if the sun suddenly come out from behind a dark cloud and flood the room with bright light. Your smile is so genuine and reflects much innocence and joy. Grampa thinks that when you smile, you reveal your soul which is so filled with light! Even the photo of your smile lightens Grampa’s heart. There is a photo of you smiling in your walker at the head of the stairs in Grampa’s house. Whenever Grampa sees that photo, Grampa’s heart will echo with your joy.

Grampa believes that the human face is created to smile. Your Jie Jie loves to draw smiley faces and her notebooks are filled with these faces. Grampa likes to smile too. A smile is contagious. Grampa notices that when you smile, even to complete strangers, often they will smile back. There are other old persons who do not like to smile. They walk around with a constipated look. Even when people smile at them, they do not smile back. Grampa feels pity for them. It does not take much effort to smile. It takes more effort not to smile. Yet there are people who prefer not to smile. Maybe these people have a lot of pain and suffering in their lives. They may be feeling very sad inside. Little one, here you have something to teach these big people. Not matter how bad they feel inside, if they smile like you, maybe they will allow some sunshine in. Maybe the light will drive away the darkness.

Smiling is a choice. It is often an expression of who we are inside. We are a smiling ohana. Your Jie Jie loves to smile and her smile is as angelic as yours. So does your Ah Yee and your grandparents. Little one, I hope that you will continue to smile as you grow up. Some little people who smile a lot when they are small forget to smile when they grow older. That is so sad. Grampa hopes you keep smiling and has all the reasons to smile all the years of your life.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this little one’s smile. Please look after him and give him reasons to smile. Teach him to have a grateful heart. Endow him a joyful soul. Give him a fruitful life. Let him have friends to smile with. Let him wake up every morning and go to bed every night with a smile on his face and in his heart.
Amen

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Conversation with My Granddaughter on Tee Tee

Hi little one,

You must be very excited and eager for your Tee Tee to arrive. For many months you have heard Mummy and Daddy telling you about Tee Tee. You have been watching Tee Tee grow as your Mummy’s tummy become bigger and bigger.

Little one, you are special. Tee Tee is also special. Both of you will be especially special to each other. You see, Tee Tee is your little brother. Grampa also have a little brother who is very special to him. Grampa’s little brother taught him a special Hawaiian word ‘ohana’ which means family. Ohana means to look after, look out for and love one another in a family. Tee Tee is your family. Now you are big sister and Tee Tee is little brother. As the older sister you must look after and take good care of Tee Tee.

Your Mummy, Daddy, grandpas and grandmas will love Tee Tee as much as they love you, little one. Do not worry. There is enough love to go around. Love is not like a piece of cake. The more people who share the cake, the smaller the piece of cake each person will have. No, love is like the ocean. You remember the ocean where Daddy brought you to play with the sand on the beach? The ocean is a big body of water. You will not be able to empty it as you do your milk bottle. The ocean has so much water that nobody can empty it. Love is like that. There is more than enough love to go around that you will have as much love as Tee Tee, and there is still more to share. You are well loved by many people and Tee Tee will be too.

God also has his ohana. God’s ohana is big because it involves many people; both big and small. God’s love is like the ocean. There is enough to go around. So God loves you as much as he loves your  Mummy, Daddy, grandpas, grandmas, Ah Yee, uncles, aunties, and many others. We are all loved equally; fair and square. Love is such a wonderful thing. Slowly you will grow to love your Tee Tee and you will discover that your Tee Tee will be loving you in return.

Little one, you will be surprised when Tee Tee comes that he is very small. Yes, he is a baby. But be patient for Tee Tee will be growing big very fast. Soon he will be following you around, imitating everything that you do, and be looking at you with adoring eyes. This is because you are his only Jia Jia. You have to teach him all the things you have learned in these last three years. You will also to disciple Tee Tee to know how to pray to God and to say grace before food. Sharing your things with Tee Tee is something you are already doing. Grampa has observed you sharing your drink with your Mummy. You offer the drink for Mummy to drink so that Tee Tee can drink. That is very good. Grampa is very proud.

Grampa will still be here to talk and spend time with you even though Tee Tee is here. It will be more fun as our ohana has become bigger. You too have become bigger. Grampa will always be here for you, little one.

Love Grampa,

Dear God,

I commit this little one and Tee Tee into your hands. I ask that you will give them rich full lives and that they will love you deeply in return. We are your ohana.

Amen

08 Oct 2014

The Marriage Vows (1 Cor 7:2-4)

Growing Sincere Faith

A Grandmother, a Mother and a Son: Growing Sincere Faith

Text: 2 Timothy 1:5

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also (NIV).

Sermon statement

Timothy’s sincere faith was nurtured and developed by his grandmother, Lois and mother Eunice. The matrix of faith formation is by teaching about the faith, living out the faith, and growing one’s own faith.

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