Our quadrivium of grandchildren born in the spring of 2012 are turning two!
Last Saturday was Amélie’s second birthday, 
and Sunday we celebrated Iris’s second birthday. 
Kathy and Carl went to great lengths to make everything very special for Iris. 
They invited all her Michigan aunts and uncles. 
Even her Great Grandpa Bob was able to come,
and her twin cousins, Sophie and Bella. 
We all had such a good time!
Iris had a great time playing with her cousins;
the cake was finger-lickin’ good; 
and she got to open all sorts of wonderful presents. 
Watching Iris open her presents made me think of how I respond to the presents 
God provides for me…gifts like Jesus, faith, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
Sometimes I don’t really understand what they’re all about and ignore them. 
Other times I just want to keep them all for myself and don’t want to share them!
Lots of times I’d rather just grab my gifts & run away so nobody can bother me…
hoping I can enjoy them all by myself without any fussing or interruptions! 
There are times when even the best gifts don’t seem to suit, 
and my Father has to speak some words of truth into my life…
sending the Holy Spirit to make things turn out right in the end. 
Well, Iris had a wonderful day and went to bed very content. 
So did Oliver. And…so did I!
May we all remember that God’s gifts are given not only to enjoy but to share.
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ…for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:7,12).
