Wisdom and Grace: This is the day that the Lord has made!

Dear grandchildren,

Have you ever gone to bed with a smile on your face and true joy in your heart? I know most of you are so busy that when your head hits the pillow it doesn't take long before you are in dreamland. But last Sunday when my head hit the pillow there truly was a smile on my face and joy and contentment reigned in my heart.

My day started about 6:30 a.m. with soft voices from the room next door. Knox and Janessa had spent the night at our house. I couldn't make out what they were saying but I'm sure, knowing them, they were solving the world's problems.

Grandpa went to take a shower and so I called, "Knox and Janessa ... come here." In they bounded full of early morning statements and questions. It didn't take Knox very long before he said, "Grandma, I'm hungry."

Grandpa calls my breakfasts "IHOP" which stands for "Ila's House of Pancakes." Making pancakes in the shapes of animals has become a favorite thing to do at IHOP. Since your grandma isn't the most artistic person, most often the pancakes are kitties. And with some homemade chokecherry syrup they really are pretty tasty.

After breakfast Knox went home and the rest of us got ready for church. While I was curling my hair Janessa sat with grandpa. I coaxed him with, "Tell us about some of the pets you had while growing up." It was so much fun to sit there and listen to your grandpa share about growing up in western Nebraska with his four brothers and one sister! Janessa was glued to every word. Then he told her (us) about all the animals they had on his grandmother's farm in the Wild Cat Hills. I learned some things about him that I didn't even know!

Then it was time for church. We checked Janessa into to Sunday School where she probably sat in the same little chairs that I sat in when I went to Sunday School at Sixth Avenue Christian Church. There is simply nothing better than being in the Lord's house (church) on the Lord's day (Sunday) with the Lord's people (congregation) and sharing the Lord's Supper (communion)! Sharing the Lord's Supper together becomes more precious each Sunday remembering the death, the burial and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

After church we ate a quick McDonald's lunch and then passed Janessa off to her parents. The half-hour drive home was quiet and beautiful.

Your grandpa Rod "loves" football and I believe he is thankful that I "like" football therefore he gets to "control the control." I sat in my chair, worked on some embroidery and listened to the games while he watched them.

About five o'clock Kami came in to fill some jugs to take water to the kittens in the barn. For the last half of the summer, one of my most precious times has been spent in the barn with Laura, Kace and Kami ... and all the kittens. Laura told her friend Stephanie that she would take two barn kittens. Well, Stephanie didn't send just two kittens ... she sent five! We thought the white kitten with black paws and blue eyes should be "Betty White." But Betty White turned out to be a boy so we changed the name to "Bob White." There's also Smokey, Tigger and Max and Rue. Rue is the only girl.

Laura and Kami were just getting the new kittens settled in when they heard, "Mew, mew mew" softly coming from a calving sled. With a flashlight they peered in and discovered Cookie with four very new kittens; one was white and three were red. Since their mother is named Cookie, they are named Sugar (white), Peanut Butter, Molasses and Snickerdoodle.

For a long time now, I haven't prepared a Sunday evening meal. It's my day off. Even with just Grandpa, he's still on his own to find some leftovers or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He never complains.

And then it was time for Sunday Night Football. Rod's forever favorite team has been the Denver Broncos. Our son-in-law Tim's favorite team is the San Francisco 49ers. Consequently, that's our grandson's team, too. And guess who was playing: the Broncos and the 49ers!

We heard a knock on the door and then Karter, Kord and Kace came to watch the game with us. They cheered for the 49ers and we cheered for Broncos. When they left, the 49ers were ahead. They were happy. When the game was over the Broncos won and Grandpa was happy. And when he is happy, I'm happy.

After the game, I walked outside and enjoyed a warm evening with lots of stars in the sky. Soon my head was on the pillow and there truly was a smile on my face and joy and contentment reigned in my heart. It was a good day. No, it was a great day!

God has blessed Grandpa and I in many, many ways. One of our greatest blessings is our grandchildren. I hope your days are great, and you fall asleep with a smile on your face and joy in your heart. Always remember, "Grandma Ila loves you."

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

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Ila McClenahan is a retired chaplain and activity director living in the Amos area north of Havre. She spends her time writing, speaking at various events and trying to be a good grandmother, mother and wife.