Linda Stoll: Porch #102 💕 The 6 Teenagers Edition

PORCH
A CHRIST-CENTERED
WEEKEND NEWSLETTER
gentle conversation & calming snapshots
uplifting linkage & occasional surprises
for those who delight in doing life
in the company of kindred spirits

What's happening?!

Yes, this weekend's uber-late-to-the-party edition of PORCH will sneak in right under the wire. I'm in recovery mode after spending the last week at Camp and I'm guessing that these snapshots will speak a thousand words of the sheer joy of spending 7 days with 6 teenagers.

These guys are the real deal. Courageous, wittier and more energetic than I'll ever be, tender, and occasionally too smart for their own good. Spending a week in their company was utterly priceless.

Walks and talks, puzzles and watercolors. A brief impromptu dance party on a small motorboat ('go grandma!') Hearing their fears and dreams. Learning from their wise choices. Cheering on their athletic prowess. Worshipping together ... and downing far too much ice cream.

I'm grateful to be doing life with them, usually from afar. I find it quite freeing not to feel like I've got to solve their problems, fix their dilemmas, or save their souls. I try to listen more than dispense unwanted advice or unnecessary opinions. I'm applauding every godly character trait and wise decision I can find.

Praying without ceasing has become my lifeline. Because this is what grandparents do. Yes, I love my role in this sometimes treacherous, often miraculous season of their lives.

(Oh and spending time with their parents? Bonus points, for sure.)

💕

something loved

something read

Emily Freeman is reading a Psalm a week to us again this summer. What a simple treasure to hear God's powerful Word spoken in her gentle cadence on Tuesday mornings.

something eaten

yes, you can order a small & end up with a large

yes, you can eat dessert first

yes, blue is delicious

something learned

'What if there was a place where we could share stories ... with other people who also have lost a parent? Not a grief site or a support group, but a place to reflect and remember together?'

My friend Lois is debuting @RememberingOurParents. She has been a faithful, gentle encourager in my own grief journey and I'm so excited that she is now building community around this healthy desire to recall and reflect. Here's what, why, and how.

Let's talk grandparenting (or parenting).

Your best joys, your deepest challenges.

Or something you're reading

or eating or learning.

Linda