Graduating Class of 2012

June is the month of graduations. If you just graduated from something like kindergarten, Jr. High, High School, or college, Congratulations!


(The picture here is my graduation picture from 1976 along with Mary and Debbie)

Recently as I was listening to someone talk about their busy schedule they told me that they were, “All graduated out.” In other words they had so many things going on surrounding the graduation of their children that it was wearing them out.

Another parent could be seen writing notes of endearment to their daughter on their car windows stating, “Congratulations Gracie we are proud of you. We love you” as she graduated from kindergarten (this is Gracie in the picture). Next on the scene was the grandparent sitting on a hard bench bearing the pain just to watch their 8th grade granddaughter graduate into High school. Each of these families in their own ways offered up encouragement to their loved ones.


However, it’s important the encouragement doesn’t end there. We need to keep encouraging our kids more and more. Life out in the “real” world isn’t as kind and sweet and easy as they would like to believe it is. There will be hills to climb, bridges to cross, roads to travel down, and valley’s to go thru. At times they will run into an occasional brick wall, dead end, bridge out sign, and pot holes that will slow them down but they must know that they need to keep moving forward.

(In this picture is my granddaughter Marissa who graduated from 8th grade. I was the grandparent that was struggling to sit on the hard bench. Ouch! )
The best traveling companion they can take with them is their attitude. Believe it or not our attitude is what makes or breaks us. It is what will slow us down or speed us up depending on what kind of attitude we choose to have. If we go out into life with anger, bitterness, negative, disrespect, selfishness as the base of our attitude we won’t go far. However, if we have a caring, loving, upbeat, positive respectful attitude we will get much further in life.

Begin your journey with seeking God. Don’t wait till you’ve gone out and “did your thing first.” Always put God first in your life and all the other things needed to survive life will fall properly into place. God is where your strength will abound, it is through Him you’ll find peace for yourself, its with Him that mountains can be conquered, bridges crossed, and pot holes filled in to make traveling much easier and definitely more successful.


World, I present to you this day Class of 2012. God bless them all.


“Lord God above, watch over each and every one of them as they move up, move on, move forward in their lives. And may each of them appreciate what they have and look forward to the one true graduation ahead. The one where we graduate into Heaven as we fall alive into eternity with You Heavenly Father to the place of no pain, no tears, no struggles, no trials, no fear but only the blessings that come with having accepted Christ into our lives.” Amen


Christ, I present to you this day Class of 2012 and every year before and after that. We are blessed thanks to you.



They call me, Grandma



© 2012 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing