Divine Directions from the Booster Seat: Thirty-One Meditations from God Through Reagan to Me and Now to You – Part Two

By Deborah Denison Bailey

When Reagan Marie Bailey was born in the fall of 2013, the world was forever changed for author Deborah Denison Bailey and her husband. Now proudly called Nana and Bampa, they enjoy the wonderful blessing of loving their precious granddaughter, a shining star who makes God’s light brighter in their lives.

When Reagan began to talk, Nana Bailey jotted down the remarkable things Reagan said because she felt they would be important keepsakes. As time progressed, she sensed the Lord wanted her to use Reagan’s words for His good purpose. Through the years, she’s learned the innocent remarks of a child can have a profound and lasting impact upon all who hear, especially when applying those lessons from the newly gained insight.

Now from the mouth of a child, her granddaughter, Deborah has again transformed those simple musings into another volume of thought-provoking meditations. In Divine Directions from the Booster Seat, she shares thirty-one important Christian messages. With discussion questions included, this guide is suitable for individual or group use, inviting participants to search their hearts and reflect on life’s spiritual journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664239951

Deborah Denison Bailey

Deborah Denison Bailey earned a Bachelor of Music and Master Arts in Human Relations and Health Facilities Management. She has enjoyed a successful career as a music therapist, music director, activity professional, and featured vocalist. Deborah and her husband, Paul, have a son, daughter, and granddaughter, Reagan. They reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Copyright © 2021 Deborah Denison Bailey.

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of

the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of

people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International

Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3994-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3996-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3995-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021913878

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/20/2021

Dedicated to

Without my amazing granddaughter, Reagan Marie

Bailey, this series would not be possible! She inspires

me to keep my eyes wide open to life’s wonders which

magnify the joys of loving her. Praise be to God!

Contents

Preface

A note before you start the journey…

1 Where is Your Beach?

2 Dry Eyes

3 Fresh Flowers

4 God Steadies the Flail in the Sail

5 R

6 Mr. Turtle

7 Just Say I’m Six

8 Ouch!

9 Ouch! - Part II

10 A Little Streppy

11 T - R - Y - I - N - G to Try

12 Not Just a Chevy

13 Down Under

14 Fursday

15 Really Hard

16 S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D OUT!

17 Wow! A Unicorn!

18 A One-Two Punch

19 Swoosh!

20 I Have Only 20 Minutes!

21 His Fingernail

22 COVID: The Refiner’s Fire

23 Throw It Away? Really?

24 The Art

25 The Clean Earth Wins

26 The Thanksgiving Wreath

27 My Heart

28 My Little Valentine

29 10 x 3 + 7 = 37

30 You are Special

31 Breathe. Focus. Strike!

Acknowledgements

End Notes

Preface

This second book is a continuation of my recording the often times insightful and frequently amusing things that my precious granddaughter, Reagan, has said over the last couple of years. When I wrote the first book, Divine Directions from the Car Seat, there seemed to be more expressions that caught my ear. Now that she is getting older, her innocent musings are less frequent and I have been challenged to draw lessons from them. It is my hope and prayer that there will be even more opportunity for increased depth of contemplation in Part Two. Some thoughts have taken some very interesting turns!

It remains my high honor to give God the glory for all the messages He has directed me to record from Reagan’s sweet morsels. She continues to inspire my husband (Bampa) and me to think beyond our own pre-conceived limits.

As well as preserving a legacy for Reagan, I trust I am being obedient to the Lord by continuing to make these meditations available to the public. By following the Lord’s direction, I believe that all our paths become wider, thereby expanding the opportunity for others to choose to follow His lead. I pray that you will enjoy the ride!

A note before you start the journey…

Except for the first story in which Reagan is seven years old, the dates of these meditations are all listed in chronological order. I placed it first because it provides an insight to guide us through the rest of the book. Moreover, it also highlights the blessing of having a place of refuge to meditate and to acknowledge and give glory to our Creator God who uniquely fashions those provisions for each one of us. In the second story, Dry Eyes, you will meet five-year-old Reagan.

1 | Where is Your Beach?

June 21, 2021

I love the beach! As I walk the sandy shores and enjoy the ebb and flow of the ocean, I feel a deeply spiritual connection with our Creator God. I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, so when I am able to visit the seashore, it is always a very special occasion for me.

One day while my seven-year-old granddaughter, Reagan, was playing in my backyard, she decided that she was going to surprise me with something she planned to create. She then proceeded to tell me that I could not watch her, and she would come get me when she was done. Having completed her project, she came and got me and instructed me to close my eyes as she carefully guided my steps along a path she had designed outside.

When we arrived at our destination, Reagan proudly stated, Nana, this is your beach. I worked very hard on it for you.

My sweet little one knew how much I loved going to the beach. Even though we had not talked about it that day, she remembered. Her heart reached out to mine in such a loving way. I was overwhelmed!

On the side of my yard, I have a large pile of cut wood that sits on a bed of stones. Reagan had retrieved a large limb and propped it up vertically against the stack of wood. On top of the large limb were assembled several smaller sticks. Reagan informed me that was my umbrella for the beach. The stones represented the beach. On the side of the umbrella, she had laid two sticks on the ground, crossed them and put two medium-sized stones in front of the sticks. The stones were supposed to be the eyes for the seagull and the sticks were its body and wings. Under the umbrella was a large stone that was supposed to be a pillow for my head, followed by some cement bricks that were intended to be the place to lie down. Reagan very meticulously and thoughtfully included all these details of the beach for me.

Some time has passed now, and weather has taken its toll on the umbrella and the path to the beach, but I can’t seem to tolerate the idea of tidying up the area. After all, it is my beach. It was crafted by my granddaughter whom I adore. I feel her heart there every single time I walk by the woodpile.

Similarly, I feel the presence of the Lord in a strong and mighty way when I am at the beach. Yes, there are other times when I know He is near. I don’t have to travel to find Him, but when I do venture to the seashore, He greets me in a singular way.

I think many of us have places of refuge that are uniquely designed just for us. Not only does the Lord prepare places for us but, He also brings people into our lives who bless us and remind us of His greatness. The