Christian Grandparenting Blog

Being thankful is a clear and fruitful blessing. It doesn’t mean we like everything all the time, but it does mean we can find God’s gifts all the time, every day, in every circumstance. Without gratitude we can become self-centered, believing we achieve everything on our own. Thankfulness keeps our hearts in the right relationship with God, the giver of all good gifts. We can have thankful hearts even when our circumstances do not cry out for thankfulness.

“So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!” (James 3:5, NASB). As the Wildfire Chief in a state’s Natural Resources Department for much of his career, my husband was very familiar with the dynamics of fire science. He explained the three key “fire triangle”components required to ignite and spread a fire: fuel, heat, and oxygen (air). The comparison of these with the “wildfire tongue” described in the Book of James is insightful, considering the similarities.

What does it mean to have a “prayer burden”? Let me give you some examples. Have you ever been in the midst of prayer, sitting in the office or driving down the road when thoughts about your college roommate – the one you haven’t talked to in years – break in and persist for a significant period of time? Or, perhaps it’s a fellow co-worker sitting in the next cubicle or your grandchild who is in middle school. Thoughts like this persist when the Holy Spirit is nudging us to intercede for that person or situation in prayer. We recognize prayer burdens by their persistence, intensity, and urgency.

Pew Research reports that one out of six minor children live in blended families. One-third of all weddings today form a blended or step-family. This means either one or both the bride and groom bring one or more children into the marriage. All newlyweds face adjustments and challenges, and these are multiplied when the family unit begins with more than a husband and a wife. Self-control is vital to successfully joining together a divergent group into a family unit.

Self-control is exactly what it sounds like: control of self. Biblically it is the resistance to temptation in the ways of the world. It’s not about depriving oneself but about living a life in harmony with God’s purpose. It’s a reflection of the transformation in [...]

Way back in the Garden of Eden, God established His plan for a man and woman to marry and raise children. It all worked perfectly until the serpent intervened and led the man and woman astray, creating disunity between couples that continues to this day. (Genesis 2-3) It hits hard when your adult children suffer through the effects of divorce; the same holds true for an unmarried breakup. It is heart wrenching to watch your innocent grandchildren suffer the ramifications of their parents’ poor choices.  The question remains: “What can you do as a grandparent to help your grandchildren navigate the unsettling effects of a divorce?”

Do you like being described as gentle? Most people would likely prefer to have other adjectives attached to them. Gentleness is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). With a negative connotation in today’s often harsh world, it may be the least popular and most misunderstood in the list of spiritual characteristics.  The other eight fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control) are usually admired and emulated by the general population. But rarely do people seek gentleness as a descriptor. It is equated with weakness, frailty, or powerlessness. Is this how the Bible defines gentleness?

We all know that if we live long enough we will experience some level of bereavement and grief. It’s reality. A day and an hour will come when we die. Knowing that those we love will one day experience grief at our passing, what a gift we can give by providing encouragement and love in the form of a video message delivered to them at a future select date. Who wouldn’t treasure that kind of legacy gift to be left behind? That is why I developed this unique legacy gift for less than the price of a Hallmark Card.