Christian Grandparenting Blog
De-cluttering My Life for Christmas
Are there ways to declutter my life so that I have room in my heart to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus? Personally, I rely on three courses of action. At the foundation of de-cluttering my life, these choices help me go from the hectic, busy, and noisy to the unhurried, quiet, and simple.
read more
Bless Your Grandchild This Season
God does not mince words. He commands us to pass our faith to our children and to our children’s children. We are to bless them. A prayer of blessing over a child is a significant event. Treat it accordingly.
read more
The Fiery Tongue Syndrome: Preventive Measures
Recognizing the power of the tongue to either harm and destroy or to bless and build up is the beginning of wisdom for controlling the tongue. As Christians, we can apply steps of prevention and mitigation to minimize the potential dangers of a fiery tongue and lower the risk of harm to ourselves and others through risk assessment, preparation, and suppression of fuel.
read more
Fruit of the Spirit: Sharing God’s Promise of Hope
Hope, in today’s world, is normally a feeling used to express a wish or a desire. The Word of God gives new meaning to the word “hope.” Accepting the gift of eternal life means our hope is secure in God’s Word, the entirety of His character, and the finished work of Jesus Christ.
read more
“Gracious” Gift Giving will Bless Your Family
You might be surprised to see a blog for grandparents on giving gifts to their grandchildren. After all, wouldn’t that be like offering suggestions to Rembrandt on how to paint or to Tiger Woods on how to play golf? However, we encountered many frustrated Christian parents when we interviewed them before writing A Parents’ Guide to Great Grand-Partnering. One topic that triggered many requests for our advice was how to rein in the grandparents’ out-of-control gift-giving habits. Alas, as is so often true, even good-hearted people can lose perspective and turn blessings into burdens. We’re writing to help you avoid creating these challenges for your families.
read more
Tips for Navigating Grief During the Holidays
Grief is a normal and unavoidable response to loss. It doesn’t take a break when the holiday season arrives, so plan to give yourself and others lots of grace. And remember: God is with you through it all.
read more
Our Favorite Recipes for Thanksgiving Through the New Year
Freshen up your family gatherings with some new menu items. Some of the ladies at CGN got together and collaborated to share the special menu items our families look forward to during the holiday season. This post is all about sharing them with you. Bon appetite!
read more
Thankfulness For the Fruit of the Spirit
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.
read more
Fiery Tongue Syndrome: 3 Primary Components
“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.
read more
Has God Given You a Prayer Burden Today?
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.
read more