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How Do You Influence Your Grandchildren?

Oh no! Christmas is almost here!

Have you ever had a difficult time trying to decide what to buy for your family at Christmas? If you’re like millions of other people, the answer is yes.

What if the grandkids simply toss your gift aside and mumble a “thanks”? What if that happens to you this year? What if the cookbook you wrapped so nicely for your daughter-in-law bombs out?

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing and hopefully alleviate the Christmas gift-giving jitters:

1. Reach out with the true meaning of Christmas

Christmas is a great time of year to interact with your neighbors and people in your sphere of influence. Use this opportunity to share Christ with those around you. Here are a few ideas that you can use as gifts, pop in neighbors’ mailboxes or leave around the punch table for people to help themselves to:

• The Nativity – The Nativity (88pgs) tells the true story of Christmas. Based on Biblical accounts, this fast-paced, short book gives the whole story of the original Christmas – and invites people to consider how they would respond to Christ.

• Crave: The Documentary – Watch it with your family at Christmas time or send it as a gift. Also available: Soul Cravings prequel and the Soul Cravings resource kit.

• Adventures of Jesus Illustrated – Woven through these pages are the exciting adventures of Jesus of Nazareth. (For children.)

• What God Wants for Christmas Read and Sing Along – Share the enchantment of What God Wants for Christmas with your children and make storytelling more fun than ever! (Hardcover book & CD)

2. Community outreach ideas

• Anonymously bless homeless single mothers with the Spirit of St. Nicholas

3. The gift of music

• Don’t know what type music your teenage grandchild listens to? Gift certificates to their local Christian book and music store will solve all your problems. Here is a list of recommended artists and albums.

• The WOW Christmas: 30 Top Christian Artists and Holiday SongsWOW Christmas album is a great choice for the adults on your list.

4. Other ideas

• Harry Potter – Top 10 Christian Fantasy Alternatives to reading Harry Potter

Visit the Power to Change Resource Center for more holiday gift ideas!

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NLT)

Billy Graham embodies a prolific life as an evangelist, speaker, and author. God has used him in powerful ways, and through him God has brought thousands of people to faith. It’s estimated that he has preached to more people around the world than any other preacher in history.

He is also a husband and a father. The privilege and responsibility of leading the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association he founded has been passed on to his son, Franklin Graham. And Billy Graham’s influence doesn’t end there. Franklin Graham’s son Will (Billy Graham’s grandson) is also involved in the organization, leading evangelistic events. The Graham family is a testament to how fervent biblical faith lived out daily can impact generations.

“Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.” (Proverbs 17:6, NLT)

You may be thinking, “Well, that’s wonderful, but I’m sure not Billy Graham!” But don’t be discouraged! You don’t have to be in order to still have a profound influence on your children’s lives.

I was speaking last week with one of the elders at my church, and as she spoke about her family she mentioned her daughter’s name. I interjected, asking her what grade her daughter is in. It turns out that her daughter is one of the teens in the grade 11 Sunday school class I teach. This lady’s daughter is one of the leaders in the class of over a dozen students. She is one of the few willing to ask questions, suggest answers, and encourage others.

The attitude and example of her mother has no doubt influenced her daughter. Her mother is not a fiery evangelist, superb speaker, or brilliant exegete. Rather, she is a quiet example of steadfast faith.

You don’t need to be Billy Graham to make a profound difference in your child’s life. Your holy duty and privilege is to “bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) and “direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NLT) Under your own strength that may seem impossible, so lean heavily on the Lord, for “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Question: What difference do you hope to make in your child’s life? (Or in the lives of other children you are involved with?)

About the Author: Darren Hewer

We are living in challenging times, shaken by the unrest in the world around us.

The GRAND magazine statistics show there are over 70 million grandparents in the United States. Not all the grandparents are Christians. However, can you imagine the influence godly grandparents could have? Our grandchildren need godly grandparents to stand in the gap by praying deliberately and modeling godly lives.

When you get discouraged after listening to the daily events on the newscast, have you thought about you respond? Do you get discouraged, complain, or worry how it might affect your family? We read in Psalm 25:4-6, “One generation will commend your works to another, they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty . . .They will tell of the power of your awesome works and I will proclaim your great deeds.”

Grandparents are to be influencers

We influence our grandchildren whether purposely or unknowingly. God’s Word tells us we are to influence others toward God and His purposes, especially our own children and grandchildren. We have a wonderful opportunity to share how God has brought us though the challenges and difficulties in our lives when we trusted Him. Even though our journey in life may be difficult at times, God will walk with us.

What are some ways grandparents can spiritually influence their grandchildren? In the Psalms, we read that we are to tell them about the power of God’s mighty works in our lives. God has given us two resources that we can use in order to maximize our influence for His glory.

Here are the two resources:

1. Prayer - God has given us the avenue of prayer as the best weapon against the evil in our world today. Nothing threatens the enemy more than grandparents praying intentionally and regularly for their grandchildren. When we pray according to God’s Word, we are in line with His will; it enables us to pray with direction, power, and wisdom. As we start claiming God’s promises and personalizing the scriptures, we will experience more confidence and boldness in our praying.

It is God who works in the lives of our grandchildren; however, we have the opportunity to intercede in their behalf for them to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts. Our prayers can open the door for God to work in their hearts but they still have to choose to cooperate with Him.

I want to share part of a letter from my oldest granddaughter which is a confirmation that praying for these precious grandchildren is never a wasted effort. She wrote:

Your phone calls, cards, and emails were encouraging and made a significant impact on my life, especially in my teenage and college years. Your prayers and encouragement have been rock-solid reminders of God’s truth in my incredible, crazy life-shaping years, and now in my married life. Your prayers help me surrender the craziness of my life to God.

2. Example – Another powerful tool that God has given us to influence our grandchildren is the example of our own lives. However, He has given us His example of how to live a godly life in His Word. As grandparents, we can be a great influence in how we live our lives. On the way to a restaurant the other day, another granddaughter said, “Tell them I am only eleven years old even though I am twelve years old now, then I can eat for the children’s price”. It was a good time to be a good example and not lie about her age. “In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” Titus 2:7

Is your attitude toward the moral and spiritual depravity of our nation one of acceptance, indicating there is nothing we can do about it? It is just the sign of the times. However, on the other hand, is your attitude one of concern, praying, and trusting the Lord to walk with us during these difficult times? Are you praying that truth will stand and the deceit exposed?

The power of God is the only thing big enough in the world to help us rise above the economic, hostile conditions of our world and the difficult things we face in life. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10, 11, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” When we invest in our spiritual lives by being in the Word and growing strong in our walk with the Lord, we will have a positive, spiritual influence on our grandchildren.

Are the grandchildren God has placed in your life a priority in you prayers? Do your family members see authenticity in your life and your relationship with God? Will your grandchildren say, “Grandpa and grandma really do believe who God is and that He can do what He says He will do. I want to follow their example in my life.”

Here’s a prayer you can pray for your grandchildren: “Dear Lord, thank you for my grandchildren. Help me to value them in the same way you value them. Help me to be a loving grandparent who seeks to understand my grandchildren. Work through me so they will see Jesus in me. In Jesus name.

TheLife.com is now PowerToChange.com!

This site is maintained by TruthMedia, a division on Power to Change. Over the next days and weeks this site, along with several others will be moving into a new format branded as Power to Change.

All of your favorites will still be here along with a bunch of new features we’re excited to share with you. Now all of our audiences will have access to blogs, comments and videos along with more frequent updates, bigger images and a wider range of content.

The Power of Words
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can wound forever. It is amazing what you accept as truth when you hear it enough times. When I became the target of bullying, I transformed from a gregarious child into a silent teenager. I never told anyone was what going on. My life revolved around being as invisible as possible. I figured I couldn’t get hurt if everyone forgot I was there. This is the story that saved my life. Read more

Take action: How do society’s expectations influence our self-esteem and self-image? To understand these issues better, explore our online interactive life lesson Understanding Beauty.

Blog: I Wasn’t Ready to be a Grandma!
Joan Giesbrecht didn’t feel ready to be a grandparent when her daughter became pregnant at age 18. Read her story to hear how she overcame her initial anxiety and trepidation and was able to find joy in her situation. Read more

Online study: Understanding Pain and Disaster
We all know about tragedy which affects family or friends. Why does such tragedy strike? Where is God in all of this? Take this online interactive study and gain insight in the crisis situations of life. Read more

Coming up next week: Join us in the chat room daily for discussions about relevant life topics, or just to hang out. See also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

TheLife.com is now PowerToChange.com!

This site is maintained by TruthMedia, a division on Power to Change. Over the next days and weeks this site, along with several others, will be moving into a new format branded as Power to Change.

All of your favorites will still be here along with a bunch of new features we’re excited to share with you. Now all of our audiences will have access to blogs, comments and videos along with more frequent updates, bigger images and a wider range of content.

Unanswered Prayers
Have you ever earnestly prayed for something, only to have your prayer seemingly go unnoticed? We can understand why God won’t answer prayers for things that are selfish or immoral. But it’s often hard to understand why it seems like our heartfelt, well-intentioned, biblical prayer has gone unanswered. The first step is …
Try this online study.

You said it: This week Karen shared on the How to Find Friends women’s devotional, saying “My jaw dropped when I read this devotional (and especially the responses it elicited) as they reflect an ache in my own heart as well. We’ve lived in our current location for 14 years, and been involved with a very close-knit, caring, SMALL church for 13 of those. … The problem, in my experience, has been that it’s not so much how to integrate into the NEW situations” Read the rest of the comments on Receiving Wisdom, and join the conversation on TheLife.com Devotional for Men and TheLife.com Devotional for Women, each updated daily!

Volunteer opportunity: Online Mentoring Changes Lives
The Mentor Center is a way to conduct mentoring online. Visitors to our sites email questions and are then matched with an appropriate mentor who will begin an email conversation with them. Learn our mentoring needs and how you can become a mentor! Read more

Article: I Wasn’t Ready to be a Grandma!
“When Amber was a little girl, I could kiss it and make it all better. Now, to my despair, I couldn’t make it all better.” Read how Joan was able to find joy in her new role as a grandma! Read more

Devotional: Hearing God Speak
I read recently that the meaning of one of the Hebrew words translated ‘wilderness’ in the Old Testament is ‘the place where God speaks’. With a picture of the wilderness already embedded in my mind, understanding leaped into being. Read more

Coming up next week: One of the topics of our upcoming online chats is “Speaking the Truth in Love” Join us in the chat room September 22nd 2009 @ 4:00pm EST for this chat or see also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

Joan Giesbrecht didn’t have to deal with raising her grandchild alone, but she nevertheless didn’t feel ready to be a grandparent when her daughter became pregnant at age 18. Read her story, “I Wasn’t Ready to be a Grandma!“, to hear how her initial anxiety and trepidation was overcome, and how she was able to find joy in her situation.

Are you a grandparent, and if so, did you feel “ready” when you heard the news? Do you feel “ready” now? If you’re having trouble coping with being a new grandparent, or are pregnant or a new mother yourself, please contact us, we’re here to listen!

Parenting AGAIN at 50+
Retirement dreams turn topsy-turvey as more and more grandparents step in to raise their kids’ kids. Hermann Volchert, 63, is little Chantal’s grandfather. As are many grandparents across Canada, he and his wife, Sheila, 57, are the sole caregivers for their grandchildren, six-year-old Chantal and five-year-old Brittany. It’s a choice forced on increasing numbers of people. And who is there to help and support these second-time parents? Read the full article.

Take action: What does it mean to be beautiful? Our new online interactive study Understanding Beauty seeks to help you explore this question from a biblical perspective.

You said it: This week Chipal shared on the Worship on the Go women’s devotional, saying “Great article. Its a good prescription for a busy world like ours. I think that this could also be useful for a marriage setup, i mean creating that conciousness in you would work better that making time even though i still believe we have to make the time.” Join the conversation on TheLife.com Devotional for Men and TheLife.com Devotional for Women, each updated daily!

Experience TheLife Blog: Why do we go to church?
Why do we go to church? Can we agree that the primary reason we should attend church is to worship God? Discuss on the Experience Blog! Read more

Video: Dealing with the Unexpected
What do you do when your prayers are not answered the way you thought they would be? For Patrick and Linda, a day to day process of acceptance turned into a realization that God’s blessings come in different forms. Watch the video

Coming up next week: One of the topics of our upcoming online chats is “How Can We Know a God Who is Everywhere?” Join us in the chat room July 26th 2009 @ 9:00pm EST for this chat or see also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.