Grandparenting Through Obstacles Wins a “Book of the Year” Award from CSPA!

  You did it!  A big hearty Thank You! to everyone who took the time to go over to the web site of the Christian Small Publishers Association and voted for Grandparenting Through Obstacles.

This is Dianne writing today.  Christian Small Publishers Association has announced the winners of their 2013 Book of the Year awards and Grandparenting Through Obstacles won in the “Family/Relationships” category!

Renee and I are thrilled!  Needless to say, our publisher, Pix-N-Pens Publishing, is also thrilled.  This is the first Book of the Year award from Christian Small Publishers Association for the publisher as far as I know. We send our sincere thanks to our publisher, Tracy Ruckman, for all she has done (and is continuing to do… More about that next!) to make our book a success.

So we thank you very much.  An award like this provides one more way to make our book known and so helps us get it onto the radar scope of those who need it and those whom it can help.

It also helps make known those who contributed to the book, including Cavin Harper who wrote our foreword and all our twenty contributors.  They made this book.  We couldn’t have done it without them.

One more thing: We have too much good news to share in one post! We have some more very exciting and important news coming about Grandparenting Through Obstacles and we really need your help…again. I’ll get the information together and share in another post. Please don’t miss it!

(Oh, okay.  If you simply have to have a hint… We need your help to go to St. Louis to promote Grandparenting Through Obstacles.)

You made this “Book of the Year” award from Christian Small Publishers Association possible by voting and by praying. We thank you again. I believe Heaven will be different because of you.

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Guest Post – “The Christmas Foot” by Peggy J. Cunningham

Peggy J. Cunningham

Today Peggy Cunningham joins us. Peggy write the story “I Like Jesus! in the book Grandparenting Through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ. Peggy live with her husband in Bolivia, South America, has written 13 children’s books, and writes for Devokids.com.

Peggy, tell us about your Christmas!

Peggy writes:

This Christmas we were far from our grandchildren––as usual. It’s a long trek from Bolivia to the Untied States. But, we know we are where God wants us, which gives us the peace that passes all understanding. Living thousands of miles away from our family (especially our four precious grandchildren) is the hardest thing we face as missionaries. But, God gives us little sparks of joy when we communicate with them via the Internet, and now, even Vonage phone calls. Of course, pictures are always welcome too.

I record the cute things they say so that one day I’ll have a booklet to give them of all the things they said and did that brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Proverbs 17:6 says, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged,” and I felt that crown this Christmas.

I’ve learned to jot those cute quotes down immediately so I will never forget them––easy to do as I embark on the Medicare stage of life. This Christmas I have a priceless one of our four-year-old grandson, Baden.

Yep, this is Baden himself! So cute.

My husband and I had a confusing email from our daughter on Christmas morning. It wasn’t until we talked to her a few hours later that we understood the message. Her message said, “Baden yelled up the steps to Ben (his big brother), “Come look at your foot.”

Maybe my sleepy (or senior) brain couldn’t decipher the message, but my husband didn’t understand what she meant either. When our daughter called to wish us a Merry Christmas she mentioned how priceless Baden’s comment was that morning. Maybe priceless, but also confusing, we replied. “You didn’t get it?” she replied.

“Not at all,” we admitted with embarrassment.

Rushing downstairs to see what Santa left under the tree, Baden noticed the Christmas stockings bulging with goodies. Excited, he wanted Ben to hurry to see them also. He yelled up the steps, “Hey Ben, hurry, come see your foot.” Priceless! It is a little gem to remember and certainly worth writing down. Don’t you think? 

Peggy’s grandkids’ Christmas stockings.

  Thanks, Peggy! That’s wonderful. Thanks for bringing us a fun story and beautiful photos today.

Peggy Cunningham and her husband, Chuck, have served as missionaries in Bolivia, South America, since 1981. They have a children’s ministry, teaching practical skills to underprivileged children in rural areas of Bolivia while reaching them for Christ. Peggy is also a freelance writer and contributes to several Christian publications regularly. She is a contributor to Grandparenting Through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ. Visit Peggy’s web site at  http://www.peggyjcunningham.com and her blog at http://www.peggyspostings.blogspot.com.

Thursday Interview: Contributor Betty J. Dalrymple

Betty J. Dalrymple, Contributor to Grandparenting Through Obstacles

Today we’re chatting with Betty J. Dalrymple, freelance writer and contributor to many books. Betty’s story is “Heart Talk” and appears in Part 4 of Grandparenting Through Obstacles, which is “The Challenge of Partnering with Parents.”

GTO:  Welcome, Betty! We’re glad to have you with us today. We’d like to ask you why you decided to share the story that you did in our book?

Betty:  When I was a child, like Braxton (my grandson), I felt very afraid.  I related to his feelings and his separation anxiety, so I had an intense desire to reassure Braxton that God loved him and we all loved him.  I wanted him to know that he is never alone.  Braxton’s response regarding God speaking to him in his heart was and is a perfect description of God talking to each of us and it’s a message I wanted to share with others.

GTO:  What are you hoping our readers will gain or learn from your story?

Betty:  I hope our readers will learn how important it is to understand children and adults who struggle with anxiety problems.  I also hope they will search for ways to reassure their grandchildren that they are never alone and God’s love surrounds them wherever they are.

GTO:  Give us an update on recent developments with your grandchildren since writing your story.

Betty:  Braxton is now in college and a very warm and caring young man.  I have a granddaughter who is 12 and has some of the traits that Braxton had.  Once again, reassurance of being loved by God and family appears very helpful for her too.

GTO:  What has happened in your life since writing your story—any new developments or fun adventures?

Betty:  My husband died and I remarried a man with nine grandchildren so now I have 19 grandchildren.  I’m learning to be a grandparent to step-grandchildren.

 GTO:  In what ways do you believe God has used you most in ministering to your grandkids?   And what do you think is the greatest challenge faced by children today, and how can grandparents help them with this challenge?

Betty:  I believe I offer stability to my ten grandchildren. As the morals and values in our society have changed, I have tried to teach them, through words and actions, in a loving way that I believe we need to follow Jesus’  teachings and look for God’s help when we make decisions.  I have also tried to teach my entire family the importance of prayer in their lives.

Betty J. Dalrymple and her grandkids

 GTO:  If you could give yourself a grandma nickname to represent your relationship with your grandkids, what would it be and why?  What do you hope your grandkids will most remember about you when you’re gone?

Betty:  Being their “Nana” has always been such a big part of all of our lives, I can’t imagine another name.  All ten grandchildren live near me and I think they would say that I’ve always “been there” for them, loving them, hugging them, playing with them, taking care of them, laughing with them, attending their activities, and always reminding them of the importance of God and Jesus in their lives.

GTO:  It is so fun to talk with you and to see your grandchildren, Betty. Thank you for stopping by the blog today. And we also thank you and Braxton so much for sharing your story with us. We pray all God’s best for you, your husband, and all 19 of your grandchildren in all your travels!

Thursday Interview: Contributor Loritta Slayton – Part 2

Loritta Slayton, Contributor to Grandparenting Through Obstacles book

Last week we talked with Loritta about how she found out about our book, Grandparenting Through Obstacles, and how she came to contribute a story to the book. We also talked about what has happened in her grandchilren’s lives and her own life since she wrote the story. (And we learned Loritta has another story in a new book! So if you missed Part 1, take a look at that!)

Today we want to talk with Loritta about how she influences her grandchildren toward Jesus the Savior.

GTO:  In what ways do you believe God has used you most in ministering to your grandkids?

Loritta:  Consistency in knowing they are loved and valued. Also, being an example to the importance of having God in their hearts and lives.

GTO:  What do you think is the greatest challenge faced by children today, and how can grandparents help them with this challenge?

Loritta:  To know God’s truth for themselves and know His faithfulness in all of their struggles. 

To learn to make time to be still (turn off all the entertainment and the voices of the world and the enemy) and know He is God!
 
By example–by telling them about your own experiences with God. 

And pray, pray, and pray and declare God’s Word over them and affirm His Word to them!

GTO:  How have you grown in the Lord through the challenges you’ve faced in trying to reach your grandchildren?

Loritta:  Their trials have caused me to draw near to God, relentlessly–out of necessity for faith, for victories, for strength, for peace and freedom from fear, and developing trust and testimony in my relationship with God, to believe for myself, their parents as well as my grandchildren.

GTO:  What can you tell our readers to encourage them to not give up on their kids or grandkids no matter how bad their situation might look?

Loritta:  The battle is not an over-nighter!! It’s for life!! God is more persevering than we are. Thankfully, He is tenaciously pursuing us! We have to stay in the fight with Him. I like the scripture in I John 3:16, Amplified:

“By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]. “

This is our example in learning how to “lay down our lives” so others will know Him intimately. Not that we would do it from our own limited strength, which fails us, but drawing from His—again and again, as He shows us how. I’m learning to acknowledge that I can’t “fix” my family members, but to trust God for His keeping and delivering of them.  Learning to go to the “secret place” with God and to confess His Word with my mouth has strengthened me for the battle a lot!  Never Give Up–God doesn’t!

GTO:  What advice can you give our readers to help them become more intentional about imparting spiritual truths and values into their grandchildren?
 
Loritta:  As it says in Psalms 46:10, Take time to BE STILL and Know He IS God! When we do, our spiritual ears and sensitivities are developed to be more and more familiar to the voice of God, and to receive His teaching through the Word which strengthens and directs us for the battle we are fighting.  Nothing can compare to the fruit of doing this.

 Loritta, thank you so much for spending time with us today. It has been fun to catch up with you. I hope you’ll stop by again for another chat. May God richly bless your writting and your grandparenting for Him!

Thursday Interview: Contributor Loritta Slayton – Part 1

Loritta Slayton, Contributor to Grandparenting Through Obstacles book

Today and next Thursday we are talking with Loritta Slayton, contributor to Grandparenting Through Obstacles. Loritta’s story, “God and the Chickens,” appears in fourth part of the book called “The Challenge of Partnering with Parents.”

GTO:  Loritta, thank you for spending time with us today. I’m looking forward to our time together!  Tell us, why did you decide to share the story that you did in our book?

Loritta:  I am an aspiring writer and the opportunity came through an e-mail from the director of the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Marlene Bagnull. I knew I had real life experiences with my grandchildren concerning the warfare for their souls. I felt I had something tangible and worthy to share in line with the subject, “Grandparenting through obstacles to reach your grandchildren for Christ.”  I have the battle scars on my heart.

 

GTO:  What are you hoping our readers will gain or learn from your story?

Loritta:  I hope that other grandparents will be encouraged to engage or renew the commitment to fight the “good fight of faith” for their grandchildren.  I want them to be strengthened to listen to God’s promptings on where or how to invest in them so that their grandchildren will know God personally for themselves.  Then their grandchildren will have the weapons for their own warfare in the world that they live in. We need to stay focused in the warfare for each of our family members and beyond, to be in the kingdom of God as a united front.

GTO:  Give us an update on recent developments with your grandchild(ren) since writing your story.

Loritta:  Wesley, my grandson, lives in Wyoming with his family–including his dad, currently. The road is still rocky, but he just made honor roll and has a 3.44 GPA. I’m so proud of him! There are still battles to be won, though, and my heart is sensing the Lord’s prompting to continue to have time to teach Wesley how to apply the Word to his own life.  I have to stay in prayer to overcome the obstacles that Satan would use to deter me from this connection. Time is a big one, but if I persevere in prayer, I believe God will help me find and seize the opportunity.  I’ve purchased the teen version of Battlefield for the Mind, by Joyce Myer, to share with my older grandchildren.  I hope to connect by phone weekly.  I started reading with Wesley’s sister and cousin earlier this year from a book by Kim Meeder about ministering to hurting children through interaction with horses that have been abused. That helped me make a connection individually with them and also take the opportunity to talk a little about their lives and pray together. I think this personal time makes a statement of their value to me and makes them feel good.

GTO:  What has happened in your life since writing your story—any new developments or fun adventures?

Loritta:  I have a story in the new book, Journeys to Mother Love, compiled by Catherine Lawton (Cladach Publishing, 2012) on the subject of relational healing with daughters and mothers. Like Grandparenting Through Obstacles, it is a compilation of stories by different authors. Also, I am exploring submitting some art work and verse for the card industry through a connection I made at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference.

GTO:  Congratulations on another book contribution, Loritta! We are friends with Catherine Lawton over at Cladach and wish you both all the best with the new book.

We’ll look forward to talking with you more next Thursday as we talk about what you’ve done, and what other Christian grandparents can do, to connect with their grandchildren and help them know Jesus Christ.  Until then, enjoy your week and your grandchildren!

Thursday Interview: Contributor Paula Freeman

Paula Freeman is the founder and executive director of Hope’s Promise, and adoption and orphan care ministry. She shared her story “Long Journey Home” in part 3 of Grandparenting Through Obstacles, which addresses “The Challenge of Non-Traditional Families.”

GTO:  Paula, thank you for sharing your difficult but important story about your daughter who was in an abusive relationship. Why did you decide to share that story in our book?

Paula:  I chose to share this story because it introduced additional grandparenting twists I believe others will relate to: having an adult child and grandchild move back home, and adoptive parenthood and grandparenthood.

GTO:  What are you hoping our readers will gain or learn from your story?

Paula:  Being a grandparent is relational, not biological; three of my grandchildren are not biologically related to me. God continues to write His story in me through my grandchildren.

GTO:  What has happened in your life since writing your story? Any new developments or fun adventures?

Paula:  I returned home this afternoon from Kansas City where I spent a week helping out with a new grand-baby. My daughter and her husband adopted their first child nine months ago. They now have two beautiful (one Caucasian and one African-American) daughters who joined their family through adoption and are nine months apart in age. Now in her mid thirties, my daughter was raised with three sisters, two adopted from India and one from Cambodia (in addition to three biological brothers). Our family photo looks like the United Nations. It’s beautiful, diverse and filled with stories of God’s grace and goodness. What a privilege to begin this grandparenting journey yet again.

GTO:  What can you tell our readers to encourage them to not give up on their kids or grandkids no matter how bad their situation might look?

Paula:  Wow! What a great question. I would tell them to put their hope in Christ, not in other people, jobs, circumstances or programs. God’s arm is not too short to rescue. Keep praying, but don’t stop your own life. Lean in to God’s grace then invite others to join you.  You can still be okay even if they are not.

GTO:  What advice can you give our readers to help them become more intentional about imparting spiritual truths and values to their grandchildren?

Paula:  Pray for opportunities then pay attention! These will probably come in unpredictable ways. Cultivate your relationship with Christ, enjoy your life and grab every opportunity you can to do something to let them know you love them, delight in them and are on their team.

GTO:  If you could give yourself a grandma nickname to represent your relationship with your grandkids, what would it be and why?

Paula:  Mimi…because that is what THEY have chosen to call me. It is free from titles and other relational expectations. It is theirs.

GTO:  Thank you, Paula, for sharing your wonderful story in the book and your thoughts here. You have such an amazing family. We’re grateful that you shared them with us and helped us learn from them and from you.

Thursday Interview: Contributor Rhonda Rivers – Part 2

Last week we talked with Rhonda Rivers, who contributed the story “Worth the Wait” to the Grandparenting Through Obstacles book. Today we continue our conversation.

GTO:  Rhonda, how have you grown in the Lord through the challenges you’ve faced in trying to teach your grandchildren your Christian faith?

Rhonda:  In trying to reach my grandchild for Jesus, I found He taught me some valuable lessons. First of all, I am not the parent and my grandchild has good parents, even though at the time they were not going to church. Could I force them to take him to Sunday school? Of course not, but I prayed about it constantly. Could I make them go to church? I could pray about it and perhaps make a suggestion once in a while. Other than that, I was powerless. God taught me patience and trust. Because I was not in a position to take him with me to church, I had to trust the Lord to answer my prayers. In the meantime I learned to be joyful in the waiting and expectation of answered prayer.

GTO:  What can you tell our readers to encourage them not to give up on their kids or grandkids no matter how bad their situation might look?

Rhonda:  No matter how bad the situation might look, I would encourage grandparents to be like the persistent widow. Keep praying and ask God to show you how to recognize opportunities to share your faith. Trust the Lord that He is at work all around them and never stop praying for their salvation. I have prayed for many years before some of my relatives found the Lord.

GTO:  What advice can you give our readers to help them become more intentional about imparting spiritual truths and values to their grandchildren?

Rhonda:  Imparting spiritual truths and values to our grandchildren takes planning. If you are blessed to have time with the child, plan activities around Bible stories. Make a necklace with the colors representing the plan of salvation, which tells the whole story—from the fall to the cross. Color pictures from Bible story coloring books and tell them the story as they color with you. Teach them the Intsy Weentsy Spider and tell them how God made the sun, rain and the spider. Apply Scripture and God to any activity: taking a walk, playing games and always praying over meals. Let them see your faith and always tell them that you are the way you are because of a God that is greater than anybody and that the same God loves them. Let them see your gratitude for God in your life.

GTO:  If you could give yourself a grandma nickname to represent your relationship with your grandkids, what would it be and why?

Rhonda:  If I could give myself a grandma nickname to represent my relationship with my grandkids it would be Hannah. She had such a desire for children and after much praying, God granted her wish. Because of her deep gratitude she gave the child back to the Lord for His service. I had such a desire for grandchildren for so many years that my gratitude reached to the heavens when he was born. I know my grandson belongs to the Lord and it excites me to think of how the Lord is going to use him in the future.

GTO:  What do you hope your grandkids will most remember about you when you’re gone?

Rhonda:  I hope my grandkids will remember me as the grandma who loved them and loved the Lord. I hope they remember me as one who read the Scriptures for wisdom and sang the hymns about my Lord and Savior. I hope they remember me as the woman who went to church and the woman who told them stories about Jesus.

GTO:  Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Rhonda:  The world can be a scary place, especially when we consider the obstacles they will face in the future. One time my son said, “Why would I want to bring a child into such a world of turmoil?” My response was that as Christians, we need to train up a child in the way of the Lord to fight the good fight when we draw near to Jesus’ return. Our grandchildren will be the ones the lost go to when there is no one who understands what truth is or where to find God.

GTO:  Amen, Rhonda. Those are beautiful and powerful thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing them and for encouraging us all. My God bless you and your entire family, and you, too, who are reading this.

Thursday Interview: Contributor Rhonda Rivers – Part 1

After her son married, Rhonda Rivers waited more than ten years to become a grandmother. But after Kevin was born, she was disappointed that his parents never took him to church as she had taken his father. What could she do?

Rhonda’s story “Worth the Wait” appears in the part of Grandparenting Through Obstacles called “The Challenge of Partnering with Parents.”

Rhonda stopped in to chat with us and we had such a good time we’re going to talk with her both today and next Thursday.

GTO:  Thanks, Rhonda, for sharing your story with us in Grandparenting Through Obstacles. Tell us why you decided to share the story that you did in our book?

Rhonda:  Many parents begin praying for grandchildren from the day their children get married and I was one of those. I had all but given up after ten years. In fact, I thought I would never live to see grandchildren. This story is about God’s faithfulness. He answered my prayer for a grandchild, and then answered my prayer for that child to find Him.

GTO:  What are you hoping our readers will gain or learn from your story?

Rhonda:  My prayer is that readers will be encouraged to be persistent in their prayers. God is always faithful.

GTO:  Give us an update on recent developments with your grandson since writing your story.

Rhonda:  Since writing my story I have enjoyed the comfort and security of knowing that my grandson is attending Sunday school and learning all the stories of the Bible that I learned and that his father learned growing up. The Bible says one generation should tell another about all of God’s wonderful ways (See Psalm 145:3-4). 

GTO:  What has happened in your life since writing your story? Any new developments or fun adventures?

Rhonda:  Since writing my story I have become a grandmother again and I am about to have a third grandchild!

GTO:  Wow! That is wonderful news, Rhonda. Congratulations! Tell us, in what ways do you believe God has used you most in ministering to your grandkids?

Rhonda:  Children learn by watching the people around them. When my grandson is in our home, he sees evidence of our faith all around him. Bible verses and pictures of Biblical scenes grace the walls; bookcases are filled with Bibles, commentaries, and Christian books. In addition, we always pray before meals, something he has learned to do. He often hears the phrase, “praise the Lord,” in our conversations.

GTO:  What do you think is the greatest challenge faced by children today, and how can grandparents help them with this challenge?

Rhonda:  When I consider the condition of the world today, I must confess that I am frightened for my grandchildren. All around me I see such a disregard for the Lord and for rules of any kind. It seems like the days of Noah when everyone did what ever they liked and never consulted the Lord. The greatest challenge faced by children today is where to find the truth. As believers we have a fixed point of reference for truth, the Bible. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Grandparents can show their grandchildren where to find Truth in the Scriptures. Besides covering them with constant prayer and telling them about Jesus.

GTO:  Thank you, Rhonda, for chatting with us today and for sharing your grandparenting story. We will look forward to visiting with you more next week.

Until then, you can find Grandparenting Through Obstacles at Amazon.com and on Kindle, and at Barnes and Noble.com and on Nook. Or ask your favorite bookstore to order it for you. Makes a great gift for a Christian grandparent in your life (or yourself!).

Thursday Interview: Ann Kronwald

Welcome back to our Thursday interview series. This week we are speaking with Ann Kronwald, who wrote the story “Jack’s Fear,” the concluding story in our book. In this story, Ann has offered to partner with her daughter by helping to take care of the kids while their mom was on bed rest. Ann’s oldest grandson, Jack, had many fears, and Ann had to come up with some creative ways of teaching him to look to God during those times when he was afraid. One method she used was to teach Jack the various names of God and how we can use them to bring hope and comfort.

Let’s hear from Ann now regarding her story and life as a grandma:

GTO: What are you hoping our readers will gain or learn from your story?

Ann: God’s names have been a life raft in my daily struggles. The attributes they represent address my neediness in amazing ways. The grandkids tend to be sponges, so I’ve tried to pass this resource on. Sometimes they stare at me blankly. But occasionally they really get it. I want my story to encourage other grandparents to help their wee folk also rely on God’s incredible character.

GTO: Teaching them about God’s names is a perfect way to show His character. So, tell us, what are some recent developments with your grandchildren since writing your story?

Ann: Jack is still somewhat cautious, most recently wondering how dangerous a crawdad might be. But he has made tremendous strides. His ease at conversing with adults now warms my heart.

GTO: I’m sure much of his progress has been due to your diligence in working with him. What can you tell our readers to encourage them to not give up on their kids or grandkids no matter how bad their situation might look?

Ann: I have been discouraged at times by parenting situations in my children, only to find later that God had been at work through those very circumstances. I often think of Joseph—how God turned his horrible sufferings into a position of honor that saved a nation. I’m so grateful that God sees the bigger picture and also hears the prayers of His children.

GTO: Yes, I think we can all be very grateful for that! What advice can you give our readers to help them become more intentional about imparting spiritual truths and values into their grandchildren?

Ann: I would say to find a time and method that seems to work for that stage. The toddlers around my house tend to stay busy during the day. But before nap or bed time, a small window of impact opens. A story is requested, and I have a captive audience, so I take advantage with some adventurous storytelling that happens to incorporate redemptive themes.

GTO: Opportunities are all around us. We just need to learn how to look for them and see the situations through God’s eyes. Jack and his siblings are blessed to have you for a grandma!

Ann, thanks so much for sharing your story in our book and for sharing your grandkids with us!

For a quick look into the meaning of some of God’s names, take a look at this “Many Names of God” article. Also, many books have been written on this subject as well.

Thursday Interview: Contributor Annalee Davis – Part 2

Last Thursday we visited with Rev. Annalee Davis. If you missed the first part of her interview, feel free to return to last Thursday and read Part 1.

Now, continuing with Annalee:

 GTO:  In what ways do you believe God has used you most in ministering to your grandkids?

Annalee:  I believe the Lord has used me in reinforcing what my granddaughters are hearing and learning in their home about who God is and how to have a relationship with Him. Their father is still pastoring, and I know they are in church often. But I think it is important for them to see their grandparents living out the message of the Gospel and living for the Lord Jesus as well. I feel they have been strengthened in their faith as they’ve watched us go through the difficulties of life and still put our faith and hope in God.

I’ve written devotions about my granddaughters that have been published. I always send them a copy of the publication. I’ve shared a publication with them about the healings that have occurred in our family. Their great-great grandmother and great-grandmother had a miraculous healing take place in their lives. I also was healed of an infection that caused the doctors to give me a fifty-fifty chance of survival. I want them to know that they have a wonderful family heritage in the Lord.

GTO:  That is wonderful, Annalee. What advice can you give our readers to help them become more intentional about imparting spiritual truths and values to their grandchildren?

Annalee:  Whenever I am with my granddaughters, I try to impart spiritual truths and values to them. I pray with them before I put them to bed. I read Bible stories to them and send Christian children’s books as gifts. If we are watching television together and I perceive something that is a worldly viewpoint, I share with them what the Bible says about the issue.

It is important to remember that we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and guidance when we are with our grandchildren. When I have had the opportunity to babysit, I often send up a prayer in a difficult situation and the Lord has helped me know how to handle the problem. I try to discipline in love and require that they treat each other with kindness.

GTO:  What do you hope your grandkids will most remember about you when you’re gone?

Annalee:  I hope my grandkids will remember that Grandma loved Jesus and that she was lots of fun! I hope they will be able to recall all the things I’ve taught them about serving the Lord and about life in general. I hope they will remember how I’ve invested in them in practical ways such as encouraging and teaching them to sew, create artwork, bake, play instruments and sing.  Hopefully, they will feel that I always had time for them, listened to them and made them feel important and special.

GTO:  Those are wonderful thoughts, Annalee. Thank you so much for sharing your story and advice with us and ways to bridge the gap of long-distance grandparenting. You’ve given us valuable food for thought and practical ideas to put to use.

Thank you also for sharing your story in Grandparenting Through Obstacles. We’ll be watching for your byline on more Chicken Soup for the Soul stories and devotionals!