Grandmas with Heart is here to equip, empower, encourage & engage grandmas (and grandpas & parents, too) to hand down a heritage of faith to the children they love.
Definitely point your grandchildren in God's Way by the words you use, but remember, the strongest and most powerful way you do this is by the example you leave. Live so when you are gone, your grandchildren remember you loved God with your all, you loved them with your all and they want to live in the same way.
“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul” (Proverbs 27:9, The Message)
I (Lynda) am very intentional when it comes to being sure my grandchildren KNOW I love them and they are lovable. We talk about it. We show it with our actions. I email and snail-mail them notes where I always say I love them. We even sing about it! I pay attention to the things in which they are interested and listen when they have something they want to tell me.
As grandmas we tend to know a thing or two about raising children - we have done it with our own and have hopefully learned things which work and things which do not. 
If we have grandchildren, then it is clear God wants us to hand down the faith to them. We do not have to wonder about what God wants us to do; we are able to clearly know. So, this means there are many decisions in our lives which are very easy to make. If a decision before us would provide the opportunity for us to hand down the faith, then we do it. See, easy!
Let your grandchildren "accidentally" overhear you sharing with others ("bragging") about the things they say/do. When they hear you talking about the wise choices they have made and/or the accomplishments they've achieved, it will encourage them to continue to make wise choices and to try new things.
A couple days ago I wrote about engaging our grandchildren when we hand down the faith - particularly if God created them to be children who learn by doing, touching, talking - being involved in the process. I mentioned "Mystery Bags" and today I want to give you an example of how you might use a "Mystery Bag" with your grandchildren.
Our grandchildren will not find firm, stable footing for their lives, in the world, but they will in God! Share with them how holding to God as your Rock has given your life stability and peace - consider making a journal in which you and your grandchildren are able to record how God has been your Rock and making Psalm 62 your prayer for your children and grandchildren - 
We write a lot on Grandmas with Heart about praying for our grandchildren. There is a reason for this; it is one of the single-most powerful things we will ever do for them. 
For the past week we have been looking at Josh McDowell's Seven Principles for Building Relationships with our Grandchildren - today is the last principle - Accountability. Yes we set limits and want to help our grandchildren learn to make wise choices, but we always do so with love. 
As grandmas it is our "job" to pray and hand down the faith - we know this and it is our joy to do so. It is also our "job" to love our grandchildren - and certainly we fell in love with them the very first time we saw and held them. Loving our grandchildren is the easiest "job" we ever had.
If we are serious about building a strong and healthy relationship with our grandchildren - especially as they grow older, then follow Josh McDowell's advice we find in number six of his seven principles - Approach Their World - get "techy" - our grandchildren are. 
We grandmas know words matter and words have power. While research clearly shows this to be true, we know it is true from our own experience and from watching our children and grandchildren. This is why it is essential for us to be wise grandmas who use words on purpose - words which encourage, build up and praise the effort our grandchildren put into whatever they are doing.
#5 - Affection - speak and show love to our grandchildren! Tell them - often and frequently and show it with appropriate hugs and a kiss on the head or cheek. We grandmas tend to have no trouble with doing these things, but we need to be certain we leave no doubt in our grandchildren's minds when it comes to how they are loved deeply and without end. Let them hear and see/experience how much we love them - it is essential! 
God's Word WILL accomplish what He planned for it, so be intentional and faithful about sharing it with your grandchildren!
Josh McDowell's Principle #4 for Building Relationships with our Grandchildren is Availability. Be available. The time you spend being available is an investment - it will give you the opportunity to get to know your grandchildren - and for them to get to know you; which gives you a place from which you will be able to speak truth into their lives - and model it for them to see. 
Heavenly Father,
Josh McDowell's Seven Principles for Building Relationships with Our Grandchildren Principle #3 - Appreciation - is something we knew as parents . . . and still applies today when we are grandparents. Catch your grandchildren doing something good and let them know you noticed, then appreciate them! Pay attention. Listen. Be grandparents who notice and appreciate!
God has good plans for our grandchildren which do give them hope and a future - this is the truth! Take time today to communicate this to your grandchildren - no matter their age or location . . . tell them in person, email, facetime, skype, make a phone call or mail them a letter - be sure to tell them . . . and repeat often! 
Acceptance is key to us building a strong relationship with our grandchildren - and very importantly, we need to let them know they are accepted unconditionally by God and by us - all the time, no matter what! I love how Josh said he is sure his children and grandchildren know they are, "created in the image of God and have infinite value, dignity and worth"! Be sure your grandchildren know this as well. 
We grandparents are able to give our grandchildren a connection, sense of their past and hope for their future . . . most importantly we are able to give them unconditional love. So, be faithful to pray for them, be ready to encourage and help them see how they "fit" in this world. Let them know about family members who came before them and how God has worked in your life. Share with them from God's Word about how He has a good plan for them which gives them hope. (Jeremiah 29). Give your grandchildren a connection and true sense of hope as you point them to Jesus. What we say and do truly does matter! 
Almost two years ago at the first-ever Legacy Coalition Grandparenting Summit, Josh McDowell spoke about how to build a relationship with our grandchildren. He shared seven principles for doing this, so each day for the coming seven days, we will share one of Josh's principles with you. 
Ten years ago today, I became a grandma for the first time! Those ten years have flown by for sure! In the years since I have been so blessed to get to know my grandson, and his brothers and am able to say this saying is absolutely true - I never get tired of watching them grow!
Don't you just love this saying from Matthew Henry! If you are a prayer warrior who has been praying for years, you have likely experienced this in your own life and have examples of how God has answered your prayers as part of your "Prayer History" which you are able to share with your grandchildren. If prayer is something you struggle with, then try the following to become a prayer warrior and build your own "Prayer History" . . . 
In this day of email, facetime and google connect, there is no shortage of ways to connect with our grandchildren. But, they still tend to love to receive snail mail which is actually for them. Yes, old-fashioned snail mail is a wonderful way to stay in touch with our grandchildren - no matter their age or where they live.
I am very blessed to have my grandsons over for a sleepover pretty much every Friday or Saturday. The boys were here last night for a Saturday night sleepover and today I'm remembering a sleepover from last year. On this particular evening there was a bonfire at our house. The boys enjoyed roasting marshmallows and chatted with the people who were here. At one point they were talking about believing in Jesus and my grandsons said; "We believe in Jesus. Our grandma told us about Him and she never lies."
Last week I wrote about the things which are NOT our job as grandmas (grandpas and parents, too) and the things which ARE our job. Today I want to share one more thing with you which IS your job . . . trusting and believing God will do what He has promised to do.
A grandma and a laptop are able to make a significant and lasting impact in the lives of her grandchildren; whether they live near or far! Take time each week to email, stay in touch with, encourage, brighten their day and remind your grandchildren how much you love them. You are also able to share Bible verses and about how God is working in your life by emailing your grandchildren. If you have not used email yet, make it a point to do so this week!
When we invest our time and love in the children with whom God has blessed our lives, the impact on their lives is lasting. They will remember us and the important things we have taught them. 
If you live near your grandchildren make time to spend some "laptime" with them in the coming week - put your arms around them and tell them how much you love them! Tell them how thankful you are God gave them to you and how you know He knew what He was doing when He created them! "Laptime" like this has value which lasts a lifetime.
Yesterday I posted about what is NOT our job as grandmas (grandpas/parents) who hand down the faith . . . convicting and drawing the ones we love to Jesus, and wrote about one thing which IS our job . . . praying for them. Today I want to write about one more thing which IS our job when it comes to handing down the faith . . . watching for, remembering and telling about God's faithfulness.
Life brings times when we all feel brokenhearted and/or crushed in spirit - this is true for us and it is true for the ones we love as well. If we allow those times to push us closer to God, we will grow in our walk with Him, but if we, or the ones we love, do not, it is more likely we will fall away from a close walk with God. If you are the one with the broken heart/crushed spirit, pray this prayer for yourself today. If someone you know and love has the broken heart/crushed spirit, consider praying Sherry's prayer for them today.
Oh, yes, as a grandma (grandpa/parent) it IS our job - and great joy - to hand down the faith; one of the main parts of this job is for us to be people who are serious about praying. Now, if you are a faithful prayer warrior you already know this, but if you struggle with prayer you may feel like this is too difficult to do and you wonder if it actually makes a real difference. I understand these feelings, because I have felt this way.
As grandmas (and grandpas/parents) we have a job from God. A very, very important job. The most important job we will ever do. This job is to hand down the faith to the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and generations yet unborn. There are two main components to this job, which we will look at in the next few posts, but since it is not uncommon for us to take on jobs which are not ours to take, in this post we will look at those "jobs". 
Handing down the faith. These four words are at the core of the most important job we have ever been given, and we have been given this most important job by God. Handing down the faith to our children, grandchildren and generations which follow, may seem like a confusing and difficult thing for us to do, but it is all about the following . . . 
For those of you who live on the Carolina Coast, or who have friends and/or family on the Coast, please know you are solidly in our prayers. Jesus knows how to calm the storm - whether they be weather storms or storms in our hearts and minds. 
The other day I saw this powerful quote from D.L. Moody and knew I had to share it with you. Children are able to understand and respond to the truth of God's Word. They are able to understand and respond to the truth of Jesus' great love for them and they are able to choose to love Him back.
The news for the past several months has covered floods, volcanoes, fires, tornadoes and now the hurricane heading for the Carolina Coast. These weather events are frightening, leave us feeling helpless and may leave our grandchildren wondering where God is and why these things are happening. They are an opportunity for us to show, not just tell, but show our grandchildren what it means for us to trust God; particularly during difficult and confusing times.
Yes, our true grandma (and grandpa/parent) power is prayer, because the One to whom we pray is big enough to hear and answer our prayers. We need to know and hold to this truth, but we also need to be purposeful about communicating this to our grandchildren, because their true "super power" is found in prayer, too!
Recently during my grandsons' weekly sleepover I made cookies. My youngest grandson "sneaked" a fresh baked cookie and said; "Your 'grandma power' is making cookies!"
Happy Grandparents' Day! Thank you for being a grandparent who hands down the faith. Thank you for sharing your Faith History and your Prayer History with your grandchildren. Thank you for making a difference . . . because you are and what you do does matter!
Today is Grandparents' Day! While it is certainly a day to take time to thank grandparents, it is also a day for grandparents to stop and think about the important job God has given to them. This job is also our great joy - it is for us to be focused and intentional about handing down the faith to our grandchildren.
If you have children and grandchildren who love and follow God, be thankful - you are so blessed to be able to team up with your sons, daughters and sons/daughters-in-law to hand down the faith. 
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
The best gift you will give your grandchildren is the example of what it looks like to live life as someone who loves God and others with their all. When they see we honestly love others, the words we speak and the things we do will give security, significance and strength to our grandchildren. 
I have many favorite verses in the Bible, as you likely do as well. One of my favorite passages is found in Jeremiah 30:8-11a - 
As I wrote in the previous post, God has a purpose for us. What we do as grandmas (and grandpas) matters. It matters for us to tell our grandchildren how God has been faithful to us, and family before us. It matters for us to help our grandchildren learn to watch for how God is faithful to them today. It matters for us to share the true accounts of people in the Bible and how they chose to love, know and walk with God - and how our grandchildren are able to do the same. It matters for us to pray faithfully for our grandchildren. So, with Grandparents' Day in just three days, take a moment to think about what you are doing to hand down the faith on purpose - it does matter.
Yesterday I posted about how the trees which burned in the Carr Fire survived; some had thick bark which protected them, others needed the fire to cause the seeds to grow and still others had roots which were protected underground and once the fire was extinguished, new trees sprouted from these roots. I wrote about the parallels to our lives and walk with God; "But God knew what He was doing when He created us, too. He put us in families. God planned for families to be the primary method through which faith is handed down to children. God planned for grandparents to have purpose and gave us the job - and great joy - of handing down faith on purpose to our grandchildren.Welcome to "Grandmas with Heart"! We (Linda Ranson Jacobs, Debbie Guinn, Joani Schultz, Sherry Schumann, Nohemi Murray, Cathy Ja...
