Lillian A. Penner's Blog (240)

A good friend focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year:  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” …

 Early in my life, I felt my prayers were too general for my family, I asked God to give me wisdom and insight on how I could pray more intentionally. I discovered praying God’s Word was a great resource to help me to pray not only for my grandchildren and their parents but also for myself. 

When I pray according to God’s Word, I am in line with His will, enabling me to pray with confidence, direction, power, and wisdom according to Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is full…

Why should we pray for our families?

Cultural pressures are increasing on our grandchildren and their parents. However, grandparents can help the next generation navigate these cultural issues. Just as Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Jews, when they were threatened, physically, we can stand in the gap with prayer for our families as the enemy threatens their spiritual lives.  …

Isn't it exciting to have your precious grandchild come running into your arms with hugs and kisses? Your six-year-old granddaughter calling to tell you she lost her first tooth and the tooth fairy is coming to her house, or your seven-year-old grandson thrilled to tell you how many goals he made in his soccer game. I spent a day with my two youngest…

As I look ahead into 2019, it looks like our national and global situation is in turmoil. Our world is in a moral and spiritual decline, we are in a battle for the minds and hearts of our dear grandchildren. The enemy is trying to steal their hearts and the plans God has for them. In addition to trying to destroy their faith, the enemy is trying to destroy the morals of our country, especially the family unit. It is urgent that we stand in the gap to pray…

Guest blog written by Cathy Jacobs

Joni Eareckson Tada tells the story of a visit she once had to Russia.  While there, she befriended an old woman who cleaned the hotel lobby floors. Through an interpreter, Joni became friends with the elderly lady by praising her on her excellent care of the floor.  This lady was aged, wrinkled but…

 As I was looking at the forlorn misshapen tree standing in the snow on the cover of a book I was reading last week, I was reminded of the Christmas tree we had at my house when I was a child.  

When I was six years old, my parents had very little money to spend at Christmas. In order for my parents to have enough money to buy a present for me, they decided to cut a branch…

Have you struggled in your role as a grandparent? If you are you are not alone. There are 80 million grandparents in the United States. Many are struggling to navigate the culture, which their grandchildren think is normal.

My friend, Catherine Jacobs recently published her book, Pass the Legacy, 7 Keys for Grandparents making a difference. She pours out her passion for the Lord and the role for grandparents given in God’s Word.

Many of us grandparents are having a…

 By Lillian Penner

 We are going to look in God’s Word to see some examples of people He used to stand in the gap for his purpose to be accomplished. The Bible describes prayer as “Standing in the Gap” or “Bridging the Gap” a channel through which God’s will is brought to earth.  

God chose and appointed Moses to stand in the gap between His people, the Israelites, and Pharaoh. Esther…

When I was a young woman, I had many opportunities to visit my widowed grandmother while I attended college in her town. As she grieved my grandfather’s death, she reflected her trust in God to care for her and showed how God sustained her each day, by claiming the promise Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. 

“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20 (KJV).

My grandmother’s faith that God would always be there for…

Recently I was thinking about my grandchildren going back to school, and the story of baby Moses kept coming to my mind from Exodus chapter 2.

At the time Moses was born, Pharaoh was killing all the newborn Hebrew boys in Egypt.  When Moses was three months old, his mother hid him by making a basket, coated it with tar and pitch. His mother placed the child in it and then put him in the river among the reeds with his sister standing nearby watching. Pharaoh's…

Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) is proclaiming National Grandparents' Day observed on September 9, 2018, as a Grandparents' Day of Prayer. We believe the battle for the hearts and minds of our dear grandchildren and their parents can be won only by praying grandparents who sense the urgency and unite to do battle in prayer. 

It is only 40 days until Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 9.I hope you have…

 What a joy it is to have that precious little grandchild come running into your arms with hugs and kisses. The six-year-old calling to tell you she lost her first tooth or your seven-year-old grandson excited about making his first goal in his…

If you are a grandparent who would like to pray more effectively or intentionally for your grandchildren, you will want to purchase and read the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book provides specific examples to help you pray, such as alphabet prayers, prayers based on Scriptures, Suggestions to pray for School children and prayers for holidays.

Check out the book…

During the summer, many grandparents vacation with their grandchildren. It is an excellent opportunity to spend extra time with the possibility of quality interaction. Now imagine you are camping with your grandchildren in the mountains. You have cooked your campfire stew for dinner, and you are relaxing around the campfire beside a big lake. It is perfectly still; there is no wind. The lake is a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. Sticky-fingered grandchildren delight in s’mores…

During the summer, many grandparents vacation with their grandchildren. It is an excellent opportunity to spend extra time with the possibility of quality interaction. Now imagine you are camping with your grandchildren in the mountains. You have cooked your campfire stew for dinner, and you are relaxing around the campfire beside a big lake. It is perfectly still; there is no wind. The lake is a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. Sticky-fingered grandchildren delight in s’mores…

When we go back to visit family in Oklahoma, I like to go to the cemetery to visit the gravesites of my parents and grandparents. As I was looking at my grandmother’s tombstone, I read:

What Does the Dash Represent?

When we go back to visit family in Oklahoma, I like to go to the cemetery to visit the gravesites of my parents and grandparents. As I was looking at my grandmother’s tombstone, I…

Have you heard about a Photo Prayer Journal for your grandchildren? Today I would like to share with you about the Photo Prayer Journal. A number of years ago I developed a Photo Prayer Journal, finding it very meaningful as I was praying for my…

When I was a young woman, I had many opportunities to visit my widowed grandmother while I attended college in her town. As she grieved my grandfather’s death, she reflected her trust in God to care for her and showed how God sustained her each day, by claiming the promise Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. 

“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Matthew 28:20…

If Timothy’s grandmother Lois had not been faithful in passing on her faith to her daughter Eunice and grandson Timothy we would not have the books, I and II Timothy in the Bible today. Their example is an excellent generational example of the importance of passing on the faith to future generations. Lois is our forerunner who modeled grand mothering for us.

Isn’t it interesting that nowhere in the Bible does it say that the church has the primary…