Written by Camellia Varnado, Author and Podcaster | ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LEGACY COALITION

As grandparents, our perspectives are often shaped by years of experiences, including the good and challenging. Our life experiences give us a unique ability to see the good in various situations and share that outlook with our grandchildren and the wider community.

Here are some practical ways to cultivate and cause a ripple perspective:

Cultivating a Positive Vantage Point:

• Daily Gratitude: Start each day by thanking God for specific blessings. Get a gratitude journal and encourage your grandchildren to do the same (or gift one to them). Share your entries with them and listen to theirs, fostering an atmosphere of thankfulness. This creates an atmosphere of praise to God.
• Mindful Moments: Take time to notice and appreciate small blessings—like a beautiful sunrise, a kind word, or a moment of laughter. Point these out to your grandchildren to teach them to find joy in the simple things. Laughter is good medicine for our souls.
• Reflect on God’s Faithfulness: Regularly reflect on and share stories of God’s faithfulness throughout your life. Whether it is answered prayers, unexpected blessings, or times of growth during hardships, these stories can inspire your grandchildren to trust in God’s goodness. It is a reminder that the same God is faithful to them throughout their life.

Sharing the Good with Your Grandchildren

• Storytelling: Use your personal stories to illustrate how God has been at work in your life. Share times when you saw His hand guiding you through difficulties and celebrate His blessings with your grandchildren. Take advantage of those opportunities to share stories from your life that show the goodness of God! Talk about the little miracles in your life – a healed illness, a job opportunity that came through, a mended relationship. Let your grandchildren see how God is constantly working in the world, even in the seemingly ordinary!
• Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate your grandchildren’s achievements and milestones. Highlight their strengths and encourage them to see their own potential and the good in their efforts. Be intentional about being their biggest fan in life!
• Model Positivity: Be a role model of a positive attitude. Let your grandchildren see you manage challenges with grace and faith. Your actions and words will teach them how to approach life’s difficulties with a hopeful heart. It is always in our actions not only our words!
• Start a tradition: of family devotions, reading scripture together and discussing its meaning. Even a short daily devotion can plant seeds of faith that will grow with your grandchildren.

Seeing the good is also about overcoming challenges. Life is not always good BUT remains good. Leaning on our faith during these challenges shows our foundation to see the good in challenging times. Praying for wisdom and strength is part one. Our subsequent trusting and depending on God demonstrates our reliance on God to our grandchildren.

Do not hesitate to seek support from your church, friends, or professional counselors. This not only helps you cope better but also shows your grandchildren the importance of seeking help and community and not being ashamed. Maintain strong relationships with your grandchildren, children, and other family members. Open communication and a supportive network can help you stay positive and resilient and keep isolation at bay.

By seeing the good and sharing it with your grandchildren and community, you cultivate a legacy of positivity and faith. Your intentional efforts to focus on the good will not only enrich your own life but also inspire those around you to live with hope, gratitude, and joy.

Grandparents hold a special place in families. They are the bridge between generations, keepers of stories, and a source of wisdom and love. However, for Christian grandparents, the role takes on an even greater significance. We can not only nurture our grandchildren but also pass along a legacy of faith. I remember those talks with my grandmother, those stories of obedience, accompanied by her tender hug. Not only do I remember; I have shared those same stories with my children and grandchildren.

Now as grandparents, we face our own set of challenges. Here are some spiritual truths and practical tips to keep in mind:

• Grandparenting takes patience. Do not get discouraged if your grandchildren do not seem interested in faith right away. Keep planting seeds, and trust that God will water them in His time.
• Prayer is the most powerful tool we have. Pray for your grandchildren’s hearts to be open to God’s love and for them to grow in their faith.
• Your grandchildren are watching you. Live your faith authentically, and let your actions speak louder than words.

Intentional grandparenting is a beautiful way to leave a lasting legacy of faith. By sharing your stories, supporting your local church, and living your faith authentically, you can make a difference in the lives of your grandchildren for generations to come.

Remember, even amid challenges, focus on “Seeing the Good” – God is always working in our lives, and He will use you to raise up a generation of faithful followers.

Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications | ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LEGACY COALITION 

Our evening was spent on the back deck, sipping cold lemonade and listening to the birds sing their goodnight songs. As nighttime and darkness fell in symphony upon us, the darkened tree line was soon aglow. My mind filtered through the many wonderful childhood memories of those first summer nights when the mesmerizing, twinkling lights would appear. My parents would let us stay up later than usual to catch this amazing phenomenon.

We would have our bug houses, otherwise known as squeaky clean old mayonnaise jars with punched holes in the lid, all ready for the next inhabitants. Then for as long as our parents would let us, we would chase and catch lightning bugs.

I use the name lightning bug because I grew up in the Northeastern United States. Other parts of the country call them fireflies. Only much later did I learn that neither name is truly accurate. These flickering, blinking insects are beetles. And there are a lot of different varieties of them – over 2,000.

I kept looking and enjoying the free light show, realizing the darker it got, the brighter their lights appeared. It was as if time was standing still as I scanned the tree line for the flickering lights. I tried to guess where the next one would light up.

The light is the language of the firefly. It lets other lightning bugs know it is there. The life span of an adult lightning bug is short, from one to three weeks. During this time, their sole purpose is to continue their species into the next generation.

While I sat there in delight and wonder, spiritual lessons and applications came into view. One would be great to share with our youngest through oldest grandchildren. Additionally, there were lessons for us as well.

1. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

Darkness cannot stop the light. Even the small light on the underside of a beetle dispels the darkest night. Wherever the beetle shines its light, the dark is illuminated with a glow. It is the same with Jesus – He is our light. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119: 105). We can count on Him to be with us and help us no matter how dark things may become. We need to constantly be on the lookout for His light and show our grandchildren that God is active and alive. He is greater than the darkness.

For the littlest of our grandchildren, this is a great time to point to the amazing creation of Our Creator. Who would have thought about creating beetles that shine like flashlights in the night? God did! God made the world and everything in it. God said it was good. See how many more things your littles can name that God created. End by taking time to thank God for His creation and our ability to enjoy it. You could say something like: God loves us so much He made this wonderful world, let’s thank Him.

2. Let your light shine before others. (Matthew 5:16)

The lightning bugs were eager and enthusiastic about sharing their light. Each species has a unique flash pattern and intensity of glow. They use their light to attract other lightning bugs.

May we be eager to share the light of Jesus with our grandchildren. We are each unique creations of God. May we be diligent about sharing His light in our own personal way, staying true to Scripture. May we shine our light with intensity and purpose.

May our light – our Christian example as grandparents – draw our grandchildren to us and not repel them. May our language be one of light – full of grace and truth. Then may we use this privilege of relationship to reach them with His truth.

3. Send out your light and your truth. (Psalm 43:3)

Chasing the lightning bugs across the yard was so fun as a young child. Their off-and-on lights would lead me across the yard and back. Always calling me to come and follow. May our lives draw our grandchildren to come and follow Jesus. May our gracious truthful words call them to come and follow Jesus.

May our lights shine brightly calling our grandchildren, leading our grandchildren to God and His dwelling place in heaven. May we intentionally guide them with our words, actions, and attitude to the hill that is higher than us.

4. More to gain in light than in darkness. (Ecclesiastes 2:13)

Did you know there is a species of lightning bug – Photinus carolinus – that has the amazing ability to flash synchronously? All of them flash in unison. You can see this naturally occurring phenomenon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is such a sought-after event that a lottery is held to choose who can come to see it.

Do you know what would be amazing – what if parents and grandparents joined together in unison to be lights for the children? Shining, leading, and sharing the light together day by day. May our families be a bright synchronous team shining, drawing, and leading our grandchildren to the Great Light. May they too desire to capture and run hard following this light all the days of their lives. There is much to gain as we work together!

Conclusion

God promises us that whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. (John 3:21)

May God allow us to shine brightly for Him, helping to dispel the darkness while relying on Him. May we stay true to what Scripture teaches and remember to give God the glory when He blesses our efforts. May we be living examples and storytellers to our grandchildren that there is more gain in light than in darkness.

Maybe this summer God will give you the opportunity to share these verses and truth with your grandkids as you watch lightning bugs!

May we never forget that our time here is very short. Yes, it is remarkably longer than an adult lightning bug, but it is still very short in light of eternity. May we be focused on fulfilling our purpose of discipling this next generation and beyond. Shine bright, grandparent!

Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications | ORIGINAL POST FOUND HERE

Are you looking for some ideas for when the grandkids visit this summer? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.

You’ll find the activities organized into age groups to make them easier to choose.

A word of advice – do outside activities in the morning before the heat kicks in. Save the inside activities for those bad weather days as well as an escape from the heat of the afternoons. Leave some time to rest and relax too!

Younger Ages

• Go on a nature walk
• Visit the zoo
• Picnic at the park and play on the playground
• Go on a scavenger hunt (colors, shapes, or objects)
• Build a blanket fort and read a book inside it
• Blow bubbles or play at a water table or sand table
• Make a book about their visit with you
• Color together and have Scripture reading play in the background
• Play Hide and Seek
• Make popsicles
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Paint with water
• Dress up and have a teddy bear tea party
• Visit a fire station
• Play in a sprinkler
• Make puppets from paper bags or socks and put on a puppet show
• Catch lightning bugs
• Listen to Christian music
• Read from a children’s Bible, pray, and tuck them into nap or bedtime

Elementary Ages

• Camp out in the backyard
• Watch the clouds and point out shapes
• Make paper airplanes and see whose flies the farthest or straightest
• Teach them games you enjoyed like hopscotch, jump rope, 4 square, marbles, jacks, pick up sticks, Red Rover, Mother May I, yo-yo, solitaire with cards
• Visit a museum, state park, or battlefield
• Make ice cream
• Start a collection of rocks, butterflies, bugs, stamps, coins, shells
• Visit a beach
• Create a do-it-yourself science project
• Go berry picking
• Teach them how to preserve vegetables from the garden
• Go fishing, hiking, or swimming
• Make a bird feeder and observe/record species of birds (point to the Creator)
• Play charades or Pictionary
• Make a no-sew fleece blanket and deliver it to a homeless shelter
• Study a Scripture passage together (Examples: Psalm 23 or 119 and The Lord’s Prayer)
• Memorize a passage of Scripture together (Example Psalm 1)
• Dress up and go out to a fancy restaurant
• Go on a treasure hunt in the yard – create the map ahead of time, and the treasure could be a special treat, prize, or game
• Paint rocks together
• Make a graphic novel of your time together
• Tie-dye some t-shirts and get a photo wearing them
• Play balloon volleyball, corn hole, badminton, or croquet
• Go to a sporting event

Teenagers

• Play miniature golf or frisbee golf
• Have a spa day where you go out or do an in-home version
• Enjoy a build-your-own pizza night
• Hold an outdoor movie night with popcorn
• Make a campfire and enjoy s’mores (share stories of favorite memories)
• Host an outside game night and play capture the flag, sardines, or various lawn games
• Attend an outdoor concert and talk about concerts you went to as a teen
• Work on a puzzle
• Go on a spontaneous car trip and don’t let them know where you are going
• Research family history together
• Attend area summer festivals
• Play glow-in-the-dark games
• Go star gazing
• Teach them a skill like cooking, woodworking, fishing, crocheting, or changing a tire
• Take a break to journal about your visit
• Host a family legacy night where they can ask you any question about the family
• Study Proverbs together by reading one each day and discussing; choose several verses to memorize such as Proverbs 3:5-6
• Go to a Christian bookstore and choose a devotional book to do together
• Read together and discuss a good book like Pilgrim’s Progress or Screwtape Letters.
• Go line or square dancing
• Design a family crest
• Visit an art museum
• Do yardwork for a neighbor in need
• Have them make a playlist of their favorite songs for you
• Hold a movie marathon
• Sing karaoke together

College Ages

• Go out for food like pizza, sushi, ice cream, or hamburgers
• Have them create a bucket list of activities they would like to do with you
• Design an escape room activity for the next family reunion that incorporates family history into the clues
• Go for brunch and catch up on what is happening in her life
• Do a book study that is scripturally based and relevant to them (Example: We Will Not Be Silenced by Erwin Lutzer)
• Have them teach you how to use the Marco Polo app (It’s a great way to keep in touch!)
• Go garage sale hunting for something for their college dorm room
• Try out a new restaurant, preferably one with food neither of you has had before
• Attend a community event in the area
•  

Conclusion

One grandmother plans out her week in this fun way:

Make it Mondays – an activity is done like a craft, a woodworking project, a dessert, or a meal. The only constant is that it is something made by hand. Tuesdays are Take a trip day followed by Wacky Wednesdays where almost anything goes. Next comes Thinking Thursdays when books, projects, research, or something of an educational nature are done. Finishing up with Friendly Fridays where service projects and acts of kindness are the focus.

What fun activities can you come up with for your grandkids? Look over the lists to find ideas that will interest your grandchildren.

A grandfather when looking over the lists said, you could have the college-age grandchildren watch the littlest grandchildren so you can take a nap. Not a bad idea!

Remember, they have 18 summers before they are adults. Take advantage of any time you have with them. Keep in mind that we are called to redeem the time for the days are evil. As you are having fun, making memories, and building closer relationships, capitalize on this time to share your love for Jesus and His Word.

May God bless your time with your grandkids this summer!