1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to everyday prayers with million praying 2 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: moms helping you pray God's word for your family in 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: the areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: first and best response in parenting, and every day we 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: come together to partner with God for the hearts of 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: our children. Today's devotion is written and read by Jay Peilagner, 8 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: author of his new book A Grand Way to Live, Faith, 9 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: Wisdom and Joy for every Grandparent. I invited Jay to 10 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: share as we approach Father's Day. He shares wisdom for 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: grandparents and also for us as moms as we relate 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: to the grandparents in our lives. After a quick word 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our families. 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 2: Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents 15 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: are the pride of their children. Proverbs seventeen, verse six NIV. 16 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 2: My wife Rita and I thought nothing could be better 17 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: than pouring into the lives of our five kids and 18 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 2: watching them grow, love, laugh, learn, create, discern, serve and 19 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: follow God with conviction and joy. Well we were wrong. 20 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 2: It turns out grandparenting is even better. We loved being 21 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: grandma and chief. That's what the grandkids called me. We 22 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: love that from the start. But it took a few 23 00:01:54,680 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: life lessons, especially for this grandfather, to fully understand how 24 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: to maximize my role. This million praying mom's devotion for 25 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: Father's Day gives me the chance, the ideal chance, to 26 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: share that break through strategy. And it's remarkably simple. Here 27 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: it is be a grand friend. Attempting to define my 28 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 2: grandfathering role. I found myself turning every interaction with my 29 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 2: growing grandchildren into a mandatory lesson. As a result, playing 30 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: with legos, making cardboard castles, driveway basketball, and even just 31 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 2: reading a bedtime story became a joyless burden for them 32 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 2: and for me. One day, sitting in the bleachers at 33 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: a little league baseball game, I began my typical pattern 34 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: of growling, grimacing, and even shouting game strategy to the players. Afterward, 35 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: my son, who had been observing my behavior, respectfully took 36 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: me aside, and I will always be grateful for his 37 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 2: courageous and persuasive words. He said, Dad, you have my 38 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: permission to just enjoy the game. What a blessing that was. 39 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: I was free simply to be a friend to my 40 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: grandchildren rather than a taskmaster or a warden. Watching my 41 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: grandson joyfully play our national pastime, I could finally share 42 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: that joy. That's the kind of relationlationship I describe as 43 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: one of the primary goals for grandparents in my book, 44 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: A Grand Way to Live. In my research and interviews, 45 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: I discovered that grandparents often need to be reminded that 46 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: their relationship with the youngest generation is different from the 47 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: one moms and dads have. God has tasked parents with 48 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: the challenging role of consistently setting boundaries, protecting, providing for, 49 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 2: and guiding their children through years of life's ups and downs, 50 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: creating a dynamic where for parents, friendship might not always 51 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: be appropriate or possible. On the other hand, grandparents see 52 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 2: the bigger picture, establish a calming presence and serve as 53 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 2: a trusted all who offers encouragement, perspective, delight, and acceptance 54 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: without competing for authority. That doesn't make grandparents anti parent, 55 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: actually quite the opposite. The best grandparents reinforce mom and 56 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 2: Dad's values, boundaries, and priorities, but they also bring a 57 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: tenderness and reassurance there will always be a safe place 58 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 2: to land. If you're a grandmother and part of million 59 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: praying moms, I hope you take this idea to heart. 60 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 2: If you're a mom still in the chaos of raising 61 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 2: the next generation, may you one day experience the joy 62 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: and privilege of being a grand friend to a future generation. 63 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 2: For now, will consider recruiting your own parents or in 64 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: laws as grand friends to your kids. It's not really 65 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 2: that difficult. Actually framing your request as a just discovered 66 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: opportunity can be a wonderful gift to that generation. You 67 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: might even say something like, hey, I came across a 68 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: devotional last week that really rang true. It was speaking 69 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 2: to grandparents and encouraging them to dig deep into the 70 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 2: joy of grandparenting, building lifelong relationships. They called it being 71 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 2: a grand friend. Doesn't that sound like a good idea? 72 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: And then the ensuing conversation could unpack what being a 73 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 2: grand friend friend might mean. As my son suggested, it's 74 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: giving grandparents permission quote to just enjoy the game, to 75 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: do what friends do, to play, listen, laugh, share discoveries, 76 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 2: keep secrets, pray for each other, encourage dreams, celebrate milestones, 77 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 2: be a cheerleader. As a grandfriend, you will create lasting 78 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 2: bonds within your family that will enrich all your lives 79 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: even into eternity. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, we cherish your 80 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 2: designed for families and the generational roles you've given us 81 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 2: as described in Proverbs seventeen, verse six. Help us Lord 82 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: find purpose, pride, and joy as parents, grandparents, and adult children, 83 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 2: giving love and receiving love unconditionally in Jesus' name. 84 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: Amen, friend, it is not too late to join us 85 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: for our summer book club featuring the book When Mothering 86 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: Is Hard and No One Sees by my friend Selene Roberts. 87 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: It's happening now through the end of July, and we 88 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: want you to join us. Head to the homepage of 89 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: our website, Million Prayingmoms dot com to find out more 90 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: and use the code book Club twenty for twenty percent 91 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: off your order from our mom shop. Until next time, Friends, 92 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 93 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the 94 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.