Many grandparents experience a surge of joy with the birth or adoption of a grandchild. For years afterward, time together is eagerly coveted, pictures are treasured and displayed, and multiple gifts along with various kinds of support are gladly provided. Richard Olson, a retired minister, professor of theology, and grandparent many times over, presents the unconditional love of a grandparent as indicative of a vocation, a calling from God. He explores the vocation of grandparent in all of its multiple dimensions of being and doing. Informed by a biblical perspective, the book explores the author’s personal journey of grandparenting and includes conversations with a diverse set of other grandparents. Olson examines biblical examples of grandparenting and suggests that the grandparent vocation has possibilities that often go unnoticed. These include care, enjoyment, and response to issues throughout a grandchild’s growth. He also addresses concerns for our grandchildren’s future world, and how grandparents can engage in mutual conversation about faith, morals, and values in a changing world. In addition, Olson discusses increasingly common relationship types such as grandparents serving as primary caregivers, adults becoming step-grandparents through marriage, interreligious family systems, and grandparents handling children with special needs. The book includes questions for personal or group reflection.

Grandparenting is a sacred, challenging, and sometimes bewildering calling. As educators, writers, and grandmothers with twelve grandchildren between them, Marilyn McEntyre and Shirley Showalter team up to share practices, tips, and ideas for grandparenting with intention and grace.

What’s the difference between being a grandparent and being a Catholic grandparent? You’ll find the answer to this question—and much more—in The Catholic Grandparents Handbook. This book offers ideas and inspiration on how you can incorporate faith, hope, love, and fun into your relationship with your grandchildren. Topics such as the importance of prayer, sharing faith, passing on family history, and preserving family traditions are explored. You’ll also find valuable advice on helping grandchildren through difficult times, supporting with grandchildren who are unchurched, and building strong relationships—even when grandchildren live far away. Whether you are an experienced grandparent or awaiting the arrival of your first grandchild, this handbook will support and affirm you as you grow in your role as a Catholic grandparent.

Beautiful prayers that pour out love and affection for grandparents, alive and deceased.

Finding happiness at 80+, from the perspective of an octogenarian. Author Ralph Milton wants readers to know that old age is not a disease circling the world ready to pounce on anyone over eighty. Many, maybe even most, old people, say they are happier and more contented than they have ever been. And that’s good news because Canadians are living much, much longer. In fact, octogenarians are the county’s fastest growing demographic. To quote the author, "Society has never had to deal with such a huge bunch of old people." To address this societal shift, Well Aged offers a candid, useful and entertaining insider’s take on life among the old, old. Not the recently retired who are enjoying Arizona winters and unlimited golf, but those in their last years, usually in the eighty- to one- hundred-year-old bracket. While there is good material written by health-care professionals for other professionals, and popular non-fiction to inspire the recently retired, there is virtually nothing written at the non-professional level for the oldest of the old. Or for their families and care givers. This book is a free wheeling, down to earth, inside look at what it’s really like to be old, written by an insider and sprinkled liberally with humour. Topics include: Identity and independence Choosing a retirement location among the options of independent living, retirement residences and nursing homes Personal health needs and priorities Community support, friendships and recreation Spirituality and religion Intimacy, companionship, sexuality, homosexuality Loneliness, depression and frailty Leaving a legacy and end of life arrangements When the situation of elderly Canadians does get public attention, as it has during the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus is on what can go wrong. Well Aged is intended to expand the conversation around aging, and it is a must-read for anyone who needs to put out their birthday cake with a fire extinguisher—as well as those who love and care for them.

The book addresses the pain grandparents feel about their grandchildren, the worry and anxiety they feel that their grandchildren's future will not include the Catholic faith-or any faith at all-and explains what can be done about this. Hunt affirms the importance and signifigance of a grandparent and shows how their role is even more important today than in generations past. His inspiring message to grandparents is: You can do this-failure is not an option and apathy is unacceptable. You can and must fight the culture's pull where your grandchildren are concerned, because whoever wants your grandchildren most will get them. Grandparents will see themselves as key influencers in their grandchildren's lives, and a major predictor in their futures, second only to parents (and in many instances, even more influential, as research proves).

What does it mean to be called as a husband, a wife, a parent, a child? How does the grace of the gospel impact how we carry out our particular calling? How does God's presence influence the struggles that families face? Gene Veith joins forces with his daughter Mary Moerbe to explore these kinds of questions as well as the roles of calling and vocation in family life. Though we have little control over who is in our family (other than choosing a spouse and deciding to have children), God has placed us with specific people for specific reasons. Veith and Moerbe show how our roles are distinct and important to God's plan for our lives—and that when we have a biblical understanding of those roles in our families, we can move away from common dysfunctions and toward forgiveness and healing. Writing with sensitivity and wisdom, Veith and Moerbe address the common problems facing contemporary families: the crosses, the weaknesses, and the uncertainties. They articulate a compelling, biblical paradigm for creating and sustaining loving and forgiving families who maintain hope in the face of cultural pressure. This book is an important resource for all Christians, including pastors, counselors, and those working in family ministry.