Nienhuis - Brave moms, brave kids: a battle plan for raising heroes

Precious LordYou are the way, the truth and the life, all to You I owe. Every word is for You, and every great thought comes from You. To You be all glory, honor, and praise.

Mike, my farmerIt is a privilege to be your wife and to parent our tribe together. Thank you for loving me and leading me so well. I love, admire, and respect you, and Im ever so grateful that I am yours. May our walk together bring many to Christ.

Brendan, Gabi, Lexie Beth, and RyanThere would be no book without you. Thank you for letting me share our story, for forgiving me time and again, and for encouraging me to keep writing. I love you and Im so grateful to be your mama. Chase after Jesus, Im cheering you on.

JeannaEvery step of the way you encouraged me and spurred me on. Chapter 3 wouldnt be in this book if you hadnt told me to chase fear and promised me it would be worth it. Thank you for being my confidant, prayer buddy, and assistant. You are a gift.

Our parentsYou give us the roots that have made Mike and me who we are. We laugh harder, love deeper, and love Jesus more because of each of you. I love you.

Our extended familyBeing a Ford Tutor Riley Nienhuis is an honor. I love that the Lord gave me each of you.

Marlae and MelthaMy mentors and dear friends. Thank you.

Kathleen KerrMy editor and friend. You get me and you love Jesus. Im so glad we chose each other. I hope we strike sparks off each other for a long time.

Harvest House teamWorking with you is a delight. Thank you for taking a chance on me.

My pastors and FBC familyYou lead me well. Thank you for encouraging and equipping me to teach the Word. I love calling you home and worshipping Jesus with you.

My Grace Adventures familyThank you for being my friends and my favorite place to serve. For believing Jesus would use me long before I did. Im keeping my nametag and using it as long as youll have me.

My Moms in Prayer familyIt is an honor to serve beside you. You are the bravest women I know. Every school till Jesus returns.

My hero friends and family who have let me tell their storiesMay Jesus be brought even greater glory. Thank you.

Our friendsThe ones who ministered through presence, car rides, ice cream cones, confetti, cards, balloons, canned goods, brainstorming, and campfires. To the ones who my kids call big sisters, and the ones who have prayed me through, and who have extended grace upon grace.

Lee Nienhuis is a passionate and dynamic Bible teacher and communicator. She serves on the National Speaking Team for Moms in Prayer International and loves serving women at conferences and retreats nationwide. She longs for revival that begins in our hearts, transforms our homes, and impacts our communities. She and her farmer-husband, Mike, have four great kids and live in beautiful West Michigan. Lee loves being a wife and mother, but when she isnt carting kids, attending sporting events, or whipping up dinners, she loves hot cups of coffee, deep friendships, and laughing till her sides ache.

You can learn more about Lee, her ministry, and her speaking schedule, and find other resources at

LeeNienhuis.com or BraveMomsBraveKids.com

Connect with her online on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Dear Grandma,

They may call you Meema or Gi-Gi or Nani or Granny or G-maw, but regardless of your title the role youve been given by the Lord is precious and important. If you have read to this point in the book, I want you to know I see your commitment to the next generation, and it inspires me.

May I make three brief suggestions to you as a grandmom from the perspective of a mom in the trenches?

1. Let Faith Dwell First in You

The influence of one grandmother in Scripture helped change the course of history, and thank the Lord we have her name. Sometimes that doesnt happen, either in Scripture or in life in general, I suppose. Lois was a woman of deep faith in Yahweh. As a Jewess, she was waiting for the Messiah to come and she found strength in the Scriptures. Her daughter, Eunice, was also a woman of faith, but had married a Greek man. I imagine Lois wasnt comfortable with their marriage if she was a devout Jew, but we can know for sure that no matter her hang-ups about her son-in-law, she fell in love with the grandchild that union brought her. At some point, maybe during Pauls trip to Lystra, her hometown, or maybe from new believers coming home from Jerusalem, Lois and Eunice learned about Christ.

Lois embraced the teachings of Christ with her daughter and began teaching her grandson the Jewish Scriptures and how they were fulfilled in Jesus. Paul wrote to the young man,

Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15, emphasis added).

That young man was Timothy, Pauls dearest companion and son in the faith. We really cant emphasize how incredible the contribution of those two women were to the ministry of Paul. They had nurtured and faithfully discipled the young Timothy, so that when God presented the opportunity for ministry, he was ready in body and spirit. That boy went on to become a mighty warrior in the kingdom of God, and as Paul reminded him in his final letter,

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well (2 Timothy 1:5).

Lets link arms and train our children in the Scriptures from hearts that are well watered in the Word.

2. Try to Stay Involved

As we said before, there is power in presence.

Your relationship with your grandchildren may be close. While my in-laws were preparing to head to the mission field, they stayed in the home of one of their parents. Before their departure for Indonesia and upon their return home, Mikes grandparents played a tremendously important role in his life. Your story may be difficult, like theirs, and you may be standing in the gap for your kids in the lives of your grandchildren. That is certainly the case in many homes. If so, receive my admiration and prayers. You may attend soccer games in the rain, listen to squeaky instruments at band concerts, or even let them drive your car to prom. All of it matters.

This role may change as the years roll on. I had the opportunity to live with Mikes grandparents for several months when we were engaged. It was a unique privilege to live in such a mature, nurturing, godly environment. Some of my sweetest memories are coming in from a date with their grandson and climbing onto the foot of their bed to talk. Grandpa still likes to tease me that they couldnt keep me out, but I know they loved it too. What a gift I received watching them love each other, study Scripture, and live their lives to honor Christ. It was an unconventional roleadopted grandparentsbut it all mattered.

Or, sadly, you may not be present in the lives of your children and grandchildren at all. Perhaps your relationship with your children hit the rocks, or you were distracted for a time. Whatever the reason for the space and tension, you can lead the way in trying to rebuild a bridge. Relationships take effort, and they are messy and hard. But this grandparenting stuff is worth it, for you and for them.