BLACK GRANDPARENT MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019

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COM ING SOON!

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I N THI S I SSUE

Edit orial 01 Life Principals 02 Heart of Grandma 03 Heart of Grandpa 04 Today's Parent Trap 05 The Import ance of Grandparent s 06

Bl ack Gr an dpar en t M agazi n e, AUGUST 2019, Vol . I , No.1 i s pu bl i sh ed qu ar t er l y, © Copyr i gh t

by Lan ar e Pu bl i sh i n g 2019. Al l r i gh t s r eser ved. You m ay n ot m odi f y, pu bl i sh , t r an sm i t , par t i ci pat e i n t h e t r an sf er or sal e of , cr eat e der i vat i ve w or k s f r om , di st r i bu t e, di spl ay, r epr odu ce or per f or m , or i n an y w ay ex pl oi t i n an y f or m at w h at soever an y of Lan ar e Pu bl i sh i n g's con t en t , i n w h ol e or i n par t w i t h ou t pr i or w r i t t en con sen t . w it h appr opr iat e cr edit on social m edia.

Not hing Like a Gr andpar ent 's Love...

Black Gr andpar ent Magazine

WE LOVE OUR GRANDPAREN We love our Grandparent s!! Welcome t o t he Premiere Issue of Black Grandparent Magazine!! This magazine is long over-due and very much needed . I mean, what would we do wit hout grandparent s?

They provide wisdom, love, insight , advice, prot ect ion, et c, et c. W hat would t he world be like wit hout t hem? Quit e frankly, I would not want t o live in t hat world. Grandparent s have t he unique and uncanny abilit y t o lit erally change t he course of our lives. W hen t hey st ep int o a sit uat ion, you bet t er believe somet hing major or life-alt ering is going t o t ake place. If t hey are good, and involved, and fait hful grandparent s, t hey just leave t hat t ype of legacy. In t his premiere issue, we t ake a look not only at t he dynamic role t hat grandparent s play, we also consider t he challenges t hat t hey face in a rapidly changing world. As a Christ ian publicat ion, we always give rise t o t his fact , as well as align t he t imes we are living in and going t hrough wit h t he Holy Script ure. W it h t hat said, check out our cover and feat ure art icle "Parent Trap, W hy Are So Many Grandparent s Taking Care of Their Grandkids?" As we cont inue t o barrel t hrough t hese "last days" and Biblically speaking, Sat an has pulled out all t he st ops in t erms of t rying t o dest roy t he family unit , children and parent s, but hallelujah for grandparent s who were cut from a different clot h and hail from a different generat ion all t oget her. They have st epped in, and it seems world-wide, t o raised, prot ect , guide and nurt ure t heir grandchildren in t hese t rying t imes.

Also, it just wouldn't seem right unless we gave t hem t heir own spot light , so check out our feat ure art icles "Heart of Grandma, W isdom Taught ", and also "Heart of Grandpa, Lessons Learned", and finally we want you sit back, relax, and enjoy reading t his publicat ion.

StephanieMaxwell- Robles Publisher/Editor- in Chief Content and Creative Director

NTS!!

LIFE PRINCIPALS LIFE IS A GAME YOU KNOW YOU TAKE LEFT, YOU TAKE RIGHT ALWAYS FOR SHOW BUT ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THAT GOD SITS HIGH ON THE THRONE DON'T TAKE HIM FOR GRANTED LESS YOU'LL NEVER KNOW SHOW HIM WISDOM, GRACE, AND A FINE MIND I'LL SHOW YOU A REWARD THAT IS ALWAYS RIGHT ON TIME © 2019 By S. L. Maxwell-Robles

H EART OF GRANDMA

By St eph an ie L. M axw ell-Robles Grandmother's provide a unique perspective on life. Since the beginning of time, they have been the voice, ears, and eyes of a nation...

Grandmot her's are a rare jewel in deed! Be t hey Mat ernal (your mot her's mot her), Pat ernal (your fat hers mot her), Adopt ed (no act ual relat ion), or Spirit ual (Godly t ie), t hey all have been divinely placed, and wit hout hesit at ion nurt ure and care for everyone in t he family, and beyond!

Grandmot hers are such a great asset s. Their et ernal wisdom and broadly-ranging knowledge are of great value and have great impact on our lives in such a glorious and marvelous way. In fact , grandmot hers maint ain a very specific role not only in t he family, but also as indicat ed in t he Bible. Here is what Script ure says about her: "The elderswhich are among you I exhort, whom also an elder and a witnessof the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which isamong you, taking oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:1-4 Grandmot her's render prot ect ion, love, warmt h, great st ories and t hey are t he keepers of t he family hist ory! Black grandmot hers have been t hrough and seen a lot , and have wit hst ood t he t est of t ime. A grandmot her's love is like a fine wine, it never goes bad, in fact , it just get s bet t er wit h t ime.

A grandmot hers solidarit y and post ure always reassures us t hat even in t he worst of t imes "t his t oo shall pass", and soon all "will get bet t er". She is resilient , one-of-a-kind, unique and has a plet hora of wisdom. A grandmot hers heart is so big and wide and t hat she even t akes care of children t hat are not her own. A grandmot hers divine knowledge, wisdom and inst ruct ion can, and does, uniquely alt er ones course on life. She's always making a profound impact ! She is a scholar, a lover, a believer, and rejoice in t he t rut h.

A grandmot her is kind, willing t o help and always uses her life experience t o guide and direct her children, grandchildren and family. She is a driver of pat ience, wholesomeness, humilit y, and can cause even t he hardest of heart s t o melt . Her wisdom allows for everyone she comes in cont act wit h t o be blessed. She is happy, loving, well-informed, non-worrying, t rust 's and believes in t he Lord, and is diligent .

Black grandmot hers at t imes can be t ough, and she doesn't t ake any st uff! She want s t he best for you and expect s you t o want t he best for yourself also.

Grandmot hers rule over all, along wit h grandpa. They are t he t wo divinely, elderly appoint ed heads and t he mat riarchs/pat riarchs of t he family. W het her you have a MaDear, Big Mama, Nana or Paw-Paw honor and respect t hem for t heir wisdom and t he unique cont ribut ions t hey make t owards your life, exist ence, and t he overall family.

Respect , Love, and Prot ect a Black Grandmot her t oday!

" Wisdom Tau gh t ..."

H EART OF GRANDPA

By St eph an ie L. M axw ell-Robles "Paw-paw", Dad, Pop, Baba Karimi...we love our grandfat hers! Grandfat her's, just like grandmot her's have a unique perspect ive!

They oft en share wit h us t he realness of life, and at t imes, humorously and non-sugarcoat ed!

Their unique t ake on life and how t o arrive at family solut ions has been inst rument al.

They have been t he gat ekeepers and t hat solidifying component in t he rearing of children/grandchildren, as well as t he voice t o "get st raight " any male presence want ing t o co-exist or ent er in wit h t he family, be it boyfriend, fiancĂŠe, or even current husband.

Grandpa's are fun! They are prot ect ors and nurt urer's t oo, and by t he t ime t he grandchildren have come, like grandma's, due t o living life, and t hen living just a lit t le bit more, t hey oft en become t hat which everyone needs and at t he right t ime.

Grandfat her's somet imes can be t he family Pat riarch ruling t heir "dynast y" it seems like wit h an iron-clad fist , but t he t rut h of t he mat t er is t hat we need, like grandmot hers, t heir st rengt h, guidance, humilit y, wisdom, and know-how. Was your grandfat her a "jack of all t rades", liked t o "t inker" or could fix or build anyt hing? Was your answer yes t o t hat quest ion?...We love our grandpa's!

Most grandfat hers are known t o pass out

candy, give you a lit t le spending change or make sure you have your favorit e t hings or food t o eat .

Black grandfat her's, just like Black grandmot her's have weat hered t he st orm.

They have had t o wit ness and go t hrough t hings t hat no human being should ever eart hly have t o wit ness. However, because of t he fact t hat we are a Christ ian publicat ion, we are able t o put t he many t ragic occurrences t hat African-Americans have gone t hrough in proper perspect ive.

Meaning, if God brought you t o it , he had a meaning and purpose for it all. And what God brings you t o, he will cert ainly bring you t hrough.

Thank God t his publicat ion also knows t he power of prayer, and t hat God hears and answers our prayers. Grandfat her's have had t o endure and suffer much. If it wasn't for t he Lord, where would t hey be? If I had a grandfat her alive, I would ask him t o t ell me how many t imes, living during t he harsh sit uat ions in which t hey did, did God save t hem and t hey knew it ? I would ask how did God help you navigat e t he racist wat ers of t he Unit ed St at es and st ill survive it ?

We have t o solut e our grandfat her's for being t he t ough guys t hat t hey were, and in a t ime when everyt hing was scrut inized and wat ched and t hey had t o wat ch t heir sons die in t he st reet s and t heir women being

"L esson's Learned..." raped by whit e men. And don't t hink t hey just sat back and t ook it . They st ood up, t hey fought back, went t o war, and at t imes were even forced t o fight for t he same count ry who killed t hem, and denied t hem equal right s, equal access, and equal opport unit ies.

They endured a t ough and crucial t ime in t his count ry and it 's t ime t hat t he Devil give it back, all t hat he st ole!

"For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possessthe double; everlasting joy shall be unto them."

Isaiah 61:7 (KJV) Love, support , honor, cherish and respect your Black grandfat her t oday!

Par ent Tr ap Wh y ar e so m an y Gr an dpar en t s t ak in g car e of t h eir gr an dch ildr en ?

By St eph an ie L. M axw ell-Robles We've all seen it. This growing epidemic of Grandparents taking care of their grandchildren on a full-time basis as their primary care-givers, and after having already raised their own children. If you are like many, you may be wondering, why?

With the exception of the death of a parent, according to www.aarp.org, while still dealing with or

working through their own situations, "Many grandparents are raising grandchildren because their children are facing their own difficulties", and "A significant portion is doing so because the middle generation can't handle the duties of child-rearing".

According to www.ag.ndsu.edu "The reason a grandparent

may provide needed care for a grandchild vary and can include: Parent has an addiction or difficulties with alcohol or drugs....Parent has mental health challenges or emotional problems....[or] Child neglect, abandonment or abuse."

Again, according to www.ag.ndsu.edu, here is a more specific list of potential reason's why a child is cared for by a grandparent: 1. Par en t h as addict ion dif f icu lt ies w it h alcoh ol or dr u gs.

2. Par en t h as m en t al h ealt h ch allen ges or em ot ion al pr oblem s.

3. Ch ild n eglect , aban don m en t or abu se 4. Par en t is in jail 5. You t h or in exper ien ce of par en t s (t een pr egn an cy, et c.)

6. Ph ysical h ealt h issu es or deat h of a par en t

7. Un st able h om e lif e, h om elessn ess 8. Lack of f in an cial r esou r ces, lack of gen er al abilit y 9. Dom est ic violen ce in t h e h om e, divor ce, ot h er f am ily ch allen ges 10. M ilit ar y deploym en t These statistics are not only alarming, but most definitely a sign of our times.

It is clear that men, women, children, and families need help and support now more than ever.

While the enemy continues on his mantra to "steal, kill, and destroy" James 10:10 (KJV), families must continue to gird themselves with the leading, guiding, direction and following of Jesus Christ, as well as the continued following of God's word (The Bible) and his commands.

We must continue to

build strong families, strong foundations and even stronger systems of support.

Here are some facts in closing taken from www.ag.ndsu.edu: "Grandparents are very important and influential people to grandchildren of all ages...if you are a grandparent raising a grand child, you may need to work at defining your new role and establishing a positive relationship with your grand child. the circumstances that put you in this position have a big impact on how your role develops.

Keep in mind that the child is not responsible for the situation and should not be put in a position of being blamed or shamed. You have an exciting opportunity to guide your grandchild toward becoming the responsible adult that you envision."

We wholeheartedly agree!

THE IM PORTANCE OF GRANDPARENTS GRANDPARENTS ARE SO VERY SPECIAL WE LOVE THEM THROUGH AND THROUGH THEY SHOW US THE WAY TEACH US FROM RIGHT AND WRONG AND ALWAYS KNOW WHAT TO DO THEY ARE A GIFT FROM GOD THEY ARE TRAILBLAZERS AND OUR FINE BLUE PRINT A ROAD MAP AND PERSONAL GUIDE A DEAL YOU JUST CAN'T FORGET SO WE SALUTE YOU TODAY IN EACH AND EVERY WAY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND ARE FOR WITHOUT OUR GRANDPARENTS, LIFE TODAY WOULD BE JUST TOO DARN HARD © 2019 By S. L. Maxwell-Robles

B LACK GRANDPARENT M AGAZIN

NE

"SLEEP LI KE A BABY"

Com in g Soon !

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