Retirement Insights

Many things shape our understanding of grandparenting—our grandparents, popular culture, and hopefully, the Bible. Scripture challenges us to move beyond cultural expectations and embrace a higher calling. Dr. Mulvihill outlines four essential roles for Christian grandparents: Encouraging Voice – A cheerleader who offers kind words and spiritual support. Supportive Parent – A steady helping hand for our adult children as they raise their families. Loving Friend – A trusted companion who listens with compassion. Disciple-Maker – A mentor in the faith who intentionally helps grandchildren know and follow Christ. We must ask: How am I helping my grandchildren grow in Christ? What goals am I setting as a spiritual guide? Rejecting Cultural Messages Modern culture sends grandparents three harmful messages: Live independently of your family. You’ve worked hard—now it’s time to focus on yourself. Just have fun with your grand...

 Friendship in retirement isn’t always easy. Many of us have seen relationships drift as careers wind down, kids move away, and routines shift. However, according to Brad Hambrick’s Transformative Friendships: 7 Questions to Deepen Any Relationship , our later years can be some of the richest when it comes to cultivating meaningful, soul-enriching friendships. Drawing from Proverbs 27:17 (“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”) and Proverbs 18:24 (“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”), Hambrick reminds us that friendship is both simple and meaningful. The trick isn’t to make relationships perfect, but to gently, intentionally deepen them. Seven Simple Questions The heart of Hambrick’s message is built around seven questions. They aren’t complicated. In fact, they’re so basic that they might seem too easy at first glance. But when used consistently—and with genuine curiosity—they can help move a relationship from small talk to something truly l...

In our recent discussion group, we turned our attention to a sobering but profoundly important topic—death, not in the abstract but as a deeply human, spiritual, and relational experience. Drawing from Robb Noll’s The Art of Dying: Living Fully Into the Life to Come , we explored how modern culture has drifted far from the Christian tradition of dying well and why recovering this lost art matters now more than ever. Facing the Unspoken As Noll notes, contemporary Americans live in unprecedented denial of death. We’ve pushed it out of sight—out of homes, out of conversation, and too often, out of church life. This denial may feel like progress, but it comes at a cost. We’ve lost the ability to help people die well and to mourn well. We’ve forgotten that death is not just a medical event—it’s a deeply spiritual one. Christian tradition once upheld the “good death,” an approach where final moments became a time of reconciliation, repentance, spiritual preparation, and ultimately, a ...