In today’s Meet the Author, I am sharing an interview with author Lillian Penner. This author interview was originally shared as part of a blog tour on Library Lady’s Kid Lit.
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About the Author – Lillian Penner
Lillian Ann Penner is an author, speaker, and grandmother residing with her husband, John, in Portland, Oregon. They have been married for more than fifty years and have three married sons and nine grandchildren.
Penner is the national prayer coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN), and she writes about her passion of intentional praying grandparents for CGN’s website. She is involved in leadership in the women’s Bible study, the fifty-five plus group in her church, and leads a Grandparents@Prayer group.
She has been active in church ministry for over fifty years, led an outreach ministry for young mothers, a mentoring ministry for women, and various other church ministries. She has participated in short term missions in Ukraine and volunteered with several Christian ministries.
She and her husband enjoy traveling, but most of all, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.
More from Lillian Penner
Finding Joy in Praying for my Grandchildren
What a joy it is to have that precious little grandchild come running into your arm with hugs and kisses. The six-year-old calling to tell you she lost her first tooth or your seven-year-old grandson excited about making his first goal in his soccer game.
In addition to senior discounts, grandchildren are one of the rewards of growing older. Mary H. Waldrip says it well, “Grandchildren are God’s way of compensating us for growing old.”
I now have nine grandchildren, ages ranging from sixteen years to thirty-eight years, four are married, and we have five great-granddaughters. As a long-distance grandmother for many years, I was not fully aware of my grandchildren’s immediate needs. I prayed that God would bless them, give them good health and protection. Ultimately, I became frustrated and felt something was lacking with my vague and general prayers. I asked God to show me how to become more deliberate in praying for them.
After reading books about grandparenting and prayer full of practical advice, I was encouraged to use specific Scriptures in praying for my grandchildren. The books motivated me to pray regularly for their emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Best of all, praying God’s Word has enabled me to pray with His power, direction, and wisdom. As their grandparent, I can have a significant role in influencing their lives by praying for them during these turbulent years has given me fulfillment and satisfaction in praying for them.
The faith of our children is weakened in the classrooms; young adults raised in our hostile environment are walking away from God in record numbers. Hopelessness is prevalent, and our society is reeling from the opioid crisis, mass shootings, fatherlessness, divorce, and so much more.
Recognizing the urgent need for my grandchildren’s spiritual needs God gave me a passion of praying Scripture for my grandchildren. I felt God wanted me to share my passion with other grandparents so I wrote the book Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren about ten years ago. It has blessed and encouraged many grandparents. This past year I felt God wanted me to revise and expand the book, so I added the following chapters with a study guide for each chapter.
- I have found there are many hurting estranged grandparents today with heavy hearts, so I am addressing that issue in a chapter. Is your grandparenting Painful or a blessing?
- I include a section looking at a view of the culture our grandchildren and their parents are navigating today.
- God’s Design for grandparenting plus several additional chapters and Scriptures to Pray for Teens and Scriptures for Grandparents to pray for themselves.
The book retails for $14.99. However, it is available for a discounted price of $15.00, including shipping and handling costs in the U. S. for a limited time. A bonus of a Scriptural Prayer resource will be included with your purchase. The book is available in EBook format for $3.99 for those who would prefer the EBook format or live outside the U. S. to save on shipping costs.
This book will challenge you and give you resources for the spiritual battle with the enemy. It will show you how to be an intentional disciple-maker and prayer warrior to impact the next generation.
An Interview with Lillian Penner
When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Probably about 15 years ago
When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
I am a wife, mother, grandmother great-grandmother, prayer group leader, friend, neighbor etc, Have lunch with friends, play word games, and travel.
What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?
At this point I am interested in reading about the trends in our culture because I feel that is what I should write about to educate grandparents about the urgency to pray intentionally for their grandchildren. If I do recreational reading it would be Christian fiction.
What is your favorite holiday? And why?
Christmas. I like the festivities, family time, decorations, and baking cookies.
What historical figure do you admire and why?
Billy Graham. I admire his dedication of sharing the gospel with the world.
In a library or a bookstore – what section do you head to first?
Christian fiction, I always have enjoyed the Amish fiction.
What in your background brought you to the writing of this book?
My Christian heritage. My family goes back many God-believing generations and I want to pass on that Godly heritage.
What research did you do for this book?
Reading mostly “Grandma, I need your Prayers” written by Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock. Books about Prayer.
If readers have just one take-away from this book, what do you want it to be?
That God has given them a responsibility to spiritually influence their grandchildren and be their prayer warriors.
What is your current WIP? What can you tell us about it?
My current WIP is blogging twice weekly on my website about grandparenting.
Because I am a K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
You are Special by Max Lucado
Every year I organize a Young Authors Day for the kids at our school. What advice would you give to a child who wants to be a writer?
Write what you think about.
Thank you, Lillian for taking a few minutes to participate in this interview. My readers and I enjoy getting to know the authors of the books we add to our TBR lists.
Visit Lillian Penner’s Amazon page.
Want to help children in the Ukraine? Proceeds from this Bundle will go to help them.
