God and a grandmother’s love moves author to give ‘advice’
Special to The Courier News
ROGER and LYNDALL STOKES RIDENOUR
A simple message but perhaps the most important one ever, anywhere. And it is central to every part of “Grandmomma’s Unsolicited Advice.”
This book, published earlier this year, is Lyndall Stokes Ridenour’s labor of love—for her grandchildren and because of God.
Ridenour grew up in Clinton, her forebears having old-time names such as Peake and Stokes. And she married Roger L. Ridenour, whose family moved many years ago from Campbell County to Anderson County. Roger, Lyndall says, has helped and encouraged her as she put this book together for their nine grandchildren.
Her major inspiration, though, was Sarah Cunningham Stokes, Lyndall’s mother, a quiet, gracious woman. A widow when Lyndall and her siblings were children, she shared with them her unfaltering faith in God. Little by little, as Lyndall matured, it transformed her.
Some 10 years ago, Lyndall and Roger moved to Florida because of his allergies and resulting illnesses. But before long,Lyndall suffered a dissected aorta, and while she survived surgery, she spent many months recuperating. Back at home, Roger began every morning sitting at table, writing to interpret the Bible for their descendants. And Lyndall sat in bed and wrote the ABCs of what she had garnered about God’s love.
Introductory sections explain the steps that led to the book and how her words evolved into it. “God did this,” she said, recalling that their minister’s wife said to her that God had kept her alive for a reason.
There are seven chapters, almost all (no X) using scripture verses beginning with a letter of the alphabet. While this is a simple way to organize life lessons taken from the Bible and Lyndall’s experiences, every book chapter, every Bible verse and every commentary shows a depth of purpose and understanding of wisdom the Bible contains and how it relates to her life and experiences. After her commentary, she challenged her grandchildren to think, to pray, to be aware.
In Chapter Three, Lyndall relates her near-fatal heart episode and how at times she could hear the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” which gave her peace and now is her theme verse for her life.
The book cover shows the scene from the Ridenours’ bedroom of their house in Florida—beautiful, serene, but now left behind. The Ridenours, married 52 years and in their mid-70s, moved back to Clinton in the spring. Their children are Lea Ellen Ridenour Agee, married to John Agee—parents of Sara Elizabeth, John Patrick, Anna Catherine, Matthew, Gracie and Emma Bea, and Darren, married to Tina Muldong Ridenour—parents of Chase, Logan and Roger Lee. All are back together in Clinton.
Lyndall said, “As you know, I talk a lot and there was never a secret about the book. Of course, at the time I was writing I didn’t realize it would be this kind of book. Over the years I have sent them different lessons when I thought it might be something to help them at the time.
“I had given them Office Depot-copied books twice, but they were especially thrilled when they learned it was a real book and were very proud of their old mother and grandmomma.”
“Grandmomma’s Unsolicited Advice” is for sale at Sam Franklin’s Flowers in Clinton and online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Cokesbury.