Happy New Year Everyone! I'm excited for a new year, a clean slate, a fresh start! I've been busy compiling goals for 2012, and those goal lists include a booklist, as usual. Here are the books I hope to read in 2012. I average 100 books in a good year and 40-60 in a tough year, so this list is not really as big as it seems. I've always been a bookworm, from the time I could walk across the street to the library by myself at age 7 or 8, and the local librarians, most of whom have been there for 25 years or more, know me well! So, in addition to these "focused reads" I will probably read another 50 fiction books. My father-in-law buys tons of Christian fiction, especially all of the Beverly Lewis and Karen Kingsbury books so I have a lot of access to fun reads as well as educational, motivating reads.
The New Testament of the Bible
The MoneySaving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Unplanned by Abby Johnson
Pocketful of Pinecones and Lessons at Blackberry Inn by Karen Andreola
Entre Leadership by Dave Ramsey
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
A Sweet and Bitter Providence by John Piper
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Cansfield Fischer
The Vine and the Trellis by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
Heaven at Home by Ginger Plowman
Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief
5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney
The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg
The Tehran Initiative by Joel C. Rosenberg
Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp
Give Them Grace by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson
The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov
The Husband Project by Kathi Lapp
Cool Beans by Erynne Mangum
Putting God in His Place by Matt Whitman (OUR PASTOR!!!), Matt Ostercamp, Aron Utecht, Mark Coddington
The Art of Photography by Bruce Barnaum
Chasing the Light by Ibarionex Perello
On Being a Photographer by David Hurn
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Photographic Composition by Grill and Scanlon
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
Re-read:
Radical by David Platt
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
Read-Aloud to the Kids
Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John
The Tanglewoods' Secret by Patricia St. John
Star of Light by Patricia St. John
Stuart Little by E.B. White
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
I'm sure many of you would benefit from various books on this list, but I'd like to gently encourage you to read this book, "Mother" by Kathleen Norris, if there is one book you read this year and you are a mom, or hoping to be a mom someday. It is so beautiful, simple, easy-to-read, and powerful in encouraging you as a mom. I have read it a few times in the last decade and plan to read it a few more. It only takes a couple of hours to read and it is WELL WORTH the time. If I could, I would buy one for every friend and blog reader I have!
Showing posts with label Books Worth Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books Worth Reading. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Best Goal of the Year
Of all of the goals I made for 2009, the best goal I made by far was to read through the Bible in a year. I had done it once in high school and had gotten through most of it in OT and NT classes in Bible college, but had not done the thru-in-a-year plan since being married and becoming a mom.
I receive the Desiring God blog entries into my e-mail inbox every day (another huge spiritual encouragement) and found out about this plan, which after comparing to other similar plans, looked like a great option for me because it covers 4 sections of Scripture at a time and gives you 5 catch-up days each month, which I really need!
After one month I was blown away by the amount of Scripture covered. I had read as many chapters in a month of the Word as I had digested in the entire year of 2008! Apparently having a plan and committing to it, and publishing it on my blog and telling others about it as a way of staying accountable, really works with my competitive nature!
The reason I feel this goal was hands down the best of the whole year is because it's so easy to get caught up in the unimportant and forget the main thing. So what if I met my goals of having a garden, being frugal, being hospitable, covering academics with my kids if I wasn't being daily renewed and changed by the very words of God? What is truly lasting and eternal? Why haven't I made it a priority in years past?
I'm not writing this here to guilt-trip anyone into thinking they are a bad Christian if they aren't reading through the Bible. I am here to encourage you to try this or at least to make the Word a huge priority in your life even if you are just taking one book at a time. You won't regret it! With my new ESV study Bible, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE I have enjoyed wrestling with and studying some of those hard texts that I had forgotten about because of my tendency in recent years to read my favorite books and stay mainly in the New Testament. My study Bible has cleared up a lot of questions I had on different passages.
A Question of Priority
Some of you may say, "But I don't have time!!!" It often feels that way, especially with little children underfoot all day long. A young mom friend of mine started a month and a half behind, has 3 little kids, homeschools, babysits twin 3 month olds 4 full-days a week, and has suffered through two incredible losses and health issues recently and still makes the time. We were both sharing at our women's study how much our one-year plans have impacted our lives and the other women were saying they felt so convicted, because most of them have no children or grown children and have much more time to do it than we do. Why does my friend make the time? Because when life falls apart, when she is overwhelmed, when she is crushed with grief, when it really boils down to what matters, she clings to the words of God that sustain her and support her. I may have less time to read fiction nowadays, but so what? I'm reading the lifechanging Word of Life! And it really hasn't taken that much extra time to read 5-7 chapters of the Bible a day. We all spend time doing stuff we could cut out each day. And if you don't have any time during the day when the kids aren't awake, then read the chapters aloud to them and you'll both benefit!
How it Pans Out for Me
Another friend of mine has done the one-year plan every year for many years. She's one of my wisest friends! We were talking about it and discussing which is the best method. There are some who go straight through, some who read a chronological Bible, some who break it into 1 OT and 1 NT reading a day and some who do four passages at a time like my plan. Here are the ways I have found for it to fit my own lifestyle:
I don't actually read the 4 portions a day most of the time. This is how it breaks down for me:
Listen to the OT on CD while doing dishes, kitchen cleanup or folding laundry. This is when the kids are in bed and happens 2-3 times a week. I usually listen to 10-20 chapters (1-2 hours) at a time to catch up. I started doing this in Leviticus and Numbers when I was getting hopelessly behind and struggling to read these long and historical parts of Scripture. I make sure that I am paying close attention and if my mind wanders I go back and listen to that chapter again. I have always loved listening to sermons, broadcasts, Adventures in Odyssey, etc. so I do well with auditory learning and get a lot out of it even though I'm not reading. I go back and read portions that caught my attention that I feel I need to study further. This habit has also improved the cleanliness of my house as well! I know I need to get chapters read so I'll clean the kitchen a lot longer than I normally would so I can get my chapters listened to!
The kids often beg me to read from my Bible after Daddy reads their nightime Bible story from The Jesus Storybook Bible. So, I will read my Psalm of the day to them and a chapter of the Gospel I am reading through (Matthew or Mark so far). I also read Genesis and most of Exodus to them at the beginning of the year, which they enjoyed. We also read our chapter of the month nightly that we are working on memorizing. They've memorized Psalm 23 and now we're doing 1 Cor. 13, which is a bit harder and may take longer than a month.
The other segment of the NT (so far I have covered Acts, Romans and 1 Cor.) I cover on my own throughout the day or in the morning when I rise before the kids and have a little time to read and reflect. It's usually only 1 chapter a day.
I enjoy the variety and don't have trouble remembering what was going on in a certain passage but for those of you who want to keep things very simple, reading straight through or reading a chronological Bible may be the way to go. I love the 5 catch-up days where there are no readings scheduled because I often have some chapters to catch up because of busy days where I didn't get much, or any read.
What about Quality over Quantity?
I have heard, and used, the argument that you can study a passage further if you take one chapter a day instead of several. This may be true. However, you lose out on a lot by not examining and becoming familiar with all of Scripture. And then it's all too easy to just get behind or to only read a chapter when you have time to do a huge research process on it, which may end up being never or one day a week! Reading a quantity of Scripture doesn't mean that I don't do in-depth study. I'm part of a Bible Study and both in this study and in church we cover passages in an exegetical way and also when there are passages that I feel I need to understand from my reading I pull out commentaries and books on them. We would all agree that kids need both quality and quantity time with their parents. I think this applies to the Word as well. Just zooming through chapters, letting your mind wander, or doing it to please someone else or feed your pride isn't good, but neglecting it by never reading or having trouble sticking with a plan isn't either. Lots of Scripture combined with very in-depth study of some Scriptures make for a great combo!
The Discipliship Journal Printable Version
The Discipliship Journal Printable Version
I'd love to hear what you have found that works for your lifestyle when it comes to reading God's Word!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A Great Resource for Little Girls
You can buy it here.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Help for the Overwhelmed Parent
Thank you, thank you Kristin and thank you, thank you whoever first recommended the book to you, Kristin! I have so enjoyed reading Raising the Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka at Kristin's recommendation!
Even though it's a lengthy read, the overwhelmed parent will find it to be easy reading and it will lock you in and capture your attention. And hey, it's written by a Minnesotan, a fact that should make all of you friends in the artic country proud!
I could write forever on what I learned from this book but I will condense it down by quoting the author's first statements in chapter 1, "The word that distinguishes spirited children from other children is MORE. They are normal children who are more intense, persistent, sensitive, perceptive, and uncomfortable with change than other children." She also goes on to say that they can be MORE energetic and moody than the average child too.
In speaking of the difficult days with a spirited child, the author writes, "...you realize you've left more public places in a huff with your child in five years than most parents do in a lifetime." Ding, ding, ding, that one fits me and my child is only 3 and a half!!!
She writes, "You feel weary, drained, and much too old for this, even if you were only in your twenties when the child was born. It's hard to love a child who keeps you up at night and embarrasses you in shopping centers. On the bad days, being the parent of a spirited child is confusing, frustrating, taxing, challenging, and guilt-inducing. You may wonder if you are the only parent with a kid like this, scared of what is to come in the teen years if you don't figure out what to do now in the early years." Page 10.
There is sooo, sooo much in the book that is encouraging to me as a parent of a very spirited child. I have been "at my wit's end" so many times after reading parenting books because the methods they suggest do NOT work with Ali. I especially get frustrated with books that claim that if you do this, your kid will do that. Or books that leave no room for grace or differing temperments in children. Before I had children I suspected that if you were firm and consistent and spanked them in love they would turn out fine. After all, I was disciplined that way and it worked wonderfully for my folks. Even though I have a very spirited younger brother I somehow thought that he was the way he was because my parents eased up a bit and spoiled him more since he was the youngest.
Then I became a parent and experienced an 18 month old who could take any and every article of clothing off and fling poop all over her room EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter how I pleaded, cried, or disciplined her. I experienced a child who would get into EVERYTHING and in fact pushed open the screen door and crawled out into the yard before she could even walk sending me into a frenzied panic when I couldn't find her anywhere in the house. I experienced a kid who could scream for hours, who could pull off the most show-stopping tantrums ever in public and who could take whatever discipline was dished out and still refuse to bend her will. A girl whose grandparents laughed when I told them I was going to teach her to be a lady.
Finally.....a book that helps me to understand my daughter and feel like I'm not alone. It's like a breath of fresh air.
While this book isn't a Christian book, I still gained soooo much from it, in the same way that a Christian could gain from a book entitled, "How to Sew Hand-Made Quilts." The book explains the different traits of a spirited child and how to deal with their pesonality traits in effective ways based on lots of research and collaboration with parents of spirited kids. It doesn't talk a lot about discipline and give you fool-proof methods, but gives you the tools to figure out discipline that works better based on your child's temperment. The author does mention briefly in the tantrum chapter that one should never spank a spirited child, which I disagree with. I believe it is Biblical to spank for willful disobedience. However, I agree with the author's statement that one reason it can be harmful to spank a spirited child is because they are so intense and so good at riling us up that it's very easy for a spanking to turn into abuse so it's best to not spank if you can't handle it. A very good point.
While Ali doesn't have issues with adapting to new situations or to change like some spirited kids, she scored the highest possible score in energy, intensity, and persistence. She is also quite sensitive, something I didn't realize until I took the quizzes and read this book. No wonder she is irritated by the smell of dirty diapers in the bathroom garbage or freaks out if there is a wrinkle in her blanket. She's also very perceptive and can be moody. The book also pointed out to me that the reason we clash a lot is because we are similar in a lot of areas. When I took the quiz I realized that while I'm not a spirited parent, I am a spunky one, and I discovered I am way more energetic and intense than I realized, which no doubt causes clashes between Ali and I.
The author gives practical tips for diffusing battles with your spirited child and preparing and planning ahead to try to avoid struggles. She talks a lot about introverts and extroverts and how this trait affects the spirited child too. She emphasizes that because spirited children are MORE...than other kids, they take more training, attention, and parenting. So true! I feel like it is effortless to discipline Jeremiah! On a bad day, he gets disciplined a couple of times. On a great day for Ali she may only get a few consequences!
One of the best things about the book is the way the author speaks about the spirited child in positive tones, reminding the reader that spirited people are often the leaders, the inventors, and the people who make a difference. I know I have been guilty of labeling (my difficult, challenging, strong-willed, stubborn child, rebel, hellion etc.) and I have had to lay aside the dream or expectation I once had of what a little girl would be like (feminine and sweet and docile and obedient, etc.) and accept Ali for who she is.
Some phrases I got a kick out of in this book, (not sure what pages they are on and these quotes aren't word for word)
*If you are an introverted parent and not too energetic and you have an extroverted and very energetic child, you may feel like a Mack truck ran over you at the end of each day!
*If you have an energetic and intense child you may find that he/she is the one tackling his/her friends out of enthusiasm at a playdate. (Bingo! That's my Ali!)
*An energetic child can often be found falling out of his chair at dinner time or trying to get up and down a million times (am I the only one who has tried tying their child to a chair with a robe tie to keep this from happening constantly? I would LOVE to buy a trampoline for Ali to burn this energy off on!)
*One mom of 5 was quoted as saying something like, "If I counted up all the tantrums of my last 4 kids and combined them, they wouldn't come close to equaling the amount of tantrums my first child had." (I sure hope this is true for me and that any future kids we have aren't spirited.)
*If you have a spirited kid, you can pretty much guarantee your sister-in-law doesn't and everyone is looking at you at family gatherings and wondering why your kid is screaming and what kind of a parent you are or is doling out advice!
*Your child might be spirited if they have never whimpered or cried softly but they WAIL and SCREAM from day one! (So, so, so, so true! Even now, when Ali has a bad dream she goes from silent to screaming at the top of her lungs immediately! If she is frustrated or something little is bugging her she hollers and loses control! This immediately irritates my hubby and I and it's hard to be loving, kind, and calm with her because of this.)
If you have a spirited child (they may have only a couple of the characteristics of all of them) I highly recommend buying a copy of this book to use as a reference for years to come.
Even though it's a lengthy read, the overwhelmed parent will find it to be easy reading and it will lock you in and capture your attention. And hey, it's written by a Minnesotan, a fact that should make all of you friends in the artic country proud!
I could write forever on what I learned from this book but I will condense it down by quoting the author's first statements in chapter 1, "The word that distinguishes spirited children from other children is MORE. They are normal children who are more intense, persistent, sensitive, perceptive, and uncomfortable with change than other children." She also goes on to say that they can be MORE energetic and moody than the average child too.
In speaking of the difficult days with a spirited child, the author writes, "...you realize you've left more public places in a huff with your child in five years than most parents do in a lifetime." Ding, ding, ding, that one fits me and my child is only 3 and a half!!!
She writes, "You feel weary, drained, and much too old for this, even if you were only in your twenties when the child was born. It's hard to love a child who keeps you up at night and embarrasses you in shopping centers. On the bad days, being the parent of a spirited child is confusing, frustrating, taxing, challenging, and guilt-inducing. You may wonder if you are the only parent with a kid like this, scared of what is to come in the teen years if you don't figure out what to do now in the early years." Page 10.
There is sooo, sooo much in the book that is encouraging to me as a parent of a very spirited child. I have been "at my wit's end" so many times after reading parenting books because the methods they suggest do NOT work with Ali. I especially get frustrated with books that claim that if you do this, your kid will do that. Or books that leave no room for grace or differing temperments in children. Before I had children I suspected that if you were firm and consistent and spanked them in love they would turn out fine. After all, I was disciplined that way and it worked wonderfully for my folks. Even though I have a very spirited younger brother I somehow thought that he was the way he was because my parents eased up a bit and spoiled him more since he was the youngest.
Then I became a parent and experienced an 18 month old who could take any and every article of clothing off and fling poop all over her room EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter how I pleaded, cried, or disciplined her. I experienced a child who would get into EVERYTHING and in fact pushed open the screen door and crawled out into the yard before she could even walk sending me into a frenzied panic when I couldn't find her anywhere in the house. I experienced a kid who could scream for hours, who could pull off the most show-stopping tantrums ever in public and who could take whatever discipline was dished out and still refuse to bend her will. A girl whose grandparents laughed when I told them I was going to teach her to be a lady.
Finally.....a book that helps me to understand my daughter and feel like I'm not alone. It's like a breath of fresh air.
While this book isn't a Christian book, I still gained soooo much from it, in the same way that a Christian could gain from a book entitled, "How to Sew Hand-Made Quilts." The book explains the different traits of a spirited child and how to deal with their pesonality traits in effective ways based on lots of research and collaboration with parents of spirited kids. It doesn't talk a lot about discipline and give you fool-proof methods, but gives you the tools to figure out discipline that works better based on your child's temperment. The author does mention briefly in the tantrum chapter that one should never spank a spirited child, which I disagree with. I believe it is Biblical to spank for willful disobedience. However, I agree with the author's statement that one reason it can be harmful to spank a spirited child is because they are so intense and so good at riling us up that it's very easy for a spanking to turn into abuse so it's best to not spank if you can't handle it. A very good point.
While Ali doesn't have issues with adapting to new situations or to change like some spirited kids, she scored the highest possible score in energy, intensity, and persistence. She is also quite sensitive, something I didn't realize until I took the quizzes and read this book. No wonder she is irritated by the smell of dirty diapers in the bathroom garbage or freaks out if there is a wrinkle in her blanket. She's also very perceptive and can be moody. The book also pointed out to me that the reason we clash a lot is because we are similar in a lot of areas. When I took the quiz I realized that while I'm not a spirited parent, I am a spunky one, and I discovered I am way more energetic and intense than I realized, which no doubt causes clashes between Ali and I.
The author gives practical tips for diffusing battles with your spirited child and preparing and planning ahead to try to avoid struggles. She talks a lot about introverts and extroverts and how this trait affects the spirited child too. She emphasizes that because spirited children are MORE...than other kids, they take more training, attention, and parenting. So true! I feel like it is effortless to discipline Jeremiah! On a bad day, he gets disciplined a couple of times. On a great day for Ali she may only get a few consequences!
One of the best things about the book is the way the author speaks about the spirited child in positive tones, reminding the reader that spirited people are often the leaders, the inventors, and the people who make a difference. I know I have been guilty of labeling (my difficult, challenging, strong-willed, stubborn child, rebel, hellion etc.) and I have had to lay aside the dream or expectation I once had of what a little girl would be like (feminine and sweet and docile and obedient, etc.) and accept Ali for who she is.
Some phrases I got a kick out of in this book, (not sure what pages they are on and these quotes aren't word for word)
*If you are an introverted parent and not too energetic and you have an extroverted and very energetic child, you may feel like a Mack truck ran over you at the end of each day!
*If you have an energetic and intense child you may find that he/she is the one tackling his/her friends out of enthusiasm at a playdate. (Bingo! That's my Ali!)
*An energetic child can often be found falling out of his chair at dinner time or trying to get up and down a million times (am I the only one who has tried tying their child to a chair with a robe tie to keep this from happening constantly? I would LOVE to buy a trampoline for Ali to burn this energy off on!)
*One mom of 5 was quoted as saying something like, "If I counted up all the tantrums of my last 4 kids and combined them, they wouldn't come close to equaling the amount of tantrums my first child had." (I sure hope this is true for me and that any future kids we have aren't spirited.)
*If you have a spirited kid, you can pretty much guarantee your sister-in-law doesn't and everyone is looking at you at family gatherings and wondering why your kid is screaming and what kind of a parent you are or is doling out advice!
*Your child might be spirited if they have never whimpered or cried softly but they WAIL and SCREAM from day one! (So, so, so, so true! Even now, when Ali has a bad dream she goes from silent to screaming at the top of her lungs immediately! If she is frustrated or something little is bugging her she hollers and loses control! This immediately irritates my hubby and I and it's hard to be loving, kind, and calm with her because of this.)
If you have a spirited child (they may have only a couple of the characteristics of all of them) I highly recommend buying a copy of this book to use as a reference for years to come.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Books I've Been Reading
What fun to get my box from amazon.com in the mail! I was anxiously awaiting these books because I'm feeling (yet again) the need for some more insight and encouragement when it comes to parenting Ali. My friend Kristin highly recommended Raising Your Spirited Child to me and I'll let you know what I think of it when I read it! I've read through Don't Make Me Count to Three already since it was a short book and while it definitely had some good points, I felt more overwhelmed than ever after reading it. I realize that discipline is a heart issue but I was almost more confused on how to discipline biblically after I read it because I felt like she was advocating having a "Bible verse chat/counseling session" with the kid after every infraction. Yes, reproof needs to accompany the rod, but what mom has time in the day to whip out a verse for each of the 50,000 times a day her various children misbehave and have them "role play" the correct behavior? I think it's worth reading if you see it at the library but it's not a book worth buying. The author was heavily influenced by Ted Tripp, who wrote Shepherding a Child's Heart and I would rather see you buy that book (considered by many Christians the best book on biblical discipline out there). Most of what is in the book Don't Make Me Count to Three is featured in the 5 broadcasts done by http://www.familylife.com/ last week so go there and listen to her programs from the archives to get a good overview of her book.
The book A Little Girl After God's Own Heart is very cute and something I've been reading daily to Ali. She loves it and most of all I love the message it is proclaiming about having the fruit of the Spirit and being a girl after God. It has darling illustrations and is very feminine. I think my friend Heather recommended this one on her Favorite Book Friday feature on her blog.
Other things I'm trying to read: A Mom After God's Own Heart, Hints on Child Training, and a wonderful new recipe book I got with a gift certificate called, Betty Crocker Whole Grains. I also decided to break away from the parenting-book overload this weekend and read the latest Ted Dekker novel just for fun. His books just seem to get weirder and weirder, but he's another subject....
*From the books I am reading you would think I have a challenging child or something! =)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Cute Books
My mom got these scholastic books for me this winter because she thought I would enjoy them. They are very cute! The first one is about a mom who just wants 5 Minutes Peace from her kids so she gets them settled with breakfast and goes to take a bath. But one by one they all ask her for favors and end up joining her in the tub and making a ruckus so she has to abandon her bath and head to the empty kitchen to try and have 5 minutes of peace!
The second book is about a little dinosaur who is telling us the things (in his opinion) that moms can't do. Two examples are: Moms need advice when packing lunches......and.....Moms feel better with someone in their laps.
If you get a chance to check these out or buy them, your kids will enjoy them almost as much as you will!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Gentle Mothering---Scream Free Parenting
Well folks, I've gone through most of the book, Scream Free Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel and I can honestly say it is a very good read and I highly recommend it. While it's not a "Christian" book, he does state in the beginning that he is a Christian and that influences his thoughts on this area but the book is for ALL parents and isn't written specifically to Christians.
One statement that I found interesting and thought-provoking is that he often says in the book that we need to stop focusing on our kids and focus on ourselves more. This sounds shocking and selfish until you realize what he means. He is referring to the fact that in our child-centered culture, we tend to think we are responsible FOR our kids and their every thought, emotion, choice, etc. We need to focus on US. We are not responsible FOR them, but TO them. We need to be sure OUR emotions, choices, and actions, etc. are right towards them. So, instead of focusing on the tantrum they are throwing and letting ourselves react with frustration and anger, we need to focus on OUR actions in the situation and take control of ourselves. Not being a reactionary parent is very, very hard for me. My dad recently discovered (thanks to the book that helped save their marriage a few years ago--Love and Respect) that he came from a super reactive home and learned patterns of reacting in anger to everything. While he was better than his dad was, he still was a reactionary and so was my mom and they just spun on the crazy cycle for 25 years of reacting to each other. I'm sure that my family influence is one reason I am very reactionary too but I think we all struggle with it as human beings born in sin. It's hard NOT to react when your kids smear your lipstick all over and ruin your favorite tube or track mud on the carpet you've just shampooed after being told 100 times not to. It's hard not to screech when they pop their newborn baby brother over the head with a toy or steal toys from friends for about the 50th time at a playdate. I remember back when Ali went through a stage of taking her clothes and diaper off every day and smearing poop all over everything in her room that I would scream, yell, spank, threaten and cry to no avail. It would happen again and again and I would try every method I could think of to get her to stop and to figure out that this was a horrible thing to do! However, she probably learned, more than anything, that it was fun to watch the Mommy Show and be in control of my emotions by pushing my buttons every day! She learned that Mommy definitely couldn't handle major poop messes!
This book helped me realize that I CANNOT control my kids. I'm responsible to discipline and train them and let them reap their own consequences, but I cannot program them like robots to do what I want. I CAN take control of my own emotions and actions. So many parenting books I have read have talked about how if you do A and B you get the results of C. It has never worked and has been so frustrating for me! I really liked this book for being a little different in emphasizing that kids will make their own choices and we need to let them. Of course there still need to be rules, consequences, and authority structure, but I need to stop thinking that everything Ali does is a reflection of me as a parent and taking every naughty thing she does personally and reacting to it.
The author clarifies that screaming doesn't just mean loud vocal action. He talks about different kinds of screaming parenting, using it as a term for various ways we react emotionally. It can be raising your voice, orbiting your life around theirs, cutting yourself off, trying to control their behavior and feelings, or sacrificing yourself for your family and then resenting them when they don't appreciate it.
The biggest and best concept I got from this book is on page 44. He writes, "When you scream at your kids, when you get emotionally reactive, you communicate one single message: CALM ME DOWN! No matter what words are actually coming out of your mouth, no matter how long your tirade is, no matter how old your child is, when you scream the message is : CALM ME DOWN! Whenever you react to your child's behavior by screaming, you actually begging them to help you calm your anxiety. You are saying you just cannot handle the fact that they will not obey or listen or calm down themselves. You cannot handle this, so you flip out. You are saying, "I need you to comply or else I'm going to lose it. And when I lose it, I'm going to need you to comply so I can calm back down. All my emotional responses are up to you."
"When you put all your emotional buttons in a child's hands, you become totally focused on them. You have begun a sort of orbit around them, attaching all of your emotional responses to how they perform in school, whether they use good manners, or the choices they are making today......."
"You have to make it your number-one priority to hold your own emotional responses in your own hands!!!" (Or, I would add, to lean on God to let His Spirit fill you and control you and help you to have self-control)!
So, this week Mrs. Jo is going to make a few signs to post around the main areas of the house that say CALM ME DOWN! This will be a reminder that if I allow my voice to get louder and louder as a way of making my kids obey (or if I get really upset over their messes and bad choices), then I am really giving them the control of Mommy.
I will post a few more thoughts I learned from this book in a future post! Check it out at your library if you find yourself encouraged by this post.
One statement that I found interesting and thought-provoking is that he often says in the book that we need to stop focusing on our kids and focus on ourselves more. This sounds shocking and selfish until you realize what he means. He is referring to the fact that in our child-centered culture, we tend to think we are responsible FOR our kids and their every thought, emotion, choice, etc. We need to focus on US. We are not responsible FOR them, but TO them. We need to be sure OUR emotions, choices, and actions, etc. are right towards them. So, instead of focusing on the tantrum they are throwing and letting ourselves react with frustration and anger, we need to focus on OUR actions in the situation and take control of ourselves. Not being a reactionary parent is very, very hard for me. My dad recently discovered (thanks to the book that helped save their marriage a few years ago--Love and Respect) that he came from a super reactive home and learned patterns of reacting in anger to everything. While he was better than his dad was, he still was a reactionary and so was my mom and they just spun on the crazy cycle for 25 years of reacting to each other. I'm sure that my family influence is one reason I am very reactionary too but I think we all struggle with it as human beings born in sin. It's hard NOT to react when your kids smear your lipstick all over and ruin your favorite tube or track mud on the carpet you've just shampooed after being told 100 times not to. It's hard not to screech when they pop their newborn baby brother over the head with a toy or steal toys from friends for about the 50th time at a playdate. I remember back when Ali went through a stage of taking her clothes and diaper off every day and smearing poop all over everything in her room that I would scream, yell, spank, threaten and cry to no avail. It would happen again and again and I would try every method I could think of to get her to stop and to figure out that this was a horrible thing to do! However, she probably learned, more than anything, that it was fun to watch the Mommy Show and be in control of my emotions by pushing my buttons every day! She learned that Mommy definitely couldn't handle major poop messes!
This book helped me realize that I CANNOT control my kids. I'm responsible to discipline and train them and let them reap their own consequences, but I cannot program them like robots to do what I want. I CAN take control of my own emotions and actions. So many parenting books I have read have talked about how if you do A and B you get the results of C. It has never worked and has been so frustrating for me! I really liked this book for being a little different in emphasizing that kids will make their own choices and we need to let them. Of course there still need to be rules, consequences, and authority structure, but I need to stop thinking that everything Ali does is a reflection of me as a parent and taking every naughty thing she does personally and reacting to it.
The author clarifies that screaming doesn't just mean loud vocal action. He talks about different kinds of screaming parenting, using it as a term for various ways we react emotionally. It can be raising your voice, orbiting your life around theirs, cutting yourself off, trying to control their behavior and feelings, or sacrificing yourself for your family and then resenting them when they don't appreciate it.
The biggest and best concept I got from this book is on page 44. He writes, "When you scream at your kids, when you get emotionally reactive, you communicate one single message: CALM ME DOWN! No matter what words are actually coming out of your mouth, no matter how long your tirade is, no matter how old your child is, when you scream the message is : CALM ME DOWN! Whenever you react to your child's behavior by screaming, you actually begging them to help you calm your anxiety. You are saying you just cannot handle the fact that they will not obey or listen or calm down themselves. You cannot handle this, so you flip out. You are saying, "I need you to comply or else I'm going to lose it. And when I lose it, I'm going to need you to comply so I can calm back down. All my emotional responses are up to you."
"When you put all your emotional buttons in a child's hands, you become totally focused on them. You have begun a sort of orbit around them, attaching all of your emotional responses to how they perform in school, whether they use good manners, or the choices they are making today......."
"You have to make it your number-one priority to hold your own emotional responses in your own hands!!!" (Or, I would add, to lean on God to let His Spirit fill you and control you and help you to have self-control)!
So, this week Mrs. Jo is going to make a few signs to post around the main areas of the house that say CALM ME DOWN! This will be a reminder that if I allow my voice to get louder and louder as a way of making my kids obey (or if I get really upset over their messes and bad choices), then I am really giving them the control of Mommy.
I will post a few more thoughts I learned from this book in a future post! Check it out at your library if you find yourself encouraged by this post.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Great Resources for Parents
I'm so excited about my new books. Especially after my rough evening with the kids (see yesterday's post!)I've always been a Josh Harris fan, so of course I love this book by his father, illustrated by him when he was 18. My mom had the 21 Rules on our fridge during my teen years and I think they are great! We've already started memorizing them and coloring the pages and talking about them.
The book, Hints on Child Training is a good one for me. I enjoy hearing the wisdom of older people who have been there and done it and this guy is great! H. Clay Trumbull is the great-grandfather of Elisabeth Elliot, and he was an evangelist, a Civil War chaplain, a biblical archaeologist, and Sunday school pioneer who raised 8 children of his own. He wrote this book in 1890 but it's still practical for today. I was blown away by his chapter on denying kids things because he was talking about how many things kids "nowadays" are given and how many toys they have and how many are over-indulged. I thought, "Man, what if he could see our kids in 2008!" I haven't read all of it, but I have been especially encouraged in giving my child more choices, never scolding or yelling, and one of the best points I've read so far is not trying to over-do it. I think sometimes, especially when I'm with people I want to impress or people I'm sensitive around (like in-laws) I try to over-correct and get super uptight about making sure my kids are "perfect" or that everyone thinks I'm doing a great job of parenting. I loved how Mr. Trumbull emphasized sometimes letting the child alone and not being overly conscientious at parenting, like many in our culture today seem to be. Another great point he had was not to break the child's spirit. I've seen so many hard-core books on child discipline in Christian circles and this chapter really challenged me and helped me to see that it's not about forcing them to my will all the time, but training them to choose what is right.
Mommy Teach Me is a book for moms of preschoolers and I'm anxious to read it!
This book, published by Vision Forum, is a good storybook for children, emphasizing the alphabet and stories about Christian character.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Good Reads!
I've been doing a lot of reading lately! I'm almost done with the 4-book fiction series by Joel C. Rosenberg. If you like fast-paced political thrillers, this is a great Christian series!
____
I can't remember if I've mentioned on my blog what a great book Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney is. It is the best and most concise book I have read on Biblical womanhood and it is a thin book and an easy read. I've mentioned before on my blog the problems I have found in Created to Be His Helpmeet. This book is infinitely better! When you contrast the two side by side, you see such a stark difference. While CTBHH is not all bad, there is an underlying theme of trying to "be a certain way" so that you can gain for yourself a heavenly marriage and to be submissive and sexy in order to manipulate your man. The Gospel is glaringly absent from that book. However, in Feminine Appeal, Carolyn states, "The commands found in Titus 2 have been given to us for an all-important reason that transcends time and culture. That rason is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These virtues are not about our personal fulfillment or individual preference. They are required for the sake of unbelievers--so that those who are lost might come to know our Savior." Page 26
Another lengthy, but rich quote from her book, " This book is about the transforming effect of the Gospel--because that is what Titus 2 is all about. The climax of Titus 2 announces that, "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people." It heralds the news of "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness" (v. 11-14)
The seven feminine virtues we will consider in the this book are not an end in themselves. They point to the transforming effect of the Gospel in the lives of women--women who have turned from their sins and trusted in the Savior, women whose sins have been forgiven and whose hearts have been changed. Can you conceive of anything that sets forth the beauty of the Gospel jewel more brilliantly than the godly behavior of those who have received it? Consider the lovliness of a woman who passionatley adores here husband, who tenderly cherishes her children, who creates a warm and peaceful home, who exemplifies purity, self-control, and kindness in her character and who gladly submits to her husband's leadership--for all the days God grants her life. I dare say there are few things that display the Gospel jewel with greater elegance. This is true feminine appeal." Page 28-29
_____
One other book I want to highlight as a great read is, "French Women Don't Get Fat, The secret of eating for pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano.
It was a fascinating read about how to enjoy food to the fullest! Sometimes we American women miss things that are simple in favor of beating ourselves up with diet plans and no-mercy exercise routines. The author is French but lives in America now with her American husband. She first came to America as a high school exchange student and gained about 20 pounds after adopting American styles of eating. After working hard to get the weight back off once she returned to France, she studied the differences between the view of food in both cultures and has made many observations about the subject. It's interesting that the French have so much wine, cheese, and gourmet pastries, heavenly baguettes, and delicious desserts and yet stay so slender. I was fascinated by her recipes and descriptions of luscious foods and the way the French delight in their cooking while still practicing moderation. Guiliano doesn't have a "super method" or "10-step plan" to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks like many dieting books but I think her book is probably the most practical and effective I have ever seen on this issue and would get the best results long-term! Even if you aren't looking to lose weight but just want to read more about excellent French cooking, this is a great book! Some of the differences between French women and American women (as summarized by me from reading the book) are:
*French women don't see food as a "shameful" thing and they delight in little pleasures and food treats without guilt
*French women drink water constantly
*French women walk many places and exert themselves in daily tasks rather than hitting a gym or forcing themselves to jog every day
*French women don't ever allow themselves to get famished and neither do they ever leave the table feeling totally stuffed
*French women delight in excellent food, fresh and ripe and bursting with flavor. They enjoy cooking and choosing their food from the market and take their time at it. They aren't afraid of carbs and don't tend to jump into fad diets.
*French women eats tons of fruits and veggies
*French women don't eat while watching TV, reading, or computer surfing. Enjoying a pretty table setting and letting yourself savor each bite and enjoying the "experience" of eating helps them avoid the mindless eating we Americans tend to do since we're always in a rush.
These are just some of the highlights I gained from this great book! The author is not a Christian and therefore there are a few things in the book you may disagree with (as with almost any book) but her perspectives are quite interesting!
____
I can't remember if I've mentioned on my blog what a great book Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney is. It is the best and most concise book I have read on Biblical womanhood and it is a thin book and an easy read. I've mentioned before on my blog the problems I have found in Created to Be His Helpmeet. This book is infinitely better! When you contrast the two side by side, you see such a stark difference. While CTBHH is not all bad, there is an underlying theme of trying to "be a certain way" so that you can gain for yourself a heavenly marriage and to be submissive and sexy in order to manipulate your man. The Gospel is glaringly absent from that book. However, in Feminine Appeal, Carolyn states, "The commands found in Titus 2 have been given to us for an all-important reason that transcends time and culture. That rason is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These virtues are not about our personal fulfillment or individual preference. They are required for the sake of unbelievers--so that those who are lost might come to know our Savior." Page 26
Another lengthy, but rich quote from her book, " This book is about the transforming effect of the Gospel--because that is what Titus 2 is all about. The climax of Titus 2 announces that, "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people." It heralds the news of "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness" (v. 11-14)
The seven feminine virtues we will consider in the this book are not an end in themselves. They point to the transforming effect of the Gospel in the lives of women--women who have turned from their sins and trusted in the Savior, women whose sins have been forgiven and whose hearts have been changed. Can you conceive of anything that sets forth the beauty of the Gospel jewel more brilliantly than the godly behavior of those who have received it? Consider the lovliness of a woman who passionatley adores here husband, who tenderly cherishes her children, who creates a warm and peaceful home, who exemplifies purity, self-control, and kindness in her character and who gladly submits to her husband's leadership--for all the days God grants her life. I dare say there are few things that display the Gospel jewel with greater elegance. This is true feminine appeal." Page 28-29
_____
One other book I want to highlight as a great read is, "French Women Don't Get Fat, The secret of eating for pleasure" by Mireille Guiliano.
It was a fascinating read about how to enjoy food to the fullest! Sometimes we American women miss things that are simple in favor of beating ourselves up with diet plans and no-mercy exercise routines. The author is French but lives in America now with her American husband. She first came to America as a high school exchange student and gained about 20 pounds after adopting American styles of eating. After working hard to get the weight back off once she returned to France, she studied the differences between the view of food in both cultures and has made many observations about the subject. It's interesting that the French have so much wine, cheese, and gourmet pastries, heavenly baguettes, and delicious desserts and yet stay so slender. I was fascinated by her recipes and descriptions of luscious foods and the way the French delight in their cooking while still practicing moderation. Guiliano doesn't have a "super method" or "10-step plan" to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks like many dieting books but I think her book is probably the most practical and effective I have ever seen on this issue and would get the best results long-term! Even if you aren't looking to lose weight but just want to read more about excellent French cooking, this is a great book! Some of the differences between French women and American women (as summarized by me from reading the book) are:
*French women don't see food as a "shameful" thing and they delight in little pleasures and food treats without guilt
*French women drink water constantly
*French women walk many places and exert themselves in daily tasks rather than hitting a gym or forcing themselves to jog every day
*French women don't ever allow themselves to get famished and neither do they ever leave the table feeling totally stuffed
*French women delight in excellent food, fresh and ripe and bursting with flavor. They enjoy cooking and choosing their food from the market and take their time at it. They aren't afraid of carbs and don't tend to jump into fad diets.
*French women eats tons of fruits and veggies
*French women don't eat while watching TV, reading, or computer surfing. Enjoying a pretty table setting and letting yourself savor each bite and enjoying the "experience" of eating helps them avoid the mindless eating we Americans tend to do since we're always in a rush.
These are just some of the highlights I gained from this great book! The author is not a Christian and therefore there are a few things in the book you may disagree with (as with almost any book) but her perspectives are quite interesting!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Good Reading
My in-laws got me some books I had been wanting for Christmas this year. I'm so excited to read them all and then read them again! I'm working on Girl Talk right now and have discovered it will be an excellent resource for Ali and I to read together in her early teen years. I wish I had read this when I was a teen as it encourages girls to honor their mothers, learn from them, and confide in them. I was a strong Christian teen who attended every church event imaginable and was heavily involved in missions but I've never heard a lot of these neat things I've been learning recently about family relationships and such.
So far, the stuff I've read from the Mahaney's is unbelievably excellent! Remember my concerns about Created to be His Helmeet and the lack of the Gospel in that book? The Mahaneys as a whole (CJ (the father), and Carolyn (the mother), and all of the girls) never fail to preach the Gospel in all its' truth throughout their books. I can already tell from skimming that Feminine Appeal will be a very foundational book for me! The Girl Talk blog, written by the 3 daughters and their mother, is one of my favorite blogs to visit! Check it out here. When I opened my present, my brother-in-law, who is a tease, looked at the books and shuddered. He said, "Scary! I'm glad those won't be in my house!" I said, "Oh, but they might if I loan them to your wife someday!"
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Men Responsible for ALL Problems???
I'm sure this title got your attention! I'm reading an amazing book right now, called "Reforming Marriage" by Douglas Wilson. Here is a paragraph on responsibility:
"While it is true that the feminist movement is represented by female spokesmen, they are really nothing more than shills, fronting for a male lie. At the foundation, feminism is the handiwork of two kinds of men--destructive, overbearing men on the one hand and wimps on the other. Because of how God made the world, men are always responsible for everything that happens in the feminine world--whether they want that responsibility or not, and whether or not women want to acknowledge it. Consequently, feminism is not the work of dissatisfied women; it is the work of ungodly men.
When a couple comes for marriage counseling, my operating assumption is always that he man is completely responsible for all the problems. Some may be inclined to react to this, but it is important to note that responsibility is not the same thing as guilt. If a woman has been unfaithful to her husband, of course she bears the guilt of adultery. But at the same time, he is responsible for it. To illustrate, suppose a young sailor disobeys his orders and runs a ship aground in the middle of the night. The captain and the navigator were both asleep and had nothing to do with his irresponsible actions. Who is finally responsible? The captain and navigator are responsible for the incident. They are career officers, and their careers are ruined. The young sailor will be getting out of the Navy in six months anyway. It may strike many as being unfair, but is is indisputably the way God made the world. The sailor is guilty; the captain is responsible.
Without this understanding of responsibility, authority becomes meaningless and tyrannical. Husbands are responsible for their wives. They are the head of their wives as Christ is the head of the church. Taking a covenant oath to become a husband involves assuming responsibility for that home. This means that men, whether through tyranny or abdication, are responsible for any problems in the home. If Christian men loved their wives as Christ loved the church, if they had given direction to their wives, if husbands had accepted their wives' necessary help with their God-ordained vocation, there never would have been room for any kind of feminist thinking within the church. Christian men who abdicate their God-given authority, or who feel embarassed about it, are leaving their wives unprotected."
Pages 32-33.
Before you women jump for joy at these statements, realize that Wilson also writes on Inescapable Headship (meaning that men just aren't supposed to be the head of their wives, they ARE the head by default because that is the created order. Whether they are good or bad heads, they are the head) and the fact that Eve was created for Adam. I highly recommend this excellent book!
Many of you who have read over my blog for a while may feel that at times I am inconsistent or confused with some of these issues! That's because I am! I wish I had everything all figured out and always acted upon what I know is right and true at all times. But, I'm not perfect and I'm ALWAYS learning and growing in my understanding of the Bible and it's applications to daily life. I think of myself as a wrestler, always grappling with one issue or another, trying to understand it and get it "pinned down." I enjoy being challenged and so much of what I have come to believe is different from how I was raised, even though I was raised in a Christian home. So, bear with me on my quest to discover a Biblical model for marriage, family, womanhood, etc.
"While it is true that the feminist movement is represented by female spokesmen, they are really nothing more than shills, fronting for a male lie. At the foundation, feminism is the handiwork of two kinds of men--destructive, overbearing men on the one hand and wimps on the other. Because of how God made the world, men are always responsible for everything that happens in the feminine world--whether they want that responsibility or not, and whether or not women want to acknowledge it. Consequently, feminism is not the work of dissatisfied women; it is the work of ungodly men.
When a couple comes for marriage counseling, my operating assumption is always that he man is completely responsible for all the problems. Some may be inclined to react to this, but it is important to note that responsibility is not the same thing as guilt. If a woman has been unfaithful to her husband, of course she bears the guilt of adultery. But at the same time, he is responsible for it. To illustrate, suppose a young sailor disobeys his orders and runs a ship aground in the middle of the night. The captain and the navigator were both asleep and had nothing to do with his irresponsible actions. Who is finally responsible? The captain and navigator are responsible for the incident. They are career officers, and their careers are ruined. The young sailor will be getting out of the Navy in six months anyway. It may strike many as being unfair, but is is indisputably the way God made the world. The sailor is guilty; the captain is responsible.
Without this understanding of responsibility, authority becomes meaningless and tyrannical. Husbands are responsible for their wives. They are the head of their wives as Christ is the head of the church. Taking a covenant oath to become a husband involves assuming responsibility for that home. This means that men, whether through tyranny or abdication, are responsible for any problems in the home. If Christian men loved their wives as Christ loved the church, if they had given direction to their wives, if husbands had accepted their wives' necessary help with their God-ordained vocation, there never would have been room for any kind of feminist thinking within the church. Christian men who abdicate their God-given authority, or who feel embarassed about it, are leaving their wives unprotected."
Pages 32-33.
Before you women jump for joy at these statements, realize that Wilson also writes on Inescapable Headship (meaning that men just aren't supposed to be the head of their wives, they ARE the head by default because that is the created order. Whether they are good or bad heads, they are the head) and the fact that Eve was created for Adam. I highly recommend this excellent book!
Many of you who have read over my blog for a while may feel that at times I am inconsistent or confused with some of these issues! That's because I am! I wish I had everything all figured out and always acted upon what I know is right and true at all times. But, I'm not perfect and I'm ALWAYS learning and growing in my understanding of the Bible and it's applications to daily life. I think of myself as a wrestler, always grappling with one issue or another, trying to understand it and get it "pinned down." I enjoy being challenged and so much of what I have come to believe is different from how I was raised, even though I was raised in a Christian home. So, bear with me on my quest to discover a Biblical model for marriage, family, womanhood, etc.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Biggest Tear-Jerker Ever!
My mom went to a conference in Denver recently and heard Danny Oertli sing and speak. She got his book for me and his CD for herself. I just found some time to read it this weekend. In fact, it's a good thing it's only a 2.5-3 hour read because it is a book you CANNOT put down. My husband chuckled at me all evening because I would be laughing hysterically for several minutes and then sobbing the next moment. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy and red when it was all done. I have never read a book that made me laugh more or cry more. It is a beautiful love story of a young Christian couple, their fight against cancer, and how God is faithful through tragedy and loss. It is a testimony to the greatness of our God in the face of unspeakable hurt and grief.
To quote Tim Challies, a well-known Reformed blogger,
This book encouraged me, even as one who has never experienced so painful and significant a loss. I have little doubt it will be used to touch and to heal many hurting hearts and to prepare others for the pain that is always so nearby in this fallen world. To echo the words of Jerry Bridges in his endorsement, “Mommy Paints the Sky will draw you closer to God.”
Danny's music is also poetic and beautiful. The words are so moving. In my next post I will feature the lyrics to one of his songs that really touched me.
You can buy this book on Amazon, it's VERY cheap to get a used copy, or you can borrow it from me! It will inspire you to live for eternity and to not take a single moment for granted!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Run, Don't Walk, to get THIS BOOK!
I received my copy of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God today. No, I didn't win it in the drawing, but I ordered it the first day it became available to buy. Wow! I read most of it/skimmed the rest in one evening. It was just that good! If you read my previous post you know I've had a tough day (make that a tough week) and this was a great breath of fresh air to remind me of my calling as a mommy and homemaker. I am guilty of having been a "Christan Feminist" in the past and so many points in this book hit home with me. It gave me a fresh vision for my challenging role and gave me the wisdom I needed to hear today in the area of parenting. I thought about quoting some of the book here, but then I realized I would need to quote half of the book, so you'd better just go out and buy it! Two of the chapters that were especially helpful to me were, "Weary Women" and "Too Good to be True: Freedom from the Bondage of Perfectionism." I also found the chapter "You Mean it's Not all About Me?" to be enlightening since I regularly encounter moms who talk about craving "me time" and yet don't understand why they still feel desperate for satisfaction. I, too, have been guilty of seeking "me time" as my salvation when I really should be letting Jesus fill me up for those weary days. I was raised with the idea that you "veg out" when you are exhausted. The authors challenge this idea and show how even Christian women easily embrace concepts of the world that promote selfishness and feminism.
I will be re-reading this book many times in order to let it all sink in. There is so much I can learn from these neat women!
You can buy this book on Amazon or from www.biblicalwomanhood.com.
I will be re-reading this book many times in order to let it all sink in. There is so much I can learn from these neat women!
You can buy this book on Amazon or from www.biblicalwomanhood.com.
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