book review: the life-giving parent

"[...] lifegiving parenting is not a formula, program, or set of rules to follow. That's not how life happens. It's simply about inviting Jesus into your home to eat at your table and be with you; pulling back any curtains of bad habits, sin, or laziness to let as much of the light of God into your home every day as you can; and opening and cleaning all the vents so the Holy Spirit can breathe and fill up the airspace of your home with His presence". (p. 16)

That is what I love about this book by Clay & Sally Clarkson. It is exactly what they say it is. They present principles, not rules or programs, and they encourage and inspire me toward a higher standard of parenting, rather than degrading what I'm doing. Each section I read leaves me thinking - "ok, what I'm doing is good, but I can do better". And I need that. We all need iron to sharpen our iron occasionally, to remind us to keep trying and keep putting forth effort in parenting. Otherwise we end up like I was at the supper table this evening at my parents' house - watching my three-year-old whine and wail about every aspect of his meal and wondering - what has gone so terribly wrong here? We need things - events, books, whatever - to nudge us and push us further into this high calling. Rather than leaving me discouraged, the principles presented in "The Life-Giving Parent" build on what I already know and remind me what is important.

I'd definitely recommend the book, and received a copy from Tyndale in exchange for my review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

loved

Image
I have prayed, as all mothers do, that God would give me opportunities to help me teach my children what a real and deep relationship with Him looks like. I am ashamed to admit that when the answer to that prayer showed up as anxiety in my oldest, I wasn't overly thankful - nor did I recognize it as the answer to my prayer. As I think through our conversations over the past few days, I see now that she is sorting through the good and the bad and every little comment is only touching the surface of many deep thoughts, feelings, and questions. And I am thankful that she is feeling deeply and asking questions because that is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Jesus. She had preschool graduation this morning and I'm not one to get emotional but there must be something about 'Pomp and Circumstance' that brings it out in me. Happy endings, new beginnings, and celebration... I suppose all of it is definitely worth getting emotional about. :) ...
Read more

edelstein: before & after

Image
It was still pretty cold in April of this year - I distinctly remember because we closed on this house that we planned to remodel and rent out, and then we walked in the door and I set an infant car seat down on the floor and realized that none of us was wearing enough layers to stay warm, and the place did, in fact, still smell like cigarette smoke. However, the previous homeowner had left a gift for the kids, and I was moved to tears by her generosity and thoughtfulness. Truly, what a gift from her and from God - to realize that this was exactly where He wanted our family for this period of time. The dust started to fly and the overwhelm did not abate but the grace abounded and with lots of good help and expertise from many sources, 2823 W. Main St was transformed into a habitable place. We're honored and excited to be renting it to three sweet girls who keep it sparkling clean and photo-worthy at all times... and since that's the best way to tell the story, here a...
Read more

tending

"This is the work of tending - and it is the work that makes up most of life. To tend is to make small, frequent, repeated actions without immediate results, but with long-term payoff. Tending is the language of habits and rituals. It is hard work, because it is usually menial and persistent. It is embedded in diligent process instead of fast and easy results. Tending is hard. It is often monotonous and seemingly insignificant. As I tend to my garden each day, there is little evidence of change. I cannot see my plants growing in front of my eyes. But I continue to water and fertilize, stake and weed, because I know that the cumulative effect of these small, consistent interventions will be a harvest." ( Daughers of Promise, "Tend" , p. 7) For me, at this stage, parenting is tending. It is hard work, tedious, monotonous. I say the same things, at about the same times, every day. Over and over, we have to re-learn to be kind, respectful, and use our words instead of...
Read more