I've been reading several books lately and I hope to finish all of them in the next week or two so I can get to some other books on my list.
- True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia by Jerry Bridges is very good. According to my Kindle, I'm 35% of the way through it. I'm reading it in small bites because I have to pause and chew on his words. My favorite so far has been his perspective on four different ways we walk with the Lord. Some people spend their entire lives in one of these camps, while for other people, they seem to tell the story of growth as we move through them like stages.
1. I am going to do what's right for the Lord. (on my own, in my own strength)
2. I can't do anything myself so I'm going to "let go and let God". (I have no responsibility whatsoever)
3. I'll do what I can and then I'll rely on God to pick up the difference. (my own strength until it runs out, then trust in God).
4. God is empowering me every step of the way to accomplish His will in me and through me.
- The Kid Book by Vicki Barnes--This is on my Fall Reading Challenge and I'm enjoying it. Surprisingly easy read (so don't ask me why it isn't finished, sigh).
- Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp--also on my Fall Reading Challenge. An outstanding book. Once I finish it, I would like to go back and read it again with my husband and apply to our parenting, especially of our teens.
- 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. I was intrigued by this idea when it was offered at a special price for my Kindle. I just couldn't resist it. "Jen and her family took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence in the areas of Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress."
- Raising Godly Tomatoes by L. Elizabeth Krueger is likely my very favorite parenting book. I recently had two women from church asking me questions like "how do I get my child to submit to me?" and I recommended this book to them both and shared a few ideas of advice for their specific situations. The next day one of them sent me this email:
Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me! I look up to you as a (slightly) older sister in Christ, who seems to have it all together -- a goal I'm striving for in my life. :) You and Alan are doing a magnificent job, and are an inspiration to me. You give me hope!
Yikes! After laughing at the notion of having it all together (any of us really--me for sure!) I decided I should read (AND APPLY) some of the wisdom shared in this book. I'm only in the third chapter and feeling strong prodding to raise the standards around here.
Next we have a couple books I've recently received that I'm anxious to break into but I'm telling myself I have to finish at least two of the above-mentioned books before I start another one.
- The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies
- Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst
Finally, we'll visit the last three books on my Fall Reading Challenge.
- The Age of Revolution by Winston Churchill--I started it some time ago but haven't picked it up in over a month. I think I need to start it over.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie--I haven't started it.
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens--the December selection for Carrie's book club which I have not yet started.
Raising Godly Tomatoes looks like a book I might like. I have heard of the website, but didn't know they had a book.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've read it multiple times. You can also order it from her website of the same name.
DeleteI'm intrigued with the "tomatoes" book, too -- will have to check that out. I think I'd enjoy the book about excess as well. Most of us have way more than we need.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend "the tomatoes book" so I'm glad you're intrigued. And Seven is convicting but so far she's also funny--a good combination.
DeleteTrue Community sounds very interesting. I read the Tomato book years ago and looking back now it's a little scary. Grace and patience are not really in there, but to each his own.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Hopewell. It might be good for you to revisit the book before labeling it as scary. It's always good to define what you mean by words such as grace and patience. Krueger comments in the book itself that she "focused mostly on discipline because so many parents were failing in that area. They loved their children, but didn't know how to discipline them. . .I had assumed that loving and enjoying children was a simple, natural phenomenon commonly understood and universally practiced by all parents" (12).
DeleteIn this re-read of only the first three chapters, I've already come across numerous applications of patience and grace. I might define patience as both "giving multiple chances while maintaining control of temper and without complaint" and "perseverance or endurance". Encouraging parents to be consistent (Don't get lazy, don't give up, don't make excuses)n , to keep your children close to you all the time so you can have fellowship with and mentor them, to correct them immediately until they obey with a pleasant attitude, and to never raise your voice. . .well, those all seem like excellent examples of patience to me.
As to grace, when defined as "undeserved favor, extension of mercy, kindness, 'realization that we are dust' (Psalm 103:14)", she speaks time and again of making sure our expectations are appropriate to a child's ability, loving our children, enjoying them, and establishing a loving relationship. Example from page 14: "A good relationship will lay a foundation for the growth of true Christian character in our children, and of a close relationship between them and God Himself in the future. An unjust, unkind and unreasonable parent can easily lead our children to reject the Lord completely in the end. Please take this to heart and build a close loving relationship with your child that models the relationship our Lord offers us."
I have to admit to a degree of frustration when expectation of obedience is set up as an extreme opposite to grace. This is not a biblical comparison. God gives the supreme example of grace but He also expects obedience. They go hand in hand.
Forgot my link http://www.hopewellmomschoolreborn.blogspot.com/2012/11/whats-on-your-nightstand-novemeber.html
ReplyDeleteI'm always inspired by the lists f people who read a lot of nonfiction. I need to do more of that. And I, too, get distracted easily from my reading goals. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI read both, Amy, but I have found myself reading more non fiction the older I get. :)
DeleteOk, well, I'm going to pick up Raising Godly Tomatoes because it looks like you have it all together and I really respect you. ;) No, seriously I would pick it up because I really respect you but I doubt ANY one particular person *truly* has it all together. If they do, I would officially dislike them. ;D
ReplyDeleteSkipping your commentary on True Community at the present because, LO AND BEHOLD, I'm not the only person in this household who randomly orders books to read! Jonathan ordered it and it arrived yesterday, to my great surprise and happiness! So looking forward to diving into that one!
Ha! You've read too many of my "Hot Mess" posts to believe that I have it all together. I emailed her back and quickly disabused her of that notion. :)
DeleteHow fun that you will soon be reading True Community also. It's a subject close to my heart at the moment, perhaps partially due to our recent move.
You sound like me...finish one stack of books so you can add on more. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, I would love to read True Community by Jerry Bridges. Thanks for listing the 4 styles he talks about. Sounds like a great book.
And I loved Age of Opportunity! I read it several years ago (and referred to it often) when I had teen girls in the house. It really helped give me a better perspective than I would have had on my own. God is good!
Yes, sounds like we share that! :)
DeleteI am really getting a lot from Tripp's book and it's nice to hear someone else speak highly of it from the "other side" of the teen years.
Love your booklist! We have Age of Opportunity, and I'm trying to reread it, but can't seem to get into it. I really enjoyed the Carnegie book and want to read Hatmaker's book.
ReplyDeleteI mention my books near the bottom of my weekly wrap up post. http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2012/12/weekly-wrap-up-nature-walks-the-sat-and-projects/