How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph
How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph: A Practical Guide for Growing Great Kids
If you are a parent, you know that a parent does what a parents gotta do-that is just the way it is. We drive the kids around, we make sure they brush their teeth, we take them to school (or even Homeschool them) we aim to do everything short of coddling them in order to have them turn out into able bodied adults and well rounded individuals. However from so much scheduling and activity the most important aspect of a whole person, which is the spirit and soul is many times neglected, or passed off as "the Sunday school teacher's job". We aren't doing our job as parents who love Jesus if we aren't intentional in instilling faith into our children.
How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph is a book, or even more a type of help manual which goes through each age and stage of the child from preschool through high school and equips parents with the tools necessary to pour a passion for what is right into their children. It is called How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph because no matter what the situation, Joseph (yes as in the Joseph with the coat of many colours) was able to make the right decision even when life really was not seeming to move in his favor. God gave him a dream as a boy and he must have thought many times that it was just a hoax and that God was no where close- however the faith that he kept when it came time to make the right choices is to be admired. He was surrounded by a people who didn't know God, who worshiped all different sorts of gods and he didn't even have a local home Bible study to go to, or a youth group and still he stood strong.
That is what every christian parent should aim to nurture in their child, not that everything is up to the parent, but it is nice to know when your kids grow up that you did what you could with the gift that God blessed you with. It isn't up to a youth leader to train your children spiritually, just as much as it isn't up to the pastor make you grow. The biggest problem with kids and adults alike is that they think they go to church to be challenged and to grow- and the result is that church has never been so full of saggy and faithless Sunday-only Christians. It is up to the individual to trust God, to place their feet on steadfast ground, no program for adults or kids will ever fashion that on its own. With or without programs and church events, we as parents are called to guide our children into a real relationship with Christ.
How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph is not a step by step guide on how to raise all children, it is a guide for creating a personalized and practical plan to best help your children bloom into teenagers who know, love and serve their Lord. I will use this book with my kids. We have started working with it and I love the scripture verses that it has for each different age group. Modern-Day Joseph is an excellent book for parents to keep on hand.
Title: How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph
ISBN: 9781434765314
Subtitle: A Practical Guide for Growing Great Kids (An Awana Resource)
Author: Linda Weddle
Publisher: David C. Cook
Subject: Christian Life - Family
Publication Date: June 2009
Pages: 220
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Book Review: A Love to Last Forever
A Love to Last Forever
Brides of Gallatin County Series Vol. 2
By Tracie Peterson
368 Pages
Pioneer Historical Fiction (Christian)
Bethany House Publishers
Published April 2009
Growing up Beth Gallatin has only been able to put down short roots in a community before she was moved along by her father. Just as she fell in love with a place their father would move them on to the next stop, he did have legitimate reasons, work, a house, a better town, a safer place for his daughters, still she resented it. She has made a secret vow to stay in one spot, with one man and raise a family in one community for the rest of her life. A Love to Last Forever is a story of roots, love, lasting promises and forgiveness, and learning the lesson that you really don't always know what is best for you.
I can relate to Beth in this book and it was fun to go through the process that Tracie Peterson took me on. Her writing was good, the characters worked for me, but it was slow for me and it didn't capture my attention until the mid-point. I don't mind a good Christan fiction book from the pioneer days, but this just wasn't it for me. It is the second in a series and I think I will pick up the third book sometime, but I make no promises. It was okay, just not spectacular. I had high hopes as last year I read two really good books from Bethany House. A Love to Last Forever just didn't do it for me.
55/100
Here are two Christian Fiction books that I really enjoyed:
From A Distance by Tamara Alexander
Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist
What are some Christian Fiction books that you have loved? How did they win you over?
Book Review: Secondhand Jesus
Author Photo by Audrey Hannah Photo
Secondhand Jesus
Trading Rumors of God for a Firsthand Faith
by Glenn Packiam
217 Pages
Non-Fiction
David C Cook Publisher
Christian Faith-General
Does God believe in the "American Dream"? Is He around just to make cuts feel better and pain go away? Do you really know the God you say you are serving? Are your notions of God secondhand? These are some of the questions Glenn Packiam will run by the reader in his book Secondhand Jesus. He does not cower from the truth, Secondhand Jesus aims to destroy the myths that there are shortcuts to knowing God. While reading this you are likely to realize that you believe many more rumors of God than you would feel comfortable with. If you found Jesus while in search for an easier faith, or CliffsNotes, or just a spiritual journey with beginning and end, you will be challenged in Secondhand Jesus.
When God puts His foot down we all feel the pressure, especially if it is right on top of a dream of ours. Our first thought should be, "well God does know better" and "whatever I am going through will only lead me to know Him more" but that takes a certain level of relationship with God. If that foundation isn't there, we won't realize it in the easy times but when the difficulties come around we will curse and scream and quit because He didn't do what I thought he should. It is time to take God from where we have him at arms length and allow His embrace to cover us, both in the joys of life and the pain.There are many myths that our culture preaches that are not accurate in accordance with what the Bible says about God.
A circular trail of rumors can become verifiable truth, community's dogma, in less than a generation.
- If you believe it, you can receive it.
- God knows your heart.
- God just wants you to be happy.
It sounds right. People we respect say it, people who know a lot more than we do. And we don't want to miss out on something that might be true. We've heard it for so long, nobody has stopped to ask if it's true or why we think it might be. (Secondhand Jesus, p. 44)
There are experts in medicine, photography, gurus of even the lost arts of Nintendo and Atari, if we are into that we respect them, we take their word as truth. With God, we do that too, if someone knows better than us many times we take their word as our sole source to God, we get lazy and apathetic thinking the Bible experts will find the verse that we were thinking of, or be able to explain salvation in an easier way to understand. Leaders are good, they are there for a reason, but there place is not that of God, they are humans too, mistakes will be made and they will fail--if your faith is in a human, you will be let down. Don't live on rumors, on what others say, search the scriptures, know what you are agreeing to when you place God as Lord in your life.
The whole premise of Secondhand Jesus comes from Job 42:5-6 (The Message):
I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand--from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry-forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.
That is the climax of the book of Job, and for me it really cut to the chase. I do not long to know God the way that I should, or enjoy him just for him as much as I need to. Secondhand Jesus re-enforced so many things I already knew and believed and at the same time it brought forth new ways of saying it that broke through to me--powerfully.
Secondhand Jesus impacted my life, Glenn Packiam made me think more clearly of God and who He is, but mostly it told me and taught me to search for myself, not out of guilt, pride or piety but out of love and a hunger to know God better daily. If I am at this same spot spiritually in even one year I will be guilty of living a passionless walk with God. I have heard it said this way, "if you aren't making an effort to move forward, know that you are drifting backwards". I loved this book, I am challenged, renewed and stirred--I would recommend it to any Christian, no matter where you are in your walk, it will get you thinking straight and challenge you too. I highly recommend it.
Visit Glenn Packiam's Blog and read the first chapter of Secondhand Jesus
Hear what Glenn Packiam has to say in this Secondhand Jesus YouTube Book Trailer:
Work In Progress
Work in Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide to Grace
by Kristin Armstrong
Published by Faith Words
144 Pages
Women's Self-Help
Because we should all be THAT WOMAN. Yes, the woman who walks into a room and exudes love, peace, joy and grace to everyone. However we are all on the road there, none has completely arrived, although some are much closer to the goal than others.In Work In Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide To Grace, Kristin Armstrong goes over what she believes to be the essential key traits in making the way toward that goal. She writes a chapter for each of the qualities: Beauty, Confidence, Softness, Trust, Truth, Generosity, Forgiveness, Courage, Wisdom, Authenticity, and Freedom.
There is nothing that helps a person want to jump in with two feet more than another who is doing it and cheering you on to do the same. I found in Kristin Armstrong a woman who is not proud or flaunting, she makes it a point to show her weakness, to be real and to walk in humility all of which are traits which attracted me to her. This is a great book with key points to which all women in this quest towards grace would certainly feel they can relate to. I enjoyed reading it.
My favourite chapters where those on Wisdom and Authenticity as those are two of the traits I admire the most and would most long to be recognized for. I know that it takes time and endurance and self control to walk the road to Grace, and yes I am definitely and unfinished woman. This book, Work in Progress is just another step in pursuit of that goal, and I really enjoyed this leg of that race.
I also must say that while Lance Armstrong was in his winning streak (what was it 7 years in a row, even with battling cancer!?!) I watched him while I lived in Spain with admiration, as he was the kindred spirit of an American that I could route for. My family LIVED the Tour de France, we loved Motorola and then U.S Postal and yes, Lance was our hero. After reading this book, I got a chance to see into Kristin Armstrong's life and perspective.No matter the pain they have gone though, they are both heroes, in different ways, but yet they are. Lance as far as an athlete goes, is an extraordinary man, Krisitn well, she is an athlete too but I admire her most for her courage and devotion to God throughout the divorce and raising up of their children. I loved getting the perspective on her that I now have, as well as learning from her how to grow and mature in grace.
Which traits do you value the most in someone?
Giveaway!
I have a copy to giveaway! Write a comment on this post by the 18th of March and you'll be included. Sorry no PO Boxes, and only US and Canada addresses please.
Author Website: Kristin Armstrong
Funny Commercial with Kristin Armstrong:
(and I must say that when I was training, it is true I know it sounds weird, but I would get home and chug milk. It sounds gross, but it must have been that calcium that my body craved)
The Shack
Title: The Shack/La Cabaña
Author: William P. Young
Pages:266
Genre: fiction, faith
Yearly Count: 2
The Shack is a fiction story that, after a devastating event, takes Mack, the main character into a fantasy-like dream place where he meets God, (or "Papa") the Holy Spirit (or "Sarayu" and Jesus. There he heals, learns from them about the way the world should be and about how he should see the things that happen to him. It is filled with theology, mostly about how to live and his attitudes towards what comes his way.
I went back and forth between listening to this in Spanish and reading it in English. In Spanish it is called La Cabaña. I wish I could say strongly one way or another if I loved or hated it, but to me this book really wasn't either so good I am thrilled by it, or so horrid I want to rag on it. There are some things in it that are a little strange, and for my tastes there was way too much debatage between the characters on different theologies and such. I enjoyed the beginning, the mystery and such, but once he went into the fantasy land...it was just not the same stuff for me.
I didn't think the book was written particularly well, but I decided I would forgive that if it made an earth shattering impact on me. As much as I did learn things from the book, it was not earth shattering enough to move away from the just average writing.
I will say that this book has caused more than its fair share of controversy in my own life, and even the mention of the title can strike up a conversation. I have had two people call me up afterwards apologizing for their drastic/harsh opinions on it (mostly because they were rude in their approach) so I know that it is controversial. The funny thing is that those who haven't read it seem to have the strongest opinions. As in what I was yelled at the first time I mentioned it: " AHHH, that is not a christian book!!!! It contains 13 or 14 counts of HERESY!!!" Seriously, when was the last time you heard the word heresy!?!? yuk. Okay, and that dweeb hadn't even read it, he said that he gathered his information from "snippets" that he saw online. Seriously? ya.
Because of all the strife I have endured for it....I don't think I will try to bring it up in a group of friends, at least not my most opinionated friends until the topic settles a bit. I guess if you are one of those who claims it is heresy, but won't read it, all I can say is that really you should give it a read first. It isn't claiming to be a new add-on to the Bible, or that it is divinely inspired, so chill folks. I think dooming some book and therefore neglecting the little good morsels it contains is really sad, and this book certainly does have some good. Having said that...I still have yet to determine if it is good enough to merit the several hours it takes to read. It was just blah for me.
What did you think about The Shack?
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