The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life


Scott Turansky - 2013
    Instead of relying on rewards, incentives, threats, andpunishment, you’ll learn how to identify heart lessons to teach your child and implement them in practical ways.The ChristianParenting Handbook by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, founders of theNational Center for Biblical Parenting, compiles fifty parenting principlesthat use heart-based strategies to teach you how to face daily challenges. Whenparents focus on the heart, kids learn to ask different questions about life.Instead of asking, “What’s in it for me?” they learn to ask, “What’s the right thing to do?” You’ll soon see howa heart-based approach to parenting looks deeper and brings about greater,lasting change.The daily interaction you have with your children can impactthem for the rest of their lives. With these fifty heart-based strategies,you’ll develop your own biblical philosophy of parenting and gain perspective,greater motivation, and confidence that you’re moving in the right direction.As you envision a positive future for your children, they’ll experience hopeand direction and you will too. Start applying these principles today!

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation


Rod Dreher - 2017
    The light of the Christian faith is flickering out all over the West, and only the willfully blind refuse to see it. From the outside, American churches are beset by challenges to religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. From the inside, they are being hollowed out by the departure of young people and a watered-down pseudo-spirituality. Political solutions have failed, as the triumph of gay marriage and the self-destruction of the Republican Party indicate, and the future of religious freedom has never been in greater doubt. The center is not holding. The West, cut off from its Christian roots, is falling into a new Dark Age. The bad news is that the roots of religious decline run deeper than most Americans realize. The good news is that the blueprint for a time-tested Christian response to this decline is older still. In The Benedict Option, Dreher calls on traditional Christians to learn from the example of St. Benedict of Nursia, a sixth-century monk who turned from the chaos and decadence of the collapsing Roman Empire, and found a new way to live out the faith in community. For five difficult centuries, Benedict's monks kept the faith alive through the Dark Ages, and prepared the way for the rebirth of civilization. What do ordinary 21st century Christians -- Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox -- have to learn from the teaching and example of this great spiritual father? That they must read the signs of the times, abandon hope for a political solution to our civilization's problems, and turn their attention to creating resilient spiritual centers that can survive the coming storm. Whatever their Christian tradition, they must draw on the secrets of Benedictine wisdom to build up the local church, create countercultural schools based on the classical tradition, rebuild family life, thicken communal bonds, and develop survival strategies for doctors, teachers, and others on the front lines of persecution. Now is a time of testing, when believers will learn the difference between shallow optimism and Christian hope. However dark the shadow falling over the West, the light of Christianity need not flicker out. It will not be easy, but Christians who are brave enough to face the religious decline, reject trendy solutions, and return to ancient traditions will find the strength not only to survive, but to thrive joyfully in the post-Christian West. The Benedict Option shows believers how to build the resistance and resilience to face a hostile modern world with the confidence and fervor of the early church. Christians face a time of choosing, with the fate of Christianity in Western civilization hanging in the balance. In this powerful challenge to the complacency of contemporary Christianity, Dreher shows why those in all churches who fail to take the Benedict Option aren't going to make it.

Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask Before (and After) You Marry


Les Parrott III - 1995
    And it's the first program for couples developed by a couple. And Les Leslie Parrott are no ordinary couple. As marriage counselors and teachers, they're on the cutting edge of marriage research and education. Each year they teach a blockbuster relationships course to hundred of college students They see the struggles and dreams of couples up close. And they reveal the flaws and foibles of their own relationship in order to show how challenging--and rewarding -- marriage can be. Most importantly, however, Les and Leslie Parrott share a dream: to equip couples in their twenties and thirties to prepare for lifelong marriage before it even starts. They know from experience that many couples spend more time preparing for their wedding than they do for marriage. Having tasted firsthand the difficulties of 'wedding bell blues, ' they show young couples the skills they need to make the transition from 'single' to 'married' smooth and enjoyable. Whether you're contemplating marriage, engaged, or newly married, Les and Leslie will lead you through the thorniest spot in establishing a relationship. You'll learn how to uncover and deal with problems before they emerge. You'll discover how to communicate, not just talk. And you'll learn the importance of becoming 'soul mates' -- a couple committed to growing together spiritually. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts is more than a book -- it's practically a premarital counseling session! Questions at the end of every chapter help you explore each topic personally. Companion men's and women's workbooks full of self-tests and exercises will help you apply what you learn. And the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts video curriculum will help you to learn and grow with other couples who are dealing with the same struggles and questions. So start today, while your love is fresh. Save your marriage -- before it starts

Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother


Carolyn Mahaney - 2003
    The feminine virtues described in Titus 2 have transformed her life and the lives of countless other women. This book will show you the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and helps others do the same.

The Missional Mom: Living with Purpose at Home in the World


Helen Lee - 2010
    Do you see motherhood as a mission and divine calling? Today's Christian moms come from a full range of personal and professional contexts, whether they are homemakers, full-time workers in the marketplace, or somewhere in between. Yet many Christian mothers are living missional lives, using their gifts and abilities to further God's kingdom by engaging the world around them. They artfully, passionately, and sometimes messily juggle multiple callings and demonstrate in their modern-day contexts how they are emulating the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. The Missional Mom will affirm Christian mothers who desire to not only to build their homes in a Christ-like way, but also engage the world with their skills, abilities, and interests. It won't minimize the importance of a woman's role in her home, but it will encourage her to not ignore the stirrings God has planted within her to extend her influence.

Daddy Tried: Overcoming the Failures of Fatherhood


Tim Bayly - 2016
    It comes with the territory. One generation to the next, imperfect men chip away at God's original design for daddies, leaving a flawed pattern for their sons to follow. Overwhelmed by their failures, it's easy for fathers to feel they have blown it for good and can't redeem themselves.Within these pages, Tim Bayly offers a frank and hope-filled path to overcoming the inherent failures of imperfect fathers--and to reclaiming manhood and dignity for the man called Daddy. Drawing from decades of his own journey as an imperfect son, father, and pastor, Bayly makes it clear there are no quick fixes. The road to recovery is paved with blood, sweat, and tears, but our Savior walked this path before us.Daddy Tried makes no apologies for being a book for men. Its subject is the male-only club of fatherhood. It takes the only perfect Father as our guide. Bayly stares the sins of fathers past, present, and future squarely in the face and clears a path to overcoming them--a path that begins with faith in our heavenly Father who tells us He knows our weaknesses.

Why a Daughter Needs a Dad: A Hundred Reasons


Gregory E. Lang - 2002
    Why a Daughter Needs a Dad: A Hundred Reasons

Mom Enough: The Fearless Mother's Heart and Hope


Tony ReinkeTrillia J. Newbell - 2014
    When the issue hit newsstands, it re-ignited a longstanding mommy war in American culture. But it turns out this was the wrong question, pointing in the wrong direction. There is a higher and more essential question faced by mothers: Is he God enough? This short book with twenty-four short contributions from seven young mothers, explores the daily trials and worries of motherhood. In the trenches, they have learned how to treasure God and depend on his grace. The paradox of this book is the secret power of godly mothering. Becoming mom enough comes as a result of answering the burning question above with a firm no.

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations


Alex Harris - 2008
    And Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge.Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life. Then they map out five powerful ways teens can respond for personal and social change.Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of an already-happening teen revolution challenges a generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: The Power of Intentional Parenting


Phil Comer - 2018
    And there is no greater fear than that their children will walk away from God.After serving together in pastoral ministry and raising their now-grown children, Phil and Diane Comer know those hopes and fears well. Like all new parents, they were intimidated and unsure about how to take on the task of spiritually training their young children. But now, with all four of their children grown and establishing their own households of faith, Phil and Diane have embarked on a quest to help the next generation of parents raise passionate Jesus followers.Drawing on years of pastoral counseling, teaching, leading, and decades of watching families from the perspective of pastors and leaders in ministry, Phil and Diane instruct, guide, encourage, and offer hope and practical help to Christian parents.Raising Passionate Jesus Followers is a manual full of practical, biblically based, and time-tested guidelines that parents will be able to turn to again and again through every stage of their children's development, including . . .Formulating a planLaying the foundation, ages 0-5Doing the framing, ages 6-12Installing the functional systems, ages 13-17Completing the finish work, ages 18-22And keeping the front door open for your grown children

Raising Boys by Design: What the Bible and Brain Science Reveal About What Your Son Needs to Thrive


Gregory L. Jantz - 2013
    Among other things, you’ll learn how to help your son:• strengthen his character, resilience, and self-discipline• nurture genuine compassion and empathy• process words and emotions in ways that fit his brain chemistry• succeed in school and hone crucial life skills• develop a healthy perspective of sexuality• avoid the pitfalls of media and technology• embark on a lifelong adventure of faith This unique resource combines the latest research in brain science with timeless truths from the Bible to reveal the deepest needs shared by every boy of faith while also leading you to fresh insights for honoring the unique personality, talents, and God-given design of your son in particular.  You can help your son thrive today as the hero he is meant to be when you learn the secrets of Raising Boys by Design.

Spiritual Conversations with Children: Listening to God Together


Lacy Finn Borgo - 2020
    When children have a listening companion who hears, acknowledges, and encourages their early experiences with God, it creates a spiritual footprint that shapes their lives. How can we increase our capacity to engage children in spiritual conversations? In this book Lacy Finn Borgo draws on her own experience of practicing spiritual direction with children. She offers an overview of childhood spiritual formation and introduces key skills for engaging conversation--posture, power, and patterns--from a Christ-centered perspective. "When we are fully present and open to another, we will be changed," Borgo writes. "Indeed, as you listen to God with a child, the child will lead you into a fuller experience of God's love and acceptance." In this book you'll find:Sample interactive dialogues with childrenIdeas for engaging children with play, art, and movementPrayers to use togetherWhether you are a parent or grandparent, pastor or spiritual director, you will find this to be a friendly guide into deeper ways of listening.

What Every Mom Needs


Elisa Morgan - 1995
    But nothing offers greater rewards or more opportunities to enrich yourself than raising your kids. What Every Mom Needs shows you how being a great mom and a person in your own right go hand-in-hand. Extensively revised and updated based on current research and the latest survey of moms by MOPS® International (Mothers of Preschoolers), this bestselling book helps you deal with the realities you face today as a young mother. If you’ve wondered how to find time for friendships, how to lighten your workload, or how to go about rediscovering and developing yourself as an individual, What Every Mom Needs is for you. Filled with personal stories and helpful features, including a list of resource websites, this book will help you understand the importance of meeting your six basic needs as a mom—and how to actually get them met. Fulfilling your needs for identity, growth, relationships, help, perspective, and hope will make you a happier, more centered person and a better mom.

Change Your Heart, Change Your Life: How Changing What You Believe Will Give You the Great Life You've Always Wanted


Gary Smalley - 2008
    Change your heart, and you'll change your life.According to best-selling author Dr. Gary Smalley, nobody has to live by the destructive subtle lies or believe the distortions of truth this world holds out to us. There are steps, strategies, and beliefs people can bring to their lives to either totally transform them or quietly improve them-and it all starts with hiding God's Word in their hearts.Hiding God's Word in his heart radically changed the life of Smalley himself, and he is seeing it revolutionize the lives of people around him as well-from lust, materialism, selfishness, anger, stress, overeating, anxiety, and guilt, just to name a few. No matter a person's age, experiences, or previous patterns, this book will guide readers to the whys and hows of orchestrating their beliefs to forever change their lives and relationships.

A Family of Value


John Rosemond - 1995
    John Rosemond's A Family of Value presents a critical view of the child care literature of the past quarter century and argues for an end to overindulgent parenting and a return to the goal of instilling moral values, such as responsibility, respectfulness, and resourcefulness.