I started reading this book months ago. I've tossed it into tote bags and carried it to ball games, on car trips, and read it at home before bed. Unfortunately, my reading time was usually interrupted and it has been a slow process. By the time I finished the book, it had somehow picked up a pen mark on the cover. Oops!
The majority of this book is written by Clay Clarkson. Each chapter is written from his viewpoint, with a wrap-up at the end by Sally Clarkson. To be honest, I missed reading Sally's warm tone through the chapters. That may be part of why the book took me longer to read. Or maybe it's just that life has grown increasingly busy as a mom and grandma.
In this book, Clay and Sally address many aspects of Christian parenting, and guidelines for leading our children into relationships with Christ. The book begins with their call to number our children's days (teaching them to have goals and a structure to their day.) They then address nurturing their spirits and guarding their hearts through careful limits on what they view, what they read, and how they spend their time. The next chapters deal with renewing your child's mind by continually leading them to Scripture, strengthening your child's faith by living an active faith before them, and shaping your child's will by helping them desire to obey God. The chapters on building your child's character and forming their imaginations talk about the interactions of daily life where we correct and discipline our children and guide their free-time choices.
Clay and Sally wrap up the book by talking about the importance of a parent's role in their child's life. We only have one life to give, and our greatest ministry is the one within our own home. Overall, the book is a challenge to rise up and parent in a way that goes against the grain of our current culture. It's counter-cultural to have daily family time, to limit children's exposure to most worldly television, to have daily devotional time and encourage children to follow God's ways. Many would consider these methods to be sheltering children too much, indoctrinating them, and being too controlling. It's counter-cultural to live this way.
At times I felt as if I've failed as a Life-giving parent since television and other screens take up much more of my children's time than I'd like to admit. Daily family suppers with conversation starters don't happen here either. If you read the book and feel overwhelmed with areas that you are lacking, just take baby steps. What is one small thing you can improve on? Pick one small change you can make. The main heart of the book that I focused on was the ones that talk about letting the Bible and my faith be so important to me that my children can't help but see it. Talk about how God is working in my life so that my kids see Him as an active and caring God. That's the main message and heartbeat I took from this book.
April E.
