Teenagers Rebelling Against Low Expectations: What is on our two teen boys summer reading list.

We just bought "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations" for all the boys in the VIVIT band. EXCELLENT book! The teen boys that wrote this have a website called The Rebelution. Go check it out! Click on the book cover below to go to the Amazon page Make sure you read THIS BOOK REVIEW of "Do Hard Things".

Three more books on our two teen boys summer reading list:
Click on the book cover to go to the Amazon page

Review of Out of the Black Shadows
Reviews of Father to the Fatherless
Reviews of Enemy Brothers

Books I will be Reading

Philip Jensen and Tony Payne’s Guidance and the Voice of God.

Bruce Waltke's Finding the Will of God: a pagan notion?

Garry Friesen’s Decision Making and the Will of God

J.I. Packer's Finding God's Will

Why? Because I am sadly not grounded enough on this to be able to articulate very well what I believe the Bible teaches on discerning God's will in our New Testament times and why I believe it. This is rather embarrassing to admit and it's a biggie. As a mother entrusted with 6 children I want to pass on God's truth to them and not my opinion apart from God. My children will always be faced with decision making ... all their lives. If I cannot even articulate this even though I think I know, am I living it out for the glory of God as an example to my children? Probably not.
Do I need books written by men to be able to understand this? God's Word is sufficient. But then, God also uses writings from men to help us think more Biblically, pointing us to the Word of God in a precise manner that I perhaps would not have thought to do. I do my best to be careful about what source I seek Godly counsel. And to me, reading the above books from proven men of God is just that... Godly counsel.

I am in a Mutually Satisfying Love Affair

...with my husband. Really, I am.

And this is the beginning of my input on the first chapter of John Ensor's book, Doing Things Right in Matter's of the Heart.
Yep. It's book club time with Girl Talk.

Ensor starts out strong. No beating around the bush. He just dives right in with the truth we all need to hear... and pursue. He even quotes Mahaney from that fabulous book about humility: "I'm a proud man pursuing humility by the grace of God."

We are all proud people. According to this chapter, it is called the error of self-confidence.

It is one thing to act foolishly--to be a simpleton--when buying a used car. It is another when it comes to matters of the heart. The stakes are infinitely higher. Failure here means weeping into tear-stained pillows through sleepless nights. It means hot flashes of shame. It means spiritual incapacitation when it comes to things like prayer and worship... it has dragged too many off to Planned Parenthood with an innocent in the womb...

...It is time to revolt against the times... to learn how to spot fraud in matters of the heart, and to enter into a relationship as one "who gives thought to his steps" (Prov. 14:15).

Whew! See what I mean? And that is only the tip of the iceburg of straightforward wisdom pouring out of this 160 page book. It's really not too late to get one and participate in the book club.

So, why did I mention I was in a mutually satisfying love affair with my husband? Because Ensor has a section within this chapter where he mentions a staff member that introduced her husband as Mr. Wonderful and then rattled off a few of the things he did to make her so fulfilled and happy. Essentially she was simply enjoying the love of a good man and saying it as if it were as normal as iced tea in August. Sadly to Ensor and everyone else, I'm sure, it sounded radical--winsomely radical.
It isn't that these people are not full of human frailty as Ensor points out. It is just that they are reaping the wonderful benefits of a healthy, enduring, mutually satisfying love affair with one another.

Honestly, the first seven years of my marriage was hell. A hell that I made for myself in which I would easily involve myself in conversation with others who would sit around talking about all the things their spouses did wrong. You know, that human frailty factor just makes for flesh-appealing gossip. But then the Lord, and it really is His work alone that transformed my life, my marriage, into something unexpectedly beautiful and satisfying, gave me this LOVE for my husband that I had never had before. So deep and sweet. A love that caused me to see all those things about Him that reflect Christ. A love that caused me to find him irresistibly attractive. Oh, and a love that really does cover a multitude of sins when it comes to marriage. Not to the point of delusional denial of ongoing sin that needs to be confronted. No. It is the mindset love that focuses NOT on those annoying human frailty sins, but on what made me fall in love with the guy in the first place and the things he does now that make me fall in love with him even more. LOVE HAS TO cover a multitude of sins when it comes to marriage or you will be miserable. Though I do believe my husband got the short end of the stick. :-D

Now go read this hilariously sad, sometimes scarily true article about the lunatic bride. It will entertain you in a freakishly funny way.

And make sure you watch this video "I Want to Leave a Legacy"... I found it on No Shadow of Turning who found it on a young ladies blog that writes thought-provoking articles on her life with cancer and a longing to leave a legacy of Christ... Meet Heather and be blessed.

The Mother Who Fears God

Praise Her in the Gates is a book about Christian motherhood and the subtle art of building a house of grace—“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands” (Prov. 14:1). Each day’s work is significant, for it contributes towards the long-term plan. Each nail helps build a house that will stand in a storm. But motherhood isn’t a simple formula. Building a home—childbirth, education, discipline—requires holy joy and a love of beauty. The mother who fears God does not fear the future.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away... " 1 Peter 1:3, 4

I was asked by a dear published friend to consider writing a book on the topic of mothers who fear God. After much prayerful consideration, I am leaning towards the reality that it is not my season to take on even a contributory role in any book. Perhaps the Lord will change that in the future or perhaps the Lord will raise someone up more equipped than I to take this on. As I wrote in my "about me" section: "I have written nothing that has likely not been said a whole lot better by someone else. I definitely have no insight that is deeper than what God has already revealed." To HIM be ALL the praise and honor and glory.

Partial to my Pantry

Here is an excerpt from the book, Mothers of the Wise and Good by J. Burns
(what I have written within this quote is in parentheses):

"How much evil may be prevented and how much good may be done by judicious management in the education of children... In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their wills, and bring them to an obedient temper. To inform the understanding is a work of time, and must, with children, proceed by slow degrees, as they are able to bear it; but the subjecting of the will is a thing that must be done at once, and the sooner the better; for by neglecting timely correction, they will correct a stubborn-ness and obstinancy which are hardly ever after conquered, and never without using such severity as would be as painful to me as to the child. In the esteem of the world, they pass for kind and indulgent, whom I call cruel parents; who permit their children to get habits which they know must be afterward broken. Nay, some are so stupidly fond, as in sport to teach their children to do things, which, in awhile afterwards, they have severely beaten them for doing. When a child is corrected, his will must be conquered, and this will be no matter hard to do, if it be not grown headstrong by too much indulgence. And when the will of a child is totally subdued, and when it is brought to revere and stand in awe of its parents, then a great many childish follies and inadvertencies must be passed by--some should be overlooked, and taken no notice of; and others mildly reproved (in the sense of choosing your battles wisely, for their will be many when training up a child for the glory of God); but no sinful transgression ought ever to be forgiven children, without chastisement less or more, as the nature and circumstances of the offense may require. I insist upon conquering the will of my children betimes, for this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious education, without which, precepts and example will be ineffectual(for how can my children learn to obey and submit to their heavenly Father, if they cannot learn to submit to and obey their earthly parents.) But when this is thoroughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason and piety of its parents, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind. I cannot yet dismiss this subject. As self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so, whatever cherishes this in children, insures their after wretchedness and irreligion; whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety."

Go to this link for AN EXCELLENT SPURGEON QUOTE: He loathed the rod

One of the BEST read-a-louds I have ever read...

This is one of the most clever books I have ever read. Our family had great fun reading it every night. IT WAS SO HARD TO PUT DOWN. The kids would beg me not to stop reading!!!
(Don't let the name of this classic bother you. THis is truly a MUST-READ)

The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Milo has nothing much at all to do -- until he drives through the Phantom Tollbooth. Beyond it lies a strange land and an even stranger series of adventures. Accompanied by a watchdog named Tock and the ever-grumpy Humbug, Milo sets out on a quest for Rhyme and Reason, hoping to settle the war between words and numbers along the way. Now that he thinks about it, he's got plenty to keep him busy after all.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

"Well, if you can't laugh or think, what can you do?" asked Milo.
"Anything as long as it's nothing, and everything as long as it isn't anything," explained another. "There's lots to do; we have a very busy schedule-

"At 8 o'clock we get up, and then we spend

"From 8 to 9 daydreaming.

"From 9 to 9:30 we take our early midmorning nap.

"From 9:30 to 10:30 we dawdle and delay.

"From 10:30 to 11:30 we take our late early morning nap.

"From ll:00 to 12:00 we bide our time and then eat lunch.

"From l:00 to 2:00 we linger and loiter.

"From 2:00 to 2:30 we take our early afternoon nap.

"From 2:30 to 3:30 we put off for tomorrow what we could have done today.

"From 3:30 to 4:00 we take our early late afternoon nap.

"From 4:00 to 5:00 we loaf and lounge until dinner.

"From 6:00 to 7:00 we dillydally.

"From 7:00 to 8:00 we take our early evening nap, and then for an hour before we go to bed at 9:00 we waste time.

"As you can see, that leaves almost no time for brooding, lagging, plodding, or procrastinating, and if we stopped to think or laugh, we'd never get nothing done."

"You mean you'd never get anything done," corrected Milo.

"We don't want to get anything done," snapped another angrily; "we want to get nothing done, and we can do that without your help."

"You see," continued another in a more conciliatory tone, "it's really quite strenuous doing nothing all day, so once a week we take a holiday and go nowhere, which was just where we were going when you came along. Would you care to join us?"

"I might as well," thought Milo; "that's where I seem to be going anyway."

Continue reading "One of the BEST read-a-louds I have ever read..." »

"Take your teeth out... You won't need them for this meal."

The title of this particular blog actually came from someone reviewing a book by Swindoll... hmmm. Why does that not surprise me?

Now put your teeth back in cause I am going to recommend 3 books that are meaty:

Just go to this link:
http://god-willing.blogspot.com/2006/01/take-your-teeth-out-you-wont-need-them.html