Revolutionary Parenting

One of my "goals" for 2011 was to read more. Thus far this year I've read (and notice the wide range of topics!):
-When Helping Hurts
-Shift
-Turn up the Heat
-The End of Overeating
-Food, Inc.

The last book I finished was George Barna's Revolutionary Parenting. I'm blessed to have a husband who has lots of great parenting/family books!=) Revolutionary Parenting would be a must read on my list. Nope, not as good as Gospel-Powered Parenting, but still very good.

On that note, I offer the disclaimer, that it isn't very Gospel centered, but the points it emphasizes can easily be filtered through that lens. I learned so much!

There were a couple nights after reading where I said to Jeremy, "This is making me so mad!". I meant that in a good, challenging way. This book really pushed me in areas I didn't even know were weaknesses...not really "fun reading" but thought-provoking that's for sure (all that said, I still finished it in less than a week.).

To hopefully motive you to read it, I'll list some of my favorite quotes. I would guess nearly half the book is highlighted! It was sooooo good!

Here go some of my favorites:

"God is the absolute judge of how well our children are doing, that His standards examine the character and faith of our young people, and His ways are often not facilitated by many of the activities we promote or endorse, regardless of our ignorance or good intentions."

"How much more important is it for us to ensure that we, as parents, become the ultimate coaches for our children as they develop into mature human beings? There is no dimension more important than their spiritual nature."

"You cannot hope to raise a spiritual champion unless YOU love God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul."

"Child rearing is the art of handling the unexpected without losing sight of the ultimate goal."

"Great parents recognize that from the moment a child leaves the womb until the time he or she leaves the home, they must tirelessly guard and shape the mind, heart, and soul of their child."

"In countless cases, it has seemed as if children's development is being rushed to satisfy some ambiguous goal, robbing them of the delights of childhood in an effort to usher them into the responsibilities of adulthood prematurely. We hurry to get them there, then wonder why they seem discontent or unfulfilled. Sometimes we inadvertently 'fast-track' personal development, eliminating the joy of growing at the pace God ordained for the person."

I'll stop there...I probably should have also mentioned that the book is based on a study done with the parents of kids who are "spiritual champions" (that phrase is defined in the book) and also a study done with these kids.

It's a must read...get it!!!!!=)