Hey Guys,
I know for many of you this is your first time checking out this blog. Being a parent is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. I know from firsthand experience it is not easy. When I would share with people that I was about to become a parent, my words would be met with immediate recommendations about what I should do or read. That is why we started this blog. I know that from the dates you will see we haven’t posted in a while. For that I apologize. This has been an extremely busy season, but we usually try to post every two weeks. However, I wanted to let you know that as I journey through this life as a parent, and as I read books, I am committed to sharing with you the insights I receive.
There are a couple of books I would like to recommend that greatly influenced me. The first book I’ll mention is the Bible. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but I want to encourage you to deeply study the word. Each of the authors of the books I mention will constantly point you back to the bible. Below I have placed some verses that have really shaped my understanding of parenthood. I would like to encourage you to take some time this week to study them.
Psalm 128
1Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
6 May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!
Ephesians 6:1-4
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Pro. 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
Job 1:5
5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. (In the book Pastor Dad by Mark Driscoll he talks about how this verse prompted him to pray over his son when he felt like he was provoking him to anger. This is where I got the idea that I shared this last weekend for praying for my son. You can search this blog and find a free download of this book.)
Also there are a couple of books I read recently that really helped me learn. You can find these books in our bookstore (http://www.canyonechobookstore.com/home.asp). The first is called Grace-Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel (this should be in there soon). The other is the one you will see we are talking about in this blog. It is by Dr. Walt Mueller called The Space Between: A Parent’s Guide to Teenage Development. Also, Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. In fact, if you have a child in our NextGen services, they will be hearing about this topic in our June series. And of course, feel free to ask our bookstore for info on these resources. As always we’re praying for you.
