I adore reading. I use to spend hours reading fiction, non-fiction... anything I could get my hands on. Yet, with life changes and a huge TV with hundreds of channels... Reading was forgotten on my list for awhile.
As our lives change and we enter new seasons we are again realizing the VAST IMPORTANCE of reading... especially in gleaming from the wisdom of others who have gone before us, made bigger mistakes and found a publisher to publish them for the entire world to see. Lucky them.
So this year hubs and I decided to make goals to actually read some of these parenting books we've collected over the years. Bryan is reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp in the Month of January and I decided to tackle Give them Grace: Dazzeling your kids with the love of Christ by one of my favorite authors Elyse Fitspatrick.
It's a tough book.
Not because giving grace to your children is hard... (Although let's be honest, when I'm in an annoyed state and my son drops fruit loops all over the floor because he HAD to pour it himself... grace is hard pressed in that moment but not because he doesn't deserve it... but because my sin is loud and demanding and he just stepped on it.)
It's the changing of your complete mindset and approach to parenting. Since I have a more "Fly by the seat of my pants" type of approach to parenting, actually putting things down and committing to parenting a certain way is a bit daunting to me.
The problem is... there are a million ways to parent, and even a million ways to be a Christian parent and everyone and their grandmother has an opinion and will loudly give it to you whether they know you or not.
It's a little bit overwhelming.
Which is why when I looked at my bedside table last night I found three books there instead of the one I am supposed to be reading. Give them Grace is there... but also two little books about parenting and I find depending on what day I've had determines which book I'll be picking up that night to read...
When I've had a Great parenting day... the one filled with me being incessantly patient, kind, where my kids actually ate some 'healthy' food and something in the house got accomplished... I pick up Give them Grace.
When I've had a Challenging Parenting Day... where I disciplined and fought with Elliot more than cuddled and my self-pity needle is jumping off the charts... I pick up Loving the Little years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic. It's a gem of a book and its super tiny chapters allow you to get nuggets of grace and be refreshed in an instant. Rachel is one of my favorite people I have never met but want to be like one day. She rocks.
And when I've had a It's YOUR turn, I quit! You are the one who wanted kids, not me Parenting Day... I pick up How do you tuck in a superhero? And other delightful mysteries of raising boys. By Rachel Balducci, a blog mom to FIVE boys and one girl! (Two of which are named Elliot and Ethan. I mean... come on.)
It's a fun book that recounts the many adventures of her family and her experiences with a house of five men. It's the book I can read for hours as each little story brings me laughter, "Oh wow... I hope that never happens" moments and an escape that it was ok with what I did today because I am not the only one who is having these "adventures".
That's the joy of learning from others isn't it? Not only for their wisdom and learning from their experiences but also to know... it isn't just me.
Sometimes the best thing I could ever tell someone while they are hurting or going through something I may have already gone through is... they are not alone and I know exactly how they feel. I can only hope it brings them as much comfort and release as it does when someone tells me that!
My bestie Dannette and I's favorite quote is:
"Friendship is born in that moment when one person says to another,
'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'" - C.S. Lewis
Probably because that is what our phone conversations always are:
You too!? Man that makes me feel ALOT better...
In that I hope this blog provides a TON of those moments for you. In fact along with reading books I'm hoping to get 50 people to subscribe to my blog in the year of 2013.
Considering I have one right now... my ever faithful faux cousin Shannon (I adore you) and it isn't even my husband... I've got alot of work to do. But, I make a promise that if you join this journey with me, I will make it entertaining.
So go ahead... give into the urge and put in your e-mail address and click the button on the right hand side and let's have some adventures this year!
If anything you'll at least have a friend who probably will do more stupid things than you will so that should make you feel great at the end of the day. :)
God Bless,
Jessica
Jessica
