Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Sometimes we just need to be encouraged and that is exactly what this book did for me.  Parenting isn't easy to start with, but throw in a child with special needs and those challenges can be overwhelming.  We are going through this in our very own home as we speak...nothing easy about this task that we are called to.  But a breath of fresh air came to me in the form of Kimberly Drew and Jocelyn Green's book Refresh.  It is a compilation of stories about parenting children who have all forms of special needs....the challenges, the joys, and so much more.  It is one of those books that you need to devour slowly and process but I was encouraged over and over through the words of many who have gone before me on this journey.  If you need encouragement today - don't miss this book.



*I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review on my blog.

Mother & Son

Sometimes books really leave an impact.  For me, Emerson Eggerichs' Love and Respect did that - it gave me a whole new way of looking at things and I STILL think back to much I learned in that book.  His new book, Mother & Son, is just the same!  This is a book you will carry with you LONG after you finish reading it the first time.  I love this quote,  "Based on the insight that a Mother's love is important...respect is the key to her son's heart."  You hear so much about little girls needing a father's love but we hear very little about sons needing their mother's respect.  This book lays it out so clearly and plainly - it makes total sense.  I was hit again and again about how important this respect is to our husbands AND sons.  If you have a son - here is THE ONE book you should read this year!  Don't miss this gift to all moms raising boys!



* I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes on my blog.

8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids

Is there anything simple about raising kids?  I don't think so!  But there are tools out there that can help make raising kids easier.  Advice from those that have gone before you can NEVER hurt!  Dr. Todd Cartmell, a clinic child psychologist and author, has written 8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids and it breaks up parenting into 8 different tools:

Talking
Listening
Influencing
Connecting
Teaching
Encouraging
Correcting
Leading

For each tool, Cartmell provides Connecting Tips and very useful advice that parents can take and put into action immediately.  This book is so practical and relate-able that anyone can take it and make it work for them.  The chapters are short and make it possible for even the busiest parents to find time to chew on parenting tips.  I was impressed with this parenting tool - it's a book written for the average man with practical, down-to-earth, ideas. 

Official Website-  www.8simpletools.com

Dr. Todd Cartmell's FB: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Todd-Cartmell-193405444025914/

I can offer you a 50% off coupon on my blog!  If you go to moodypublishers.com and purchase the book, use the code GREATKIDS16 at checkout and get 50% off until May 15, 2016.

 

Free access to the HEARTS AT HOME "ESSENTIAL WORKSHOP COLLECTION FOR PARENTS" with every purchase: http://www.8simpletools.com/purchase-with-offer (so readers not only get 50% off with the coupon code at moodypublishers.com, but also get access to a slew of freebies).

#8SimpleTools  #flyby

**I was sent a copy of the book by the publisher for an honest review on my blog.

Passport2Purity

I have heard for some time now how great Family Life's Passport2Purity program is for families.  When I was given the chance to review the program - I jumped at it.  I love the whole concept - time away with your preteen to talk through tough topics like sexuality and purity.  We need that and often don't make the time to do it with our kids.

The kit comes with  a CD Set, a travel journal, and a tour guide.  It is so well laid-out that a parent can really spend very little prep time to make the weekend a success - prep is important, but I wanted to encourage parents that it won't be a huge effort that will bog you down.  You walk through the tour guide page by page and pre-view the videos they feel the parent should view ahead of time to be ready for the weekend.  The weekend is laid out so carefully - I love the time set aside for fun activities and yet, they do give you a great timeline of how to effectively get everything accomplished within the time frame.  All of the parts of the kit are updated and not only look modern, but even the DVD's are well-done and will appeal to our teens.  Having a tool like this is such a blessing.

Our daughter is a bit young for this and we have not used it yet, but I can not wait to spend this time together learning and growing.  I highly recommend this easy-to-follow way for parents to guide their children into sexual purity.

 

I was sent a copy of the kit for review by the publisher for an honest review on my blog.

Bringing Up Girls

So I've been given three boys - I've read Dr. James Dobson's Bringing Up Boys and I'm ready to tackle the world!! Then I receive a wonderful gift of two beautiful girls and desperately NEED Dr. Dobson to write a book for rearing daughters - and thankfully he heard my petition. Because Bringing Up Girls is just what I needed to read! As usual, Dr. Dobson addresses the issues with clarity and Godly wisdom. He uncovers topics such as:

• Are girls really fundamentally different from boys? If so, should they be treated differently?
• Whoever said that girls are “sugar and spice and everything nice” never met my teenager. What can I do?
• My adolescent daughter seems to be on an emotional roller coaster. One minute she’s giddy with excitement; the next she’s moody and withdrawn. Is this normal?
• As a mom, I so badly want to be “best friends” with my daughter. Why isn’t it working out the way I dreamed?
• How does a dad’s role in his daughter’s life influence her character and decisions—including her eventual choice of a husband?
• How can grandparents contribute to raising a healthy granddaughter?
• What’s the best way to educate girls?
• How are girls affected when their parents divorce?
• What should we be doing to shape the next generation of women?

I highly recommend Dobson and his work - it is thorough and gives parents a solid, Biblical base to build on when making decisions and rearing their children. There are vast differences physically and physiologically between boys and girls and Dobson shows how this is true and how we can use that as we parent our children. The books read quickly and are written in such a way that you are encouraged to see what he will say next. I appreciate the insight and the challenge he provides us as parents.

*I was provided a copy for review purposes by Tyndale Publishers.

One Million Arrows

When I was sent One Million Arrows to read for a blog tour, I approached it like almost any other read. Boy was I wrong! I got into it just one chapter and stopped - this was one my husband and I HAD to savor together! We read it out loud together crying and saying "Amen" the whole way through. Julie Ferwerda has such a powerful idea with One Million Arrows that my husband and I are STILL talking about it. As directors of ministries to parents and children at our church, this is going to be the first thing we promote next fall to our families AND with our workers - because we are not just raising children, we are sharpening and refining arrows to send out into our world. We were convicted, we were challenged, and we were encouraged. This book not only convinces you that SOMETHING needs to be done to change the way we parent, but it gives you all the tools to do it. What an amazing challenge - it is a MUST read for parents that want to send out their arrows into the world sharpened and ready to be effective. Here is what someone else has said about the book:

Will the world change our children...or will our children change the world? Time
is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting our families to
become part of a bigger story—a vision that will engage hearts to make a radical
difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise our kids to
impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. If we want our kids to
discover their purpose, if we want them to live with passion for the Kingdom, if
we want our family to go down in His-Story, accept the mission...and leave a
mark for eternity.

DO not miss this incredible book - I am thrilled to be a part of this book/blog tour for a book I believe so strongly in!

Blog Tour - Boy-sterous Living

I was asked to review the book Boy-sterous Living by Jean Blackmer. But, as much as I am SO excited to read the book, I still have not had time with the flurry to pack for our trip to China. SO - I am going to give you info on the book that looks absolutely wonderful and then, when I read it, I will blog a review on it.

About the book: Raising boys isn't easy. Life with them is loud. If it's quiet, they're probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you're in for an adventure.

In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.

About the author: Jean is currently the Publishing Manager for MOPS International and she's been free-lance writing for 16 years. She has been published in a variety of local and national publications, including: Guideposts, MomSense, Today's Christian Woman, Christian Parenting Today, American Girl, Proverbs 31 Woman, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup Cookbook for the Busy Mom's Soul, Focus on the Family's Teen Phases, Guideposts Miracle Series, and others.

She also co-authored her first book, Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision. (Tyndale/Focus on the Family, 2004) This book was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award.

Jean graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor's (1987) and a Master's (1992) degree in Journalism. She lives in Boulder with her husband Zane; three boys, Josh, Jordan, and Jake.

Can't wait to read it!!! With three boys of my own - it sounds "right up my alley"!!