Books I am enjoying

I am a slow reader and often don't happen to finish books I start...unless they are Nicholas Sparks or Frank Perretti. Usually, I try to start too many things at once or bite off more (craft) projects than I can chew...thus contributing to my slow reading. That being said, I am currently enjoying two books that are of note.

The first is Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel. This is an amazing book that is a real shift from much of mainstream American Christian thinking/child rearing. Essentially, he talks about instilling strong hope, security through love, and a sense of purpose in your children by showing them grace, modeling God's love and good life navigation skills through your actions, and nurturing them according to their attributes so that they will be competent individuals who can confidently face the world in faith. It is counter-current to the concept of merely teaching our children religious do's and don'ts and placing them in "safe" bubble like christian communities/activities in hopes that they will develop a deep and vibrant faith (without the testing). The book is appropriately concept oriented..since it would be quite ironic if a book on parenting with grace was comprised of a laundry list of steadfast rules to follow. So, if you are looking for a formula approach for parenting with 5 easy steps to great children..look somewhere else. Although my study on the subject of parenting is limited at best, I do think that it is worth the investigation.

The second is Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I cannot say that his writing style is my favorite...since much of it seems repetitive. The points in the book are excellent though and require a real shift in female thinking as to how they will interact with, respond to, and think about their husband. Like I said, it is not necessarily my favorite writing style and it is definitely written from the male perspective which may push your buttons a little...but maybe that is what we need to hear since the female perspective on how to esteem your husband wouldn't exactly classify as authoritative expertise.