Resources For Your Family This Fall

I cannot believe the summer is already over! I'm sure you, parents, have mixed emotions about sending your kids back to school. You may have relief, joy,  or a heavy heart as your child is one grade level older. I am praying for you all this week- as you soak up your last summer moments and also as you keep a sane head trying to get everyone out the door Monday morning.

I'm often asked what I've read to better help and equip parents. This summer, I've done A LOT of reading. I've read some great books- and some not so great books. So, I've put together a list of recommendations for you to read as parents. Books that will encourage, inform, and teach you about where your child is developmentally, psychologically,  and spiritually. But also, books that will better inform and encourage your own faith as a follower of Christ... and as parents.

I've also put together a list of books for your kids . These are resources that can be helpful to your child as you are trying to find ways to bring more of Christ into your conversations and routines. They can also be resources for them as they try to personalize their own faith.  Some books may just encourage conversations at home about what unconditional love and the salvation of Christ mean.

(Links to order books are included in the title! Wanted to make it easy for you if you're interested!)

Parent Recommendations:

-- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Peter Scazzero)
         Basically the whole idea of the book is that it's impossible to be spiritual mature and wise if you are emotionally immature and uninformed. The book addresses avoided conflict in the name of Christianity, ignored anger sadness and fear, and living without boundaries. It's a super thought provoking book, using scriptural references as to how Christ lived in an emotionally healthy way and even how the early church got itself into trouble when it didn't act in an emotionally stable way. Scazzero also wrote a book called "Emotionally Healthy Church" that is equally as great. I think this book can be so helpful to you as you help your child navigate the role of emotional health in their own faith, in your family unit, in how they interact with God. It's important for us all to know that emotions are designed by God but we have to be healthy in the way we show and react to those around us.

--It's Just a Phase So Don't Miss It (Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivey)
          If anyone interacts with a child regularly, I highly recommend this awesome book! It's filled with super cool charts, graphics, statistics about a child's spiritual development, technological engagement, sexual maturity, and physical health. The book goes through each phase of development in a child's life and outlines significant relationships, present realities everyone needs to understand, and distinctive opportunities presented to a child in that age group. It takes the parent, teacher, reader into the brain and life of a child. It goes through each phase and breaks down how children relate to God, the church and their community. SO awesome.

--Plugged in Parenting (Bob Waliszewski)
      Written by the Director of the PluggedIn group, many of you are familiar with this website that rates and reviews current movies, books, games and music from a Christian perspective. Waliszewski writes about how to handle media conflicts that arise in your home about screen time and appropriate viewing. He also describes how some content can also led way for teachable moments if addressed in healthy ways with parents and in hand with scripture. He also outlines a "blueprint for family entertainment" that can help your family keep the peace at home.

-- The Sabbath (Abraham Heschel)
      This book is written by maybe the most well known 20th century Jewish scholar. If you've struggled with seeing the purpose in a Sabbath, this book is for you. It's pretty academic, but clearly gives support from the historical jewish perspective on ritual living and keeping holy days for not only God, but for yourself. To me, when practicing or trying to apply a biblical concept, I like to know the historical story and fight behind it. He suggests our whole week should "be a pilgrimage to the Sabbath Day." AND also he says "that all six days must be spiritually consistent with how we treat our Sabbath day." If that isn't convicting, I don't know what is.

Also pictured:
"I Wonder" -Elizabeth Caldwell 
"Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids- Jack Klumpenhower
"Family Worship" - Donald Whitney

Recommendations for your Kids!

--Everything A Child Should Know About God: Kenneth Taylor
      This has become one of my very favorite resources this spring. Many of you already know it's one of my favorites! It's published in England, and spells "Mom" as "mum" and that's just an extra perk. It is totally a book that can be read by your child 1st grade and older. It's divided into 10 Parts with many smaller (1-2 page) lessons/devotions on the topic.  The ten Parts are:  All About the Bible, What God Has Done, Who God Is, The Problem of Sin, Jesus Comes to Help Us, Jesus Wants to Save You, The Holy Spirit Helps Us, Why We Go to Church Living as Jesus' Friends and When Jesus comes back. This is an excellent resource for bedtime, or a book to practice your child's reading. It's awesome.

--Where In The World, Know God, Stand Up- Devotionals for Kids Published by Think Orange!
    These are all awesome 8-9 week daily devotionals for kids. They are designed for your older elementary school student (3rd-6th grade) to be able to read and study themselves. If you can help your child establish a routine/ habit of doing a personal devotion for themselves, books like this will be helpful guidebooks to teach them how to have personal time with God.

---The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden -Kevin DeYoung
      If any of you follow The Gospel Coalition, DeYoung should be a familiar name. He has authored many adult resources and blogs regularly for Gospel Coalition. The illustrations in this book are unbelievable! It's written as one complete narrative from the Garden of Eden to when Christ comes back to restore the Earth. This would be an excellent multi-night bedtime story. It's such a beautifully written and illustrated book. I cannot recommend this enough for a child to understand the complete narrative of scripture and how Christ is central in it all.


Also Pictured:

"I AM: 40 Reasons to Trust God" by Diane Shortz




If you have any questions, or would like to have a conversation about any of these books, I would love to do that!