Finally, the launch week of our newest book, The Lifegiving Parent, has come to an end. I have said this before and others say it, too: I have the very best launch teams in the world! Thanks to everyone who willingly shared about our book in some way. It is our firm belief that as the family goes, so goes culture, so goes history. It is the reason Clay and I are passionate about educating and inspiring parents all over the world to be intentional about mentoring their children in a rich, real faith in God and in Christ. We feel as though we are a team with you in helping reach our world. Thanks again for all who supported us in this!
This week on the podcast, Clay and I speak about 2 more heartbeats: "Guarding Your Child's Heart" &"Renewing Your Child's Mind": Hope you feel encouraged and led to wisdom.
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Heart and mind. As humans, we know these terms as vital organs in our physical bodies. If either stops functioning, life ends. As Christians, we also relate to the terms as expressions of who we really are, our spiritual inner person. In contrast, though, without the Spirit of God, true spiritual life will never begin. Lifegiving parenting is about making sure you give your children God's life for their heart and mind so they will be alive for Him. It's like having a lantern with a candle in it that isn't lit. Until you light the candle, the lantern exists, but it is not functioning as it is designed to do. It is not alive. This week is about lighting the candle of God's life in your child's heart and mind. Here are some excerpts to get you started:
From "Guarding Your Child's Heart":
"As a lifegiving parent, you are the guardian and protector of your children's hearts, directing them away from "the way of the wicked" (Proverbs 4:19) and onto "the ancient paths, where the good way is" (Jeremiah 6:16). Your job as a heart guard is not complicated--it is to keep your children on God's "good way" and path of life so they will know and experience the very life of God in your home and family. That path is as old as the Bible's story and as new as the latest relationships, appetites, and influences looking for a place in your children's hearts. You are the gate that either opens to let them in or closes to keep them out, depending on which path brings them to your children."
"Of all the heartbeats of lifegiving parenting, this one--renewing your children's minds--arguably requires the most from you as the parent. Your children, whether they are young an immature or beginning to mature as young teens, will be looking to you not just to understand what it means to have a redeemed mind but also to see what it means to live out of a redeemed mind. You are living out the spirit of Paul's admonition for them: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV). In many ways, your mature example of having a redeemed mind will serve as their first opportunity to practice what it means to be a disciple of Christ--to follow the way of God and do His will,"
Write down 2 ways you will apply what you hear this week. And be sure to share a book with one of your friends or neighbors! You might be a part of God's hands to transform a family.
