Here you will find books that have helped me through the war zone of parenting. I have offered up my own thoughts on the book as well. Take a few moments to look over these and if you are interested in purchasing it, click on the link to order.
Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching And Appreciating Boys
Raising Real Men
In 2012 my wife got this book for me and it made me wake up and pay a bit more attention to how I was raising my sons and what I wanted them to become, real men. The authors Hal & Melanie Young go through different examples of real men throughout history. They show you how to look beyond the worldly view of your son and see the view of what God wants your son to be. Real stories of how young sons became heroes and how their life was changed at an early age. It gives you ways to help your son be able to stand on their own when the time comes, ways that will improve your son’s learning ability and why it is important to build a work ethic. This book will challenge you to release your child to his danger side to climb tall trees, jump ditches and test the limits of being brave. One of the thoughts through the book is biblical responsibility.
Luke 16:10
Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much,…
From competition to finances to doing “woman’s work”, it’s all in here and how it relates to your sons. Don’t just survive raising boys, succeed at it and learn how to love them as they really are.
No matter how much mothers and sons may be alike, they are likely to be very different in some important ways that will really impact their homeschooling together. (p. 153)
Our focus must be on leading our sons into godly manhood, not just trying to manage them to make our lives convenient and more pleasant. (p. 25)
Some folks would feel sorry for the poor kids giving up their free time to work, denying themselves all the fun they could have had with that money. Somehow, it’s doubtful Christ would share that perspective. (p. 122)
We need to be careful of thinking or saying that a decision is probably right because that’s the way it’s always been, or that’s the way we were raised, or the way our parents did it. We’re called to live lives that are holy, set apart from the world’s expectations, so we have to question things more than our neighbor.(p. 189)
So I challenge you to read this book and get yourself ready to start “Raising Real Men”
Full-Time PARENTING – A Guide To Family-Based Discipleship
Full-Time PARENTING – A Guide To Family-Based Discipleship ~ Israel Wayne
After listening to Israel Wayne at the Spartanburg Teach Them Diligently Homeschooling Conference this year, I was compelled to read his book “Full-Time Parenting : A Guide To Family-Based Discipleship”. Israel is the product of a divorced parents, physically abused by step-father and with a mom that was not a believer in Christ. Yet through all of this he shows how God’s Grace can change everything.
We cannot care for these children, born of our flesh, with the strength of our flesh. We must learn to parent through the empowerment and wisdom of God’s spirit (pg. 32)
Using practical advice straight from the Bible, Israel encourages “hands-on & first-person” consistency in parenting, especially with multiple children in the family. He reminds us that all areas of life have a direct impact on the future generations to come. He also covers the use of technology and the principle of “amusing ourselves to death” in the process of “learning”.
From discussing single incomes, starting businesses or the decision to homeschool or christian school, Israel brings the Bible into each topic and relates it in a down to earth way.
Have you set out to win in the race of raising Godly children? Then don’t let the culture of the love of affluence entangle you. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, KJV) (pg. 112)
Within the chapter of “Keeping Your Marriage Strong”, Israel and his wife Brook worked together on discussing the topics of conflict, communications and closeness. From yelling, to manipulation these two bring many common issues in marriage to light and show a way to work them out. This chapter is a back and forth for the husband and wife to read together if possible as it brings Godly wisdom and common sense together to remind us that we are working together.
You only need to remember ONE simple but important point and put it into practice, and you will have a wonderful blissful marriage: From the moment you are married, to the moment you die, neither of you can … (pg. 84)
Full-Time Parenting, A Family-Based Discipleship is a great book to show the distractions and cures for parenting in todays culture. For my husbands of homeschooling mom’s out there, I would highly suggest this book be added to your tool bag. Israel did an outstanding job of covering parenting from the point of birth to the inevitable “Passing the Baton” into adulthood.
Children need their fathers. Children have legitimate needs that they are unable to meet by themselves. There becomes a competition between the perceived needs of the father and the pressing needs of the child or children. Someone will have to be denied. It is a rare father who will deny himself to care for the needs of the children entrusted to him. (pg. 33)
The Hands-On Dad:The Father’s Role In Christian Home Education
by Rick Boyer
I have not read many books that have said things like I found in this book! Straight to the point and with true heartfelt convictions, author, Rick Boyer of Character Concepts lays the truth out before you. Covering topics such as dads being the provider, protector, teacher, disciplinarian and many more, Boyer shows biblical reasoning for dads to lead in the family.
He gives examples of how his life, not perfect, has changed over his beginnings in homeschooling and being a dad to becoming more involved in his kids life and education.
So a father is to exhort his children, to encourage them, to call to them, to be right beside them as they face each new challenge. This is quite a rebuke to the father who has chosen a hob that keeps him away from home much of the time or who, like me, tends to get distracted among many different responsibilities and sometimes overlooks priorities.(pg. 22)
Boyer also gives great advice to dads on how to partner with their wives to advance the home school agenda in their own homes. In a chapter on leadership, he cover such questions as :
- How shall we educate our children?
- What are our standards of behavior?
- What church shall we attend?
- How involved shall we be in church?
- How will we conduct the spiritual training of our children?
I’ve heard parents wonder aloud why their kids have had certain problems, saying, “We always took them to church.” But going to church doesn’t make a child a disciple of Jesus any more than going to a dairy makes him a cow. Training your child means teaching him something, not taking him somewhere for someone else to teach. (pg. 54)
Boyer’s wit and blunt honesty will make any dad stop and think about how his leadership and involvement in his kid’s life are making an impact. He finishes off the book with a note to the dads reading the book, which is something that every dad needs to see.
Thanks for withstanding the criticism of those around you for educating your children at home. Sometimes the opposition comes from the people who are important to you. You can’t always…(pg. 154)
Once you pick this quick read up, you will be wanting to finish it and read it again to go back and highlight points for your use. I would highly recommend this book to all the husbands of homeschooling moms out there or those thinking about entering the homeschooling arena! The book may comes in paperback and may be purchased from www.CharacterConcepts.com
My Beloved and My Friend ~ How To Be Married To Your Best Friend Without Changing Spouses
This is one of the fundamental truths of marriage – it takes two individuals and makes them into a new, unified entity. He and She become We.Pg. 225
If you are looking for a great eye opener to the ups and downs of marriage, well here it is! Hal & Melanie Young (authors of Raising Real Men) have placed within the covers of this book a vast wealth of spiritual knowledge and personal hard-knocks. This book will take you into the places of:
- Leaving and Cleaving
- Submission
- Communication
- Division of Labor
- Affection
- Love life
Through using the Bible as a guide and incorporating todays fast paced life, Hal & Melanie have shown through careful work on both parts, that you can be married to your best friend.
Basic understand matters. Commitment to fundamental truth, in spite of constant small temptations and distractions, matters. Skill can be learned, and it takes practice. It’s true of football, true of life in general, and true of marriage in particular. pg.5
No matter how long you have been married, or if it is something that may be coming up for you, this book will bring awareness to the fact that marriage ~
It’s like two handfuls of clay kneaded together by a potter to fashion a single object. pg. 13
Nothing is held back as they use Gods word to show a clear path to being a Godly couple and having a marriage that show it as well.
In other words, wives are told to submit, but husbands are told to die. At least, that’s the measure of love Christ gave to us in the church. There’s no room for selfishness in any degree… pg. 77
When we let ourselves get too busy, too distracted, or to misdirected to spend time together physically, we open the door to temptation. God expects us to be lovers, and to be regular about it.
I would highly recommend this book to any couple that especially is approaching marriage or has been there for years! The life lessons that are passed down are truly priceless and Godly in principle.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”