Today Israel and I were talking about all the books I read. (Again. Yes, this is an ongoing subject in our house. Though, slowly, I'm converting these five people in my world into readers. And I press on toward the high calling...) Somehow we got on the topic of what genre fills most of our shelves.
Interesting, while parenting books fill twice the number of shelves in our home, I've read mostly other genres over the past 20 years. Business and leadership. Self-help. Ministry. Military strategy. Books written by surgeons and doctors regarding the health industry. Philosophy. Autobiographies and biographies.
Of course, there's a plethora of fiction (delicious brain candy) sprinkled throughout -- though I have a long-standing policy that the fiction I read has to either 1) be on the reading list of the Book Club I'm in or 2) be recommended by a trusted source. smile.
Here's the thing, I've obsessed -- yes, I'm intentionally using that word -- over my mission of motherhood. This platform of parenthood in which I take the whole business of training and shaping the character of another human being -- yeah, it's not for the faint-hearted.
So, one of my dreams is to take the books I've read over the last 20 years and put them in condensed form.
It doesn't matter whether you're an engineer, a doctor, a teacher, a receptionist, a real estate mogul, a pastor, the basic principles of leadership, performance, and success apply across the board.
Lest I leave you with the notion that we've figured this parenting thing out, let me assure you that we're very much in the trenches... we're simply inviting you to join us? As of this afternoon, we are working through several issues... yeah, I promise you, it's messy over here. But I have this burning passion for whole relationships, authentic connections, soul-deep intimacy. In marriages. In families. In friendships. In corporate settings.
In order to make this project as relevant and helpful as possible, I need your help.
- What specific areas of (your job) parenting are your greatest challenges right now, (i.e. communication, culture, boundaries, honor, trust, etc)?
- If we could spend the afternoon together, what would you want to talk about? (I ask that one a lot, don't I? humble smile. I really, really want to spend the afternoon with you!)
- What are the most critical initiatives for your family over the next six months?
- When your children complain, what do they say?
- What do you expect of yourself this year?
- What does your family expect of you this year?
Oh! To spend the afternoon with you! (The thought of it lights me up!) To discuss and brainstorm ideas, draw blueprints for implementation...
Great questions! Thanks for making me think!
ReplyDeleteAnswers- Greatest parenting challenges: letting go and trusting that all of this loving and mothering and teaching and molding and parenting and living will accumulate and result in holy men who love Christ. They are His but I act like they are mine. I just see the holes in my best attempts. I'm sure God sees more than that.
Let's spend the afternoon talking about All the things! Parenting, family, homeschool, life, faith, ... I love you because you have a gift for making people feel loved and encouraged and challenged. You're like a mirror where what's reflected back is the very best that person has to offer the world. Most critical initiative- Treating one another well. Fostering all the relationships. That's 21 different combinations.
#1 complaint- "How come _______ gets to do ______ but we can't?" Oh, the injustice of not being in all the other families. The ones where 5 year olds have cell phones, eat unlimited treats from the ice cream truck, get paid big bucks for chores, stay up all night, go to all the fun places, do all the fun things, buy all the fun stuff, watch all the fun shows, etc... The life long battle of finding contentment starts early.
What do you expect of yourself this year? Growth. Less of me, more of Him. Stripping away all the unessential things.
What does your family expect of you this year? They're boys. Feed them and love them.