With the advent of the Kindle in my life I can read a whole bunch of books at once, which I really love. I like to bounce around because I tend to read books in categories.
So I'm guessing your dying of curiosity about what 8 books I'm reading.
(Well, try and play along at least!)
Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar
The only real paper book I'm currently reading. (A book with paper. What is that?)
I am reading it at the insistence of my friend Heather and loving it. We not only "twins" but also have very similar taste in reading. It's about a fiery woman from Scotland who was a missionary in Nigeria in 1876.
Category:For Fun/Favorite (I have a secret love of missionary biographies.)
You and Me Forever:Marriage in Light of Eternity
Still processing this one. Interesting thoughts on the purpose of marriage. Like anything from Chan its challenging. So I like to read it a chapter at a time and leave it be.
Category:Marriage
Beyond Ordinary:When A Good Marriage Just Isn't Good Enough
Jeremy and I are reading this book together and doing the discussion questions. So far its brought great discussion. It's a memoir which is my brand new favorite type of book to read. We have tried lots of times to read books together but I usually get impatient and go on ahead. But, we've found with my new Kindle read a bunch of books at once style this is now much easier. (The Kindle and the GPS have basically solved all our marriage problems. Hooray technology!)
Category:Marriage Memoir
Between Worlds: Essays on Culture & Belonging
God has called us to encourage the missionary population. But we've never been a live across the pond missionary. So I started reading a blog called A Life Oversees. I love it. I've learned so much. From it I found this book. Again, its a memoir which to me feels like laid back learning. I like that.
Category:Missions Memoir
Third Culture Kids:Growing Up Among Worlds
Among the missionary population God has given me an opportunity to love and teach missionary kids. I am going to get to do that in April in West Africa. I want to love well, so I'm trying to learn. This book has literally been on my to read list since I went to Africa in 2012.
Category:Missions
When Helping Hurts:Howto Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself
I've tried to listen to this audio book like 500 times. But, its not that kind of book. I need to read and absorb and really think. So, I'm starting again. This book is another one God has made it pretty clear I need to read for my ministry to be affective. I have so much to learn.
Category:Ministry
The Excellent Wife:A Biblical Perspective
I read part of this book and then got distracted. But I loved what I read so I'm revisiting it. The downside to the Kindle is I kind of can get reading ADD and accidentally forget a great book. Especially if my kids have had the Kindle and my "recent" books aren't actually the books I'm reading.
Category:Marriage/Wife
The Boys in the Boat:Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
I honestly have no idea why I'm reading this book. Its historical (which I kind of hate...sorry) I saw it on Amazon and everyone thought it was the best book ever and it was on a deal for like $3 and for some reason I bought it. It was kind of impulsive and not like me. But, I do kind of like to read random books.
Category:I think I had a crazy moment?!
There you go. Your Welcome.
So.
Why is this post entitled, "Why I Don't Read Parenting Books."?
Great question.
I am going to acknowledge it. I've kind of been on hiatus from reading parenting books.
I used to always try to be reading a marriage book and a parenting book.
But truth be told if the parenting books were sitting on the shelf instead of inside my Kindle they'd be gathering dust. Actually I'm pretty sure I still have a book I bought at Hearts at Home (gasp) two years ago I've yet to power through.
So what is the deal?
Parenting books stress me out.
And if those aren't scary enough try reading an adoptive parenting book.
Not for the faint of heart.
Like if I never wanted to go to bed at night then that is what I should be reading.
If I am really honest (which I try and be around here) Jeremy and I are struggling with the idea that we aren't very good parents. Even though we really really want to be good parents.
We aren't patient enough. We don't pray enough. We feel tired. A lot.
Jen Hatmaker likes to say there are sweet families and spicy families.
I'm pretty sure we fall into the spicy category.
Yep. Spicy (or maybe crazy) it is.
We aren't good at being quiet, sitting still, or following directions.
We've got enough strong will in this crew to move a mountain.
And so we kind of feel like we are messing up our kids. Even though we know the truth is that they came with the messed up part all built in. Its called sin.
The other day I felt like God gave us a break through moment.
We've been trying to sit on our couch at night and read this super short devotional book before praying together.
Please don't be impressed by our holiness. This is new. So new the book hasn't even got lost yet. We got the book for Christmas and the first day we read was February 24th.
We decided to go ahead and read the day of the date is actually was.
Good choice.
The day's title was All-Out Parenting.
It had you rate your parenting from 1-10 in the following areas
-Radical Selflessness: Do I die to self?
-Radical Objectives: Am I concerned with IQ or CQ (character quotient)
-Radical Modeling: Do I model?
-Radical Involvement: Do I hug, read, affirm, discuss?
-Radical Expectations: Do I challenge my kids with the Great Commandment & the Great Commission?
And as we went through the list and honestly rated ourselves we realized we actually weren't failing.
Major break through moment.
Too often when we think we are failing its because we are basing how we are doing on our kid's behavior.
I only know one perfect parent. And if you rated his "parenthood" on his children's behavior even He would look like a failure.
So maybe my quest needs to be more about being like Him and less about worrying if my kids are making me look bad.
Ouch.
Maybe its time to break out the parenting books again. Or maybe I just need to keep reading my Bible. Its the best parenting book I've ever read.
So what have you been reading? What parenting book should I be brave and read?
I love recommendations.
p.s. I realized that truth be told I technically am reading one "parenting" book right now. It's called Mom Enough and its free! Its the book that had me weeping on my bedroom floor in the middle of the night. (So maybe I shouldn't break my rule, huh?) I forgot about it because its in that weird "Docs" section of my Kindle instead of with the books. But it was free so who cares! The fact that its really a collection of blog posts and this quote is why I read it, "Somehow in God's mathematics of grace: Mom (never enough) + God (infinitely enough) = Mom enough. Never mom enough, but filled with the One who is always enough."