In the tradition of their 2008 Love Dare, Stephen and Alex Kendrick offer a 40 day series of meditations in The Love Dare for Parents that are uniquely devoted to practices that promote Christian love between parents and children.
As a pastor, one of the special gifts and vocational joys of serving the church are our children. Having the heart of God for the church's children, teaching and modeling the skills, practices and goals of sacred parenting is something I'm often called upon for wisdom and advice. The Love Dare for Parents is a good place for parents to begin.
The meditations are based around Malachi 4.6a: "(God) will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents". As a pastor, this encapsulates precisely what it means when I think of having God's heart for our children.
Whether our relationships need repairing; whether our children are in preschool or college -- this is a book filled with spiritual practices for every Christian parent. The 40 day "dares" keep their focus on being Christ, on being agents of reconciliation and hope, to our children. Each day includes a scripture for meditation; a biblical principle for parenting; a specific challenge; and a place to journal. The book also includes access to a free online quiz to assess our parenting before we begin.
Christian parenting is built around the virtues of patience and hope. And these practices will help mothers and fathers grow in both.
The Love Dare for Parents is an invaluable resource. Church groups, parenting classes, Mothers' Day Out programs -- all will find this a book to gift to parents. And individual families will find their lives, and the lives of their children, enriched by it.
I only wish the meditation on spanking at the end had drawn a more biblical line between discipline and punishment. Spanking is a form of punishment; it's reactionary. It deals with breaking a rule. Real discipline, though, takes a longer view of parenting. Discipline is concerned with character, not rules. Hence, discipline is loving. Punishment isn't.
But still: Every Christian parent needs a copy of The Love Dare for Parents.
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I received a free copy of this book from B&H Books in exchange for my honest review.