Have you ever had an item that just reminds you of a particular memory? Maybe that item is old and worn out, but because of the memories that it holds, you can’t get rid of it or through it away? Sometimes we need a reminder!
For me that item is this pair of shoes. These shoes are 15 years old and worn out. I’ve had the heels replaced once, but I still wear them every now and then. They remind me of a time in my life when I hated myself and was pretty upset with God. These shoes are the single greatest reminder of love for me. I will probably wear them until they fall apart and even then, I won’t throw them away. As a matter of fact, I wore them this weekend!
See in February of 2006, I had open heart surgery for a congenital birth defect. It was my second surgery for this. My children were 6, 3, & 1 at the time, and I was devastated. I literally planned for my death. Although miraculous that I had survived 3 pregnancies, and the children had survived, after surgery I had a hard time being thankful or feeling blessed.
It’s weaning time on the farm! Honestly, even the litter of kittens is getting weaned! The calves have grown well and the mothers have done a great job, but the time has come to separate the calves from their mothers. This can be a stressful time for everyone involved!
We wean “the kids,” as we call them, at 205 days of age. That is approximately 7 months old. Now if you are a parent or a grandparent, you can probably relate a little bit to what is going on. Have you ever taken a 1 to 2-year-old off the bottle? Just imagine when the baby is 600 to 800 pounds!
Love Her Well is a great book written by Kari Kampakis. Although written with parenting the teenage daughter in mind, this book is chock full of parenting wisdom for both boys and girls. The author writes from the experience of raising 4 daughters.
The subtitle of the book is “10 ways to find joy and connection with your teenage daughter.” Each of the 10 chapters focuses on one of these 10 ways. But Kari goes even further and includes many lists and lots of research to back up each of these topics. For example, in the chapter “Choose Your Words (and Timing) Carefully”, the author gives an additional list of 35 Ways to Speak Life to a Teenager. This is great information whether you are parenting a girl or a boy; also helpful for youth leaders and anyone who is working with or impacting teens.
Each chapter is filled with revelation from God’s Word to make the writer’s point and each ends with Reflection Questions for life application and meditation.
One of my favorite points is from the chapter titled “Be Her Mom.” We are called to be the parent, not the friend and sometimes that is hard. In the list of 20 Ways to Prepare Your Daughter for the Road, number 2 on the list is one of my favorites. I am a proponent of spiritual discernment. I feel strongly that not only Christians, but especially Christian parents should operate in the gift of discernment.
CLICK on the image below to enter to win a copy of this book!
This is why this item stuck out to me so vividly. “Talk about 5 second decisions.” There will be many times that not only as parents, but our teens will need to make those split second decisions. There isn’t time for fasting and prayer. There is no way you can phone a friend for wise counsel. You have to have discernment and know what God is saying on the matter quickly! Our teens and us need that more now than ever before. We have to be talking to them on a regular basis about these things and teaching them to hear the voice of God.
My teen daughter is now 18 and our last, and youngest child is 16 and the days of being able to influence and imprint on them are quickly passing. But now, more than ever, our kids need us to love them and parent them wisely and spiritually. This book emphasizes just that!
I would like to dedicate this blog post and book review in loving memory of my mother-in-law, Sandra Ellison. She passed away due to Covid-19 on Thursday, August 20th, 2020. She didn’t read this book, but she could’ve written it. She was a godly woman who raised her children to follow Him with their whole heart. She taught me many things and I am thankful for the mother that she was. She loved her children well. I have the husband that I have today because of her. May we all be remembered for our Kingdom work in our own families and in the lives of others as she is!
