Gospel Principles for Radical Family Transformation {Giveaway}

I may be in the thick of this parenting journey for seventeen years already, but the end is nowhere in sight. My oldest is in the throes of the college application process, while the littles are still in high need of mothering as deal with turbulence known as the middle school years. So a fresh new parenting book, like Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, by Paul David Tripp, for this later stage in my journey is a welcomed edition to my library.

Without regret, parenting books have, indeed, influenced our approach to raising our children. 

If it wasn’t for Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp (yes, Paul Tripp’s brother), and Dare to Discipline, by James Dobson, we’d been up the creek without a paddle. Oh, I know there is so much controversy over these books, and possibly their authors, but for us, we were able to glean wisdom and principles that shaped our parenting approach.

When our firstborn made her debut, my husband and I were relatively young and without much parental guidance of our own. We were in desperate need of a vision that brought our two broken, dysfunctional worlds together. While God graciously plunked us down in a boarding school community, where we could lean into the parenting wisdom from our colleagues while witnessing what was working/not working in our students (great parenting motivation), it was the concepts and questions we pulled from these two books that shaped our approach.

Simply put, we arrived at these three key questions, which has guided our parenting approach:

  1. What did we need to do . . .  in training, disciplining, praying, teaching, caring for our own marriage, and spending time with our children  . . .  to shape and cultivate their hearts towards Jesus, each other in our family, and to those they interact with on a daily basis?
  2. What did joyful, first-time obedience look like for our children, so that they would know that we “mean what we say and say what we mean” and thereby, not set forth unrealistic expectations nor cause them to stumble?
  3. How could our parenting prepare them for loving obedience to God as independent adults?

Seventeen years later, we have no regrets.

But by the grace of God, He took two totally broken people from completely different backgrounds and utterly different personalities, and knit our hearts together with a vision for how we wanted to raise our kids. It’s been a miracle unfolding, no doubt.

While we’re still in the throes of parenting, we already taste sweet fruit of the time we’ve invested.

It’s often a shock to those around us that we like to spend time with our children and don’t look forward to the days when they are all grown up. Although quiet alone time sounds lovely. Our kids like to spend time with us, too, and yet friends are a huge part of their lives! Our kids are often called out by their peers for “being so nice to your siblings and having the perfect family,” which of course, is not a bad thing from our perspective, even if it is hard on them. And, of course, it is not the whole truth. Yes, they treat each other well and we are a tight unit, but we have plenty of issues and conflicts abound . . . daily!

Parenting well does not mean parenting perfect. Having kind kids doesn’t mean their sinless kids, either.

The biggest motivation for us to press on in our intentional parenting approach is that our children urge us to do so. Our older girls spend so much time with younger children, that they have gleaned there are clearly different ways to parent. They have thanked us for the boundary lines we’ve set and the bazillion hours we’ve poured into disciplining them . . . and they tease us too, as we’ve loosened up some over the years, especially in parenting the littles. They are the first to call us out when we’re slacking!

 

It is only rest in God's presence and grace that will make you a joyful and patient parent.

 

Looking back, it’s clear that our early years of parenting were definitely more fear-based, as we worried about the influences upon our children and felt a burden to do everything right.  I suppose if I could go back and do it again, maybe I’d worry less and not be so overwhelmed. Maybe I’ll say that about this stage too, as now the sleepless nights are spent turning worry into surrendered prayers about encroaching college tuition bills, the influences of social pressures upon my kiddos, and tremendous grief over my nest changing .Yes, I want my girl to fly, but I’m so deeply sad over the breaking up our unit.

The days of the six of us together are growing fewer and fewer, and nothing in my life could have prepared me for understanding how fast time would go and how much I’d want to hang onto every last second. 

Yes, it’s a different parenting stage and I still have much to learn, which is why I jumped at the chance to get my hands on on Paul Tripp’s new book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. While there are so many books for those early years of parenting, coming across a solid biblically-steeped resource for the teen years is hard to come by.

Paul Tripp delivers a solid read for motivating your heart and head into intentional, albeit radical in terms of the world’s view, parenting book.

He begins with a fresh reminder that our role as parents is truly as ambassadors and not owners of our kids.

Good parenting, which does what God intends it to do, begins with this radical and humbling recognition that our children don’t below to us. Rather, every child in every home, everywhere on the globe, belongs to the One who created him or her. (page 14)

Can I get an Amen and Amen? Is there any truer principle about the roles we play as moms? We are stewarding God’s creation, from diaper days to college acceptances. When we think of “steward” we might think that’s synonymous with “rules” but in reality it’s more about thoughtful, purposeful care of what we’ve been entrusted with . . . the life of our child.

[Tweet “Yes, rules matter, but rules without a relationship becomes a law rather than a plumb-line. “]

The amount of time spent laughing, playing, talking, learning together is the valuable investment that leads to the balance of grace and consequences when the rules are broken. As I often say, it’s a both/and.

Parenting is about BOTH the loving part of joy-infused times together AND the heart-wrenching carrying out of consequences that transform disobedience into life-training opportunities.

Tripp brings this broad-stroke principle into practical application by helping you, the parent, assess your motives and approach. It’s not a book about “do this, so you get that” formulaic approach to parenting but rather an unpacking of Gospel principles that can shape your parenting for the benefit of your children and the glory of God.

If you are in the throes of parenting tweens and teens, I highly recommend you grab this gem of a book and embrace this season with renewed purpose.

About the Book

In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything “right” and raise up “good” children, it’s easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas.

In Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of God’s plan for us as parents. Outlining fourteen foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God—grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents.  Freed from the burden of trying to manufacture life-change in our children’s hearts, we can embrace a grand perspective of parenting overflowing with vision, purpose, and joy. 

Available Wherever on Amazon
and Wherever Books are Sold

Enter the Giveaway for a Parenting Book and Coaching!

Enter the Giveaway

We’re giving away . . .

* One copy of Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Just leave a comment sharing one parenting dilemma or difficulty you’d like to see us tackle here at More to Be, either as a blog post or resource for you, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book! Plus . . . everyone who comments gets . . .

* One FREE bonus coaching session when you book the MOMent & Mentoring Plus Coaching Package, sponsored by the Kaleo Agency! So that’s 6 sessions of coaching at a steal of a deal!

If you leave a comment, you’ll automatically get the FREE bonus coaching session! Be sure to mention this post when you request your FREE CONSULTATION appointment by submitting this form.

The giveaway closes October 27, 2017.

 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):
Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. 

Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. 
I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

4 thoughts on “Gospel Principles for Radical Family Transformation {Giveaway}”

  1. Great thoughts, Elisa. I’m always looking to learn more about parenting and love finding great resources. One situation that I would love to have more insight on is raising a child who struggles with anxiety. This aspect of parenting has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with – especially because anxiety often doesn’t make any sense or have any logical explanation. Thanks!

    1. Esther, thanks for leaving a comment! I think that topic of raising a child with anxiety is a huge issue. I’ll keep my eyes open for resources and wisdom to pass your way!

  2. I would love to see a post (if possible) regarding helping stepchildren grow in the Lord. I have two daughters & one stepdaughter. It’s very difficult to help my stepdaughter grow in the Lord when she spends 1/2 her time in another home that doesn’t have even close to the same values her dad & I have. She will be 13 the end of this month. For the last year we have been having some very disturbing problems with her. We have literally tried everything, church counseling, traditional counseling- you name it! It just seems to be getting worse. Right now I’m in strategic, intensive prayer for her. I truly want to help her but I just don’t know what else to do. I can see her spiraling down a very dark path & I feel powerless to help her & that behavior is accepted, even encouraged in her mother’s home. A post touching on this topic would be greatly appreciated! I don’t know if there are any others with this happening in their lives or not.

    1. Stephanie, thanks for sharing your thoughts about what you would like to see on the blog! I’ll share with our writers! And, I’m excited to let you know you won the book! I hope it is an encouragement to you! Please email me at more@moretobe.com with your address so I can pass it on to the publishers to send you the book!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Question? 

We're here to help you!

CONTACT US

This is the one thing that will help you find what you need.

Drop us your name and email so that we can send you the Align Life Strategy workbook. 

Scroll to Top