For many of us, the season of Advent—the four weeks leading up to Christmas—is the busiest time of the year. Our calendars fill up with parties and celebrations, concerts and carol-singing. Our to-do lists spill over with shopping and baking, card-writing and present-wrapping.

But for Christians, Advent is also one of the most spiritually significant times of the year. Traditionally, Advent (which means “coming”) is a season of expectation: we remember Israel’s years of waiting for God’s promised Messiah to come; we also remember that we too are in a time of waiting—for God’s Messiah to come again in glory.

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Sara Wallace is a home-schooling mother of five boys. So it was with respect and admiration that I sat down to read her book, For the Love of Discipline: When the Gospel Meets Tantrums and Time-Outs.

Wallace writes in an honest, personal style. She says: ‘I didn’t write this book because discipline comes naturally to me, or because my kids are models of obedience. I wrote it because my kid pushed your kid into the pool at swim lessons. I wrote it because last week I had to leave the grocery store early when my kids were wrestling in the aisles. And I wrote it because discipline seems exhausting and discouraging only when we leave out the most important ingredient: the gospel’ (p.7).

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Review of “Unhitching from the Crazy Train: Finding Rest in a World You Can’t Control”

Julie Sparkman, an experienced counsellor, has teamed up with author Jennifer Phillips to produce a book that belongs on the shelf of any Christian, right beside the classic works of authors such as Larry Crabb. Sparkman demonstrates a similar gift for applying the truths of the gospel to everyday life in a way that is both profound and practical.

In today’s world, there is no shortage of “experts” trying to sell you their strategies for attaining the perfect life. Unhitching from the Crazy Train is something quite different: it serves as a guidebook for those who are ready to live in the real world, where things rarely go to plan.

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Andrew G. Marshall has spent almost thirty years helping couples to overcome their marriage difficulties. Most of the misery he encounters can be traced back to one single issue: how to stop your children from ruining your marriage.

He writes:

“Although bringing up the next generation is possibly the most fulfilling and life-affirming thing anyone can do, babies and small children do seem to have a mission to destroy everything they come into contact with, from your clothes and furniture to your nerves, sex life and sometimes even your marriage … in the hurly-burly of bringing up a family … you drop down each other’s list of priorities until one or other of you complains: ‘You always put me last’” (p 5-6).

Marshall has distilled his insights into a book, called I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Childproof Your Marriage (Macmillan, London, 2013). The book is full of diagnostic quizzes, real-life examples, and practical tips to help you build a stronger marriage during the child-raising years. And with one in three Australian marriages currently ending in divorce, we would do well to pay attention.

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The realistic parent’s guide to understanding and shaping your child’s behaviour

by Professor Kim Oates, Finch Publishing, Sydney, 2014.

When we open up a parenting book, we make ourselves vulnerable. We begin cautiously, fearing that what we read might confirm our suspicions that we are fundamentally inadequate for the high calling of parenthood.

However, when I opened up 20 Tips for Parents, my fears were quickly relieved.

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The Heart of Marriage: Loving Your Spouse with a Christian Mind

by Michael Hill, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2013.

It’s hard to stand firm as a Christian parent in the modern world; often we find ourselves being swept along by the sea of advice that swirls around us, and we lose touch with God’s vision for family life. A few years ago, I found myself being carried along by the idea that you should put your children first in everything. Every aspect of my daily life had begun to revolve entirely around our young sons; anything else was pushed to the periphery . . . including my husband.

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