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.
The account of Jacob and his family occupies almost half of the book of Genesis. It’s a captivating story about how God’s holy, eternal promises have coursed through the veins of very weak and finite human beings; it’s about how God can work through the mess and grime of family life to achieve his glorious purposes.
And God knows that I need to hear that story today. My family life seems weak—often it feels like we’re just skating on the thin ice of civility, with chaos lying in wait just under the surface.
How could God possibly be at work in this very human family?
Taking a step back from the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of parenting, Harriet Connor explores the bigger picture of what the goal of raising our children is.
“Rather than write another book of ‘rules for parenting’, Harriet Connor has taken a step back to look at the bigger picture. This is far more than just another voice in the multitude with yet another program for bringing up balanced or happy kids. No. This is something better.”
“Big Picture Parents would make a great gift for the different people in your life: someone who’s about to have a baby; someone who’s been coming to your church for a while; someone who is a parent and didn’t grow up in a Christian family themselves; someone from a cultural background where parenting is driven by guilt, fear and shame.”
“Harriet Connor’s Big Picture Parents is like a breath of fresh air in a world filled with blogs, lists of top tips and Instagram pictures of everyone else’s perfect family. Sometimes it’s all a bit overwhelming and you need to step back and see the big picture.”
http://someanswers.net/episode-eighty-eight-hariette-connor/
“In a noisy world of conflicting theories and judgements about parenting, reading this was like taking a moment to breathe. Connor builds a foundation for parenting rather than telling you how to parent.”
You can listen to me speaking on Vision Christian Radio here:
I am excited to announce that my book, Big Picture Parents: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life, has been shortlisted for the 2017 Australian Christian Book of the Year Award. Winners will be announced on August 17th.
You can see the full shortlist here.
My book offers modern parents the opportunity to step back from all the parenting “shoulds and shouldn’ts” and reflect on the bigger questions of what being a parent is all about.
Read more about the book here.
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