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You’re willing to do whatever it takes to ground your children in a faith your parents never embraced. Or maybe you grew up in an outwardly religious home that lacked a foundation of Christian grace and moral values. If you’re the first generation in your family to embrace a relationship with Christ but aren’t sure how to give your children a foundation of faith, find guidance in Building the Christian Family You Never Had.
Author Mary E. DeMuth understands firsthand the fears, frustrations, and anxieties of those who lack role models of faith-based parenting. In Building the Christian Family You Never Had she provides needed encouragement, practical tools, and crucial strategies. You’ll learn how you can…
·shield your children from the negative influence of family members who undermine your values
·cope with criticism and objections to your faith-based parenting decisions
·honor (and forgive) your parents without endorsing their behavior
·find positive parenting mentors
This inspiring, down-to-earth guide will enable you to provide a spiritual legacy of security and strength for your children as you lead the way through Building the Christian Family You Never Had.
The author has a profound way of expressing what many parents worry about--whether or not the families who raised them were Christian, or not. This book really helped me to assess the things I'm doing right, and what I still struggle with. I had to digest the chapters slowly--no more than one or two at a time, because there was so much depth to each topic. My favorite chapter was on destructive vows we make, and how we still need healing if we say we'll never do this or that, or be like mom or dad, etc. She also brought out important advice about what to do if family members aren't a good influence on your kids. Fortunately that's not an issue for me, but it is for some of my friends. Overall I'd say this book had an impact on me unlike any other non-fiction book I've ever read. Not only is it interesting, but it's also uplifting and encouraging. I highly recommend it!
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Posted March 13, 2006
If you are what Mary calls a 'pioneer parent'--a Christian who grew up in an unbelieving family--you absolutely need this book. But even if you had Christian parents, the topics she covers--with honesty, courage and grit--are important. Topics like forgiveness and gratitude are helpful for any parent. I highly recommend this book! It is immensely practical and very well-written. I predict it will be a tool for healing and growth in any reader's life.
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Posted March 7, 2006
This thought-provoking guide, drawn from Mary DeMuth¿s parenting journey as a first generation Christian, is chockfull of haunting, entertaining, and poignant personal illustrations as well as scriptural examples. From the painful revelations to the giggles, each chapter is woven with God¿s goodness¿gentle conviction delivered with a heaping spoonful of grace. Mary¿s practical advice will help moms and dads turn their childhood dysfunctions into parenting triumphs (discussion questions for group use included). This book is a must-read for GUBA¿s (¿growing up born again¿ parents¿an acronym coined by author, Patricia Klein) as well as the target audience of Pioneer Parents (those who lack role models of faith-based parenting). Inspiring!
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Posted February 11, 2006
Though DeMuth's parenting book is directed toward first generation Christians, I found it helpful as I raise my third generation Christian children. Let's face it, even Christian parents are fallable, still carry emotional baggage and walk in old flesh patterns. While my own parents followed Christ, they did not always follow him well. And I'm no different. The overriding concept of this book is GRACE. Grace for the parents that raised us, grace for ourselves as we navigate the child-rearing maze, and grace for our children who often expose the ugly side of our flesh. Building the Christian Family's cornerstone of hope is that the grace given to us through Christ is the same grace that should color every aspect of our parenting canvas- our past, present and future.
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Posted January 28, 2006
Mary E. Demuth weaves gripping stories with practical advice in this wise, encouraging and heartfelt book. Mary is a tremendous storyteller and boy does she have a story to tell. Instead of sitting high on a podium dispensing advice, Mary comes alongside the reader like a guide in the woods who knows how to hack her way through confusion with a machete. For anyone who has been wounded by imperfect parents, or any young parent who fears she or he may be too wounded to be anything but a bad example as mom or dad a themselves, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Mary is not afraid to be transparent, and it's that willingness to expose her weaknesses and hardwon lessons that she witnesses to the power of God in Jesus Christ. This is a powerful, beautifully-written book. Deborah Gyapong
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Overview
You’re willing to do whatever it takes to ground your children in a faith your parents never embraced. Or maybe you grew up in an outwardly religious home that lacked a foundation of Christian grace and moral values. If you’re the first generation in your family to embrace a relationship with Christ but aren’t sure how to give your children a foundation of faith, find guidance in Building the Christian Family You Never Had.
Author Mary E. ...