September 17, 2009
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Excerpts from my latest read…
I’ve been on a book reading binge the past few months. Perhaps it’s because I’m breastfeeding and have a lot more sit down time, although some of that sit down time is reading Pinkalicious and other children’s books. Pinkalicious, by the way, is THE darlingest girlie book ever. Zoe and I have gotten it at the library several times already!
Just finished reading How Children Raise Parents by Dan Allender. A deeper read, super good read, something that I wasn’t able to read in a few days, kind of had a few books going at the same time because I would read a few pages from this one, then take a break and digest it.
Here are a few excerpts that were highlights in my going through it.
“The church was established as a place of grace, the one sanctuary where we should be free to honestly admit our weakness and failure. But in practice it’s the place where we are most likely to hide our flaws from others. Sadly, we replace a quest for grace with a charade of comformity.
The goal of many who attend church is to get something from God without being found out by people. Of course there are people who attend church to make business contacts in the same way they would as a member of a social club. But the vast majority of people attend hoping to gain spiritual meaning or a moment of connection to God.
Equally represented are those seeking safety and stability, those who want an endorsement of how they are living rather than encouragement to embrace the bold risk of the life of faith. These people are similar to those who hit the ski slopes not the enjoy the exhilaration of barreling downhill atop two thin blade of fiberglass, but in hopes of reaching the bottom of the slope without falling on their backsides. It’s not hard to pick out the safe skiers. Their stance is stiff and their movement slow and plodding. Their turns lack openness and elegance. In the same way, some go to church to better get through the week, but they are not there to aim the pointy ends downhill and to engage the agony and ecstasy of pursuing God.
Likewise, parents fall into the trap of working hard not to fail rather than passionately pursuing God’s leading in the lives of their children. The parent who is governed by a regimen of rules and responsibility is the parent whose primary hope is to raise morally upright children. Period.
Helping our children come to know Jesus is only the first step. The bigger pursuit is that we want them to follow God without compromise. We want them to catch the passion of living boldly and taking big risks as in following God…”
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“Just as God’s character is expressed in the polarities of strength and mercy, so he calls us to another set of opposing forces: individuation and intimacy. We obey God when we week to distinguish our individual self as unique and unlike anyone else (individuation). We also obey him when we give ourselves to others for their good (intimacy). Individuation requires us to experience each moment as a choice to be the person God made us to be. Intimacy requires us to choose to yield our individuality in order to join another in becoming something great than our individual being…”
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“God in all his wildness reveals himself to us when we move, even when we blunder and choose unwisely, rather than when we sit passively waiting for the right answer to show itself. The more we are obedient to subdue and fill, with eyes and heart open to him, the more he will guide and reveal his excruciating passion for us…”
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“In my failure to live out God’s character [before my children], I come face to face with the awful and awesome strength and tenderness of God. In that encounter, I am invited to embrace his love in order to offer that love to my children. If we are to learn God’s character in the midst of failure, how much more so are our children?”
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And now we’re off to finish the rest of a lazy, rainy day… So far – baking cookies, naps, watching a movie. Next – Ben returns home, and all will be well.
-clarita
Comments (10)
those quotes about the church…right on. Definitely feel that if we were more open with each other about our faults we’d have a totally different church attitude!
Thanks for sharing this…. some good things to ponder.
I enjoyed meeting up with you awhile back… you are one of those ladies that encourage me in many ways across the screen. Thanks. And blessings to you in this thing called MOTHERHOOD.
This sounds like a wonderful book! Maybe it will have to go on my reading list as well. We had a rainy day here yesterday too, but it wasn’t quite as “lazy” as I was hoping it would be. Had planned to help my sister Katelyn do a mini scrapbook of pictures of she and Claudia, but we ended up cleaning the house and preparing a birthday supper for Phil’s mom . . . but we had fun doing that too . . . and maybe today we’ll get the scrappin’ done.
The message on your phone was from *before* we talked, but you can pretend it was after and call me right away again. Seems our conversations might have to be more frequent now since they often are shorter due to *FOUR* children between us. [CaN YOu bELiVE It??] I pray you have a lovely day with “the littles” and may the patience, strength, grace, mercy, joy, love, and peace of God be yours for every situation of today!! Love you!
Oh, and I love the “Next-Ben returns home and all will be well.” SO,SO,SO true . . . except in my case it’s “Phil” of course . . . what a lot of good they do the wives and children when they step in the door, eh? Phil got on this thing of doing one loud whistle as he’s walking in the lane. That’s Dietrich’s signal that Daddy is home and off he runs to meet him at the back door. It’s so much fun to watch, and then to come trailing along behind with my baby if I’m able. =)
loved the quotes. such good reminders!! wow. i don’t read books anymore, so thanks for picking out some highlights to share:) now that Jason doesn’t take a nap and gets up early ( i hear his footsteps upstairs now and it’s only 6:43)i really don’t do anything but take care of a preciouses baby and two busy toddlers. THAT’s why those quotes about parenting were just the blessing i needed to hear this morning. got my work out in before he woke up, but not much else… not it’s off to embrace God’s love and pass that love on to my three little ones:)
Love these quotes. It sounds like one of those books that should be read even before having children. You’re a wonderful mother, dear sister, and I want you to know how much I love observing you serve and love your family. Speaking of your family, I just got another missing-you-ache. *sigh* Love you!
Thanks for the challenging quotes! I love quotes like these to chew on and digest slowly.
absoulutely, profoundly inspiring…i love the last couple paragraphs. *wow* speaking of the passionate love of God, i highly recommend the book, “bridal intercession”, by gary weins. amazing amazing book…lifechanging.
wish so much i could be there with you to bake cookies with the kids…movie in the rain…sniff. it’s just not right how far away you are. but it is right how close we can still be, despite the physical distance.
HUGS & KISSES!
wow. i didn’t have time to sit and read this til now; what a lot of wisdom! looks like the kind of book I would benefit from. i too have time to read when nursing; i *need* to read, to keep my mind from becoming mush, and to keep my vocabulary from being too elementary.
have yourself a good week!
~rachel
Oh and speaking of Pinkalicious, I saw advertised somewhere that it’s actually a musical in New York City right now. I vote we do a sister trip and introduce Zoe and Olivia to a city experience, what do you say?
@dreamstillcometrue - oh my goodness, is it really?? that would be too cute!
absolutely, let’s do it! ha!