Book Review {Crazy Love}

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be make more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.

Excerpt from Crazy Love.  Intro of Ch.6

(www.amazon.com)

Book Review {7}: Part 2

In continuing my review of 7, I wanted to share some quotes from the book and how they have challenged me.

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"If a fast doesn't include any sacrifices, then it's not a fast. The discomfort is where the magic happens."

"But the feast has a partner in the rhythm of the gospel: the fast. It's practice is unmistakable in Scripture. Hundreds of times we see reduction, pouring out, abstinence, restraint."

".....discomfort creates space for the Holy Spirit to move."

It's been a while since I've fasted.  From anything.   On purpose.  With a purpose to obtain something greater.  God doesn't always call us to fast from food.  Perhaps a fast from spending money, or Facebook. 

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"The careful study of the Word has a goal, which is not the careful study of the Word. The objective is to discover Jesus and allow Him to change our trajectory. Meaning, a genuine study of the Word results in believers who feed poor people and open up their guest rooms; they're adopting and sharing, mentoring and intervening."

How is the Word causing change in my life?  If it's not causing change, then I'm not really reading it/devoting myself to it.

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The following is a quote from Month 4; fasting from media.  Her family also participated with her this month.

"Between the fighting, crying, whining, and blaming, I hit a metaphorical wall. I wanted to turn on a movie and silence their little mouths. A nice screen trance would settle the tumultuous waters. Instead, I sent everyone to bedrooms until I gave the word. We have to deal with rather than anesthetizing tension with TV or video games. It's easier to bypass relational snags with a convenient distraction, forfeiting the chance to improve problem solving and listening skills, I don't want my kids to be more comfortable interacting with a computer screen than a human being. We stay the course until we've resolved an issue, not allowing 'Phineas & Ferb' to fill the space instead. This is harder and requires more time, but my kids will marry people and have bosses and children. Learning healthy relational skills is now or never."

How many times have I used a movie to break up the craziness?  To use that 'screen trance' that creates only a temporary solution and over -ooks the heart of the issue?

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Some quotes from Month 5, the month of Waste.

"I'm beginning to wonder if the unprecedented consumption of the earth's resources and the cavalier destruction of its natural assets is a spiritual issue as much as environmental. Like Wendell Berry wrote: 'The ecological teaching of the Bible is simply inescapable: God mad the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good, and He loves it. It is His world: He has never relinquished title to it. And He has never revoked the conditions, bearing on His gift to us of the use of it, that obliges us to take excellent care of it. If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be excused for not loving it or justified in destroying it?' "

"True reform involves purchasing fewer disposable materials in the first place, like bulk products, produce from the farmer's market, and the second-hand goods that have already shed their packaging. Best practices include reusing containers over and over, lowering the consumption of single-use materials. Recycling is probably a third-tier tactic toward genuinely reducing waste for maximum impact."

"Yes, Africa, we'll take your diamonds, gold, and oil, but you can keep your crushing poverty and disease. What does it mean to be a godly consumer? What if God's creation is more than just a commodity? If we acknowledged the sacredness of creation, I suspect it would alter the way we treated it."

I have a looooonnngg way to go on this topic.  While we half-way recycled in Texas, we are required to recycle here.  I have taken to it like every good perfectionist does...I've even already dug things back out of the trash to replace them in their proper recycle bins.  But we buy and use paper towels and paper plates like they were the next best thing to thin sliced bread.  And don't even touch my individually wrapped Kraft American Cheese!  If I ever run out of that in our house we will probably starve!  In all serious though it leads me to wonder....In what ways can I be a better consumer?  In what ways can I make better choices about what I'm buying from the get-go that will produce a better result?

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From Month 6: Spending.

"If tithing the minimum and consuming the rest is okay, then we can dismiss Jesus' ideas and act obsessed about other stuff He said....Literal obedience would require such a radical overhaul, my head is pounding. The ramifications are overwhelming."

Literal obedience would require such a radical overhaul!  While I don't believe he has called me to it all at once, He has opened my eyes even greater to how we spend the majority of our money.  We have been faithful tithers, and when there is an extra need in the church we do our best to support it as we can.  But this chapter specifically leaves me asking myself how much more can we do?  What about the rest of our money?  It still is His; not mine.  Do I really need curtains on my windows, or would that money best be used elsewhere?  Can I sacrifice something I want to give to something better?  This is something that I really struggle with.

"Would they be stunned most of us don't feed the hungry, visit the prisoner, care for the sick, or protect the widow?"

"The church the Bible described is exciting and adventurous and wrought with sacrifice. It cost believers everything, and they still came."

I believe the people of the church want something radical to live for.   None of us asks for our spouse to be partially committed; but we want to be loved passionately.  I believe we are all looking for that same passion when it comes to serving our God who calls us into something much bigger than ourselves.  An adventure that is wrought with great sacrifice but with an eternal reward.  That type of living, radical as they say, is what draws others to Christ. 

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In one section Jen talked about a mentor encouraging her to stay with other Christian families during her business travels, and not at a hotel.  Just as the early disciples relied on the hospitality of other Christians to take care of their needs as they traveled from city to city.

"This exits the expediency of consumerism and enters the realm of hospitality. There is something so nourishing about sharing your living space with people where they see your junk mail pile and see wee football schedule on the fridge and pile of shoes by the front door."

What has happened to this type of hospitality?  Looking back I remember my parents volunteering at different times when the church asked for host homes for a guest speaker, a missionary traveling through seeking support, or for other events that would require any out of town guests.  I can't remember the last time I heard this requested presented!  (Maybe I just missed it.)  The natural thing to do now-a-days is to book a hotel.  I believe this takes away the fellowship that was intended.

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"Everyone has ideas. It's confusing and overwhelming. This creates a war within, and it leaves you raw. Sometimes you're a full-blown mess over it."

 

"Take a little baby step. Tomorrow, you can take another. Offer yourself the same grace Jesus has given you. We're no good to Him stuck in paralysis."

"Proverbs: our light is the dimmest at the beginning of salvation, but it grows brighter and brighter as we go. There is no wasted scene, no futile season. God gives us what we can handle when we can handle it. We are drawn more and more deeply into the knowledge of Jesus......Do the best with what you know. When you know more, adjust the trajectory."

There is much I am learning and much that I feel God is speaking to me.  Sometimes it comes in pieces though.  IE. My eyes have only recently started to open to the reality of the slave-trade that surrounds us.  I know I can't come to grasp the entirety of it all overnight and quit consuming everything that is related.  It will take time.  It will take energy and research.  But as a friend of mine has said...I can't claim ignorance anymore.  Therefore I am responsible.

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I really. really, really, really hope you put this book on your reading list!  Jen speaks in such a relatable way, but also a way that will speak deep into your heart and make you want to change.  I only shared a few things with you and I keep thinking about all of the other stuff that was in her book that moved and challenged me just as much.  It is stuffed full of goodness!!!   

Book Review {7}: Part 1

I know in a previous post about a book review I mentioned that there are a few blogs that I come across that really seem to stir my soul and challenge my way of thinking.  As I said before Katie's blog is one of those.  Another one that I have came across a few years back is Jen Hatmaker.  I first came across her blog a few years ago when she was in the middle of a social experiment.  I only caught bits and pieces of it at the time, but her book, 7, is her personal journey through her experiment. 

(amazon.com)

The complete title of the book is 7: an experimental mutiny against excess.  In her experiment she takes seven months and fasts from something different each month.  Month 1: Clothes.  She choose seven items of clothing and wore only those seven items all month long.  Month 2:  Food.  She choose 7 foods and only ate those.  Month 3: Possessions.  She set a goal to give away 7 items from her house, per day.  Month 4:  To refrain from media.  Month 5: Waste.  This includes recycling and gardening.  Month 6: Spending.  She choose seven stores that they were allowed to spend their money at.  Month Seven:  Stress.  She limited her social and business activities.

In all honesty, I put off reading this book for a few weeks out of pure fear/selfishness for how my life is now, and what I might be called to change after reading it.  In saying that though, I do also believe that God brings certain things into our lives when He thinks we are ready for it.  Had I read this book five years ago, I might have thought she was a crazy woman and had dismissed the bigger picture.  In reading this though, my heart aches for what she is reaching for.  A radical life in service to our Lord!  I know He doesn't call all of us to leave our homes and serve as a missionary overseas, but I do know that He has called us to a ministry in my home and around my home...something greater than what I have been a part of.  I am so easily consumed by my own life.

I am confident that my review of her book will not do it justice.  Jen is a great writer to begin with and she is 100% open about who she is.  She had me in tears.  She had me laughing, out loud.  She makes you feel like she is having a conversation directly with you and you are one of her best girlfriends.  She gives you facts, and she gives you scripture.  She speaks passionately about the ways that the Holy Spirit is speaking to her.

A lot of the other reviews I have read were upset because they thought that this was a "how-to" book.  Jen clearly states that this was a record of her personal journey.  I love how she never tells you what her and her families' "end result" was.  She speaks from the experiences of her own life but encourages room for the Holy Spirit to communicate what it might mean for you and your family.  There is no formula.

The book isn't written in normal chapter sequence.  It is broken down into seven months and then Jen has taken excerpts from her daily journal during the experience during that month.  There aren't 30/31 entries in the book per month.  Some of the entries were short, but some of them were longer.  This also made for an easy read, and easy to find a stopping point.

One of the best things about this book is Jen's list in the back of about 20 companies that sell hand made items from non-slave trade organizations.  The money goes directly back to support the people that made it.  Can you say birthday gifts?!  Christmas Shopping?!  If you buy the book for nothing else, but this list...it is worth it!!!

I finished this book right around Easter, about four weeks ago.  My life hasn't changed drastically overnight.  We haven't sold all our possessions and moved to Africa.  But, I can tell you that my heart has changed.  I'm not saying all of it is due to this book, but God has certainly used it in continuing to open my eyes to something outside of myself.

Tomorrow I will share Part 2 with some quotes from the book!!

Book Review {Kisses From Katie}

I came across Katie’s blog a few years ago and was blown away by her selflessness and her insight.  There are a few blogs that I come across on occasion that leave me astounded and deeply moved.  Katie’s would be one of them.   I lost track of her for a while but heard last year that she had a book coming out.   I knew it would be one to read.  

Kisses from Katie is somewhat of an autobiography with a deeper message that leaves you challenged to be a radical servant to others.  Around the age of 19 God called Katie to not only minister to the orphans in Uganda, but to start Amazima, a non-profit organization that supports children throughout Uganda that allows them to attend school.  She has also heard and accepted the Lord’s calling to adopt 14 young girls as her own.

The book was so good, and such an easy read, I finished it in one day (including one late night).  Living in America it is so easy to get caught up in the luxuries and easy access we have to whatever we might want.  Katie’s book is a great eye opener/reminder to those who are struggling for 1 meal a day.  

While her book left me contemplating many things I am most impressed with her servant’s heart as a mother to her girls.  The fact that I dred (a majority of the time) cooking dinner for five a few times a week, giving baths every other night is sad compared to the meals she not only cooks for  her 14 girls every day, plus hundreds of other children on the weekends. 

I sometimes got caught up in “I deserve this” moments; I still do.  I have moments when I compare myself to other people and trick myself into believing that I am doing pretty well.  There are still moments when I believe I should be able to relax and do nothing some afternoons, instead of taking care of one more sick person.  There are moments when I think that because I have worked hard all day, I deserve to be able to sit down and eat my food instead of answering the door for one more person who needs help.  

The truth is that these thoughts are not at all scriptural.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that I deserve a reward here on earth Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do work at it with all your heart.” It does not end in, “and after this hard work you deserve a long hot bath and some ‘me time’.”  It does end with, “ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”  

Her life is much different than mine, but serving my family selflessly is one of my biggest struggles.   It is a message that I have heard many times, but I am still working on getting my heart and attitude there.

Her passion is great and I hope you will put her book on your reading list if you have one!  Here are a few more “teasers”…..

-The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live with HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children.  And though at first glance that looks like a big number, 2.1 billion people on the earth proclaim to be Christians.

The truth is that if only 8 percent of the Christians would card for one more child, there would not be any statistics left.

This is the Truth.  I have the freedom to believe it.  The freedom, the opportunity to do something about it.  The truth is that He loves these children just as much as He loves me and now that I know, I am responsible.

-The Lord has shown me that the more I give of myself, the more He fills me up.  The more I love, the more love I have to give.

-I believe that God is in control, yes, but I also believe I have a choice:  I can follow Him or I can turn my back on Him.  I can say yes to Him, or I can say no.  I can go to the hard places or I can remain comfortable.  And if I remain comfortable, God who loves us unconditionally will continue to love me anyway.  I may still see His glory revealed in my life and recognize His blessings, but not like I could have.  I can miss the will of God.  The rich young ruler certainly did.  He didn’t fall dead, as Ananias and Sapphira did; and maybe he went on to live a great life, but it wasn’t the life he could have lived had he said yes to what Jesus was asking of him.

-Joy costs pain, but the pain is worth it.  After all, the murder had to take place before the resurrection.

-I am waiting and God is teaching me this:  I beg Him to bring me close to His heart, to even transform my heart that I might be more like His.  I think orphan care gets us close, because He sees us as orphans.  I think adoptions gets us close, because this is how He brings us into His family.  The poor, the beggar, the widow, the prisoner, the get us close to His heart because these people are so dear to Him.  

But nothing gets us much closer than injustice.

When babies starve and people die cold and alone and children are ripped from their parents—these are some of the injustices of a broken world.  And I think of a Savior who spent His whole life doing nothing but good, saving and healing and feeding and helping even the most undeserving of people, dying on a cross like a thief or a murderer.  I think of a Father, a Father who desires good things for His children even more than I desire good things for mine, a Father who could have stopped His Son’s torture at any time but instead watched it happen.  For me.  For you.  And I weep at the injustice of it.  He knows this pain.  He knows what it is to lose a child to the injustice of a fallen world.  And so while I still cry and beat my fists on the floor, I find comfort in that, and I ask to be closer still.

You can find Katie’s blog here.  You can also support her ministry or purchase magazine bead necklaces made by the women of Masese (some of the women she ministers too) here.

Book Review {Loving The Little Years}

Talk about an easy read!  I think I finished this book in a matter of hours!  Seriously.  It has 20 chapters, but the longest chapter is no more than 6 pages long.  If you haven’t read a parenting book in a while and need a place to start I would suggest this one!  Even if you only have five minutes of quiet…that’s at least one chapter down.  Even though the chapters are short they are straight and to the point and will leave you thinking and adjusting.

 (amazon.com)

I first learned of this book through a friend, Jordan.  You can find her blog here.  She has referenced some of the author’s other articles in her postings in the past and I always found myself deeply challenged by them.  The author, Rachel, has five children herself, all under the age of five.  I’m not exactly sure what I thought the book would be about, but I don’t think it was exactly what I thought it was going to be.  I still loved it all the same. 

She had me in the first paragraph of the first chapter:

If there is anything I have learned in the course of my fast and furious mothering journey, it is that there is only one thing in my entire life that must be organized.  The kids can be running like a bunch of banshees through a house that appears to be at the bottom of a toaster, and yet, if organization and order can still be found in my attitude, we are doing well.  But if my attitude falters even in the midst of external order, so does everything else.

Yes, my attitude is always my nemesis.

Some other little tidbits:

As you deal with your children, deal with yourself always and first.  This is what it looks like, and feels like, to walk as a mother with God.

It is no abstract thing-the state of your heart is the state of your home.  You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender.  You cannot be greedy with your time and expect them to share their toys.  And perhaps most importantly, you cannot resist your opportunities to be corrected by God and expect them to receive correction from you.

While your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice.  Sacrifice your peace for their fun.

Fat souls are better than clean floors……Most of the time the children do not know that what they are doing is overwhelming.  This is because they do not forget that they are individuals.  Now I am not saying that there are not times when I just say, “Sorry kids, not a good time for helpers.”  I do plenty of that.  It is just that a whole lot of time it is a fine time for helpers—even a good time for them, if I am willing to get the grace for it.

If you want some quality “me time,” make a date with your husband.  Do something special with your children.  These people are you.  Your identity is supposed to be intertwined—that is the way God wrote the story, and it is the way He intends us to read it.

She also shares some great examples on how to teach the children and has great metaphors throughout the book.  Some that I never would have thought of.

Setting behaviors into stories is a great way to communicate with your little people.  Got a boy hitting a sister?  Tell him about a brave knight who went out to fight the dragon but started hitting the princess instead.  Give the children a chance to get outside themselves and see their behavior as it plays out in a story.  It often turns out that they know exactly the right thing to do.

And again, another book pointing to the importance on focusing on the heart.

It is important to stick to principles, teach principles, and then sort out the details in the light of them.  You need to look at what you think is happening in hearts and address that.

I could go on and on.  There were so many good things in this book!  Just one more though…

Joy is not giddy.  It is not an emotional rush—it is what happens when you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil.  So rejoice in your children.  Look them in the eyes and give thanks.  You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you.

Book Review {5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son}

Thank you Sarah for recommending this book!  I loved reading it and I think it only took me about a week.  It was refreshing, eye-opening, at times brutally honest which also made it a little scary a times for the task that is at hand.  It will definitely need to be re-read every few years to make sure some of the conversations are being discussed; especially in the pre-teen/teen years.

 (amazon.com)

There are some great topics in this book!  Discussions on today’s image of a man, helicopter mom’s, self-control,  a new and improved sex talk, co-habitation, marrying at a younger age, and launching your boys from boyhood to adulthood!

Most importantly, Vicky stresses throughout the book the importance of the heart of the matter.  It’s a great message that I first read/understood when reading Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp a few years ago.  It is something I truly believe in and long to do but I think I have strayed from it a bit lately. 

In a later chapter Vicky makes it clear:

The truth is we can train our sons to be chivalrous, polite, obedient, selfless, honest, and humble, but if their behavior is not motivated by a love for Christ and a desire to follow Him, they are relying on goodness rather than godliness.  Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that our righteous acts are like filthy rags.  But the sternest warning comes from Christ and His harsh words to the Pharisees:  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee!  Fist clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matt. 23:25-26).

Employing behavior modification strategies without addressing the heart does nothing more than put a BAND-AID on the problem.  We must get to the heart of the matter.

It is easy to react to our sons’ sins with a set of swift consequences that discourage a repeat of the sins.  However, we need to take the time to address the sins at the heart level in an effort to offer a permanent solution.   We can’t make our sons experience godly sorrow or, for that matter, even repent, but we can remind them of their need for a Savior and the price that was paid.

For me, this is a great reminder/challenge about what is most important when disciplining my boys.  It’s easy to focus on the behavior and not take the time to help them slow down and focus on their heart and where it is in relation to God’s Word.  And, most of the book does at times seem like the conversations will come into play at a later age…but this...this I can do this now.  I can start laying the foundation of teaching them to mirror every action next to the Word of God.

I know a few of you who have also been seeking books specifically on raising boys.  Vicky has done her research and there are plenty of references to choose from throughout her book!  Most are not books specifically on how to raise boys, but from how I see it…just understanding boys in general.  Here are a few that I think might be worth looking into, if you haven’t heard of them already:

1.       The Mind of Boys by Michael Gurian.  He has trained teachers to handle the differences between girls and boys, and makes suggestions on how to help boys in the classroom.
2.       Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. 
3.       Boys Must Be Boys by Meg Meeker.
4.       Raising Sons and Loving It! By Gary and Carrie Oliver
5.       Making Sense of the Men in Your Life by Kevin Leman
6.       That’s My Son by Rick Johnson

A few of these are definitely going on my list!!!

Vicky also has a section on her website that her husband put together containing activities and a list of books/training materials that they used for reinforcing each of the conversations discussed in the book.  Since we don’t currently have Internet I haven’t been able to look at them, but I’m excited to see what is there!  Just in case you beat me to it you can co here {www.vickicourtney.com} then click on the link to the 5 Conversations blog.

I do believe there is one paragraph that sticks out more so than any other in the book.  I remember my friend, Sarah, referencing to it as well when she read it.

Deep in a mother’s heart, she knows that when it comes time for her son to leave, he will leave both physically and emotionally.  He will eventually turn his attention to another woman who will become the recipient of his adoration.  Of course our sons will still love us, but their feelings won’t be manifested in the same way a daughter’s feelings would be toward her mother.  Our role is to prepare them to love another, all the while, enjoying every minute of the brief season when we reign as queen in their hearts. 

If you are a mother of a boy…doesn’t that just make your heart ache a little?!  It’s a gentle reminder of how precious my time is with my boys and I know I take it for granted all too often.  

  If you have a girl she has a book for you too!  5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter.

Book Review {The Help}

I know this book was “all the rave” at some point last year.  I didn’t do a lot of reading last year.  I also heard great things about the movie, which I have yet to see as well, but I wanted to read the book first.  When Tim bought me the Kindle before we left it was the first book I downloaded.

 

(amazon.com)

Just as everyone else who has already read it, I loved it!  I love that it was based on real history.  It was an easy read and always left me wanting to read more.  If, for whatever reason, you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth it!

I also really enjoyed reading the author’s own story at the end of the book.  In reference to writing the book she says…

I am afraid I have told too little.  Not just that life was so much worse for many black women working in the homes in Mississippi, but also that there was so much more love between white families and black domestics than I had the ink or the time to portray.

I personally loved that part because it made me ponder all the dynamic relationships that must have been.   It must have been hard for her to choose which relationships to portray.  I think that that time in our history is not one that we are proud of and one that is sensitive.  It seems to reach deeply into some hearts.  We tend to sweep it under the rug and avoid discussing it afraid to offend anyone.  I can’t think a better way to talk about it then how Kathryn Stockett did in her book.

Now I just need to find the movie!!

I would love any other suggestions for great, clean, non-super-romantic, non-super-“dark” novels!  They don’t have to be new either.  I would love to add some classics to my reading!  I do love to read, but it seems to get put on the back burner to all the other things I love to do as well. I'm hoping to make it more of a routine.

A Calling

I'm breaking my blog silence to post a reference for an article.  Mainly because I loved it so much and her book  Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches is next on my list of books to read.

Plus, I don't want to forget where I found it.  Ha.  The article convited, challenged, and is a sweet reminder of what is most important.  I am excited to read more from her.  One friend already gave it a great review so I can't wait to order it and start reading it.



Book Review: Boxes for Katje

I try to take the boys to the library on a regular basis.  We're still trying to get back into the swing of it since we've added Blaine to the picture.  We used to go once a week.  Now it's like every 2-3 weeks.  We have a lot of books at home already, but it's nice having some variety.  The boys don't mind reading the same thing over and over and over again..but I start to dread story time. 

Normally when we go we try and pick out any books that have our letter of the week in the title.  I've tried having a list of books I want prior to going in, but 99.9% of the time our library doesn't have them.  I've tried using the inner library loan system, but last time I requested two books, it took about three weeks for them to come in.  That would require A.LOT. of prior planning that I'm just not ready for.  Anyway.  All that to say...selecting random books off the shelf gives me a 50/50 chance of getting a "good" book.  We've had some cute ones in the past, but one of the ones we picked out this last time would be one of the better ones we've gotten. 

                                                                                                    

(amazon.com)

Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming is based on a true story about the physical needs of a family in Holland after WWII and a family in America who felt led to support that family.  (I know Ryan and Colin have no way of understanding the truth behind the story we read, but it almost had me in tears.)  I deeply want my boys to be compassionate toward others, to put other's needs first.  I want them to understand and be thankful for the bountiful supply of food and clothes that surround us.  I want them to have a heart for those less fortunate than us.  This book promotes those things.

Father God, I pray you would give Tim and I the wisdom to teach our boys about service.  Let us lead by example.  Give us opportunities to minister and open our eyes to see not only the physical needs of people but the spiritual needs as well.