Book Review: The Ministry of Motherhood, Intro Quotes

MM - Quotes from Introduction

I'm going to go ahead and post the intro quotes and study questions today. Remember our pace is going to be rapid this first week. In future week's we'll discuss quotes from a chapter a day M-Th and Study Questions F-Sun. I know the pace is quick. Remember, that you can comment whenever you read the material....though, of course, if we stay on the same page we'll have more discussion. If I find this pace to be too much with life right now, we'll have to take a break for a month in June. I'm trying to get our first discussion under our belt before I leave for vacation. We can work out bugs, see if we want to attempt a second discussion, and order the next book during that month I'm gone.

In preparing for our discussion, I've been praying about some dear friends who love the Lord, have done all they know to do with their children and yet their young adults are currently walking down paths that break their parent's hearts. I think it is important for us to remember that children will make their own choice to accept or reject Christ as they mature. I would hate for any of us to have an attitude that says "Huh! If YOU had just gotten the formula right like WE have you'd be guaranteed to have perfect children". Instead let's pray for our sister's broken hearts and continue to prayerfully read and learn how we can prepare the soil of our children's heart for a sovereign work of God's grace....none of my children will ever be saved and in a right relationship with God because I parent perfectly.

One last note and we'll begin. I will not be attempting to summarize fully each chapter. I would hate for others to think, "ah, I don't need to buy the book, I'll just read the summaries." This book is WORTH buying and the Clarksons are WORTH supporting. I know you can pick up used copies online as well. I'll simply share quotes that speak to me. I hope that others will share thoughts on the quotes or different quotes that spoke to THEM in the comment section.

OK Quotes from the Intro that leaped at me:

"{Children} don't need sweet platitudes of faith that will momentarily placate their emotions. They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical world-view and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship. They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today's storms and tomorrow's and will guide them for the rest of their lives. They also need to see what real faith looks like when lived day in, day out, so they will have a pattern to follow.

The process of providing such gifts to my children is what I've come to think of as the ministry of motherhood. " page 3

Yes! I've seen so many try to display a "perfect saint" image to their children. Children know. Let's be REAL with our children. Let's show them our struggles, let them watch us grow and mature in our walk with God - maybe they'll be blessed to learn from our mistakes if we are authentic enough to share our mistakes with our children. Of course, you'd want to be age appropriate in your sharing. I'm fairly sure my 4 yo knows that I am not always right....he once offered to put soap in my mouth when I said a bad word. I let him.....because it seemed fitting. I admitted I'd not gotten it right...but he learned that Mom will admit when she has sinned, that mom will ask forgiveness and that even Mom needs God's help day in and day out to live a holy life.

"The process of discipleship that Jesus modeled had become a reality in my own life. What Jesus had done with his disciples - living with them, loving them, forgiving them, instructing them, training them, serving them, and thereby transforming the whole foundations of their lives, my friends had done for me. And I knew I wanted to do the same with my life." page 8

I find this description of how Jesus mentored to be a beautiful illustration of what I try to do with my children.

I realized with the passing of each day that spiritual and emotional maturity would not just happen in my children because I wished it so. It would not come just from a passive example of my being good. Effective spiritual, emotional, and social training in the lives of my children would have to be both intentional and planned." page 13.

Yes, yes, YES! These sorts of thoughts are what led us to "project parenting" years ago....being intentional partners in what God is doing in the lives of our children. I will add that I've seen homeschoolers fall into the trap of thinking that "homeschooling" will magically cause the spiritual growth and maturity they long to see in their children. It won't. We need to get on our faces before God and ask HIM for a plan and a strategy for each of our children. We want to be intentional partners with HIM.

"....we wanted to give our children the real gifts of life that God had given us....we wanted our children also to BE gifts of God's grace and love to a fallen world". page 14

Sally came up with a "plan" and began a study of Jesus' life which led to her thoughts on the ministry of motherhood and became the basis of this book. Pages 14 -17.

Here is a brief look at the plan that Sally has come up with in an effort to intentionally minister to her children. The 5 areas will be the 5 areas of studies for us this month.

GIFTS

G - represents the gift of grace

I - represents the gift of inspiration

F - represents the gift of faith

T - represents the gift of training

S - represents the gift of service