Tuesday, April 16, 2013

"Lead Your Family Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Tricia Goyer


Snack of Choice:
My internationally known Rice Krispy treats. No credit to me for the receipt, but it’s all in the execution. Here are two keys I will share with you to have success with these treats. One, use finely cut butter, don’t buy into the “You can use margarine too” talk – you can’t. Two, despite the cute commercials, don’t let your kids help make them – it’s a sure fire way to ruin them.

Story behind the Story:
Speaking of kids, the two in our house just turned two – and in reality, I can’t wait to make treats with them. However, the gravity of this progression is making me nauseous! So, I was looking for some leadership, and even NPR thinks Ken Blanchard is an authority on the subject. Litfuse Publicity provided me with a copy of this Tyndale title as a part of the blog tour for the book.

Story Line:
Three authors, experts, and parents share the incredible responsibility of parenthood from the perspective of “What Would Jesus Do?” How would He lead your family? What examples did He set for us?  Each author takes turns writing chapters under three parts – the Heart, the Head, the Hands, and the Habits.

The Real Story:
I haven’t read many parenting books, but I get the feeling they deal with a lot of the individual behaviors or specific ideas to train your children (think “Super Nanny”) – but that’s not this book. “Lead Your Family Like Jesus” is more about the vision and missions statements that define who and what your family is. It’s the bigger perspective of the culture that you are creating in your home. This “seeing the forest” perspective is refreshing. Take a step back from the crazy and the busy of family life and set your course.


I love that it’s filled with Scripture from which to draw these overarching principles. I don’t, however, like its overuse of “the Message” for the biblical text.  It’s supposed to be readable and relatable, but a cursory study of translation theory reveals that those priorities don’t always leave room for “reliable.”

I’m also trying to figure out how I feel about the multiple authors approach. There are a couple other books on my list with multiple authors, so I guess I’ll find out. These authors do seem to be on the same page together, but also have the opportunity for their individual voices to be heard.

Check out:
Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Luke 11:11-13

What parenting book would you recommend?

Rating:
4 out of 5 batches of Rice Krispies on the floor. Love those kids!

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