Books, Wonderful Books!

My life, and that of our family, has been deeply affected recently by some books I've read. They are so special to me and have left such an impact, that I wanted to share some of these resources with those of you who are interested in pursuing them. I highly recommend all of them as books you may want to have for your family library!

1. Back in March I read Famiy Driven Faith - a wonderful book by Voddie Baucham. He has done a ton of research about what is going wrong with today's churches as far producing young people who stay committed to Christ into adulthood. His bottom line is that it is the responsibility of the FAMILY to spiritually raise their children, not the responsibility of church or youth group workers. He gives practical ways of establishing a family tradition of worship in the home: Bible reading, Scripture memory, hymn singing, etc. He has great encouragement for families starting later with their children - it still works! We are using some of these principles this summer with the kids and will continue to do so as our children grow into adults.
2. Each member of our family has a Bible of their own - even Jack proudly gets his little green Gideon Bible out when we are doing family devotions. (Jake has a wonderful Bible - the Apologetics Study Bible for Students - an awesome tool for young people with tough questions about our faith.) One of the books Voddie Baucham recommends for family worship is Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. It works through the Westminster Shorter Catechism with one question/answer set each week and a daily reading/Scripture for Monday-Saturday of that week. It breaks down the very basics of our faith into understandable nuggets for young hearts and minds.

3. For my own personal Bible study, I have fallen in love with What the Bible is All About Bible Handbook by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears. I am working my way through the Old Testament. I read each book on my own, making notes along with way of things the Lord reveals to me. Then I read the corresponding section in the Mears book to help me dive deeper into what I just read. I loved her explanation in the introduction about Bible reading. Why is it that the Bible is something to own, but not to read from cover to cover? Why do we rush to read a library book all the way through, but only pick and choose verses from the most important book ever written? It has really compelled me to view the Bible in its entirety and to read it as a whole book....and I LOVE IT! The more I read, the more I want to know....that is the way God intended it! 4. These following books come highly recommended by many close friends and my sister Meredith. I have added all three to our family library, but am currently finishing up Honey for a Teen's Heart by Gladys Hunt and Barbara Hampton. Since I wanted to have more of a feel for what books would interest Jake and Sarah and would also feed their hearts and souls, I dove into this one. It is wonderful. Ms. Hunt talks about the importance of books, choosing good books, reading aloud as a family even when teens can read well on their own, etc. So much in the "young adult" category of literature is mere fluff - with nothing that can really grow a young person, encourage them or challenge them to think through things. It is so important as parents to be involved in what your kids are reading. This book gives a great list of recommended reading for teens. We are reading Where the Red Fern Grows aloud as a family and Jake has gotten hooked on the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

5. And the book that has had the deepest impact on my heart (outside of the Bible): Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts. I am so grateful to my Mom who sent this to me as a Mother's Day gift. I recommend it to anyone...but especially to young mothers who are feeling a little overwhelmed. This is a book I will reread again and again. It has allowed me to pause in the midst of chaos, give thanks to the Lord and have an adjusted attitude in the process. I'm sorry to say I haven't always put that eucharisteo (giving thanks) into practice - but I notice that when I do, even in the hard moments, the stress melts away a little and I can focus on the Lord and His goodness. I have started my own gratitude journal and it is teaching me to slow down and enjoy each moment. I love this book.

6. And finally, for some practical help in managing a family, I've been using Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn. What a great book! She has lots of resourceful information about saving on your grocery bill and making meal preparation a little easier during the week. One of the tips I have put into practice is I buy the two-pack of whole young chickens at Costco. When I come home, I immediately cook one of the chickens in a pot of water while I am putting the other groceries away. Then I shred the chicken, divide it into two or three Ziploc bags and freeze it for use during the week. I also have the chicken broth to use for rice or other meals. The Ostyns have ten children - six adopted and some from Ethiopia. So...if our family members want a few Ethiopian dish ideas in honor of Luke and Ben, she has some listed in her recipe section! She also has recipes for making many of your own pantry ingredients like salad dressings, biscuit/pancake mix, etc. (We don't have a lot of storage here in Hawaii and no pantry space, so I haven't been able to use a lot of her ideas...but they are great!)

Just a few Meyer Family favorites...hope some of you can be encouraged by them like we've been!