The best part of today is fifteen years ago, I went into labor with my first child. Imagine being named MARY on Christmas Eve and being in the labor and delivery unit. (I thought briefly of renaming Patrick, Joseph. Good thing we didn't name Sophie, Jesusette or something). Out she popped into the world, crying and looking absolutely perfect. Today Sophie is a sweet teenager on the verge of getting her learner's permit. Hard to believe.

This morning I was browsing around today and found this nice review of Authentic Parenting:

a great book. December 22, 2007 •

Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture

I very nearly didn’t buy this book… but it was so well recommended. The ‘postmodern’ in the title put me off. Just because I didn’t want a “flee the evil culture” book, or… I don’t know… a myriad of thoughts. I don’t think the postmodern trends are a bad thing. Its just a different paradigm. A modern paradigm isn’t any more biblical than a postmodern paradigm.

So I was pleasantly surprised, when I picked up this book. It gave a short postmodern paradigm explanation. Wasn’t afraid to point out the obviously GOOD aspects of this shift in thinking. And gave IDEAS (not a how to 1.2.3.) on how to prepare ourselves and our children for now and later as they are grown.

I figure a parenting book is good when it leaves you longing for a heart more like Christ’s, for a more selfless life and attitude, and a desire to seek God fervently for wisdom regarding your own children.

It has lots of neat ideas for family time that I hadn’t heard before. And the author (Mary E. DeMuth) is so REFRESHINGLY on honest about her own failings and journey.

So there you go. If you would like to read a book that won’t tell you how to do the parenting thing, I highly recommend this one.