Parenting and Faith
Growing a Soul by Bob Flanagan
All parents want the best for their children. Flanagan delves into the idea of spiritual intelligence as an aspect of our personality that needs nurture as much as physical, mental or emotional intelligence. The chapters in the first half of the book each end with suggested activities that encourage thoughtful consideration of how we bring spirituality into our parenting. The second half of the book consists of 40 daily devotions designed encourage digging deeper into our spiritual lives as parents. I found Flanagan’s viewpoint a helpful addition to the conversation of how to nurture the faith of our children.
Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting by Laura Kelly Fanucci
I love this book! Fanucci’s reflections on her difficult journey to parenthood is intertwined with her reflections on sacraments of her Roman Catholic tradition. Honest and thoughtful, she reveals her pain and struggles with infertility and miscarriage as well as the joy and wonder that discovers along the way. Lightening bugs, preschool drawings and late night feedings shape Fanucci’s musings on Reconciliation, Communion and Baptism in a way the brings new ways of looking at both. Get it, read it, share it!
Sabbath in the Suburbs: A Family’s Experiment with Holy Time, by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
You never know what you will find when you order a book sight unseen. Not only had I not had a chance to look through it, but I had no recommendations about it. This was just one of those books that popped up when I was looking for something else, and I’m very glad it did. Honest, thoughtful, and filled with the real lives of a family with young children who are trying to find space for God and each other, the author’s reflections on her family’s attempt to practice a day of rest each week are engaging. Their adventures, successes, and failures, including decisions about sports, repair projects, Christmas shopping, and social obligations on their Sabbath (as well as when and how much Sabbath to set aside), hooked me. I think they will grab you as well, and can be the start of a conversation about what Sabbath means in our overscheduled, over-obligated, and overwhelming world.
Dog in the Manger: Finding God in the Christmas Choas by Tim Schenck
Dog in the Manger is funny, brief and has great insights, as well ways for families to consider how they can engage with the season of Advent and Christmas. Some of the best insights come with the authors ability to help the reader to shape their own Christmas traditions and make decisions about the best ways for their family to find activities that will truly enrich this time of year. Besides I love the idea of Batman as part of the Nativity in the Schenck household. Wonder who might show up in your family nativity?
What Size our God’s Shoes: Kids, Chaos, and the Spiritual Life by Tim Schenck
I’m always looking for books that deal with the intersection of our day to day lives and faith. Rev. Schenck’s book takes a humorous and deep look at the life of one family, including trips to the dentist, baseball games, homework, Happy Meal toys, and all the other minutia that makes up the daily life of every parent. Interwoven in these stories that every family can relate to, are reflections on pain, love, ageing, materialism. Each short story (you can read a chapter in car line!) leads you to contemplate where God is, in the middle of the dinner dishes.
Building Faith Brick by Brick: An Imaginative Way to Explore the Bible with Children by Emily Slichter Given
Since both my children has had a fascination with Lego’s at one time, I was intrigued with the idea of using them to help learn the stories of the Bible. The author takes us through a variety of stories that can be illustrated using Lego bricks. For children with a more hands on learning style this would be a great addition to the more traditional activities. Take a look and see what one class did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1FugNJhp-k&feature=youtu.be
Mixed up Love by Jon M. Sweeney and Michal Woll
When a Christian publisher and a Rabbi get married it can lead to many wonderful things. In this case it has resulted in a book exploring the surprises and challenges of living in an interfaith family. Going beyond their own stories Sweeney and Woll lead us to consider what is important or not as couples negotiate differences of faith (or no-faith) in their lives together. It is lively, readable and helpful in thinking through what is means to be spiritual as a couple and as a family in the 21st century.
Holding your Family Together by Dr. Rich Melheim
I read this book several months ago and have been pondering how to respond to it. On the one hand I’m intrigued by his structure of “Faith5” where each household takes time to
SHARE your highs and lows
READ a Bible verse or story
TALK about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows
PRAY for one another's highs and low (quote from website) .
However I find his criticism of families disturbing. All and all worth the read but I don’t think I would be comfortable giving this book to parents who are trying to find a way to bring faith into their family life.
Sticky Faith by Dr. Kara E. Powell and Dr. Chap Clark
Based on research done on college students who had been active in church during their high school years, Powel and Clark look for keys that will reveal why some young adults retain a connection to their faith and others do not. Even though the authors as coming from the evangelical tradition (both of them teach at Fuller Seminary), much of what they observe is consistent with other research (check out the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton University). Powel and Clark advocate for the creation of open and ongoing conversations around issues of life and faith, contact with a variety of adults of faith, and transparency by parents as they life their lives of faith. This would be a good book group selection, especially for parents of upper elementary and middle school parents as they look forward to parenting teens.
A Homemade Year by Jerusalem Jackson Greer
I like to make stuff. Cooking, sewing, knitting, crafting all appeal to me. Creating is imbedded in humanity even as it expresses itself in a myriad of ways. Jerusalem Greer taps into this craving to create in A Homemade Year. Keyed to the liturgical year, Greer takes us by the hand as she contemplates the deeper meaning of each point in cycle of the seasons, encouraging us to tactile engagement through recipes and crafts linked to each day. A carpenter’s apron for St. Joseph’s day or Angel rolls for All Saint’s invite us to experience each season of the liturgical year more deeply.
The Mothering Spirit – Laura Kelly Fanucci
http://www.motheringspirit.com
Fanucci’s reflections on motherhood and faith are grounded in the day to day realities of life with small children. She draws on her academic background, faith experience as a Roman Catholic and the daily delights and challenges of mothering. Many of her blogs revolve around incorporating the liturgical year into the her home life, including her attempts at an Advent at-home retreat, and her struggles with finding appropriate Lenten activities for a home with a 2 year old. Fanucci’s prayers for pregnancy, which include prayers for those trying to conceive and infertility are a good resource for couples and for clergy. In addition her “Spiritual Practices with Newborns” is much needed resource.
All parents want the best for their children. Flanagan delves into the idea of spiritual intelligence as an aspect of our personality that needs nurture as much as physical, mental or emotional intelligence. The chapters in the first half of the book each end with suggested activities that encourage thoughtful consideration of how we bring spirituality into our parenting. The second half of the book consists of 40 daily devotions designed encourage digging deeper into our spiritual lives as parents. I found Flanagan’s viewpoint a helpful addition to the conversation of how to nurture the faith of our children.
Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting by Laura Kelly Fanucci
I love this book! Fanucci’s reflections on her difficult journey to parenthood is intertwined with her reflections on sacraments of her Roman Catholic tradition. Honest and thoughtful, she reveals her pain and struggles with infertility and miscarriage as well as the joy and wonder that discovers along the way. Lightening bugs, preschool drawings and late night feedings shape Fanucci’s musings on Reconciliation, Communion and Baptism in a way the brings new ways of looking at both. Get it, read it, share it!
Sabbath in the Suburbs: A Family’s Experiment with Holy Time, by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
You never know what you will find when you order a book sight unseen. Not only had I not had a chance to look through it, but I had no recommendations about it. This was just one of those books that popped up when I was looking for something else, and I’m very glad it did. Honest, thoughtful, and filled with the real lives of a family with young children who are trying to find space for God and each other, the author’s reflections on her family’s attempt to practice a day of rest each week are engaging. Their adventures, successes, and failures, including decisions about sports, repair projects, Christmas shopping, and social obligations on their Sabbath (as well as when and how much Sabbath to set aside), hooked me. I think they will grab you as well, and can be the start of a conversation about what Sabbath means in our overscheduled, over-obligated, and overwhelming world.
Dog in the Manger: Finding God in the Christmas Choas by Tim Schenck
Dog in the Manger is funny, brief and has great insights, as well ways for families to consider how they can engage with the season of Advent and Christmas. Some of the best insights come with the authors ability to help the reader to shape their own Christmas traditions and make decisions about the best ways for their family to find activities that will truly enrich this time of year. Besides I love the idea of Batman as part of the Nativity in the Schenck household. Wonder who might show up in your family nativity?
What Size our God’s Shoes: Kids, Chaos, and the Spiritual Life by Tim Schenck
I’m always looking for books that deal with the intersection of our day to day lives and faith. Rev. Schenck’s book takes a humorous and deep look at the life of one family, including trips to the dentist, baseball games, homework, Happy Meal toys, and all the other minutia that makes up the daily life of every parent. Interwoven in these stories that every family can relate to, are reflections on pain, love, ageing, materialism. Each short story (you can read a chapter in car line!) leads you to contemplate where God is, in the middle of the dinner dishes.
Building Faith Brick by Brick: An Imaginative Way to Explore the Bible with Children by Emily Slichter Given
Since both my children has had a fascination with Lego’s at one time, I was intrigued with the idea of using them to help learn the stories of the Bible. The author takes us through a variety of stories that can be illustrated using Lego bricks. For children with a more hands on learning style this would be a great addition to the more traditional activities. Take a look and see what one class did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1FugNJhp-k&feature=youtu.be
Mixed up Love by Jon M. Sweeney and Michal Woll
When a Christian publisher and a Rabbi get married it can lead to many wonderful things. In this case it has resulted in a book exploring the surprises and challenges of living in an interfaith family. Going beyond their own stories Sweeney and Woll lead us to consider what is important or not as couples negotiate differences of faith (or no-faith) in their lives together. It is lively, readable and helpful in thinking through what is means to be spiritual as a couple and as a family in the 21st century.
Holding your Family Together by Dr. Rich Melheim
I read this book several months ago and have been pondering how to respond to it. On the one hand I’m intrigued by his structure of “Faith5” where each household takes time to
SHARE your highs and lows
READ a Bible verse or story
TALK about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows
PRAY for one another's highs and low (quote from website) .
However I find his criticism of families disturbing. All and all worth the read but I don’t think I would be comfortable giving this book to parents who are trying to find a way to bring faith into their family life.
Sticky Faith by Dr. Kara E. Powell and Dr. Chap Clark
Based on research done on college students who had been active in church during their high school years, Powel and Clark look for keys that will reveal why some young adults retain a connection to their faith and others do not. Even though the authors as coming from the evangelical tradition (both of them teach at Fuller Seminary), much of what they observe is consistent with other research (check out the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton University). Powel and Clark advocate for the creation of open and ongoing conversations around issues of life and faith, contact with a variety of adults of faith, and transparency by parents as they life their lives of faith. This would be a good book group selection, especially for parents of upper elementary and middle school parents as they look forward to parenting teens.
A Homemade Year by Jerusalem Jackson Greer
I like to make stuff. Cooking, sewing, knitting, crafting all appeal to me. Creating is imbedded in humanity even as it expresses itself in a myriad of ways. Jerusalem Greer taps into this craving to create in A Homemade Year. Keyed to the liturgical year, Greer takes us by the hand as she contemplates the deeper meaning of each point in cycle of the seasons, encouraging us to tactile engagement through recipes and crafts linked to each day. A carpenter’s apron for St. Joseph’s day or Angel rolls for All Saint’s invite us to experience each season of the liturgical year more deeply.
The Mothering Spirit – Laura Kelly Fanucci
http://www.motheringspirit.com
Fanucci’s reflections on motherhood and faith are grounded in the day to day realities of life with small children. She draws on her academic background, faith experience as a Roman Catholic and the daily delights and challenges of mothering. Many of her blogs revolve around incorporating the liturgical year into the her home life, including her attempts at an Advent at-home retreat, and her struggles with finding appropriate Lenten activities for a home with a 2 year old. Fanucci’s prayers for pregnancy, which include prayers for those trying to conceive and infertility are a good resource for couples and for clergy. In addition her “Spiritual Practices with Newborns” is much needed resource.
