On my bookshelf

     Ten years ago I would never have labeled myself as "a reader." I was the girl in high school trying to get my hands on the CliffsNotes. I would read the first few chapters and quickly grow bored. I wasn't a fast reader, so it was a lot of work and time for me to get through a book. A shift began to take place about 5 years ago. I found myself loving Borders, slowly and quietly meandering through the endless rows of books, touching their spines as I would pass by as one might might do to clothes while shopping. A new thrill was born. A fresh book in hand, a quiet house, a good latte, a comfy chair. Pages filled with encouragement, inspiration, and relief. Stories that were not mine, new countries, and even different era's. This, of course, while the kids were not in tow or anywhere to be seen or heard. Maybe that is where this new found love came from. It allowed me a new escape from the everyday laundry, bills, diapers, and cutting the crusts off of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...again.  I have to give a shout out to the beloved iPad as well. iBooks allowed me to download samples of books...for free! I could read the introduction and first chapter and get a sense of whether or not this book would be for me. Something the back cover can't always do.

I love to share with others what I've learned, maybe too much so. I love to quote authors and give examples. I am not one who speaks well, getting my thoughts to come out of my mouth in a moments notice is a challenge for me. So to be able to quote authors allows me to communicate what I've already been thinking in an eloquent and articulate way.

Why do I tell you all of this? I would love to share with you the books I have read. Would you be interested? I know I love to hear about what others are reading. There are thousands upon thousands of great books out there and sometimes its hard to know where to start and it's great to get a recommendation.

Lately I've been into self-help parenting books. I'm no perfect parent and it seems as soon as I get a handle on one issue in our home a new one arises. So, I'll start with the latest book I've just finished and work my way back in a time a bit.

*Love & Respect in the Family: The Respect Parents Desire; The Love Children Need.
written by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

We no longer have Borders in our town. The electronic age won over and the big bookstore just couldn't compete I guess. I miss Borders. I never realized how much I went there until it was gone. Now I occasionally go into our local Bible Book store. It was here that I stumbled across this book. No one had recommended it and I hadn't even read the sample chapters. It was the back of the book this time that sold me and persuaded me to purchase it.

Dr. Eggerichs does a wonderful job of balancing general ideas of parenting like love and respect while giving you specific tools to step out of the "Family Crazy Cycle." This book is saturated with scripture, but I would even say that if you are not a Christian it would still be an excellent resource for parenting that I don't feel would turn an unbeliever away.

Because this book was based from another book he has written, *"Love & Respect: The Respect He Desires; The Love She Needs." Dr. Eggerichs speaks to the marital relationship in high regard. So much so that I ordered this book in hopes of continuing to strengthen my marriage as well.

The author has three grown children whom he asks many times throughout the book to give their opinion on how they were raised. It is an honest and raw look at what worked and what didn't work for the author and his wife. For a humorous note he adds in family pictures in the middle of the book which his youngest daughter, Joy, captions. Speaking of Joy; those who watched the IF: Gathering online this last February, Joy Eggerichs was one of the woman who hosted the online broadcast. She is hilarious!

If you are in any stage of parenting I would highly recommend this book! I've taken the tips he has given and written them on our whiteboard as a constant reminder as to how to better parent my children.



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