Summer Reading

I have loved having time to read this summer (while nursing Abel)! I feel like I haven't read books "just because" in a really long time. I did tons of reading last year, but it was mostly all required reading for our classes at NTBI. So here are the books that I got through this summer. I'm also borrowing an idea from my friend Kim, and giving each book a grade according to how much I liked it.

1. To Train up a Child by Michael Pearl (reread)  A-

I read this book once before we had kids, so I thought I should probably refresh myself on it. I agree with this author's take on Biblical discipline by and large. There are a few minor things, though, that differ from how Aaron and I see Biblical discipline carried out, so I gave it an "A-" instead of an "A." I would most definitely recommend this book to other parents, though! It has been extremely helpful to us in beginning to train our young children.

2. Babywise by Gary Ezzo (also a reread)  A+

I have reread this book each time I have had a newborn, just to remind myself of some of the goals and methods in it. It's probably no surprise that I gave it an "A+"...I am like a walking, breathing Babywise testimonial. :)

3. Toddlerwise by Gary Ezzo  C+

I didn't like Toddlerwise nearly as much as Babywise. I do like the structure and schedules laid out in this book for toddlers, but some of it just isn't really my style. Even though I do like our day to be organized and predictable, I just don't resonate with all of Ezzo's methods of scheduling a toddler's day.

4. Sold by Patricia McCormick  A+

Wow. I think this is a must-read for anyone in our culture--especially Christians. It is just so hard for many of us to imagine the trials and hardships that people in other countries face on a daily basis, and this book brings so many realities to life. This book absolutely broke my heart, but I give it an "A+" because I am very grateful for the serious issues that it brought to my attention.

5. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp  A

This was a great parenting book. I love how much Scripture the author used throughout it, and I love how it focuses not on a child's behavior, but on a child's heart and sin nature. It follows then, that discipline must address the heart...not the behavior necessarily. I would recommend this book to any and all parents or people who may be parents someday.

6. The Story of New Tribes Mission by Ken Johnston  A
Aaron read this book for a class he took last year, and he urged me to read it as well. I'm so glad I did! It was great to read about the background and history of the mission organization that we are going to be a part of. It was both convicting and encouraging to read about the extreme hardships that the first missionaries with NTM faced and their faithfulness and perseverance through them.

7. Edge of Eternity by Randy Alcorn  B
A couple years ago, I read Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, and I absolutely LOVED it (I would give it an A+), so I think I had my hopes set a little too high when I picked up this novel by the same author. It was really good, and I love the way he brings eternity to life in it, but in a way it struck me as a sort of copycat book of Pilgrim's Progress. However, it definitely kept my attention (I think I read it in two or three days), made me think about eternity in a more "concrete" way, and I really did enjoy reading it.

8. Lost Letters of Pergummum by Bruce Longenecker  B+
This was a book on our "recommended reading list" in our class on Acts last semester. It is fictional, but it really brings to life the time period of the first century church. It is basically a compilation of (fictional) letters between Luke (the writer of Luke and Acts) and a man named Antipas who is mentioned in Revelation 2 as a "faithful martyr" of Pergummum. 

9. Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman  A
This book was a great follow-up read to Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. I feel like the author used pretty much the same Biblical principles as Tripp in reference to discipline and dealing with the foolishness that is "bound up in the heart of a child," but she even went a step further and gave lots of specific examples and scenarios and the Scripture you can use to instruct your child on what to do differently. It also made me realize that I need to be more diligent in memorizing Scripture in order to use specific verses when reproving my children. (Thanks for the recommendation, Erika!)

*And thanks, Sis, for letting me borrow most of these books! I would have brought more books home from Michigan with me if I would have known nursing a baby takes so much time! :)