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The subtitle of this book grabbed me immediately: "What God Wants Us To Hear When We Talk To Our Kids." I'm passionate about children and communication, so even though I'm not a parent I felt this could be a book I might get a lot out of. As a teacher, sister, and aunt, I believe I can always be working on getting better at helping those precious young ones in my life.
This book had been published in 2008 under the name "Soundbites from Heaven," but now has been updated and expanded by this mother of seven to include more of her thoughts and real life experiences. With honesty and vulnerability, Rachael lets us in on how God has worked in her heart through the daily ups and downs of raising a houseful of kids. Although this book was bigger than I expected, with nearly 70 chapters, each chapter is short and to the point, the perfect size for a busy mom to read on the go as she juggles the many responsibilities on her shoulders.
Each chapter focuses on a specific phrase that a mother might say often, and then shares a spiritual lesson to parallel that to our own relationships with God. Some of my favorites were:
- "Look At Me" - a reminder to keep our eyes on Jesus
- "Now Is Not The Time" - encouragement to wait on God's timing
- "Go Outside" - the admonition to do something outside of ourselves for God's kingdom
- "Call Home" - don't forget to keep prayer a central focus
- "It's Not About You" - remembering what life really is all about
My heart was cheered that love was the main theme in this book, which is as it should be! Raising and working with little ones is tough work that is not glamorous and tests you to your limits. But just like God works in love towards us, so we should be working in love with the children He has placed in our lives. My favorite quote from the book came from page 95: "Love leaves room for improvement." Isn't that beautiful? I think that's a principle I need to remember every day.
Although I am not in the target audience for this book, I did enjoy it and would recommend it for parents everywhere. It was full of wonderful truths and reminders that God knows us, is walking this path with us, and wants us to love Him with our whole hearts.
I received my copy of the book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
