Their Name is Today book review {a Flyby Review} PLUS Giveaway

I have read more "parenting" books than I can count. I'd venture to say that more than half of the books I've bought in the past 5 years (other than curriculum) have been ones that I thought would help me be a better wife and mommy. Some I have read more than once, others I may not have even made it halfway through before determining it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

Why do I buy those kinds of books? Simple. I'm imperfect. I have bad habits. I forget to be thankful for every moment these little (and big) ones and I share. I've never dealt with a sixteen year old before. My three year old is more strong-willed than I could have ever imagined him being.

The list goes on and on...

You hear people saying that they wished kids came with a How-to Manual. In part, they do. The Bible is chock-full of thou shalls and thou shall nots.
Unfortunately, not every possible circumstance or dilemma is covered.

For everything else, I seek the wisdom of those who have been doing this parent thing longer than I have and perhaps with a little more success when it comes to the trials of toddlerhood and adolescence. And the ones who have uncovered some of the secrets to what really works when I'm trying to help a kid with a math lesson, occupy the toddlers, breastfeed the baby and make lunch, simultaneously.

Recently, I was introduced to a gem entitled Their Name is Today by Johann Christoph Arnold. It's not a parenting book per se. Nor is it a cure filled fix-all. It is however so filled with insights from a child's point of view that I had to repeatedly flip to the back few pages to remind myself that a man in his seventies authored it.

The title comes from a poem by Gabriela Mistral, a poet and educator...

We are guilty of many errors and many faults,

but our worst crime is abandoning the children,

neglecting the fountain of life.

Many things can wait. Children cannot.

Right now their bones are being formed,

their blood s being made,

and their sense are being developed.

To them we cannot answer, "Tomorrow."

Their name is today.

 

This book was very timely for me. I've recently found myself getting very frustrated, very quickly. Everyday has become a battle of the wits between Max and I. He has suddenly begun throwing tantrums like I've never seen, not to mention the blatant disobedience and defiance. Julia just turned 12 in October, so she's a full blown ball of hormones and attitude. Between the two of them, the demands of a newborn, homeschooling and everything else.. my patience has run thin and my nerves more than exposed. It seems like the past few weeks have just been conflict after conflict.

With chapters like Actions- Not Words, In Praise of Difficult Children and Tomorrow Comes, I was reminded that this season will pass but until it does these children need to see Christ through me. They need to know that grace and forgiveness is abundant in Him. To be honest, I've kind of been displaying the opposite lately. With tempers flaring and me losing my cool on an hourly basis, well, lets just say our home hasn't exactly been a refuge.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 8, In Praise of Difficult Children:

"Forgiveness is necessary dozens of times a day. No matter how many times a child gets into trouble, never lose faith in him. To label a child as hopeless is to be tempted by despair, and to the extent that despair is a lack of hope it is also a lack of love. If we truly love our children, we may at times throw up our hands in desperation, but we will never give up on them. God sent the Hebrews not only the Law of Moses but also manna, the bread of heaven. Without such bread- that is, without warmth, humor, kindness and compassion-  no family can survive."

Wow. How powerfully true is that? I must have read that paragraph eight times.

The following section from the book, I believe, summarizes well what the entire book is about:

"So many features of our "advanced civilization" seem bent on destroying the spirit of childhood. Be it materialism, prescription drugs, standardization, technological devices or the debased sensationalism that passes for entertainment, all of it harms children.

 

I believe that at birth, all children bear the stamp of their Creator. The purity and innocence is a great gift. Once it has been lost, it cannot be replaced. All the ore, it must be guarded as a treasure which no one has a right to destroy."

 

Well done Mr. Arnold, well done.

About the author:
A noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues, Arnold is a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. With his wife, Verena, he has counseled thousands of individuals and families over the last forty years, as well as serving as an advisor at several innovative private schools. Arnold’s message has been shaped by encounters with great peacemakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Cėsar Chavez, and John Paul II.



Just 10 chapters and 192 pages long, this is one you'll want to take your time with and fully take in. The book retails for $14.00 and is available on Amazon and Christian Book Distributers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.