Beyond Ordinary (book review)

Provided to me as a complimentary copy by Tyndale, Beyond Ordinary is the honest portrayal of a young marriage gone awry.  The starry-eyed couple soon finds love jaded in light of ministry, marriage, and parenting demands.  In their book, the husband and wife share each of their stories one by one, providing an up close and personal look at the slippery slope of a marriage crumbling from within.  The heart-wrenching transparency of a personal story gives this book a unique edge in a glutted marriage book market.

The authors contend that an ordinary marriage is one where conflict is unresolved and true intimacy is avoided.  Thus, their plea throughout the book is for marriages that are more than mediocre, that require extraordinary investment.  This slant is the book's recurring theme and is a valid perspective.  In a world where status quo marriages often result in divorce and/or extramarital affairs, couples must realize that a successful marriage takes work and investment.  The authors are to be commended in their willingness to share their story as a cautionary tale to others.

Desperate book review

Provided to me as a complimentary copy from Booksneeze, Desperate co-authored by Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson is an encouraging book for young moms.  Sarah and Sally are a dynamic duo pairing the perspectives of past experience and present day in-the-trenches mentality.  Undergirded by the principles of Scriptural grace, both women emphasize the importance of prioritizing relationship as opposed to rules throughout the child- rearing years.  Sally emphasizes the importance of cultivating a warm, nurturing home environment, while Sarah speaks out of her recent battles with depression to provide key helps and perspectives for young moms. Desperate is not a book of formulas or step by step strategies; instead it encourages young moms to embrace their own strengths and convictions and to parent with intentionality.

I found Desperate to be refreshing, a revitalizing oasis of grace-based parenting in the desert of formulaic, even legalistic parenting approaches.  This book helped to crystallize a mindset of parenting that is borne out of Christlike love and grace rather than a behavioral approach.  I will reference and recommend Desperate frequently, I have no doubt.

goals and epiphanies

Normally, I scorn New Year's resolutions.  I think that if change is needed, one ought to do it regardless of the date on the calendar.  Why change just because it's January 1st?  This year is different.  This year I feel change bubbling up inside of me. Maybe it's the books I've been reading lately.  Maybe it's the growing conviction that a life lived unintentionally is a wasted life.  I don't want my life to be wasted.  I want to live with purpose, with intention.

Another reason I tend to avoid New Year's resolutions is the inevitable disappointment of failure that usually follows.  Lofty goals lead to certain defeat, in my mind.  But this year, the concepts of grace and purposeful direction have turned into an epiphany of sorts.  It's not about the numbers on the scale, or the public behavior of my child, or meeting the expectations of others; it's about living and walking in the direction of the convictions God has laid on my heart through His Word. So to that end, I've made my aim 5 out of 7 days of success in each goal. 

I want to grow as a mom, as a wife, as a spiritual mentor, as an academic professional, as a child of God.  I want to live a life that matters.  I want to shepherd my daughter's heart to love God and to enjoy life.  I want to become more like Jesus. I want to love my husband better.  I want to be more healthy and to create an environment of health for my family.  These priorities govern my goals.  

So here's to 2013! May it be a year of forward motion, not necessarily a year of goal completion.

What "forward motion" have you seen in your life over the past year? What are your goals for the new year?