A couple weeks ago, I came to a breaking point and decided to take some unplanned time away from my computer. I needed to spend time with God refreshing and refocusing, so I spent a few hours in solitude with Him, reading and reflecting.
The book I picked up to read during this time of reflection was an ebook I had recently purchased, Parenting from the Overflow, by TeriLynne Underwood.
This book was so refreshing and challenging for my soul and my attitude. I was struggling to find purpose, and God used Parenting from the Overflow to fill a void in my life – to point me in a direction that He wanted me to go.
Today, I want to share some of my favorite quotes from the book, and because I think this book is so relevant to living intentionally by faith, I want to giveaway a copy to one of you {entry form below}!
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{#1} “In the midst of all this parent-learning and child-rearing, I pray I never lose sight of the ‘better part’… and that I won’t get so focused on being a parent I forget I am also a child.”
{#2} “ALL of our relationships with others are profoundly affected – positively or negatively – by our relationship with the Lord. Nowhere is this more evident than in our relationships at home.”
{#3} “The days I parent from my wisdom what pours out is weak and useless; but when I parent from the overflow of what He has shown me, what pours out is Him – strong and useful.”
{#4} “For most of us it is easier to find reasons for joy in the midst of great tragedy than in the smaller moments of daily chaos.”
{#5} “Circumstances exhaust us. Children exasperate us. Life is hard. But joy? Joy is energizing. Joy is encouraging. And, to be honest, joy is hard.”
{#6} “Finding peace in our homes begins with finding peace in our hearts. In order for use to teach our children these principles of peace, we must first put them into practice in our own lives.”
{#7} “Patience begins and ends with putting ourselves aside and giving our [children] our attention and affirmation. There is no short cut and no easy way to accomplish this task.”
{#8} “We need to be seeking the example of women who are examples of kindness and asking them to sow into our own lives with their wisdom. Likewise, as we learn and grow, we need to be reaching out to others – especially our [children] and their friends – to teach them how to live in this call to kindness.”
{#9} “Living in goodness, practicing goodness, requires laying down ourselves completely. Of course we WANT to do that for our children; but, in reality, making that choice is an ongoing exercise in our spiritual growth.”
{#10} “It’s hard work, this parenting gig! And it’s exhausting and demanding and never ending… So we must persevere and be self-controlled and disciplined… living out of the overflow of the Father’s grace in our lives.”
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Meant to be used as a devotional reading, Parenting from the Overflow will change how you live intentionally as you seek to be a godly parent, one day at a time. I would HIGHLY encourage you to buy a copy for yourself and all the moms you know!
{All proceeds from the purchase of the first edition of this e-book are going directly to The Mercy House, a ministry offering spiritual hope and practical assistance to women facing unplanned pregnancies in Kenya.}
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Enter to win a copy of Parenting from the Overflow by leaving a separate comment below for each of these tasks you complete:
* {Mandatory Entry} Leave a comment with your name and email address.
* Share the giveaway on Twitter: “I just entered to win a copy of Parenting from the Overflow from @apichea & @terilynneu: http://bit.ly/isaSEe #pfto”
* Share the giveaway on Facebook: “I just entered to win a copy of {Parenting from the Overflow} from {L.I.F.E. by Ashley Pichea} & {TeriLynneU.com}: http://bit.ly/isaSEe”
{Type the “@” symbol before each of the phrases in the elipses to create a link to those pages in your FB status.}* Subscribe to L.I.F.E. by Ashley Pichea
* Subscribe to the Parenting from the Overflow blog
* “Like” L.I.F.E. by Ashley Pichea on Facebook
* “Like” Parenting from the Overflow on Facebook
* Follow me on Twitter {@apichea}
* Follow TeriLynne Underwood on Twitter {@terilynneu}
Be sure to leave a separate comment for EACH of the tasks above that you complete – there are nine possible entries.
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A winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries received using Random.org on or after 6/6/11. I purchased my own copy of this e-book, and all the opinions expressed above are my own. The giveaway copy of this e-book was provided by the author. This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Oh Amanda.
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