{Book Review} Motivate Your Child is Important on Many Levels

I have been asked to read and review a new book that has come onto the
market in regards to raising children and being a parent that strives
to parent the heart of the child. What is heart parenting, you may be
asking…a wonderful Christian based approach to teaching and training
your child. This book for me, well, it was revolutionary.

The latest book is called, Motivate Your Child:
A Christian Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Who Do What They Need to Do
Without Being Told. This book is published by Thomas Nelson
Publishing and written by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN
founders of the National Center for Biblical Parenting And Biblical
Parenting University.

I have to be honest. I have started this review well over twenty times.
I have written the words, then I have deleted them. I have thought
about what I needed to write, then I have not written them. I have come
to my computer to begin, then I have walked away. I have been so influenced,
overwhelmed, changed by this book. I pray that I can adequately express
that in this review.

I got this book knowing that I was to read it and then write my review
for it. I have done this numerous times in the past and this time
didn’t seem to be any different. Until I needed to actually sit down
and complete the review. This is why I have waited so long to get it
done.

The words are in there, but they are big, mighty, important.

I had hoped it was a book that would just point me in the direction I
wanted my kids to go. I thought that this book would help me get my
kids to do as they were told. I thought I knew what this book was all
about. But I was totally wrong.

This book, when approached with a willing heart, will drastically
change you as a parent. While reading this book I have been convicted,
I have been ashamed, I have been encouraged, and I have been amazingly
blessed.

I have often heard the term “heart parenting” but until this book, I
truly didn’t understand exactly how I personally could parent my kids
hearts.

The way that Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller RN, BSN wrote this
book has opened my eyes to reaching the heart of my children rather
than just trying to fix the outward appearance that everyone can see.
That is the truest way I can explain “heart parenting”. As I read more,
the lightbulb began to glow a lot brighter for me. My Biblically based
approach wasn’t really a Biblical approach at all. I was using the
(unintentional) approach that “God was not pleased and they needed to
correct their behavior”. Instead of the, “let’s fix this situation
because it is the right thing to do” approach.

What I Have Learned

I have learned more than I would admit to anyone (well, I guess I just
did, didn’t I?) and have realized that I have not been parenting the
way God would like me to parent. I have often felt sad when I have had
to discipline my kids, not because of the having to discipline part,
but because I often wondered if I was doing it the way God would truly
want me to do it. By reading this book, I have found out some very
important things about being a parent, and here I thought I was doing
well after almost 14 years…

• To Parent as God Intended, I Must Get on the Right Track.
  • This parenting thing is incredibly hard. The responsibility is
    heavy. I was thinking that I was doing pretty well, then I got to the point
    that my heart hasn’t been on the right track. I was going to God in my
    times on frustration, anger, and dispair. When I should be going to Him in
    every moment.
    Just like every other moment in my day to day living, where I try to hand
    over the trivial and the gigantic, this parenting thing, well, I totally need Him in
    every moment, every single one. Therefore, more prayer time with God,
    more yearning for Him, more listening to Him, this will in turn help me
    be a better mama.

• I Need a Plan.
  • Not just any plan though, God’s plan.
    If anyone has a clue about being a good parent, He surely
    knows more about it than I do. And the only way I’m going to be able to
    get on a good plan, is if I am in contant prayer with God. He knows the
    plan already, I may only be able to see a teeny, tiny piece of the
    plan, but there is one and I need to be doing everything I’m supposed
    to so that it can unfold as God intends.

• Look at the Heart, Not Just the Actions.
  • My human side (the flesh) wants the world to see well behaved
    children, my heart (my spirit) wants God to be pleased with me in all I
    do, especailly directing my children to Him. This realization has had a
    drastic effect on how I am parenting my children now. I have always
    wanted my kids to “know” God and to be on the right path to meet Him.
    But this approach to fix the heart has changed how I even look at my
    kids. Their actions are simple reflections of their heart. So, dig
    deeper mama, figure out the issue of the heart, gently lead them in the
    direction so that God can do marvelous works in them.

• Diligence is a Must.
  • This heart parenting is not a do once and move on idea. This is
    a daily approach to impart on these young hearts the blessing that they
    are, the amazing gift they are, the part they play in the grand scheme
    of life. This diligence will allow them to grow confidantly in life. It
    will allow them to accept no less than God’s best for them. It will
    allow God to work fully on their hearts and hopefully lead them down
    the path He has already laid out for them. By my diligence, may God be
    highlighted. Less Mama, More God. This is only accomplished by
    diligence. Deuteronomy 6, living it out daily.

Why This Book Is Important

There are so, so many books available for parents. Just go to any local
book store and there will be a “Parenting Section”. This alone proves
that there is a need for good parenting books. And this is why this
book, Motivate Your Child, is so very important. Parents don’t need another book about
behavior modification. They need this book, that will allow them to work on the
heart, and that will, in turn, correct the behavior.

This book is based on the Bible. What better book is there in the world that has such amazing instruction?
None.

Each area that is discussed in this book has so many Bible verses as
reference. It has made me look at this heart parenting in a whole new
way. Again, I have to admit, that I had no idea how thoughly God laid
out His directions for us. My book (as the picture shows) is now well
highlighted and marked with numerous page tabs. I was even afraid to
put the highlighter and tabs away for fear of missing another nugget of
goodness.

The written Word is a blessing in and of itself, but when broken down
and applied to simple matters like parenting, well, let’s just say that
God is truly an amazing God. I have been beyond blessed to read the
Bible verses that Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller used to gently
remind me that God has a plan for us and all we have to do is read it
and follow it to the best of our abillities. Here are a few I
highlighted that remind me just loving, good, and gracious our God
really is:

• (Attitude) Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the same od that of Christ Jesus.”
• (Consequences) Romans 5:3-4 says, “suffering produces perserverence; perserverence, character; and character hope.”
• (Conscience) Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer tot he pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
  and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
• (Compassion) Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider other better than yourselves. Each of you should look
  not only to your own intrests, but also to the intrests of others.”
  Also, Romans 12:10 says, “Honor one another above yourselves.”
• (God’s Plan)  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says,  “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you
  sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and
  when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on
  your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your
  gates.”

Nothing that is written in this book is based on how the world believes
you should parent. The world views parenting as a season to “get
though”. Just rough it out and then the kids will move out and you
won’t have to worry about them any longer. A sweet reminder that the
world is fraught with sin, and a sinful nature is within reach at any
given moment. Chose your moments wisely. The Bible, which is the living
word of God, says that children are a heritage (Psalm 127:3) from the
Lord. They are special and His plans are already laid out for them
(Jeremiah 29:11).

I encourage you to get this book. It will impact your life as a parent
in ways that you would not believe. I still do not feel that I have
adequately expressed how important this book is for parents. God has
weaved His way through every page and I am so pleased that I was
choosen to read this book and then be able to bring it to you, dear
reader. The encouragement is peppered throughout the entire book, down
to the very last line.

Prayerfully I have written these words, and prayerfully I hope you are
blessed by this review and that God will lay it upon your heart to seek
out this book. That it too will touch your heart and in turn will bless
you and your precious babes, no matter their age. This book is
wonderful for parents that have not yet been blessed with babes and
those that are well into the teenage years.

I want to thank the authors for their words and how their words have
been such a blessing to me. I am now “heart parenting” not just
“parenting”.

In His Grace.

Callie