Book Review: The Blessing

Dalton with friends

The season of my life is a-changing with the falling of the leaves.  Actually, no leaves are falling right now where I am in Brazil, but it is October!  The season to which I refer is that of being the mother of emerging young men.  I now have an almost sixteen year old, a fourteen year old, and my baby who is eleven.  The oldest is wearing men's size pants, shirts and shoes.  Girls look his way when we are out and about.  Life is changing as my dear husband and I move into the next stage - preparing our chicks to make life decisions.


The title of the book - The Blessing - and its description appealed to me as I consider these days how to best convey my love and hopes to each of my boys.  Recent days have shown to me that with peer pressure, parent weariness, and just the changing nature of boys into men, I needed some new books beyond Dare to Discipline and Bringing Up Boys.   I truly wanted a good instructional guide on how to pass on the gift of true love and acceptance to each of my sons.

The Blessing does just that in a concise and readable manner.  As a Christian parent I appreciated the many Biblical references and applications.  I think the part that spoke the most to me was in considering this a goal of all parents - making sure our children know beyond any doubt that they are loved and wanted.

This is a practical book with many great ideas on how to pass on a blessing to others.  I highly recommend it to all Christian parents.

My Dear Little Friend on the right

Little boys and girls in Brazil often approach their grandparents, aunts and uncles with an extended hand saying, "Blessing, grandfather" or "Blessing, Aunt."  It was my great privilege to have a little friend whom I had not seen for some months reach his little hand out to me and ask for a blessing.  I kissed his hand as I had seen others do and he pulled his back with mine to do the same.  As a missionary I have the extended responsibility to go beyond my own children and family as I reach out to bless other lives with God's love.

Get the book and be a blessing!