Growing Into A Family

Families blend together for a variety of reasons. Widowed or divorced parents choose to remarry. An ailing or elderly relative can no longer live alone and moves in with his son’s family. A family chooses to adopt a child. Economic circumstances force family members to combine households. Regardless of why it happens, creating a blended family is a process of transition that takes time, patience, humor, compassion, and a whole lot of conversation. In Growing Into a Family, author Cynthia Geisen guides children and the caring adults in their lives through the many questions and mixed feelings that blended families face. In the end, it is love, compassion, persistence, and a large dollop of humor that are really the tools that will help young readers find peace and joy in their family’s new realities.

Expanding on the stories in her popular column for the website Waging Nonviolence, Berrigan has crafted a welcome antidote to the various parenting fads currently on offer from French moms and tiger moms and mean moms. She offers a unique perspective on parenting that derives from hard work, deep reflection, and lots of trial and error.

Lifting one’s head up to view the family landscape can transpire questions such as, “Where am I?” “How did I get here?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I headed?” observing the loved ones growing alongside. This may also form questions to which we reflect on the status of their formation. Take a short journey with this parenting handbook, Growing a Family. This will give inspiration to parents and family supports to obtain essential tools to help cultivate the roots of your garden. In it, you will travel through parenting subjects that are attached to personal stories orchestrated with experience and wisdom intended to surface an emotional rainbow. Uncover the gems hidden within your ancestry, gaining knowledge of the “why” when turning through the chapters on the foundation of yourself as well as the precious soul of your child. Dig into the importance of family values and stitching supports to add individual and family strength. You may find comfort in a greater power as you read spiritual happenings written with an open heart poured out in the “Power of Prayer.” Parents and caregivers of children all ages can find tools to use in the unexpected storms of life. Helpful strategies and observations are to be considered when reading about boundaries, babies to youth, and the importance of how we communicate when turning through the “Talk to Me” section of the book. Learn how to look for safety issues that may arise when leaving your children in the care of others with the “Working Parent” chapter. Grow knowledge of things that may cause harm to a family if the unexpected happens, causing a shift of unbalance uncovered in the “Blended Family” section. Laugh, cry, and internalize the creativity told through the words to inspire all of us to nurture our future gardens.

Is there a silver lining to growing up in a dysfunctional family? Twenty-four survivors recount their stories—and the strengths forged in the chaos. Living in a dysfunctional family isn’t easy. But while you can’t choose where you come from, you can choose the lessons you take away. Bestselling recovery author Karen Casey looks at stories of people who grew up in dysfunctional families and “the good stuff” that can, ironically, come from the experience. She interviews survivors who emerged from the fires of turbulent households affected by abuse, addiction, or other problems, and reveals how they came to process their often-harrowing personal trials and, against the odds, triumph over their difficulties—using skills they honed in response to their childhoods. In The Good Stuff from Growing Up in a Dysfunctional Family, Casey reveals the stories and the skills they developed to live more creative and fulfilling lives, and not just survive but thrive. “Using her interviews as groundwork, she explores the benefits that result from surviving in a dysfunctional family, including resiliency, perseverance, a sense of humor, forgiveness, kindness, and the ability to discern real love.” —Publishers Weekly “You just can’t go wrong with Karen Casey.” —Earnie Larson, author of Stage II Recovery

Many parents of a teenager or young adult feel as though they're guessing about what to do next--with mixed results. We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we're not sure how. And deep down, we fear our child doesn't want or need us. Based on brand-new research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all. By highlighting three groundbreaking family strategies, authors Kara Powell and Steven Argue show parents that it's never too early or too late to - accept the child you have, not the child you wish you had - work toward solutions rather than only identifying problems - develop empathy that nudges rather than judges - fight for your child, not against them - connect your children with a faith and church big enough to handle their doubts and struggles - dive into tough discussions about dating, career, and finances - and unleash your child's passions and talents to change our world For any parent who longs for their kids to keep their roots even as they spread their wings, Growing With offers practical help and hope for the days--and years--ahead.

Celebrate feelings in all their shapes and sizes in this New York Times bestselling picture book from the Growing Hearts series! Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this gorgeously packaged and unique feelings book is sure to become a storytime favorite.

Veteran evangelist Larry Moyer has spent ten years researching the most common issues and problems in personal evangelism. This handbook will lead believers step-by-step into a thorough understanding of the Gospel message. Practical and easy-to-follow, this definitive introduction to spiritual growth will help new believers who may be overwhelmed by their new relationship and the pressures of fitting in the Christian life. With group discussion questions in each chapter, this is a great resource for new Christians, discipleship groups, or small group study. "...For any pastor or layperson who takes the Great Commission seriously. . . . I think you'll come away with a fresh appreciation for the salvation we have in Christ and a renewed desire to present the gospel to others."-Luis Palau

Great ideas and top tips for building a strong, functioning family from parenting gurus Ian and Mary Grant. Parenting skills that any family can use effectively, with excellent practical advice including smart strategies, action labs and chapter summaries. Children need to know the security of a family operating as a team and to experience being contributors not just takers. In this way children will know real intimacy and emotional safety. Whatever we parents honour or treat as sacred or special, our children will also honour, whether that is the TV, regular family times or sport. This book is a call to refocus on what it is to create a family, to look again at what we are honouring in the community we call our family, and to think about our ultimate goals for the individuals and their relationships. Growing Great Families covers the following topics: being a parent in the world we now inhabit; building the foundations; what makes a family into a community; moulding big personalities into a family; life-defining values; two pillars of great families - fun and communication; and moving from dependence to interdependence.