My Thoughts:
A warm hug. A wake up call. Gentle direction that has changed my heart and richly blessed my family. Lead Your Family Like Jesus is all this and so much more. As I read this book I kept a pen in my hand at all times. There was so much to underline and notes to take! In just the first few pages I gained so much knowledge...
#1-The first item I noted is that I spend way too much time comparing my family to other families. Facebook, anyone? Are you guilty of this waste of time, too? I'm now taking that time to focus on what God wants my family to be. Amen!
#2- Another eye opener for me was acknowledging the fact that I need to be a servant for the Lord, not a servant to myself. Wow. This is tough for me but I'm working on it. Such an easy trap to fall into.
#3- Are you ready for this one? Don't be a prideful or a fear filled parent. A prideful parent uses their children's success to measure their own success. A fear filled parent is controlled through anxiety and fear and we all know that God wants us to be anxious for nothing. Most of us fall into one of these categories, but don't worry, Lead Your Family Like Jesus has friendly advice for us all.
This was just the beginning. The book is composed of 4 parts:
Part 1: The Heart
1. Important Forever
2. Say No to EGO (Edging God Out)
3. An Audience of One
Part 2: The Head
4. Family Values
5. To Do or Not to Do
6. Staying on Course
Part 3: The Hands
7. For A Limited Time Only
8.Teaching to the Test
9. Follow Me
Part 4: The Habits
10. Time with God- A Dad's Perspective
11. Time with God- A Mom's Perspective
12. Moving On
The part of the book that touched me and where I am in my life the most was "the opportunity to influence your child's heart." A story was told about a mother who raised very well behaved children that were always dressed nicely and knew to be seen and not heard. Sounds good so far, right? Well, when they grew up they had out of wedlock pregnancies, were divorced and had a hard time keeping jobs. Ouch. They knew how to behave in public and it appears that's all they took with them when they left home. Compliance was the goal but influencing their hearts wasn't part of the parenting.
Needless to say, I've been working on influencing my girls hearts the past few weeks and it's amazing how the conflicts have lessened, homeschooling has been much more delightful and hugs have increased! Such a blessing!
I recommend Lead Your Family Like Jesus to all parents who are searching for answers or just a bit of guidance along the way. The chapters are short and easy to read. They are jam packed with thought provoking questions, wonderful and reassuring advice, tips for staying on track, personal stories and shared comments from parents. Tricia Goyer, one of the authors, mentions that she reads the Bible every day at 6:00 AM. She states, "It's like getting a pep talk from a coach before you head into the football game." God is the ultimate coach, is He not? I felt that Lead Your Family Like Jesus was God's way of giving me a pep talk. One that I didn't even know I needed.:)
More about Lead Your Family Like Jesus:
Powerful Parenting Principles from the Creator of Families
(Focus on the Family/Tyndale) - Does your family need a five-star general at the helm? A psychologist? A referee? Ken Blanchard, best-selling co-author of The One Minute Manager and Lead Like Jesus, points to a better role model: the Son of God. Joined by veteran parents and authors Phil Hodges and Tricia Goyer, renowned business mentor Blanchard shows how every family member benefits when parents take the reins as servant-leaders. Moms and dads will see themselves in a whole new light-as life-changers who get their example, strength, and joy from following Jesus at home. This user-friendly book's practical principles and personal stories mark the path to a truly Christ-centered family, where integrity, love, grace, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness make all the difference.
Meet the Authors:
Tricia: 
Bestselling author of more than 30 novels, nine nonfiction books, and more than three hundred articles for national publications; 2003 "Writer of the Year" at the Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference; popular blog writer, speaker, and radio host
Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.
Ken:
Leadership expert and author of over 50 books, including the New York Times bestseller, The One-Minute Manager; cofounder of Lead Like Jesus; and coauthor of Lead Like Jesus; Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time
Learn more about Ken at www.kenblanchard.com
Phil:
A human resource and industrial relations manager in corporate America for 36 years with Xerox Corporation and U.S. Steel, co- founder of Lead Like Jesus; co-author of five books, including The Servant Leaderand Leadership by the Book with Bill Hybels.
Learn more about Phil at www.leadlikejesus.com
Celebrate the release of Lead Your Family Like Jesus with Tricia by entering her iPad Mini Giveaway and RSVPing for the Lead, Momma Lead LIVE Webcast Event (with MomLife Today's Tracey Eyster) on April 16th.
One winner will receive:- An iPad Mini
- A Tricia Goyer library
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 15th. Winner will be announced at the "Lead, Momma Lead" Live Webcast Event on April 16th. Connect with authors and everyday moms, Tricia Goyer and Tracey Eyster, for an evening of sharing and perspective-changing encouragement for leading your family. Tricia and Tracey will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.
So grab your copy of Lead Your Family Like Jesus and join Tricia and Tracey on the evening of April 16th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 16th!
* I was given a copy of this book by Litfuse Publications in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*
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