Book Review: The Lifegiving Parent by Clay and Sally Clarkson

The Lifegiving Parent:          Clay, with Sally's input, writes about "Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living for Christ." This book is, in many ways, a summary of the core parenting messages they have taught for over twenty years. Lifegiving parenting is about more than simply giving your children a "Christian life," but about giving them the life of Christ 

Clay and Sally Clarkson have their own ministry.  The online home is: https://wholeheart.org/

They are well known authors and trainers in christian ministry.  I've read only a few of Sally's books- my favorite being Different by Sally and Nathan Clarkson.   

I haven't read other books in the lifegiving series, and didn't even realize it is a series until I was into this book.  But the subtitle of giving your child a life worth living for Christ is definitely a goal in our home.   And Different is so inspiring and practical, I wanted to see if I loved this book as much.  

This book is more of a philosophical book to help parents process the foundation of their home based on who God is and how He is present in your home.  Clay seems to be the main author and boy, he is a solid biblical educator, who can explain what a word means in the greek and then explain why that concept is so relevant for today.  Sally in the foreward says this is a book that will give 'couples a book to read together to shape a philosophy of how to give your children the life of God in their homes."   Clay describes his goal as giving the "life of God" to parents which many parenting books overlook.    

I just assumed it would be a balance of philosophy and practical suggestions with stories that intrigued me and kept me reading.  I was incorrect.  This book is primarily the teaching from the Word of God about Who God is, and how to life not a christian life or create a christian home, but on how to center your life/home on the life of Christ and imitating Him.  

After the introductory chapter, the book shares 'heartbeats' to help you 'start living like a lifegiving parent.'   It follows a formula that is more than just the philosophy, but the meat of the book is primarily exegesis of the Word of God by Clay.  Each heartbeat starts with a story or cultural connection to explain the heartbeat, then shares passages from scripture that 'form a complete, holistic biblical idea.'  This is followed by some steps to implement this idea, then Sally's lifegiving Momoirs then Lifegiving ParenTips, and ends with a brief Startging the Heartbeat of Parenting Lifegiving.  

The book is systematic, linear, and does create a plan and strategies to life a Christ like life and replicate this in your home and in front of your children.  Many people will appreciate the style, the solid teaching, and the layout with little need to think for yourself about this principle.  I'm hoping that the companion guide written to go with the book will promote higher level thinking and more engagement. 

The heartbeats are great points and ideas for raising your children.  I found them to be sound and great ideas, and I learned about some greek words I did not know and grasped principals that I would not have been able to solidly support with biblical connections, if it weren't for the teaching in this book.  But I found the book itself to be very personality driven, and I suspect that many of the other Clarkson books are similarly developed, so if you love all the Clarkson books, this book will suit you well.  But if Different is your main connection to Clarkson's books, go into this purchase aware that it's not the story telling advice and connections as the main learning connection in the first 208 pages.  Then you get an update on where each child is today, and the book ends with appendixes of the 24 family ways, knowing your child's personality, and notes.  

The book did make me think about some of the teaching's and interpretations shared.  For instance there is a main point, that you need to know your child as good. At face value, I wasn't sure that I agreed with that statement. In our home, we often have discussed that we are all 'bad' because of the sin in our lives, but that Jesus makes all things new within us when we accept the free gift of eternal life by accepting his death, Resurrection, and substitution before God for our sins.  The author is making the point, that we need to recognize and acknowledge that our children are growing. learning, and deserve encouragement, recognition, and praise for the good that shows in your home and in their lives.  That I agree with.   But I did pause and think.  

I'm thankful for a life that has brought me under good teaching of the Word, for a Bible College one year education that had me think about family life and my role in a home where Christ is the center first of my marriage, and then of my home.  Teaching that had me recognize as a teen that I needed to live a Romans 12:1,2 life of transformation, and to know that it is my job to die to self, and live for Him.  My ultimate goal is to live for the glory of God and to grow to be more like Him, by renewing my mind, heart, and soul through the Word of God, prayer, worship, and christian fellowship.  So for me this book, was a good review in a very linear style of the foundation philosophical tenets of a Christ like life and how to transfer them through modeling this in the Shema (walk and talk) of life.  

It's not my favorite style of writing, or presentation format, but I know I am unique and many will be inspired and unable to put this book down.  In many ways I think my hesitance to wholeheartedly celebrate this book as a tool for all, is the direct teaching that sort of boxes parents in, or is suggesting a works based? (not sure if this is the right wording) approach to a faith based practice that parents could achieve these principles in much less formal techniques and I would have liked it more if those techniques were included in the author's perspective. 

Thank you Tyndale for the opportunity to review this book.  I love to share my views and to read ALL types of books.