July Must Reads

Summertime, summertime!

Ooh, I cannot wait to share what I've been reading!

Let's get to it.

The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education - Think of this book as a fresh guide to a timeless topic. If you are new to classical education, this book is far less intimidating than The Well Trained Mind and Teaching the Trivium which both have more than 600 pages. Some of the chapter titles include -

• What's Wrong with Education Today?
• Why we need Classical Education
• Schedules and Resources for a Classical Education
• How a Classical Education Gives Us Skills We Need as Adults

It's an easy read, but have your highlighter ready since there is an invaluable nugget of wisdom on every page!


Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding - Why would I need to read a book on breastfeeding as I near weaning my fourth (and probably last) child?

Good question. And I'm glad you asked.
 

This book was published in 2009 and is authored by the same Ina May Gaskin that wrote the all-time favorite, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I cannot help but wonder what took so long to have a book like this written and published.

It is the very FIRST book I have ever read on breastfeeding wisdom. It is vastly more than a "how-to" guide on breastfeeding basics or why "breast is best". Yes, it addresses these topics, but discusses nursing in a way that you feel you have hundreds of generations of breastfeeding advice at your fingertips.


War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles - I began a book study at church two weeks ago and this topic is definitely where I feel convicted right now. Some quotes that stand out are:

"You do not really understand the significance of words until you realize that the first words that human ears ever heard were not the words of another human being, but the words of God!... When God chose to reveal himself that way, he raised talk to a place of highest significance as his primary vehicle of truth."

"He is a God who can be known because he is a God who speaks."

"Every word we speak is rooted either in the truth or in a lie."

"I realized that I had never taught my boys how to argue or fight. I had never taught themhow to wound each other with words... Yet my sons fenced with confidence and skill. They had a natural talent to use words to do exactly what their angry hearts desired."

"The Word became flesh because there was no other way to fix what is broken in us."


The Hiding Place - Imagine that God is using every situation in your life, both trials and triumphs, to bring glory to Himself.

Funny thing is, that's true. Sadly, most of us don't know this or live like we don't know this.

I'm currently listening to Corrie Ten Boom's life story on audio CD and it is powerful. Would you be able to pray for and show the true love of Christ to the German soldiers that imprisoned you and your family during the Holocaust?

Corrie's faith is tested numerous times and makes me really hate how watered down the Gospel has become in our culture.

To end on a lighter note, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation is a book that takes a look at our punctuation gone awry. This is without doubt one of my weakest areas in writing (I'm sure you've noticed) and I hope this no-nonsense, comical approach will get me headed back in the right direction. There are also versions for children that I hope to read as well.