Betty, at FloridaSunsets tagged me with these instructions:

Find a book nearby (with at least 123 pages).  Open to the 123rd page.  Go to the fifth sentence.  Copy the next three sentences.  Here goes a very bad advertisement for a wonderful book:

"Cheaters sometimes win. One-dimensional people often end up with more money.  Selfishness, cunning, and backstabbing are often faster tracks to fame." 

I just can't resist typing the next key section: "Grace dictates that we keep achievement goals in context with the children's bigger role as members of God's chosen people.  They need to see their commitment to achievement as a way to glorify God as well as a way to make them more valuable to others.  Grace helps us keep achievement in its rightful place, as a means to an end."

The book is Grace-Based Parenting by Ted Kimmel.  I saw it on a shelf of a friend whom I respect and devoured it.  I have been disappointed with the approach of grace-based discipline as I have seen it in various forums, and wondered if this would be in the same vein.  It's not.  It's an extremely challenging book, and my "take-aways" were:  1).  Do not parent out of fear of the world/the flesh/the devil--Our God is powerful and mighty.  2).  Our children have three driving needs: the need for secure love, meaningful purpose, and strong hope.  He points out that Satan understands these needs, and will provide counterfeit solutions to meet them, and that grace applied in a solid framework of moral truth will equip us and our children to resist them.  3).  Let your child be "himself" as long as he is within biblical moral guidelines, and delight in those things that make your child unique (even if it's a little embarrassing/irritating, etc).

Thanks, Betty, for tagging me. 

(:
Lori