When my husband heard the title of [my] book he thought it was a great idea, until I mentioned who the author was. He diplomatically tried to hide his double take, and I knew exactly what he was thinking: Haven’t you needed a pep talk yourself everyday for the past twenty years? But really, that’s the point. We all could use a pep talk now and again, but each of us is qualified to give them too. That’s because God in his wisdom has chosen us for our jobs as parents for our children. That means no one is more qualified to raise your kids than you. Not your parents, your best friend, your boss, or even the pope.
You are a holy family. Sure, you’ve made mistakes; we all do. But God created you, called you, and dedicated you for this job, and God doesn’t make mistakes. “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures”, said St. John Paul II. “We are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son”.
So read on, dear holy family, take what you need, and share the Father’s love. You won’t find the usual parenting magazine tips here. Instead, you’ll find resources from the church’s great treasure chest of devotions and parenting tools that can help you live in God’s dream for you and your family in his kingdom-today, tomorrow, and for all time.
CONNIE CLARK is the editor of Living Faith Kids and the author of several books, including Living the Beatitudes (Twenty-Third Publications). She is a parent of two teenagers.
Excerpted from Pep Talks for Catholic parents, by Connie Clark. 2016. Published by Twenty-Third Publications. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
