Book Review

How to Love Your Crazy Family is a charming book written by Angela Howard. The contents of the book are sectioned off into three different categories that relate to everyday life and include 52 quick reads. I found each section of the book to be extremely pleasant and easy to read.

The first section entitled “No Ordinary Parenting” centers on practical Biblical parenting and all the challenges and joys that come with it! Angela offers insightful tips on how to enjoy our children at each stage of life and how to remember to laugh at our selves as our kids mirror our behavior! She quips in one reading on self-doubt and motherhood that perhaps she should be saving for therapy rather than college. This portion is not merely a parenting guideline, it is more of an encouragement for parents to rest assured that regardless of our mistakes as parents, our kids will be alright. The last page of this section offers further parenting resources.

“No Ordinary Marriage” is the second section of her book that gives an honest look at the reality of all marriages. From the classic “I told you so” argument to the discovery that what we though we wanted was definitely not what we needed, Angela continually drives home the point that Christ must be the center of marriage. This section also ends with valuable resource links for further marriage enhancement.

The last section of the book, “No Ordinary Life,” addresses the rest of life, from social media to worry free living. Once again she challenges with not only humor but foundational scripture. My personal favorite in this section was “5 Ways to Celebrate the Ordinary” and the easy steps she provides to accomplish this; 1. Time, if we want rich relationships, we must cultivate them, 2. Surprise People, use your imagination, 3. Show Interest, interested people attract appreciation, 4. Rise Above, do a common thing uncommonly well, 5. Just Celebrate, don’t allow life to be an excuse.

There is a bonus chapter included in this book that is heartfelt and vulnerably written by both Angela and her husband, Michael. Together, they disclose an intimate look at their own marriage and the difficulties they have overcome together. I appreciated this extra chapter and found myself wanting to hear more of their unique love story.

I completely enjoyed this book by Angela Howard and her unique and humorous writing style. Do not be fooled by her whit, she will leave you with a smile on your face and a question on your heart!

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Full

We have a precious minister in our church, Jerry Sanders. He has had a life full of ministry opportunities and no doubt led hundreds of people to the Lord and taken countless trips to Africa to minister. Now he spends his days unable to speak due to a stroke. His movements are limited and as a result, he has had to teach himself to write with his left hand. Despite all of these difficulties, Pastor Sanders continues to minister.

Each week, I receive an email with a carefully written passage of scripture penned in Jerry’s left hand. I am one of many who receive these. There have been countless days when I have opened these emails and felt as if God Himself has just spoken directly to me.

An email from February 25th is attached to my bulletin board in my office. This one had a particularly profound effect on me.

"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, 'Let us pass over unto the other side.' And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awake him, and say unto him, 'Master, carest thou not that we perish?' And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace be still.' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:35-39

Two things struck me about this passage. We have all felt the storms of life beating the sides of our resolve, but what about when the stinging pellets of hail and rain begin to infiltrate our safety. It does not say that the storm crept over the side of the ship or trickled in, it says the ship was now FULL. This creates a picture of a violent storm that was merciless to all those in its path. The contrast comes at the end of the passage, “. . . there was a great calm.” Out of desperation the disciples cried out to the Master and He answered. Simple, isn’t it? At times, I am not desperate enough for Jesus to rescue me. My boat only has a few inches of water in it and I am confident I can still row to shore and save myself. Sometimes, I just need a boat full of water to get me to release whatever instrument I are trying to use to get back to the shore. Could be an ore of self-pity or one of pride that I continually plunge into the water. Am I desperate? Oh yes, I am desperate to get to the shore, but not desperate enough to ask for help. The calm immediately comes when not only the wind and waves cease, but when I cease my own struggle.

The secondary point here that cannot be overlooked is in the way Pastor Sanders continues to prove himself faithful to his call. I am sure this is not the plan he had for his own life or what he and his precious wife, Lois, envisioned when they began their ministry. However, the Lord does not remove His calling from any of us and He always provides a way for us to fulfill it. Thank you, Jerry and Lois, for showing me how to truly serve the Lord whether my boat is full of water or not.