Raising Successful Teens by Jeffrey Dean

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Raising children has been one of the hardest things I have ever attempted to do. I have never felt so ill equipped and so needy before the Lord. I pray and I pray to pray more over these people I have been entrusted with. Their hearts, minds, emotions, and sexuality are incredibly sacred. This book reminded me that I am in a battle. It has given me tools and equipped my heart for much of the journey. I highly recommend it.

Raising Successful Teens: How to Help Your Child Honor God and Live WiselyRaising Successful Teens: How to Help Your Child Honor God and Live Wisely by Jeffrey Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I feel like I only survived adolescence. I was exposed to every bad thing you would never want your child to encounter. It came from teachers, peers, parents, and church members. It was horrible. I was in therapy. I went to church. The problem was that my parents were in no way invested in my life, they took no responsibility for their own actions, and I had no one to lovingly direct me toward truth. I collapsed.

As a parent, I have desperately sought to know how to love and guide my kids in truth. It is the hardest thing I have ever done. The more you care, the harder it is. The enemy hates family. Our kids come in with this broken DNA. We have broken DNA. What we need is the DNA of Heaven. It’s complicated and confusing to navigate the waters of biblical parenting. So many voices are coming at you telling you that you are wrong.

Then this. This book comes alongside you and resonates what you know to be true. It speaks life to everything the enemy wants to steal from us and our kids. There is beauty and hope to be had. The enemy wants to cripple our children so that they can never experience it. This is war.

Jeffrey tackled some tough subjects. Sex, homosexuality, lying, friendships, school, & mental illness to name a few. It was encouraged me to keep my head and my heart in the fight. Pray for your kids. You haven’t come this far to give up. Read the book. Take notes. Ask hard questions. Speak life.

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This book was graciously given to me by Multnomah Publishing for review.

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