Book Review: Parenting with Spiritual Power

Parenting with Spiritual Power by Julie K. Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know the old philosophy that parenting doesn't come with a manual?
Well, it's crap.
If you have The Holy Bible, you have one of the greatest parenting manuals in existence.

If you add to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the teachings of the living prophets, and you are still struggling as a parent, Julie K. Nelson has written this book just for you. I have been so touched as I have read this book: God has given us great stories to help us with the most important work we are called to do as parents. If you, like me, need help in applying those resources, then you need to get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP. It is truly an inspired parenting manual.

I have long studied principles of parenting and found many of the most important theories I've learned over the years in the pages of this book. Truth just oozes from the pages of "Parenting with Spiritual Power." Oozes. As I read I found myself amazed at how many modern-day applications there are in the ancient scriptures. I know that sounds lame, but it's true. I have learned a lot of these truths already in my own study, but to find them gathered together in such an easily applicable format is almost too good to be true: but it's not. This book is full of truth in one easy-to-read resource.

If you want to learn more about depositing into your children's banks of self-worth, setting reasonable boundaries, how to positively correct your children, live sacrificial lives, stomp out anger and develop greater charity as a family, and how to show faith in your children this book is for you. Like me, I believe you will be totally shocked at all you've been missing when studying the scriptures. I've had the handbook in my hands all along, I just didn't realize that I needed Julie Nelson to translate it for me.

Thank you Julie. I recommend this book for all parents, even those that aren't Mormon. What a wonderful and much needed resource for all of us.

You can buy the book for just $11.04 at Amazon or $13.99 at Deseret Book. After reading this book I can honestly say I would spend double that. Really, can we even put a price on better parenting?

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Rescued after 15 years, 6 months, 26 days

Take two llamas.

They are totally different from each other.

One is a pasty white blonde boy from the Bible belt

who is extremely intelligent, mild-mannered, and a lovely person.

The other looks almost Mexican (even though she isn't)

 is from Southern California

and is fun-loving, a total control freak, and crazy like a fox.

They are both Mormon llamas

and they have a lot of the same interests

like

the outdoors, music, family, education, spirituality, and playing volleyball.

These are the two llamas.

Just for the sake of the story.

They met on their Mormon missions.

They love each other very much.

One day they just knew they had to get married,

so they started making plans.

The boy llama being the shy kid that he was

never proposed

and the girl llama orchestrated every detail of their lives

and was then resentful that they boy

never proposed.

15 years, 6 months, and 26 days later

they land themselves in the

office of the marriage counselor.

Again.

They tell their story of

love and marriage

and how the boy llama

had another semester of college

to go in another state

and the girl llama

was all stressed out

and they just got hitched in 10 days.

The girl llama says

"I was a mess, I started freaking out."

The boy llama said

"I married her instead of finishing my semester

because I didn't want to lose her."

The marriage counselor llama

says

"Aw, that is so sweet.

In your own screwed up way

you let him rescue you.

How romantic."

The girl llama

was like

"Why the heck did I stay up 

all night

crying

when

we

watched

Ever After

wondering

why I sold out

to the ultimate

love story?"

Isn't he cute?

My own worst enemy

I've been reading the most excellent book

called

Gaze Into Heaven.

(review coming soon)

It chronicles near-death

experiences of Mormon pioneers

and it has been life altering for me

as I have pondered

the after-life.

What will it be like for

me to meet my maker

and account for mortality?

I really really hope that

the good outweighs the bad.

As I recently talked with a friend

who has anorexia,

we discussed

how we all seem

to just transfer

one bad behavior to the next.

She started struggling with anorexia

when she was overcoming

a spending problem.

I can't seem to be disciplined

enough to stay under budget

while also staying under calorie allotment.

And forget being happy and kind

and under budget and under calorie.

It's going to take me a lifetime

to conquer all of the above

at the same time.

But this morning

while running

I had an epiphany.

It comes from

The Book of Mormon

Mosiah 3:19

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Like a ton of bricks

it hit me all at once.

My mortal body

is my own worst enemy.

My whole purpose 

on this earth

is to show that my spirit

can be in charge

of my body.

My body is dead

without my spirit.

My spirit (me) is what makes 

me (my body) do or not do anything.

When I struggle with stuff

it's not my spirit,

it's the flesh.

The flesh is naughty.

The spirit is perfect.

They are always at odds

with one another.

"Hey body Alice

quit eating so much."

"Shut up spirit Alice,

you're so goody-goody.

We're gonna

eat drink and be merry til we die."

"Bad idea body Alice,

your spirit

wants to have its glorified form

and it knows a whole lot

more than you do.

I'm smarter.

I'm better

and my whole goal 

is to make you perfect.

I'm in charge

so put that doughnut down.

NOW."

The flesh is weak,

the spirit is strong.

This may seem so simple

to you all,

but it is an epic

principle

that I aim

to use

from now on

when trying to conquer

my transfer of

bad behaviors.

When my flesh is weak

I plan to tap into

that strong strong strong

spirit

and I plan to utilize

the God of all spirits

to help me 

whip that body into shape

more often.