What people are saying about
30 Ways in 30 Days to Strengthen Your Family
I have great appreciation and respect for Rebecca Hagelin. She is a bestselling author and speaker, a passionate defender of the institution of the family, and a committed conservative leader. Rebecca is the former vice president of the Heritage Foundation and a passionate defender of life from conception to the grave. Rebecca is also a valuable member of the board of directors at Family Talk. It is an honor to call Rebecca Hagelin my friend.
James C. Dobson, PhD, founder and president of Family Talk
One of the biggest concerns parents express to me as a pediatrician is fear that their children will be swallowed whole by a hypersexualized, violent, and twisted culture. The brilliance of Rebecca Hagelins book is that it gives effective tools to parents from a sound world-view and this blend serves to assuage their fears beautifully.
Meg Meeker, MD, bestselling author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters
Parents need help, and not the sort of help that comes from books and speeches that are long on meditation and reflection. They need practical ideas to do real things to protect and serve their children, and thats Rebecca Hagelins specialty. This is a book that will change how you parent your childrenfor the better and immediately.
Hugh Hewitt, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated talk-show host
Rebecca Hagelins book provides a series of bold, radical, and refreshingly practical recommendations for bringing parents closer to their children. This worlds popular culture seems perversely determined to divide the generations, and Rebecca shows a way to protect your family and win your childrens hearts in the process.
Michael Medved, national talk-radio host and bestselling author of The 10 Big Lies about America
30 WAYS IN 30 DAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAMILY
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV. Copyright 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION and NIV are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved; KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain.); THE MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; NCV are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved; NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
LCCN 2016931546
ISBN 978-1-4347-1037-6
eISBN 978-0-7814-1477-7
2016 Rebecca Hagelin
Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.
First edition published by Regnery Publishing in 2009 Rebecca Hagelin, ISBN 978-0-5969-8568-1, 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family
The Team: Ingrid Beck, Alice Crider, Amy Konyndyk, Tiffany Thomas, Susan Murdock
Cover Design: Nick Lee
Second Edition 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
022916
CONTENTS
Foreword
Remember when you first laid eyes on your newborn baby? Remember how tiny and vulnerable he seemed or how determined you were to always protect her? Most parents pray their children will grow up to be strong, productive, and patriotic, with a robust moral sense.
But as soon as you bring your children into the world, others try to pry them from you. Crass marketers try to lure them into commercialism. Experts, from doctors to teachers, try to replace your good values with theirs. When we in the media talk about the culture wars, what were really talking about is the battle for our kids hearts and minds.
When my friend Rebecca Hagelin first released 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family , it brought the ammunition that all of us, as parents, long needed. Now her updated versionwith a slightly changed titleincludes current research, updates on technology, and the latest contact information for organizations and resources to help you raise children of character. And the best part about this new edition is that it contains reflections from Rebeccas daughter, Kristin Carey. Kristin is a beautiful young woman in her early twenties who provides insight from a young persons perspective on each of the issues covered in the book. Kristins words will further inspire you to be true to your calling as a mom or dad, to fight for your children, and to love them well. The book also contains a bonus chapter on marriage, jointly authored by Rebecca, who has been married to Andy for thirty years, and by Kristin, who is newly wed to Randy. The chapter provides encouragement and hope for all generations, regardless of where you are in your journey through marriage.
Rebecca and Kristin have given us the perfect guide, the perfect handbook, to keep a toxic culture at bay while forging a closer, deeper, more meaningful relationship with our spouses and children.
Ive known Rebecca for many years, and her knowledge about cultural issues, the media, and the pressures on todays families and kids is vast. Shes also a loving, committed wife and mother and a marketing wizard. Her writings and speeches have encouraged many parents and families over the years, including mine. But what marks her most is her undying faith in God, forgiveness, and the hope that each new day brings. Even though her message is a somber one, Rebeccas spirit is lighthearted and optimisticand her book provides practical solutions that, if put into practice, will strengthen each member of your family as well as the unit as a whole.
30 Ways in 30 Days to Strengthen Your Family breaks down common parenting problems into manageable pieces and provides practical solutions that any frazzled parent can easily put to use. It is designed for todays parents combatting todays problems; Im sure it will speak to you as it spoke to me.
This is the handbook I wish America had years ago. Reading this book gave me hopeboth as a father and as a concerned citizen. Read and use Rebeccas strategies, and you can become the parent you always wanted to be.