Janel Breitenstein - Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids Hearts

Janel Breitenstein has given every parent a gift in this book. With her characteristic candor and wit and her love for God and His Word, she offers hope and encouragement to moms and dads who can easily find themselves growing weary as they raise their children. Her insights are profound and right on point.

Bob Lepine, cohost, FamilyLife Today

This much-needed parenting book does not disappoint! Janels global perspective, practical suggestions, and insightful wisdom will guide your family in necessary conversations to navigate todays culture. I highly recommend this book!

Kristen Welch, bestselling author of Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World

Through honest story-telling that will make you audibly laugh, along with raw vulnerability that doesnt put you under the pile, Janel helps you pursue the most important part of your kids: their hearts. Im grateful for the ways Permanent Markers has helped us refine and reshape the goals we have for our kids, giving us practical tools and guided conversations to meaningfully engage with our kids with deeper intentionality.

David Robbins, President, FamilyLife

Enlightening and enjoyable to read, Permanent Markers will equip you as a parent to tattoo messages of truth from God on the heart of your child that they will carry throughout life. With practical activities every parent can do, this book will focus your investment of time in what is eternal and what is best for your child.

Ron Deal, bestselling author of The Smart Stepfamily and Building Love Together in Blended Families (with Gary Chapman)

Permanent Markers is a treasure trove of creative, practical ideas for shepherding children more deeply into the love of God. With passion, candor, and wisdom, Janel Breitenstein offers parents a grace-filled approach to discipleship that lays down the burden of behavior modification and instead embraces the adventure of cultivating a listening earnot only to our childrens hearts, but to Gods. This book is a winsome invitation to relinquish control and rehearse our dependence on the God who generously gives us everything we need as we navigate the complexities and joys of parenthood.

Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the Sensible Shoes series and Shades of Light

Janel makes learning Gods Word attractive and has created engaging activities that will make these truths something kids can enjoy and remember. The tools found here will help families make inroads into the hearts and minds of their children!

Jason Houser, founder and president, Seeds Family Worship

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses 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.

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is a federally registered trademark of the Hawkins Childrens LLC. Harvest House Publishers, Inc., is the exclusive licensee of the trademark.

Permanent Markers

Copyright 2021 by Janel Breitenstein

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-8480-5 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-8481-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021935225

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To Baden, Will, Corinne, and Jackrare gifts all.

i carry your heart with me

(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20

And for John, who always thought I could.

Mostly when I didnt.

Marrying you is every day like Forrest Gump investing in a fruit company.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church.

Ephesians 5:25-27

I found him whom my soul loves.

Song of Solomon 3:4 ( ESV )

Growing up is everyones assignment.

Adulting is the finish line of the eighteenish-year marathon called parenting. Over those years, a metamorphosis happens. Repeated since the first newborn after Eden is a physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and relational transformation. It feels miraculous.

Moms and dads of babies to parents of teens are continually learning about themselves. The grown-up people see with new eyes and change as their littles become bigs and then take flight. Yes, kids need parents, but God gives us parents the gift of our kids to help us finish growing up to be like him. Becoming integrated, balanced, and healthy like Jesus is Gods goal for all his peoplechildren and parents alike.

There is a seeming paradox in parenting. Our children come to us 100 percent dependent; they would literally die without our devoted attention. But in the end, when they become 100 percent independent, we realize so little was really in our control. Eric Peterson writes, In ways that continue to astound me, God consistently chooses to accomplish divine purposes through the agency of human imperfection. A perfect summary of parenting.