Sally Clarkson - The Lifegiving Parent: Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living for Christ

With biblical wisdom and decades of personal experience, Clay and Sally Clarkson offer families a treasure in The Lifegiving Parent. Its a humble yet urgent message to each of us pursuing this messy mission of raising kids to love Jesus and love the world. We are the lifegivers. Its not a formula, program, or set of methods. Its a way of life. With Gods help, we will pass on what we possess, giving the life of God to our children. No matter what stage of parenting you are in, you will find The Lifegiving Parent challenging, helpful, and encouraging.

PATRICK AND RUTH SCHWENK , founders of TheBetterMom.com and ForTheFamily.org and authors of For Better or for Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House

With a beautiful balance of biblical teaching, practicality, and an understanding of the challenges parenting brings, Clay and Sally Clarksons latest endeavor offers thought-provoking insights and reflections on their parenting journey. Moms and dads can mutually benefit from the reminder that passing along the gospel to their children isnt about following a formula but about a parents authentic relationship with God overflowing into every aspect of family life. Part handbook, part manifesto, this book offers ideas for actionable steps to nurture our childrens hearts, warming them to the life-giving love of Christ.

LAURA WIFLER AND EMILY JENSEN , cohosts of the Risen Motherhood podcast

Clay and Sally have once again delivered a book that every parent would be wise to read. Inviting and encouraging, this book is a tool kit for passing on an inheritance of following Christ. Its a guide for guides, teeming with wisdom earned from years of navigating the wilderness in search of the Water of Life. For the millions of younger parents longing for wise and practical mentors, The Lifegiving Parent is an answer to prayer.

S. D. SMITH , author of The Green Ember series

Parenthood is an incredible gift and an extraordinary journey of discovery. The Lifegiving Parent is an inspirational and insightful book for all parents, no matter where they are on the journey. Each chapter is thought provoking and will challenge you as a parent to acknowledge and pursue the God-given role and influence you have in the lives of your children.

JENNIFER SMITH , author of The Unveiled Wife: Embracing Intimacy with God and Your Husband and Thirty-One Prayers for My Husband: Seeing God Move in His Heart

Wisdom is crammed into these pagesthe wisdom of the Scriptures exposited and the wisdom of God embodied in over three decades of parenting. You wont find formulas, guarantees, or glossy depictions of family life in this book. Instead, there are well-worn and well-loved pathways into the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit... for parents and for children.

GLENN PACKIAM , associate senior pastor, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, and author of Discover the Mystery of Faith: How Worship Shapes Believing

Last year when I was in Colorado for a concert, Clay and Sally Clarkson had me over for dinner. Two of the (grown) Clarkson kids were home at the time, and the family conversation was so rich and the atmosphere so warm that I called my husband that night and told him I had just been invited into something truly remarkable. Now having read The Lifegiving Parent, I understand that I was enjoying the fruit of many years of intentional, Spirit-infused cultivation. In their book, the Clarksons openhandedly and systematically share the major tenants of their approach, casting an extraordinary vision of family life while somehow demystifying it at the same time. I am grateful for the generosity poured out by Clay and Sally in these pages, and I will be giving this book to all the parents I know.

CAROLYN ARENDS , recording artist, author, and Renovar director of education

Its no secret that Clays and Sallys hearts beat for the family, and now theyve offered those heartbeats for us to consider, emulate, and find encouragement from. The Clarksons specialize in inspiring a biblical big-picture mind-set with next-step practicality in a world that often finds parenting burdensome. The Lifegiving Parent offers delight and wonder to parents in the trenches.

RUTH CHOU SIMONS , mom of six, founder of GraceLaced.com, artist, and bestselling author of GraceLaced: Discovering Timeless Truths through Seasons of the Heart

American parents often say they feel powerless to raise their kids in the best way. Either they feel inadequate to do the job or they worry they dont have the kind of influence on their kids they once dreamed of having. The solution isnt education as we typically think of it, nor is it slightly better sermons or youth groups. Children need formationsomething thats far more broad, intentional, and rooted in the people and traditions that ground a home.

At a time when the plethora of parenting books are mainly focused on technique, Clay and Sally Clarkson provide a vision of parenting as an art. The Lifegiving Parent is an intensely practical window into how to be the person your children need so that they can grow up surrounded by the truth, goodness, and beauty that will set them up for a life worth living.

BRIAN BROWN , director, the Anselm Society

My husband and I passed this book back and forth with enthusiasm. The Lifegiving Parent is for every hopeful, weary mother or father. Our home is different because of the ministry of Sally and Clay Clarkson. Their vision has lifted our eyes, and this book is a gem well return to again and again.

SARA HAGERTY , grateful mother of six and author of Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to Be Noticed and Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things

The Lifegiving Parent is for parents who want to raise children in a joy-filled home where each person is celebrated and where God is glorified. If parenting feels burdensome and creating a beautiful family culture feels out of reach, this is the book for you.

SARAH MACKENZIE , author of The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids and host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast

Clays and Sallys amazing relational styles inspire parents to new heights. They not only tell us what but also show us how. Any parents who read this book will find tools to breathe new life into their homes.

DR. SCOTT TURANSKY , author of Parenting Is Heart Work and cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting

Clay and Sally Clarkson are the beloved parenting guides we all seekgentle yet firm, wise yet adventurous, curious yet convicted. In The Lifegiving Parent, the Clarksons faithfully lead us all into a deeper, more meaningful exploration of Christian parenting through personal lessons, biblical insights, and practical teachings. To read this book is to sit down to a treasured mentorship, Yorkshire Tea in hand.

ERIN LOECHNER , blogger at DesignForMankind.com and author of Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path

Theres nothing I want more than to be a life-giving parent to my children. This book is at the top of my go-to stack of books to help me through the beautiful and challenging phases and stages of parenting. You must add it to yours.

KRISTEN WELCH , author of the bestselling book Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned that Saying No Can Lead to Lifes Biggest Yes