This post contains affliate links and if a purchase is made a percent will go to supporting three kids and a fish.
Three years ago we had our little love dedicated and our pastor handed us a book which we then tucked neatly away on a book shelf. Last month I was walking by the book shelf and I noticed a nice layer of dust collecting. I began to peruse the dusty books and once again found the book we had been given, took it off the shelf, and remembered the sweet moments of that day.
I decided to give it a go and I began to read it. I couldn’t put the book down. The words were flowing so easily off the pages and echoed my thoughts, while the wisdom and encouragement penned on the pages is exactly what I needed.
The title of the book says it all, Raising Kids for True Greatness by Dr. Tim Kimmel has sent my hubby and I on a journey to raise our kids for greatness. Captured right in the introduction is the question, “What is your goal in raising your children?” Is your child growing up to be successful a part of your goal?
Dr. Tim’s challenge throughout the book is to strive for what is beyond just being successful to raising your children to be great. “A person can be successful without coming close to being truly great. And wouldn’t we rather aim our children toward true greatness?”
Dr. Tim weaves together countless stories of ordinary people who set out to do extraordinary things by God’s design. People like Mother Theresa looked beyond what success could have been and as she longed for something better she became great and her legacy lives far beyond her years here on earth.
I have learned so many great things as the pages of this book came alive. I tried my best to capture the top ten things to give you a glimpse of what lies beneath the cover. There are a ton of quotations marks because what he says is put perfectly and I could not communicate it better.
10 Things That I Learned From Raising Kids for True Greatness
1. “A person can be successful without being truly great.”
2. If we want our kids to be truly great, we need to teach them how to serve others. This can be especially difficult because we live in the times of wanting things now for ME. I believe it all begins at home. Allowing them watch you serve your family, and in turn allowing them to pitch in. From there you can begin to serve in other areas outside of your home.
3. “We simply have to show our kids what true greatness looks like with our lives.”
4.”Raising kids for true greatness is far less about what you do and far more about who you are!”
5. Show grace in raising your children. “It’s about taking the grace that God has given you and let it permeate the pores of your life.”
6. The definition of true greatness is, “Grace that demonstrates itself in the attitudes of humility and gratefulness that ultimately lead to the actions of generosity and a servant attitude.
7. “If you are going to raise kids for true greatness, it will probably cost them some ridicule.” They will be put in situations where their hearts are exposed and people take advantage. As parents we can create {our home as an embassy} which will allow our kids to be strong and able to be confident in themselves among their peers.
8. “A little bit of nothing in the hands of ordinary people, can accomplish extraordinary things.”
9. “The best childhood you could give your kids is a childhood filled with fun, excitement, laughter, and lots of grace.”
10. “The more that we instill a sense of true greatness into our children, the more likely their practical day to day lives will fall into place.”
I am so excited about putting this book into practice and I can not keep the excitement to myself! This book is a great tool and resource to have in your parenting tool belt!
Dr. Tim Kimmel also blogs! Check out {family matters} for some great resources, blog posts, events and more! I am ready to read another great book he wrote called Grace-Based Parenting
