Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents [Paperback]

Mary E. DeMuth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2006

You’re willing to do whatever it takes to ground your children in a faith your parents never embraced. Or maybe you grew up in an outwardly religious home that lacked a foundation of Christian grace and moral values. If you’re the first generation in your family to embrace a relationship with Christ but aren’t sure how to give your children a foundation of faith, find guidance in Building the Christian Family You Never Had.

Author Mary E. DeMuth understands firsthand the fears, frustrations, and anxieties of those who lack role models of faith-based parenting. In Building the Christian Family You Never Had she provides needed encouragement, practical tools, and crucial strategies. You’ll learn how you can…
·shield your children from the negative influence of family members who undermine your values
·cope with criticism and objections to your faith-based parenting decisions
·honor (and forgive) your parents without endorsing their behavior
·find positive parenting mentors

This inspiring, down-to-earth guide will enable you to provide a spiritual legacy of security and strength for your children as you lead the way through Building the Christian Family You Never Had.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for
Building the Christian Family You Never Had

“Mary DeMuth offers positive encouragement and practical help for parents who want to do things a little differently than what they experienced growing up. Building the Christian Family You Never Had offers a fresh start and bright hope as you seek to raise godly children.”   
–Karol Ladd, author of The Power of a Positive Mom

“You are not alone as a pioneer parent who is blazing a new trail on the parenting journey. If you have longed for someone to show you how to build a family that is different from the family you grew up in, this book is for you!”
–Jill Savage, executive director of Hearts at Home and author of Professionalizing Motherhood

“As Mary shares her haunting story of a broken childhood, she provides a roadmap for breaking the cycle of family dysfunction. Her roadmap provides hope, courage, and grace, allowing any reader to walk with her on the continuing journey to wholeness.”
–Tim Riter, professor at Azusa Pacific University and author of Twelve Lies Husbands Tell Their Wives

“If your parents raised you in the ‘old country,’ you may wonder how to ground your kids in new soil. Mary DeMuth’s insights about parenting–as well as life in general–will help you raise firmly planted, emotionally secure, Christ-following kids.”
–Sandra L. Glahn, adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, coauthor of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage and When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden
 
“Mary DeMuth creates a compelling picture of what a Christian family should look like for those of us who never had one, or may have never even seen one up close. Reading this book will change the way you think about love, parenting, and healing–and God’s hope and plan for your life and the lives of your children.”
– Michael Warren, executive story consultant on “Happy Days,” co-creator and executive producer of “Step by Step” and “Family Matters”

“This is an honest, thought-provoking, and life-changing book. If you want to parent differently than you were parented, this is a must-read!”
–Mary Byers, author of The Mother Load and How to Say No…And Live to Tell About It

“Mary adeptly encourages pioneer parents to seek healing for the pain and dysfunction they experienced during their formative years, while honoring their parents for the good they provided. Learning parents should study this volume with an open mind and an open heart.”
–Paul Pettit, president of Dynamic Dads and author of Congratulations, You’re Gonna Be a Dad!

“Building the Christian Family You Never Had is for parents who have experienced some dysfunction (and which of us hasn’t), but who also want to get past that dysfunction and raise emotionally and spiritually healthy children. Mary points us to principles deeply rooted in God’s Word that apply the salve of truth mixed with grace, mercy, and hope.”
–Linus Morris, president of Christian Associates International

“Mary gives families a biblical blueprint for success without presenting her family as perfect role models. I have many friends who did not grow up in a Christian home, and I would give them Mary’s book in a second!”
–Dena Dyer, author of Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms

“In a refreshing voice and with wisdom and sensitivity, Mary DeMuth delivers a powerful message of liberty for all who want to break free from generational pain in order to parent in newness of life in Christ.”
–Jan Winebrenner, author of The Grace of Catastrophe and Intimate Faith

About the Author

Mary E. DeMuth is the author of Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God. Her writing also has appeared in numerous publications, including Marriage Partnership, Discipleship Journal, Dallas Theological Seminary’s Kindred Spirit, and the Dallas-area Star Community Newspapers. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, Mary is a workshop speaker for Hearts at Home. She lives with her church-planter husband and their three children in Le Rouret, France.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (January 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400070317
• ISBN-13: 978-1400070312
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a freelance writer and novelist living in Texas with my husband of nineteen years and my three wonderful children.

I have been writing since 1992, first as a newsletter editor, then as a freelance writer, followed by a fiction and nonfiction author. My articles have appeared in Marriage Partnership, In Touch, HomeLife, Discipleship Journal, Pray!, Bon Appetit, Kindred Spirit, The Writer, and Writer's Digest. For two years I penned a lifestyle column for Star Community Newspapers in Dallas (circulation 100,000). My books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), Watching the Tree Limbs, Wishing on Dandelions (NavPress, both novels releasing in 2006), Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2006), Daisy Chain, A Slow Burn (Zondervan 2009), Life in Defiance (Zondervan 2010), Thin Places: A Memoir (Zondervan 2010), 150 Quick Questions to Get Your Kids Talking (Harvest House 2011), You Can Raise Confident and Courageous Kids (Harvest House, 2001) and The Muir House (Zondervan 2011).

I'm more than my books. I love to cook, try my hand (body!) at triathlons, have a nose ring, and am passionate about singing.

I love to help people overcome a difficult past and blog about it five times a week at http://www.marydemuth.com. My facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/authormarydemuth and you can follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/marydemuth

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars help for any parent, March 13, 2006

By 

Keri W. Kent "writer and reader" (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents (Paperback)

This is such a helpful book! I recommend it to all parents, no matter what kind of home they grew up in.
Mary shares her difficult journey of trying to make sense of the painful story of her childhood and trying to craft a new story-one of a healthy Christian family-for her own children.
If you grew up in a non-Christian home, you may have a strong desire to raise your children in the Christian faith. But you didn't have that modeled for you, so you're what Mary refers to as a "pioneer parent." Even if your home was basically pretty good but just void of faith, you still need some help because you didn't have a model to follow. You're not sure what a Christian family looks like, exactly.
You are sure you don't want to do it the way your family did, but Mary points out that just deciding what not to do is not enough.
Mary had a very difficult childhood-full of abuse and loss. But she has found God in the story of her life, and her book will be an encouragement to those who grew up in non-Christian homes and want a to craft a different type of story for their families.
Her book addresses practical concerns ranging from the process (it's not a one-time thing) of forgiving your parents to ways to increase gratitude and laughter (important ingredients of a Christian family) in your home.
I highly recommend this book to all parents, not just "pioneer" parents. Even those who grew up in good Christian homes know that no home is perfect. Mary's insights into the spiritual growth that comes from examining the story of our lives, inviting Jesus into the process of parenting and learning to do things better as a result, is helpful for anyone.
I also recommend it for anyone who ministers to children, as a Sunday School teacher or youth leader.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grace-Based Parenting, January 19, 2006

By 

Sharon Hinck "Sharon Hinck, author" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents (Paperback)

Wow! This is the book I wish I'd had many years ago, before I wore myself out with "formulas" for parenting. Mary DeMuth writes with authenticity and sensitivity. Whether you came from a family of origin of abuse and neglect, or simply don't want to repeat some of the milder dsyfunctions of your past, this book is a valuable resource on issues of faith, forgiveness, mentors, boundaries,and overcoming fears. Every parent who wants to blaze a new trail needs this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is a keeper, August 10, 2009

By 

L. Sledge "dancingwmyself" (Italia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents (Paperback)

I've read several Christian parenting books, and I could not seem to find one that I could relate to. Many of the books I read previously were written by people who grew up in loving, Christian homes. The author of this book is genuine. She has been through a lot in her childhood, and managed to turn to God to heal her and her parenting journey. She never claims to be perfect or have perfect children. This is a good book to study again and again on your parenting journey. If you were not raised in a Christian home, it can be difficult to know how to raise your children in your faith. In my Christian faith I can relate more to Anne Lamont than I can to James Dobson, I found this book to be quite helpful.