Heaven at Home: Establishing and Enjoying a Peaceful Home [Paperback]

Ginger Plowman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2006

Learn to prepare your home to be a haven where spirits are renewed, dreams are nurtured, and the best of life is lived. Nestle your family into a warm and welcoming refuge by learning how to establish

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Shepherd Press; annotated edition edition (July 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976758245
• ISBN-13: 978-0976758242
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book on parenting, July 10, 2008

By 

K. Capps (MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heaven at Home: Establishing and Enjoying a Peaceful Home (Paperback)

This is a very helpful book on parenting. Despite what some reviewers (who probably haven't read the book) have written, this book is not just about spanking. It is about raising respectful, obedient children who love God and love their neighbors.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book....reviewers are missing the point!, September 7, 2008

By 

Jennifer D. Mcdonnell "ANewCreationInChrist" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heaven at Home: Establishing and Enjoying a Peaceful Home (Paperback)

I have read many of the reviews on this book and I have to say my heart is so heavy for all of the people who stand in judgement of Ginger Plowman concerning spanking. First of all, this book is not ALL about spanking and disciplining children...it addresses many aspects of establishing a peaceful home, but because so many reviewers focus only on the spanking I feel I must address it with great detail. Maybe a new mom will read this and find something to pray about concerning this "hot topic."

It is my strong belief that many Christians today have a "Pharisee" mentality and have set rules in their heads about what is acceptable and what is not, and when Jesus walked this earth He and He alone glorified God with every moment of his life. He came to condemn that "Pharisee mentality" and was extrememly offended by it. He walked this earth and died on the Cross so that when He was resurrected, the power of the Holy Spirit would guide each and every person...the perfect Teacher...not rules.

Don't get me wrong, the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments served their purpose for a time...a time when the Holy Spirit did not endwell the hearts of believers and so strict rules had to be the standard...but we live in a much more wonderful time...a time where EVERY TRUE BELIEVER has the Holy Spirit to be their guide, Counselor, and Teacher...just as Jesus promised before He died. Jesus couldn't wait for us to experience that! I can only imagine that every step of the way to that Cross he had the hope of the Holy Spirit for each of us as the motivation for enduring Hell on earth. He wanted us to have freedom from the bondage that rules bring! I am not saying "rules" are bad...but we Christains really need to read the gospels with the bigger picture in mind. A parent that spanks our of anger in their heart is much different than a parent who spanks to give their children a gift...the gift of self-control...the gift of obediance, etc.

It's what's in our heart that drives our behavior that Jesus judges. And we all fall short...don't kid yourselves. I know that I have...even recently...had anger in my heart when gossiping about another adult. I feel much worse about that than about spanking my child last week. The motive in my heart in gossiping was to tear the other person to shreds...the motive in my heart when spanking was to correct my child, help them see their wrong attitude, and help them grow. Which is worse?

Jesus may not have "spanked" children---but doesn't anyone see that that is because those were not the works His Father in Heaven sent him to do? I am not saying Jesus would have spanked...but I know for certain that Jesus would do whatever it took to reach the heart of his precious flock. Jesus, throughout his ministry, instead did much HARDER things to show his deep love for those God placed in His care...like offending Mary when he chose to wait four days when her brother Lazarus was deathly sick...knowing that waiting meant that Mary would blame Jesus for allowing Lazarus to die. That, to many, would seem very harsh. But we have to see that Jesus always had the Father's perspective on everything he did, and it allowed Him to make some very hard decisions. We, as parents, have to make very hard decisions, but when you focus on the heart it frees us up to give our children what they need, not necessarily what they want or what "feels good and cozy to our flesh."

I urge all reviewers of this book to give little credence to the other reviews that bash this author and judge her heart. I have listened to her CD's and I can tell by the tone and love in her heart that she is a compassionate, intentional, loving mother whose heart's desire is to bring her children to a closer relationship with Christ. I wish more Christians would let go of the "Pharisee" mentality that gives hard-fast rules more power than the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

Jennifer McDonnell

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!, February 27, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heaven at Home: Establishing and Enjoying a Peaceful Home (Paperback)

I think that this is a terrific, encouraging, Christian book!! I cannot believe all of the bad reviews!!! I really enjoy reading this book!! (Even though I am only 11!)Overall, I think that this is a wonderful book!!!! My Mom and I both agree it is one of our favorites!!