Customer Reviews

Raising Kids for True Greatness: Redefine Success for You and Your Child

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are few books that I have read that have hung around my mind and ruminated within my thoughts as much as Tim Kimmel's Raising Kids for True Greatness. This book is one of the most worthwhile reads available today. Kimmel's brilliant thesis dismantles the success illusion (wealth, beauty, power, fame) and simplistically brings us back to the heart of the gospel message: "True greatness is a passionate love for Jesus Christ that shows itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others." The qualities that identify a great life are humility, gratefulness, generosity, and a servant spirit. The brilliance in this is not that Kimmel had to mine through the scriptures for truths found only Greek lexicons; the brilliance is these truths are boulders that you can't help but stumble upon if your crack open any page in the Bible.

Have you ever heard someone conclude that the wealthy are blessed by God? Does that mean the lion's share of our population is not blessed? Our cultural filter has caused us to misinterpret prosperity with blessing. We equate prosperity, comfort, and a life of ease with God's blessing. Jesus did not say to the rich young ruler, "Just be happy that you have been blessed." Instead, Jesus redefined the man's life purpose and in the process showed that wealth has nothing to do with a life or true greatness. Our Christian culture has been tainted by our ivy-league mind set. Somewhere along the way, money, power, and fame has saturated the gospel that is preached in America; we see it on TV, we invite the wealthy Christian to speak to the business group, Christian CEO's retire to board positions for churches and para-church organizations. Often, the reason is the size of the checks they can write instead of the spiritual insight they can provide. Donald Miller, whose writing has captured the heart of new believers, writes in Searching for God Knows What "If I weren't a Christian, and I kept seeing Christian leaders on television more concerned with money, fame, and power than with grace, love, and social justice, I wouldn't want to believe in God at all." And we wonder why our kids have such a dispassionate faith.

This is where Kimmel shines. He addresses (us) everyday moms and dads and helps us disarm the success illusion that has worked its way into our parenting paradigm. Kimmel writes, "If you aim your kids at anything less than greatness, you'll set them up to miss the whole point of their lives." He succinctly shows us the difference between success and greatness with a 9/11 illustration: "As the successful rushed down the stairs of the World Trade Center, the truly great ran up." He enunciates his point by saying, "when it's time to bury our dead, we mourn the loss of those who were successful, but we celebrate the memory of those who were truly great." Kimmel then gives us the practical advice to "live large by thinking big." Abundant thinkers empower their kids to master fear and joyfully rest in God's limitless power.

Finally - the best part. Kimmel does not just give us a neat simple formula to raise truly great kids, instead, he shares with us concrete mandates found only in scripture that must transform the heart of the parent before they can penetrate the lives of our kids. This book is a great read for anyone - parents, singles, or grandparents. Raising Kids for True Greatness is a book whose time has come; a book that calls us to live out the great life Christ died to redeem.

If you are like me, a Mom spinning her wheels, literally driving your kids to every enrichment activity you can think of HIDE YOUR KEYS AND DAYPLANNER UNTIL YOU FINISH READING THIS BOOK!

I wrestle with it about three times a year. What activities athletic, academic, and social should our three children be involved in so they can either fit in, not be left behind, or feel really good about themselves? Hard to admit but true. After all we want them to be successful right? Wrong, we want them to be Great!

Tim's book gave me solid information on how to redirect my thinking as a parent.

My husband was raised in a family that directed him at the bullseye of success. He hit the target right in the middle. He became everything his parents directed him towards. Good looking, talented, wealthy, and famous. Why is it that his life seems empty in some way? Because he knows first hand that success as the world sees it is a vacuum. It is only when we start living a life for God that our life is truly full.

After reading Tim's book I had to ask myself some hard questions. Am I my kids social chairman, publicist and agent? No, you can hire someone else to do those jobs. According to Tim I need to be "humble, grateful, generous, and others-oriented (servent)". Living a life for God by loving others.

I am excited to finaly have the tools to direct my kids towards True Greatness!

Now where did I put my keys and dayplanner?!

I found Tim Kimmel's book truely helpful in thinking through the dangers of wanting the best for your kids. His book leads us in a counter cultural way- against the tide of hoping our kids will attain the "success" of fame, fortune and power. True greatness, Tim writes, is "a pasionate love of God that shows itself in an unquenchable love and concern for people. It is based on grace. It's attitudes are hunility and gratefulness. It's actions are generosity and a servant attitude." These are truely attributes of greatness, modeled by Jesus himself. Parents who push their kids to achievement on the ball diamond or the classroom do not nessisarily lead them to greatness. Abundant thinking, living large by thinking big, embodying God's spirit of abundance in the way they treat each other and everyone they encounter create one of the best environments for preparing kids for greatness in every dimension of their adult lives. It is a book well worth reading and putting to practice in the familuy.

Although the information in RAISING KIDS FOR TRUE GREATNESS may seem like familiar advice, the tried and true ideas Dr. Tim Kimmel espouses here will be a good refresher course for anyone in the throes of parenting.

Kimmel, a veteran parenting book author (50 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR KIDS, GRACE-BASED PARENTING) urges parents to let go of the emphasis on their kids' popularity, possessions and SAT scores, and focus on their character. "I'm not saying there's anything inherently unbiblical or evil about getting a good education, making a nice living, and being well known," writes Kimmel. "These things are fine additions to an adult life --- but they shouldn't be the primary goals we set for our children. That's because man-made success has little to do with true greatness."

The key to true greatness is helping your kids find answers to three big questions: Who will they marry? What is their purpose or mission? Who is their master? Using personal anecdotes and illustrations from scripture and contemporary culture, Kimmel fleshes out his ideas for helping your child become abundant thinkers (who get joy out of using what they have to bring out the best in others) and learning to develop a servant attitude. All part of achieving true greatness!

Artificial success will eventually be hollow for your children, Kimmel warns. True greatness doesn't have to do with accomplishments or accoutrements. Fame is only an attractive substitute. Power, health and beauty are all fleeting. Although there is nothing wrong with making a good living, wealth by itself is just money. "We must be careful to avoid equating wealth with greatness," writes Kimmel. "They are not the same."

Raising kids is not just about them; it's also about what we model for them, Kimmel believes. "Moms and dads who decide to embody greatness are all a child really requires," he writes. With this in mind, interspersed throughout the book are special pages with tips specifically for parents and for kids on ways to be a good teammate, friend, family member and classmate; helping your kids get the most out of organized sports; and putting God first. This is practical information. "Be involved in church." "Never whine or complain." "Encourage your children to respect and obey the coach." Although these ideas may seem like things you've heard before, it's nice to have them organized and easily accessible in one spot. Parents may want to copy these pages and put them on the refrigerator as a reminder, or use them as springboards for discussion during a family devotional time.

Once in a while, Kimmel oversimplifies, as when he writes for parents in bad marriages. "He can redeem your marriage from the unfortunate years that might have gone before." This may feel pat to those in abusive situations. However, his enthusiasm is contagious: "Love big! Work hard! Forgive gladly! Repent quickly! Encourage graciously! Speak humbly! Play enthusiastically! Think abundantly!"

The more we instill a sense of true greatness into our children, the more likely their practical, day-to-day lives will fall into place, Kimmel writes compellingly. If our kids are going to aim at something, why not help them aim high? This book will encourage parents to keep focused on what really counts, and help them prioritize what is important to instill in their kids.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby (phrelanzer@aol.com)

Tim has really tapped into what our parents of today need to hear and apply. I was impressed with his ideas and encouragement. I have started to apply his principles with my 3 and 5 year olds and it is working. I have studied many parenting books and now I have found the one that works. I would place Tim on equal grounds with Dr. Dobson! Buy this book and apply it to your parenting skills, you will not ever regret it!

Dr. Kimmel has clearly struggled to work through his philosophy and ideas on parenting. He offers in this book a renewed look at the role, responsibility, and great hope that we have as parents. Anyone who reads this book will be encouraged to rethink "greatness" and just how they are pursueing it within their family.

As a Family pastor and parent of two boys, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a challenge to read in that it goes against the flow of our (American) society. However, when embraced, his ideas are far more Biblical, powerful, helpful, and hopeful that most other books on parenting that I have read.

Dr. Kimmel's heart and experience is in the right place and his book shows it. Initially I heard him speak at a conference and was intrigued to read more of his philosophy as it struck the core of who I am as a parent. This book is easy to take in and helpful to play out. Enjoy.

Dr. Kimmel's articulation exceeds my ability to so clearly define what is missing in our parenting direction to point from success to True Greatness and from behavior to character. His book validates my heart in what I have seen in 30 years of teaching, counseling and shepherding. It is a great read for those who are shaping lives, preparenting, parenting or grandparenting.

After reading this book I have come away refreshed. So often material is stagnant and lifeless, but not this book. It opened my mind and heart to the reality of what parenting is all about, "raising kids for greatness". That truth is easy to eye through Tim's writings. It has revitalized me to what my purpose should be and the path I walk for my children and grandchildren. As a Pastor, it will fortify God's people with help and direction to surge rather than be stuck.

Finally! Here's a book that marks the beginning of a revolution. All the clichés and simple-minded formulas that distill Christian parenting into how kids are supposed to look and act are exposed as counterfeits. Raising Kids for True Greatness brings us back to the teachings of Christ and enables our kids to answer the question "WWJD" with the appropriate action.

Dr. Kimmel's book is a fantastic mirror for parents to view their goals/ambitions for themselves and their child/children. Despite my personal belief that I was not aiming our daughter at wealth, beauty, money... it's inherent inside the human heart to go that way. This book challenged me to seek character change in order to line myself up with Christ.
The book would work great for group study as there is study questions in the back for each chapter.
I have purchased this book for all my expecting friends.