Cultivating the Souls of Parents: Facing our Brokenness, Embracing His Likeness (Cultivating BOOKSeries Book 1)

Raising a child helps us discover that parenting involves a whole lot of digging, not just through piles of mismatched socks, but also through layers of insecurities and heart issues that our children and we have. I will never have a place where I can say as a parent, "I have arrived!" No, this process of parenting brings to light my own emotional brokenness that God wants me to explore and bring to Him to remedy and make whole. Broken people raising other broken people. It's true. This is parenting after the Fall. Ever wish God could snap His fingers and make your kids behave? Or make you an expert? We all do. While we condemn ourselves for feeling emotionally burn-out or making poor choices that affect our kids, He is whispering, "I know it's hard, but I am with you! I see you are trying, and I am your guide! You made a mistake, and I forgive you! I love you, and I'm cheering you forward!" Often, God seems distant, but when we take the time to pause, we can sense Him gently working in our families and us. The process of parenting unveils our soul issues: insecurities, coping mechanisms, and even inherited weaknesses. Jesus Christ is our Vine (John 15:1) , but sometimes we don't know how to tap into His peace-producing, energy-generating, transformative power. The journey towards soul health means learning how to tap into His sustaining power in a way that makes our daily crosses lighter. God wants us to bring our transparent and embarrassing shortcomings to His throne of grace. I hope you laugh more than cringe as I share stories of my life as a mom of six. I've learned that the process of learning how to love my kids well is one of the most worthwhile missions that I can undertake. The beauty of parenting can be a process of brutally naked surrender to God, who affirms our efforts and gives us courage on a journey for which none of us are prepared. "Tina's is a sage voice. Every time I've spent time with her I have left wanting more of God. She's lived through the hills and the valleys with the Lord and is a gift to the body of Christ to, now, share what she's learned there with us!" - Sara Hagerty, Author of Every Bitter Thing is Sweet and Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to be Noticed