My Top Ten Books of 2018

I can't believe it is the end of the year already. And after 110 books, I put together my top ten in 2018. The top 5 are in the order of how much I loved the book. The bottom 5 are about equal. It took me awhile to make up my list as there are a few more I'd add here that I will mention under Honorable Mentions.

Less than half of the 110 were audiobooks. Most were borrowed from the library. Several of them I first listened to as audiobooks, loved them so much, so I had to read the written versions. A few I was able to receive an advance copy of in exchange for an honest review.

Based on Goodreads' stats, my average rating in 2018 is 3.7, which is higher than I expected. I'm usually very stingy with my stars. Here is the break down of what genres I read and it is no surprise to me what the top three are. I discovered my love for the science fiction genre this year, but not the fantastical kind. I like the ones that touch on the philosophical, ethical, moral aspect of it.

Here are my top 10 books in 2018:

1. The Gospel According to God by John MacArthur (Goodreads review) - John MacArthur is my pastor and I have always enjoyed every book I've read by him. But this one really struck me to the core. It is a straight exposition of Isaiah 53 and brought me to tears as Pastor John explained what God the Father had orchestrated in order to fulfill His plan to redeem a people, and it cost Him dearly. I was left in awe of God and His relentless love toward undeserving sinners like us.

2. How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer (Goodreads review) - My second Schaeffer book read in as many years and both made it to my top 10 list. Mr. Schaeffer was a pioneer in his focus on how worldviews direct not only our individual lives, but they affect our society in both good and bad. I think every high school student should read it.

3. Night by Elie Wiesel  (Goodreads review) - Another book I think should be read by all, especially the young generation. It is a poignant story of Mr. Wiesel's account of his time in a Nazi concentration camp. He writes so beautifully despite the detestable condition at the camp. It left me in tears in some passages.

4. In His Image by Jen Wilkin (Goodreads review) - This is the companion/sequel book to Jen Wilkin’s None Like Him, one of my favorite reads last year. Both books cover the attributes of God. The first covers the noncommunicable characteristics that are solely God's. In His Image covers those that we are to aspire after. Ms.Wilkin is one of a few female authors I enjoy reading. 

5. Rocket Men by Robert Kurson (Goodreads review) - This compelling book covers the history of space flight before NASA even existed all the way to the lives of the crew, who manned Apollo 8, now in their 90’s. They were the first men to take part in mankind's first mission to the moon. Their heroic mission provided hope to the broken American society of the 1960's.

6. Flags of Our Fathers by James D. Bradley (Goodreads review) - This book covers the story of the six men (two were misidentified initially) who were in the iconic photo of the flag raising in Mt. Suribachi in Iwo Jima, from their humble beginnings to the end of their courageous lives. The author is a great storyteller. I look forward to watching the film adaptations.

7. Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly (Goodreads review) - This historical book is an excellent recounting of the events that led to the bombing of Japan in WW2. It was very enlightening in describing the wartime atrocities of the Japanese that led to the use of atomic weapons.  

8. The Pastor's Wife by Gloria Furman (Goodreads review) - Though it is written with minister's wives in mind, I recommend it to any woman who desires to minister to the Body of Christ. Ms. Furman skillfully reminds us to remove the focus off ourselves (and the challenges that come with ministry), but instead to be reminded of the excellencies of Christ and His gospel. 

9. Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent (Goodreads review) - This is a great history, adventure, survival story, memoir and courtroom drama book about the worst sea disaster in US Naval History. The great writing, intriguing story and memorable heroes of this story make it one of my favorite books of 2018.

10. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean (Goodreads review) - I just finished this book and almost didn't make it in time before I wrote this post. It is full of interesting facts and stories of the atoms in the periodic table and their discovery. As a Science major in college, I thoroughly enjoyed the geekness and seriousness of the topic.

Honorable Mentions, some of which I may not have rated 5-stars but deserved to be mentioned here, that (1) affected me in unexpected ways, (2) challenged me in my thinking, or (3) made me fall in love with the author's writing skills. You can check my Goodreads for my review of each of them:

Devoted by T. Challies, Eve in Exile by R Merkle, Gay Girl, Good God by JH Perry, Dark Matter by B Crouch, HIgh King of Heaven by J MacArthur, Sexual Morality in a Christless World by M Rueger and Tactics by G Koukl.

I hope you find this list helpful as you decide which books to devote your time on, which ones to give as gifts, especially Christmas is just around the corner. Happy reading!

Review: The Essential Jonathan Edwards by Owen Strachan

4 Stars out of 5
The Essential Jonathan Edwards is a must-have if you are already a Jonathan Edwards fan. I have read and loved some of his works, so I was excited to receive a free advanced copy of it in exchange for an honest review via netgalley. Jonathan Edwards epitomized the pastor/theologian title. His knowledge of God had a direct effect in his heart and life. And it is to our spiritual benefit to learn from his example.
It truly is a comprehensive book that summarizes Edwards’ biography and writings. The authors didn’t shy away from including even his shameful stance on slavery. I thoroughly enjoyed the first third that covers his life story. I breezed through this part.

I didn’t get as engrossed in the last two-thirds that covers Edwards’ published works. The authors quote him extensively and add their explanation to Edwards’ points. This is especially helpful for many of us who are not used to reading colloquial English. I have tried many times to read Puritan works, but end up giving up part of the way. I love the wisdom I can glean from them, but they are not easy reads.

There were some questionable things that Edwards believed that I have to research further. For example, as mentioned earlier, Edwards believed that slavery was not incompatible with his faith. He also made a distinction between the OT church being Christ’s mother and the NT church as His wife.

I would not recommend reading this book cover to cover, but it is excellent to have in your library as a reference book if you want to know Edwards’ beliefs in certain topics. The book is written for the purpose of introducing its readers not just to the scholarly approach to Scripture, “not to shoot over people’s heads with lofty academic discussion, but to fire the heart and mind to embrace the thrilling experience of a God-centered existence.” I believe the author succeeded in doing what they set out to do.

Book Review: The Flags of our Fathers

The Flags of our Fathers will be on my favorite books of 2018. What an unforgettable, amazing and brutal battle took place in Iwo Jima  involving ordinary men (many were merely boys, actually) tasked with extraordinary responsibilities to fight the cruelest of enemies. This book covers the story of the six men (two were misidentified initially) who were in the iconic photo of the flag raising in Mt. Suribachi, from their humble beginnings to the end of their courageous lives.

My grandfather was a WW2 veteran and a Bataan death march and concentration camp survivor. He experienced the vile cruelty imposed by the ruthless Japanese soldiers onto their enemies. To his dying breath, he never changed his opinion about the Japanese people. After reading this book, I understand better now why he never seemed to have overcome his hatred of them. The military under Hirohito fought unfairly, mercilessly and almost devoid of humanity. I also see clearly why the atom bombs had to be used to break their morale. It was the only way to stop their mass killings of innocent people, and their unfair, unethical (i.e., against the generally accepted rules of war since nothing about wars is ethical at all) fighting tactics in Asia and the Pacific. It is hard to believe that this is the same peaceful people whom we now respect and consider to be one of our strongest allies.

The narrative that led to the invasion and the subsequent events after were some of the best storytelling I’ve read in awhile. I look forward to reading more by this author and watching the Clint Eastwood film adaptations.

Book Review: This Changes Everything by J Crowe

This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years by Jaquelle Crowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We read this as a family and quite enjoyed it. It’s like a simplified version of Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life. At the end of each chapter is a list of questions that spurred really good conversations with and more questions from our kids. The author’s points are clear and relatable. Most important of all, she is biblical. She also includes apps, websites and other practical info that are helpful for our sanctification.

Our girls are teens/tweens and it’s clear the book is written for them. The author writes as if she’s talking to them. This is why I don’t give this a 5-Star rating. She repeats herself quite often to the point of being irritating. Here are a couple of examples, and there are plenty written like these:

“There are a whole lot of better things to do than just be comfortable - things like telling someone about Jesus, things like serving someone you don’t like, things like fellowship, things like praying with someone, things like confronting a friend about sin, and things like standing up for what’s right.”

“God has given us people to satisfy that desire. He’s given us families. He’s given us friends. He’s given us classmates and coworkers. He’s given us churches.”

If you can get passed this form of writing, it’s an excellent book to read with your kids.

View all my reviews

 

Book Review: Bring Me Back by BA Paris

* I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher via #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered BA Paris, the author of Bring Me Back, last year and enjoyed her previous two books. When I heard she has a new book coming out this year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I was ecstatic when I received the advanced copy for review.

The author is an excellent writer who keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just like with the previous two, I couldn’t put this book down and actually had to make myself stop so I could get some sleep. One reason I enjoyed her first two books is the author doesn’t use profanity, sex or violence to drive the plot. It takes integrity, skill and courage not to do what mainstream authors do. She stood out to me excellently because of this. Sadly, in this third one, there was one instance of profanity that I hope is not the beginning of her being like the rest.

I loved the book all the way up to about 90% of it. I really had no idea how it was going to end. Then, it started to fall apart. The only character I actually liked ended up not what I had expected and quite disappointed me. The ending is so unfulfilling, though I admit I can’t think of a better way to conclude this complicated story. I just felt a little betrayed after luring me into the story, after I devoted all the time to invest in the characters (some I didn’t like in the beginning, but they kind of grew on me), then only to be given a simplistic, irrational and irritating ending.

I hope Bring Me Back is a glitch in Ms. Paris’ repertoire because I want to keep her in my already very short list of favorite modern fiction authors.

Book Review: In His Image by Jen Wilkin

In His Image is the companion/sequel book to Jen Wilkin’s None Like Him, one of my favorite reads last year. While None Like Him covered the attributes of God that are solely His (and applying them to ourselves results in sin), In His Image is all about His communicable characteristics: holy, loving, good, just, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful and wise. These are the traits we are to pursue after.

As expected, Ms. Wilkin did not disappoint. From the beginning, she engages both my mind and heart as she lays out why we need to study who God is. Yes, because He is God and desires us to know Him. But even more precise, He formed us in His image and the more we are like Him, the more we glorify Him. But how are we to become more like Him if we don’t know what He’s like?

Ms. Wilkin presents both the biblical/theological basis and practical applications from knowing God’s character. From the beginning, the author gives an insightful application to the pursuit of these godly characters. Theology, or the study of God, is not just a heady topic, but as explained by this book, could be and should be manifested in our everyday life.

One example is through our decision-making, something even the seasoned believers often struggle with. We have all been guilty of treating God’s will as something elusive and a mystery to be solved. Ms Wlkins has a clearer solution (which is also Dr. John MacArthur’s point in his book, Found: God’s Will),

“For the believer wanting to know God’s will for her life, the first question to pose is not ‘What should I do?’ but ‘Who should I be?’...What does it profit me to make the right choice if I’m still the wrong person?...The hope of the Gospel in our sanctification is not simply that we would make better choices, but that we would become better people....What is God’s will for your life? Put simply, that you would be like Christ.”

Each chapter covers an attribute and comes with a list of Bible verses for mediation, questions to ponder and a prayer suggestion. My favorite chapter is perhaps the one on God being truthful. It’s a great resource for both personal and group study. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review, but will buy copies of it to give away to my friends and family. I plan to study the book with my daughters, who enjoyed going through None Like Him with me.

*I received an advanced copy from the publisher through #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Gospel Comes With a House Key

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


I have been looking forward to reading this book; first, because the author is one I’ve admired from afar ever since I read her first book, Confessions of an Unlikely Convert; second, because hospitality is a ministry dear to my heart. I had high expectations for this book; and sadly, it slightly disappoints. Perhaps I’m being nit picky and I apologize if I sound harsh, but I need to give my honest review. It is perplexing because though I do not love the book, I do not have a problem recommending it to others. (I gave it a 4* on netgalley bec of this).

I’m not sure if this is promoted as such, but it is part memoir, part theology lesson, part christian living kind of book. Interwoven are the theological basis, biblical illustrations and personal story about hospitality. Mrs. Butterfield is a good writer and could very well be the most qualified to talk about hospitality, but I still find issues in the book that I cannot give it a 5-Star rating.

These issues are not theological in nature, so I can still in good conscience recommend the book. For sure, it is highly engaging, saturated with Scripture, and convicting to the core. I’ve had to stop several times to repent for past sins in the area of hospitality and pray for God’s grace to help me a better hostess.

I cried reading about her tumultuous relationship with her mother. I especially love that she encourages us to not idolize safety and security, something American Christians are obsessed with. We need to live our ordinary lives radically and one way we do that is through hospitality. Here are some favorite quotes:

I know I can’t save anyone. Jesus alone saves, and all I do is show up. Show up we must.

Radically ordinary hospitality is this: using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God. It brings glory to God, serves others, and lives out the gospel in word and deed.

Christians must learn to practice radically ordinary hospitality not only as the hosts of this world but, perhaps more importantly, as its despised guests. Let’s face it: we have become unwelcome guests in this post-Christian world.

God calls us to make sacrifices that hurt so that others can be served and maybe even saved. We are called to die. Nothing less.

The job of an ally makes the cross lighter, not by erecting or supporting laws that oppose God’s law, but by being good company in the bearing of its weight.

Now for the disappointing parts...here are just a few:

Perhaps this is unavoidable when writing a memoir, and I have a sensitivity to humble-bragging because of my own pride problems, but I find her constant use of her own personal triumphs in hospitality as a little irksome. I don’t want to judge her motives, but it gets old when I read one hospitable act by the author after another. She did use other people’s examples, but it’s mostly about her and her family’s sacrifice and good works. This is especially interesting because she talks highly of her husband who would not “tarnish by bragging about it (one’s coming to faith through their hospitality) on a blog post or on Facebook. Kent is a Christian man. Christian men do not steal glory from God. This is the kind of news that moves mountains, something to be addressed in the sacred moment of table fellowship.”

Her schedule seems unmaintainable. Doing intentional ministry every day could exhaust even the most devoted Christian. As a minister’s wife, I understand that being in full-time ministry is a 24/7 kind of job, and opportunities to serve could come at any moment. But her way is to have something planned every day. Maybe these are assumed, but I ask her, When does she devote time alone with her husband? When does she foster one on one time with her kids? It is hard to imagine she has time for them just by reading about her schedule.

One of the characters she mentions in the book is Hank who starts as a grumpy neighbor and becomes a friend. Later on, it is found out he was leading a secret criminal life. I understand and admire the author’s compassion for her friend, but her intent focus on this made her question the fairness of his incarceration, made her forget his serious crimes that hurt a lot of people. His sins are somewhat downplayed. Yes, as a Christian, he has been forgiven, but he still has to face the consequences of his sins.

She quotes and uses as a good example a Catholic priest who “regarded hospitality as a spiritual movement, one that is possible only when loneliness finds its spiritual refreshment in solitude, when hostility resolves itself in hospitality, and when illusion is manifested in prayer.” This sounds mystical and, as an ex-Catholic, I seriously have an issue promoting any of them.

I found two typos: principal when she meant principle, tails instead of tales.

Book Review: The Bully Pulpit by Goodwin

The Bully Pulpit is actually three stories in one: the biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and the history of McClure Magazine, the original investigative publication that Teddy labeled as “muckraker journalism.”

The writing is well done. I learned so much about these two former presidents. Taft served as Governor of the Philippines after the US defeated the Spaniards who colonized the Islands for centuries. I’m Filipino and this part of the book is the most eye-opening to me. Taft was an honorable and decent man who, along with his wife, truly valued the dignity of the Filipino people. He went out of his way to secure the way for Philippine independence. In return, the Filipino people revered and respected him.

I most specially loved reading the love notes they sent to and received from their wives. Jane Austen would have had a competition in Taft who wrote romantic notes to his wife Nellie:

While still pursuing her -
“I love you Nellie,” he declared. “I love you for all that you are. I love you for your noble consistent character . . . for all that you are, for all that you hope to be. . . . Oh how I will work and strive to be better and do better, how I will labor for our joint advancement if only you will let me. You will be my companion, my love and my life....My love for you grew out of a friendship, intimate and of long standing. That friendship of course was founded on a respect and admiration for your high character, your sweet womanly qualities and your intellectual superiority over any woman I know and for that quality in you which is called sympathy but I call it self forgetting companionableness. . . . Much as I should love to have you love me now and say so now, there is proud satisfaction I feel in that such a heart as yours can not be won in a moment.”

After a short separation -
“I can not tell you what a comfort it is to me to think of you as my wife and helpmeet,” he declared. “I measure every woman I meet with you and they are all found wanting. Your character, your independence, your straight mode of thinking, your quiet planning, your loyalty, your sympathy when I call for it (as I do too readily) your affection and love (for I know I have it) all these Darling make me happy only to think about them.”

William Taft talking to his father about his future wife:

“The more I knew her,” Will told his father, “the deeper grew my respect for her, the warmer my friendship until it unconsciously ripened into a feeling that she was indispensable to my happiness. . . . I know you will love her when you come to know her and will appreciate as I do her noble character and clear cut intellect and well informed mind. She has been teaching for three years and has been no expense at all to her father. She has done this without encouragement by her family who thought the work too hard for her because she chafed under the conventionalities of society which would keep a young lady only for evening entertainments. She wanted something to do in life. . . . Her eagerness for knowledge of all kinds puts me to shame. Her capacity for work is wonderful.”

Roosevelt said of his first wife, “It almost frightens me, in spite of my own happiness,” he revealed in his diary, “to think that perhaps I may not make her happy; but I shall try so hard; and if ever a man love woman I love her.”

To his second wife, Edith, “I do not think my eyes are blinded by affection,” the president told a friend, “when I say that she has combined to a degree I have never seen in any other woman the power of being the best of wives and mothers, the wisest manager of the household, and at the same time the ideal great lady and mistress of the White House.”

Romanticism aside, this is a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in early 20th century history.

My Grandpa, who served as a solider during WWII under the US Army, once said, “The Spaniards came and treated us like slaves. The Japanese came and treated us like animals. The Americans came and treated us like human beings with dignity.”

The book confirmed just as what my Grandpa said. America is guilty of many things, but it has been a champion for democracy and I have greatly benefited from that myself.

Book Review: How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer

How Should We Then Live? is the second Francis Schaeffer book I’ve read. I loved the first one, The God Who is There, and How Shall We Then Live is just as excellent. It’s such a great book that I read it twice back to back - it’s that good! I highly recommend it to everyone, especially young people who are about to go out into the world and be inevitably educated with the prevalent secularism by the anti-Christian Intelligentsia.

Schaeffer wove through the history of western thought in the book and its influence in the culture, art, science, literature, music, film, and even church life and theology. He expertly documented, from Ancient Rome to the tumultuous 1970’s, how the slow departure from Christian values and absolute truth has resulted in a devastating descent of humanity.

Humanism’s focus that man’s logic is the basis of truth has resulted in making man a mere matter and without dignity. Modern man has replaced allegiance to absolute truth with the values of “personal peace and affluence.” In the process, modern man has willingly and stupidly given up innate human dignity and freedom for the sake of false peace and wealth.

Schaeffer foresaw the rise of postmodernism as the new “absolute” and its ruinous consequences that we now see, from redefining “life” as something dependent on the mother’s feelings to fluid gender and sexual identities independent of the individual’s physical and genetic attributes. The irony is glaring that Humanism (“man is everything”) has removed our innate human dignity, simply because we are all image-bearers of the living God, and reduced man to a group of molecules (“man is nothing”).

He prophetically declared, “When we see a political figure on TV, we are not seeing the person as he necessarily is; we are seeing, rather, the image someone has decided we should see.”

“Finally we must not forget the manipulative capacity of the high-speed computer. As a tool it is useful but neutral. It can be used for good purposes or equally for harm...The combined use of the technical capability of listening in on all these forms of communications with the high-speed computer literally leaves no place to hide and little room for any privacy.

“Similarly alarming are the indications that terrorist organizations from all over the world have in some way coordinated their efforts. We have already seen indications of how people give up liberties when they are faced with the threat of terrorism.”

Faced with the dim outlook of our culture and humanity, we are left to ask the book’s title, “How Should We Then Live?” Schaeffer answered this by encouraging his readers to go back to the truth of God’s Word and use its absolute truths as the foundation of our life. Without absolute truths there can be no morality. Without absolutes, life has no meaning. This book’s message is as relevant and urgently needed to the current generation as much as it was in the 1970’s when it was written.

After reading HSWTL, I see how Schaeffer’s writings have greatly influenced Christian leaders and thinkers like Nancy Pearcey, another favorite author. I must have highlighted 10% of this book. In every page are truth and ideas that accurately convey my thoughts and sentiments about the cultural trends we are facing now. This is remarkable because the book was written over forty years ago.

Here are some favorite quotes from it:

Man’s needs not only a God who exists, but a God who has spoken in a way that can be understood.

...if one begins with the Bible’s position that a person is created by God and created in the image of God, there is a basis for that person’s dignity. People, the Bible teaches, are made in the image of God—they are nonprogrammed. Each is thus Man with dignity.

The vocation of honest merchant or housewife had as much dignity as king.

The rise of modern science did not conflict with what the Bible teaches; indeed, at a crucial point the Scientific Revolution rested upon what the Bible teaches...modern science was born out of the Christian world view.

Because of the rationality of God, the early scientists had an “inexpugnable belief that every detailed occurrence can be correlated with its antecedents in a perfectly definite manner, exemplifying general principles. Without this belief the incredible labors of scientists would be without hope.”

The Christian world view gives us a real world which is there to study objectively. Another result of the Christian base was that the world was worth finding out about, for in doing so one was investigating God’s creation.

By the ruling of the Supreme Court, the unborn baby is not counted as a person. In our day, quite rightly, there has been a hue and cry against some of our ancestors’ cruel viewing of the black slave as a non-person. This was horrible indeed—an act of hypocrisy as well as cruelty. But now, by an arbitrary absolute brought in on the humanist flow, millions of unborn babies of every color of skin are equally by law declared non-persons. Surely this, too, must be seen as an act of hypocrisy.

If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.

With such values (personal Peace and affluence), will men stand for their liberties? Will they not give up their liberties step by step, inch by inch, as long as their own personal peace and prosperity is sustained and not challenged, and as long as the goods are delivered?

The majority of the silent majority, young and old, will sustain the loss of liberties without raising their voices as long as their own life-styles are not threatened. And since personal peace and affluence are so often the only values that count with the majority, politicians know that to be elected they must promise these things. Politics has largely become not a matter of ideals—increasingly men and women are not stirred by the values of liberty and truth—but of supplying a constituency with a frosting of personal peace and affluence. They know that voices will not be raised as long as people have these things, or at least an illusion of them.

The problem is clear: Without the absolute line which Christianity gives for the distinctiveness of people, even things which can be good in themselves lead to humanness being increasingly lost.

Moral “oughts” are only what is sociologically accepted at the moment. In this setting will today’s unthinkable still be unthinkable in ten years? Man no longer sees himself as qualitatively different from non-man. The Christian consensus gave a basis for people being unique, as made in the image of God, but this has largely been thrown away.

The biblical message is truth and it demands a commitment to truth. It means that everything is not the result of the impersonal plus time plus chance, but that there is an infinite-personal God who is the Creator of the universe, the space-time continuum...it is the truth that gives a unity to all of knowledge and all of life.

Four things parenting has taught me about God

I became a mom 18 years ago. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t wait to be a mom. I thought it’d be a little hard, but not overwhelming. I was not scared at all. There was no way I could struggle taking care of sweet babies who always smelled good. Boy, was I wrong! I have to say, though, as far as babies go, I’ve had it easy, I think. My girls were always good sleepers and eaters. I taught them to entertain themselves from the beginning, so I didn’t feel like I had to keep them busy all the time. And I’ve had the best partner in parenting, who has always been an involved dad.

But it didn’t take long, maybe 30 minutes from birth after the initial oohing and ahhing, when I realized parenting was going to be an adventure, both the best and hardest I could ever face. I have learned so much about myself, my sin tendencies, my children’s own struggles with sin; and most importantly, I have learned so much about God. Here are just four things God has taught me about Himself through being a mother to my precious girls.

Parenting has given me a better understanding of God's love for me

As soon as the doctor introduced me to each of my babies, I felt this overwhelming love for her. It’s a love that compares to nothing else I have ever felt. Immediately, I knew I would give up my life for them. As they were growing up, that love just grew, too. Whenever they got hurt, I wanted to ease their pain and comfort them. I prepared the best food, provided them the most comfortable home, protected them from harm, as much as I could.

As they started to show the selfish “me” attitude and anger towards me because I said no to something they wanted so badly, I may have gotten frustrated or angry, but I still loved them. In fact, even in my imperfect, flawed way, I cannot think of any reason how I could ever stop loving them.

This intense love that I have for them is just a glimpse of God’s love for His children. Unlike mine, His love for me never fails and is perfect. No matter how much I sin against Him, He is always ready to forgive. How often have I offended Him, yet He still sees Christ’s righteousness in me, so He will never stop loving me. Because I’ve learned what it’s like to love my children unconditionally, I have a better understanding how much God perfectly loves me.

1 John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Parenting has taught me how much Jesus' death has cost God

Because I cherish my kids more than any other in this world and love them more than my own life, it would be impossible for me to ever give any of them up for any reason. I think one of the most selfless acts any mother could ever do is to give up for adoption the child she can’t provide for. When my kids were babies, I would check on them when they were napping, first to make sure they’re ok, but really because I missed them already. I’m going to be a mess this fall when our oldest will move to California for college. I don’t even want to think about what it will be like not having her home all the time. It’s just a natural thing to feel as a parent, to want to be with your children and to keep them safe.

Now, imagine what God the Father did. He did not give up a child for someone else to cherish, like the mom who gives up her child for adoption. God gave up His Son Jesus, not to be loved and cared for, but to be killed. Jesus became human and died a horrifying death. But even more, it was God the Father who put Him there. It was my sin that made His death necessary, but it was God who “laid my sins on Him.”

Isaiah 53:4-6 says, Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

I cannot imagine what intense pain the Father felt when He gave up His beloved Son to be humiliated, to suffer, to be rejected and scorned, and for what? For undeserving people like us so that we could be reconciled to God in Christ’s perfect righteousness. Our sin has separated us from God and He wants us to be reconciled to Him. But reconciliation will never happen as long as we are tainted by sin. This is where Jesus comes in. God values holiness so much that He gave up His Son to make it possible for sinful people to be holy, but only through Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.


Parenting has made me realize how much my identity in God matters

Before we had kids, my husband and I observed many young parents and how their kids behaved. We decided from the beginning that there were certain things that we would work hard on. One of these was observing table manners. We trained our girls to treat meal times as meal times, not play times. We made them eat their food with little mess, even if it meant I would help direct their little hands from the plate to their mouths until they were able to do it on their own. Dinners are not the time for exploration, but nourishment.

Over the years, our family rules have grown in number. Often, our kids just did them because it’s the way it’s been done for years. Sometimes, though, they would complain, "Why so and so family doesn’t have to do that, but we do?" And our answer is always the same, “We are the Brackett family and we follow the Brackett family rules.”

In the same way, if you are a follower of Christ, there are certain things that you just do because you belong to Him. Sometimes we look at the world and reason to ourselves, "Why can’t I do that, too?" The answer is the same - because God’s family pursues the will of the Father. We may not agree, but our job is to obey. But whether we obey or not, our family status does not change. My kids could decide to make a mess at the table, but they still are my kids. No amount of rebellion could change their identity as a Brackett. They will always be part of our family, no matter what.

The sense of belonging doesn’t apply only to rules, but also to benefits. As a member of our family, our kids also get to reap the wonderful things that come with being a Brackett. Hundreds of people from all over the world love, care and pray for our kids because they’re Bracketts. They get to travel to different countries with mom and dad. They get to live in Croatia with us and grow up bilingual.

In the same way, there are countless blessings that only Christians could enjoy. The world may seem like they’re having fun, but only believers could truly enjoy lasting joy, unwavering hope and lingering peace, despite the troubles of the world. We get to enjoy these benefits simply because we belong to God.

Another way our identity in Christ matters is the fact that it is the most important thing about us and the only thing that will last for eternity. We are called to do different things, have various identities in our marital status, our jobs, and our roles in the community. When you look at everyone’s profile description on social media, you see many titles that reflect who they are. On my craft instagram account, I describe myself as a Christ-follower, paper crafter, amateur watercolorist, handlettering novice, reader, wife and mother. Those are all true, but the one thing I need to emphasize more than any calling is that I am in Christ.

When we face challenges as a young mom, or as an overworked teacher, or as a neglected friend, we need to remind ourselves that we are a child of God, our identity is in Christ, even if we feel like a failure. And failure you will certainly feel as a mom. I’m speaking from experience. I cannot tell you how many sleepless nights I’ve had because I’d felt like I was a horrible mom, wife, friend, daughter. I behaved badly, reacted in sin or spoke harsh words to people I love the most. There were times when I felt like what I had done would have irreversible damage to my relationships with them.

That feeling of failure could overwhelm me, make me depressed, make me give up. But Christ is not finished with me yet. He is the perfecter of my faith. If I focus on myself, I will find only failure because I am still a sinner. But if my focus is in Christ, I will find His righteousness in me. Of course, I will strive to be better in all that I am called to do. I will work hard to improve my attitude, overcome my sins, reach out to those I’ve hurt. But I know I will mess up again. However, I cannot let failure be my main identity. I am in the process of Christlikeness, and it is only through Christ that I can do anything good, so I need to cling to that truth, not my failures.

In the same way, if things are going well in our jobs, or our kids behave like perfect little angels, or the community looks up to us, we have to remember that even in our success, our identity in Christ is still the most important thing about us. Good or bad, we are in Christ. We cannot let failures or success muddle our minds. Don’t let failure or success change our focus from Christ to self. Christ is the King of our life. Don’t let circumstance dethrone Him. No adoring husband, behaving kids, successful career, community respect could make God love us more. Therefore, we can be content in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. We are complete in Christ, with or without a successful job, a good marriage, a wonderful family. For this reason, we can always rejoice in hope that we are in Christ.

1 John 1:3-2 says See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 Peter 2:9-10 says But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Colossians 3:1-2 says, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Parenting has taught me how much obedience to God and trusting Him make the most sense in every circumstance

As I mentioned above, over the years, my husband and I have set rules that are important to our family. These are not random rules we just made up. There is a reason behind each rule. We emphasized table manners because we knew we would be in other people’s homes often as missionaries and did not want to have to struggle with our kids each meal time. We wanted our visits with our supporters to be pleasant and not a stressful mess.

Our kids also suffered from allergies, especially as babies, so I limited their sugar and juice intake from the beginning. I remember the first time our oldest realized other kids were allowed to eat more than one cookie and it was the biggest shock of her life. She didn’t understand how they were allowed but she wasn’t.

As teenagers, our girls are not allowed to do many things their friends do all the time. We teach them to have discernment in what kinds of things they put in their minds, with what they watch, what they read, what they spend their time on. In each of these rules, our girls didn’t always understand, nor agree, with us. There have been many times when we have had to deal with rebellion, disobedience and defiance from them. Those are difficult times, but as parents we need to stay consistent. They questioned our decisions. They fought us over them.

Even when we explained why we have those rules, they didn’t care because they wanted to do what they weren’t allowed to do. Their desire for that one thing is more important than obeying mom and dad. It didn’t matter to them that we have their best in mind. And when they choose to disobey, it is hard for us as parents to watch them get hurt, fail, and suffer the consequences of their sins. Our rules are there to protect them from danger, illness, and other things they are not quite ready yet to face. Our rules are there to teach them discernment so they can decide wisely someday when we will no longer be around. But they don’t always see that our reasons are reasonable enough.

In the same way, God has certain parameters we need to abide by as His children. Sometimes, we don’t understand why, and we fight Him; we question. But we know that He is a good God and will do what is best for us. We may not always understand His rules, but we can be sure that it is for our good. He is far wiser than we are.

We see only a small portion of what’s going on, but He knows the big picture. He knows what will happen. He is perfectly wise, good and in control. But often, we are like the 2-year-old who resists his mom when she insists on holding his hand as they cross the street. We rebel and want to do what we want to do, even though it is not good for us. So parenting has taught me how important trusting and obeying God is. I cannot always foresee the future, or the bad things lurking in the corner, or even how my own sins will hurt me. I have to trust in God who does and knows and wants the best for me. Rest in Him. Hope in His promises. He will never fail us.

Psalm 22:4-6 says, In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Psalm 84:11 says, For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Let me close by asking you a question. Where do you stand before God? All these benefits of being a child of God does not apply to everyone. Remember God is a holy God and unless you have been made holy through Christ, you cannot belong to Him. Your good works, your sacraments, your penance will not make you a child of God because none of those will make you holy enough to come before a holy God. Only Christ’s perfect righteousness can make you holy.

These good things I’ve listed above come only to those who belong to Him, to those who have trusted in Him as their Savior, to those who have repented of their sins and come to the cross for the forgiveness of their sins, once and for all. My prayer is that you will put your trust in Christ as the one who alone can save you. I hope you will understand and enjoy fully the tremendous blessings of being a child of God. Life with Christ is not always easy; in fact, God promised it will be hard on this earth, but it will be worth it. The benefits will outweigh the hardships because we have Christ who is all sufficient for us, here and in the life to come.