A Few Good Reads

“5 suggestions for raising non-narcissistic children”
Our children are naturally self centered (as we all are.) If we are not thoughtful about the way we raise our children, we will only increase this propensity rather than combating it. Writing for the ERLC, David Prince offers five suggests for combating narcissism in our children. “Above all else, a Christian parent’s job is to create categories in their children’s daily lives that help make the gospel intelligible as they prepare them for adulthood. Foundational to a Christian worldview is the truth: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Pet. 5:5). Parents must exert authority over their children, not for their own sake, but for their child’s sake. Teaching your children to live under appropriate authority is a gift that leads to contentment. A gospel-centered approach to parenting that cultivates a biblical worldview will not abandon honest conversation about the child’s strengths (appropriate praise is vital) and weaknesses.”

“Anarchy, God, and Sade“
Writing in The American Conservative, Rod Dreher addresses the riots in Baltimore by reminding us that there is anarchy in all our souls. Reading this piece will take some time, but the effort bears great fruit. When we arrive at the end of 2015, I think we will judge this to be one of the most important pieces written this year. “The anarchy I worry about is not the anarchy of poor black people in West Baltimore, or anywhere else. The anarchy I worry about is the anarchy within the hearts and communities of people like me — people who outwardly live lives of prosperity and normality, but who, in their hearts, believe that they and their appetites are the only authority they should follow. This is why I am so perpetually alarmed about our culture: it is fundamentally anarchic, because there is buried within our culture no source of order outside the Self.”

“Beware the Too Compelling Narrative“
I’m a big fan of the writing at The Art of Manliness and this post reminds us that we should not jump on bandwagons just because they seem to have a great story attached to them. Brett McKay shares several narratives fallacies that we fall for including some that will sound familiar in light of current debates. “The reason this narrative is so compelling is that it make us feel optimistic, good, and special. It’s ego boosting to believe you are the most advanced model in a long line of rejected prototypes. It’s satisfying to favorably compare oneself, and one’s generation, to those that have come before.”

Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a week from Sunday and Westminster Book Store has some deals on books for moms this week. You can check out their specials on several great books here.