'He's Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself'

Each year our family seems to evolve in ways I never anticipated. Being a parent and a mother takes on a nuance I didn't expect. I devour audio books while scribbling notes on any loose page. Podcast networks are my new best friend. While a face to face friend is always welcome fellowship, sometimes it takes someone to cut through to the details that are wrecking your home-life.
Lazy is a 'charged' word. So you can imagine when I saw this book title across one of my most trusted Podcaster's playlist: 'He's Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe In Himself.' 
Run. Don't walk. If this made you stop and pause, and consider the son you've struggled with in any regard, grab this book. I listened on Audible, but it is available at most retailers such as Amazon.
The layers of challenges that are on our sons in todays modern world are astounding. And they just can't 'run away' the same way our grandfather's did at 14 or 15. They are stuck in a world of technology that may be important to them in one way, but it also monitors their every movement. This leaves them with little freedom to become the man they are trying to become-- on their own.
The monitoring is the challenge- the www is not helpful, so parents (this parent) again are 'schooled' in language that will communicate to our sons we believe in them, without a false approach to the over-indulged 'self-esteem' movement.
I'm going to include the link to the Podcast from 'The Art of Manliness,' which first introduced me to the book. It's a quick synopsis that left me ready for more. I haven't felt this empowered about empowering my son in a long while. I hope you will find it equally as encouraging.

September 2018

Books. Books seem to multiply in my house.  But as I've recently been following the 30 day challenge from Edie Wadsworth at LifeinGrace, I am reminded that I've been decluttering and discarding all along. This year when I went to the library book sale, I had a list, and stuck to it. My discards were already gone and shelf space was ready. 

This summer I read The Great Gatsby which, I must say, was wonderful. It met and surpassed my expectations. It inspired me to consider other great books and begin to branch out more in classic literature.*edit: A Podcast at Circe Institute- Closereads - has included 'The Great Gatsby' in its list of books! Fantastic! They invited Adam Andrews to participate and it was illuminating!

The summer came on the heels of a trip to Louisville, KY to the Circe Regional Conference. It too was amazing. Hearing Adam Andrews share a reading from Flannery O'Connor was spectacular. 

I was finishing the Wendell Berry selection, Hannah Coulter  with Close Reader's abroad while trekking right up I-65 through Kentucky. It was glorious. Martin Cothran was a particularly interesting presenter as I was very unfamiliar with him and his work. It was all so good. 

Upon returning home, I began to truly delve into Norms and Nobility.