Chapter 8: Inspiring a New Kind of Love

1.  What are some of the needs of the people that you interact with throughout your week?

2.  How can we better see people through the lens of their need and love them as Jesus does?

3.  What do you do to encourage empathy and compassion in your child(ren)?

4.  Do you put out your 'spiritual antennas' and look for people in need?

5.  Reflect on a time in which Christ's love compelled you to action.

6.  Read Mt 9:36 [When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.]  Can you think of some fears or prejudices in your life or your particular culture that might keep you or your children from seeing people as Jesus did?  (What kinds of people do you tend to shy away from or find it hard to care about?)  What might help you overcome these attitudes?
Action Point-Take a concrete step to stretch yourself in love.

Chapter 7: Inspiring a Sense of God's Powerful Presence

1.  Describe your most recent "Come, look!" moment.

2.  What role does nature play in your spirituality?

3.  Do you trust God?

4.  How do you strive to give your child the gift of wonder?

5.  How can we help our child(ren) become more aware of God's presence in each moment?

Action point-Read Mt 6:25-30 [ "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?] and Psalm 19:1 [The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork].  Then think of a time and place where you really felt the power and magnificence of God as displayed in the works of his creation.  In the coming few weeks, be on the alert for opportunities to look, observe, ponder--and point out God's wonders to your children.  Set a goal of saying, "Come, look!" at least once a day.

Chapter 6: Inspiring a Sense of Purpose

1.  What things or involvements has God called you to abandon as you follow Him more closely?

2.  How has your relationship with Christ shaped "what you want to be when you grow-up"?  How can we help our child(ren) redefine success with God's understanding rather than the world's?

3.  What have you done to make Christ known to the people in your life?

4  In what way does the knowledge that your child(ren) are ultimately God's make it easier/more difficult to raise them?

5.  Read Matthew 6:33 [But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well].  This passage is clear about what our priorities should be, but priorities can easily become skewed in the course of daily life.  Consider the way you send your time and your money.  What does this say to your children about what is most important to you, and is this the message you want to send?  In light of this verse, should a mother's children be her first priority?

Action point-Make concrete resolution that will help you to seek God's kingdom throughout your day.

Chapter 5: On the Mountain-A Model for Inspiration

1.  Have you read Chapter IV: The Laity in Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church?  How are we called to glorify God and share in His creative nature?

2.  Where is your favorite place to encounter Christ?

3.  What visual remembrances of your relationship with the Lord do you cherish?

4.  How are you preparing your child(ren) to go into the world and make disciples for the Lord?

5.  Do you reflect upon the spiritual significance of your role as wife and mother?  How do you emphasize this facet in light of the "details of our lives" that threaten to overwhelm?

Action point-For each child in your household, write out a list of characteristics (personality traits, skills, interests, etc.) that you believe God can use for his purposes.  Referring to the list you just made, write a letter to each child expressing what you see in him or her and affirming that God has a special place for that child in his kingdom purposes.  Whether you share the letter with your child now or save it for a future time depends on your circumstances.  Don't forget to commit this list to the Lord in prayer and specifically ask him for help in inspiring that child to use his or her gifts to help bring about God's kingdom.

Chapter 4: The Grace of Forgiveness in Action

1.  Share a teachable moment you have had with your child(ren) regarding sin.

2.  What role does/should guilt play in our parenting?

3.  The last night Jesus had with his disciples, he called them "little children" (John 13:33).  Does this tell you anything about his attitude toward these grown men who were his most devoted followers?  Read John 14:1 [Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.] and see what his continued response was to Peter after he had confronted him with the fact that he would deny Christ.  How does this show the loving grace that Jesus extended to his disciples?  How does he want you to extend it to your children?

4.  The Bible makes it clear that we are to discipline and correct our children when they do wrong.  How do you do this faithfully while still giving them the gift of grace?

5.  What discipline techniques do you find most effective?

Action Point-Make forgiveness an explicit part of your corrective interactions this week.

Chapter 3: The Grace of Encouraging Words

1.  Do you deliberately use "words of life" (encouraging and affirming words) with your child(ren)?  with yourself?  with those outside your home?

2.  The Boys Town Model of Parenting suggests that we strive for a 5:1 ratio of positive/corrective interactions with our child(ren).  Where do you fall most days?  Do you see trends (times, situations, physical stresses) that increase the negative interactions?  Can you take steps to change these circumstances and/or readjust your expectations?

3.  How can we give words of instruction and training without nagging, criticism or reprimands?

4.  Read Romans 2:4 [Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?]  According to this verse, what leads us to repent?  How specifically does God what you to extend his grace to your children so that his kindness, through you, will lead them to repentance?

Action Point-Take time this week to express your appreciation to those around you and to God.

Chapter 2: The Grace of Time Together

1.  How/when do you make time to be a loving presence for your child(ren)?

2.  How do you and your child(ren) interact differently when you use a servant-leadership style of parenting versus commands/threats/guilt/manipulation?

3.  How do you discipline with love in your home?

4.  Write down what tends to irritate you about each of your children and sometimes keeps you from showing God's gracious love.  Pray for each child he has given you and make a plan for how you will respond more graciously to him or her, especially in those irritating situations.