The phone conversation had been sweet, a tender expression of love and concern. Towards the end of the call, she made a simple statement, “I love your family. I am not sure how you did it, but they grew up beautifully.”

And I replied, “We don’t know how it happened either. It’s how we remember it was all grace – by God’s grace.”

We marry and have children with our hopes set high to raise them to love Jesus and live rightly. The challenge is always before us and in the midst of raising them, God is also growing us up in Him.

Family relationships are the most meaningful, and difficult, of all relationships. They are also the most needed and impact our lives, and the lives of generations to come.

And so we raise our children, growing them up, with the confidence they will be shaped by God’s grace.

The privilege was given to me to read Gary Morland’s first book,  “A Family Shaped by Grace”. This is a book for us all, whether we are parents or not, for we all need to learn how to get along with others.

In this book, the author shares with both transparency and heart of his own journey back from a childhood that not only left scars on his own life, but also took him down the road of a repetitive pattern with his own family. He does not take any shortcuts in restoring relationships or undoing the damage but instead, does the hard and painful work of establishing health.

His story is one that will breathe hope into each reader that it is possible to rebuild a family, to come back from hurtful behaviors, and build a family founded on the power of grace and forgiveness.

The author writes gently, his compassion to help families is evident in every chapter. He reminds us that change begins with us, and not in changing those around us. As we continue to read, he points us to Jesus – our Source of all we need in life.

This is not a book review in an attempt to sell a book. This is a book to help us to make changes and move towards the family relationships we desire. My own copy has become underlined, notes written in the margins as I have found wisdom on many pages.

And here is the best part –

When you order the book, you will receive things not included in the book. You can order the book HERE .

God has entrusted your family to you. He knows how He has created you and He knows the purposes He intends …

“You have an assignment to be God’s access to your family. He knows what that assignment means and why he gave it to you. He knows what’s involved and needed to do it. He knows it’s your assignment, and he gave it to you fully aware of your limitations and challenges. He did not give the assignment based on your ability to accomplish it but based on his.

And, oh yeah – he loves you more than you love yourself.”

(from A Family Shaped by Grace by Gary Morland, page 108)

Your assignment should you accept it?
To raise a family shaped by grace.
God’s grace!

** I was given an advanced copy of the book for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own. I received no compensation for this review nor will I if you purchase the book.

Today I am joining … #DreamTogether and Moments of Hope and Soul Survival .