December 3, 2014

Small Talk: Learning from my children what matters most.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”


Small Talk is a narrative based upon conversations Amy Julia Becker has had with her children. It is not a parenting guide. It does not offer prescriptive lessons about how to talk with children. Rather, it tells stories based upon the questions and statements Amy Julia’s children have made about the things that make life good (such as love, kindness, beauty, laughter, and friendship), the things that make life hard (such as death, failure, and tragedy), and what we believe (such as prayer, God, and miracles).

Amy Julia Becker is the author of Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most (Zondervan, 2014), A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations and a Little Girl Named Penny (Bethany House), named one of the Top Books of 2011 by Publisher’s Weekly, and Penelope Ayers: A Memoir. A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, she blogs regularly for Christianity Today at Thin Places. Her essays about faith, family, and disability have appeared on the Motherlode blog of The New York Times, USA Today, ABCNews.com, Theatlantic.com, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, The Huffington Post,and Parents.com. Amy Julia lives with her husband Peter and three children, Penny, William, and Marilee in Western CT.

Reading the chapter on Heaven was the closest to my heart. I have conversations with my kids about why we cant see Grandpa. I tell them that God decided Grandpa had done his life's work here on earth and now he is in Heaven with Grandma and they are with God and getting their rewards for being such good Christians. Every time we have the conversation it reminds me that one day I will see them, and hug them, again and it helps lessen the hurt a bit. 
There are a few conversations in her book that I have not had to have with my kids but her reasoning and handling of them has given me an insight on what to say and how to rethink the conversations I have with my own kids. 


You can purchase this book on Amazon HERE
Visit Amy Julia Becker on Facebook

I have a very simple and easy giveaway for you to enter to win a copy of Amy's book. Just leave me a comment telling me if you have children and if they have done anything extremely funny lately that has just made you wonder. Thats it! Contest runs from 12/3 to 12/17. Random.org will determine the winner! Good Luck!
Dont forget to leave your email addy so I can email you if you win!

1 comment:

  1. My niece was hilarious when she was a toddler. She would dance to Disney songs for hours on end.

    ReplyDelete