Resource Review
Reviewed by Mark Massey
Everyday Talk:
Talking Freely and Naturally about God with your Children
by John A. Younts
Shepherd Press
Available through Victory for $12 at (715)759-5976
This is another one of those short books that is long on application! John Younts quickly (in the intro) gets to the point: our everyday talk is crucial to our children's training. He goes right to Deuteronomy 6 and defines his concept of everyday talk as the parent's communication with his or her child in the unplanned moments, the casual unguarded moments, when he is distracted or irritated, when she hears good or bad news, whenever, and where ever they "talk." Sunday best talk is eclipsed by our everyday talk. "The message of this book is that the most profound teaching your child receives is the everyday talk from your mouth."
He also has a whole chapter that everyone I know can use. It is on listening. He gives good, real-life examples driving home the point that unless you are a good listener, you won't hear the important questions. Younts coins the term parentspeak as talking without listening. Listening is crucial to gathering information, but more so listening connotes care and concern for the other person. "The better you know your children, the more you can shine the powerful light of Scripture into the dark corners of their lives."
The good stuff continues as he talks about our view of sin (ordinary or holy, big or little). His material on the hows and whys of obedience is "two-thumbs-up." He also spends a good amount of time explaining our need to prepare our children for the deceptions of the world and Satan's giant illusion/grand deception. There are several good thoughts on talking with your children about the issues of music and sex. "You must tell your children over and over that satisfaction and contentment are impossible apart from a relationship with God."
In his closing;"the challenge is great...Loving God means many things, but perhaps most profoundly it means loving Him so much that you speak of Him when you walk along the road, when you sit at home, when you lie down, and when you get up."