The Blessing, John Trent, PH.D. and Gary Smalley

A blessing - a birthright - the one thing each of us is entitled. Did you get yours - was it clearly communicated to you? Or are you like many - wondering if life is filled with chances and choice, wondering if you are destined to continue in the same family cycles that have been established?

In this book the authors challenge the common thinking and misunderstanding of what a blessing is. I was greatly encouraged by this because it is something my husband and I strongly believe in. Our spiritual heritage and the legacy we wish to pass to our children and grandchildren has been foremost in our mind as we began our family 10 years ago. 5 pregnancies and 4 children later plus one adopted recently we stand firm in the fact that we have a responsibility to send our children into this world with full knowledge that they have a spiritual blessing from us - that we have prayed over them and for them and that we have set forth a spiritual foundation on which they can securely build a future.

Through Meaningful touch, spoken message, attaching high value to the person, picturing a special future for the person, and making an active commitment a parent learns to express unconditional love and acceptance. This allows the reader to learn how to make their home a home of blessing, acceptance, love and growth. In this type of home the spirit of children thrives and happiness and peace abound.

Do not despair though. If you are a person that comes from a broken background, or if your home has not been a home of blessing this book offers help here too. My background was broken and dark - filled with many curses and a foundation of failure was a slippery path on which I perched. My husbands home life was good, but his parents did not build on the solid rock of Christ - thereby he also had no solid blessing passed down. Though we learned about blessings through study of the Old Testament this book shows how you can Reverse the Curse. It also addresses the home that withholds the blessing - the dangers of this and how to correct it; and what happens when you Missed the blessing.

The hope is this - It is your home, and the children that God blessed you with. Embrace the birthright blessing that is available. Give your home a theme verse and cling to it ever tightly.

This book is an encouragement and a great tool.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for this review copy.