Preparing for Parenting

The Milionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley is a great book. This guy did a in depth study on many, many millionaires to see what they all had in common. You'd be very surprised about the common traits and characteristics they have.

Now, I think becoming millionaires were just ONE of the many successful areas in their lives. The financial wealth of these people is just one of the many great products that came from the character and values these people possess. They are wealthy in many areas of life.

One simple common practice they all have is that the average millionaire reads, on average, 1 non-fiction book per month. Always increasing their knowledge, never settling or letting up. This challenged me when I read this fact. (FYI: a new study has found that the average number of hours spent in front of the TV in North America is up to 8 HOURS PER DAY!?!?!? How many non fiction books could we knock out if we invested 8 hours a day reading? Another interesting article.)

Some of the things Brandi and I have been reading in preparation for the arrival of Jada are:

• Boundaries by Henry Cloud
• Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo
• Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge
• The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans
• QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability in Work and in Life by John Miller

Half Time by Bob Buford is a book I haven't read yet, but is HIGH on my list. The main focus and subtitle of the book is, "Changing your game plan from success to significance." WOW! Think about that for a second. When people look back on your life, your contribution to this world, wouldn't you want to be remembered for your significance more than your success?

I believe that if you are doing what you are called to do, if you are operating in your gifts and doing significant work, success is BOUND to follow, right?

Wouldn't that be a GREAT value for Brandi and I to teach and live for Jada? Our plan is that she will grow up to live a life of significance, that she will find out in her early years what God has called her to do. We hope she doesn't wait until she's in her mid-thirties to start having this mindset.

Maybe God have us 2 extra months in order to read 2 more books that could help us develop & prepare her heart for whatever God has planned for Jada? What's on your coffee table, bedside table? What are you reading?