Posted August 10, 2010 Book: Beloved and Blessed: Biblical Wisdom for Family Life Author: Kimberly Hahn Servant Books. Cincinnati, OH. 2010. Pp. 249 An Excerpt from the Jacket: The third in a series of bible studies based on Proverbs 31, Beloved and Blessed offers tools to help you strengthen your marriage and raise your children, creating a civilization of love in your home. Applying Sacred Scripture, Church teaching and pastoral wisdom, Kimberly Hahn helps you explore: Marital intimacy Responsible parenthood Facing the financial future without fear Strategies for disciplining and instructing children Trusting God when parenting hurts. An Excerpt from the Book: Harmony in our home We are capable of great good or harm with our words. Saint James offers several word-pictures to illustrate just how powerful our tongues are: If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; thought they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire. Just as a horse’s gait and direction are altered by the bit and bridle in his mouth, or a ship’s direction is altered by its rudder, so our tongues guide the direction of conversations and relationships. James likens the power of a tongue to fire. Just as massive forests can be destroyed by just a few flames, so our careless words can do great harm. We can influence both the physical and spiritual health of those we love by choosing our words wisely. “The mind of the wise makes his speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” We want to speak with wisdom. “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” We can contribute much to the harmony of our home — and so can our children — depending on our speech. Let’s examine some of the central ideas about godly use of our tongues here. “There is gold, and abundance of costly stones; but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.” Words reveal the heart. The Pharisees taught that eating certain foods made the people unclean. Jesus addressed the deeper issue: “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man . . .But what come out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man.” His words echo the proverb, “Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life.” Table of Contents: Part One The heart of her husband trusts in her 1. Invitation fo intimacy 2. Challenges to intimacy Part Two Her children rise up and call her blessed 3. Family as the sanctuary of life 4. The mission of responsible parenthood 5. Answering the critics 6. Training our hearts in truth Part Three She makes linen garments and sells them 7. Facing the financial future without fear 8. Economics of a stay-at-home mom 9. Mary, model for mothers Part Four Her husband is known in the gates 10. The perfect parent 11. Bringing up children with discipline Part Five She opens her mouth with wisdom 12. Making a home for the word 13. Living witness: sharing the faith in our family Part Six The teaching of kindness is on her tongue 14. Sculpting a life through education at home 15. Training in practical life skills 16. Trusting God when parenting hurts