Sacred Parenting

1.Thomas argues that having children fundamentally disrupts our self-centeredness in ways that few other life experiences can match. How has parenting — or caring for others — revealed selfishness in you that you didn't know was there?

1.Thomas explores how the unconditional delight a young child shows toward a parent can serve as a mirror of God's welcome toward us. Had you ever thought of your child's love as a theological lesson? What do you make of that idea?

1.Thomas describes the almost primal instinct parents have to protect their children from harm. When have you felt that protective impulse most strongly? What did it reveal about you?

1.Thomas argues that parenting is one of the most effective prayer schools God has designed. Looking at your own prayer life, do you find that to be true? Has your prayer become more desperate, more frequent, or more honest since becoming a parent?

1.Thomas explores how Scripture consistently uses parenting language — Father, children, adoption, discipline, inheritance — to describe God's relationship with humanity. Which of these images resonates most deeply with you, and why?

1.Thomas uses the language of sacrifice throughout this chapter — not dramatic sacrifice, but the daily, repeated giving of time, energy, money, sleep, and personal ambition. Which of these 'ordinary sacrifices' has cost you the most?

1.Thomas argues that children have a unique capacity to reawaken wonder in adults who have grown too accustomed to the world. What is something your child has said, noticed, or asked that stopped you in your tracks and made you see something familiar in an entirely new way?

1.Thomas argues that one of the great spiritual lessons of parenting is attentiveness — learning to notice, to be present, and to mark what matters. How attentive would you honestly say you are in your daily life with your children? What most often distracts you?

1.Thomas calls the family a 'school of sanctification.' What does he mean by that, and how does it differ from viewing the family primarily as a place of comfort or personal fulfillment?

1.Thomas argues that parenting is one of the most significant 'eternal investments' a person can make — that the spiritual formation of a child has implications that ripple across generations. How does that long view change how you think about what you are doing right now in your home?

1.Looking back across the whole book, which chapter or idea was most personally significant to you — the one that most surprised you, most challenged you, or most changed how you see your parenting life?