936 Pennies by Eryn Lynum

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936 PENNIES: Discovering the Joy of IntentionalParenting

Sobering, challenging, thought provoking, a game changer. All words I could use to describe this book.  I may have found my new baby gift to give. Imagine being given a jar of 936 pennies and being told to take one out every week until your baby turns 18. Doesn't that just bring a somberness to raising a human from baby to adult? Doesn't it give more meaning to making each day count? What will you think about when you take out that penny? Will there be happy memories or only regrets?  This book takes different aspects of time and shares stories and inspiration to go along with each idea. And at the end of every chapter, there are questions to reflect on.

This book was just such a challenge to me as we parent our three year old and eight month old. So much of their lives, Lord willing, are still ahead of them. And then as I think of my three little angels in heaven, who never got to spend even one penny from their jar, I am reminded that life can so easily be snuffed out. And so I want to treasure each day, each week and while I don't have a penny jar (at least not yet), I want to be able to look back at the end of each week with fondness and not regret.

A few quotes I like from the book: "Peace is not arrived at on a whim or a wish....We must work at it." Eryn also talks about peace thieves, those things in our lives that can steal our peace, oftentimes before we're really even aware of what's happening.

"It's a difficult balance, this memory-preserving and life-living all at the same time... Sometimes for the moment to have opportunity to become a memory, we have to set the camera down." Then we can see the beauty that is right here and right now in front of us and not behind the camera lens.

I just really enjoyed this book.

I received this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review.

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