My Crazy Imperfect Christian Family: Living Out Your Faith with Those Who Know You Best

This book, writes Stanton on the opening page, does not offer five easy steps or seven sure-fire principles to having a godly family. ""Fads and formulas will fail you because Christianity is so much more than tips for a successful life,"" he cautions. The ensuing chapters lay out the real story: not only is the Christian family not perfect, but the home is usually the place where Christians are most flawed, raw and cruel to each other. How can family members better reflect the love of Christ? In this well-written book, Stanton (director and senior research analyst at Focus on the Family) reflects on sexuality, family roles and the qualities of a Christian home. He casts a wide net for source material, relying heavily on wisdom from Inklings like C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton and chattily recommending relevant books like an old friend might. With solid and perceptive insights into Christian beliefs and practices, Stanton offers hope for people whose families are not picture perfect--suggested by the cover image, where one of the children in a smiling family portrait stands off by himself, picking his nose.