New Father S Survival Gde

Few issues touch hearts as deeply as those affecting families. From the 1992 presidential debates to the disputes between parents and school boards, from the Focus on the Family fans to the homosexual community's quest for legalized one-sex "families," our nation struggles with family matters. Exploring books expressing various views is one way to at least understand some of the concerns which abound. Let me first recommend a fine book by a good friend and colleague, Dean Nelson, entitled New Father's Survival Guide: Devotions for the First Year of Parenthood (Minneapolis: Augsburg, c. 1994). Prompted by his wife, Marcia, Dean kept a journal, reflecting on various aspects of parenthood, continually aware that "What the world needs now are stable, mentally healthy moms and dads who love God and take their roles as parents seriously" (p. 49). From the uncertainties and anticipations of pregnancy, through the childbirth classes, to the marvelous birth of Blake, readers share the inner longings and fears, the apprehension and wonder, of a father who accepts a child as a gift from God. Once the baby arrived, momentous changes transformed the Nelson home. The house itself was altered to suit its newest inhabitant. The parents' schedules shifted dramatically to accommodate the baby's time-clock. Priorities concerning work and leisure suddenly had a new focus. The book divides into thirty chapters, styled as a devotional book with Scripture references suggesting a theme and closing prayers imploring divine assistance. As those of us who know Dean would expect, careful observations and humor¬ous insights enliven the meditations. More important: the love and joy of a dad pervade the pages--a love which comes from God and needs to be channeled through parents to children. The book's final prayer makes a provides a fine summation of its message: "Father, you participate every moment with your creation, and you take such delight in it. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of your joy by making us parents. We delight in these good gifts. Because of them we will never be the same" (p. 128). New Father's Survival Guide makes a perfect Father's Day gift, and I assume any father reading it would remember with Dean the joys and anxieties of caring for a youngster. (I gave a copy to my dad, and he read it half-way through before he could put it down, which is a high compliment for any author!) Even non-fathers such as I, however, can learn important lessons while perusing it and share with its author in the simple joy of life. Great book, Dean!