Today we have a guest post from the very husband of one of the Meal Planning Mommies, Sarah Anderson.

Let me introduce you to my husband, Chadwick “Wick” Anderson. He is an incredibly supportive husband, intentional father and “out of the box” youth pastor who has recently published a great e-book for parents on Amazon.com!!!

Here is a brief synopsis:

Does this sound familiar?

You’re sitting in a church service, reading the Bible, or at a conference of some sort and it hits you: you’re not doing enough. Sure, you’re busy. Your calendar is full 32 days a month, and you haven’t had enough sleep since before Lamaze. But in the presence of others, sometimes you feel the peer pressure that your daily routine needs to involve a bit more Spiritual Disciplines.

You sigh, knowing that your days are already crazy full. You think about the week you’ve just survived, and wonder where in those hectic hours could you possibly find time to participate in something that will regularly nourish and grow your soul and relationship with God?

If only there was some sort of spiritual discipline that didn’t require you to light candles and have an altar. Some sort of regular pattern of communing with God that didn’t force you to give up the few minutes of alone time you’ve somehow managed to carve out of your day already. If only there was some way to redeem this journey of parenting, so that it became so much more than simply surviving, or even raising the neighborhoods greatest citizens.

These are just a few thoughts behind my recent book, “Different: How God Uses Parenting to Transform Us Wholly”, available to download for now through Amazon.com.

As someone in ministry, I would never devalue the traditional spiritual disciplines. Prayer, fasting, community worship, sacrificial living, tithes, etc. have all been incredible staples to growing in our relationships with God for thousands of years. The goal of my book is to help elevate the act of parenting to echo a bit more of what I believe God intended.

TONS of books have been written, and seminars taught on – the product of parenting. The end result is usually seen as either a well-developed and God-fearing child or family. But I want to suggest there’s so much more to parenting than the child we raise or our growing families. There is a work God is performing in the heart, mind, and life of every parent that ever changed a diaper! If we’re willing, God can use this 24/7 journey to transform us, and we will never be the same.

So if you’d like to learn more about how God can use every moment: from the midnight trips to the emergency room to the mythical nap times where legends of sleep exist; then download your copy of “Different” for $2.99 today!! This book is specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download the FREE kindle for PC software and then you can read e-books on your computer.

While you’re at it, check out my ongoing blog at: www.differentparent.com

And…just so that I fit in with the “Meal Planning Mommies”, here’s a recipe I’d made for dessert at home tonight! It’s for baked pears a la mode!! As you can tell, I multiplied the recipe times 5, in order to make 10 halves instead of 2 (although I did not increase the cooking temperature or time, in case that was confusing). I used a melon baller to remove the core, and clear out the pear pieces. It’s easy to make, and delicious warm with vanilla ice cream!! A perfect accessory to sitting down with a great e-book. 🙂