Not Alone: Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids in a Spiritually Mismatched Home
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Authors: Lynn Donovan,Dineen Miller
PRAISE FOR
Not
Alone
Living in a spiritually mismatched marriage represents one of the greatest challenges a couple can face. Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller tackle the issue head-on with grace, honesty and a wealth of practical advice. I’m encouraged by their willingness to reach out to this often-overlooked segment of the Church.
Jim Daly
President, Focus on the Family
I was raised in a spiritually mismatched home and my own mother would have LOVED the wisdom, encouragement and practical help Lynn and Dineen offer in
Not Alone.
Raising children and tackling teens is hard enough in any environment but Lynn and Dineen offer help and hope so you always feel you are NOT ALONE!
Pam Farrel
Author of
Becoming a Brave New Woman, Men Are Like Waffles,
Women Are Like Spaghetti
and
10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make
Pick up your favorite highlighter because
Not Alone
is one of those rare books full of practical wisdom that you will want to read, reread, bookmark and highlight. While this book is aimed at parents in spiritually unequal marriages, Lynn and Dineen offer godly insight and encouragement for
all
parents. I finished this book feeling, as a sometimes worried mom, that I’m not alone, that my earnest prayers can move God to act, and that He always has my back.
Susy Flory
New York Times
bestselling author and a mom of two
This dynamic duo’s use of Scripture, prayers, transparent real-life stories and personal study questions is powerful. They have truly walked through the valley that women in spiritually mismatched marriages are in and they offer a firm hope. This is a must-read for women who are seeking wisdom and guidance as they raise their children in the midst of marital challenges.
Courtney Joseph
Author of
Women Living Well
and
WomenLivingWell.org
For every mother who has silently wondered,
Am I enough?
authors Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller point you to the very One who is. You don’t have to be in a spiritually mismatched home to appreciate their wisdom and tender companionship on this holy ground called “motherhood.” If I could place this book in the hands of mothers everywhere, I would.
Joanne Kraft
Author of
Just too Busy—Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical
When I think of Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, these are the words that come to mind:
sincere, passionate, godly, humble and accessible.
If you’re in a spiritually mismatched marriage and you worry about your kids, you’ve come to the right place. These girlfriends will wrap you up in a hug, they’ll tell you the truth and they’ll point you to Jesus. They were so right to title this book
Not Alone
because when you’re done reading, you’ll know and believe that you’re not alone on this journey; God is with you and He’s got you.
Susie Larson
Radio Host, Speaker, and Author of
Your Beautiful Purpose
I’ve walked the road of being in a spiritually mismatched marriage. When I was in my most desperate time of clinging to God, my kids’ father was running away. Oh how I wish I would’ve had
Not Alone
to hold in my hands to combat that feeling of desperation and isolation. With comfort, grace and been-there wisdom, Lynn and Dineen will walk you through with hope—not only for you, but for your kids as well.
Kathi Lipp
Author of
21 Ways to Connect with Your Kids
and
Can I Get Some Help Here—Prayers and Practical Steps When Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan
I have high hopes for my kids—but perhaps the greatest hope of all is that I want them to know and love Jesus in a way that’s authentic and real. Dineen Miller and Lynn Donovan clearly understand the heart’s desires of moms like me.
Not Alone
gives moms a resource of practical help and warm encouragement so that they can prayerfully and practically raise kids who not only know Jesus, but also love Jesus wholeheartedly.
Erin MacPherson
Author of
The Christian Mama’s Guide
series
Having spent a lot of time as the spiritual leader in my own home, I know how lonely it can feel.
Not Alone
is an invigorating source of hope and grace that calls women to godly parenting and guides them as they entrust their children’s spiritual well-being to the Father, the ultimate parenting partner.
Nicole O’Dell
Founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio
Passing down faith to your children is especially challenging when only one parent believes. Yet, as the title says, you are not alone! These authors and mothers know exactly what you’re going through. They can help you navigate the years ahead with hope, grace and clarity.
Arlene Pellicane
Author of
31 Days to a Happy Husband
I love this book! Lynn and Dineen don’t just encourage women— they
empower
them to raise faith-focused children in a secular world. Their excitement is contagious—their wisdom runs deep. Whether you’re a single mom or in a mismatched relationship,
Not Alone
is chock-full of practical insight for passionate parenting.
Darlene Schacht
Author of
The Good Wife’s Guide
and coauthor of the
New York Times
bestseller
Reshaping It All
In
Not Alone
, Dineen Miller and Lynn Donovan weave biblical insight together with their own stories as they help mothers discover hope, faith and courage to not only leave a legacy of faith as they passionately parent their children, but also to understand they are not alone in their journey. Although written for women who are in spiritually unequal marriages, are single moms or widowed moms,
Not Alone
will benefit all moms who read it. This is a great resource for small groups and I’m honored to recommend it.
Stephanie Shott
Author, speaker and founder of The M.O.M. Initiative
Published by Regal
From Gospel Light
Ventura, California, U.S.A.
www.regalbooks.com
Printed in the U.S.A.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the
Holy Bible,
New International Version®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
All rights reserved.
Other versions used are
ESV—
Scripture taken from the
English Standard Version
, Copyright © 2001. The
ESV
and
English Standard Version
are trademarks of Good News Publishers.
KJV—King James Version.
Authorized King James Version.
THE MESSAGE—
Scripture taken from
THE MESSAGE.
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
NASB—Scripture taken from the
New American Standard Bible
, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
NKJV—Scripture taken from the
New King James Version.
Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982
by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT—Scripture quotations marked
NLT
are taken from the
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
All rights reserved.
© 2013 Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Donovan, Lynn.
Not alone : trusting God to help you raise Godly kids in a spiritually mismatch home /
Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8307-6713-7 (trade paper : alk. paper) 1. Parenting—Religious aspects—Christianity.
2. Child rearing—Religious aspects—Christianity. 3. Mothers—Religious life.
4. Non-church-affiliated people—Family relationships. I. Miller, Dineen. II. Title.
BV4529.18.D66 2013
248.8’45—dc23
2013021286
Rights for publishing this book outside the U.S.A. or in non-English languages are administered
by Gospel Light Worldwide, an international not-for-profit ministry. For additional information,
please visit
www.glww.org
, email [email protected], or write to
Gospel Light Worldwide, 1957 Eastman Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003, U.S.A.
To order copies of this book and other Regal products in bulk quantities,
please contact us at 1-800-446-7735.
To Brad and Caitie, Rachel and Leslie,
and to our Abba Father,
who holds all of us in the palm of His hand.
Trusting God to Make Up the Difference
Teaching Kids the Power of Prayer and the Strength of the Sword
Yes Church, No Church, We All Don’t Want to Go to Church
Saying No When the World (and Dad) Says Yes
Inspiring Kids to Have an “Others” Mindset
“Real Deal” Faith Leads to “Real Deal” Kids
Praying for Our Kids: Their Friends, Their Safety and Their Future
Handling Tough Questions, Confusing Situations and Special Needs
Conclusion: The End of a Story
Rebellion and the Prodigal Adult
Scripture Index: My Identity in Christ
Prayers for Moms and Prayers for Our Kids
Bringing Faith Home: Family-Faith Traditions and Projects
Leader’s Guide Small Group Study
Acknowledgments
Dear Reader, we want to thank you. So many of you have walked this spiritually mismatched journey with us from our first book,
Winning Him Without Words
, and from our ministry site,
www.SpirituallyUnequalMarriage.com
. We have watched God turn our online presence into a beautiful community that was birthed out of common trials and challenges and is now moving forward into victories, stronger faith and deeper relationship with our amazing Savior Jesus.
In that beautiful growth God brought us together with our multi-talented editor Kim Bangs, an amazing woman who is a font of inspiration and a blessing to all she meets. We are privileged to call her a dear friend too. And from this friendship has come a stunning relationship with our publisher, Regal Books/Gospel Light. Their staff is a sensational group of people—Bill Grieg, Stan Jantz, Tasha Ruffing, Jackie Medina, Mark Weising, Rob Williams, Carol Eide and the entire sales staff, just to name a few. This amazing team has prayed over us and committed its time and energies to support us and our ministry. Each of these people walks with heartfelt conviction and true callings to serve God in their unique talents. We are so incredibly blessed by them.
And as in our first book, we could not move forward without the approval of our family, out of respect and love for them. Our children—Rachel, Leslie, Brad and Caitie—have eagerly shared stories and reminders with us, their sometimes forgetful moms, about how God has shown up in the funniest of places—in the car ride home, in a home full of love and tacos, in a sock fight, and in so many tears and hugs. God has been so incredibly faithful to us.