Between Ball Games: Stories and Wisdom on Raising Up and Cheering on Strong Young Men

by Amy Bloye

Overview

From energy and injury to surviving middle school, moms are asking questions. They want to know about training, finding role models, overcoming fear, dealing with ADD and learning how to talk to their teenagers and get them to have a conversation. Moms want to know if they have permission to take care of themselves, how to not act shocked, and how to experience God's grace and joy in being a boy mom. Twenty-six years of encouragement and wisdom are packed into this short read. Each three-to five-page chapter begins with a story and concludes with a challenging truth and a Scripture reference.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684263912
Publisher:	ACU Press/Leafwood Publishers
Publication date:	02/01/2022
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Amy Bloye has a degree in elementary and middle education from Liberty University. She and her husband, Brian, started West Ridge Church in Dallas, Georgia, in 1997. Amy values encouraging, equipping, and connecting other pastors' wives and church planting couples through their nonprofit organization, Engage Churches. Amy and Brian speak together at marriage conferences and retreats. Amy started Cultivate, an annual retreat for pastors' wives and women in ministry. She has two young-adult sons, Taylor and Zach, an English Lab, Gibson, and a laboradoodle, Lucy Montana.

Table of Contents

Foreword Sue Ferguson 9

Introduction But My Baby Dolls Were All Girls 13

1 You're Gonna Miss This 15

Hold on to those sweet faces. Time is flying.

2 Jumbo Ketchup Bottles 18

Your son is a little warrior. Who cares if he spills the ketchup?

3 We Got an A on Our Gorilla Science Project 23

Love big and help each other.

4 I Should Have Been an Orthopedic Doctor! 28

Dealing with energy and injury.

5 Spit It Out 31

Talking to your boys without driving them crazy.

6 I Left My Boy on Top of a Mountain 37

When you realize they were actually listening.

7 Buy Yourself a Pink Towel 41

Remembering to care for yourself.

8 Cutting the Grass with Scissors 45

When you don't know that your boy has ADD.

9 Fight Night 50

Bad parenting and the grace of God.

10 Everything Is a Sword 54

Saying yes to as much as possible.

11 No Sceered Men 59

Overcoming fear.

12 Pierced and Tatted 67

The four things we want our boys to know.

13 Dancing with a Dolphin 72

Sometimes experiences are better than gifts.

14 Green Van 76

Share your needs. Increase their faith.

15 Don't Act Shocked 82

How to get your teenage boys to talk to you.

16 Fire Pit Conversations 88

When organized devotions were a disaster.

17 Little Monsters That Drive People Insane 95

The importance of training.

18 Heroes 100

Dad is more than a supporting role.

19 Time to Paint! 105

Alternating energetic and calm activities.

20 Dumb Men in Commercials 111

Strong role models are crucial.

21 Sliding on the Bannister 115

Stop caring about what everyone thinks.

22 Sometimes You Can't Fix It 121

Pointing your son to God when your faith is small.

23 Do I Know You? 128

Surviving middle school.

24 You Are Basically a Taxi Driver 134

Seasons of life and mothering.

25 I Did Spit on the Floor 140

How to react to bad behavior.

26 You Have Baggage 146

Figuring out your dysfunction so you don't pass it on.

27 The First Five Minutes 153

Mom sets the tone.

28 My Brother, Camo, and Military History 157

Training your son in the unique way God made him.

29 Honey, Your Son Has Testosterone 163

Partnering in the battle against pornography.

30 Not Works. Grace 169

Talking to your son about God and talking to God about your son.

31 How to Talk to Your Son about Racism 177

You are seen.

32 Girls Are Different 184

Treat them like queens.

33 Furby 192

The end.

Discussion Guide 195

Notes 205