Called to Bless. Called to Choose. Called to Give.We are called to be a blessing. The apostle Peter reminds us that we should, “… not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with a blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9 NIV).But being a blessing–living out the blessing of God–is not merely our calling. It is also our choice. It’s a choice we need to make daily with regard to our past and with regard to each person who comes across our path.But how do we choose to bless, when the events of our past evoke emotions of failure, shame, or deep disappointment? How can we bless the people around us today when their actions make us want to respond–not with a blessing, but with a curse?With tenderness and honest vulnerability, John Trent shows us how we can face the painful pictures of our past and choose to live–and give–God’s blessing. With poignant vignettes from Scripture, from the lives of everyday people, and from his own struggles to face a painful, disappointing past, Trent paints a vivid picture of the powerful impact of choosing to bless those around us. And he reminds us that the blessing is not just a gift we receive from God. It’s a gift we called to give every person.

In this revised and updated edition, learn how the biblical gift of “The Blessing” is key to a child‚Äôs self-worth and emotional well-being. Children of every age long for the gift of The Blessing‚Äîthe unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with their parents.

This life-changing gift for Christian parents and their children, essential for instilling a deep sense of worthiness and unshakable emotional well-being, contains five essential elements:

• Meaningful touch
• A spoken message
• Attaching high value
• Picturing a special future
• An active commitment

Offering solid, practical advice and a fresh perspective on making this gift a bigger part of our families, The Blessing powerfully communicates these biblically based elements as necessary to prepare children for positive future relationships, including their relationship with a loving God.

New to this updated edition are:

• Giving The Blessing to others in your circle of influence
• Practical application tools and stories of how this is lived out
• Insight and help for those who didn‚Äôt receive The Blessing
• How to create a lifestyle of blessing others

If you have missed out on the approval of your parents, the final chapters are for you. They include help for those who grew up without their own parent’s blessing and provide ideas for blessing events.

Dive deeper into The Blessing with interactive exercises and discussion questions available in the audiobook companion PDF download.