A little bit personal.

I like to read. If you know me at all, I know that is no surprise to you. I have become more selective in what I read. I have been burned too many times to just pick up a book from the local library because the blurb on the jacket sounds interesting. Two instances should give you ample example (that is my only contribution to Poetry Month, if you want more go check out Carmon's website, she is very poetically inclined).

A few years ago now some customers of my husband's loaned me a book. I read it and enjoyed it. I then went online to our library catalog and ordered all of the books written by that author. I received the books and went home to read them (this was before our oldest was "school age" and I had a lot more time). I was horrified at about page 45 with an explicit sex scene! I learned that was also typical of this author's books. What I had failed to realize was the book I had originally read was a Reader's Digest version and all the smut was cut (oh-oh that rhymes as well). I shame-facedly returned those books to the library. We live in a small town and I really didn't want our librarians to think I deliberately read such trash.

The second incident was when I picked up a book on the new release shelf. I read the jacket and it sounded very creative. It had great reviews on the back. Of course, I realize that they aren't going to pick a review that says it was the worst book that critic has ever read. I may be naive, but not THAT naive. I think it was only about page 18 on this book when it turned crude. Another shame-faced return to the library.

Now some might use this to prove that I am prudish. To be frank; I have a husband and I believe sex is a beautiful gift from the Lord. I am not relegated to reading about it. I mean seriously folks, I have seven children. So some can think me prudish, but I hold that they have to read about it and I can experience it.

So all that to say that I have found some great books ABOUT SEX! I had a dear friend refer me to the first one. It is called Sheet Music by Kevin Leman. I have to agree with that friend about it having a lot of healing in it. I would recommend this book to any married couple. I would recommend it especially to those with a past. In our culture today that means almost everyone. In Steele Magnolias one character quips, "These days if you can achieve puberty, you can have a past." So true and so sad. Yet where sin abounds grace abounds that much more. This book is a very gracious book.

The second book is by Kevin Leman and Kathy Flores Bell. I had to get the book so I can get the title right: A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with your Kids about Sex. I purchased Sheet Music because it was so good. I am going to get this one too. It really covers the subject well. It focuses on having a relationship with your children. It reinforces how my mom talked to me about sex and my changing body as well as how I talk to my children. The reason I want to buy the book is its wonderful "hands on" examples it gives. I figure by the time I xeroxed all the copies I would need to help me remember and purchasing a folder to put them in I would spend just as much as the book would cost me. I will give you one example that we used successfully for all ages in our house last week.

Supplies you need: Hand Lotion, cinnamon, soap and water. Explain to the children that we have natural oils in our hands. The lotion represents those. Have the children apply hand lotion. The cinnamon represents germs (I called them germies for who-knows-what-reason, I am usually pretty specific on what things are called). Sprinkle cinnamon on their hands. Then show them how germs can get trapped on their clothes if they just wipe their hands on them or on anything else. Then show them how to wash their hands and the germs get washed down the drain.

After our hand washing lesson my children have an obsession with hand cleanliness. Lesson learned and applied.