First of all…WOW.
Thank you all so much for your wonderful response to Will All of the Real Moms Please Stand Up? So many of you stood up. You shared your struggles. And your deep love for your children.
And your realness.
Thank you.
You are a blessing to me. You are a blessing to many, many women who will read your comments and know that we’re not alone in the journey we call motherhood. Thank you.
After reading all of your comments (because yes, I read all of them and yes, I will continue to read them as you write them) I wanted to take a moment to encourage everyone just a bit more. Here’s what I learned about you from all of your comments:
You, my friends, are doing a wonderful job. You love your husbands. You love your children. If you didn’t love them so much you wouldn’t care about raising them successfully for Jesus.
You work hard. You work very, very hard.
You want to better yourself. You want to be more like Jesus.
You keep looking to Him and striving to be better.
Good job, Moms.
As a bit of follow-up and so that we can continue to help each other, I have two requests:
1. As you have “Real Mom” moments…will you please continue to visit this post and share them in the comments section? I put a quick link to the post at the bottom of my sidebar for easy access. We can all use a good dose of realness occasionally. PLUS, whenever “real life” happens…sometimes it can help put everything into perspective if we have a place to share it.
and…
2. As we all strive to improve our homemaking and parenting skills…will you please leave a comment on THIS post describing some of the tools and books you use or have used that have been helpful to you in your journey? I’d love for all of us to have a wonderful list of resources!
My contribution to the topic:
- Motivated Moms planners have been a wonderful resource to many. These downloadable ebooks not only help get you organized in your homemaking tasks…they can even help keep you on track with daily Bible reading. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to click on sample pages of Motivated Moms downloadable planners.
- Some ladies swear by the Fly Lady. She claims to be your personal online coach to help you gain control of your home and your life! Woohoo!
- My favorite parenting books are mentioned in my Amazon Store here.
Please…take a moment to share what tools and resources work for you!
Lindsey says
I will swear by FlyLady! She and her team helped me get a handle on homemaking. She introduced me to baby steps and showed me how to create simple routines. I am forever grateful to her for showing me how to make my home a tidy, loving place to be. Also, Proverbs 31 helps me set my sights high for the day!
Nancy Werwick says
I love Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin. It has really helped me learn to be a better wife for my husband. The book is long and a bit slow to read but the principles are wonderful. I found a book online that puts it in story form called The Secret of Fascinating Womanhood. Its found at:
http://www.zealandpublishing.co.nz/FW%20Book/Fascinating%20Womanhood%20whole%20book%20low%20res.pdf
Hope this is a help to some.
Becky C says
Nancy, THANK YOU!! Without making this post too long or going into
great detail, your link is the best thing for my marriage. I could go
on and on, but… just thanks. Thanks a lot. Becky
Nancy Werwick says
You are so welcome. May the Lord bless your efforts!!
Pamela says
I try to remind myself everyday that this is the best job I could have and I need to start my day with that kind of attitude! Doesn’t always work, but if my heart is in the right place then God can work with anything!
I also really enjoyed the book “Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God.” Wonderful reminder that we as women are called to do this role of mothering and training with joy and to love our husbands unconditionally. Tough job, but with God all things are possible!
Jeannie says
I found Raising Kids Who Hunger for God, To Train Up a Child (some things we felt were harsh and we do NOT do, i.e. our children are welcome in our bedroom, but it is an overall good book) and the free newsletters No Greater Joy and Above Rubies to be VERY helpful and encouraging to my husband and me.
JenT says
I recently wrote a post on a list of books I am working my way through.
http://jent-manyblessings.blogspot.com/2009/12/to-be-read-list.html
And since then I found another book at a friend’s house. It’s called A Survivor’s Guide to Home Schooling by Luanne Shackelford and Susan White. I slipped that one in my list and am reading it now.
Carmen says
My sister-in-law gave us the gift of “Parenting with Love and Logic”. It has really been a great tool to help us have a less confrontational home.
Sonja says
I would recommend “The Mission of Motherhood” by Sally Clarkson as a wonderful resource. I also love “Prayers for New Mothers” by Angela Thomas Guffey, for anyone, new or not.
Jessica says
I second To Train Up a Child and No Greater Joy by Michael and Debi Pearl (www.nogreaterjoy.org)! Teach Them Diligently (and The Heart of Anger, which was highly recommended by a friend; will start reading it soon) by Lou Priolo. Also helpful to me as a wife: Every Woman’s Marriage by Shannon and Greg Ethridge, The Sexually Confident Wife by Shannon Ethridge (http://sexuallyconfidentwife.com/), The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, and The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective by Martha Peace. Elizabeth George books are excellent; I have A Wife After God’s Own Heart but have yet to read it.
Melody says
It may have already been said but I really got a lot out of “Bringing Up Boys” by Dr.Dobson. It helped me with my son & husband!
Sarah says
Two great books I would recommend are “Don’t Make Me Count To Three” by Ginger Plowman for motherhood and “Beautiful In God’s Eyes” by Elizabeth George for womanhood.
Briana says
I will give a “nod” to “Don’t Make Me Count to Three” by Ginger Plowman, too. Excellent, practical book. A couple other parenting books that stay at my bedside:
“Shepherding a Child’s Heart” by Tedd Tripp: http://www.amazon.com/Shepherding-Childs-Heart-Tedd-Tripp/dp/0966378601
Duties of Parents by JC Ryle: http://www.amazon.com/Duties-Parents-J-C-Ryle/dp/158474054X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261605929&sr=1-1
These two are my “go to” books that sit by my bed or behind my “throne” :) I read and re read all the time for inspiration, help, to re-focus and remember what God has called me to as a momma.
*Another good one for mom/daughter relationships in particular:
“Girl talk…” by Carolyn Mahaney (and her three daughters): http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Talk-Mother-Daughter-Conversations-Womanhood/dp/1581345100/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606355&sr=1-2
For Children’s bibles, we really like the following two:
“THe Big Picture Story Bible” by David Helm:
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Picture-Story-Bible/dp/1581342772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606448&sr=1-1
“The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd Jones:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Every-Whispers/dp/0310708257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606489&sr=1-1
In the area of being a wife and a woman, I’ve found these to be very helpful
“Feminine Appeal” by Carolyn Mahaney and Nancy L.DeMoss: http://www.amazon.com/Feminine-Appeal-Carolyn-Mahaney/dp/1581346158/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261605979&sr=1-1-spell
“The True Woman” by Susan Hunt:
http://www.amazon.com/True-Woman-Beauty-Strength-Godly/dp/0891079270/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606177&sr=1-4
“Sex, Romance and the Glory of God” by CJ Mahaney:
http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Romance-Glory-God-Christian/dp/1581346247/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606221&sr=1-3
“Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response To Evangelical Feminism” by John Piper: http://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Biblical-Manhood-Womanhood-Evangelical/dp/1581348061/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261606221&sr=1-2
Julie in Australia says
Hi there,
In Australia I have found books by the author Mel Hayde have been a God send. I am sure you would also love them especially for Mother of toddlers (although it is applicable for all ages). The link is http://www.terrifictoddlers.com.au/TerrificToddlers/Welcome.html
Julie
Jamie says
I really love Steve Biddulph’s books on parenting.
http://www.stevebiddulph.com/
Pam says
I love the Scott Turansky and Joann Miller parenting books:
Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes… in You and Your Kids
Good and Angry
Parenting is Heart Work
Becky C says
OK, something that is helping me at the moment is actually a CD. It’s music that is happy, without having a lot of beat. Right now we are listening to Bible Songs for Kids #1. http://www.bibletruthmusic.com/recordings/default.aspx (fourth one down- there are three different ones)
All three boys calmed down when we turned it on. And it’s verses put to music. Most of the time, verses to music are boring, but these are actually cute and upbeat.
Bri says
I just finished Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl and it seriously saved my marriage! I recommend it to all of the Christian wives (and mommies) out there…it has turned our marriage from being on the road to divorce to being INCREDIBLE!
With my husband blessing I will share a commend he made to me. After starting the book, I immediately started putting it into practice. He came home from work one day and said, “I never would consider cheating on you, but I do notice other women. Since you started reading this book, I don’t even notice anyone else.”
This melted my heart! This book was convicting and very difficult for me. I grew up in a matriarchal family of very strong women. This book has improved my life and our marriage immensely! I am now letting my husband be the leader he has always desired to be and his faith seems to be stronger now than it has ever been! It is truly amazing!