Three Books Every Mother Should Read
And a few I can’t wait to read
Today I’m sharing my favorite books that have helped me on my journey through motherhood.
In my early teen years, I fell in love with reading and that has only intensified. In fact, if you were to visit my studio today, you would notice that half is art supplies and the other is shelves and shelves of books.
To be honest, I don’t have a ton of time to read (as is probably true for most mamas), but I do try to be intentional in setting aside at least a little time each week to learn and grow through struggles, and I have found this to be incredibly helpful.
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
It has been said that we are our habits and Justin Whitmel Earley does an amazing job of mapping out how we can create good habits and routines for our families to create little moments of gospel connection each day.
I love how he addresses our hearts as individuals before addressing us as parents. “We can’t make disciples without being disciples”.
He also acknowledges that not all families are structured the same and that a single-parent family can still raise beautiful families. He states that no matter the structure of our family, “We can all relate on one thing - Our brokenness as parents. We are all in need of grace and love…”
Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
I was first introduced to this book when my oldest (now 10) was a toddler. Because my husband was both working and attending school full-time, I was solo parenting a lot and so often felt overwhelmed and at my end.
I don’t remember how I came across this book, but will be forever grateful that I did.
Desperate gives us a little glimpse into the mentorship between Sarah and Sally. A young mother desperate to give her children all the love they need but often overwhelmed, fighting the tears, and begging God for help, finding help from a more experienced mom whose loving advice was forged in her own parenting experiences.
Their mentorship relationship is beautiful and helpful as I often found myself identifying with Sarah’s feelings and could immediately utilize the advice and encouragement from Sally in my own parenting.
Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday by Valerie Woerner
I absolutely love everything Valerie creates. In Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday, she encourages us, in her gentle way, that we can find peace, joy, and fulfillment right now. We don’t have to just grin and bear it through motherhood, waiting until we have an empty nest. She reminds us that “the legacy we leave starts inside of us”.
Valerie gets super honest about motherhood. It is hard. But she gently reminds us that the Holy Spirit is working in us and we can choose joy every day.
The good moments of motherhood are not in the escape or hiding behind the bathroom door; is a message that I won’t forget. Jesus is with us, and with our children every day and we can love them as He loves them.
What I can’t wait to read…
The Journey to Christmas and The Hope of Christmas
My friend, Stephanie Hatton, just published these Christmas Advent books, and I cannot wait to use them this year. The Journey to Christmas is adorably designed just for kids, with scriptures and prayers to journal, and fun activities every day.
I also love that she created a mom’s version and I honestly can’t wait to do these together with my kids this Christmas.
She’s also an amazing family photographer in the Fort Worth area :)