Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe ~Book Review

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400204666
ISBN-13: 978-1400204663

:::Book Description:::

"I just can't be a mother today."

These words have been whispered to God in quiet desperation by mothers who love their children to the depths of their soul, but who are struggling with how hard motherhood is.

Motherhood turns you inside out. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by how tired you feel; the days go on and on, and you want to be a "good" mom, but you feel like a failure so much of the time. What happened to all your ideals? When did you end up feeling so...lost?

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have been to the edge and back. Desperate is the story of one young mother’s trials and one experienced mentor’s priceless exhortations. Desperate is not a book about despair, nor is it a rule-laden mothering manual. It is a bouquet from a friend who has been there, reminding us that we are not alone. Sarah Mae’s unvarnished account of her own struggles mothering three feisty young children is a lesson in learning patience, loving idiosyncrasies, accepting help, and—most of all—leaning on God.

Each chapter includes a brief Bible study with journal exercises to help you find your own quiet center, and get you back into the fray soul-filled and refreshed. Written with candor, empathy, and faith, Desperate is like coffee with a trusted girlfriend; one who knows how hard being a mother can be, and how to navigate the often turbulent road.

:::My Thoughts:::

This is a really good tool for all mother's to have. I can't even say how glad I am that I not only got the opportunity to review it, but read it. It is sunshine for the mother's soul. To know that you are not alone in the way you can feel. Let's face it, motherhood is not exactly what any of us pictured. Don't get me wrong motherhood is wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world. My children are my everything, and I love being their mommy. They are my little blessings and I count myself grateful for them everyday. But the fact of the matter is that motherhood is not as easy as I thought it would be. I devoured parenting and baby books while I was pregnant. While they are chock full of good information they don't quite prepare you for all the hardships, late nights, tantrums, etc. Everyone usually tells you that labor can hurt, that you will be tired once you have the baby, but they don't delve into the details of staying up all night long with no sleep, toddlers that throw tantrums in the middle of the grocery store, how it's so easy to get swept up and lose friendships because you find yourself with much less time to devote to anyone else, that it's okay if you can't do every little thing you expected to be able to handle all at once, etc. Nobody quite prepares you for that. This book holds nothing back, however, and gives personal accounts from the authors. Advice that is so truthful it's refreshing to hear.

Another great feature of this book is that it points out how important it is to bond with all mothers young and old alike. No matter our ages we are not alone. I luckily have had my mother along my journey to help guide me in questions about my children, and within the last couple of years I was able to reconnect with some old friends that are also mothers as well. It is just so important to have a mentor that can remind you that you are not alone, and just be there for you. We were never meant to mother alone, families were created by God with us in mind. We must keep God rooted in our lives as well as our children's lives. We can't be wonder woman as much as we want to. There's only so much we can do and handle on our own. We can sometimes set such high goals for ourselves that when we don't always reach them it can bring us down.  But when we put it in God's hands, and confide in other mother's we can find kinship and a peace unlike we have known. This is one encouraging book, and I recommend it to mother's of all ages. Even if your children are grown and out of the house it can show you how you can help mentor a younger mother. It's truly a book for mothers of all ages with scriptures, reflections, journal exercises, QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter, and questions for yourself that will be sure to enlighten you.

Here is a video on the book:

This book is available in the following forms (among others):   Paperback   Kindle   Nook   a DVD companion study (coming soon, you can pre-order now)



 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.