Book Review

The author of this book is in my homeschool group. I don't know her personally, but of course I had to get the book and check it out! I am completely blown away by what she has written. This is NOT your typical book on mothering. This book is about immersing ourselves as mothers into the Living Water. Wrapping our lives and the lives of our children so tightly around Jesus that no one can tell where we end and He begins.

This book is not about diapers and educational methods. It is not about psychology or behavior modification techniques. It is deeper than that. It is about the issues of the soul, down inside where all that ultimately matters is housed. If we get this right, we will never fall for the whispers of the enemy again. If we miss it, we will continue to be plagued with guilt and doubts. We will continue to wonder if we did it right or if there was something we could have done better for our children. We will continue to beat ourselves up over their every stumble. We will continue to try to control and micro-manage their lives so that they worship and live and behave the "right" way.

Let me share something with you. I know the struggles of feeling inadequate. I know the doubts and fears that plague my waking hours and haunt my dreams.

I know me.

I know what I have done and I know how little I deserve the blessing of mothering. I also know that my desires to control my children and their "behavior" are not from God, they are from the enemy. They are part of the curse. He whispers in my ear constantly. He tells me that every time I am not consistent in discipline or every time that I lose my temper that they are scarred for life. He says that if we don't have family devotions every single night that my sons won't know how to lead their families. His gravelly voice points out to me that I am fallen, that I can't seem to get it right - we don't get up early enough, my little one doesn't read well enough, who do I think I am to attempt to handle their education myself? Who do I think I am?

This books assures me one more time what God's own Word confirms. I am a child of the Most High God. He is the one with the perfect plan for my children. My job is not to lay out the vision, it is to prayerfully consider His vision and then come alongside my children, partnering with the God who does all things well to help them along their path. Their way of living out their mission before God may look radically different than mine. They may worship with a different style than I do, they may dance to a different tune. And you know what? It is ok. What is important is not that they look like little clones of me. What is important is that they desperately desire to immerse themselves in Jesus. Everything else falls into place after that. I can throw my legalistic rules and self-made regulations out the window and rejoice! If my children run hard after God, I can walk in the freedom that is already mine! I will have done my job.

I encourage you to read this book. In the words of recording artist Nichole Nordeman...."This book left me breathless."