Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

Desperate: Hope for the Mom that Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson is one of the best mothering books I've ever read.  It is the ideal book for new mothers and seasoned mothers alike. Each chapter begins with a letter from Sarah to Sally followed by Sally's reply. Then the authors take turns writing about each topic from their different perspectives.   Sarah is a mom with young children while Sally's children are already grown.

At the end of each chapter, Bible study and journaling questions help you to evaluate yourself. Every chapter also has a QR code and website address to a short video with the authors that correspond to each lesson. The book ends with a wonderful Q & A by Sally.

The book has 14 chapters and 221 pages (print version). The chapters are divided into three sections: 1) The Dream Life...Altered 2) Getting Real About Mama-Hood and 3)The Redeeming. It's just the right length for busy moms. Chapters are meaty, but short enough to read in one sitting.

A favorite quote of mine is from Sally Clarkson:

 "I believe there is no 'one right way.' God calls each of us to seek Him, to look for His wisdom and to follow where He calls us by faith, and it will be a different story for each family, marriage, and individual mom or day." 

We need to look to the Bible and to God for our direction and not to the many voices telling us what to do.  I struggle with perfectionism so I really liked what Sally has to say about this as well, 

"Living by performance always kills our souls because none of us are perfect mothers, and we will fail in some areas, so we need to live by God's approval and mercy to feel His grace."

One thing I really loved for more experienced moms was a call to help the younger moms as is Biblical.  It is a reminder to younger moms to not forget what it was like to be a mom with young children and for those of us who are older to lend a hand to them.  

I found this book to be encouraging and uplifting, yet challenging at the same time.  Many parenting books leave you feeling guilty and overwhelmed. Desperate does the opposite.  Both authors are transparent and offer hope and encouragement.This is a must read for all Christian homeschooling moms.  Don’t miss it. (I've already started re-reading it.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord by Dave Stone

Are you looking for a great summer read that will help you in raising your children in the Lord? Pastor Dave Stone's Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord is just the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this hardcover, gift-sized book. It is filled with practical ideas and examples from his life in raising his own children. I found it to be both encouraging and challenging.

With 145 pages divided into ten chapters, this book is a quick read. I loved this quote from the first chapter:

Only perfect parents raise perfect children. (Last time I checked, there were no perfect children and no perfect parents either!) There is no foolproof plan. And there is this little detail called free will which will determine the spiritual commitment level of your children when they are grown. On the other hand, Christian homes don't just happen; neither do kids who love the Lord. There is a lot we can do to help determine the outcome of our children's spiritual lives.

Well, if like me, you are not perfect, you will be encouraged that you do not have to be perfect and you don't need to expect perfection in your children. You will also be challenged to raise your children (with the Lord's help) to the best of your ability and be given practical ways to carry this out.



Some of the topics covered in the book include having an authentic Christian walk at all times; what, when and how to pray for your children; being consistent in discipline; how others can help and more. There is also one chapter written just to moms and one for dads as well.


I really enjoyed reading this book and think all Christian parents would benefit from reading this book. I plan to read it again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Child Training Bible

Have you heard of the Child Training Bible?  I noticed a lot of homeschool bloggers reviewing this lately and from the first time I saw it I knew I wanted to use this in my home.  Over the years, I have read MANY books on parenting and child training, but ultimately it's the Bible I want to use to train my children.  I was thrilled to have an opportunity to review this and give one away! (so keep reading to the end)

The Child Training Bible Kit is a set of 4 laminated cards that allow you to mark your own Bible or one you purchase just for this purpose. I purchased this Bible for $9.99 which I am very happy with.  It took me a few hours to get my new Bible all set up and it was a blessing to do it.  This kit would make a wonderful baby shower gift or gift for any parent.  You could set it up for whoever you are giving it to but I am glad I had the opportunity to do it myself.  

My Child Training Bible completed with all the tabs.

The Child Training Bible Kit

As mentioned the CTB kit comes with 4 laminated cards.  The cards are sturdy and look like they will hold up over a long period of time.  The first card is the key that you tape using double sided tape to the inside cover of your Bible and makes it easy to find the verses for each "offense".  The remaining cards called tabbers are printed on both sides.  The first side lists the Bible verses for each tab and is used to help you set up your Bible.  The opposite side is divided into 3 sections.  The first two sections have questions to help open up the discussion after reading the scriptures and the third section contains prayers with scripture that you can pray with your child at the end of a training session.  You can clip these cards inside the back cover of your Bible with a binder clip or make a pocket to slide them into.

Inside the Bible.  Verses are highlighted.
I found that with some of the darker colors it was better to underline rather than highlight.
The Bible I bought has lighter ink so it might just be because of that.

This video is a great overview of what the Child Training Bible is, how to put it together and how to use it.

You can purchase your own Child Training Bible kit for $9 plus $4.99 shipping for up to 2 kits. She also offers discounts for orders of 10 or more. You will also need a 9"x6" Bible, post it flags and highlighters to complete your kit. Product suggestions can be found on the CTB Order Supplies page. Visit the Child Training Bible website to learn how it came into existence and more about the creator.

I am so excited to be able to give away on Child Training Bible kit through the generosity of Mindy at The Child Training Bible.  This giveaway ends on Friday, June 29 at midnight, so enter now!

Winner is Katrina B!  Congratulations!  (Contact has been made.)  Thank you to all who entered to win.  I would encourage you to follow Child Training Bible on facebook (other giveaways are posted) or just BUY your own kit!

This is my first Rafflecopter giveaway. It seemed easy to set up so I hope everything is working properly.

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disclaimer:  I was given a free Child Bible Training Kit in exchange for an honest review.