Lysa TerKeursts latest book, Am I Messing Up My Kids
and Other Questions Every Mom Asks, is just the book for any mom or mom-to-be who wants to know its okay to be less than perfect. Being a mom is hard, and being a godly mom is harder. TerKeurst wants to teach moms how to draw nearer to God and, in that, nearer to their children and their husbands.
TerKeurst includes, in every chapter, personal experiences that illustrate her focus for that chapter. Most moms will have no trouble identifying with her feelings of inadequacy, frustration, guilt, and spiritual flatness. Each chapter ends with a section she calls Refresh My Soul, a combination of thought-provoking reflection and study questions suitable for womens Bible study or personal devotions. TerKeurst brings to this book the experience of twelve previous publications, and is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Perhaps her best credential for writing this book is found in her biography: She is simply a carpooling mom who loves Jesus passionately and struggles like the rest of us with laundry, junk drawers and cellulite.
Examples of the life experiences TerKeurst draws from include an angry toddler who bit her on the face, a kitchen remodeling project that didnt go as planned, a child with a nighttime stomach bug, and a runaway family dog. Each of her stories illustrates how these moments became lessons about Gods plan for parents by teaching her something about her relationship with Him. From chapter 18: And thats what makes this parenting thing so stinkin hard. There are really no textbook answers. Its a
balancing act between loving, shepherding, disciplining
The only way I can navigate this balancing act is to stay close to God. Really close.
Even confident moms will find nuggets of wisdom in this book. The writing is not only engaging, but often funny. It is hard not to read it as though it were a novel but resist the temptation to skip over the study questions at the end of each chapter. They are an excellent way to get tuned in to Gods purpose for you as a mom and wife. Theres good stuff in those reflection passages! It is well worth the time to read this book and to work through the study questions, and it would make a good book for a moms Bible study or parenting group. Dr. Jan Wallace Reber, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
