Earlier this year, some mom friends and I started a little mom book club. It works like this: we pick a book, give ourselves a month to read it, and then meet to discuss it (and everything else under the sun, while drinking copious amounts of coffee). We typically choose books that have a parenting/motherhood focus.
Last month we choose “Triggers,” by Wendy Speake and Amber Lia. I ended up loving this book so much that it’s earned a spot on my list of books that make me a better mom. This book is a devotional type format, with thirty-one short chapters intended to be read daily. After a lot of discussion about the book’s format, we decided to read four chapters, or one chapter a week, before our next meeting.
I questioned this decision a little in my own mind at the time, fearing that it was going to take us a l-o-n-g time to get through this little book. We are now two months in, and I am SO GLAD we are taking this book at a slow pace.
The chapters in the book are short, so if you have time to read daily you could likely finish it quickly. But there is so much wisdom to absorb in this book. It’s wonderful. And flying through it quickly would hinder me from absorbing it. And believe me, in the area of mommy anger, I can use all the wisdom I can get.
So each week, I try to read the chapter of the week on Monday. I pray before I read, asking the Lord to guide my reading time and reveal to me any bible verses or truths I need to hear and study for the week. And He always does.
Every single week there has been a truth that I feel convicted to examine in my own heart and daily life. Whatever verse or truth is revealed to me becomes my focus for the week. I write it in my planner and post it on an index card that I hang in the kitchen. It’s right there in front me to read, ponder, remember.
Reasons I love this book:
It’s biblical.
Since I’m a Christian, I want my parenting to reflect Jesus. I’m very wary of parenting books that aren’t based on the word. Bible passages abound in this book. I love that.
It’s super practical.
The authors give solid examples and situations that are relatable, and are easy to apply in my own life. And the authors are mamas who get it. They know the mommy anger that can pop up out of nowhere; their words reassure me that I am not the only one in the world who feels like her head is going to explode on certain days.
This parenting gig is hard. It’s easy to get sucked into the daily drama of relationships with the people you live with and love the most. I’m super thankful for this little book, and I’m super excited to dive into it deeper over the next couple of months.
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