Well, here we are at another book review! I received the Risen Motherhood book for Christmas last year and have just now finished reading it (yes, I’m that slow!).
But, wow, it is a wonderful, encouraging, uplifting, and all-around helpful book! If you are a new mama, or any mama really, you’ve got to get a copy and get reading it!
Here are a few of my favorite parts and what I learned from this wonderful resource!
Risen Motherhood
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The Big Picture
The whole goal of this book is to help you live a life of motherhood that centers around the Gospel [hint, I LOVE THIS MESSAGE!] I am so thankful for that outlook because many motherhood books do not point you back to Christ. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler are constantly pointing you back to Christ’s work on the cross and how that shapes your mothering. The joys, and pitfalls, of parenthood are mostly all covered, and if not in a specific way, this book covers them in a general way. Everything from marriage to self-care to children with disabilities, they’ve got you covered.
Each chapter takes you through the steps of the Gospel, covering God’s perfect plan, the fall, and how Christ’s sacrifice all have a part to play in each area of our jobs as mothers. And each chapter has wonderful study questions at the end making it a great book for your next book club.
I felt like I was sitting down with Emily and Laura for a nice cup of coffee and a chat each time I picked up the book. Their wisdom and experience is shared in such a readable and encouraging way that I looked forward to every chance I got to read a chapter.
Motherhood is Hard
And they will be the first to tell you that mothering is not an easy job! While it is our God-given role it is tainted by sin. This book was a breath of fresh air in my own mothering because it pointed me back to my Savior who has paid the ultimate sacrifice for me and my child, He’s always helping me and guiding me, and He will never change even though everyday of motherhood seems to be different. (Am I right?)
God Redeems All of It
I was especially encouraged by the chapter on our “mundane moments.” God redeems all of our mundane moments by teaching us more about Himself and about how we can glorify Him. When I read that, “[God’s] redemptive plan unfolded through millennia of normal people whose mundane moments came together in victory over death as Jesus left his tomb.” my mind was blown!
Here I was, changing diapers, cleaning the sink, organizing toys, and sweeping the floor for the upteenth time… how is God working through that? He is because He is always working in all of our lives. And when we do our mundane tasks with an attitude of praise and kindness to the Lord, we are giving Him glory. And I now trust, as Emily said, “that there is no mundane moment too small for God’s glory to shine through it.”
We Can Learn in the Fringes
I only wish that I had finished this book sooner because the last two chapters were home runs for me. Emily and Laura write about how you can still learn about God even in the busy-ness of raising children, that the little years are not lost. They and their book are living examples of that, praise God!
But it was so inspiring to me. That truly is how I learn about God, “in the fringes.” Maybe it’s five minutes to read a devotional while I wait in the line for gas at Costco, or a quick prayer as my daughter is going to bed, leaving my Bible open on the dining room table so we can read at a moments’ notice. All these little chunks of time add up in the end and you CAN learn and grow in God while you are a mom.
I mean, that’s why I write this blog! Because I want you to know, mama, that your relationship with the Lord is meaningful and important. That what you do in the fringes of your day matters for eternity. That even if all the time you have to study God and His Word is during naptime, then it is worth it to know our Savior and follow in His ways.
Conclusion
So go and get this book! I cannot recommend it enough and I’m thinking of adding a few extra copies to my shelf to give away to friends who have not heard of it yet.
Have you read this book? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
P.S. Yes, as you see in the photo at the top of the page, I took this book on a walk with my daughter and attempted to read it while we strolled safely on the sidewalk. This was not a good idea and I do not recommend it. But it made for a nice photo with the book outside… ha!
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