Only moments ago I finished devouring your book, “Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.“ And I must thank you from the very bottom of my heart for allowing the Lord to use you ladies in my life. I am so refreshed, my vision renewed, my heart re-awakened!
I was raised in a Christian home, home schooled through high school and had only the desire for marriage and raising a family. I stayed in my parent’s home under my father’s authority until I was 21 when my husband and I married. My heart’s desire was to glorify the Lord in everything I did. We now have four sons ages 6, 5, 3 & 2 and are awaiting the adoption of our first daughter.
Until only recently, I have always found complete fulfillment in serving my family.
Yet slowly the “me first” mentality began to creep into my heart. I began to feel left out as I watched other women having “mommy day’s out.” I began to focus my entire attention on how TIRED I was, how I never slept, never got more than 3 minutes of Bible study before I had a child decide that he needed some Tylenol on his OWN, or a good shower…in the TOILET! I began to despair; something was terribly wrong with me and it must be because I wasn’t getting time off at least every other day.
Homeschooling had always been my hearts desire, my dream, yet I was beginning to feel bitter at those school buses I passed on the roads, wondering why they couldn’t help me out of some of my duties, so that I could spend more time on the things I enjoyed.
One day I snapped, I had finally had enough of head to head battle with a three-year-old who was claiming that if he died I wouldn’t care. I was drained to say the least; my heart was so wrapped up in ME that I couldn’t see my hurting babies.
I couldn’t see that any and all behavior was simply them begging for my attentions to be less self-centered and more servant-like. In fact, I was so far focused on myself that I walked into the store where I had worked part-time before my husband and I married and had kids and stood at the counter, just battling inside the deep rooted desire to ask for my job back. My deep convictions held me back from asking, but the fact that I was willing to stand there and consider it scared me.
For years I have lamented that I wished somebody would write a Biblical book, with practical advice on the issues that moms such as myself face.
When I saw this book appear on the Vision Forum website I ordered instantly, only to get an e-mail saying it was on back order and could take three weeks to ship. I actually cried over that e-mail, and cried out to the Lord for the strength to carry on. Do you know that your book arrived on my door step only two days later, the Lord knew how deeply I needed the sound Biblical advice that He used you to convey to my heart.
As I read each page, my heart soared, (especially in the weary women chapter). I was reminded of the beauty of the Biblical truth that I was turning my back on. I realized the mending that needed to take place in my relationships with my sons, and the heartfelt apology that my husband deserved to which he forgave instantly. I still have a dramatic three-year-old. I still struggle moments of selfishness.
However, my heart is restored. The heart to serve my Lord by serving my husband, my children, and those we come into contact with. I am not spinning and toiling in my heart, but rejoicing. In the beginning of the book, I related on a few levels with “Carolyn” in the first portion; and by the end of the book I completely related with her final story of joy in the Lord in the midst of keeping her home.
This is the very first book on motherhood/marriage that I have ever read without feeling like a failure, condemned and under the pile. Quite the opposite, and because of that, and the Biblical truth within the cover, I am sharing it with everybody I know.
If I could I would hug both of you and cry on your shoulders; because by being willing to allow the Lord to use you to write this book, you have been a part of restoring my ministry, my calling, my joy. I do not have to be perfect. I am covered by grace to complete this incredible task at hand: to raise up four godly young men to be servants for the Kingdom, and someday, I pray, a daughter who will be a helper to her own husband.
From the bottom of our hearts, both my husband and I thank you.
Chris and Jasmine
