Christ in the Chaos

This really is a little gem of a book and I'm sure I won't do it justice in reviewing it.  Kimm Crandall is brutally honest about the chaotic nature of motherhood, but makes no attempt to give 'top ten tips of being a less chaotic mother' (what a relief!).  The essence of it is captured in the subtitle 'How the gospel changes motherhood'.  The Gospel!  For a true believer, the gospel and the power of it known and felt in the soul is what changes everything (not just motherhood).  But because Kimm applies the true message of the Gospel especially to motherhood it really strikes a chord with those mothers who feel that every day they should do better, try harder, be more patient, not shout, remain calm, keep the house clean, the children clean, the husb... etc etc (does that cover every mother??).  Actually, what matters is Christ.  He knows our failures before we do and in spite of them, He loves us.  Kimm presses this point all the way through the book and applies it so practically to the reality of our day to day lives as mothers.  Whether it is our desire to be the perfect Mum (and outwardly only showing this mask), our comparisons between our parenting skills and others, our inability to keep calm in aggravating circumstances, our struggles to meet the ever-changing needs of our family, our felt failure to keep the home... and so the list goes on. How often we bind ourselves up in rules and lists of our own making. But what liberty there is in the gospel! 

The writing style of the book is very direct and at times Kimm took me by surprise in her language. However, the truths she expresses have been written about throughout the ages and only the day I finished the book I read a piece by J C Philpot (1802-1869) which chimed in beautifully with its essential message.
Highly recommended for all Mums AND Dads (actually, I think this book wouldn't go amiss read by most people who feel they struggle with understanding how the gospel applies to their chaos).
Lorna
Christ in the Chaos, by Kim Crandall, published by Cruciform Press, available in paperback or eBook.

Mother's Day

Hands up who's forgotten Mother's Day! Don't worry, it may only be 4 days away (yes, 10th March) but there is still time for us to get great books to your Mum - we will even gift wrap and send them direct if you wish.
I think the definition of a great book is very subjective - Jeremy assures me that Mums don't want to read books about being a Mum on Mother's Day because it's too depressing when they realise they are doing it all wrong, so I will try to steer clear of them in my recommendations!

Biographies are always a good read, here's one you probably won't find in another bookshop - Ann Judson, Missionary Wife reprinted from volume 1 of 'The Lives of the Three Mrs Judsons' by Arabella Stuart. This edition has been revised, edited & expanded by Corner Pillar Press and is a fascinating read of a devoted wife & missionary.
Otherwise the newest biography on our shelves is in the Bitesize Biography series & written by an excellent author Simonetta Carr, it is about Renee of France - have a read of the review on our site & see what you think.

Devotionals are another option, Lydia Brownback has written a series called On-the-Go Devotionals for women, which are easy to read & Christ centred.

Let me know what sort of book your Mum would like as a present & we will do our best to recommend a title. We can add in a Mother's Day card too!
Lorna