Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Rooms of a Mother's Heart

About the Book

Book: Rooms of a Mother’s Heart

Author: Dr. Carol McLeod

Genre: Christian Living

Release date: April 20, 2021

9781641236560 For thousands of years and in a myriad of cultures, women have forged identity, unconditional love, and vast purpose in the calling of motherhood. From Eve to Sarah, from Ruth to Mary, the Scriptures are filled with the accounts of the heart of a mother who was given a divine opportunity to raise the next generation for the purposes and call of the Father.

Inside the soul of every mother lies a heart that becomes a repository of sweet memories, hard lessons, glorious victories, ordinary days, glaring failures, and God’s grace over the years of mothering. The heart of a mother becomes home to jokes around the dinner table, holiday traditions, the tears of childhood, and the love that only a mother knows. And this tender heart that has given birth to the future of mankind or has lovingly adopted the seeds of the next generation also develops rooms of unsurpassed greatness and quiet strength. These are the Rooms of a Mother’s Heart.

With her characteristic charm, joy, and biblical teaching that she shares like a good friend over a cup of coffee, Carol McLeod examines what it means to be a mother and offers tender encouragement to all women who accept that calling.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

McLeod_Carol2 The president and CEO of Carol McLeod Ministries, Carol McLeod is a popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats. She is the author of a dozen books, including Vibrant: Developing a Deep and Abiding Joy for All Seasons, Significant: Becoming a Woman of Unique Purpose, True Identity, and Irrepressible Hope; StormProof: Weathering Life’s Tough Times; Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue; Joy for All Seasons; Holy Estrogen; and Defiant Joy.

Carol hosts a twice weekly podcast, A Jolt of Joy! on the Charisma Podcast Network, and a weekly podcast, Significant. Her weekly blog, Joy for the Journey, has been named in the Top 50 Faith Blogs for Women. Carol also writes a weekly column in Ministry Today.

She has written several devotionals for YouVersion, including “21 Days to Beat Depression,” which has touched the lives of nearly one million people around the world. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the prestigious Telly Award for excellence in religious programming.

Carol was also the first women’s chaplain at Oral Roberts University and served as chaplain on the university’s Alumni Board of Directors for many years.

Carol has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for more than forty years and is the mother of five children in heaven and five children on earth. Carol and Craig also happily answer to “Marmee and Pa” for their captivating grandchildren.

More from Carol

Evening Conversation …

I am working with my fabulous editor on the edits for my next book that will be released in April.

“The Rooms of a Mother’s Heart” is the title and writing it has caused me to travel back through the memory bank of my heart.

As I was working on the edits for the chapter, “The Nursery”, tonight, I came upon these words and thought that I would share them with all of you in my evening conversation.

It’s a lesson that I am still learning …

“The nursery is filled with little things, isn’t it?

It holds little bears and little clothes, tiny blankets and miniature books.

It is in the nursery of your heart that you develop an appreciation for the little things in life and where you begin to understand that these are actually life’s big things.

The nursery teaches that it is the little things in life that are capable of building a grand and historic life.

So often, during other years of my life, I have made the glaring error of living for the big moments, for the red-letter days of graduations, weddings, and championship ball games. The nursery has taught me that those monstrous occasions, as fabulous as they might seem at the time, do not construct a vital and enchanting existence at all.

A glass of iced tea on the back deck while the children are playing baseball, and the sweet giggle of a child just waking up from a nap—these give birth to a whimsical life.

The smell of the roses as I walk to the front door, a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon, and making cookies with the children to share with the neighbors—these build a life of grand and lasting proportions.

A glorious life is built on one small but meaningful and carefully chosen building block at a time.

A wonderful life is composed of long walks along country roads while the children gather wildflowers.

It is pancakes on a Saturday morning and popcorn on Sunday evening.

In the nursery of my heart, I have been taught that the real stuff of life is as close and as dear as the morning song of the bird outside my bedroom window, the companionship of my daughter on my daily run, and the treasure of reading a devotional book that belonged to my grandfather.

Those events may seem small and even in consequential to you, but to me, they deliver joy.

There is no applause in a nursery, nor are there diplomas on the wall or trophies lined up across the changing table, but it remains the most splendid room in the entire home.

The nursery is absent of the rush of adrenaline, but it is filled with the sweet sighs of contentment.

Perhaps living inside a regular day in which nothing of earth-moving significance happens is at the heart of all that is truly meaningful and extraordinary.

The glory of life is found quite simply in the ordinary moments.

The treasure of a life well lived is acquired not in getting but in giving.

The substance of all that is good, rich, and meaningful is found in a thousand inconsequential gifts that are easily overlooked if one is not careful.

I hope that you will treasure the time spent in the nursery of your heart and remember that it is the little things that contribute to a large life.”

These are my thoughts for Sunday, January 31, 2021.

Blessings, my friends.

MY REVIEW

I remember the first time I saw my first born child. With tears streaming down my face I couldn’t imagine loving this child any more than I did at that moment. Days later reality sank in as my husband and I were all lone with this little baby. I had no clue what to do and no one to help us.

I would love to have had a book like this as I became a first time mother. The author gives sound advice for young mothers and encourages them to seek wisdom from experienced mothers. We as mothers don’t have all the answers, but we can give comfort and understanding to others. I never had a good relationship with my mother but she was there everyday to cook and wash clothes. After all these years, I can finally appreciate the things she did for me and my brothers. As we go through life, we make mistakes and mothers , you will have times that you feel like giving up. The author has written a book that examines the different rooms in our heart and expresses that , “the greatest work you will ever accomplish will be within the walls of your own home.”

The book is filled with biblical examples and scriptures that guide us to understand the importance of motherhood. I really enjoyed the chapter about teens. I wasn’t sure I would survive those years with my three boys. They each were different but similar as they tested my patience. I worried about them constantly and hovered over them almost smothering them. The author gives personal examples that I easily related to. I think this book would be an excellent gift for a baby shower. What a treasure to have this book to read as you prepare for motherhood. It can also be a great tool for parents to help them as they face uncertainty at times while raising a child.

One of the most profound things for me to read was when you become empty nesters. I have struggled with this for several years. My three boys and I are extremely close. When two of them moved out and got married, my heart hurt. I knew our relationship would change and I cried. The author says, “The more I hang on to my grown children, the more that I lose them ;conversely , the more that I allow them to be independent, the more that I have them.” This really opened my eyes and I thank the author for her words of wisdom in this area.

I highly recommend this book to all mothers of every age . It is filled with Godly wisdom and prayers that help us all grow stronger as mothers. The greatest gift we could ever have is being a mother and God is there to guide us as we raise His children.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.