Hoodwinked by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk and a GIVEAWAY

And the WIINER is Rachel!!!

Moms have been hoodwinked—tricked into believing lies that keep them from not only enjoying motherhood, but forging friendships with other moms who might tackle the tasks of motherhood differently. Myths such as “Mothering is natural, easy, and instinctive” cause moms to feel like failures if they have questions or apprehensions in raising their kids. Operating from the premise that “The way I mother is the right (and only) way” puts up fences between moms instead of building bridges of encouragement between them. Lies such as “I am my child’s choices” tempt moms to mistakenly believe that if their child makes a wrong choice then they, in turn, must be a bad mom.

In their encouraging “we’ve been there” style, Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk enable mothers to:

• Identify the ten myths of motherhood our current culture perpetuates
• Replace the lies with the truth of what God says in the Bible about mothering
• Acquire practical tools to help them form new and improved thought patterns and healthy behaviors
• Forge healthy, supportive relationships with other moms of all ages and stages
• Confidently embrace the calling of motherhood as they care for their families in their own unique way

 A six-session video Bible study for group or individual use is also available.

Available on Zondervan and Amazon

About the Authors:

Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, a New York Times best-selling author, and a writer for Encouragement For Today, an online devotional that reaches over one million women daily. She has written seven books including KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All and LET. IT. GO: How to Stop Running the Show & Start Walking in Faith. Married to her college sweetheart Todd and the mother of three, she enjoys antique hunting, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many teens who gather around her kitchen island for a taste of Mama Karen's cooking. Connect with her at www.karenehman.com

Ruth Schwenk is the creator of TheBetterMom.com, and along with her husband, Patrick, FortheFamily.org. She is a pastor's wife with four energetic kids, a lover of coffee, and dreamer of big dreams. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Ruth and her husband have been full-time ministry for over fifteen years.


I was blessed with this book by Zondervan and iconmediagroup in exchange for my honest review. 



My Thoughts:
The myths of motherhood... how many of us as moms struggle with the ideal image of motherhood? What actually depicts the perfect mom? Do we trust the TV shows, social media, a peek into our friends lives, or that Proverbs 31 woman in Scripture? How can we know if we are doing this thing right, or failing miserably? Where is the line between myth and reality?

Karen and Ruth have co-written this book to help enlighten us. At least, those of us who are willing to admit, in spite of the outward image we portray, we really don't have a clue, much less have it all together. The first key is to pursue a relationship with Jesus, and then to follow up by discerning the lies of our enemy the devil. As long as he keeps us beat down and discouraged on this motherhood journey, we will fail, but we don't have to.

The author's have shared ten myths. Some myths that hit home for me were:

• Mothering comes naturally, 
• I am "just" a mom
• Motherhood is all consuming and all fulfilling
• Everything depends on me
• I have to do it all right or my child will turn out wrong
• Motherhood is a rat race

I believe I have struggled a little with all that these myths. I always wanted to be a mom, and God created us for motherhood so it would seem women would have a natural bent. In reality, motherhood is hard work, and it is necessary to train ourselves for the task, and cut ourselves some slack. Have you ever felt like being "just" a mom isn't enough? Sometimes others seem to imply that. I was also impacted by the chapter Motherhood is a Rat Race. It especially focused on living with purpose. Recognizing the value of our time and the short amount of time we really have to impact our children's lives. Evaluating our priorities and setting goals is very important. There is a special section in the back of the book that has a yearly evaluation and questions to help us take inventory of our lives. The book also includes lots of other valuable information to help you in this mothering game. Motherhood is hard work, but doesn't have to be faced alone.

 I could go on and on with all the valuable information in this book, but I will spare you my words and I am sure you will enjoy it much more when you read it for yourself. This book would be an asset to any home and any mother would be blessed to have one. I plan on keeping mine around for a while. 

*GIVEAWAY*

I have been blessed with the opportunity to give away a copy too one of my readers. 
To enter:
Simply leave a comment telling something you like about motherhood or maybe a myth you have been hoodwinked with. 
I would also love to hear any sound advice or helpful tip your experience as a mother has given you.

Following my blog is not required for entries but always greatly appreciated. If you will let me know how you follow, I will credit extra entries for each follow.  Thank you for your support. 

Winner will be chosen December 14 by random.org
Must be 18 or older to win
US entries only please.
Winner will be notified by email - please leave email in a safe format . If I do not have a way to contact you, your entry won't count. Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified or a new winner will be chosen