Becoming MomStrong

August 14, 2017
St. John, founder of Firmly Planted Family Ministries, creator of the Busy Mom blog, and mother of seven children, opens her sincere memoir of faith and resilience by recalling an embarrassing episode when her child peed all over the floor of a grocery store. From that jumping-off point, St. John strings together instances when she found the ability to laugh even though she often wanted to scream. In a relatable, down-to-earth voice, she addresses each stage of childhood development and relates stories from her own traumatic, abusive childhood to make her advice truly personal. In the book’s strongest sections, St. John addresses a new challenge for Christian mothers: readying children for a secular world that will reject their beliefs. She also spends much page space on the “clay to kiln” teenage years when mothers must remind themselves to have trust in their children and faith in God. The author’s primary message to mothers is to be strong in the Lord and impart that strength to their kids. St. John challenges women to engage in what she considers the biggest battle of their lives: raising children in an often brutal and unforgiving world. Filled with comical asides and common sense, St. John’s book hits the mark for Christian mothers.