Motherhood Without All the Rules

I have recently finished the book, "Motherhood Without All the Rules," by Maggie Combs.

Synopsis:

Any mom who has tried to create a godly home for her family knows it doesn’t happen automatically. Through books, blogs, and Instagram accounts, culture asserts that good moms must follow certain standards and abide by certain rules if she want what’s best for her children. She must do everything she can—and she must do it all just right.

Following the suggested steps and recommended rules may seem best, but what if we’re missing the point? This is something Maggie Combs came to realize while seeking to be a good mom to her three sons. Though the world around us may have critical expectations and rules for mothering, Christ instead calls moms to an intimate, abiding relationship with a triune God. In Motherhood Without All the Rules, Maggie identifies the main “rules” moms today often feel pressured to follow and counters them with gospel truth. You’ll discover how the character of each member of the trinity practically impacts your role as a mom. Join Maggie in forgetting the rules, so that instead of being a good mom, you grow to become a holy mom.

My Review:

 This was a pretty easy, quick read. That does not mean that it was a "fluffy" book, quite the opposite in fact. This book was heavy on the Scripture and heavy on the wisdom. I wish this book had existed when my children were little. Even though my children are almost grown, I was still able to glean nuggets of wisdom from this book.
This is my first time reading a book by this author. I found her writing style to be engaging and her stories interesting and relatable. She tells quick stories without drowning you in all the details. While each chapter in the book looks at "one of the world's stressful standards for building a kingdom of mom," Combs encourages us to replace that stressful standard with "a gospel truth about God's love, grace, and fellowship that will transform our hearts." While I like the term "stressful standard" I think better words would have been myths or lies, because that is exactly what she is debunking.
At the end of each chapter she gives several thoughts for us to think through. This is then followed by a "p.s." which typically gives us another passage of Scripture to read and think on.
While I enjoyed all the chapters (there are 12), I think my favorite would be chapter 4, where the stressful standard is "you deserve it." If I am honest I have told myself that lie over and over again. I imagine every mother has said it to herself a time or two. So while I enjoyed this chapter, it also stepped on my toes a bit. The gospel truth is that "Your loving God disciplines you." Again, can I say ouch? Did she really talk about discipline? Yes, she did and while it stepped on my toes, it also makes me see my shortcomings too. Not in a bad way, but recognizing that what Combs is saying lines up with Scripture.
I found each chapter to be relevant and I imagine depending on what stage of parenting you are in, some chapters will seem more relevant at times than others.
The point of this book is to trade stressful standards for gospel truths, and the point the author makes is that we should build on our Kingdom on God, and His truth, not on our motherhood. The other point is to draw us closer to Christ, which I think the author beautifully illustrates.
One final thing I appreciate about the author, was her including a works cited page at the end of the book. She quotes quite a few people, but they are all listed at the end of the book, making it easier for us to read further about that topic if we would like. I make this particular point because I have read other books that quote other people, and do not cite them at all, except maybe a name or something, so you don't know if it is accurate, or how to read the information for yourself, so again I appreciate this addition.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to mothers, no matter what stage of parenting they find themselves in. There are nuggets of wisdom spread throughout the entire book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.