Customer Reviews

The Heart of a Mother: True Stories of Inspiration and Encouragement

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I love reading stories about other moms - how they discipline, how they love, how they strengthen their children's faith. It's almost like the urge our generation has to watch reality TV. When I see how other moms handle issues similar to what I'm going through, I'm encouraged to try something new in our home.

That's why I've thoroughly enjoyed reading THE HEART OF A MOTHER, a book of stories compiled by Wayne Holmes. It's given me the chance to glimpse into the homes and relationships of 60 different mothers. And I've seen myself and my family many times between the covers - with a fresh dose of encouraging ideas.

The book is not a hodge-podge of "what I love about my mom" stories; it's deliberately organized into ten sections. The topics include: a mother's wisdom, prayers, example, grace, comfort, strength, lessons, provision, presence, and unconditional love. Holmes has done a magnificent job of weaving the stories together - as soon as I weep through a sweet, sentimental memory, I'm bursting out laughing through the next. Together, they form a masterpiece, one I'll treasure and reread for many years to come.

I love reading how Chonda Pierce's mom helped her family thrive on a tight budget in "The Lemonade Stand." Lanita Bradley Boyd's story of forgiveness in "Waving at Miss Velma" is one I'll read again and again to my kids as I teach them why we must love people we don't feel like loving. I loved reading how Kay Shostak's mom set aside her housework to play games with her kids in "Time For One More Hand?" and I cried through Birdie Etchison's "A Mother's Discipline." In fact, that story describes me and one of my daughters exactly! But Birdie's daughter grew up and at the age of 25 realized how much she appreciated her mom's discipline. I'm not there yet - but this story gives me hope that one day she'll understand my love for her.

Birdie ends her story by writing, "I wondered later how God must feel when his children don't listen, don't obey. He hangs in there with us anyway. His love and coaxing never stops. He doesn't give up, nor can we mothers give up on our children. The task was rough, but it was worth every tear, every prayer, every hope I had."

I highly recommend this book to any mom who needs a dose of grace and encouragement - or if you're looking for a gift idea this Christmas to show your mom how much you appreciate her - buy this book and read it first! (I do that, sometimes. Do you?) Then you can say to your mom which story reminds you of her.

This book would also be a great tool for women who lead Bible studies or devotionals - or who organize women's retreats or mother/daughter banquets. You can pick a story that will teach your group of women just how important their roles are as mothers and daughters.

--Reviewed by Heather Lynn Ivester for Mom 2 Mom Connection

Every mother knows the diverse experiences, thoughts, and feelings that make being a "mother" both a blessing and a challenge. The Heart of a Mother is a collection of short stories by 60 authors- some well known and some not so known-that offers hope, help, support, and appreciation for mothers facing everyday lives with God as their anchor. This book is a must for anyone who is a mother or who has filled that role for someone they loved. Reading this book over and over again will delight and strengthen mothers, and those who love them, for years to come.

The heart of a mother is for her husband, her children, her family, and her community. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Wayne Holmes' recent compilation book, "The Heart of a Mother". Included are stories of encouragement and inspiration from well-known authors and first timers, from mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, and others who have seen the hand of God at work through children of all ages.

Whether you are looking for a book to honor a mother mentor in your life, or a book to encourage you in your daily walk of motherhood, or a book to remind you that the next generation is going to turn out all right, this is the book for you.

In this excellent compilation book, Wayne Holmes connects hearts of mothers everywhere. Through true stories that could have happnened at any home in the world, he illustrates the importance of mothers in the lives of their children. Delightful stories from many mothers including Gloria Gaither, Beth Moore, Stormie Omartian and many others remind us that a mother's wisdom and encouragement is priceless. This book will inspire you and send you looking for your children to give them an extra hug!

The Heart of a Mother, compiled by Wayne Holmes
Reviewed by Scarlett Smith

This is not an ordinary collection of short stories to tweak your heartstrings about motherly love. The accounts illustrate the creative metamorphosis of ordinary events into lessons of the true nature of God. Many of the stories in The Heart of a Mother are about everyday events and exchanges between a mother and her child. Some are told by present day mothers and others from precious childhood memories.

The humorous stories are easily identified by their titles. In "When Mama Baked the Bird," exposed that the bird was the pet canary, I laughed while I was gasping at the startling discovery. Other stories invoke pleasant visions of children enjoying their play but with a message that is obvious at the conclusion. God does talk to us in ways which tantalize our creativity and appreciation for analogies.

It is amazing how sixty short stories from many different authors could have similar progression in lessons from their mothers. Each one demonstrates characteristics of God, taken for granted at first, but like a misnomer, are a sequenced revelation - An incident indicative of childhood which became profound when God's perspective was discovered and applied to the memory.

Being a mother myself, I could relate to the stories about not giving credibility to a child's words. I tried to use an incident to teach my daughter a lesson, but God knew I was the one who had a lesson to learn. The Heart of a Mother is entertaining, and insightful. It is a gift book whether for others or yourself. Again, Wayne Holmes put together a precious collection in The Heart of a Mother.

This book is tops on my gift-giving list this Christmas! The Heart of a Mother is sure to delight mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and friends with stories of faith in action. Whether it's a simple mother/child bedtime ritual or a steadfast mother's prayerful vigilance of hospitalized child, these stories demonstrate the unfailing and unconditional love that mothers give. Wayne Holmes deserves a standing ovation for this superb collection of short stories filled with faith, hope, and motherly love. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars for ease in reading and inspirational take away value.

Though full of stories from celebrities and not-as-well-known authors, this book sends one message: we can learn from the mothers who impacted their children for good. Holmes has done a worthy job selecting a variety of styles and messages and anthologizing them in this uplifting volume. The celebrities' stories will help you realize we have this in common--the lap and hugs of a mother who believed in us and passed on a certain set of values. Consider buying several as gifts for the mothers or mother-figures in your life.

Since I'm a writer/editor,I know quite quickly if the material at hand is worthwhile. I give a 10+ evaluation in addition to the Amazon's 5 stars to both The Heart of a Mother and its companion book The Heart of a Father, compiled by Wayne Holmes. I commend the task which resulted in a balanced variety of readings -- from the funny to the poignant. And let me tell you a secret, my husband read all the stories to me, over a period of several weeks, as a bedtime ritual. Both of us laughed and cried together. Our faith was buoyed greatly by the everyday experiences that were shared with us but which showed God's magnanimous love. Thus,the heart of this listerner and my reader were warmed. We look forward to more of Holmes' Heart compilations.

The Heart of a Mother truly captures all aspects of a mother's heart. A sequel to The Heart of a Father, Wayne Holmes has compiled stories that help us see the depths of a mother's--and by extension, God's--character. Within the pages of this book, the reader will find stories of warmth, tenderness, sacrifice, and love. The reader may even find a story that illustrates his/her own mother's heart to perfection. Buy this book for the woman in your life, and you'll be giving her stories that will challenge and inspire her to be all that God has created her to be.