“This book is one I keep coming back to for wise counsel and encouragement.”
When a friend gave me Teresa Glenn’s book, Becoming a Peaceful Mom, I chuckled a bit to myself because “peaceful” and “mom” were words that didn’t go together in my experience as a mother of a two-year old. While I desired to create peace among my family, peace seemed elusive in the midst of the chaos. I read the book, however, and immediately felt so grateful for the message Teresa has shared: parenting well comes from the overflow of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Fast forward a few years and this book is one of those I keep coming back to for wise counsel and encouragement.
Unlike parenting books that offer formulas for how to bring up children, this book focuses on how God can transform us into women marked by peace as we learn to draw from His spirit.
Teresa humbly shares snapshots of her own journey of cultivating peacefulness in the Lord through the seasons of motherhood, and demonstrates what that can look like practically in the day-to-day encounters we have with our children. She names many of the frustrations, failures, and pain that mothers often face and places those within the framework of God’s word, describing how to release those things to God and receive His healing and peace in return.
I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing what her walk with the Lord has looked like throughout the years, prayers she has prayed, questions she has asked the Lord, and how He has answered. I particularly appreciate the chapters on how to partner with God in our daily rhythms, the importance of forgiveness and how to model that to our children, and learning how to talk with and listen to God for His direction.
A group of mothers from St. Philip’s and I recently read this book together and the thoughtful questions that Teresa includes at the end of each chapter led to rich and authentic discussions. Each chapter of our lives as mothers presents itself with new challenges; instead of being overcome by the difficulties, Becoming a Peaceful Mom helps us learn how to walk through challenges with wisdom, strength, and the unwavering peace of Jesus Christ. No matter if you are a mother to toddlers, teenagers, or an empty-nester, the principles in this book are an encouragement to every season of motherhood.
By Anna Streett, St. Philip’s Church, Charleston
