What do you think?
Rate this book
Fit to Burst: Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood
In this follow-up to Loving the Little Years, Rachel Jankovic pushes her parenting "field notes" out onto the skinny branches of motherhood. Fit to Burst is chock full of humorous examples and fresh advice covering issues familiar to every mom such as guilt cycles, temptations to be ungrateful or bitter, and learning how to honor Jesus in the mundane things. But this book also addresses less familiar topics, including the impact that moms have on the relationships between dads and kids, the importance of knowing when to laugh at kid-sized sin, and more.
Fit to Burst will help us be moms who parent with the story in mind rather than the snapshot, who know how to both give and require much from their children in the everyday mayhem, and who understand the importance of biscuits.
Fit to Burst will help us be moms who parent with the story in mind rather than the snapshot, who know how to both give and require much from their children in the everyday mayhem, and who understand the importance of biscuits.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2013
217 people are currently reading
2478 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Jankovic
9 books504 followersRachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She graduated from New Saint Andrews College, but mostly reads cookbooks now to avoid story grip (being highly susceptible). She and her husband Luke have seven children who know how to party: Evangeline (13), Daphne (12), Chloe (10), Titus (10), and Blaire (8) and Shadrach (5), and Moses (2).
Rachel is the daughter of Douglas Wilson and Nancy Wilson and the sister of N.D. Wilson.
Rachel is the daughter of Douglas Wilson and Nancy Wilson and the sister of N.D. Wilson.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
February 13, 2016
[3.5 stars—I really waffled between 3 and 4]
To be totally honest, I really struggle with Rachel Jankovic’s tone. I find that she has a whole lot of wise things to say, but the *way* she says them often rubs me wrong. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I find off-putting; I don’t know if I’m projecting on her emotions that simply aren’t there…if it’s my disagreements that make me unable to listen well at times…basic personality differences…if her tone really is obnoxious…perhaps a bit of all of the above, though loving her as my sister in Christ requires that I believe the best of her heart/intentions and assume that the main issue is me.
I did find the second half of this book more winsome than the first. On the whole, while I hold some different convictions than Jankovic when it comes to parenting, marriage, and general theology, I recognize that I can still learn a lot from her, and I highlighted a lot of pointed/helpful quotes. She is a gifted writer, and mothers who pick up this book will likely find much to challenge, convict, and encourage them to persevere in the good work of mothering.
I think Jankovic also provides a helpful counterpoint to other popular Christian writers in terms of her emphasis on obedience, working hard and taking your responsibilities seriously. If she was the *only* author you were reading, her tone/emphasis could be unbalanced and unhelpful, but I also believe that without her perspective and exhortation, you could easily be driving in the ditch on the other side. The tension is exhausting at times, but necessary.
To be totally honest, I really struggle with Rachel Jankovic’s tone. I find that she has a whole lot of wise things to say, but the *way* she says them often rubs me wrong. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I find off-putting; I don’t know if I’m projecting on her emotions that simply aren’t there…if it’s my disagreements that make me unable to listen well at times…basic personality differences…if her tone really is obnoxious…perhaps a bit of all of the above, though loving her as my sister in Christ requires that I believe the best of her heart/intentions and assume that the main issue is me.
I did find the second half of this book more winsome than the first. On the whole, while I hold some different convictions than Jankovic when it comes to parenting, marriage, and general theology, I recognize that I can still learn a lot from her, and I highlighted a lot of pointed/helpful quotes. She is a gifted writer, and mothers who pick up this book will likely find much to challenge, convict, and encourage them to persevere in the good work of mothering.
I think Jankovic also provides a helpful counterpoint to other popular Christian writers in terms of her emphasis on obedience, working hard and taking your responsibilities seriously. If she was the *only* author you were reading, her tone/emphasis could be unbalanced and unhelpful, but I also believe that without her perspective and exhortation, you could easily be driving in the ditch on the other side. The tension is exhausting at times, but necessary.
January 29, 2013
This bright, upbeat little book doesn't just encourage. It isn't just a cheerleader waving its good-luck pompoms. This book leads, and like all good leaders, it makes you want to hop right up and follow.
December 13, 2018
This is one of those nice Christian books that is actually just about being a Christian, emphasizing obedience, holiness, and grace. Sure, it focuses on the specific area of mothering to demonstrate how to do this, but it made me think about more than just my mothering. I'd recommend it to all Christians looking for an example of how to apply the Bible to all the tiny, unnoticeable, repetitive and mundane acts of daily life. One chapter I found convicting was when Jankovic talks about asking others to share the cost of my sacrifice in serving them (wanting my husband to see how tired I am; huffing at him when he doesn't put the dirty laundry in the hamper) and how doing so is A) not imitating Jesus, who thankfully does not ask us the share the cost of his sacrifice; and B) not serving gladly.
I liked that each chapter was short but packed in a lot of things to think about. It helped me to actually engage with the book, since I don't have a lot of time to be reading these days. I could squeeze in a chapter when I had time and have a lot to think about until the next time I was able to pick it up. It was refreshing to read something so devoted to following Jesus.
I liked that each chapter was short but packed in a lot of things to think about. It helped me to actually engage with the book, since I don't have a lot of time to be reading these days. I could squeeze in a chapter when I had time and have a lot to think about until the next time I was able to pick it up. It was refreshing to read something so devoted to following Jesus.
March 9, 2025
I love anything Rachel writes, because I am always left with a renewed desire to be faithful, joyful, and obedient in what the Lord has put right in front of me to do. This book was principles-based, and helped me form some specific convictions about how I want to mother. Here are some points that have stuck with me from the book.
-LOOK for ways to give to those around you. Give freely, give often, give so much that you forgot what you’ve given. I’ve started asking the Lord to show me more ways to give to my family, not just in the predictable ways that I already know that I need to do, but in over the top ways that will show them greater love.
-Be a reasonable boss to yourself, not a mean one. As a homemaker, I am in charge of both setting the goals and expectations, and following through on them. I need to be a good leader to myself, not having unrealistically high expectations, but setting difficult goals, steadily plodding, and working to make a beautiful life for my family, while not losing sight of them in the midst of it.
-Enjoy your children! Don’t see them as a hindrance to what you need to get done, they are my priority! I’ve been praying that the Lord would help me to enjoy my children each day, and prioritize them over my to do list.
-You can’t expect anyone else in your home to get their heart right if you don’t have your own heart right. Pick up the little sins you have lying around and don’t allow them to grow bigger.
-I should never discourage faith in my children, or require them to “prove it“ by perfect performance. If they are saved, I should not use my children’s sin as an opportunity to doubt their salvation, but instead, I should discipline them because it is inconsistent with their salvation. My faith should strengthen the faith of my children. Although I cannot provide the roots for their faith, I can lend the strength of my faith to their roots. This concept was super helpful for me!
-We often distinguish “law” vs “grace” parenting, while the truth is that law and grace are actually friends. God put us in charge as parents, and we must enforce the standard with cheerfulness and obey God by requiring obedience of our children. “Looking away when your child is stuck in some petty sin is like walking away from a kid who is floundering in very shallow water, and this is not grace. If you love your children, you grab them and haul them out of that danger… Grace is action.”
-Do the next thing. Even in discouraging seasons of parenting, ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance, but then just do the next thing that needs to be done. Don’t sit and wallow in your failures. Repent! Then move forward in obedience!
-LOOK for ways to give to those around you. Give freely, give often, give so much that you forgot what you’ve given. I’ve started asking the Lord to show me more ways to give to my family, not just in the predictable ways that I already know that I need to do, but in over the top ways that will show them greater love.
-Be a reasonable boss to yourself, not a mean one. As a homemaker, I am in charge of both setting the goals and expectations, and following through on them. I need to be a good leader to myself, not having unrealistically high expectations, but setting difficult goals, steadily plodding, and working to make a beautiful life for my family, while not losing sight of them in the midst of it.
-Enjoy your children! Don’t see them as a hindrance to what you need to get done, they are my priority! I’ve been praying that the Lord would help me to enjoy my children each day, and prioritize them over my to do list.
-You can’t expect anyone else in your home to get their heart right if you don’t have your own heart right. Pick up the little sins you have lying around and don’t allow them to grow bigger.
-I should never discourage faith in my children, or require them to “prove it“ by perfect performance. If they are saved, I should not use my children’s sin as an opportunity to doubt their salvation, but instead, I should discipline them because it is inconsistent with their salvation. My faith should strengthen the faith of my children. Although I cannot provide the roots for their faith, I can lend the strength of my faith to their roots. This concept was super helpful for me!
-We often distinguish “law” vs “grace” parenting, while the truth is that law and grace are actually friends. God put us in charge as parents, and we must enforce the standard with cheerfulness and obey God by requiring obedience of our children. “Looking away when your child is stuck in some petty sin is like walking away from a kid who is floundering in very shallow water, and this is not grace. If you love your children, you grab them and haul them out of that danger… Grace is action.”
-Do the next thing. Even in discouraging seasons of parenting, ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance, but then just do the next thing that needs to be done. Don’t sit and wallow in your failures. Repent! Then move forward in obedience!
December 29, 2021
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul writes: “And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” The reason I quote this verse is to point out that not all books about Christian living do all of those things at once. This book, in my judgment, falls squarely into the category of books that “admonish the idle.” That’s not a bad thing in itself, and some people really need that kind of exhortation. But it presents a danger: if you admonish the fainthearted or the weak, you can crush their spirit rather than helping them. That’s the concern I have about this book. A fainthearted mom who has overworked herself to the point of crashing and burning will not be helped by this book. Neither will the weak mom who is struggling with mental health issues or major physical ailments. In both of those cases, this book could end up being a major source of discouragement. So, if you are hale and hearty, and your besetting sin is laziness, this may be an excellent book for you. If not, I wouldn’t suggest reading it. Also, I’d be very careful about recommending it to others.
This doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy anything about this book. Far from it. Rachel Jankovic has a real gift for coming up with creative illustrations that really help a reader to grasp what she’s talking about, or to view a situation with a different perspective. Also, chapter 10, which deals with all the ways we are tempted to sin through our approach to food, is pretty much worth the price of admission by itself. There were several really great nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout this book, and she is solidly based in Scripture and the gospel. So I’m not saying this is a bad book, but I advise caution because I don’t think it’s for everyone.
This doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy anything about this book. Far from it. Rachel Jankovic has a real gift for coming up with creative illustrations that really help a reader to grasp what she’s talking about, or to view a situation with a different perspective. Also, chapter 10, which deals with all the ways we are tempted to sin through our approach to food, is pretty much worth the price of admission by itself. There were several really great nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout this book, and she is solidly based in Scripture and the gospel. So I’m not saying this is a bad book, but I advise caution because I don’t think it’s for everyone.
January 21, 2025
2025 re-read. See you again in 2026.
-------------------------------------
Planning on listening to stuff like this on repeat for as long as I'm in the "little years."
-------------------------------------
Planning on listening to stuff like this on repeat for as long as I'm in the "little years."
July 14, 2023
I really enjoy Rachel Jankovic’s books.
This book keeps in the same invigorating spirit as “Loving the little years” - upbeat, insightful and funny, practical, full of light, sincere.
I love that she is both firmly planted and honest. She models aiming high (she’s very serious about following Jesus, obedience, faithfulness, grace, self-control, etc) and also is so honest, humorous and graphic with the struggles, her faith has plenty of sweat on it, she has tested it against the intense experience of raising so many tiny humans and thus her words really are powerful - mentor and leader material. Someone who has been putting motherly flesh on the gospel and now really knows the business.
A very enjoyable, penetrating and instructive read!
This book keeps in the same invigorating spirit as “Loving the little years” - upbeat, insightful and funny, practical, full of light, sincere.
I love that she is both firmly planted and honest. She models aiming high (she’s very serious about following Jesus, obedience, faithfulness, grace, self-control, etc) and also is so honest, humorous and graphic with the struggles, her faith has plenty of sweat on it, she has tested it against the intense experience of raising so many tiny humans and thus her words really are powerful - mentor and leader material. Someone who has been putting motherly flesh on the gospel and now really knows the business.
A very enjoyable, penetrating and instructive read!
October 17, 2019
audio book on the way
June 12, 2020
This book had some great truths in it! I generally liked her her to-the-point writing style and found it pretty refreshing. This was an good short read that was easy to pick up, read a chapter when you’ve got a few minutes, and then come back a day later to pick up where you left off.
One of my favorite points in the book was when she talked about “panning for gold.” I love how she put parenting into perspective in this way, “... parenting is like the job of depositing gold. If our children’s lives are the sea, we need to leave gold all over it, everywhere, in little bits. We can’t do it in one big nugget. We can’t even do it in a bunch of medium chunks. We have to leave gold through their lives in a fine dust that’s spread all over everything. At the end of our children’s lives, we hope it is worth a fortune. But at any given moment, it’s the little things that contain gold.”
I would say one of my least favorite chapters would be the one entitled “Faith Grows.” I don’t have a 100% formed opinion on it; however, the part I didn’t quite agree with was “Cheerfully and firmly” closing the door of doubt (of salvation) for your children. She talks personally of how she at one time questioned her own faith and how her mother said she knew she was a Christian because could see fruit in her. I personally wouldn’t take this approach with my own children because I can see how there could be more dangers of possibly confusing your children than helping them truly understand the gospel. Questions are good and ok, I don’t think we should (un)intentionally shut our kids down when they come to us with question about their faith and the gospel. Personally, I think that would lead to more problems for them down the road.
Overall it was a good book! However the chapter on helping to foster faith in the gospel in your children was lacking I felt like and could have definitely taken a better turn.
One of my favorite points in the book was when she talked about “panning for gold.” I love how she put parenting into perspective in this way, “... parenting is like the job of depositing gold. If our children’s lives are the sea, we need to leave gold all over it, everywhere, in little bits. We can’t do it in one big nugget. We can’t even do it in a bunch of medium chunks. We have to leave gold through their lives in a fine dust that’s spread all over everything. At the end of our children’s lives, we hope it is worth a fortune. But at any given moment, it’s the little things that contain gold.”
I would say one of my least favorite chapters would be the one entitled “Faith Grows.” I don’t have a 100% formed opinion on it; however, the part I didn’t quite agree with was “Cheerfully and firmly” closing the door of doubt (of salvation) for your children. She talks personally of how she at one time questioned her own faith and how her mother said she knew she was a Christian because could see fruit in her. I personally wouldn’t take this approach with my own children because I can see how there could be more dangers of possibly confusing your children than helping them truly understand the gospel. Questions are good and ok, I don’t think we should (un)intentionally shut our kids down when they come to us with question about their faith and the gospel. Personally, I think that would lead to more problems for them down the road.
Overall it was a good book! However the chapter on helping to foster faith in the gospel in your children was lacking I felt like and could have definitely taken a better turn.
July 18, 2022
I don’t think I could have picked a better book to read while adjusting to mothering three children three years and under. Rachel has a way of diving straight to the heart issues without beating around any bushes, whilst simultaneously inspiring fresh vision and joy for the journey. Her humor had me laughing out loud and shedding a few tears. I will most certainly be reading this one again and again.
February 29, 2024
What a gift this book was. I will most certainly be revisiting this one often, as a sort of mothering heart check, encouragement, and inspiration. So many wonderful gospel applications to mothering that both cut to the heart of my sin and spurred me on. It encouraged me to find joy in the ups and downs, not take myself too seriously while also acknowledging the great work and privilege that raising little souls is. Well done, faithful servant Rachel Jankovic!
July 14, 2023
Conviction after conviction to adjust my attitude as a mother! This book was both encouraging and convicting. I will definitely be reading this one again. I borrowed it to read, but I know I need to purchase my own copy!
July 7, 2023
“Cheerful work on the little weeds is basic Christian living.” 🤍
October 12, 2023
A gem 💎 full of encouragement for women in all stages of motherhood with practical steps you can begin taking the second you put your book down. I think this quote from chapter 14 sums it all up quite well,
“We can always obey, and God always provides the grace. The fundamentals are always right in front of us, and they will always be the same. Love God, hate sin.”
“We can always obey, and God always provides the grace. The fundamentals are always right in front of us, and they will always be the same. Love God, hate sin.”
Read
April 30, 2020This book was so good for me. I read this when Micah was 2 and I had a baby. I felt overwhelmed. Now 11 years later I still have a nursing baby and a toddler:).
December 26, 2019
Thankful for this book. A great reminder to do everything for the Lord. The “mundane” things I do, are actually what God has called me to, and it is a great work, not something for me to just do with half effort. I want to be purposeful in my parenting and all my relationships, aware that this is where God has placed me.
January 29, 2019
Together with Rachel Jankovic's first book, Loving the Little Years, this is one of the best mothering/parenting books I have read. It's hard-hitting, but humorous; convicting, yet motivating; and so very practical. I know I will be re-reading this one.
July 14, 2018
Encouraging and Convicting
This is my most highlighted book of the year.
Written with godly wisdom and grace, Rachel Jankovic encourages those in the trenches of motherhood to examine our hearts and our attitudes as we serve our families day in and day out.
This is my most highlighted book of the year.
Written with godly wisdom and grace, Rachel Jankovic encourages those in the trenches of motherhood to examine our hearts and our attitudes as we serve our families day in and day out.
December 29, 2012
I enjoyed this book just as much, if not more, than her first book, "Loving the Little Years." It is just a compilation of a busy mothers' thoughts, prayers, and ideas in a simple format which makes it super easy reading for a busy, often interrupted mommy. I dog-eared many pages for future reference, some of which I have written below for easy to find encouragement during the crazy days of this journey called motherhood.
Chapter 1--The Paradox Perspective
"Motherhood is not just a job, it is an identity. More importantly, it is an identity that begins and ends with giving."
"There is a difference between giving something and having it taken from you. Lay them [the things that you have lost secondary to motherhood] down. Give them freely. Don't count them as stolen."
"Prioritize their needs. There is no amount of humbling ourselves that can compare to Christ's death."
Chapter 2--The Unbaked Biscuit
"He wants us to take our salvation and turn it into contagious joy, into sacrifice for others."
"When we imitate Christ, we want to give what costs us much, and we want to give it freely."
Chapter 3--The Mean Boss
"Making a list that you cannot accomplish does not make you a better housewife, it makes you a bad leader."
Chapter 4--Panning for Gold
She begins this chapter with the illustration of panning for gold, sifting the silt to find the priceless worth.
"We have to leave gold through their lives in a fine dust that's spread all over everything. At the end of our children's lives, we hope it is worth a fortune. But at any given moment it is the little things that contain the gold."
The gold is guick forgiveness, quick repentance, cheerful smiles, tender hugs, teasing, laughing, loving, dinner, regular, predictable, having physical needs looked after, being disciplined, challenged, educated, not being the boss, not getting away with lying, security, joy, life, faith.
"It can be very tempting to think that we could just do it once and get it over with for a while... But our opportunities to bless our children are often most present when we least feel like it. This is why we cannot depend on our emotions to dictate our actions."
"When you feel tension mounting...before you react to them, get a grip on yourself. Look for how you can use this situation to bless them."
"We are talking about gold here, not glitter."
"We should not be correcting our children in the interest of making our lives easier (although it most certainly will). Correct them in the interest of making their lives richer."
Chapter 5--Discipleship of the Mundane
"He wants to see us perfecting the work we are given, cheerfully and willingly practicing when we do not see all the value."
Practice with thanksgiving, joy, gratitude, and hope.
Chapter 6--When the Milkshake Runs Low
This chapter gives the illustration of a mother's energy as a milkshake eaten up by little people all sucking through straws, each sucking faster as they get closer to the bottom trying to get every last drop.
"The demands for your attention and energy get suddenly loud and obnoxious when you feel like there isn't anything left to give. The truth is, your children aren't demanding anything different than what they were made to need. Usually, when they use this straw, they get fed. Right now, when they use this straw, mom gets snappy."
"It is our job to cast off sins, to be faithful. It is Christ's job to renew us. We can trust him to fill our milkshakes, because His never runs low."
Chapter 7--The Time Is Now
"We need to be now who we want to be then. The future is happening right now."
"God picks us up where we are, not where we should have been. The great blessing of being a Christina is that we have both a reason for the journey that we are on, and a companion for it. We are not alone. We are not striving for acceptance, because we have already been accepted and forgiven."
Chapter 8--Home Fires
"The problem... with trying to strong-arm your husband is more than just distancing yourself from his leadership. It is also putting distance between your children and their father. Your goal is to communicate to your children their father's love."
"Our first role in the home is as a helpmeet to our husbands. Honor and respect him specifically as you raise your children, because having a right relationship to the father of your children is one of the greatest gifts that you can give your children."
Chapter 10--Well Eating
"... the only way that we can eat well is by being well eaters. And the only way that we can be well eaters is by being made well through the blood of Christ."
She spends a majority of this chapter discussing that "healthy eating" should not be the "end all be all" because "Mankind can not dig out of the consequences of the fall, we can only be carried out. Jesus did that, healthy guts cannot."
Chapter 12--Ungraceful Parenting
"Law and grace are friends. They are always meant to go together. If the law is the skeleton, grace is the flesh."
"Parents [who] get irritated and end up disciplining... bullied. Instead of simply, cheerfully enforcing a standard, they eventually resorted to force to get their way. That is not the way authority acts."
"God wants you to be in authority over your children. He put you there. This is not a position you are striving to get into. You are in it. Act like it."
"Grace is not a coward."
"Good parents have two weapons to help them fight sin on behalf of their children: One is law, and one is grace. The point of both is restoration, forgiveness, and joy. If you don't see those fruits in your home. then you need to reevaluate what you are wielding."
Chapter 14--Wound Up
"There is another category of stress that is not connected to your sin, or even to worry. This it the kind of stress that just makes you tired."
"This kind of stress is simply the ambient noise of faithfulness."
"Some kinds of 'stress' are simply what happens when you are being faithful."
"All the noise isn't a reason to stop doing what you are supposed to be doing. We need to spend less time listening to ourselves, and more time talking to ourselves. Like the psalmist saying, 'Oh my soul, why are you grieving? Why disquieted in me? Hope in God, your faith retrieving, He will still your refuge be.'"
"The goal (in spite of what the world thinks) is not to arrive [at] a perfectly stressless place. The point is to be the kind of faithful that works through stress in a way that honors God. The way to deal with this kind of stress is to see through it. To focus your mind on the task in front of you... Obey. Make obedience your fundamental. If you prioritize obedience, everything else will fall into place."
Chapter 15--A Little Morning Rugby
"Dragging everyone somewhere is not leadership, it is bullying. Expect a lot of your children, but never more than you expect of yourself."
"If you are clear and calm, your children will be clear and calm."
"Good leadership is engaged and involved the whole time. It is clear about expectations and consistent about consequences. But good leadership always starts with the leader. It always starts with what you expect of yourself. If you are engaged in disciplining yourself, your children will know. They will mimic that. They will want to follow that."
Chapter 16--Popping the Weasel
"In our house, we make a point to discipline only when we have a biblical name for the offense, because we want our children to know that what they are doing is enforcing God's law."
Chapter 17--The Long-Term View
"Low points and discouragement are actually a perfectly normal part of the job. We are human. This is hard... The thing that distinguishes unbelief from belief is how we deal with discouragement and fatigue."
"One of the most beautiful things is how obedience and encouragement go hand in hand. Obey, and God will strengthen your steps. Act in faith, and He will reveal the path."
"Obedience is bigger than discouragement, and the two can not live side by side... The more you discipline yourself to overcome discouragement with obedience, the less discouragement there will be to overcome."
Chapter 18--It Ever Shall Be
She encourages us to sing a hymn or psalm when feeling grumpy.
"Gratitude... transforms. It is such a force that it cannot coexist with selfishness, with discouragement, with discontent. When you are thankful for what God gave you to do ,you are fit to do it."
Chapter 1--The Paradox Perspective
"Motherhood is not just a job, it is an identity. More importantly, it is an identity that begins and ends with giving."
"There is a difference between giving something and having it taken from you. Lay them [the things that you have lost secondary to motherhood] down. Give them freely. Don't count them as stolen."
"Prioritize their needs. There is no amount of humbling ourselves that can compare to Christ's death."
Chapter 2--The Unbaked Biscuit
"He wants us to take our salvation and turn it into contagious joy, into sacrifice for others."
"When we imitate Christ, we want to give what costs us much, and we want to give it freely."
Chapter 3--The Mean Boss
"Making a list that you cannot accomplish does not make you a better housewife, it makes you a bad leader."
Chapter 4--Panning for Gold
She begins this chapter with the illustration of panning for gold, sifting the silt to find the priceless worth.
"We have to leave gold through their lives in a fine dust that's spread all over everything. At the end of our children's lives, we hope it is worth a fortune. But at any given moment it is the little things that contain the gold."
The gold is guick forgiveness, quick repentance, cheerful smiles, tender hugs, teasing, laughing, loving, dinner, regular, predictable, having physical needs looked after, being disciplined, challenged, educated, not being the boss, not getting away with lying, security, joy, life, faith.
"It can be very tempting to think that we could just do it once and get it over with for a while... But our opportunities to bless our children are often most present when we least feel like it. This is why we cannot depend on our emotions to dictate our actions."
"When you feel tension mounting...before you react to them, get a grip on yourself. Look for how you can use this situation to bless them."
"We are talking about gold here, not glitter."
"We should not be correcting our children in the interest of making our lives easier (although it most certainly will). Correct them in the interest of making their lives richer."
Chapter 5--Discipleship of the Mundane
"He wants to see us perfecting the work we are given, cheerfully and willingly practicing when we do not see all the value."
Practice with thanksgiving, joy, gratitude, and hope.
Chapter 6--When the Milkshake Runs Low
This chapter gives the illustration of a mother's energy as a milkshake eaten up by little people all sucking through straws, each sucking faster as they get closer to the bottom trying to get every last drop.
"The demands for your attention and energy get suddenly loud and obnoxious when you feel like there isn't anything left to give. The truth is, your children aren't demanding anything different than what they were made to need. Usually, when they use this straw, they get fed. Right now, when they use this straw, mom gets snappy."
"It is our job to cast off sins, to be faithful. It is Christ's job to renew us. We can trust him to fill our milkshakes, because His never runs low."
Chapter 7--The Time Is Now
"We need to be now who we want to be then. The future is happening right now."
"God picks us up where we are, not where we should have been. The great blessing of being a Christina is that we have both a reason for the journey that we are on, and a companion for it. We are not alone. We are not striving for acceptance, because we have already been accepted and forgiven."
Chapter 8--Home Fires
"The problem... with trying to strong-arm your husband is more than just distancing yourself from his leadership. It is also putting distance between your children and their father. Your goal is to communicate to your children their father's love."
"Our first role in the home is as a helpmeet to our husbands. Honor and respect him specifically as you raise your children, because having a right relationship to the father of your children is one of the greatest gifts that you can give your children."
Chapter 10--Well Eating
"... the only way that we can eat well is by being well eaters. And the only way that we can be well eaters is by being made well through the blood of Christ."
She spends a majority of this chapter discussing that "healthy eating" should not be the "end all be all" because "Mankind can not dig out of the consequences of the fall, we can only be carried out. Jesus did that, healthy guts cannot."
Chapter 12--Ungraceful Parenting
"Law and grace are friends. They are always meant to go together. If the law is the skeleton, grace is the flesh."
"Parents [who] get irritated and end up disciplining... bullied. Instead of simply, cheerfully enforcing a standard, they eventually resorted to force to get their way. That is not the way authority acts."
"God wants you to be in authority over your children. He put you there. This is not a position you are striving to get into. You are in it. Act like it."
"Grace is not a coward."
"Good parents have two weapons to help them fight sin on behalf of their children: One is law, and one is grace. The point of both is restoration, forgiveness, and joy. If you don't see those fruits in your home. then you need to reevaluate what you are wielding."
Chapter 14--Wound Up
"There is another category of stress that is not connected to your sin, or even to worry. This it the kind of stress that just makes you tired."
"This kind of stress is simply the ambient noise of faithfulness."
"Some kinds of 'stress' are simply what happens when you are being faithful."
"All the noise isn't a reason to stop doing what you are supposed to be doing. We need to spend less time listening to ourselves, and more time talking to ourselves. Like the psalmist saying, 'Oh my soul, why are you grieving? Why disquieted in me? Hope in God, your faith retrieving, He will still your refuge be.'"
"The goal (in spite of what the world thinks) is not to arrive [at] a perfectly stressless place. The point is to be the kind of faithful that works through stress in a way that honors God. The way to deal with this kind of stress is to see through it. To focus your mind on the task in front of you... Obey. Make obedience your fundamental. If you prioritize obedience, everything else will fall into place."
Chapter 15--A Little Morning Rugby
"Dragging everyone somewhere is not leadership, it is bullying. Expect a lot of your children, but never more than you expect of yourself."
"If you are clear and calm, your children will be clear and calm."
"Good leadership is engaged and involved the whole time. It is clear about expectations and consistent about consequences. But good leadership always starts with the leader. It always starts with what you expect of yourself. If you are engaged in disciplining yourself, your children will know. They will mimic that. They will want to follow that."
Chapter 16--Popping the Weasel
"In our house, we make a point to discipline only when we have a biblical name for the offense, because we want our children to know that what they are doing is enforcing God's law."
Chapter 17--The Long-Term View
"Low points and discouragement are actually a perfectly normal part of the job. We are human. This is hard... The thing that distinguishes unbelief from belief is how we deal with discouragement and fatigue."
"One of the most beautiful things is how obedience and encouragement go hand in hand. Obey, and God will strengthen your steps. Act in faith, and He will reveal the path."
"Obedience is bigger than discouragement, and the two can not live side by side... The more you discipline yourself to overcome discouragement with obedience, the less discouragement there will be to overcome."
Chapter 18--It Ever Shall Be
She encourages us to sing a hymn or psalm when feeling grumpy.
"Gratitude... transforms. It is such a force that it cannot coexist with selfishness, with discouragement, with discontent. When you are thankful for what God gave you to do ,you are fit to do it."
January 15, 2025
I loved this book - several chapters were just what I needed! However, I am giving it 4 stars out of 5 because of a couple things I felt were out of balance.
First, was her view on assurance of salvation in chapter 11 (completely fruit-based, as opposed to Word-based). Her basis is completely different than what I would hold to, especially in influencing our children and teaching them a biblical foundation.
Second, I did not love her chapter on “Well Eating.” I would not label myself as “crunchy,” but we do try to eat well and have a balanced, wholesome approach. In this chapter, in an attempt to encourage moms not to take well-eating so far that you isolate yourself and become judgmental of others, I felt like she presented an unbalanced perspective of the concept as a whole. But that was just my take-away. She also compared it to the concept of the Lord’s Table - a table of gratitude and salvation/acceptance, which I felt was very far-fetched.
Other than these two things, I was encouraged by this book in many ways! My favorite chapter was 17 - “The Long-Term View”…..motherhood is a one-step-of-obedience at a time journey.
First, was her view on assurance of salvation in chapter 11 (completely fruit-based, as opposed to Word-based). Her basis is completely different than what I would hold to, especially in influencing our children and teaching them a biblical foundation.
Second, I did not love her chapter on “Well Eating.” I would not label myself as “crunchy,” but we do try to eat well and have a balanced, wholesome approach. In this chapter, in an attempt to encourage moms not to take well-eating so far that you isolate yourself and become judgmental of others, I felt like she presented an unbalanced perspective of the concept as a whole. But that was just my take-away. She also compared it to the concept of the Lord’s Table - a table of gratitude and salvation/acceptance, which I felt was very far-fetched.
Other than these two things, I was encouraged by this book in many ways! My favorite chapter was 17 - “The Long-Term View”…..motherhood is a one-step-of-obedience at a time journey.
September 1, 2023
Short and easy read! Encouraged by the reminder that crazy moments are expected and convicted to always have joy in the midst of them.
Also…it’s so funny! Literally laughed out loud at too many moments.
I’d highly recommend for moms!!
“Real life is messy because it is going somewhere. Things constantly need to be done because people are constantly growing. Repetition should not be discouraging to us, it should be challenging…God keeps giving me this do to, because this is what He wants me doing.”
Also…it’s so funny! Literally laughed out loud at too many moments.
I’d highly recommend for moms!!
“Real life is messy because it is going somewhere. Things constantly need to be done because people are constantly growing. Repetition should not be discouraging to us, it should be challenging…God keeps giving me this do to, because this is what He wants me doing.”
January 29, 2019
This book both convicted and encouraged me. The short chapters are easy to read, yet pack a powerful message about obeying the Lord and joyfully raising our family. I am very thankful for this book which is grounded in truth and will return to it again and again. It was exactly what I needed to read.
June 30, 2025
A friend recommended this book to me awhile back. I started it and then never finished it but came back to it and started again from the beginning. So good and so many thought provoking chapters! I will save it and read it again soon, I’m sure! Definitely recommend!
August 22, 2021
This book steps on your toes and points you back to Christ in all things surrounding motherhood. Super good (albeit uncomfy) reminders of what faithfulness looks like.
August 31, 2023
A gold mine of encouragement and help.
July 5, 2024
Intensely convicting. One to read again & again along this motherhood journey.
February 4, 2022
Very applicable to my season in life. Gave me good things to think about and I was quite convicted as I read. There were a few points she made/topics she discussed that I didn’t care for.
March 29, 2022
Fantastic. Would recommend to anyone.
February 4, 2021
I found this book so motivating. I have been recalling its earthy wisdom a lot lately in the midst of hectic parenting moments. Great book!
February 13, 2023
Wow. This little book was SO good. It was incredibly encouraging and convicting. It will be a book I return to again and again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews