If you have ever whispered, "I just can't be a mom today," then you will understand the story of the new book I wrote with Sarah Mae, Desperate, which is coming out in one month. Sarah Mae, my dear friend, felt this way. I felt this way so many times through the years of my own journey of motherhood.
The strong, gloomy memories still live in my mind when I think about sitting in the cold darkness of my home, alone in my living room, shivering. It was not so much from cold, but from a fear that I was harming my children, that I didn’t know what it meant to be a good mother. No matter how much I attempted to be patient, my frustration of having 4 full time children in my home who had constant needs and constant demands often over took me. And then there were the personalities and the noise and the messes and the never ending sleepless nights.
And so often, I just longed for time by myself, time to sleep, and help from someone somewhere.
Have you ever felt that way? It is what I call the battle of motherhood. Our role as moms is imbued with such importance from God, and yet in a culture where we are isolated in our neighborhoods, without grandmas and aunties to help, and very little relief or help, it is very easy to become overwhelmed. Many of you have known for years that God literally gave me a dream one night of standing with moms to encourage them, to teach them and to inspire them in this important role of motherhood. I knew that I did not want other moms to feel as alone in this call of God, to raise godly children, as I had felt. But I also knew that it was a mandate from the Lord--that I was to invest my life in developing a ministry to moms all over the world.
That is why Clay and I started Mom Heart Ministry and began hosting mom heart conferences 16 years ago, and why he and I wrote so many books on Biblical motherhood and parenting, to help moms feel loved, to have friends and to build community with others so that they could find hope and strength and even joy as a mom. 
Desperate is another amazing way that God is putting together another piece of that dream. Sarah Mae and I would love to be a part of a movement of the Holy Spirit to connect like-minded moms all over the world, so that no mom will feel alone, without a friend or community or help again.
Our book is about friendship, joining hands, becoming friends and giving strength to one another in this journey of motherhood.
It is our hope that many of you will form a group to read this book together. We hope that moms will reach out to be available to mentor other younger moms. Here are some ways that you can help us get the word out!
1. Join our blog tour to help spread the word the week of our launch. You can find out more about that here.
2. Would you consider starting a group right where you are? Gather friends, put together a group at your church, or in your community, or online, so that you can join hands with other moms who don't want to feel desperate or alone any more? Many groups, including our publisher, Thomas Nelson, has gone to great lengths to provide some wonderful giveaways to moms who start groups and who help us begin what we hope will continue to be a growing group of moms all over the world who want to find hope and purpose in motherhood together.
For moms who purchase at least 5 books to form a group, there will be special giveaways, to celebrate your group.
Please do not pre-purchase this book, as it will need to be bought the week of our launch to be included in the giveaways.
We will be hosting an online book club that you can join in on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning 1/29! We hope to see you there.
Stay tuned for more news in a couple of weeks.
