I am so excited to have the chance to share some exciting things with you today via Jill’s blog. I’m Melissa and am part of the Hearts at Home leadership team. With Jill in Texas for the next couple weeks to love on her new grandbaby and help her daughter and son-in-law, it seemed like a great time to sneak in and tell you about some of the things that we are gearing up for at Hearts at Home. As some of our closest online friends, we want you to be “in the know” too!
Many of you have heard about the February 1 release of Jill’s new book, No More Perfect Moms. Are you as excited about this book as we are?
I want to give you a sneak peek of the cover! You’re among the first to see it!
Here’s just a taste of how No More Perfect Moms will be perspective-changing for all of us. It will help us:
- Change our unrealistic expectations to realistic ones in order to better manage everyday challenges.
- Give grace and love to our husband and children even in difficult family life circumstances.
- Increase our confidence when we resist the urge to compare our insides to other women’s outsides.
- Discover the beauty of grace when we stop judging ourselves and stop judging others.
- Find freedom from disappointment when we embrace our real family, our real challenges, and our real, but imperfect, life.
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for that kind of encouragement!
With the launch of the book, Hearts at Home has some exciting ways for you to get involved even before the book comes out! Over the next few months, be watching for:
- A No More Perfect Moms website where you can share your imperfect mom stories and be encouraged by other moms who have been there before you!
- A free 31-Day No More Perfect Moms email challenge that will provide you with daily inspiration right when you need it most – the beginning of a new year!
- An opportunity to be selected as a pre-reader of the book!
- Free video curriculum to accompany No More Perfect Moms to use in your groups starting February 1!
We don’t want to wait to get this started, so let’s start the fun today!
We want to choose two of you to be pre-readers of the book!
Leave a comment on this post to enter your name into the drawing. (If you’re reading this in email, leave a comment here.)
What is your “imperfect mom” story? When did you blow it?
I’d like to give you some examples by sharing some of my stories, but I think there’s a word count limit on this post! Don’t worry, though, plenty of time for you to hear them.
We’ll announce the two winners on Jill’s blog next week!
Keep hanging out here and watch Facebook (Hearts at Home and Jill Savage) and Twitter (@hearts_at_home and @JillSavage) to learn about these exciting opportunities and more!
I’m not sure there’s enough time or typing space to reiterate the ways in which I am NOT a perfect mom (nor do I have a perfect marriage, perfect eating habits or perfect body regardless of the closed door whispering). We are all in this together – let’s be honest and real, and most importantly, let’s support one another! Looking forward to Jill’s next book.
THANKS!
I love Jill’s writing, her books have really encouraged me. Sounds like a great new topic, I would love to read it early.
I would love to pre-read this book. . . it not chosen I will be buying it at the next H@H convention! 🙂
All the time… in particular, I think of the time I forced medicine down my toddler only to realize that what I thought was supposed to be dropper-fulls (filling up the medicine dropper and squeezing it into her mouth) was actually supposed to be drops (like drip. drip. drip.). I overdosed my daughter and had to hold her down to do it. I was sobbing as I called poison control. Thankfully, everything was fine.
My imperfections in all areas of my life, especially motherhood, tend to come out in my words. I react too quickly and too emotionally. I’m looking forward to this book for general encouragement, especially when it comes to finding freedom in embracing imperfections, particularly my own!
I would love to be a pre-reader of the book. I was just thinking about posting a confession of an imperfect mom last night as I washed pans that had been stacked up in the sink so I could use them to cook dinner.
Sounds like Jill wrote the book just for me!
I am a mom that God chose to gift 4 beautifully & wonderfully made kids to make up our family. Three kids suffer from what others would call “mental illnesses” like ADD/ ODD/ Depression/ Anxiety/ Inflexible-explosive disorder and the youngest has sever asthma. She has been hospitalized 8 times this year and we struggle daily with breathing treatments. I have a heavy load of doctors’ appointments, emotional instability, financial defeatedness, marriage disappointments and sadly, sometimes I act like a volcano spewing molten lava all around me. I know I do not act perfect and I know my kids do not act like perfect angles; we look up at God who is perfect!! I have to make choices to chose GRACE, FORGIVENESS, PEACE, JOY many moments each day. Many people ask “How do you live like this?” My answer is always “At the feet of JESUS!” I know He is stronger, and bigger than my circumstances! This song from the Afters is so encouraging…
Waiting for the sunrise
Waiting for the day
Waiting for a sign
That I’m where You want me to be
You know my heart is heavy
And the hurt is deep
But when I feel like giving up
You’re reminding me
That we all fall down sometimes
But when I hit the ground
(Chorus)
You lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me
So I’m letting go
You lift me up when I can’t see
Your heart is all that I need
Your love carries me
So I’m letting go
You lift me up with your love (x3)
You lift me up
I know I’m not perfect
I know I make mistakes
I know that I have let you down
But You love me the same
And when I’m surrounded
When I lose my way
When I’m crying out and falling down
You are here to….
I would love to PRE-READ your book!! 🙂
Beautiful.
I would love to preview this book! One of my many imperfect mom stories happened just recently. I had my back turned on my two year old daughter very briefly while I was doing dishes. She pushed a chair up to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen and got hold of my older daughter’s seizure medicine. Unfortunately the child proof cap was not closed tightly, so she got it off and was pouring the medicine all over trying to get some in the syringe to give to herself! Gratefully she didn’t get much in her system. As I was cleaning up that mess, she got into a box of cereal I had not put away from that morning’s breakfast, and poured cereal all over the kitchen! Still worried about the medicine she got into, I called the pharmacist while I was also trying to clean the cereal up in the kitchen. My little explorer once again noticed my attention was diverted and went on to find a marker and colored over my couch. That day I felt like I wasn’t able to do anything right as a mama! Had I just double checked to make sure the cap was on tightly…if only I wasn’t worrying about the dishes and spending time with my little girl….if only….
Being a military family our girls have seen their daddy and others take off their covers (hat) when going in to a building, and a hand full of other things that non-military for the most part do not do. Leaving where we have for the past three years we are not around a base, but still in the military and still live like we are. So I think we were here about a week and needed to go shopping, my three year old at the time made it her job to tell everyone that they needed to take off their covers, and what where they thinking having it on in side. Some laught about it and others just walk away. But when I just could not take it anymore I made her walk with her hand over her mouth. Looking back on it, I laught and I’m glad that she understands why we do that. But can see that I need to work on how we deliever things to others.
Would so love to have this book! I could really use it right now!
The comment about not comparing my inside to other mom’s outside is really important. I am excited to read this book!
I have too many stories to count, but one that comes to mind is from about a year ago. I’d thrown an “adult tantrum” over something my then 4 yr old little girl had said or done. I was even in the middle of a study on Julie Barnhill’s She’s Gonna Blow. I had definitely blown it. Just minutes after my fit, I was doing some small home fix it job and hollered in to my daughter to bring me the hammer; and my sweet girl said in fear, “Mamma don’t hammer me!” It was funny later. But it broke my heart in the moment. Because I had definitely verbally hammered her just prior to that. I hated that she could actually think a real hammer could follow. So glad she easily forgives and so glad God helps us start over every day!
When did I blow it? This morning in the normal get-everyone-ready-and-out-of-the-house-on-time rush. I was impatient with the still tired children who weren’t moving quickly enough for my schedule. Not necessarily the clock or the actual schedule, but my schedule.
I am soo excited for this book to come out! And what makes it even better is the release is right before hearts at home conference! It is the perfect topic because no one is perfect, yet we always think we have to be perfect when it comes to our kids. Thank you jill for writing this and bring it to peoples attention!
I would be honored to pre-read this book and share it with my mom community!!
Oh gosh…. I think where am I perfect is the better question. No where…. I have screwed up every aspect of parenting at one time or anther. Hopefully not all at once 😉
A quote I found a long time ago when my kids were little is “There is no way to be a perfect mom, but a milion ways to be a good one”.
Would love to pre-read! I have read all but 1 of Jills books so far!
I would enjoy pre-reading the book. In the midst of potty training, I often forget to remind my daughter to go to the bathroom and then get mad at her for peeing in her pants!
I would love to pre-read this book! Looking forward to enjoying another “guiltless” mom read.
Oh man, my “imperfect” stories could go on & on & on.
Recently I forgot to send snack on my son’s day at school. Two. Weeks. in. a row. Yep, Mom of the year right there. Entire class goes hungry because Mom can’t get it together 🙁
I LOVE Jill’s Books. Can’t tell you how many times something Jill has written or said at conference brings me out of my funk. Would LOVE to be a pre-reader & share the book & video curriculum in our Mom’s group (REAL Moms!).
I really wish I could start reading this one NOW! ONE way (there are so many to choose from) I am definitely not a perfect mom is when it comes to handling my children differently – all three of them are so different and need to be loved and disciplined differently. Sometimes it’s just easier to discipline everyone the same….wish I had the stamina to take the extra time to give everyone what they need!
I’m really looking forward to reading this book! What an encouragement it will be. Perfectionism is such a trap that we can all fall into and I’m excited for some encouragement that offers me grace as a mom so I can extend grace to others!
I mess up every day, I am looking forward to Jill’s new book, and appreciate the opportunity to be chosen as a pre-reader!
Would love to be a prereader of Jill’s book!!
Jill, I’d love for my wife (& mother of 2) to be able to read a sneak peak of more of your wisdom… thanks for using the gifts God has given you to not only improve the lives of mothers, but whole families!
I’ve never tried to be a perfect mom! I just do the best I can and I know that’s good enough. Can’t wait to read more from Jill!!
I felt like I failed as a mother when my son was born 8 weeks early (why couldn’t I keep him in longer??) and then failed to be able to breastfeed him (I pumped and pumped for 8 days, worked with 5 lactation consultants and nothing came out). This was 6 months after my mom died (she was 54) and I felt like my grief and worry and stress caused both of these situations. And then, as I dwell on these failures, I feel like I fail more because I’m worried and down about it (he’s 13 months now and I also homeschool my 7 year old, who was early and successfully breastfed) and I’m not being an effective mom now.
Looking forward to this book. Feeling guilty is all I know! I want to be free!
Christina,
You are not a failure. So many of the challenges you have faced would have caused stress for ANY mom. God is smiling on you. He loves you. And he is saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I can not wait to get my hands on this book! This is a message that needs to be heard by the “mommy community” and there is no one better to tell it than Jill!
Oh, and one of my many imperfect mom moments…I recently gave a children’s sermon to the entire church, my children included about being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The following day was a day off of school, and I freaked out on my kids. Evidently I was too busy giving the sermon when I needed to be listening to it instead. 🙁 Thankfully our kids give about as much grace as our God!
Ooops…we aren’t suppose to be perfect? Ok. I really need to keep reminding myself and my family of that one. Can’t wait to read the book! I have loved, bought for others, and reread many of your other books! Keep up the great work!
I would LOVE to be a pre-reader of the book. I would love to add it to our list in my growth group of books for us to read and would love to be the one to preview it!
I had a nice mommy playdate (with kids) yesterday and stayed later then I should’ve. Instead of having ample time to homeschool my daughter, I was rushing around trying to clean, pay bills, keep the toddlers from destroying her work and be ready to rush out the door. Needless to say I don’t think it was a very successful homeschool day.
This is just the book I need…today! I am the very definition of a Imperfect Mom, but I get up every morning with the attitude that each day is a fresh start and a chance to be a little less imperfect (:
It is amazing how in so many ways I feel like an imperfect woman, wife, mom, and Child of God! I am the coordinator of the table leaders at our local MOPS group and I have been using Jill’s other book, “Real Moms… Real Jesus” not just to keep my mind and heart focused on the fact that I am not going to get it all right but that Jesus has been through such scenarios but to let other moms know the truth right there in God’s word! This book would be a WONDERFUL one to follow up “Real Moms….Real Jesus” (which by the way… I have about 10pgs left of! *smiles*)
I would love a chance to be a pre-reader of this book. I blow it almost every day with my kids! I was just feeling mom guilt because yesterday my 4 year old made me a picture at school and I promised her we would find a place on the fridge. There she was this morning putting it up herself because I had completely forgotten!
I attended Jill’s party to celebrate finishing writing this book, and I was so excited to hear what the purpose and plans she have for this book are.
I can’t wait to read this book, early or when it comes out! 🙂
Hi,
As a mother of three, with the last two born just 12 months apart, I have many imperfect moments! One of the most imperfect moments I have experienced was when my (then) 12 month old ATE my newborn sons umbilical cord! We had been out for the day and I changed my sons diaper and noticed his cord had dried up and fallen off. I wrapped it in his wet diaper to be thrown away at home. Upon arrival at home, I sat my daughter in the floor by my sons diaper bag, which she grabbed. The small, dried up cord rolled out and as I dove to grab it, she picked it up, put it in her mouth and swallowed! I watched in horror as if it was in slow-motion. I thought (after my inital shock subsided) oh well, its protein. My son and daughter, now ages 12 and 13 love the story !
Thanks for letting me share! I would love to pre-read the book 🙂
Beth Jones
Just got off the phone with my best friend as we talked about the beauty of grace for all of our imperfections. This book sounds so very freeing! Can’t wait to read it!
Wow! Just yesterday I wondered if God meant to give me the children He did! Of course He did but I felt like I failed every step I took. I am so thankful of the above posts and knowing I am not the only one who has rough days or feels like a failure! I am excited for all these new things coming! I sure hope I win the chance to be a pre-reader but if not I will definitely be getting it as soon as it comes out!
I am looking forward to this book, I know it will be a blessing as all of Jill’s books have been that I have read.
It is hard for me not to compare myself to other Moms or my child to other children. I have seen this in myself and worked at it but still something I struggle with as a Mom.
When I had our daughter almost a year ago, the transition was rough. I was letting my son pretty much rule the roost because I was so distracted with a newborn. It was tough, and I could really use the reminders in Jill’s book!
I would love to be chosen to pre-read Jill’s new book! 🙂
As for an imperfect mom moment…wow how do I narrow it down to just one? One of the things I tend to feel most guilty about on a regular basis is how often I have to tell one or more of my children “not right now” or “maybe later” and then forget to do whatever it was they were asking for. I end up thinking about it (and everything else I’ve got to do, want to do, etc.) at night when everyone is asleep and the house is finally quiet.
Ooo, looks like a great read! I would love to get my hands on a copy of this book, especially before it is officially released!
I’d love to pre-read this book! Sounds like it was written just for this imperfect mom.
Anyone who knows me knows how imperfect I am, but one of the most embarrassing times I blew it as a mom happened three weeks after my forth child was born. I found that my newborn would sleep like an angel in our swing, so during our afternoon quiet time (which consisted of my two year old and five year old watching half an hour of a movie while I napped in bed and the baby napped in the swing), I left my phone on vibrate. I didn’t feel my alarm go off on my phone or the multiple times that it rang when someone from the school called to see why I hadn’t picked up my first grader. I woke up on a panic when I realized I had overslept the pickup time by more than 30any minutes. Since I had slept for more than an hour, my baby was also wailing as it had easily been close to three hours since she had last nursed. As I recall, my five year old said that she had sort of wandered why she had gotten to watch an entire movie at quiet time. Oddly enough my first grader reported that she was overjoyed to go to the latchkey program. She had dreamed about going there for the past two years. It was her high point for the week, and made me feel quiet humbled for the next few months of school.
I love how you don’t tell us how to be a better mom. Looking forward to reading this book….as a pre-reader or not !
I have all of Jill’s books and LOVE to hear her speak. I’m REALLY looking forward to this book and seeing how it can improve my life as a mom.
I would LOVE to be a pre-reader!!! Could use some advice!! Just this weekend my 2yo got away from me and pulled the fire alarm at my husband’s office building while we were visiting. Not my proudest moment!! Ha!
I would love, love, love to have a chance to pre-read this book!! Something that I am really struggling with lately is learning to tell people “no” when they ask for my help with an event or a committee. This is especially hard to do at my child’s school or at church because I feel guilty for saying “no”. Sounds like this book would really help me with this struggle! Thank you for writing it! Can’t wait to read it!!
I would love to pre-read the book!!
I have blown it so many times, and am thankful for God’s love and grace which has carried me through over the years. I need the reminder that none of us are perfect and would love the opportunity to pre-read Jill’s new book! It’s hard to pick just one story of when I’ve blown it because there are so many! Probably one of my worst is forgetting to close the gate at the top of the stairs. Our 15 month old decided to follow Mama, fell down 3 stairs, caught herself, but managed to break her arm. Fortunately, it was a little fracture, which healed quickly.
Not being the greatest of culinary artists, I have learned to go with the flow. Mixing two random kool-aid packages together created a brownish liquid. Not what I had in mind, but trying to go with the flow, I declared to the kids that for dinner tonight, we are having ‘swamp water’ to drink with our meal. They loved it and ‘swamp water became a favorite.
I’m totally intrigued and would love to pre-read this book.
I had 2 toddlers & was recovering from the birth and death of a sweet baby girl. I ran upstairs “for just a minute” to put laundry away, changed the sheets, lay DOWN on those clean sheets to cry and was out like a light. When I awoke 20 minutes later I ran downstairs to see what my unsupervised toddlers had been doing. They had taken a Sam’s Club-sized container of lemonade, spread it liberally over the family room carpet, and had made a quarry and roadway for their toy trucks and construction equipment. Runny noses had made sticky messes of their faces; a leaky diaper had made a sticky mess elsewhere on one of them. There was grit all over them and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Bath-time for children and toys; run the vacuum (several times) in the family room; our house smelled like lemons for weeks!
Ok, this one actually made me laugh out loud. Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
My worst mom moment would be when I was busy chatting on the phone as I was leaving the mall with my newborn and 2 year old. I drove off (assuming I buckled both in the car) only to realize 2 miles down the road that my 2 year old was not in his car seat!!!! I screamed, prayed and drove 90 mph to get back to that mall parking. He wasn’t anywhere to be found in the parking lot! My mind was going crazy!!! I thought someone must have grabbed him… only to realize he was in the floor board playing behind my seat. I had put him in the car but had not buckled him in his seat. NO MORE CHATTING ON THE PHONE WHEN GETTING KIDDOS IN THE CAR!!! Thank God for his protection!
Oh how scary, Brandi!
I am so far from being a perfect mom, but one story that I remember is this. We were over at my BFF’s house letting the kids play. We noticed that we had been talking too long without checking on the kids, so I went to find them. BFFs husband had been painting a bedroom in their house and not cleaned up yet. Yep, you guess it! Our 2 and 3 year olds found the paint. And proceeded to paint the desk, the chair, and themselves! Talk about bath time! We laugh about it now, but boy, did we feel like awful mommies then.
I’m curious about this book- I have loved all of Jill’s other books. I don’t find myself falling in to the level of comparison and insecurity many women struggle with, and yet I know that as a wife and mom I have much growing to do, I am far far far from where I’d like to be. Anyway, one of my imperfect mom stories seems to be playing on repeat- last we I forgot my son’s show and tell days at least 4 times over the course of the year. This year? Yup, forgot the very first one!
Well, as a mother of 4, I have way too many stories to share! My favorite one has lasting memories for me. I don’t even know the exact circumstances, but my children were at the table, finishing dinner while my husband was away on business. Something happened and I lost it. I slammed a jar on the table, screamed at my children and caused at least one of them to cry. After I had apologized and calmed everyone down, I realized the jar had left a mark on the table. To this day, as I wipe up the table after meals, I remember that day and ask God to help me tame my out of control tongue!
I would love to be a pre-reader!! I’ve read some of Jill’s other books and have benefited greatly from them!