A Double Book Review: A Christ-Centered Easter & Real Moms

Today I have two books to tell you about. Both are amazing!

I've been looking for something to help us with new Easter family traditions, and since I enjoyed Emily Freeman's book about a Christ-Centered Christmas, I was excited to see she had one out about Easter.

Celebrating A Christ-Centered Easter isn't like any other tradition book I've seen. It doesn't concentrate on the days leading up to Christ's crucifixion---it concentrates instead on the people who surrounded Christ before his crucifixion.  Lazarus, Simon, the Women, Joseph and Nicodemus, and Thomas to name a few.  I loved how the author took the individual experiences these people had with the Savior and suggested ways we can use their experience to better our own lives.  The stories are made so personal and brought a whole new meaning to them. They were short chapters, but each one was filled with ideas and wisdom that I thought about long after I'd finished the book.

The author also includes short family home evening lessons you can do after each chapter which I really appreciated. I'm going to do the "forget" knot tonight.

I think this is a touching book that offers a unique perspective into our Easter traditions and what they could be.  I loved the ideas, I loved that it is diverse enough for anyone to read---individuals or families.  Definitely going on my keeper shelf!  If you are looking for a way to make your Easter more meaningful, this is the book for you.

You can buy your copy here for $8.08

Here's the back copy:

One of the few titles for adults on the Easter holiday, this beautiful gift book tells the story of Jesus from Crucifixion to Resurrection in short chapters, illustrated with line art, told in first-person narrative of seven disciples. Each section offers the author's commentary on the lessons learned from each disciple and suggests simple traditions to follow to remember how implementing the teachings of the Easter holiday can vastly enrich your life today.

Personal stories include

Lazarus
Simon
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome
Thomas
The disciples on the road to Emmaus
Jesus Christ

The second book I want to tell you about today is by Lisa Valentine Clark called Real Moms Making It Up As We Go.

Being a mom is full of tears and laughter and so is this book.  As a mother of eight, boy, do I have some stories I could tell you about motherhood.  It is the hardest, most rewarding job I've ever had (and yes, I know everyone says that, but it's true!) Ms. Clark really hits the nail on the head in this book.  I laughed so hard in pretty much every chapter, but there are some tear-jerking moments, too.

Every mom will relate with her chapters that talk about "all the things" (yep, I've got sooo much time on my hands) and "making it all up" and "you've got some advice."  I think my favorite chapter, though, was "shocking moments in motherhood." I could definitely relate and that made me laugh really hard because I've been there! I knew exactly what she was talking about!

This is a really fun book. I liked her easy, conversational tone, the wit, the truths and the side rants.  I loved her moments of clarity through the laughter and the tears.  And I loved how real it all felt to me. The author talks about the time her son first experienced the wind and how amazing it was. I remember the time my little boy first experienced a snowflake.  There is something incredible and amazing about seeing the world through the eyes of a child.  It is definitely one of the rewards of motherhood. (And there are many.)  This book just points out all the best parts of being a mom.

So with Mother's Day coming up, this book just shot to the top of my list to buy for the moms in my life.  You can get your copy herefor $10.49

Here's the back copy:

I didn’t have gold shoes, and I didn’t have time to go shopping, but I thought I could just spray-paint some heels I owned that I never really wore. I spray-painted them and tried them out for three hours at church where they held up perfectly. I felt pretty good about myself. “Suckers who buy gold shoes when they could just spray-paint them,” I thought, congratulating myself for my frugality and my foresight for testing them out.

As moms, we improvise. We get along. We make things word. And we make a lot of things up as we go along because, let’s face it, no manual is ever going to cover all the bases a real mom needs to touch. But if laughter and perspective and a renewed energy to face the day are what you’re after—if you too are a “real mom”—this is the book for you!