Desperate to Share With You

My mentor and friend, Sally Clarkson

Once in a while you find yourself part of something that you know is God ordained and bigger than you are.  Such is how I feel when I think of my friendship with Sally Clarkson.  The first time I encountered Sally was at a NC Home Educators Conference in 2003.  I was invited to the conference by a friend of mine and at the time I wasn’t even sure how I felt about home schooling.  I wandered into a session presented by Sally on “Raising Wholehearted Children.”  I sat in that session mesmerized by what Sally said but more so by how she said it…she was passionate about being a mom…and keeping the hearts of her children.

From that day forward, I went to hear her speak each time I learned of her being in North Carolina.  I read all of her books and shared them with others.  I credit her with shaping my view of Biblical motherhood more so than anyone else has done.  In the years that have ensued since our first encounter, I have spent two amazing weekends in her home in Colorado, helped and spoken at her MomHeart conferences and am currently a writer for her MomHeart blog.

Sally has given me many opportunities and gifts I treasure and among them is the introduction to her friend, Sarah Mae.  This past September I was able to share a weekend with Sarah Mae and some other amazing ladies at Sally’s home in Colorado.  What a gem Sarah Mae is…a very authentic person who isn’t afraid to admit she doesn’t always have it all together.  In a day where bloggers, speakers, and writers want to appear as experts it is refreshing to find someone who admits that she lives where we all live.

L-R: Sarah Mae, Kat Lee, Renee Parris, Angela Perritt, and Misty Krawsaski

Sally and Sarah co-wrote a book that was released this week and I am desperate to share their book “Desperate” with you.  I was privileged to read it early and write a review for the publisher, Thomas Nelson.  Here is the review I submitted:

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Having birthed a premature, medically fragile child, I understand desperation.  Days and months filled with one desperate scenario after another, my heart longed for someone to walk along side me who had been where I found myself on those dark days.  Society has changed and brought geographical distances between relatives leaving scores of young mothers without the trans-generational support systems that our grandmothers enjoyed.  Days when large kitchens bustled with female relatives and friends all more than capable of teaching and training the younger generations have been replaced by a fast paced society where families are living independent of one another.  And it wasn’t just the capability of the older generation, it was their willingness to impart wisdom and speak grace into the lives of those younger women who were now where the mature had been.

Sarah Mae is to be commended for her willingness to shout to the world that she, as a mom, finds herself desperate.  In a society of facades and walls of pretense, Sarah Mae is refreshingly honest.  Her words will echo and take hold in the lives of many young mothers who may not fully know how to give voice to their overwhelmed hearts.

Sally Clarkson epitomizes those traits that younger moms long for in a mentor, role model, and sounding board.  I have been in her home and spent time with her in variety of settings and can attest to her authenticity.  Sally embodies wisdom and shares it willingly.  She has an unparalleled burden to encourage mothers in their Biblical roles of training children and cultivating home as a haven of civility.

Reading this book is a vacation for the soul.  Breathing, laughing, relating, and finding yourself in these pages is such a treat.  Whether you are the younger mom who feels desperate or the older mom who reassures, or maybe a mixture of both, you are sure to find truth for the journey in this exchange of letters.  The ideas expressed here are not new, they are divine principles based on God’s word.  Yet, they are presented afresh by Sarah Mae and Sally in ways that today’s moms can relate.

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And, so, months of waiting have passed and now “Desperate” is available.  Do yourself (and every mother you know) a favor and buy this book.  I promise you will NOT be disappointed.  To purchase or read a FREE segment of the book,  visit http://www.desperatemom.com

You can find Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson on Facebook or on the following blogs:

Sally’s blog: http://itakejoy.com

Sarah Mae’s blog: http://sarahmae.com

http://desperatemom.com

I am thrilled to know these ladies and to share their ministries with you.

Renee Parris

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