I
n a world where teenagers are pulled in a million different directions, it can feel overwhelming at times. From school to practice, from family to friends, the lives of middle and high school students can become a huge whirlwind. Life quickly becomes a mix of highs and lows.
It is in this whirlwind, that we find out who we are and what we believe. In Mom Talks, each chapter focuses on different life experiences of teenagers from all walks of life. These stories focus on things like relationships, leadership, and family experiences. There is something for everyone in this book. Stories about breakups, sports practice, death, divorce, teen pregnancy, and even one about getting detention because it has been my experience that, in this particular season of humanity, these very serious events are things that teenagers face every day. I wrote about real kids, living real lives, who came into my real classroom at some point in the past quarter of a century and asked for real advice and real steps to take that would get them to the other side of the storm.
I wanted to make sure that every story was told in a deep and personal way, so that even if you cannot relate to the particular topic, you can still have compassion for those who have walked that particular path. It isn’t enough in this life for people to be able to deal with their own problems. We must also find a way to have tenderness and compassion for those around us. Mom Talks is a book that will teach you about yourself, but if you let it, it will teach you about others as well.
In each chapter, after the story is told, there is scripture tied to that situation. Not just one verse, but a group of verses, so that the reader becomes familiar with the character of God through the lens of their life’s journey. There is no room in Mom Talks for one-liner, Pinterest worthy single verse scripture. I believe that that kind of truth is too easy to misinterpret or misquote and even manipulate in an attempt to bend the truth of the Bible to fit our lives instead of bending our lives to fit the truth of the Bible. Instead, large groups of verses are used to dig deep into The Word, in order to understand what God has said over our lives. Scripture ranges over the expanse of the entire Bible, both Old and New Testament and in different translations, with a focus on applying the truth of scripture to real world experiences.
Once the story and scripture are set, the remainder of each chapter is the “Mom Talk” part of the journey. This is where I speak directly to the reader with comfort, compassion, tenderness, and at times with a dose of hard to hear truth. It is all done in a casual and conversational way, as if you are sitting in one of my comfy chairs in my classroom, snacking on candy from the candy basket, and we are having a heart-to-heart conversation about all the things in your life that are keeping you up at night.
Mom Talks, at its core, is really just a collection of stories that are dissected through the lens of God’s truth. It is told by a mom, teacher, and adult that loves you, and that can see just how much God loves you and just how much He wants you to draw near to Him.
Each chapter not only dissects scripture in a way that will help the teenage reader to better understand the Bible and God’s character, but also leads the reader to practical steps to take as they walk out every scenario in the book. The focus of these practical steps is to always lead the reader back to their best friend, Jesus. Mom Talks reminds middle and high school readers that there are a lot of voices in their lives, and not all of them are worthy of attention. In this book, teenagers are reminded that the only trusted voice of truth is the voice of Jesus. They are encouraged to spend time every day with Jesus, the only true best friend that can be counted on in all the ups and downs of these very challenging and formative years.
It is my hope that Mom Talks becomes a worn and tattered, bedside table, highlighted, bookmarked guide to any teenager’s life. It has the potential to become a book middle and high school kids come back to time and again whenever life throws a curveball. Today, it’s opened for the story about that coach in your life that just won’t let you off the hook. Tomorrow, you come back to it because you have been given the devastating news that your father has been deported or that your parents are getting a divorce. This isn’t the kind of book you read once and put on the shelf to gather dust. This book will be there for you, just like Jesus, over the years and years of your life in all the good times and all the challenges.
Mom Talks was written for you with love, and with the hope that it leads you to the One who created you and formed you in your mother’s womb. The One who knows your past and all its dirty details, and the One who has plans for your future, plans to use all the moments of these challenging years for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to his purpose.
Pick up a copy of Mom Talks today on Amazon or Amazon Kindle.