Something funny happened this week that involves this book. A friend of mine bought A Mom Just Like You for herself and read through the first couple of chapters, but then she felt like God was saying to her, “You need to give this book to Heather.”

So she did! As a belated birthday gift. And I had to laugh and tell her “great minds think alike” because I love this book! In fact, I bought it four years ago and read it cover to cover — devouring it like hot brownies out of the oven. Then I loaned it out a couple of times, and a friend returned it to me last summer.

So, I told her I’d “loan” her my new book permanently, so she could finish it and we could talk about it. Then I thought, “Well, maybe I’m supposed to write about this in my blog.” Is there a mom out there who could use some encouragement? Is there anyone struggling with the issue of … family size? A Mom Just Like You is written by Vickie Farris (with her daughter Jayme), and she’s the mother of ten kids.

Well, in my pre-blogging days, I wrote a bunch of reviews on Amazon, and so I decided to review this book. And while I was looking it up, I discovered some people didn’t like it. Well, I had to differ on their opinion. So here’s what I wrote:

I can’t understand the other reviewers who write negatively about this book. The title is absolutely perfect! It’s not supposed to be a practical how-to guide; it’s a journey, a very personal peek into the life of a large, successful homeschooling family. Mrs. Farris bravely tells the story of how she came to be the mother of ten children and why they chose to homeschool.

I’ve heard Michael Farris speak before, and I too wondered what kind of a woman could possibly mother and teach ten children. So that’s why I bought the book to begin with. Mrs. Farris writes, “I am a very normal mom who happens to have a very visible, talented, and energetic husband … I struggle regularly with feeling overwhelmed … I am very much a mom like you. And from one normal mom to another, let me just tell you that God is faithful …” (Her husband is a successful attorney, the founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association, founder of Patrick Henry College, professor, author of several non-fiction books and novels, and has won many awards.)

The theme of her story is that God alone can enable and give grace for a person to accomplish anything. Mrs. Farris grew up as a shy, only child who had little practice in domestic arts or caring for children. She even admits that she is a “scaredy cat” when her husband is away traveling. Yet she uses her weaknesses to draw on God’s strength.

The book encompasses her journey of child-bearing, beginning with the birth of her first daughter, and ending with her new role as grandmother. She goes into great detail about how she and her husband made the decisions that led them along this path.

While listening to a Focus on the Family radio show, she became interested in homeschooling. Later, it was through reading a magazine article as well as Mary Pride’s book, The Way Home, that she changed her views on planning the size of her family.

The whole book is funny and encouraging. We see her youngest son jumping off the coffee table. We agonize with her as she is planning a wedding while still taking care of a child in the middle of the night. We see how her daily afternoon walks help her stay sane and refreshed.

She explains the Farris’ principles of child-rearing; mainly, “our ultimate goal is not to raise children, but to raise adults.” She discusses the delicate balance between rights and responsibility as children move through different ages. This wisdom is so helpful for moms in the trenches with young kids (like me).

The last two chapters are extremely inspirational, and for anyone who is planning a mother/daughter speech or tea, these chapters offer you great ideas. She quotes another of my favorite authors, Elisabeth Elliot, who says, “None of the gifts of my own life — not my “career” or my work or any other gift — is higher or more precious to me than that of being someone’s mother.”

I’ve read this book through twice, and I plan on reading it again — sorry, I can’t loan you my copy. (Order it through your local Christian bookstore, and give them some business!) One more thing about this book: although Mrs. Farris does hold certain beliefs about family planning, she doesn’t come across as judgmental. I personally believe this is a decision that husbands and wives should make together as a couple, after much prayer and seeking God about it. This book will give you one point of view; it’s up to you to research and make the wisest choice — for your family.