A couple years ago, I finally
admitted to myself that I struggle with anger. Before I was able to admit it, I
would NEVER have used the word “angry” to describe myself. I wasn’t angry, I
was upset, frustrated, annoyed, passionate, but not angry. Then, God started
doing some hard work on my angry little heart and I was able to finally confess
my weakness and sins relating to my anger battle.
After having confessed that I
was angry, I was on the hunt for tools, books, tricks, etc. to deal with this
issue. However, I still struggled with fully owning my problem and looked to my
exterior triggers to point the blame: if my house weren’t so dirty, if my
husband were more present, if my kids weren’t so stubborn... In my quest of
materials to help me “fix” my problems, I stumbled across a link on The MOB Society for a Facebook group dedicated to helping moms of boys deal
with “mommy-anger.” I clicked the link to join the private group, hoping there
I would find something that would teach me how to “fix” my boys, so I could
quit being such an angry mom.
For months, I was in the group,
but never really present or active. Then, one day I commented on a post and
before I knew it, I had changed the notifications of the group to notify me of
every post and was catapulted deeper into this journey than I had ever imagined
I would be. Amber and Wendy faithfully and lovingly presented convicting,
Scripture-based truths which began to revolutionize my mothering and my anger
journey. I had grown up in an “angry home” and knew I didn’t want yelling to be
the soundtrack of my children’s lives, so I kept pushing into Jesus and using
the group as a tool to help keep my focus on the issue.
In the summer of 2015, they
started a series, based on “triggers”, in the group which pushed me even deeper.
It was a tumultuous time in my life anyway, and this series was like a
lifeline. Realizing all my “triggers” were opportunities to push deeper into
my Savior and become further refined in His image changed everything.
I was no longer on this journey
to fix my kids’ irritating behaviors. I was no longer on this journey to learn “tricks”
to help me stop yelling (I had tried many, they all failed because they weren’t
addressing the real issue: my heart.) I am now on this journey to grow closer
to the Lord and allow Him to create in me a new heart, which will, in-turn, create
a new legacy for my children. That is some powerful stuff, I tell you what.
When I heard that Amber and Wendy
had decided to take that “triggers” series and use it as the grounds for a
book, I was ecstatic. When I received my pre-release PDF copy of Triggers by
Amber Lia and Wendy Speake, I instantly started using it as a daily devotional.
It was convicting, but encouraging, and has stirred in me a desire to parent my
children the way my Good, Good Father has parented me through all my years of
immaturity and behavioral issues toward Him.
I am halfway through my second
time in the book, this time helping to lead a wonderful international group of
women through a study of it. I am planning on hosting a book study for moms
local to me. I want to buy copies for every mom I know, because it is
just.that.good. It is like no other parenting book I have ever read. I cannot
urge you enough to get yourself a copy, it will be money very well spent and
your children and your children’s children will thank you for it. (You can click on the banners on the side bar or the footer of my page, or find it on Amazon!)
