About the Book

Book Title: It’s Momplicated
Author: Debbie Alsdorf * Joan Edwards Kay
Genre: Non-fiction
Release date: September 4, 2018

Let’s face it: when it comes to mothers and their daughters, things can get a little . . . complicated. Momplicated, you might say. Whether your relationship with your mom has been wonderful or stressful, redeemed or broken, close or nonexistent, it’s one of your life’s most important and defining connections. Its effects have probably followed you into adulthood. If you have conflicting feelings toward mom—or if you wish you could get past some of the baggage that holds you back—this is your book. Combining spiritual disciplines and the best of current therapeutic practice, It’s Momplicated will help you discover

How your early connection with your mother may have impacted your sense of self and your other important relationships—and what you can do to break the cycle
Why you and your mother have the relationship you have—the underlying reasons that may be contributing to strain and unease
Tools and exercises to help you cope with some of the most common effects of a broken relationship, including anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, and trust issues
How to be the daughter and mother God wants you to be even if your mom wasn’t who you needed her to be.

It’s never too late to love, never too late to heal, and never too late to trust God to turn the pain in your story into a redemption song. As you read It’s Momplicated, you’ll realize that while God doesn’t promise to fix all your circumstances, He does promise to uphold you and lead you to a healing place of knowing you are truly precious and loved, no matter how your past has affected you

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review:
This is what I gained from reading "It’s Momplicated" by Debbie Alsdorf and Joan Edwards Kay, "God doesn’t promise to fix all my circumstances, but He does promise to uphold me and help me heal from a past belief of believing the lie that I'm not enough and unloved and to help me learn and believe that I am truly precious and loved, no matter how the past has affected me ."

The above statement is partially true, it is a work in progress because this book shows that mothers and daughters are life’s most important and defining connections. Its effects have probably followed you into adulthood.

"It’s Momplicated" by Debbie Alsdorf and Joan Edwards Kay is another book that is one that really needs to be studied and actually work on the "Explore Your Story" part of the book after each chapter.

I have added this book to my work on list ( yes, I have a list of books that needs to be studied more in depth) and I have put this on the top of the list, because after reading this book I realized more than ever that even if you had a good relationship with your mother there are still past issues that you carry on into the relationship with your own daughter and even though the book is about mothers and daughters, I see where some of the relationship even carries on to relationships with others.

I wish I had read this book before because I would definitely use it to have a talk with my own mother, who died May, 11, 2018. But I can and will use it as a tool in making my relationship with my own daughter better. I feel like this would have been a great tool for mom and me as we both like to read and shared books, I can imagine the tears and conversations we would have, if given the chance. This book can still be a healing tool even if your own mother is no longer alive.

I don't think working on a review has ever made me cry but this certainly has. I suggest all mothers and daughters read this book.

I was given a complimentary copy by the authors and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Authors

Debbie Alsdorf: For the past twenty-five years, through her speaking and writing, Debbie Alsdorf’s mission has been to help women live a better story by leading them to the heart of God’s love and the truth of his Word. Debbie is a biblical lay counselor, a Christian life coach, and the founder of Design4Living Ministries. She and her husband, Ray, have raised a blended family of four adult children. Today Debbie’s favorite role is being a grandma to ten little ones.

Joan Kay Edwards: Joan Edwards Kay is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the East Bay of San Francisco and has been an adjunct professor at Western Seminary. She received her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and her master’s degree from Western Seminary. She is happily married with two adult daughters, four stepdaughters, and five grandchildren.

Guest Post from Debbie and Joan

Mom. Mother. Mommy. What do those words evoke in you? Wonderful memories of home cooked meals? A longing for nurture that was never fully met? A sense of not being enough? Gratitude? Sadness and loss? Anger and resentment? Most women have a complex reaction when asked to think about their mothers–a mix of positive and negative, gratitude and hurt, happy and sad memories. Our relationships with our mothers are unique, rich, and complicated. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Debbie Alsdorf and Joan Edwards Kay, friends who have written a book together that explores the issue of moms and their profound effect on daughters. It’s Momplicated: Hope and Healing for Imperfect Daughters of Imperfect Mothers releases this September 4^th, 2018. Since every woman is a daughter, this book is for every women. Every daughter receives less-than-perfect programming from her mother. The messages may be about our value, or how to relate to others, or even about how we think about bodies. However, God is our perfect parent who wants to rewrite that imperfect programming with his truth. Many of us don’t realize the wrong messages that are deep in our souls. I (Debbie) grew up with a mother who was cold, distant and unavailable. I have one sister who was in her teens when I was born and married by the time I started school, leaving me to be raised as an only child. I grew up wondering what was wrong with me, “Why didn’t mom want to spend time with me? Why didn’t she hug me and hold me close like other moms did? Why was nothing I did to earn her approval good enough?” I was deeply imprinted with wounds of rejection and carried them through most of my adult life, even though I pasted on a smile, kept trying to do better, and could be the life of any gathering. On the inside, I was sad for as long as I can remember. Through working on this book, I have experienced a phenomenal inner healing, the exposing of lies long held secretly in my heart, and the ability to see the way the enemy of my soul has tried to use the “not enough” belief against me. I am beyond excited for other women to have the courage to own their own story, inviting Jesus to meet them in any points of pain and any relationships that need healing. I (Joan) had a stay-at-home mom who cooked dinner every night, took us to the library and the beach, did art projects with us, and made me feel safe and happy. However, when I was nine years old, my father and then my brother both died of cancer within a year and my relationship with my mother changed. Understandably, she struggled to just hold herself together, but in my young mind I felt abandoned by her. I didn’t have the capacity to deal with all the loss and she didn’t have the strength to help me. I felt emotionally lost and alone. I longed for my mother to comfort me and show me how to overcome my pain. In retrospect, I wish she had shown me faith in a God who could bring hope and meaning to the devastation that had hit our family. But she was not a believer and did her best to stuff away the feelings and soldier on. I was deeply imprinted with the belief, I’m alone and can only depend on myself. As I worked on this project, the root of many of my struggles became clear to me and God has been comforting those young, lonely parts of me with his presence and his love. What is your story with your mother? What false beliefs has this important relationship imprinted on your heart, and how does God’s truth rewrite them? It is our hope that every woman, as God’s daughter, will learn the beauty of who she is and receive her own healing so she can leave a legacy of faith, hope and beauty to the generation of women that follow. One thing we know for sure: there are no perfect moms, just women partnering with a perfect God.