In today’s Thoughts from the Garden, an incident between my daughters over a broccoli plant reminded me of how beauty and productiveness in our lives is in the eye of the beholder.

Watch the video to learn more about the lifecycle of a broccoli plant and a few thoughts on how the stages of our lives can mimic that of a broccoli plant’s lifecycle.

On my desk and around my office are little gifts that my mother has given me over the years – a “Dare to Dream” poem, a couple of her photos of fog among the Redwood trees, and the latest addition, a collectible Mother & Daughter porcelain plaque with a quote on it.

Every day when I look up I see a bit of my mom through these items, and feel her love and support. Yet I talk with her, over our video phones, only maybe four to six times a year. We both live busy lives and are both working and raising families; my younger sister is just a year older than my oldest daughter. 

But when I think of my mom, I smile. And that’s how I would love for my daughters to think of me when they are grown. But how does this come about?

Mother-Daughter Duet by mother-daughter team, Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum, promises to show  you (and I) the path.  

Combining stories from their own relationship struggles and successes, their journey of letting go of the mother-daughter dynamic and become friends, with the stories from many other mothers and daughters they interviewed while researching this book, Fuller and Plum provide practical insights  into how we can develop healthy relationships with our daughters and with our own mothers.

At 201 pages, the book is broken into thirteen chapters, plus an introduction and epilogue. You’ll be taken on a journey of engaging with your daughter through early adulthood through marriage, motherhoods, and beyond.

Each chapter is themed for specific hotpoint or issue, like validation, communication, making wedding plans, when your daughter becomes a wife and then a parent, and,  of course, forgiveness.

Both a mother’s point of view and a daughter’s point of view is given for each topic, with a coming together for what is called “two part harmony”.  Discussion questions for each chapter are provided at the end of the book.

One of the things I really like about this book is that Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum do not pretend that they are perfect or have the perfect mother-daughter relationship. They’ve struggled, just like many others and have through trial and error, communication, and counselling have found a better harmony. They are transparent in that in writing the book, they ran into issues within their relationship and found ways to work through them. This, I believe, adds the the credibility and integrity of the insights they share.

As I watch my own daughter grow into a teen, and know that around the corner she will be off on her own, I am heartened to learn that moms who learn to cherish their daughter’s growth and independence have an easier time making the transition. While my daughters are not yet adults, I found many of the tips and insights from Mother-Daughter Duet worth storing in the back of mind, preparing for the day my daughters’ set sail.

Mother-Daughter Duet also has me thinking about my relationship with my mother, things I could have done better as a daughter, and things that she did so well, that I should emulate with my own daughters.

If you have a struggling relationship with your mom and would like to set it on a healthier path, you will find Mother-Daughter Duet thought provoking. And if you have daughters who are nearing adulthood or are adults, this is definitely worth reading and culling insights from.

 You can learn more about Mother-Daughter Duet on the Random House website or at your favorite bookseller.

Disclosure: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Have you ever struggled with joy? About three years ago, I realized that I was just doing the work, going through the motions of life, doing what my father taught me – work hard, do what’s necessary without complaint, and just get it done. But I wasn’t really embracing Joy. 

It’s been a long ten years of trials ups and downs, and it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day struggles of life, in doing what needs to be done, that it is easy to miss the opportunity for joy often masked by our focus on the work or the struggle.

If you can relate, then I recommend you check out Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson. I’ve been using this book for my personal daily devotional time for the last couple weeks, and it speaks directly to this struggle to find that Joy that God wants us to experience.

Through personal stories and real-life examples, Sally Clarkson shares her own journey to finding the joy, purpose, and passion that God wants us to experience in amongst our daily lives.

A story of a friend finding joy in friendship and testimony during the last days of life, reflections from relationships with friends and her daughter are all tools in Dancing with My Father to bring you closer to your heavenly father, and learn to find that joy in life, despite the daily struggles.

With 200 pages broken into 10 chapters, Dancing with My Father works great for a two week daily bible study. The stories and examples speak to the heart, especially if you have felt similar struggles. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter lend themselves well for journalling and personal bible study, or would make a great launching point for using the book for a ten-week group bible study.

I found myself jotting down notes, quotes, and thinking about that day’s chapter when I was out and about. Because of Sally Clarkson’s stories, I find myself stopping more to reflect on what is beautiful at work or on display in my life, with my kids, and with the world around me.

I still have a ways to go before I’m fully experiencing joy in my world, but reading Dancing with My Father has definitely brought more joy into my world, and given me insights into how to delve deeper in Christ and experience the joy He wants for each of us.

Dancing with My Father is headed to my reference shelf for another run through later when I need it again, and hopefully to share with my daughter when she is an adult and is ready to find the joy in what is often overwhelming day-to-day life.

You can find out more about Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson on the Random House website or by visiting your favorite bookseller.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.