Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom

by Sarah Jakes

Find Inspiration and Wisdom in the Life of Jesus' Mother

Mary is a remarkable example of a quiet, resilient faith in the face of adversity--from the angel's first announcement of her pregnancy to the death and resurrection of her son. She was witness to our Lord and Savior in a special way, and modern-day moms can learn valuable lessons from her life.

In Dear Mary, Sarah Jakes explores biblical stories about Mary--as well as stories from her own life--to better understand what living for Christ can look like today and how to model that for your children. Maybe you struggle to trust God's will for your life. Or perhaps you have fears and insecurities that keep you from realizing the joy God wants for you. Through the example of Mary, discover the freedom that only true faith can bring, and get a fresh perspective on the amazing love and compassion of Jesus.

183 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Dear Mary, Sarah Jakes writes letters to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She highlights Mary’s courage, as an unwed teenager, to accept the responsibility of birthing and raising the Son of God. She reflects on the life of Mary and draws out encouragement for modern-day mothers. In her writing, Jakes wonders how Mary felt about various parenting challenges and joys and compares these feelings to her modern-day experiences as a mother of two.

I appreciated Jakes’ willingness to ask questions and wonder about Mary’s thoughts and experiences, but I also felt like Jakes took some liberties with Mary’s story. Perhaps, as Jakes indicates, Jesus was influenced and motivated by Mary to follow God’s purpose for his life on earth. Jesus was, after all, fully God and fully human. But scripture does not hold much information about Mary or how she raised Jesus. Therefore, we are left to wonder how much teaching, training, and guiding he needed.

It is important to note that I am not yet a mother, nor do I know whether I will experience motherhood at some point in the future. Surely this affects the way I read Dear Mary and processed Jakes reflections and leads me to be cautious about critiquing a book that may encourage others in ways I cannot understand personally.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Brig]

I feel bad, but I just couldn't get into this book. I got half way through and am putting it down in my "Tried to read it" pile. I thought this book was going to lend some insight into Mary's life as the Mother of Jesus, however it seems to be a book about Mrs. Jakes and her experiences of Motherhood. I feel she was poorly trying to relate to Mary's experience of being a mom. This book doesn't even offer insight into how to be a better mother in today's age let alone 2 thousand years ago. I think this book was written to make the author feel better about motherhood, which is fine, however I have been a Mother for over 20 years, Mrs. Jakes if you could have told me something that I don't already know about motherhood I would have stuck around, however in this book so far you haven't, so... Moving on!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently received a complimentary copy of Dear Mary: Lessons from the Mother of Jesus to the Modern Mom by Sarah Jakes.  This was my second time reading and reviewing a book by this author  (see other review here). I really enjoy the way Mrs. Jakes writes and opens up about her life in such an honest way. Especially with this book. It makes me feel like I'm not alone for feeling the way I do sometimes. This book has been a help to me, and it definitely helped me look at Mary, the mother of Jesus in a new light. 

"A mother's love is indescribable, but a mother's sacrifice is priceless. "

Being a mom is one of the scariest, most intimidating, and most rewarding things I've ever experienced. I fail a lot, but I also see small and large victories too. I'm tired, and even exhausted a majority of the time, but I'm also extremely blessed. I didn't want to be a mom, because of thought it would be extremely glamorous or even easy. I wanted to be a mom, because I wanted to experience the joy, pride, and love a baby brings. Babies also bring a lot of other things, like messy diapers, crying, spit up/throw up (and there IS A difference), etc,  but I wouldn't trade them for the world. "...Mothering is not about us, but rather about guiding and nurturing our children so they are able to walk in God's chosen purpose for their lives." Ultimately, being a mom isn't even about us. Being a mom is all about your children and their needs.

"We miss the opportunity to be compassionate when we confine people to our own experiences."

The truth is, we don't ever know what someone is going through. Even when they seem to be going through circumstance that is similar to something you went through, no experience is ever the same for someone as it was/is for you. Sometimes we can't even begin to imagine what someone is going through. Don't think just because a certain situation was easy for you to go through will be easy for someone else. How often to do we pass up the chance to be compassionate to someone by sending them on with a cliché, instead of the honesty of what we are feeling in our innermost self? Be willing to be honest with your friends and fellow mom's especially. Even super heroes need sidekicks, or fellow super heroes sometimes. ;)

"We can't be faithless and raise faithful children."

Being an example to your children. This is often where I fail. My son so going through his "terrible twos", and he's a redhead, so I'm also witnessing the redheaded temper. (I know. Hard to believe anyone that cute could be rotten, huh?) I'm trying to teach my son the principle of 'being angry and sinning not' (Ephesians 4:26). I have to constantly pray for patience, because I find myself disciplining out of anger and frustration, instead out of patience, understanding, and consistency. My son is a sponge right now. He'll see me do something once and immediately pick up on how to do it himself with most things. This is awesome, but also terrifying! Time to do a self check-up and make sure that I want my son picking up the lessons I'm throwing out to him with my actions. 

"Anxiety magnifies the size of our obstacles,  but faith gives us the power to rise above our struggles."

Matthew 6:31-34 says, Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?   (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.   But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.   Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Worry is a real thing in my life. I worry about finances. I worry about meals I cook. I worry about my house being clean.  I worry about how my children will behave out in public. In other words, I'm a worry-wart.  I have to pray every morning that the Lord will control my life and turn my burdens and worries over to Him.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Mary is a wonderful example of a mother. She showed faith in God, by believing the angel of Lord, when he brought the news of her baby to her. She trusted God to work out things with her espoused husband, Joseph, when she told him about her immaculate conception. She knew that her Son would save her,  and that she would have to give Him up for a world that cared nothing for Him. She showed submission as she watched Jesus suffer, die, and rise again to accomplish God's plan at Calvary. She must've known that her life would be forever changed that day the angel came to her,  yet she is never once recorded as complaining about the Lord's will for her life. 

Mommas, this job is something you're called in to. It's not just something that you plan,  or the result of an "oops!" God has a plan for you and those babies. Accept His plan. Embrace it. Those of you without babies, or with older babies can still find purpose in the younger generations. I encourage you to find someone to encourage and teach. Even if it's someone with babies of their own, we need your help, prayers,  and encouraging words. 

[Sitawa Wafula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not all that i expected, nothing really new especially if you have followed Sarah's life and her ministry.

[Yolie Mdiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not her best work. She tried but this did not come through as part of her ministry. She was reaching but I still like her.

[Molly Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom, by Sarah Jakes is a a collection of letters and questions about Motherhood that the author asks Mary, Jesus' mother.
Mary was very young when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. She was engaged to mary Joseph - a carpenter. She was around 14 - 16 years old when she gave birth to Jesus. Mary was little regarded in society, but she was "highly favored by God" as it is stated in the Book of Luke:

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'
'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'
The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.'
'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38

I have always found Mary's story to be extremely fascinating and beautiful. It is an amazing story about our Creater; therefore, Mary is a woman to be admired because she was Jesus' Mother. After reading this book, I have found that as a woman and mother, I can look to her for advice in raising my own children - one of them is strong willed. Although we are in a different era than Mary lived, we can relate to her. She might have not faced the same issues or struggles that we face today, but she was a mother just as we are. She might have had sleepless nights. She must have woken up in the middle of the night to check on Baby Jesus. She must have been so worried when they couldn't find 12 year old Jesus - then she found him still in Jerusalem at the temple (Luke 2:41-52). She faced anxiety at that moment. Then Jesus said: "Why did you search for me. Didn't you know I was in my Father's House?" He was in God's hands. He took care of him. That itself is a reminder for us mothers, to to fear and know that God takes care of our children. Mary was special. She gave birth to Jesus - that was special. God choose Mary for a special reason, and there is a special reason we were chosen to give birth to our babies.

The author writes a series of stories to Mary. She shares many example about the challenges that Mary faced. As mothers we are NATURAL GIVERS, and sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. Jakes reminds us to take care of ourselves, because we give a lot. She also reminds us to trust God just as Mary did from the very beginning. I can just picture Mary guiding Jesus, and sharing her faith in God with the ALMIGHTY. I can also see how special their bond was - imagine Jesus' over flowing annointance upon His mother!


*** Discloser: Bethany House Publisher sent me this book free of charge for this review. Thank you, Bethany House.

[Stephanie Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given the the book Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom by Sarah Jakes for review from Bethany House Publishers, and I’m so glad I read it.

It’s a collection of letters to Mary, asking her questions about motherhood that still pertain to mothering in modern times.

I never thought of looking to Mary for mothering advice before, but as the “ultimate biblical mother figure,” she is definitely someone to look up to.

As Sarah Jakes outlines, “I assumed that because she didn’t have the same struggles I was familiar with, she didn’t struggle at all, ” when referring to a fellow mother. This is exactly how I view Mary now, along with all of the other mother’s in the world. Just because our struggles aren’t the same, doesn’t mean we aren’t struggling. “We miss the opportunity to be compassionate when we confine people to our own experiences.”

As a mom of a “difficult” or “different” child, this book also touched me. Reminding me that, “maybe our prayer shouldn’t be to change our children into people we can understand, but rather to have the patience to be still while we learn who they are.” Mary struggled through this with Jesus, understanding who her son was to grow up to be. And we struggle with it now, trying to let our children be who they are while still directing them and guiding them. “There is no way of guesstimating what discoveries we will unearth as we raise our children.”

Jakes reminds us to not let our past mistakes be a gauge in how we react to our children. “I believe we become so afraid that our children will reflect our mistakes and issues that we unknowingly push them in that direction. If the only mold we use to form our children has been shaped by the negativity we’ve experienced, we limit the possibilities that exist for them.” This is so true, and I see it in day to day life with so many- accidentally pushing them toward what we want them to stay the farthest from. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our hand, as Mary did at the wedding at Cana- when Jesus did not think that his time had yet come, his mother knew because she trusted in God’s power in revealing his son.

As mothers we have to not let our fears take over. “We cheat on God when we choose to have an affair with our fear.” I’ve been reading a lot about fear lately, and how worry can be a sin. We have to be careful to not let that fear and worry enter into our lives and spill over into the little ones looking to us for guidance.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the author’s story- as she shares her struggles as a teen mother, and later a single mom. She truly has a lot of experience to pull from, and uses it as a tool to help other mothers instead of using it as an excuse. She helps the reader ask important questions and reminds us to take care of ourselves so we can better take care of our families. “The only way to successfully give others our time, attention, and dedication is from the overflow of what we give ourselves. Too often we give from our already depleted souls and then have nothing left for us, let alone our relationship with God.”

If you’re looking for a Bible based parenting book, with great stories and advice- pick up this book. I would definitely recommend it to my fellow Mommas or soon-to-be parents. Who better to receive advice from than the mother of Jesus?

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:
Find Inspiration and Wisdom in the Life of Jesus' Mother

Mary is a remarkable example of a quiet, resilient faith in the face of adversity--from the angel's first announcement of her pregnancy to the death and resurrection of her son. She was witness to our Lord and Savior in a special way, and modern-day moms can learn valuable lessons from her life.

In Dear Mary, Sarah Jakes explores biblical stories about Mary--as well as stories from her own life--to better understand what living for Christ can look like today and how to model that for your children. Maybe you struggle to trust God's will for your life. Or perhaps you have fears and insecurities that keep you from realizing the joy God wants for you. Through the example of Mary, discover the freedom that only true faith can bring, and get a fresh perspective on the amazing love and compassion of Jesus.

My Review:
Living for Christ today as a woman and what that means is exactly what author Sarah Jakes would like to share with the women of today. Imagine Mary, I'm sure she was flattered that God would choose her to do the most amazing thing in the history of mankind but as she looked into the eyes of her baby boy she would soon have to give Him just as quickly as He came. She would have to have the courage and strength to stand by and watch Him be crucified and blamed while He stood innocent. She was in an elevated position but a very painful one.


The author takes her own life lessons and compares what she learned about Mary and shows us how we all can grow from what Mary taught us. Jesus Christ is to always be our goal, we can never go wrong choosing to follow Him. Mary is a good example of a woman that was doing her best to follow God completely. There is a lot to be learned from her.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Bethany House.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Mary are letters written to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, interspersing her life with examples of current day motherhood interspersed, primarily using examples from the authors life.
The book was very well written and provided a great insight into the life, heart, concerns and struggles of today’s mother. Many of the recollections included the author’s life as a single mother.
As a woman that strives to be a role model to younger women, Dear Mary, reminded me of what a daunting, but important and life changing characteristic this is to possess.
Dear Mary also helps to shine a light on some of the issues Mary, the Mother of Jesus faced in her own day.
I highly recommend this book to all mothers and even to women who serve as role models for younger girls.

I received this book free from the publisher for an honest review. The thoughts are all my own.

[Nay Whatever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and inspiring book for mothers, children of mothers and those planning to be a mother. Based on solid biblical principles and the mother of all mothers, Jesus Christ's mother Mary, the virgin, who's son would save the world but at cost of his own blood. No doubt, you will find nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your deepest and most secretive concerns about motherhood, and how to live a Godly life in front of your most important audience.

The author Sarah Jake's is a transparent and authentic writer and lover of Christ. She has done it again, by freeing women to live in the reality of their truth in exchange for God's truth. A must read.

I received this book as a courtesy of Bethany House, and in no way have I been pursued to write a bias opinion.

The thoughts and opinions above are solely my own.

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, BethanyHouse, through LibraryThing, for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book for parents with advice from Mary, the Mother of Jesus, through the wonderful writing of Christian author, Sarah Jakes. She writes letters to Mary and compares raising children in today's society to how Mary must have raised Jesus in Biblical times. I was surprised how many appropriate comparisons there were.

Ms. Jakes tells us of her struggles as a teenage, single mother and the many things she has learned from motherhood. By trusting God like Mary did, Ms. Jakes overcame fears and insecurities in her life. And she shows us what we can earn from Mary: courage, strength, bravery, acceptance, and patience.

Highly recommended with 5 Stars!

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I liked the layout of this book it was set in a different style that was unique. The book had numerous uplifting and inspirational quotations layer through out Dear Mary. I personally found myself not truly enjoying the book because I myself am not a mother. However I also found myself planning to set this book aside for when I eventually become a mother as I felt it would be a good book for any mother. The book truly helps to prepare you for motherhood.
I was sent a copy of this book for free for only my honest review.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom was an interesting book. I was a little confused by the title as I thought that there would be more from the viewpoint of Mary. Instead the book is a series of letters written to Mary by the author, Sarah Jakes. These letters help us to see our situations today in comparison to those that Mary dealt with.

It is well-written and I enjoyed reading this style of book.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

[Kimberly Schimmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of pop-culture parenting advice, Sarah Jakes looks to the life of Mary for answers and inspiration for her own experiences as a mother. Mary was a humble girl chosen to play a huge role in the plan of God to redeem mankind.

As mothers, why not look at the historical record of the woman God chose to mother His own Son? A mortal like us, with fears, dreams, doubts--yet Mary submitted herself to the plan of God. That sounds like a pattern I should follow.

I received a free review copy of Dear Mary from Bethany House publishers for my honest review.

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wondered whose life I was supposed to be learning from - Mary's or the author's. If you're expecting to learn something new about Jesus' mother, this book is the wrong place to go.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for the book. Wish it had more about Mary the mother of Jesus.