Lessons From Mama

It's been said that values are caught more than taught. When Polly Shivers was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, she quietly maintained, "Well, we're supposed to bloom where we are planted." Mama's words matched her actions. She knew that her six children would repeat what she did more than what she said. An orphan, adopted into her forever family as a toddler, Mama's life permeated gratefulness. Mama knew what loneliness felt like, and she invested in the lives of others, reaping great benefits. Snapshots of twelve of the many lessons learned from my Mama are encapsulated here, along with journal entries from both Mama and the author, Joan Walker Page, number five. Be inspired as you read the priceless pieces of this family's life, lovingly put together.

Ten women tell their personal stories about the lessons their mothers failed to teach them about dating, racism, body image, money, morals, drugs, sex and other social ills that are relevant for our young girls, women and young men. It is crucial that fathers discuss these same important lessons with their sons as well.

The New York Times bestseller that celebrates motherhood—for mothers and those who love them. Beloved pastor and bestselling author T. D. Jakes pays tribute to his mother—and mothers everywhere—with powerful, heartwarming stories and lessons from his own experiences as a son and pastor. Woven into these vignettes are Biblical stories and testimonials from famous children of mighty mothers whose nurturing wisdom and influence helped to shape their worlds, and whose invaluable lessons were the building blocks of great character. Bishop Jakes incorporates those lessons—from believing in God and oneself, to learning the value of support, responsibility, and celebrating others, to understanding the power of prayer, wisdom, and endurance—in Mama Made the Difference, a must-have not only for mothers, but also for daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents—and anyone else who has ever felt the power of a mother’s love.

Rose Rock—child advocate, educator, and mother of ten-plus children, including comedian Chris Rock—shares her heartfelt and no-nonsense advice on parenting Uber-mom Rose Rock raised ten children and seventeen foster children. She did it by never shying away from hard conversations and by not being afraid to present strong ideas about boundaries, discipline, choices, and consequences. In short, Rose Rock tells it like it is. In Mama Rock's Rules, Rock shares the funny and highly practical lessons she learned both as a parent and an educator, while offering strategies for teaching children to be self-reliant. Her advice—delivered with a dose of wit and homespun humor—will inspire you to teach your kids right, whether your brood is one child or ten.

“Rachel Macy Stafford's post "The Day I Stopped Saying Hurry Up" was a true phenomenon on The Huffington Post, igniting countless conversations online and off about freeing ourselves from the vicious cycle of keeping up with our overstuffed agendas. Hands Free Mama has the power to keep that conversation going and remind us that we must not let our lives pass us by.” --Arianna Huffington, Chair, President, and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ DISCOVER THE POWER, JOY, AND LOVE of Living “Hands Free” If technology is the new addiction, then multi-tasking is the new marching order. We check our email while cooking dinner, send a text while bathing the kids, and spend more time looking into electronic screens than into the eyes of our loved ones. With our never-ending to-do lists and jam-packed schedules, it’s no wonder we’re distracted. But this isn’t the way it has to be. In July 2010, special education teacher and mother Rachel Macy Stafford decided enough was enough. Tired of losing track of what matters most in life, Rachel began practicing simple strategies that enabled her to momentarily let go of largely meaningless distractions and engage in meaningful soul-to-soul connections. She started a blog to chronicle her endeavors and soon saw how both external and internal distractions had been sabotaging her happiness and preventing her from bonding with the people she loves most. Hands Free Mama is the digital society’s answer to finding balance in a media-saturated, perfection-obsessed world. It doesn’t mean giving up all technology forever. It doesn’t mean forgoing our jobs and responsibilities. What it does mean is seizing the little moments that life offers us to engage in real and meaningful interaction. It means looking our loved ones in the eye and giving them the gift of our undivided attention, leaving the laundry till later to dance with our kids in the rain, and living a present, authentic, and intentional life despite a world full of distractions. So join Rachel and go hands-free. Discover what happens when you choose to open your heart—and your hands—to the possibilities of each God-given moment.

Shawn Schwaner was born on January 21, 1966 to a single mother, Susan Schwaner, in Toledo, Ohio. Alone and poor, Shawn's mother was facing a crossroads when the incredible Bertha Lee Green (Mama) stepped into Susan's life and offered to raise her unborn child. Through numerous trials, tribulations, and personal challenges, Shawn earned a high school degree from the prestigious Maumee Valley Country Day School which would change his life trajectory and allow him to climb to the highest of academic heights. After graduating from Denison University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology/Anthropology and then a Master's and Doctorate from The Ohio State University, he went on to earn numerous teaching and civil service awards as a college professor at the University of Louisville, Sullivan University, and Miami Dade College (among many). He has shaped and molded the lives of nearly 10,000 students in his career with his unorthodox and creative writing intensive teaching style and continues to leave an impact that reflects the lessons on race, grace, and the wisdom to overcome as learned from his life with Mama.

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