MOTHER OF PEARL: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith Compiled by Margaret McSweeney

ABOUT THE BOOK

Like oysters, women often encounter unexpected grit during their everyday lives. In response, God’s love and grace covers this grit and transforms the pain into a precious pearl that leaves a layered, luminous lining within a shell: Mother of Pearl. This brilliant luster is strong, lasting, and purposeful—just like the love, lessons, and legacies left by the special women in our lives.

Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. Margaret McSweeney presents a collection of heartfelt vignettes from authors who communicate the importance of the unique relationships between mothers and their children, between granddaughters and grandmothers and between children and the mother-figures in their lives.

These stories tell of the power of faith, prayer, and values, exploring coming of age, the joy of becoming a mother, the importance of motherhood, the ways to heal from a bad relationship with a mother and weathering the death of a special loved one. Poignant and thought-provoking, the stories serve to inspire, encourage, instill hope, and strengthen faith.

The proceeds from the sale of Mother of Pearl will be donated to organizations helping struggling women and children. The charities include Wings (Women in Need Growing Stronger) to help fund the Safe House in the Chicago suburbs and to Hands of Hope to help build wells for schoolchildren in Zambia.

LINK TO BY THE BOOK http://ow.ly/cTZAg

ABOUT MARGARET

Margaret McSweeney is a well-published author often writing online articles for Make It Better (the former North Shore Magazine) and freelance articles for the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. In addition, she has authored and compiled several books including A Mother’s Heart Knows; Go Back and Be Happy; Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, Mother of Pearl and Aftermath.

With a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business, Margaret became a vice-president in the corporate finance division of a New York City bank and worked there 1986–93.

As founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. www.pearlgirls.info

READ MORE REVIEWS http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13531423/motherofpearl

MY REVIEW

I am always happy to read something Margaret has written or compiled. She has a wonderful, God-given talent to point, direct and lead her readers to the Author and Finisher of our faith, Christ Jesus.

Can I say I loved this book? Is that over the top? Okay, maybe a little over the top. But I really do like this book a lot. There is a story in here for every woman to connect with, whether she is a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, or just herself.

If I counted right, there are 57 (that's fifty-seven) wonderful short stories from 57 different women of God who come from all walks of life. Singers, authors, speakers, well, you get the idea. They all share a vignette... 

(ok, I had to look up this word and here is the definition:[ vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object.] many times I have to thank the Free Dictionary online)... 

that comes from their hearts and life impressions regarding relationships between mothers and daughters and grandmothers and mother-figures and all the precious things that make those relationships special.

I especially liked the grandmother stories, being a grandmother, myself. Oh how I remember the first time I held my first grandchild.... 

Anyway, this is a great book to buy for yourself or the mother/daughter/grandmother in your life. It could be a "just because" you were thinking about them gift and you wanted to bring some of the sweet love of God in their life through these marvelous stories. And you would also be helping other women and children because the proceeds will help fund some great charities.

Buy this book today and bless someone tomorrow.

This review was made possible through Litfuse Publicity Group by providing me with a free review copy.

   

AFTERMATH: Growing in Grace Through Grief By Margaret McSweeney

ABOUT THE BOOK

Loss is a four-letter word that grips our hearts and gridlocks our lives. Grief can hold us captive until we surrender it to God. How do we find the necessary grace to journey through the mourning process?

Juxtaposed to the outpouring of her mother’s words about grief, the author shares her parallel journey from the emotional abyss of grief after becoming an adult orphan. With candor, the author shares her own emotions experienced along the spectrum of loss after her parents’ deaths: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—adding interactive options for readers.

Five sections cover these common emotions and provide:

• comfort Scripture lists

• counsel sections from grief experts

• chronicling sections with detailed helps

• tangible handles on dealing with grief during holidays, capturing loved ones’ legacy, and more. 

ABOUT MARGARET McSWEENEY

Margaret McSweeney is a well-published author often writing online articles for Make It Better (the former North Shore Magazine) and freelance articles for the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. In addition, she has authored and compiled several books including A Mother’s Heart Knows; Go Back and Be Happy; Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace and most recently, Mother of Pearl.

Margaret has a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in international business. As is the founder of Pearl Girls, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past 10 years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more about Margaret and the work of Pearl Girls at www.margaretmcsweeney.com

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13529019/margaretmcsweeney 

LINK TO BUY THE BOOK http://ow.ly/cOiNu 

MY REVIEW

Are you grieving over the loss of a loved one? Do you know someone who is? If the answer to either question is yes, then I want to recommend this book to you. 

Margaret McSweeney has written a wonderful, heartfelt, and an open-hearted book about her own time of grief through the loss of her mother, father and brother. She bares her heart and soul in this book as she writes what she went through. She also incorporates her mother's poems and letters and various family letters from when her mother lost her husband to a heart attack.

I found Aftermath to be a helpful book for myself. It allowed me to look at what I went through when I lost my own mother to cancer. It opened up areas I didn't realize I had closed off, and has allowed the healing love of God to come in and apply His balm over these places in my heart.

At the end of each chapter Margaret has a section that allows the reader to write down thoughts and feelings such as: "What grief-guilt and I holding onto? Am I ready to give God the burden of this grief-guilt? What would I like to say to Him?" (That one hit home for me.... I didn't realize I was still holding onto grief-guilt.)

Also she provides scripture that gives hope to the reader. Not a lot. Just enough to ponder on and hold onto. My favorite one in one chapter is "And the peace that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

You will also find counsel from various reputed ministers, councilors and authors on the subject of grief and how to help someone through the grief process or yourself.

Margaret, through her openness, shows us that grief is natural, understandable, and for each person it lasts as long as necessary. She also reveals to us that God is more than aware of our grief and He is more than able to bear that load for us so it doesn't have to weigh us down into the mire. And if it does, He is able to pick us up and set our feet on the high places.

This is a book that will be a help and comfort for many who are grieving the loss of a loved one. 

I received this review book from Litfuse Publicity for the purpose of review, free of charge. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions I have given are my own.

 

 

MOTHER OF PEARL GIVEAWAY AND PARTY

To celebrate the release of Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith; I'm hosting an evening of chat, laughter, and encouragement on Facebook! I've invited the Pearl Girl contributors to join us on the evening of September 4th. I'd be so honored if you'd come too! We'll be giving away a ton of fun stuff {books, gift certificates and a Beautiful Pearl Necklace set}. Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. We'll gather to connect, be encouraged and make some new friends! So RSVP today and then come back on September 4th (at 5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central, and 8pm Eastern) and join us for the "Pearl" party. Let's share our stories and encourage one another. We'll also have an update from the charities involved with Pearl Girls, Wings and Hands of Hope. (See what others are saying about Mother of Pearl.)

[MOTHER OF PEARL - POST 1] PEARL PINS by Margaret McSweeney

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Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!

PEARL PINS by Margaret McSweeney

At age 49, I am a mom without a mom. This deep longing for my mother continues to surprise me. During milestone moments, I imagine phone conversations with her.

“Can you believe that Melissa is graduating from high school in June? I’m so glad you will be flying to Chicago to be here with us.” 

“Wasn’t that a fun family dinner we all had last weekend to celebrate Katie’s ‘sweet sixteen?’ I am so glad you could join us.”

“Isn’t this exciting? I just got a new book contract. Will you please edit my manuscript before I send it in?”

    

Sadly, this will be my eighth Mother’s Day to spend without my mother. She has missed some poignant milestones in my life and in the lives of my daughters. Both Melissa and Katie were very young when she died so they don’t have a full reservoir of memories about Grandmommy Rhea. However, they do have the legacy of faith that she helped instill in them as toddlers. She loved to send Veggie Tales tapes, Children’s Bibles and devotional books. 

     

Melissa and Katie were blessed to have Nana, (Dave’s mother) around for much longer. Nana passed away two years ago. A few years before Nana died, she gave me a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant made from her wedding ring along with a pair of diamond earrings. She asked me to give these special gifts to Melissa and Katie for their sixteenth birthdays. Even though Nana wasn’t around to celebrate, my daughters were so happy to receive such special keepsakes from her. Hugs from heaven.

Last week on Katie’s 16th birthday, I discovered an unexpected blessing that had been tucked away in a cardboard container of my mother’s things. A jewelry box with three pearl pins! I gave one to Melissa as a belated 16th birthday gift, and I presented one to Katie for her 16th birthday. This Mother’s Day, I will wear my mother’s pearl pin as a tangible reminder that a mother’s love (and a grandmother’s love) is an everlasting gift from God.  

Finding these gifts made me think about what I might leave for my own daughters someday. It isn’t the external value of the gift that matters, but rather the love that it represents.

Is there a special gift or letter that you would like to leave your children?

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs.  After earning a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David.  Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother’s Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over eight years. For more information, find Margaret at www.pearlgirls.info and www.kitchenchat.info.