Find beauty and hope by facing and dealing with the messiness of family life.

The family is an imperfect institution. Broken people become broken parents who make broken families. But actually, broken is normal and exactly where God wants us.

In The Beauty of Broken, Elisa Morgan, one of today’s most respected female Christian leaders, for the first time shares her very personal story of brokenness—from her first family of origin to the second, represented by her husband and two grown children. Over the years, Elisa’s family struggled privately with issues many parents must face, including:

• alcoholism and drug addiction
• infertility and adoption
• teen pregnancy and abortion
• divorce, homosexuality, and death

Each story layers onto the next to reveal the brokenness that comes into our lives without invitation. “We’ve bought into the myth of the perfect family,” says Elisa. “Formulaic promises about the family may have originated in well-meaning intentions, but such thinking isn’t realistic. It’s not helpful. It’s not even kind.”

Instead she offers hope in the form of “broken family values” that allow parents to grow and thrive with God. Values such as commitment, humility, relinquishment, and respect carry us to new places of understanding. Owning our brokenness shapes us into God’s best idea for us and enables us to discover the beauty in ourselves and each member of our family.

The love you have for your children can give them a foundation for life — provided you show it in the ways they need most. And now there’s help from the people best qualified to give it: moms like you who are successfully meeting the challenge. What Every Child Needs draws on the insights of moms across the United States and on the latest research to help you meet your children’s nine basic needs for — Security: Hold-Me-Close Love — Affirmation: Crazy-About-Me Love — Belonging: Fit-Me-Into-the-Family Love — Discipline: Give-Me-Limits Love — Guidance: Show-Me-and-Tell-Me Love — Respect: Let-Me-Be-Me Love — Play: Play-With-Me Love — Independence: Let-Me-Grow-Up Love — Hope: Give-Me-Hope Love — Using a child’s language of love, Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall of Mothers of Preschoolers International (MOPS) show you how to recognize and meet each need . . . and how to respect your own needs in the process. You’ve got what it takes! And you don’t have to be Supermom to do it — just the mother and the person you are. What Every Child Needs is full of sound advice and encouraging words. It’s liberally seasoned with poignant stories and wise, witty quotes from moms. And it’s well-stocked with practical suggestions for how to start meeting your child’s different needs today. This upbeat book will give you what you need to give your children what they need. So say good-bye to those nagging fears and self-doubts . . . and hello to healthy, effective parenting.

When do you get time for you? Remember when you had a life of your own? The hectic job of being a mom is fraught with sacrifices, fears, and uncertainties. But nothing offers greater rewards or more opportunities to enrich yourself than raising your kids. What Every Mom Needs shows you how being a great mom and a person in your own right go hand-in-hand. Extensively revised and updated based on current research and the latest survey of moms by MOPS(r) International (Mothers of Preschoolers), this bestselling book helps you deal with the realities you face today as a young mother. If you’ve wondered how to find time for friendships, how to lighten your workload, or how to go about rediscovering and developing yourself as an individual, What Every Mom Needs is for you. Filled with personal stories and helpful features, including a list of resource websites, this book will help you understand the importance of meeting your six basic needs as a mom–and how to actually get them met. Fulfilling your needs for identity, growth, relationships, help, perspective, and hope will make you a happier, more centered person and a better mom.