Lisa-Jo Baker - Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected about Being a Mom

When you forget who you are, why you are, and where you are going, these are words that fall as gently and right as blossoms, a trail of grace through what you never expected. Lisa-Jo Bakers perfect pages will have you laughing and finding your rhythm again, have you hearing it again when you almost gave up there Him singing unconditional love over you. This is a book that is straight-from-the-hip honest, straight-out hilarious, and straight-from-God holy. Breathtaking. Life giving. Pure page-turning relief pages I didnt want to end that I will turn to again and again.

ANN VOSKAMP

Author of the New York Times bestsellers One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are and The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas

I so appreciate Lisa-Jos gut-honest confessions as a woman who never dreamed of having children but who has now found Gods healing love in motherhood. Lisa-Jo inspires me to look for God in every moment of my own beautiful but imperfect motherhood journey.

LYSA TERKEURST

New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

I dont know a woman who has taken on the enormous, daunting responsibility of raising a human being who says that its exactly what she thought it would be. Because heres the thing: wed all know she was lying. Motherhood is one of the great surprises of life, and Lisa-Jo has captured the essence of that with her exquisite words. Her fabulous voice lights up every page and makes you feel like youre sitting across from a dear friend as she tells her story and you see your own heart embedded within her words. As you turn the pages of this book, youre in for a journey that will leave you nodding your head, smiling to yourself, and wishing you lived next door.

MELANIE SHANKLE

New York Times bestselling author of Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn

Lisa-Jo has the undeniable gift of writing words that ache with pain but are always buoyed with the hope of redemption. I struggled alongside her in her grief, her doubts, and her fierce desire to be nothing less than who she was meant to be. And I rejoiced with her as she saw glimpses of the way the Lord guided her path and prepared her for each coming season. I saw in Lisa-Jo what I often see in myself without knowing how to express it the weight of lifes reality kissing what is yet to come. She is the young girl trying to learn to cook with her head over a stove as she stirs where her mother used to be. She is the bright student with a world waiting to be conquered. And she is the wife who never wanted children of her own. She is, at once, the one who doesnt know enough yet knows too much. And truly it is the same for all of us. To walk through the days with her, seeing the Lords hand even when she didnt, is a powerful reminder of His tenderness toward us. This book is a gorgeous example of what happens when we choose to look into our most trying times with a longing for the truth that belies our own intuition and ultimately rests in the security of Christ alone. She is that girl and Im so grateful she is. Allow these pages to sink into your own story, blessing you with a lot of laughs, a deep sense of camaraderie, and above all else, a wild sense of hope.

ANGIE SMITH

Women of Faith speaker and bestselling author of What Women Fear: Walking in Faith That Transforms and Chasing God

I was surprised by Surprised by Motherhood not because I didnt already know that Lisa-Jo is a brilliant storyteller and writer, but because I thought I was done with books about motherhood. They so often just say the same thing and leave me feeling tired. Lisa-Jo has a gift of revealing the sacred beauty in the everydayness of mothering, and I found myself continually nodding, tearing up, laughing, and checking for my superhero cape. This book stayed on my nightstand until the last page was read; I couldnt put it down. Im left feeling inspired and empowered by her words.

TSH OXENREIDER

Author of Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World

In Surprised by Motherhood, Lisa-Jo weaves together stories from some of the most personal, meaningful moments of her life, and I have no doubt that the Lord is going to use those stories to encourage and minister to women at every stage of motherhood. This book is a beautiful memoir of Lisa-Jos life so far, and her words are poetic, intimate, and thought provoking. Im not sure what Lisa-Jos goals were when she started writing this book, but I can for sure tell you what she has accomplished: she has honored her family and her beloved South Africa with her gratitude, her perspective, and her deep awareness of Gods faithfulness. I really do think that when you finish this book, your heart will say, Amen.

SOPHIE HUDSON

Author of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon

Whether you are a mother, know a mother, or have a mother, you need to read the words on these pages. Lisa-Jo Baker shares a story of brokenness and redemption, loss and gain, beauty and the messy process of becoming who youve been all along. What she shares will make you feel less alone, give you more courage, and open your eyes to see the divine right there in the middle of your anything-but-ordinary life.

HOLLEY GERTH

Bestselling author of Youre Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be

From the moment I started reading this book, I fell in love with it. Lisa-Jos stories are not only hilarious (because all of us moms can so relate!), but they are also raw and real. Reading about her unexpected journey into mothering and how shes learning to embrace the messy, hard moments it brings inspired me at a deep level. Hands down, this is one of the best mothering books Ive read. Highly recommended!

CRYSTAL PAINE

Founder of MoneySavingMom.com and author of Say Good-bye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life

Lisa-Jo is a writer who captures the beautiful essence of motherhood right in the middle of the mundane tasks. In this book we travel with her around the world and through her journey into mothering, where she finds an unexpected and holy calling. As I read, I not only shared a long, intimate conversation with a friend, but I also stopped often to savor a sentence beautifully crafted and graced with insight. I highly recommend this book to every mother. A story of one womans discovery, but really of all of our roads through surprise to joy.

ALEXANDRA KUYKENDALL

Mom and lead content editor of MOPS International and author of The Artists Daughter

I cried my way through this book. Lisa-Jos words on motherhood and her story of her own mother-loss are both heartbreaking and dear. In these pages you get a glimpse of a girl stretching into womanhood, struggling against expectations, and trying to find her way as her mother slips away. It is so much more than a motherhood book although that it is it is also a deeply moving memoir. Grab your tissues this one is a must-read.

SARAH MAE

Bestselling author of Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

Surprised by Motherhood is an achingly beautiful tapestry of loss and hope, despair and redemption, that sweeps across the globe from the mealie fields of Zululand to the snow-covered American Midwest. Lisa-Jo Baker combines a deeply touching story with vivid prose to create an irresistible memoir that will have you wiping tears out of your eyes one minute and jumping for joy the next. This one is a must-read.