I Love You, Mom: Cherished Word Gifts from My Heart to Yours by Blythe Daniel and her mom Helen McIntosh is filled with warm sentiments for mothers and daughters to share—as well as Scripture-inspired devotions offering insights and promises from God’s Word.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t ready for the way this book would touch my heart.  I have a wonderful relationship with my mom, and particularly as I read Blythe’s words to her mom, I was flooded with gratitude for the gift of my mom.  I Love You, Mom! is like a super-charged greeting card—filled to the brim with tender sentiments and loving words shared between mothers and daughters.

The Surprising Gift Within This Mother-Daughter Devotional Book

As the Lord used this book to soften and open my heart with gratitude, an unexpected shift took place in my spirit: I encountered the warm and nurturing side of God’s heart in a way I had never experienced.  In addition to spurring gratitude, this wonderful book is expanding my capacity to receive God’s nurturing comfort.

God is our heavenly Father, but he also possesses every quality we see in a loving mother.  He is tender, compassionate, and attentive.  God cares for our most menial and hidden needs, and like a loving mother, he attunes with our emotions.  He weeps when we weep, and he is filled with joy when we flourish.  I am experiencing these realities as God reminds me of his character through the words of this touching book.

You might not have an awesome relationship with your mom.  The idea of giving her a sentimental book about your love might feel too vulnerable.  Ever-so-gently, I encourage you to consider buying this book for yourself as a first step toward healing.

Read through it—thanking God for being the perfect parent (with all the qualities of a loving father and mother)and allow Him to minister to your heart as only he can.  In the process, he just might soften your heart toward your mom and lead you to reach out to her in a gesture of love. (Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters, also by Blythe and Helen, is one of the best books I’ve read on healing the mother-daughter relationship.  Check it out right here.)

A Gift for Your Mom

I Love You, Mom! is a beautiful book and makes the perfect gift for your mom on any occasion. Before I buy a book, I like to peruse a few quotes and assess what I might take away from it.  Here are a few takeaways you will find within these pages:

1. This devotional invites daughters to express sentiments they’ve never put into words.

Do you ever feel stuck when you try to write a loving note to your mom inside a greeting card?  You want to offer heartfelt gratitude and loving sentiments, but it’s hard to find words.  I Love You, Mom! will help!  Here’s an example of a quote from daughter to mother:

“Mom, you have always said you are thankful to God for me, but I am the one who wants to say that I’m thankful for you. I remember how you cheered me on and helped me realize I really could solve a problem on my own. I have learned to be a better person because of you. If it were not for the ways you loved us within our home, I couldn’t have learned to love as well outside our home. You have been the one who has always stood by my side and the one I still come home to. When I think of you, Mom, I give thanks to God.”

2. I Love You, Mom! will encourage you to begin again when things flop.

I can’t think of a mom who doesn’t need the gift of a re-do from time to time!  I wasn’t expecting this book to help me in the daily grind of parenting my own three little ones.  The other day, I decided it was time to recommit to my vow about not yelling at my kids.  Thirty minutes later, guess who was yelling at the two little boys who wouldn’t stop bickering?

Thankfully, I remembered the words I’d read earlier in the day, and we began again:

“There is glorious relief when we can say to our children (or to ourselves with humble hearts), ‘I need to start over. Will you start over with me?’ The beauty of a do-over is that we can model to our children that it’s okay to admit we need to start again.”

3. This devotional will challenge you as both a mother and a daughter.

A few days ago, I was feeling particularly exhausted at the end of a long day with all three kids at home.  As I opened this book before bed, these words challenged me:

“Do you give your finest to others and leave what’s left to your children?”

How often do we, as moms, give all our energy and effort to others and leave scraps for our kids?  I praise God that there is no condemnation on this journey.  I also thank him for showing me my blind spots and aligning my priorities with his priorities.

4. I Love You, Mom! will challenge you to move toward healing.

Every mom has hurt her daughter, and every daughter has hurt her mom.  When these wounds aren’t mended, they can become festering wounds of bitterness and unforgiveness.  I Love You, Mom! will challenge you to take small (and large) steps toward healing and restoration.  Here’s an example:

“What would it take for you to forgive your child or ask their forgiveness for something you’ve held on to for far too long?”

5. This devotional cultivates joy.

I picked my “Word of the Year” sometime around January 21.  Better late than never, right?

I just couldn’t settle on a word, and I told God I wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon unless I sensed him guiding me.

Meanwhile, I was blinded to the fact that I’ve read five books on joy throughout the past two months, my friends are all talking about joy, and I’ve been studying the neuroscience of spiritual formation through joy-fueled attachments (but that’s a topic for a different day).

Most women would happily receive a fresh outpouring of joy—as both mothers and daughters.  Above all else, I Love You, Mom! is inspiring me to pursue joy! I’m leaving the laundry unfolded and snuggling with the two-year-old.  I’m taking myself less seriously and learning to laugh about burned supper and rock-hard ketchup splattered on the walls.

Joy is threaded throughout this book like a golden undercurrent of light.  Here’s a specific insight about cultivating joy:

“Our joy is at the very bottom of the pile, weighed down by our loads. Sometimes these are literal loads—laundry bins stuffed to the brim, stacks of bills that need to be paid, heaps of leaves that need to be raked. The never-ending tasks of parenting and household chores can dampen our spirit if we let them.”

As I’ve worked on this post, I’ve thought of friends who have lost their precious moms, mothers who have endured the heartbreaking grief of losing their daughters, and others who have difficult relationships with their moms. My heart is filled with compassion for each of you.

Whether you’re buying a birthday present, getting a jump on Mother’s Day shopping, or want to bless your mom with an unexpected surprise, you can grab your copy right here!  I pray this devotional blesses you (and your mom) as much as it’s blessing me!