A Good and Perfect Gift...

...Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny.

Amy Julia Becker was thrilled to find out that she was pregnant with her first child.  As all first time moms know, even amidst all the joy and excitement that comes along with bringing a baby into the world, there also lies an undercurrent of anxiety.  You don't know how to be a mother and you worry if you are going to "do it right." You worry about whether or not you can hack it or if you are going to be paying therapist bills down the road because you royally screwed up another human being.  However, if you are a Christian, you also know that God chose you to be the parent of this child and so you also know that your life and the new one on the verge of entering the world were intertwined for a purpose.  

This is what Amy Julia was experiencing during her first pregnancy but then her journey takes a turn that most of us do not have to go on.  After her precious daughter enters the world, she is unexpectedly diagnosed with Down's Syndrome.  The Beckers are thrown for a loop as they navigate through all their preconceived notions about how their family would look and act.  This book is a poignant memoir that follows them as they learn how to adjust to the new challenges that God brought into their lives.  Amy Julia struggles with her tendencies to value things like intelligence and appearances, first turning away from but then coming back to God to help her learn how to be the best mother to her darling little girl and to view her as her daughter and not just her child with Down's Syndrome.

Although there are a few areas were Amy Julia Becker and I disagree as far as beliefs go, this book was an excellent read and full of honesty, raw emotion, and encouragement for parents of all types of children.  I would definitely recommend adding this to your reading list this year!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.  I was not required to give a positive review. *