Only Love Today

In these conversational essays, Stafford (Hands Free Mama) urges readers to set aside the world’s distractions and put love at the top of their to-do lists. Stafford, who describes herself as a “recovering perfectionist, reformed rusher, and multi-tasker,” admits this is no easy task. With a voice that is equal measures poetry and best-friend-over-coffee, she draws from her own life as a special education teacher and mother to encourage women to seek out a less stressful, more people-focused way of living. Organized around the seasons, these essays explore topics such as renewal, growth, authenticity, connection, grace, awareness, hope, and introspection. Stafford brings a voice that is both inspirational and authentic to a topic that can often take a lifetime to get the hang of. Broken into easy-to-read chunks, this book meets today’s busy moms where they live.–Publishers WeeklyStafford (Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life) presents a self-disclosing inspirational text that will stop her readers dead in their tracks (which is her intent). She offers minuscule glimpses of beautiful discovery for those who linger long enough in the moment to see them. The author shares the terrifying seasons of her recent physical ailments and subsequent surgeries to illustrate how God can work in even these painful elements. Stafford’s work here is almost an ode to her daughters’ unique and winsome personalities. She presents these devotions in an easy-to-digest (sometimes poetic) style that moms of every age will relate and benefit from immensely. Only Love Today is the gift book to give yourself and order several more for the moms in your life who are fresh out of perspective and overfull of self loathing and self-condemnation. Stafford’s ability to cut through the “yuck” and to the “yes!” of life is a rare skill indeed.–Christian MARKET

Rachel Macy Stafford is a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education and ten years of experience working with parents and children. In December 2010, this life-long writer felt compelled to share her journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really matters by creating the blog “Hands Free Mama.” Using her skills as a writer, teacher, and encourager, Rachel provides readers with simple, non-intimidating, and motivating methods to let go of distraction and connect with their loves ones. Rachel lives in Alabama with her husband and two children who inspire her daily.