After having her daughter, Tracy thought her second pregnancy would be easier, but God had other plans for her and her family. The first sign that things would be different was the abnormal results of her first-trimester screening. Luckily, they were ruled out as possible false readings. Tracy did her best to balance her pregnancy and work until the birth of her son, Bryce. Unfortunately, her son was born with a congenital heart condition that would change her family’s life forever. The author felt guilty, but over time, God healed her soul and helped her discover His purpose for her life. In Prayerful Warrior Mom, Tracy A. Ripley narrates how her family's turbulent journey made them stronger mentally and spiritually. She shares the lessons that helped her cope with her son's illness in her career, social and family life, and relationship with God.

Prayerful Warrior Mom made me wonder how many tragedies a person can take before they break, and how believing in God's word and continuously seeking Him in prayer can give the peace that surpasses human understanding. Tracy A. Ripley uses a calm and engaging tone, which showcases her spiritual maturity and peace with the tragedies that befell her family. Whenever she was on the verge of breaking, God gave her a verse, a song, or a revelation that helped her through. The book has beautiful designs that make it appealing to read and profound lessons that can be applied in different areas of your life. I loved reading this book and I think both believers and non-believers can read it and appreciate its message. We all go through trying moments, and a story like this can give us encouraging lessons. Get a copy of this book to read this inspiring story of a prayerful mother, a brave son, a supportive family, and the amazing power of God in their lives.

Tracy Ripley's life is rolling perfectly well and she has found the perfect balance between work and family. Everything changes when her much-expected baby, Bryce, is born with aortic stenosis, a congenital heart disease. Her life is thrown into turmoil, but she refuses to give in to despair. Instead, she changes her plans, establishes a new balance, learns to let go, and develops a more intimate relationship with God. This book brilliantly chronicles her journey through this difficult moment to find surprising answers in God through prayer. In this book, readers will learn to focus on what truly matters, find the courage to seek help, understand the power they have to turn their troubles to God, and a lot, a lot more. 

Prayerful Warrior Mom by Tracy Ripley is a captivating and inspiring book that examines the journey of faith, resilience, and self-discovery. Through her heartfelt narration, Ripley takes readers along on her son's battle with congenital heart disease and her own personal growth as a Prayerful Warrior Mom. The writing in this book is confident and engaging, with Ripley's words reaching straight into the hearts of readers. Her ability to communicate her experiences and emotions in a relatable and authentic way is commendable. The book is filled with personal anecdotes, prayers, inspiring passages from scripture, and lessons learned, making it both a powerful and practical guide for navigating through life's challenges and growing in faith. Ripley beautifully portrays the power of turning to God in times of difficulty and finding solace and comfort in prayer.

The author demonstrates how faith can give us the strength to overcome adversity and set healthy boundaries, empowering readers to embrace their own spiritual journey. Moreover, the book emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and letting go of guilt. Ripley encourages readers to release the shackles of guilt and embrace the liberating power of forgiveness, both for oneself and for others. Through her personal experiences, she illustrates how forgiveness can transform lives and pave the way for healing and growth. This author writes in a way that is fluid and captivating, examining the power of support groups, exploring the healing energy borne by family bonds — and readers will enjoy reading about her relationship with Rob — and providing a message of hope for those going through a difficult time. This is an inspiring book with tools to help readers beat the odds and grow through their faith in God. This book resonated so powerfully with me because I have been in some of the places the author writes about — despair, stress, unexpected outcomes for strongly anticipated events, and more. This book is, indeed, a gift of faith to be shared. 

Using her faith as fuel, the author lays bare her soul in this raw and incredibly vulnerable chronicle of hope and fear. Rooted in scripture, the work and the themes presented within it are universal, depicting the human struggle to balance all aspects of their lives without losing themselves. For Ripley, a blessing in the form of baby Bryce is rife with obstacles, such as her child’s congenital heart disease (CHD), spearheaded by a faulty heart valve. The author’s unyielding tenacity, come what may, to ensure that Bryce is able to lead a quality life is something to truly marvel at.

Ripley’s blended family consists of her husband, Rob, two step-kids she adores, and her biological daughter, Reyna. The seamless environment allows the author to maintain a work-life balance and challenge herself at the apex of both motherhood and career. However, when Bryce is diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis a mere fourteen hours after birth and must be taken away for an emergency procedure, the reality of how grueling the process will be dawns on her. From her own testimony and resilience, audiences will discover their own inner spirit and mettle, a roadmap of sorts when battling similar adverse circumstances.

Though the main focus of Ripley’s work is to share Bryce’s journey to health, it also provides great detail and context into her overall life, pulling back the curtain, so to speak, for audiences to get a comprehensive snapshot. For instance, Ripley takes readers back to her own upbringing and how her parents were to add an extra layer of understanding of how she came to be who she is. In these segments of the piece, readers can easily relate to the hurdles women face in their careers, often feeling conflicted about the perception of their dedication and commitment to the company once they are mothers. For Ripley, commitment is central to her character, as even in the moments leading up to going into labor, she is training her backup to deliver a presentation for her job.

While the problems of the material world are undoubtedly well captured, it is the authenticity with which Ripley communicates her relationship with God that readers will find endearing. Rather than preach through scriptures, she shows how those scriptures have come to life for her, giving her a platform through which she can process and even see the silver lining in traumatic events, such as seeing her baby in the NICU just after birth, feeling disconnected from her child, or watching her now toddler continue to endure one heart surgery after another. Nonetheless, through it all, her trust in God remains unconditional, never wavering, and always enabling her to stay steadfast in prayer.

From a stylistic perspective, the story flows smoothly, creating an enjoyable reader experience while still delving into critical themes like work-life balance, ensuring the right medical fit when entrusting practitioners with your life or the life of a loved one, and the role of mothers in the workforce as compared to fathers. Above all else, audiences get to see how prayer directly impacts and enhances one’s quality of life and provides the tools for individuals to find love in all areas, such as in the Lord, in themselves, and in all those that make up their inner circle. To this end, Ripley’s work combines the resources of prayer—with her “7 Day Prayer Guide”—and CHD resources so families going through the same thing can have the tools to tackle life’s challenges head-on and become prayerful warriors themselves.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review