Meet Me in the Middle: 8 Mother-Daughter Conversations about Life and Faith

by Sandra Stanley, Allie Stanley Cooney

Overview

Is she really fine or is she just saying that to avoid talking to me? How can our bond grow when she acts as if she doesn't want me around? How do I share my faith without her thinking it's a sermon?

As your daughter heads into the teenage years, you wonder how to handle the dramas and questions of adolescence. But what if instead of waiting to talk about big issues in the heat of the moment, you built a foundation of trust before crises even happened? Meet Me in the Middle helps you connect with your daughter beyond eye rolls and sighs—from either of you. With alternating chapters for you and your daughter, and eight structured opportunities for comfortable discussions together, this practical book equips you to:

• Hear firsthand what your daughter is most stressed about
• Learn natural ways to communicate your faith
• Help your daughter navigate fear and anxiety
• Approach the tricky subjects of friends, guys, and dating
• Grow in faith together as you find your identity and self-worth in Christ

As leaders at one of the country's largest churches, mother-and-daughter team Sandra Stanley and Allie Stanley Cooney have professional backgrounds working with young people—as well as personal experience seeking minimum door-slams and maximum heart-to-hearts. The discussion questions, Scriptures, and activity ideas they offer in Meet Me in the Middle guide you to a relationship with your tween or teen that helps you both grow in trust, communication, and faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310368670
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Sandra Stanley received her bachelor of science degree from Georgia Tech and master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries.

Allie Stanley Cooney graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication. She completed the North Point Residency program and simultaneously earned a Masters of Christian Education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. Allie is on staff at North Point Community Church and serves as the High School Production Director. Allie has a heart for middle school and high school students and can often be spotted at any number of local coffee shops pouring into girls in those seasons of life.

Editorial Reviews

Sandra and her amazing daughter, Allie, have given us moms such a great resource to help strengthen our mother-daughter connection. Meet Me in the Middle captures real-life issues to help us navigate our relationship through those tricky teen years. This book will sharpen you both spiritually and relationally!

Amy Groeschel

Sandra and Allie have given mothers and daughters an incredible gift through Meet Me in the Middle. They've laid out a clear blueprint for navigating the teen years and intentionally nurturing the mother-daughter relationship. Implementing the truths found in this book will pay relational dividends years down the road!

Amy Rainer

Having two daughters of my own, I would've loved to have had this tool to help navigate the tween and teen years more effectively. My daughters are fabulous women, my dearest friends, and I still believe we could benefit from these lessons today! I don't just recommend Sandra and Allie's book; I think it is a must-read for mothers and daughters everywhere who desire a stronger connection.

Bible study leader; wife to comedian Jeff Foxworth Pamela Gregg Foxworthy

This book is filled with lots of Scripture and thoughtful cues to help you and your daughter love Jesus and each other better. Allie and Sandra show us that the same truths—his truths—that help us run businesses, navigate illnesses, or even deal with difficult people are even apparent in the most tender of relationships between mothers and daughters.

Andrew's wife; mom to four kids who keep her on t Mandy Cathy

Mamas and daughters, do not skip a single word of this book! As a mom to two girls—still in the thick of it with a rising ninth grader—I can tell you this for sure: no other book has brought both perspectives this well! Meet Me in the Middle is the guide every mom and daughter must read together. You will walk away armed with tools and practical advice to guide you during challenging times. I suggest you dog-ear Allie's endlessly useful '20 Rules for High School' now. Beyond that, this book will lead you both toward growth and victory in your relationship with each other, God, and your community as a whole.

Suzy Karadsheh

I'm a mother to four daughters, and this book is gold! Sandra and Allie offer biblical truth connected to the struggles and worries my girls have each faced in their middle and high school years in a way that opens conversations between mother and daughter that often feel hard to navigate. Allie's youthful, conversational tone speaks directly to the heart of both my older teens as well as my youngest, a soon-to-be tweenager. Her stories connect to their world and the pressures they often walk through. Sandra wisely takes us mothers by the hand and walks us through big doctrines like identity, forgiveness, and sanctification, giving us clear language for our own spiritual growth as well as that of our girls. The mom-and-daughter activities and discussions are so fun and easy to carry out that you will look forward to your time each week with your precious daughter! The investment of your time and energy will pay rich dividends in your relationship with your child.

Bethany Kimsey

Meet Me in the Middle is a beautifully written book by both mother and daughter that helps bridge the gap to a long and rich relationship. All mothers desire a close relationship with their daughters, and daughters want their moms to understand and be proud of them. Sometimes as much as the desire is there, the connection is lost because neither knows how to make the connection. This book provides real-life practical tools to develop a long-lasting and fulfilling relationship between mother and daughter.

Karen Stubbs

Goodness gracious, I could have used this study when raising my two daughters through their teens! I'm fifty-eight and a grandmother, and my heart sometimes aches for my little thirteen-year-old self. She sure could have used this. What a sweet, thoughtful, and open discussion to guide you and your daughter through a really tricky, sometimes painful, but also beautiful chapter in your lives.

American stand-up comedian; actress; author Leanne Morgan

08/01/2024

Written by a mother and daughter team and targeted to the Christian parenting market, this book is divided into two sections: one for mother, and one for daughter. The authors urge readers to consider and reflect on such topics as their faith, avoiding comparison, family dynamics, friendships, dating, fear, stress, decision-making, and more. The authors encourage mothers and daughters to connect through discussion questions and hands-on activities. Craving acceptance, living in a comparison culture, walking in confidence, forgiving others, and much more are addressed. Both authors share their personal experiences, and the text is written in a conversational tone, much like the vibe of a chat over coffee. Their book also contains fun recipes such as snickerdoodles and an oatmeal face mask for a day of pampering together. Librarians should be aware that a few sections contain questions and lines for readers to answer, but the authors take great care to motivate readers to journal on their own about their stressors and vision casting, which involves considering what they'd like their life to entail in 20 years. VERDICT An easy, Christian faith-based read that's chock-full of practical ideas for meaningful mother-daughter time.

Library Journal