Whether I look right or left, the
conversation about being a mom seems to revolve around yoga pants, coffee,
messy hair, and exhaustion—and I’m tired of it.
I want to read about the amazing
gifts our children are, the awesome responsibility we have to raise them, and
the parenting partnership we have with Jesus.
Ruth Schwenk’s book The Better Mom Devotional: Shaping Our
Hearts as We Shape Our Homes offers uplifting conversation.
The hardcover book is medium-sized
(substantial), with a pink and floral aesthetic. It includes a presentation page
and ribbon bookmark. This sentence on the back reveals the tone of the book: “.
. . becoming a better mom starts not with what you are doing but with who you
are becoming.”
Some titles include “Learning to
Pray,” “The Hard Places That Make Us Holy,” “Say Goodbye to the Perfect Home,” “The
Power of Gentleness,” and “A Song-Filled Home.” Each devotion can be digested
in 2-3 minutes. They devotions themselves are short—less than two pages. Each
one is titled, begins with a verse, and ends with a prayer and two questions
for contemplation and introspection.
Schwenk knows her busy audience:
these devotions are so quick that they can be read at any moment of the day—solitude
is not necessary to receive the peaceful, inspiring, call-to-actions.
Topics include being a friend,
respecting our husbands, standing firm in our faith while the devil prowls, and
being joyful in motherhood.
As we raise our kids, we need to sit
at the feet of God, our parent. And listen. And let faith conquer fear. Schwenk’s
book helps us do this.
The
publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through
BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.
