Schwenk - The Better Mom Devotional: Shaping Our Hearts as We Shape Our Homes

Whether your role as a mom finds you snuggling babies, chasing toddlers, helping a child with homework, or navigating the sometimes-trying teenage years, this encouraging devotional will help you to connect your heart straight to Gods through the scriptures presented and the insight given. So step over the laundry, ignore the dirty dishes a little longer, and carve out a slice of time each day to meet with Jesus on the pages of this helpful and hopeful resource.

K AREN E HMAN , Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All and Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World, wife and mother of three

What mom doesnt need the life-breathing encouragement found in this beautiful devotional by Ruth Schwenk? She offers a short, but oh-so-sweet word for each day to give that godly perspective that we all crave as moms. Practical, down-to-earth, and yet inspiring too! Definitely a drink of cool water in that sometimes-thirsty land of motherhood.

L ISA J ACOBSON , Club31Women.com

Probably one of the most important survival tools for moms in the trenches is time in the Wordand encouragement. Ruth tackles both beautifully in this devotional. I love Ruths heart for moms. You see it in her blog and here in these pages. She gets it. Mom-life is hard. Each of these 100 devotions touches on elements of life where moms often struggle and need a little inspiration. What an incredible resource and blessing for moms.

K RISTI C LOVER , author, speaker, and host of the Simply Joyful Podcast

How I wish I had Ruth Schwenks The Better Mom Devotional ten years ago when I first felt terribly alone in my mothering. She gets it. This book holds the daily mentoring I need to encourage and uplift me as I raise my four sons!

A MBER L IA , bestselling author of Triggers and Parenting Scripts

Every mom needs to take time to pause and refresh her spirit. Ruths The Better Mom Devotional is filled with scripture and short devotions that will encourage you to start a dialogue with God each day. No matter what your day with your children brings you, this is just the inspiration you will need.

Sandra E. Maddox, founder and coordinator of Treasured Moms Ministry at Saddleback Church, author of Tiffany and The Talking Frog, and blogger at TheArtofDomesticity.com

A mothers super strength comes from a close relationship with the living God. The Better Mom Devotional will help you tap into the unlimited resources of heaven. Read it and be encouraged in your high calling of motherhood.

A RLENE P ELLICANE , speaker and author of Parents Rising and 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Mom

ZONDERVAN

The Better Mom Devotional

Copyright 2018 Ruth Schwenk

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr., SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

ePub Edition August 2018: ISBN 978-0-3100-9546-0

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc . Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc .

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc . Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc ., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Art direction: Adam Hill

Interior design: Lori Lynch

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Contents

Dear friend,

I wish we were sitting across the table from each other, face to face, sipping cups of my favorite coffee and sharing our heartsthe joys, the struggles, the fears, and, of course, the hopes of motherhood. My prayer is that this devotional will be the next best thing. Its one way I hope to spur you on, inspire you to keep going, and remind you that you are not alone. We are in this together!

Its hard to believe, but nearly seven years ago, TheBetterMom.com was born. Over the past several years, hundreds of thousands of moms have joined and journeyed together, learning and growing through our daily devotions and social media presence.

At the heart of TheBetterMom.com and this devotional is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. Its my sincere hope and prayer that God uses this devotional to encourage your mama heart and meet you right where you are.

The good news is that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. Just as God is using us as moms to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. Its okay to come as we are, but our calling is far too important for us to stay there!

So I invite you to discover all that God wants to do in you through the devotions that follow. The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become.

Many blessings,