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Baker Publishing Group - Megan Breedlove

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140 pages

English

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Many moms struggle with finding time to spend with God. Is it even possible, between diaper changes, carpools, meals, and messes? It is possible, if only moms could connect with their Creator and vacuum cereal out of the car seat at the same time. Megan Breedlove, a stay-at-home mom of five energetic little ones, is convinced it can be done and Manna for Moms is a daily devotional that shows moms how. One of the main ways God speaks to his children is through his calling on their lives. That means that moms have a high calling, indeed! It is possible for moms to hear God's voice and respond, even as they carry out the daily tasks of mothering their children. Each devotion included in Manna for Moms is encouragement and inspiration to face every hectic day with an open heart, expecting God to reveal Himself in the midst of whatever chaos arises! There are also tips and suggestions for readers to stay alert for God's teaching in their interactions with their children. Instead of struggling to find time with God, moms can invite Him into every precious moment.

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	09 février 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441224620
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0374€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

2010 Megan Breedlove
Published by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.revellbooks.com
Revell edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-2462-0
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Other versions used are:
AKJV— Scripture taken from the American King James Version . Used by permission.
ESV— Scripture taken from the English Standard Version , Copyright © 2001. The ESV and English Standard Version are trademarks of Good News Publishers.
GNT —Scripture taken from the Good News Translation, Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
KJV — King James Version . Authorized King James Version.
NCV —Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version , copyright Ó 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission.
NIRV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version ® . Copyright © 1996, 1998 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT —Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation , copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
With humble gratitude, I dedicate this book to the following:
My husband, Phil. Words can’t possibly convey my thanks to you . You’ve supported and encouraged me in every way in beginning our website, attending writing conferences, and making this book a reality . You’re a wonderful husband to me and father to our children . I love you, and I’d marry you all over again .
My children: Ellie, Kenny, Lindsey and Jessica. You’re the best kids any mom could hope for. I feel blessed every moment of every day to have you. Thanks for letting me share your stories with others . I hope that one day, when you’re married with children of your own , you will read this book and hear God’s voice speaking to you . He loves you with all His heart, and so do I .
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. More “Cratching”
2. Racquetball as a Shower Sport
3. Spiritual Sunlight
4. The Best Cake Ever
5. Juggling Monkeys
6. More than Enough
7. The Ten Commandments, Revised
8. Skilled Building
9. Foreverrrrrrr
10. No Laughing Matter
11. Facing Life’s Tangles
12. No Getting Away with It
13. Roly-Poly Summer
14. Why Not?
15. Train Fright
16. You Made Me Do It!
17. Infinite Love
18. Running Ahead
19. Stop the Whining
20. Shut the Door … or Not
21. The Money Tree
22. Nice Earrings
23. No More “Kay-ows”
24. The Strength I Need
25. Uh-Oh!
26. Hug, Squeeze, Kiss!
27. Seeing God
28. On My Terms
29. A New View of Success
30. Why in the World … ?
31. Watching Privacy
32. Heirloom
33. Crumbs in the Icing
34. Liberating Boundaries
35. Bananas and Motherhood
36. Keep Going
37. If I Had a Dollar
38. “I Didn’t Know That”
39. Love Notes
40. It’s the Journey
41. “Yes!”
42. Where We Don’t Belong
43. All Planned
44. Hampers
45. Helping Mommy
46. I’m Done
47. Traveling with Jill
48. Leaning Back
49. You’re the Greatest
50. Trusting God’s Hand
51. Be Thankful
52. Covering Her Eyes
53. I Forgive You
54. What Is That?
55. The Proposal
56. Stylin’
57. I Found You!
58. Simply Put
59. I Made a Star!
60. Are We There Yet?
Afterword
About the Author
Acknowledgments
It is truly a privilege to thank the following people, each of whom had a significant part in the ministry of bringing this book to print:
Melisa Norcross, my dear friend and a lovely mom of God. You were the first one to suggest, “Hey, maybe you should write a book of devotions.”
Tonya Sakowicz, a precious friend and beautiful mom of God, for being among the first to encourage me to do something about getting a book published, and for vetting some of my devotions.
The lovely, godly mommies of the October 2004 Babies Christian Mommies thread on BabyCenter.com . Your encouragement regarding the devotions I posted there was more a part of this process than you know.
Renae Brumbaugh, author. Your professional advice and gra-ciousness started me on the road to making my dreams a reality.
The Rev. Dr. R. William Dickson. Because of your Greek class, I now have a greater understanding of and appreciation for Scripture, which greatly influenced the writing of this book. Who knows how many lives you have touched for eternity?
Nancy Komatsu. You theologically vetted my material (before I sent it to my editor) in a thoughtful, gracious manner that honored our Lord (and you know what a split infinitive is!).
My church family—especially the moms!—at Southfield Christian Fellowship. You walk with me as we journey in Christ together, and you let me learn from you. I’m so blessed to call you my friends and sisters.
My mom, Ruth Sheets. You always believed in me, and you told me so. Your encouragement has meant more than you know.
My mother-in-love, Elna Breedlove. Thank you for not only raising an incredible son, but also for loving me as your own, and for encouraging me in this process, and in everything.
My sister, Kristen Lovely; Lori Schmidtke; and Renee Isaac. You’re right there in the trenches with me, and you’re the best friends anyone could ask for!
Steve Lawson, editor extraordinaire, and the wonderful team at Regal. You all made this book happen, and not only that, you made it the best it can be. Steve, your sense of humor made the whole process much easier (I’ll write that giraffe devotional someday).
Almighty God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Any gift I have is Yours, and I offer back to You only what I have received. Thank You for blessing me with the means to help others know You. Best of all, thank You for loving me beyond measure. You’re incredible.
Introduction
My life can basically be divided into two major eras: B.C. (Before Children) and A.D. (After Delivery). That’s because on the day my first child was born, everything changed.
I did my best to anticipate and prepare for the myriad changes I knew were coming. I bought a container of Dreft to wash those delicate baby clothes in, I organized the nursery, and I figured that any other problems could be taken care of during all the free time I would have as a stay-at-home mom. (Okay, so I was a little naïve.)
When my precious daughter Ellie was born, all of these changes took place and more. I was able to cope reasonably well with most of them, even the unanticipated ones. For example, I discovered that now I really enjoyed shopping, because people would stop me and tell me how beautiful my baby was—which I was completely certain was true.
But there was one change in particular that I had not foreseen and to which I had some difficulty adjusting. That change came in the area of my quiet times with the Lord. In the B.C. part of my life, I had regular quiet times that followed a particular routine (I’m not saying everyone has to have a routine, but it worked for me). Those moments with the Lord were sweet times for just the two of us. Now it had become the three of us, and I couldn’t seem to figure out how to spend time alone with God.
I tried to get up early and have my quiet time, but I was too exhausted. I tried to stay up late, but I started falling asleep. I tried to plan a time during the day, or simply to seize the moment, but babies have an infallible sense of timing. Whenever I tried to sit down and have a quiet time, Ellie suddenly needed me.
I wanted to hear from God—I needed to hear from Him more than ever—but I couldn’t figure out how to do so. I was frustrated. I was confused. Until, faithful as always, God stepped in.
“Why would you think your quiet time will still look the same?” He said. (He didn’t use an audible voice, but I knew what He meant.) “You need to learn to listen differently.”
Listen differently? I don’t get it, God. What do you mean?
“I mean you need to learn to hear My voice in your daily life. I can speak to you all day long. Open your ears, and you will come to hear Me in ways you’ve never heard Me before .
I still didn’t know exactly what God meant, but it sounded good. Besides, it was His command. So I tried it. Do you know what I found? God did, indeed, speak all day long—not despite the circumstances of my mothering, but through them. He used the ordinary things of my day to illustrate what He wanted to say to me. It’s kind of like the way Jesus used parables when He walked this earth. By using the common, ordinary stuff of life such as seeds, harvests and sheep, Jesus communicated spiritual truth to His listeners. God doesn’t use the same kinds of things to speak to me (probably because I don’t know much about any of those things), but He does use things like racquetballs, candy canes and green bean plants.
The great news is that God wants you to hear His voice, too. Your busyness in mothering is not a barrier to God’s reaching your mind and heart. He knows exactly what to say to you and me to get our attention, and when and how to say it.
I once read a famous