Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus ~ A Review

I've been reading a new devotional on my iPad: Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus by Karen Ehman & Ruth Schwenk.  As the title suggests, this book contains 100 short chapters, each with a Bible verse or two, a meditation, a short prayer and a couple of questions to think about.  After the questions there's space to journal a response (for the electronic version, readers are encouraged to use a note-taking app to journal their response).

Each of the devotions deals with a topic that moms can relate to, like "Playing Favorites," "Teaching Your Children Courage," "Becoming Less," and "Picking Up Dirty Socks (Again!)."  Each chapter is short, requiring about 5 minutes to read, along with however long the reader wishes to think about the questions.  The authors use personal narrative to inspire other moms to take time to meet with Jesus each day.

Here are a couple of excerpts:

From "The Joneses Are Overrated"

Yes, the Joneses invade our homes and our thoughts several times a day through social media and the Internet, robbing us of contentment.  

 In a letter to the believers in Philippi, the apostle Paul penned Philippians 4:11-13, which says, "For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (HCSB).  The Greek word rendered "content" in this verse denotes more than just a throwing up of arms in reluctant acceptance.  At its hub, it means "to be satisfied to the point where I am no longer disturbed or disquieted."

From "We Have to or We Get to?"

How about we hit the restart button when it comes to our tasks?  Let's stop pouting.  Rather, let's reframe our attitudes Colossians 3:23-style.

I don't have to clean my house.  I get to clean my house--because I have a place to call my own, while many are homeless or displaced.  And I'm serving the Lord Jesus as I clean.

I don't have to fill out this team permission slip.  I get to fill it out--because my child is healthy enough for physical activity.  And I'm serving the Lord Jesus as I write.

I don't have to drive to get groceries.  I get to do this errand--because we have enough money to purchase provisions and we own a car, so I don't have to walk.  And I'm serving the Lord Jesus as I shop.

We don't have to.  We get to.  And thanks be to God That We do. 

I am enjoying this devotional.  Reading these devotions is a great way to start my day with Jesus.

I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.