Lord, Have Mercy, a book review

Lord, Have Mercy: Help and hope for moms on their last nerve, written by Ellen Miller is a 90-Day devotional broken into 5 topical sections: Renew My Spirit, On My Soul, Get Me Out of this Mess, Help Me Be Good and As I Raise These Kids.  Each of these sections offers daily readings spanning just two or three-pages (perfect for moms of littles and/or working moms), plus Scripture Readings and a thoughtful prayer from the author over the reader.  The pages of this book offer insight and encouragement from Ellen's own experiences as a busy, working mom of two now-grown children. 

What I enjoyed about the book is that it was designed in such a way that I truly could read it quickly, get the "meat" of her topic, attach it to a scripture focus (not just a nice sentiment) and continue with my day feeling better about my job as mom.  She doesn't overly story-tell, if you know what I mean... she gets to the point, and I'm all for that in a daily reader! Her experiences and anecdotes are relatable to most moms, be it stay-at-home, working, single, divorced, remarried, having littles or grandchildren - she covers it all. I would recommend this to pretty much any mom who is able to scrape just a few minutes out of her day to spend being encouraged and reassured that she can make it through this season of motherhood, one day at a time.

Read the first chapter of this book here.
I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

Waking Up Slowly, a book review

Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual lessons from my dog, my kids, critters, and other unexpected places, written by Dave Burchett, is a down-to-earth, extremely relatable look at the amazing things surrounding us that point us to God.  The trouble is, for most of us, we are took busy, too distracted and too self-involved to even notice these things exist, let alone are trying to tell us something.  Dave challenges us (and himself) to disconnect from our ever-constant digital devices and look around, spend some time soaking in, and waking up to, those glimpses of God's pure love and grace. In his delightful story-telling, Dave offers us anecdotes from his own experiences and challenges, ranging from working in a mostly secular career field to the trials and joys of being a grandpa. By the way, fellow Texans and baseball enthusiasts... Dave Burchett is the television coverage director for the Texas Rangers!

What I really enjoyed about this book was the way Dave feels like a friend, not someone lecturing or pointing the finger.  He cheerfully admits that unplugging is hard for him, too (and that technology is necessary, so you can't just give it up completely).  He offers scripture, biblical advice, real-life application and encouragement in each chapter, revolving around a variety of topics.

This book helped motivate me to log off of Facebook, put down the phone and step away from my computer more often in order to be more present with my kids.  They are always vying for my attention, not just against each other, but also against my devices.  They deserve my full and undivided attention, and not to have to compete with a piece technology.  I see them growing before my eyes, developing and maturing into amazing people... I'd hate to miss that because of a glowing screen.  Thanks for the gentle reminder, Dave!



I received a free copy of this title from the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.