Need an Inspiring Devotional for Moms

Here are some ideas:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1320-Motherhood-Examiner~y2008m...

http://www.extrapounds.com/blog/quantumhousewife/comments...

try chicken soup for the mothers soul. ALL of the 'stories'/ devotionals are geared toward mothers... and they are all very good. hope it goes well!

Hi M.,
I just received the following email from a friend of mine who is a member of a local Moms Club that I am a member of.
I hope it will be very helpful for you. Good luck with your devotional!
T.

Invisible Mother......
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone (or
even on the toilet) and ask to be taken somewhere. Inside I'm thinking,
'Can't you see I'm busy?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the
phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in
the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The
i nvisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can
you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What
number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a taxi to order,'Right around 5:30,
please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books
and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum
laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be
seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. I know you'll like this....enjoy!

Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on
and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking
around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when
Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I
brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I
wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her
inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what
you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work.

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of
their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they
would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no
credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that
the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why
are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see
the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No
act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a
great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my
own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pr ide.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at
4:00 in the morning and bakes homemade pies. Then she hand bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That
would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him
to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are
building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.
And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at
what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world
by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!
Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did. Hope this
encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does. We
never know what our finished products will turn out to be because of our
perseverance.

go to proverbs31.org you will be blessed with daily devotionals maybe this is something you are looking for. If not Beth Moore has more than enough devotional books, etc. Go to the Christian Bookstore and look around if you haven't they have tons! Good Luck and God Bless you for being called to do this.
T.

Jennifer Vanderlaan wrote several great books, one is titled, "40 Weeks; devotions for pregnancy)you should be able to tweak hers a little to fit your group.
M.

I found this at www.avirtuouswoman.org

Faith - A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 - 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15
Marriage - A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis2: 18)
Mothering - A Virtuous Woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 31: 28, Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 22: 6, Deuteronomy 6, Luke 18: 16)
Health - A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 - 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11)
Service - A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13)
Finances - A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)
Industry - A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14)
Homemaking - A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 - 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)
Time - A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 )
Beauty - A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 - 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 - 6)

hey check out www.thistlebendcottage.org its a non-profit and they have an amazing study called "falling in love again: with your children"

you can order off their website and they have more to choose from...

their link:
http://www.thistlebendcottage.org/

the studys to order
http://www.thistlebendcottage.org/curriculum.htm

At christian bookstores they usually have devotional books that are geared for different things, teens, mothers, grandparents etc... You could also just think of things that are important in dealing with your children, patience, time management and time for yourself then choose devotions with those specific things. Sometimes churches will have websites with devotions as well.

M.,
I'm not sure if this will answer all your needs, but someone gave me the book "Baby Boot Camp" for a baby gift. It's a six-week devotional book for new moms, and although my "baby" is now 2, I still refer back to the book. It has great prayers for each day. Good luck!

"Purpose Driven Life" by rick Warren is excellent on all levels. I am sure you could find something there. and of course, "Chicken Soup for the Mothers Soul" has awesone inspiring stories.

The Mom's Devotional Bible avaiable from MOPS International is full of inspiring devoltionals (I think you may also be able to get it at LifeWay). The Mommy Diaries by Tally Flint, ed. is also a good one.

Hope this helps!

Go to Barnes abd Noble- look through a Chicken Soup for the mother;s soul or for children.

We had a mom's group at our last church, and we read together and discussed the book The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. I cannot recommend it enough for the type of book you're asking for.

How about the book of Ruth? You have to imagine what a great moment that Naomi had knowing that her daughter-in-law was going home with her, and that she did not have to be alone. Also, it lets me know that even if I loose everything, I still have my mom to fall back on.
Also, http://www.momof9splace.com/ has some great links and informaiton as well.

Sorry, not clear if you need an inspirational phrase, a title to a book to give to them, or a paragraph of one quote. Let me know b/c I have several books on this topic.

____@____.com

Well, depending on what kind of "spirituality" you want to pass along - be careful what you choose. Someone suggested Rick Warren - I would veto that in a heartbeat! We have that book that my mom passed on to us, and my husband became very concerned about how much "New Age" content Warren uses. The New Age movement is infiltrating Christianity in very subtle ways, from "Chrisian Yoga" to book clubs run by Oprah - most people don't even realize they are being indoctrinated to the Eastern philosophies by these authors "paralleling" it with Christian beliefs. I was shocked when my husband started researching things like this, but now I am amazed how much is out there - put out by groups and individuals who are gaining a huge following (like Marianne Williamson, Oprah's 'good friend' - UGH!) and with the new president our country has chosen, we can expect to see ALOT more coming through the government than is already out there.

You can never be too careful about the beliefs you are passing along. Many people, including my mother, fell into the Rick Warren & Joel Osteen philosophies and don't want to believe that they are not God-seeking men. It is a huge responsibility to pass along any of your beliefs as you have been asked to do to "inspire" young mothers...

I agree with Stormie O-Martian's books and the Chicken Soup ones, for the most part. Take everything with a grain of salt - if you believe in the infallibility of God's Word, find devotionals based upon scripture and worship of our Lord, not "finding peace within yourself" propaganda...Research everything (including my allegations) and make your own decisions before you just throw out something because it sounds uplifting!

I will be praying for you!
A.

Try Jean Stockdale, ladies Bible Study teacher from Bellevue Baptist in Memphis

Here is an inspiring talk by one of the Lord's servants addressed to women. You could use part of it, as it is a bit long.
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db...

I have a couple of book suggestions, they are geared for the pregnant woman, but maybe they're helpful to you, too:

Motherprayer - The Pregnant Woman's Spiritual Companion
by Tikva Frymer-Kensky

Meditations for the Expectant Mother by Helen Good Brenneman

I am in charge of a Moms of Preschoolers group at my church. We just finished reading "A Mom After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. We enjoyed the book. It gives 10 ways to love your children. Hope this helps! God Bless!

I just started Beth Moore's loving well Journal. It is exceptional.

Inspiration readings for moms of different aged children can be easily found at any christian store. It is all child related short story with verses to share. There is also devotional for women of all ages. It is good food for the soul!. Be blessed. There is always a child's "first"bible. It is more simple and easy to read in language children understand. And big pictures to touch and explore. The ark is a great one with textures and animals. Have a blessed night. Ag