40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood is a devotional first, and a coloring escape to nurture yourself second. Sarah Humphreys walks you through a forty day devotional that builds upon the previous lessons each day. "These 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood:
- Self-acceptance
- Self-care
- Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations
- Generosity
- Presence
- Forgiveness"
Sarah teaches from her own personal experience as a mother, the lessons she's learned in her struggle to care for herself as well as her family. Each devotional is short, just a few paragraphs long. However each section of the book (divided into groups of 5 devotionals) is introduced with a 2 page lesson. This division by 5 makes it perfect for an 8 week study, giving yourself the weekend to focus on worshiping with your church instead.
Each of the coloring pages is fairly large and simple. This allows you to finish a picture during nap time or in small snatches of your day. It shouldn't take you all week to complete a complicated picture with lots of small details. The pictures are full of flowers, hearts, curls and whimsy!
Sometimes we feel like we haven't made much progress as a mother, but as I read through these devotions, I recognized many of the same struggles I'd experienced as a younger mom, and many of the same lessons I've already learned. Aha - I have learned something through the years! And yet, it was good to read the reminders, because it's so easy to forget and fall back into old patterns.
40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood can help any mother take time to focus on her relationship with God, and nurture her creative side, as well. It gives you permission to rest for a bit and relax, while pointing you to Christ's love and grace. It refreshes you so you can pour God's love out into your family again.
April E.
