What Do You Think? Wednesday
Summer is officially here. With summer comes more leisure time and that means more time to read. Next week I’m going to review a book I know you’ll love, but I first had to give you a taste of my own book, Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood, with a sample devotional below.
If you’ve been following the blog you’ve heard me promote the book, which debuted in April. Yes, the intended audience is new moms, but don’t let that keep you from reading or supporting me. Reviewer Mahogany Jones, a woman without children, said “This devotional is awesome. It’s interesting because I thought that since I am not a mother, I wouldn’t be able to relate, but it touched me because I was so able to relate to the messages and themes that covered all spectrums of life. I think if you are a mother, that there will not only be practical words of wisdom to apply to your parenting, but I believe that God will meet you where you are, and as a parent you will get to take delight in sharing His attributes, considering He’s the ultimate parent. I definitely recommend this book.” And reviewer Mary Ryan-Maher said Your First Year of Motherhood is “(a)n absolutely beautifully crafted book that while targeted to new mothers also appealed to me – mother of a ten- and seven-year-old. The raw, sometime conflicted and overwhelming emotions of new motherhood are movingly related. I can’t imagine reading only one a day! . . .What a great book – even for those of us who are starting into middle-motherhood!”
Read the excerpt below, pick up a copy for you or a new mom at Family Christian Stores or Amazon, and let me know what you think. Also, don’t forget to enter to win the t-shirt giveaway here on the blog. Check out last week’s Friday Feature for details on how to win. Winners will be announced Friday.
“The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalm 145:8 KJV).
My first impression of Flynn was in ninth-grade government class, where he and his buddy Vojo couldn’t shake the sillies. If the wind blew they laughed, and the only thing I thought was funny was that they thought they were cool. My second impression was at a high school class reunion committee meeting. Flynn’s jokes were jovial, his smile was smooth, and he handled all his reunion business well. That take-charge man became my husband.
Flynn initiated our meals. He planned our dates. He bought me flowers and jewelry I didn’t know I wanted. He washed the dishes and the clothes. He took responsibility and took care of me.
After four years of marital bliss we had Joshua. Flynn-the-dad helped whenever I asked him. But surprisingly, I had to ask. It began to annoy me. Then came a day I was busy with laundry and Flynn commented, “I think I smell the baby’s diaper.” I paused to process the comment. What needed to be done was obvious, but Flynn didn’t get up to do it.
“Well, aren’t you going to change it?” I snapped. He complied; I worried. Where was my take-charge man? Was I becoming a married single mom?
Later that day we talked my fear of Flynn’s in-home abandonment. It turned out he thought I’d adjusted well to having Joshua and that I knew when to ask him for help. What he hadn’t figured out yet was where his fatherhood fit. I looked at my husband, usually so confident, and decided it was okay to claim the role of married single mother for a time so that Flynn could navigate his way into fatherhood.
Remind me, Father, to ask for Your guidance when my husband and I disagree.
Devotional by Rhonda J. Smith originally appeared in Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood and is reprinted with permission from Guideposts Books and Inspirational Media, Guideposts.org. Copyright © 2011 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.