Thursday, January 30, 2014

Breathe: A Devotional Review

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Breathe: 31 Moments with God (for Moms) by Jaimie Bowman
Visit the Author's Blog HERE
Book Blurb from info page:
How does a mother create space in her day for time with the Lord when she is needed every moment?  How does she focus on reading the Word or praying when she might be frequently interrupted?
Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms} will help mothers to reconnect with the Lord and hear His voice more clearly. With short Scripture passages to read, along with relatable anecdotes and illustrations, mothers in any stage of life will find encouragement and hope.
Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms} includes:
-       31 easy to understand Scripture passages and devotionals
-       Stories from other mothers you can relate to
-       Daily prayers for when you cannot find the words to say
-       Reflection questions at the end of each devotion
-       Space to jot down your thoughts or prayers to the Lord
Join with Jaimie and other mothers like you, who are on a journey to grow closer to God through motherhood.  Breathe: 31 Moments with God {For Moms} can be your encouraging companion.
I received a copy of this ebook for review. I was not expected to give a positive review. All opinions are my own. Buy the Kindle edition for $4.99 and a softcover devo journal for $8.99 (1/28/13).

 My Thoughts:
"Breathe" is a brand new devotional, and first publication from Jaimie Bowman. Right from the introduction you get clear sense of her heart and voice. As a mom, time to spend with the Lord becomes much more difficult to carve out, but still so important! Bowman challenges us to find any time during the day and use this devotional as a tool to keep connected with God.

It may add an extra 'step', but Bowman doesn't provide the Bible verses for us each day. Rather, she stresses the importance of opening our Bibles to get the real Word of God and not just filtered through her voice. I am so glad she did this, for myself, but it also shows how much she values the Word and the Lord. From that instance, I knew I could trust her to lead me in devotions.

Be encouraged today that God knows you intimately, He is with you, and He has not left you alone. (pg 33)

Each day opens by indicating which passage to look up in the Bible, then includes Bowman's devotion, which will either expound on the verse or include an encouraging personal story, or both! She then wraps up with a pray and reflection questions. This is what helps set "Breathe" apart from a few other mommy devotionals I have checked out. Too often I feel like I've been left hanging after reading the message. Bowman's questions really strike home, leaving me feeling convicted on several occasions.

To be honest, I feel like a lot of moms may miss this gem. Because of the busy nature of motherhood, women often look for a short devo that doesn't really challenge just so that they can mark 'quiet time' off their to-do lists. This is not one of those devotionals. This is one that requires you to pull out your Bible, to ask questions, to challenge yourself, and to apply the verses. It is completely do-able, may involve more thinking, perhaps more time, but then you get so much more out of it.

I am giving "Breathe" 4.5 stars. I could recommend it to any mom, whether a mom of littles or bigs, a working mom, a SAHM, a homeschooling mom. The book launches February 3rd! Please remember to stop by Jaimie Bowman's blog for giveaways and goodness the whole week!!


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