40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom by Sarah Humphrey

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom (Abingdon Press, August 2016)

Nourishment for a mother's soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling!

Wouldn't it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions---an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, 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

In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did!

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dPEdIC

My Review:

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood by Sarah Humphrey is the first coloring devotional I've done that focuses specifically on motherhood. The devotional section doesn't take long – probably five minutes or so to read, pray and respond – so I do it in the morning. The coloring pages take longer and give me something to look forward to doing after the littles are in bed for the night.

The devotionals are split into eight sections, each one containing five teachings. I found that some of the devotional thoughts were a combination of Biblical teaching and a sort of positive psychology or theory. I know that sounds odd, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. For example, in the first section, the author placed a heavy emphasis on name meanings as relating to a person's identity. I found it difficult to buy the concept that the meaning of my child's name is indicative of their strengths or potential struggles. I know that Biblical people often had names with special meanings, but I just wasn't convinced on this particular concept.

Some of the coloring portions are simple and some are complex. I prefer the simpler ones because I don't have a lot of extra time and can finish them without staying up overly late. Additionally, adding some outlining or coloring the background are possibilities to extend the coloring time if I want to. On some of the more complex pages, I had to leave a portion uncolored and return to it at a later time. In general, the illustrations were whimsical and reflected the devotion's theme well.

In conclusion, 40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood by Sarah Humphrey was enjoyable to read and color. I wasn't on board with everything Humphrey said in the devotions, but I still liked it overall.

About the author:

Often considered a dreamer and silly heart, Sarah Humphrey uses inspiration from her most beloved career, motherhood, to fuel her passion for writing, creative movement and teaching. She has and is authoring several books and children's books. Sarah currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three beautiful, bouncy kids.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."