Review – Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms}

The alarm goes off and you hit the ground running. Your day begins before the sun comes up and usually ends well after the sun has set. The life of a mom is a constant flurry of activities and errands, and its hard to find even just a few moments for yourself.

I want to talk to you today about your relationship with God, or whatever you like to refer to your Higher Power as. We get so busy with our families, with life in general, that we forget about nurturing ourselves, our souls. “There just are not enough hours in the day for it all,” you might say, and you would be right. There are NOT enough hours in the day for everything, and as such, some things get left for another day or are pushed to the back burner to be dealt with ‘later down the road.’

My Relationship with God

I want to tell you a little about my relationship with God. I had a “falling out” with God when I was a sophomore in high school. The loss of my beloved nana to ovarian cancer, and then my grandad just six weeks after that, a home life that was screwed up beyond belief – I’d had enough. Where was this almighty God who was full of love and mercy? Why wasn’t He doing anything for ME? Why was He taking the people that I loved from me? Why did I feel as though I was living in Hell on earth? I believed in God, but He didn’t seem to believe in me.

I had reached an all-time low point in my life. Living in a foster home, not having access to my family or my baby sister, was just killing me. I felt as though God had abandoned me completely. I didn’t know which end was up. Mrs. Estremera, my foster mom, saw the turmoil in my heart and in my head, and she asked me one day if she could pray for me, with me. I figured why not. Things couldn’t get much worse than they already were.

Marlene prayed from the heart that day, holding my hand as she did so, and changed my life forever. I felt the Holy Spirit enter my heart that day, and the warmth of God’s love spread throughout my entire body. It is a feeling that I will never forget, and it is that feeling that keeps me thirsting for more. That feeling that keeps bringing me back to His word when I lose my way and begin to feel lost. He is the good shepherd, tending his flock – I am living proof of that.

I have come to God on bended knee, weak and torn, bruised and abandoned, tears streaming down my face more times than I care to admit. Even when I have gone months – years – without uttering a single prayer – when I call on Him,  He is always there for me. There have been times in my life when I have been pulled up by His grace working through others, where He has touched my heart again and again – even at times when I have ignored Him and not given Him credit for the blessings He gave me.

I know that He loves me. I feel guilty when I do not have the time to reciprocate that love. God should not be ‘an afterthought’ in our lives. I lie in bed at night sometimes, wishing I had the strength for just 10 more minutes to hold my eyes open, to thank Him for the blessings of the day, the little moments that made me smile. I drift off to sleep with a prayer on my lips, still unspoken.

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Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms}

Jaimie Bowman gets it. She is a mom. She’s had days where she has been run ragged to the point of tears. She’s had days where she cannot fathom squeezing out just ten minutes for a hot shower, let alone some time between her and God.

Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms} has 31 devotionals in it, and a reason why the scripture references are not written out. As Jaimie states:

“The Word of God is living and active, and there is power in picking up your Bible, feeling the pages between your fingers and reading it. Get in the habit of turning those pages again, of marking your Bible with dates and verses that encourage you, and running to that as your source of encouragement throughout the day, not this little book.”

 In her book, Jaimie gives you a scripture reference to read and then relates that situation to a present day situation. There is a prayer given that you can use, or you can speak from your heart. At the closing of each daily devotional are Jaimie’s “reflection questions” that ask you to analyze your current situation. Are you experiencing this? How might God use this particular situation to strengthen your faith?

It has taken me many years to come to the realization that there is a reason for everything that happens in our lives – good and bad – and a lesson to be learned from them. Breathe helps you figure out what the lesson is in a particular situation that you are dealing with. Breathe helps you to see the silver lining beyond the cloud and helps to strengthen your relationship with God one day at a time.

Breathe is going to become a part of my daily routine – once the boys are off to school and hubby is off to work – that quiet time that I have, just Mollyanna and I, while I enjoy my second cup of coffee and plan my day’s activities out. On weekends, I am always awake before everyone else in the house, so that will be a good time for me to sit down with my Bible and Breathe and have my moment to talk with God.

Thank you, Jaimie, for writing Breathe for all of us moms out here looking to reconnect with God once again.

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Where to Connect with Jaimie Bowman

Jaimie posts on her blog – Jaimie Bowman Ministry and Motherhood – and you can also connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can purchase Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms} at Amazon or at Barnes and Noble. The softcover version (on sale right now at $8.99) has a built-in journal for those moms who love to write (added bonus) and the Kindle version will be on sale beginning this Saturday, February 1, for only $4.99!

 Pick up a copy of Breathe: 31 Moments with God {for Moms} and breathe life back into your relationship with God!

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2 Comments

  1. mariselamoraleshq  Thank you so very much Marisela! I too, allowed events to ruin my happiness, ruin my life. It was not until I was much older when something just *clicked* and I started looking at events in my life as a lesson instead of a trial and tribulation to stumble through. Once I allowed God to change my perspective on how I viewed events happening in my life, everything else started to come together, and I've become much happier, more centered as an individual. I wish I could teach everyone to do that – but as my mother used to say – we each need to learn in our own time. All I can do is put my feelings and experiences out there and hope that there is another woman somewhere in the world in need of my experience at that particular time in their life. If God can work through me in such a manner, than it is all worthwhile!

  2. Wow Kim!  Thank you for sharing your personal story.  I'm so happy for your realization of God's love.  So many people let these life happenings ruin them.  Kudos to you.  Love your writing and ways or organizing your thoughts.  You really are organized.  Looking forward to learning from you.  Visiting from Breathe Book Release Party – Everything SAHM

    Marisela

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