We all know the way to grow closer to God is to spend more time with Him, yet it continues to be a battle of the flesh, the problem of choosing what is best. God desires relationship with us, yet we allow so much of the mundane to inhibit. At other times it isn't the mundane as much as the tyranny of the ordinary, those every day must-dos which often distract us from what is excellent.
So what do we do? We take a first step. We stop as soon as we realize we have not moved forward in our walk with the Lord in a while and we open the Word of God. The next step? Do it again the following day, and the day after that and the day after that. We keep on stepping until spending time with God daily is a habitual blessing we feel as if we can not survive our day without it.
The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman At Peace by Ann Spangler is one you'll want to add to your bookshelf whether as a beginning first step or an addition to your established quiet-time routine. I have enjoyed reading other books by Ann Spangler and was so excited for the opportunity to review this! I knew this would be a wonderful addition to my day already being familiar with the author's ability to take deep theology and make in understandable.
I know from my own experiences and talking with other women that peace is hard to come by in our society. This one intangible desire is elusive to some to the point of seeking medical help. Others deny they are even missing peace in their life and yet their actions and words exhibit anxiety and distress. This is more than merely another year-long devotional. This is a spring to be refreshed with daily.
I really like the personable way this is written. Ann Spangler takes moments from her own life to help explain a short verse of Scripture presented at the top of each day's reading. I would have liked if there was an option for further reading, but the is an easy way for me to begin my days, especially when the days don't begin in the way I wish they would!
As a homeschooling mother of three girls ages 8, 6, and 4 my mornings are unpredictable more often than not. I know how I would like my mornings to go, but I can count on one hand how many times it has actually gone this way! This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to center myself on Christ first thing while being able to meet my girls' needs as they come up first thing in the morning.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light devotional to give a moment of quiet at any time of the day whether morning, afternoon or evening.
Disclaimer: I received a paperback copy of The One Year Devotions for Women from Tyndale Publishers as part of the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation.
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