I am not a morning person. I would much rather stay up until 1 and sleep until 9:30 then anything else... but as a mom and wife, I know that I just can't do it. I get up around 5:30 to send Greg off to work, then if I am lucky I can go back to bed for a few hours before the munchkins get up. But something that has been bugging me for a while is that I don't start my day with Jesus! I am much better at ending my day, but it is important to start my day with some time with God.
I was given the great opportunity to review Mornings With Jesus 2012, 366 daily devotions filled with encouragement by some amazing authors such as: Tricia Goyer, Camy Tang, Judy Baer, Sharon Hinck and much more!
I got this about a week or two into the new year, so slowly have been going back and playing catch up, but what I have been reading has been such a blessing!
God knew I needed to really work on starting my day with him, and wouldn't you guess the first entry on January 1st is about slipping away and making time for Him. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark (huh... this is when I get up...) Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." ~Mark 1:35 NIV
WOW... I think I needed that! Sharon Hinck goes on to talk about how our schedules are overflowing and overwhelming and we don't think we can "schedule" any more time for prayer, but we need to! She quotes Martin Luther saying, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." I think the message is that when we are overwhelmed and our schedules are packed to the brim, we need to stop and spend time with our Lord and the rest will fall in.
Jesus set the ultimate example of putting the Father first. He had so many people wanting His time, but time after time He went away and prayed and spent some quality alone time with the Father! We need to follow His example.
One thing I LOVE about this quick little devotional, is even though they are only a page long, each message is so well written and comes straight from the heart. At the end of each day there is a Faith Step, something that you can do to live out the message each day. For January 1st, my faith step was: "If your day feels too full, take a risk and schedule some extra prayer first, trusting Jesus to provide what you need for all the other responsibilities." How perfect is that?
I hope that you will check out Mornings With Jesus 2012. I will admit I don't always get to it first thing in the morning, but I am working on it.
I was sent an extra copy of this wonderful book to share with one of you!!!
Just share a little about your quiet time with the Father. Is it in the morning? Night? Anytime? Do you sneak away to the bathroom for 5 minutes of peace? (Been there...) Or do you have a special little nook? Share for the chance to win a copy of Mornings with Jesus 2012.
From the publisher about Mornings With Jesus:
"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the
Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus
will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence.
For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ,
Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the
Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day
life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the
character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing
near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at
the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way
throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry
based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and
comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will
inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.
You can check out other reviews here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857
And buy the book here:
I was given this book by Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I was not given anything for a positive review, this is my honest opinion... :) Just saying...
