Looking for some spiritual refreshment to start the year off right? Or maybe you are in the midst of your year and still need some refreshments! I’d like to introduce you to a new release in 2023 from Paraclete Press by Meredith Barnes called Every Day Holy: 60 Devotionals to Embrace God’s Gift of Time.
Meredith opens with this beautiful passage from Titus 1:2-3
In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
During the pandemic, Meredith was given a gift. It was a gift that we were all given in some way shape or form, that gift was time. Even during that crazy couple of years many of us got to appreciate anew the gift of family and of time. That is how this devotional was born. In the introduction, Meredith beautifully states,
I hope it is a gentle reminder that we are not designed to be at war with hours, weeks, or years. We are designed to be in harmony with time. And by being in harmony with time, we walk in harmony with our Creator.
Page xiv
If you have not been around this blog and platform for long, you may not know this, but her statement above is my heartbeat. Bring healing into our everyday home
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Who is this book for? Moms of all ages, but specifically written to moms with younger children.
Price – $17.99
My Favorite Part – I know this might sound a tad bit too practical, but my favorite part of this devotional is the small chapters. Meredith gets the ‘time’ factor of moms. We don’t have a lot of time before our little ones swoop in to interrupt and she has made the devotionals short, but rich.
Where can I buy this book, how is it laid out, and is it for me? These are the questions we will answer! Let’s dive in!
Every Day Holy Summary
What is Every Day Holy about? It’s written to moms who feel like time has become a tyrant or a thief. As moms, our time is precious, especially as we have more children and learn to balance work, home, and priorities. In the devotional Every Day Holy Meredith explores our perspective on time and how we can discover God’s desire for us to rest in his plan.
On each day you will find three key features:
- Devotionals touching on anxiety, perfectionism, brokenness, finding worth, and self-care
- Scriptures that point to God’s design for time
- Reflective questions and journaling spaces
About Meredith Barnes
Meredith is a long-time writer who self-proclaims that her childhood love for Nancy Drew and peculiar emails that she wrote to her family and friends during graduate school (about cadavers no less!) fueled her desire to write stories. Her vast professional history includes varied talents like advertising for the Anaheim Angels, costume designing, orthopedics, cycling instructions, seamstress, and now writing. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Medical science. The varied array of interests and professional experience has led to a variety of speaking engagements through MOPS and MOMcon (MOPS network-approved speaker), church groups, women’s Bible studies, and retreats.
As an honorary Midwesterner Meredith is well acquainted with the shorelines of Michigan and the cold of Chicago. However, she now lives with her husband Ben, and three energetic boys in Southern California.
Meredith can be found on Instagram or her website.
Book Features
As has already been stated, Every Day Holy, contains short devotionals. They are two pages, and those two pages include the daily scripture reading. You will find a third page each day with reflective questions and a writing area.
Meredith writes with conviction, clarity, and theological soundness. She is relatable and her writing is easy to read and digest.
I personally will be reading this book at the beginning of 2024 in conjunction with my Bible in a Year reading plan. I would love for you to join me in reading this delightful devotional or with the Bible reading plan!
Final Thoughts
So, what are my honest ‘mom thoughts’ on this devotional? I only review books and products that I truly will be using with myself or my family, so you already know that I will be giving this a ‘green light’. However, I would like to give this book an even deeper ‘Rachael approval’.
If you are in the season of mothering young children this book is for you. I am a mom and wife working 3 jobs, running a business, homeschooling rambunctious boys, homesteading, and carefully meditating on ‘balance’ for my family. We all have our own balance of ‘crazy’ and I’m confident that whatever your ‘crazy’ looks like, you will find benefit in being refreshed and rejuvenated by looking at a biblical perspective on time from another mama who is in the trenches of this journey called motherhood.
You can purchase this devotional book from a variety of sources. It is published by Paraclete Press, so I have included a link for them below, however, you can also get it on Amazon, your local bookstore, or other online realtors!
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Enjoy more book reviews and roundups from Healing Home!
