Motherhood Requires Grit and Grace
New devotional book offers moms of young children encouragement and spiritual nourishment
Eugene, OR — Being a mom is one of the most rewarding experiences a woman can have, but motherhood also has its share of challenges physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. Even if a woman has read all the parenting books and received sage advice from other moms, until she becomes a mom she won’t truly understand the responsibility and challenges that come with the title. For the overwhelmed mamas who think they’ll never live up to the Supermoms around them, Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and Gretta Kennedy, authors of Grit & Grace: Devotions for Warrior Moms (Harvest House Publishers/February 12, 2019/ISBN: 978-0736976244/ $16.99), want to offer encouragement and assurance they are not alone.
From firsthand experience, Gosselin and Kennedy share about the rigors and joys of being a mom. Elbow deep in the grind of diapers, laundry and peanut butter sandwiches, moms may find themselves struggling in the day-to-day challenges of parenting. “Having grit is pushing through the hard stuff of motherhood with determination and laser-focus on the end goal of raising children who love and serve Jesus,” Kennedy explains. “Having grace means realizing that God offers you peace, rest and help in this season. Also, as you give yourself grace, you will find you have even more grace to give yourself and your kids from the One who is present in your life right now.”
Grit and Grace is a refreshing collection of 90 daily devotions written by two moms who have found themselves desperately in need of encouragement. They hope to offer reassurance and hope to other moms. “When I was in the throes of raising three young children, one day it occurred to me that I was depleted in every way, but especially spiritually,” Gosselin says. “As a pastor’s wife, I had many spiritual resources easily accessible to me, and yet I was still struggling. That was a big problem, because in this season of raising young children I really needed Jesus, arguably more than ever.”
It was around this time that Gosselin and Kennedy, former college roommates, started comparing notes over the phone. Gosselin was beginning to realize that God uses the years of early motherhood to teach moms so many wonderful truths through their children. She wanted to share these lessons with other moms. While Kennedy’s children were past the pre-school stage, she felt God was laying it on her heart to minister to younger moms as well. God gave them the same vision to provide digestible devotions to encourage moms of young children, which led to the concept of Grit & Grace.
Through humor and vulnerability, the authors deliver short messages of truth to help moms embrace God’s calling on their lives to raise children who love and serve him. The authors understand the challenges of finding quiet time to spend in the Word, and have written the devotionals with that in mind. Reading the Scripture and prayer that accompany each day’s message will help the reader discover more fully who she is in Christ and how important she is to her children and family. The authors cover topics such as perfectionism, comparison, joy, gratefulness, fear, rejection, weariness, calling, tenacity and hope.
“We wrote Grit & Grace for moms of young children,” Gosselin says. “We’re looking at the season that encompasses babies, toddlers and early elementary school. If they have multiple children, a lot of mamas are navigating all of these stages at once. While the stories focus on the young children years, the truths from God’s Word apply to mamas at all stages. We have had Grandmas comment that they feel encouraged to show greater intentionality toward their grandchildren.”
The authors hope readers will feel encouraged and empowered that God has chosen them for their specific children because they are called to this. Fellow Grit & Grace Warrior Moms can connect with the authors and fellow readers to share about all aspects of motherhood on Facebook (gritandgracemoms), Twitter (Gritandgracemom) and Instagram (@gritandgracemoms).
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What Moms Are Saying
“LOVING it so far! I feel like I’m linking arms with you both and you’re helping me lift my eyes beyond the trenches of motherhood and onto Jesus.”
~ Jennifer Hess, Mom
“This book is awesome! I have had the privilege to read a copy ahead of its release. It speaks to my soul. It is about identity and heart, not about how to do it all right. A breath of fresh air and a lifeline.”
~ Kelly Larson, Mom
“This is wonderful! So very right where young moms struggle—and rich with wisdom. I love the immediate launch into identity as well as your story of “not rockin’ this role of mom.” I pray that thousands of moms discover this treasure—and, even more—discover the riches available in Jesus.”
~ Diane Comer, author of Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: The Power of Intentional Parenting
“You know spending time in the Word will help you be a better mom, but you seriously cannot imagine adding one more task to your day. Reading Grit and Grace won’t feel like one more thing to do. Rather you’ll look forward to each encounter with Suzanne and Gretta as they help you keep your eyes on Christ amidst the highs and lows of motherhood.”
~ Rhonda Stoppe, Author of Moms Raising Sons to Be Men
My Review
Somewhere during or before the first devotional, I started...well, crying. I could recognize elements of myself on every page and thought, "Wow. These ladies really get it!"
When I started reading the devotionals, I thought to myself, "Well, I've had tons of the gritty side of motherhood, but would like to know more about this grace business!" *lol* It took a while for me to realize that the grace is always there. Maybe sometimes the grit gets in our eyes, and we are unable for a time to see the grace.
It is so very inspirational and comforting to know that there is no SuperMom, not even the near-mythical "Proverbs 31 Woman". Everybody has good days, and every mom has days...well, that she might like to have a do-over. Each devotional is a cool drink of water in the middle of a desert, an idea to remind us we are not alone in this journey - there are other moms in our towns, cities and neighborhoods, and of course, God is there every single moment.
This one is staying nearby on my desk or nightstand. I never know when I'll need a little nudge in the right direction, and I hope to tackle motherhood with "Grit and Grace" in the future.
About the Authors
Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and Gretta Kennedy first met as roommates at Multnomah University. They are quick to admit they did not like each other when they first met due to opposite personalities. However, they worked out their differences and became best friends who roomed together for all four years of college. Two decades later, during a phone conversation, they realized God was laying on their hearts the desire to write a devotional for moms of young children to encourage and strengthen them in their role as mothers. It was then the idea for Grit & Grace: Devotions for Warrior Moms was born.
Suzanne Hadley Gosselin is a regular writer and editor for Focus on the Family and David C Cook and previously served as an editor for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. Gosselin has written books for Zondervan, Harvest House and Tyndale and is the author of Expectant Parents: Preparing Together for the Journey of Parenthood.
Gosselin lives in Bakersfield, CA with her husband, Kevin, and four children. The family enjoys escaping to the ocean.
Learn more about Gosselin at www.suzannegosselin.com. She can also be found on Facebook (suzannegosselinauthor), Twitter (@gosselinsh) and Instagram (@suzannegosselin).
Gretta Kennedy is a speaker, mentor and writer with a degree in women’s ministry from Multnomah University and over 20 years of ministry experience. She passionately supports her husband, Jay, and his fulltime camp ministry. They are raising their three children on Vancouver Island and report their adventures on the travel blog Traveling Islanders.
Grit & Grace is her first book.
Keep up with the Kennedy family’s adventures at www.travelingislanders.com and on Facebook (travelingislanders), Twitter (@traveislanders) and Instagram (@travelingislanders).
Fellow Grit & Grace Warrior Moms can connect on Facebook (gritandgracemoms), Twitter (Gritandgracemom) and Instagram (@gritandgracemoms).
