There are too many times when the only peaceful moments in the day are when the children are asleep. Tucked away at last and curled beautifully beneath the covers, their faces relax and their cares melt away. Mom’s worries, however, are not so easily set aside. Being a mother also means worrying about her children’s health, their success in school, and their wisdom in picking friends. Will they make the right choices?

Yet the Widow of Zarephath had an even sharper concern. She only had enough flour to make one more meal for her son and herself. After that, only starvation awaited them. Yet Elijah asked her to make that flour into a biscuit for him, with God’s promise that her food would never run out if she did. She chose to trust, to turn their lives over to the Lord.

Turning our children over to God and trusting Him is undoubtedly one of the hardest steps a mom can take. Yet God is ever faithful, never changing. The Lord who helped a desperate widow remains by our side today.

Father God, help us remember your steadfast love and support, and that you care for our children intimately and eternally. You will not let us fall. Amen.

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*Devotional from 365 Whispers of Wisdom for Single Moms (Barbour), p. 98.

Thanks, again, to everyone who’s written about either the books (yeah!), the contest, or Rachel. We’re going on 3-4 weeks now with her congestion issues, and each day brings a different challenge. We went to the doctor on Friday, and we’re trying two new meds. This weekend saw the greatest improvements so far – so that I’m no longer worried about her wearing herself out or needing a hospital stay. She’s not WELL yet, but closer than before. We appreciate all the prayers.

Now . . . back to the books.

If you’ve taken a gander at my books page, you’ll see a few devotionals down below. I often submit ideas for books of devotionals to Barbour, but I’m also on their list of folks they ask to submit contributions to larger books. There are two new ones on the market: 365 Daily Whispers of Wisdom for Busy Women and 365 Daily Whispers of Wisdom for Single Moms. The official publication date for both is December 1, but Amazon already lists them as being in stock.

Yes, I contributed, but there are a lot of writers involved in both books, including some of the best devotional authors in the country. These would make great Christmas gifts for any woman in your life. If Barbour gives me permission, I’m going to publish a few excerpts between now and Christmas, so you can get an idea of how genuine and inspirational the devotionals are.

Finally, in the midst of all the financial cacophony in the news lately, Mike Hyatt posted a really nice alternate perspective on his blog recently. Maybe it’s because I love the outdoors and I have a passion for “blessings counting” (it gets me through most days), I wanted to link it here.

Prayers for you all. And many blessings to count.