Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus – 100 Daily Devotions Encourage Your Heart and Start Your Day Right

by Karen Ehman, Ruth Schwenk

Kids bickering? Schedule jam-packed? Dishes and laundry both piled up high? Perhaps it's time you pressed pause and took a moment for yourself. Pressing Pause offers you a calm way to start your day, to refresh yourself in Jesus and drink deeply of His presence so that you are ready to pour out love, time, and energy into the people who matter most to you.

With these 100 encouraging devotions, moms

Begin each day with ScriptureDraw on God's powers by discovering His WordLearn practical ways to love and servePressing Pause is perfect

Any mother wanting to approach each day with a positive mindset and develop a closer relationship with GodMotivational gifts, birthdays, Mother's Day, or ChristmasMoms, ages 25-50Whether you're juggling a career, kids' schedules, and church commitments or you're covered in spit-up and anxious about what the next 18 years might hold, you can carve out a few quiet moments to rejuvenate your spirit.

Genres: Christian, Parenting, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Devotional, Religion, Faith

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2016

About the author

Karen Ehman is a speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, a contributing writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today online devotions and a teacher in the First 5 Bible study app. She has written 21 books and Bible studies including Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All and the 2020 ECPA devotional book of the year Settle My Soul. She is a graduate of Spring Arbor University and serves as President-Elect of their Alumni Board of Directors. She has been featured on TODAY Parenting, Redbook.com, Foxnews.com, Crosswalk.com, YouVersion.com, and is a monthly columnist for HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Karen is married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and is the mother of six children: three biological and three in-laws by marriage—although she forgets which ones are which. She enjoys collecting vintage Pyrex kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and spending her days feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table to process life and enjoy her county fair blue-ribbon winning cooking.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one slowly, just a devotional here and there when I needed some “mom” encouragement. Personally, I loved this devotional. It’s cowritten by two experienced mothers who truly do understand the craziness of motherhood. I felt as though each devotional was super easy to apply to my life. I found these devotions to be quick, convicting, and fun to read, but even better, they really did guide me in Godly truths that I needed to hear and offered encouragement to my own life as a mom.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great daily devotional for moms. It has a devotion for each day and a place to journal about the readings. I found it helpful and encouraging.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this devotional. Gave great daily things to think about when it comes to Jesus, motherhood, and the intersecting of the two. Loved the reflection questions provided they really made me think. I will definitely re-read this at a different point. Great for moms of all kinds.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me over 6 months to get through this book. I’m sorry to say that it just felt surface level and trite. A little braggy, a little self righteous. Where is the vulnerability? How does hearing a few sentences from moms who seem to have all the perfectly bow-tied answers alongside daily homemade cookies give the rest of us breathing room to know it’s ok to just “be”? There was a big theme on missional motherhood (towards other mothers) but not much else. I’m just disappointed (and apparently disgruntled).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful devotional for moms. Karen Ehman, author, and Ruth Schwenk, pastors wife, split the book up with their own daily devotions for 100 days. A Bible verse, discussion of times in their family life that relate to the verse, a prayer and heartfelt questions to answer. I really enjoyed this and plan to go back and read all that I highlighted. Would certainly recommend this to all the mothers out there.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Devotional Book!

Pressing Pause was a devotion that I had been wanting to dig into for a long time. I throughly enjoyed each days Scripture, devotion, prayer, and questions. I loved having the perspectives of two Moms and all the areas of motherhood and just life as a woman that was looked at through the 100 days! I would definitely suggest this devotion for any Mom seeking to find a few moments with God each day during the busy days of life!

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk take turns writing short devotionals to guide the reader through 100 days of taking some time to sit and ponder Scripture and how it relates directly to life. The authors share personal stories that allow the reader to relate to them and provide questions at the end of each daily devotional to help the reader dive deeper into a relationship with Christ.

[peter fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and uplifting!

I read this on my kindle app in bed every morning before I had to tackle to day with my two kids. It made it possible for me to do morning devotions and the concepts would stick with my throughout the day. The others are relatable and I felt very encouraged while reading through this.

[Dayana Frich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pressing pause is an excellent book. I personally took a long time with it- read it here and there but every time I picked it up, it was uplifting, encouraging, and I loved how it helped me reflect on such applicable topics of motherhood and life in general as a woman.
This is definitely a mi at read!

[Savannah Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this devotional to ANY Christian mother. It is wonderful. Less than 3-5 minutes per day and great stories and messages. Provides a bible verse each day to look up and dig deeper. Absolutely love it. Great gift.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book with alliteration in the title

Quick, short bible studies

Easy to do each day. It took me a really long time to finish this because I worked on it when I had a chance, which wasnt that often. Huge move. VERY busy toddler. House full of kids who need me every morning.

Whenever I did have time, I always felt refreshed afterwards.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. It’s one page daily devotionals relating somehow to motherhood. I felt like some of them came off very preachy or condescending but others were very relatable and helpful. Overall it was very much a 3 star for me.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️

Selected by someone I used to co-lead a mom’s group with, but not my favorite devotional. Felt slightly contrived and shallow? Maybe I tried it in the wrong season of life, but it wasn’t really for me.

[WhatRachelsReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t remember when I started this devotion book but I can’t say enough good about it! All of the devotions are the perfect 2-3 page length and each one is filled with such excellent wisdom for moms. I highlighted, turned down pages, and wrote so much in the book!!! Highly recommend!!!

[Stephanie Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to spend 5 minutes a day with God devoting time and attention to topics that resonate with my life as a bush mom. That 5 dedicate minutes can influence how you approach your day, your mission as a mom and affirm Gods plan for you.

[Tasha Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a gift from a co-worker. My only regret is not starting this book sooner…like WAY before my kiddos were almost 18 and 16. This book is helping me be a better mother….thank you, God, for the gift of motherhood!!!

[Keryn Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

To my surprise

I purchased this book with the intention of giving it to my niece who is a new mother. To my surprise , I believe the Holy Spirit was leading me to this read FOR ME!!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me so many wonderful prayers to pack into my arsenal. I can't wait to read it again and see how my answers to the reflection questions may have changed.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book! Will use in future as a daily devotional

[Ashley Speed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this devotional! I put it up there with Jesus Calling and Ann Voskamp's Advent devo. They are all books that I will revisit over the years.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just an ok devotional. A few of the days made me think and touched me, but for the most part, I didn’t get much out of it.

[Melanie Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely!

I need to press pause a LOT more - this book has surely shown me that! I think this book is a great read for anyone who has more than one “hat” to wear!

Love this!

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it

Gave me some good tips and reminders that I had forgotten about as a mom. Liked these nuggets of wisdom.

[Heidi Strybos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great devotional book geared towards young mom's. I still got something from many of the entries but wish I would have picked it up when my kids were toddlers.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite devotionals for moms

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome devotional! I absolutely loved starting my day with it every morning! I highly recommend it for any woman but moms especially!

[Caristy Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small bite size moments to think about each day for 100 days.

[Maggie RDV · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this devotional! So encouraging to moms!

[Tgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great encouragement no matter the stage of motherhood your in.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional for moms