Glimpses of Grace: Gospel Devotional Book for Christian Families - Perfect for Daily Bible Study & Home Worship

As I write this...I can hear something metal clanking against the sides of the dryer.Our three year old is calling from the bathroom that she needs to be wiped and I'm wondering why she's even out of bed.I can see two praying mantis babies climbing up the wall next to the window.The kitchen trash needs to be taken out, but I didn't get to it before our dog did and now there are bits of mushy cereal globs mashed into the carpet.It's the last week of school, so teacher gifts need to be assembled.My white towels are now soft pink due to this spring's hot-pink-favorite-color-of-twelve-year-olds.We moved my grandparents into a senior living community over the weekend and I want to drop by to see how they are doing.Bills-must-be-paid-bathrooms-cleaned-final-school-assignments-completed-empty-toilet-paper-rolls-filled-And I just remembered that today is the day Gloria's book releases!But it's actually the perfect day to share her book with you.Because this book is about living for God's glory in the midst of the mundane.It's about looking for glimpses of grace in those everyday moments.It's about how I respond on those days when kiddos are arguing about things like who is a better ninja, who has the biggest smile with orange slices in their mouth, and who is the boss of the bag of plastic farm animals.It's about those days when nap time doesn't go quite like you hoped it would.Because as Paul Tripp says:"If God doesn't rule your mundane, then He doesn't rule you. Because that's where you live."Though I only know Gloria through online interaction, I really appreciate her.And just the fact that she quotes The Neverending Story and uses "smurfy" as both an adjective and a verb was probably enough to win me over...But honestly, if I could share one message with all the mamas out there, especially those who are in the thick-of-it with lots of little ones running around, the message in this book is the one I'd want to share:Sometimes life feels a lot like a burden--day-in and day-out its the same chores and tasks, challenges and discouragements, anxieties and responsibilities. Dust bunnies show up on the stairwell, social commitments clutter the calendar, and our families demand daily attention and care. At times, just catching our breath seems like an impossible feat.So where is God in all of this? Does he care about the way we unload the dishwasher or balance the budget? Do the little things like changing diapers or cooking meals make a difference? And how can we use our spheres of influence for God's glory and our joy?Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a working woman splitting time between the office and home, Gloria Furman--writer, pastor's wife, cross-cultural worker, and mom--encourages us to see the reality of God's grace in all of life, especially those areas that often appear to be boring and unimportant. Using personal examples and insightful stories, her richly theological reflections help us experience the gospel's extraordinary power to transform our ordinary lives. (from the publisher)Glimpses of Grace is a call to treasure the gospel in our homes.It's a reminder that following Jesus, means following Him wherever He leads...even into the routine and mundane.It's a reminder that when we are weary, feel inadequate, or lack confidence, we can cling to His promise-"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."~2 Cor. 12: 9 - 10).In this book, Gloria nudges us to look for the miraculous-To notice how God uses the moment-by-moments to transform our hearts.To trust and see how our struggles and heartaches and even imperfections can be used by God to draw us closer to Him and to show us that we can:"Move forward with confidence that God loves to do things to demonstrate his power. 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts' (Zech 4:6)" (157).This book is not a formula for parenting or homemaking.Rather, it is a clear, beautiful picture of how the gospel meshes with real life and how when we are willing to manage our homes "us unto the Lord"-God is glorified even in the midst of tooth brushing and toilet cleaning."Dirty dishes in the sink or red crayons smushed into an electrical socket by a curious toddler are not just worrisome ordeals...they're opportunities to see glimpses of grace" (33).I really am thankful for this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to see how the gospel can illuminate and transform everyday life.As Gloria writes,"We see glimpses of God's grace in our homes when we cherish God through the gospel of Jesus Christ...May Jesus be our treasure as our lives are hidden in him" (180).Off to clean some bathrooms...Love, Khttp://thechuppies.com/2013/06/glimpses-of-grace/