GRIT AND GRACE: Devotions for Warrior Moms - Suzanne Hadley Gosselin and Gretta Kennedy - One Free Book

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 and Grace: Devotions for Warrior Moms (Harvest House Publishers), want to offer encouragement and assurance they are not alone.

How did the two of you team up to write Grit and Grace?

Suzanne Hadley Gosselin (SHG): I was in the throes of raising three young children who were 5, 3, and 18-months old, and it occurred to me one day that I was depleted in every way, but especially spiritually. I found that ironic, since my husband is a pastor and I’m a Christian writer. I had many spiritual resources easily accessible to me, and yet I was still struggling. I also realized that it wasn’t good because in this season of raising young children I really needed Jesus, arguably more than ever.

Around that same time, I had a conversation with my 3-year-old daughter about how I could no longer fit into my “fanciest dress” (my wedding dress) because I had gotten bigger when I had babies. Her reaction floored me. Her eyes sparkled and she said, “Was I one of the babies in your tummy that made you get bigger?” My daughter could see the beauty in something that I had allowed to make me feel like a failure. I realized, then, that God uses these years to teach mamas so many wonderful truths through their children.

Meanwhile, God was laying it on Gretta’s heart to encourage moms of young children. Gretta studied women’s ministry at Multnomah where we met and were college roommates and had a knack for connecting with women and meeting them where they’re at. We were talking on the phone one day and realized that God had given us the exact same vision to provide digestible devotions for moms of young children to encourage and strengthen them in their role as mothers. That’s when the idea of Grit and Grace was born.

Who did you write Grit and Grace for? What stage of motherhood will get the most encouragement from reading your book?

SHG: We wrote Grit and Grace for moms of young children. We’re looking at the season that encompasses babies, toddlers and early elementary school. Many times, if they have multiple children, 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 (and even grandmas) at all stages. We have had Grandmas comment that they feel encouraged to show greater intentionality toward their grandchildren.

What does it mean to you to have grit and grace?

Gretta Kennedy (GK): 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. Having grace means realizing that God offers you peace, rest and help in this season and as well as being kind to your children and especially yourself!

Can you describe the format of the book? How much time does each devotional take to read?

SHG: Grit and Grace is a 90-Day devotional, and our concept was to provide quick-read nuggets of truth for busy mamas. These devos should take no longer than five minutes to get through, and the Scripture passage is included so you don’t even have to go find your Bible. The idea is that these can be read in the tiny spaces in a mama’s day—while the kids are napping or she’s nursing the baby. Each daily devotion includes a true story of motherhood and delves into a spiritual truth that was learned through the experience. Each devotion also includes a prayer to allow busy moms to respond the devotion in the moment.

Before you had children, what did you expect motherhood to be like? What surprised you most when you became a mother?
GK: I did a lot of babysitting as a kid and young adult, so I at least knew that kids aren’t perfect, and taking care of them can be pretty tiring. But the thing that surprised me the most was the huge responsibility of motherhood. I was the one who needed to be the expert on my child. No one else would know her like I did. Also, being a mother is totally different from being the babysitter! I was responsible for everything...not just this little person. The house, the food, the everything...oh yeah, and the children.

SHG: I have worked with kids since I was a teen. In fact, I met my husband when he struck up a conversation with me about children’s ministry. I always assumed I’d take to motherhood like a fish to water. I was wrong. The stress of being a mom revealed many of my weaknesses, such as being unskilled at managing our home and all the little demands of motherhood. It also revealed my selfishness as I was pushed to put others before myself again and again. 

Suzanne, you write that your spiritual life took a hit after you became a mom. In what ways?

SHG: Spiritual disciplines have always been an area of weakness for me. Even before kids, I struggled to meet with the Lord at a consistent time each day. However, I did find time to get in the Word daily and received consistent spiritual input through working at a Christian organization, being plugged in at church and attending multiple Bible studies during my single years. I had my first child a year and a half after I got married and decided to stay home. I quickly became isolated and overwhelmed and struggled to find time to even crack open the Bible. I felt too tired to pray. I realized many of the struggles I was experiencing, such as a negative view on life, conflicts with my husband and anger toward my children were the bad fruit of a life that wasn’t connected to the True Vine. But it was more difficult than it ever had been to sit at Jesus’ feet and be refreshed by Him.

Gretta, you write about losing your identity when you became a mom. Was it something you realized all at once or was it gradual? What would you like readers to realize about their true identity?
GK: I had quite the cool job before I became a mom, and I loved what I did. A young newlywed and capable and trusted in an outdoor adventure-based ministry, I found great fulfillment in my marriage and career. When our daughter was born, my life was consumed with her. Being a good mom and knowing my daughter’s every need became my top priority, and I genuinely loved it. But around the 6-month mark, it dawned on me that every conversation I had with others always revolved around mom life. It no longer mattered what I did prior to becoming a mother, and no one really cared anymore about my relationship with my husband. It was all about my daughter. I had become just a mom.

I really struggled with that because I felt there was so much more to me, but none of that mattered anymore. “Mom” was it for me from here on out. Then God reminded me very clearly that titles are not my true identity. My identity needs to be found in him alone because that will never change. So truths like “daughter of the King” and “chosen” and “forgiven” became the identities I tried to focus on. This is so important for moms to remember. The little children years are so demanding that we can forget how God sees us. We are so much more than moms. We are redeemed! We are gifted! We are loved! If we can keep our identity centered as God sees us, then as we go through changes in life, our foundation won’t be shaken and we will be more free to live as God truly intended.

What are some of the topics you cover in the devotionals?

SHG: We talk about perfectionism, comparison, joy, gratefulness, fear, rejection, weariness, calling, tenacity (grit) and hope (grace). Our subtitle is Devotions for Warrior Moms, and that is how we view mamas. They are on the front lines guiding their children to God’s truth and aiming them at the target—Jesus. Grit and Grace talks about the gamut of emotions mothers of young children face, both good and bad.

If moms only take away one thing from reading Grit and Grace, what do you hope they learn?

SHG: We hope they will feel encouraged and empowered that God has chosen them for their specific children. They are called to this. There are so many sweet moments that come along with the difficult ones. As one pre-reader said, “Grit and Grace is helping me treasure hunt for grace in the challenging moments of motherhood and remember to savor the sweet moments I want to be etched deep into my heart forever.” Yes. That.

Fellow Grit and Grace Warrior Moms can connect on:

Facebook (gritandgracemoms)

Twitter (Gritandgracemom)  

Instagram (@gritandgracemoms)

Thank you, Suzanne and Gretta, for sharing this book with us. I know there are plenty of moms with kids in the age range you wrote this book for. It will be a valuable tool to each of them.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Grit and Grace  - Christianbook.com
https://amzn.to/2TVyWD2 - Amazon paperback
https://amzn.to/2V2Lo3T - Kindle

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