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Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years
Moving devotions for mothers, inspired by common milestones for young children
Moms, get ready to reclaim your grace with this tender collection of stories, vibrantly recounted by two women working to embrace God’s presence during their own parenting journeys. Each narrative reflection opens with scripture and concludes with a practice or questions to ponder, followed by a prayer. Spanning infancy to early childhood, The Beauty of Motherhood encourages mothers and caregivers to take a deep breath and find the holy in those everyday moments that inspire laughter, frustration, and awe.
Together, the authors explore an unflinching spectrum of parenting experiences, including growing pains, pregnancy, birth, weaning, body image, exhaustion, delight, comparison, vocation, friendship, and more. Readers will feel empowered to recall memories of God’s grace in their own journeys and be inspired to claim and share their own truths.
Busy parents will appreciate the short, engaging reflections that can be picked up and read between feedings, or use them to conjure up a brief oasis after a hectic day. A wonderful gift for baby showers, baptisms, birthdays, and Mother’s Day, The Beauty of Motherhood offers a warm and knowing embrace to mothers everywhere.
Moms, get ready to reclaim your grace with this tender collection of stories, vibrantly recounted by two women working to embrace God’s presence during their own parenting journeys. Each narrative reflection opens with scripture and concludes with a practice or questions to ponder, followed by a prayer. Spanning infancy to early childhood, The Beauty of Motherhood encourages mothers and caregivers to take a deep breath and find the holy in those everyday moments that inspire laughter, frustration, and awe.
Together, the authors explore an unflinching spectrum of parenting experiences, including growing pains, pregnancy, birth, weaning, body image, exhaustion, delight, comparison, vocation, friendship, and more. Readers will feel empowered to recall memories of God’s grace in their own journeys and be inspired to claim and share their own truths.
Busy parents will appreciate the short, engaging reflections that can be picked up and read between feedings, or use them to conjure up a brief oasis after a hectic day. A wonderful gift for baby showers, baptisms, birthdays, and Mother’s Day, The Beauty of Motherhood offers a warm and knowing embrace to mothers everywhere.
248 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2023
17 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 21, 2023
I wish I could buy this book for every mom I know! The Beauty of Motherhood is a book filled with devotions that point to God’s presence in every moment of parenting small children. Kim and Erin cover the milestones and the everyday with grace and truth, while sharing their stories along the way.
March 25, 2023
True story: I was on my way to take a shower after a VERY long day, when I saw the package with this book on the counter. “I’ll just open it,” I thought. 30 minutes later, I was still standing at the counter, eagerly reading through the stories feeling memories of early motherhood flood back to me. Despite the fact I was so tired, I didn’t want to put it down-feeling the encouragement the honest reflections was a soothing comfort. I’m so excited for future new mothers to have this book to encourage them. It’s a treasure.
January 31, 2023
Where was this book when my children were young? In an easy-to-read, invitational style, the authors of The Beauty of Motherhood share a myriad of true-life stories that cover the messy, the mundane, and the marvelous moments of being a mom. Readable, relatable, and real, the stories are woven together with prayers, scripture, ponderings, and practices that combine to make this book an inspiring, perfect gift for any mom. Simply lovely.
April 11, 2023
Kim and Erin are gentle guides in their devotional, "The Beauty of Motherhood."
From the first page, the authors hold your hand as they regale the reader with heartfelt stories from the most ordinary moments in mothering to some of the funniest and even some of the hardest.
What I love about this devotional is how short each section is, bite-sized chunks, so that every mom can take a deep breath as a friend comforts her through words specifically written just for her.
Truly, this is the gentle guide I needed in the early parts of my mothering. I pray that every reader who is able to read this may feel the warmth, encouragement, and guidance through the pages of this book.
//
"As you walk through your days, some with heartache and uncertainty, keep searching for beauty and hope. Watch God show up in the canvas of your days: in artwork from your children, a friend reaching out, a hot cup of coffee, a homemade meal, the morning sun."—Kim, "The Beauty of Motherhood", p. 128
From the first page, the authors hold your hand as they regale the reader with heartfelt stories from the most ordinary moments in mothering to some of the funniest and even some of the hardest.
What I love about this devotional is how short each section is, bite-sized chunks, so that every mom can take a deep breath as a friend comforts her through words specifically written just for her.
Truly, this is the gentle guide I needed in the early parts of my mothering. I pray that every reader who is able to read this may feel the warmth, encouragement, and guidance through the pages of this book.
//
"As you walk through your days, some with heartache and uncertainty, keep searching for beauty and hope. Watch God show up in the canvas of your days: in artwork from your children, a friend reaching out, a hot cup of coffee, a homemade meal, the morning sun."—Kim, "The Beauty of Motherhood", p. 128
March 21, 2023
The Beauty of Motherhood is a beautiful devotional style book that every mom should read. Kim and Erin beautifully blend their own stories of motherhood while encouraging moms to search for God in the every day moments.
The pages overflow with grace, and will leave any mother feeling loved and known. I love how they blend their own stories of milestones of motherhood with scripture, prayers and reflection.
I will be gifting this book to as many mothers as possible!
The pages overflow with grace, and will leave any mother feeling loved and known. I love how they blend their own stories of milestones of motherhood with scripture, prayers and reflection.
I will be gifting this book to as many mothers as possible!
July 20, 2023
This beautifully written devotional is a gift for new mothers, yes, but also to any mother who wants to remember the early days of motherhood. The devotionals are short—the perfect length for a busy new mom—and relatable, each with an idea for practice or pondering, as well as a prayer. The book is organized by age of children, with a subheading identifying the topic, which makes it easy to find the devotion you need, but reading through them in order is a wonderful experience. The authors did an excellent job capturing the nuances of motherhood and sharing devotions in a way that is thought-provoking instead of prescriptive. I've already given a copy as a gift, and know it will be my go-to purchase for any new mom in my life!
April 21, 2023
This book is both physically beautiful and full of beautiful words. Kim and Erin are exceptional, gentle writers with a heart for mothers and ability to see the magic in ordinary life. They aren’t afraid to be honest—to talk about hard things and hard moments—but they also have a special gift for noticing, for finding the holy thread in everything they do. I know this book will provide so much hope and solidarity to women like me, particularly those holding the beautiful tensions found in motherhood. This is my new go-to gift for expectant mothers and seasoned mothers alike!
March 20, 2023
This is a book every mother needs. The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions For the Early Years is a book of 84 short devotions, each comprised of a Bible verse, a short reflection, a practice to fill your cup, and a prayer.
I’m no longer living in the early years of motherhood. My kids are eleven and eight. There’s not a day that goes by that I look back on those early days and wish for them again. I loved my babies dearly and I’d do it all over again to bring them into my life, but those early years felt damn near impossible. This book is the very book I searched for and could never find.
All too often devotion books offer hidden judgments or prescriptions. “If you do this, then God will show up.” This book has none of that. It won’t tell you how to parent. It won’t tell you it’s better to to sleep train or co-sleep. It won’t argue that breastfeeding is better than formula. It won’t give you answers for all the questions you have.
Instead, Kim & Erin offer encouragement to see God in the midst of the struggle that comes with motherhood. They lift up the beauty hidden within the mess. From the earliest days of considering pregnancy to the milestone of starting school, this book holds all mothers with tenderness and love. It shares grace with us. It reminds us that we are good enough. That we are the exact mother our child needs.
I am so grateful that my friends have brought it into the world.
This book will sit with you in the muck of sleepless nights, of lonely times, of seasons of grief, loss or infertility. This book is more than a book. Its words are a gift from God.
I’m no longer living in the early years of motherhood. My kids are eleven and eight. There’s not a day that goes by that I look back on those early days and wish for them again. I loved my babies dearly and I’d do it all over again to bring them into my life, but those early years felt damn near impossible. This book is the very book I searched for and could never find.
All too often devotion books offer hidden judgments or prescriptions. “If you do this, then God will show up.” This book has none of that. It won’t tell you how to parent. It won’t tell you it’s better to to sleep train or co-sleep. It won’t argue that breastfeeding is better than formula. It won’t give you answers for all the questions you have.
Instead, Kim & Erin offer encouragement to see God in the midst of the struggle that comes with motherhood. They lift up the beauty hidden within the mess. From the earliest days of considering pregnancy to the milestone of starting school, this book holds all mothers with tenderness and love. It shares grace with us. It reminds us that we are good enough. That we are the exact mother our child needs.
I am so grateful that my friends have brought it into the world.
This book will sit with you in the muck of sleepless nights, of lonely times, of seasons of grief, loss or infertility. This book is more than a book. Its words are a gift from God.
August 18, 2023
BEAUTY provided quiet moments at the end of a long day when I was too tired to read for more than five minutes, in the tornado of boyhood mayhem as I nursed my newborn, and during those blissful minutes of calm when all of the kids magically napped at the same time. The “practice” segments at the end of each mini essay challenged me to intentionally love and pursue my children the way I want to but from which my tiredness can often dissuade me. The liturgical prayers covered my family with insight, creativity, and specificity that my often rushed missives can lack. Each time I opened the book, I looked forward to the meditation, reflection, inspiration, and encouragement it contains and was grateful for the peace I gained as a result of my reading.
June 25, 2025
FTM of a 9 month old here & I must say this devotional was such a comfort as the freshly postpartum mom navigating motherhood & her identity as a mom.
I did have to skip some devotionals since some didn’t specifically speak to my current journey (ex. the school age motherhood challenges didn’t work for my specific journey as a mother to an infant) but I will keep coming back to this book as my motherhood journey grows & expands. That’s the beauty of this book - you can bring it with you in each stage of motherhood.
This is one I would gift to any mother - it’s so real, raw and personal while also continuously leading us back to the Father, which I think every mother needs in their journey.
Highly highly recommend.
I did have to skip some devotionals since some didn’t specifically speak to my current journey (ex. the school age motherhood challenges didn’t work for my specific journey as a mother to an infant) but I will keep coming back to this book as my motherhood journey grows & expands. That’s the beauty of this book - you can bring it with you in each stage of motherhood.
This is one I would gift to any mother - it’s so real, raw and personal while also continuously leading us back to the Father, which I think every mother needs in their journey.
Highly highly recommend.
March 22, 2023
The Beauty of Motherhood by Erin Strybis and Kim Knowle-Zeller is not a book of warm fuzzies and platitudes about motherhood. Rather, it is an honest look at the sacred, ordinary moments and milestones of motherhood told with tenderness and grace. Erin and Kim are gifted writers, sharing stories with humility and tenderness. The devotions are bite-sized, which means from a practical standpoint, they are perfect to squeeze in before the kids wake up, during nap time, or in the pick-up line. I love that each devotion ends with suggestions for practice, prayer, or pondering, pointing the reader to meaningful encounters with God, family, community, and self.
April 3, 2023
The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years was a gift to read! Strybis and Knowle-Zeller write with vulnerability that encourages. I felt seen. The digestible devotions helped me connect everyday mothering moments to God’s presence, and I loved the journaling prompts and prayers at the conclusion of each chapter. This book will definitely be one to reread and would be a perfect gift for a new mother!
March 21, 2023
I am working my way through this delightful book SLOWLY. I find myself taking time to not just read through each blessing and anecdote, but to take time to sit and consciously think about what it really means to be a parent to my littles. Bottom line, even though I'm only about a quarter of the way through, Erin's and Kim's book is already a huge blessing to me, and it will be to you too!
April 24, 2023
The Beauty of Motherhood is a refreshing and peaceful space. The short chapters give an opportunity to catch a bit of inspiration even in the busiest of days. The authors share personal stories with principles that can apply to the spectrum of motherhood experiences and will lift any mom who is tired but intentional about the work of parenthood.
August 28, 2023
This devotional is so good! Each devotional includes a verse, a short story, something to practice or ponder, and a prayer. There were so many devotionals that discussed something that I was struggling with that day. I loved the insight and wisdom the authors brought to this devotional. Highly recommend!
April 3, 2023
I enjoyed the smooth and comfortable way
they presented how God is with us in all things. How important is the job Mothers have. And most of all not to beat yourself up for those imperfect times or days. We all have them, we just don’t all share them
they presented how God is with us in all things. How important is the job Mothers have. And most of all not to beat yourself up for those imperfect times or days. We all have them, we just don’t all share them
May 4, 2023
Review to come!
September 5, 2023
This book is such a lovely resource, meeting me just where I’m at each time I pick it up and pointing me to the Lord. I love reading it, and gifting copies to other women!
January 13, 2024
Beautiful motherhood devotional by a couple ladies I’m loosely acquainted with through Exhale Creativity. Would make a lovely gift!
June 9, 2024
I loved reading these devotions at night to wind down at the end of the day. Wonderfully written!
December 1, 2025
Beautifully written devotions. They are a great reminder of God's presence in seasons of parenthood that can be so chaotic and feel so lonely. This is a great book to gift to new moms :)
May 4, 2023
I am not a mother of young children, nor a grandmother, but this book spoke to me anyway. The stories brought back such memories of raising my own children. The little “lessons for life” can be applied to any age. Put your phone aside, live in the moment, enjoy the small pleasures in life, and be joyful.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews