Ruth Schwenk – författare

Find peace for your heart and rest for your spirit with these encouraging devotions for moms.Are your days full? Are you tired and craving quiet for your soul? You're not alone. If days filled with obligations and never-ending to-do lists leave you feeling anxious and overwhelmed, you can find the peace your soul longs for.In Settle My Soul, authors Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk invite you to carve out a few moments in your day to deepen your relationship with the Lord through 100 encouraging devotions.Karen and Ruth are women who understand all that you're juggling, and they desire for you to experience the refreshment that comes only from the Lord. Settle My Soul is the companion to the best-selling devotional Pressing Pause. With just a few minutes each day, you will discover:How you can connect with GodWays to set aside your busyness and worriesHow to center your thoughts on Him and His wordRestoration of your peace of mind. Each devotional includes a brief but meaningful devotional message, applicable scripture, guided prayer, and reflection questions. Throughout the devotional, you'll also find journaling pages for deeper reflection and it is the perfect gift for birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas, or other special occasions.Your life is loud. But if you will just press pause for a few minutes each day, you can discover what Jesus longs to give you: His peace.2020 ECPA Christian Book Award winner for the Devotion and Gift category.

Find freedom from mom guilt, the myth of perfection, and endless to-do lists.As a mom, you want to give your best to your family. Motherhood is incredibly rewarding, yet its challenges can leave you feeling anxious, inadequate, and overwhelmed with mom guilt. Trusted author Ruth Schwenk of Pressing Pause and The Better Mom blog will help you learn to give yourself grace as you grow in wisdom with The Better Mom Devotional.As a busy mom of four kids, Ruth understands the stress of raising a family and trying to do it all perfectly, but she has uncovered a secret: becoming a better mom doesn't start with what you are doing but with who God is inviting you to become.In The Better Mom Devotional, 100 devotions filled with Scripture, prayers, and reflection questions will help you discover:How God uses motherhood to change you from the inside outIntentional ways to deepen your faith in any season of parentingThe true calling of motherhood: training, disciplining, and loving your children wellThe life-giving impact of honest, loving friendships This devotional is a great fit for:Mothers of small children and teenagersSmall groups, women's Bible study groups, and personal daily reflectionMother's Day, birthdays, and holiday gifting With Ruth's encouragement, you can overcome mom guilt, stop trying to be the perfect mom, let go of the endless to-do list of motherhood, and experience the most challenging but rewarding adventure yet--becoming The Better Mom.

Moms have been hoodwinked—tricked into believing lies that keep them from not only enjoying motherhood, but forging friendships with other moms who might tackle the tasks of motherhood differently. Myths such as “Mothering is natural, easy, and instinctive” cause moms to feel like failures if they have questions or apprehensions in raising their kids. Operating from the premise that “The way I mother is the right (and only) way” puts up fences between moms instead of building bridges of encouragement between them. Lies such as “I am my child’s choices” tempt moms to mistakenly believe that if their child makes a wrong choice then they, in turn, must be a bad mom.In their encouraging “we’ve been there” style, Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk enable mothers to:Identify the ten myths of motherhood our current culture perpetuatesReplace the lies with the truth of what God says in the Bible about motheringAcquire practical tools to help them form new and improved thought patterns and healthy behaviorsForge healthy, supportive relationships with other moms of all ages and stagesConfidently embrace the calling of motherhood as they care for their families in their own unique wayA six-session video Bible study for group or individual use is also available.

Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us.  In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it.With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to:Find freedom and walk confidently in purposeCreate a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and moreAvoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfectionCultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."

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.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.Whether 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.With these 100 encouraging devotions, moms will:Begin each day with ScriptureDraw on God's powers by discovering His WordLearn practical ways to love and serve Pressing Pause is perfect for: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 25-50 Just a few minutes each day can help you center your heart and mind on what God has for you as His beloved daughter. So, resist the rush. Halt the hustle. Press pause and find some calm in the chaos.

Enjoy family devotions that will help you raise faith-filled kids who know, love, and live for God.With 100 devotionals, the Faith Forward Family Devotional by authors Patrick and Ruth Schwenk will equip you to nourish faith in your children that lasts a lifetime.You've passed down to your kids your last name, your love, and maybe your sense of humor or favorite hobbies. But have you passed down the most important thing: your faith?Somewhere between diapers and sippy cups, piano lessons and soccer practice, dating and college searches, even the most well-intentioned family can lose sight of creating a God-centered home. As parents of four, pastor Patrick Schwenk and his wife, Ruth, of The Better Mom blog, understand the challenges--and importance--of raising faith-filled kids.In Faith Forward Family Devotional, Patrick and Ruth help you pass on your faith with 100 devotions for families that you can do together, at your own pace. Each devotion includes:A Bible passage – from Genesis to RevelationTeaching you can read aloud that's applicable for kids of any ageA key idea to learn and remember about GodRelatable questions to spark family discussionA guided prayer to pray together as a family Faith Forward Family Devotional is aimed primarily at families with kids ages 8-12, but it also includes ideas for activities for younger children and recommendations for further study for older kids, so the whole family can join in the devotional gathering.The Faith Forward Family Devotional helps you grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God. Whatever season of parenting you are in, sharing this devotional time together will help your children nourish a faith that lasts a lifetime.

Find hope and healing as you walk through grief and navigate life after loss. This yearlong devotional journal offers Scripture-based comfort in a lonely and difficult season. If you’ve experienced loss, then you’ve had days when sorrow overshadows every step, nights when the pain seems all-consuming, and moments when you feel utterly alone in your grief. What if, in the midst of your sorrow, you found something sacred? Hope for the Heartbroken reaches into those often-unseen moments. It is your companion for those vulnerable spaces, offering gentle reminders that God is present in the heartbreak and is grieving alongside you.Whether you're mourning the death of a loved one, grieving the loss of a relationship or season of life, walking through a painful divorce, or simply struggling to name the sorrow you carry, Hope for the Heartbroken offers a gentle, biblical path forward.Each week follows a simple, healing rhythm designed to walk readers through layers of processing grief:Day 1—Ponder: Read a heartfelt devotion grounded in ScriptureDay 2—Pen: Answer guided reflection questions that invite honest self-evaluationDay 3—Pray: Write a prayer, expressing sorrow and hope before GodDay 4—Pause: Process your feelings to position you best for spiritual growthDay 5—Pathway: Take an intentional step toward healing or self-careAuthors Karen Ehman, Ruth Schwenk, and Amber Emily Smith—friends whose hearts have been knit together by the gruesome yet grace-filled threads of grief—have personally endured profound heartache, including miscarriages; the death of a spouse, a child, and multiple family members in a short timeframe; physical and emotional abuse; broken friendships; job losses; and much more. They know that grief and healing do not follow a linear path, that many people are well-meaning but often say the wrong thing, and that some days the ache feels just as sharp as it did in the beginning. With honesty, compassion, and deep faith, they’ve created a resource to gently walk with others through the ongoing, sacred work of grieving.This devotional is a meaningful guide for your own experience with grief or a thoughtful way to support someone you love during times of loss, holidays, or difficult anniversaries. Hope for the Heartbroken is a reminder that you are not alone and that healing, though gradual, is possible.

Life is filled with unexpected storms that take you by surprise.In these storms of life, it's easy to feel helpless, exhausted, afraid . . . and alone. We can feel like victims to circumstances out of our control. Beloved author Sally Clarkson understands deeply. Through almost seven decades of life, she has found herself tossed about in overwhelming life storms through many different seasons.In Help, I'm Drowning, Sally identifies the challenges that took her by surprise and then leads you to the wisdom she gathered from her experiences. Finding grace to walk through the darkness and hope to make it through will give you the comfort and encouragement you need in knowing you are not alone. Though there are no easy, formulaic answers that apply to every situation, Sally leads us to the One who is with us and will see us through.Sally found the anchors that held her steady in the midst of every storm, and she wants to help you find your anchors too. She invites you into her own personal story of anchoring well, and then--with honesty, grit, and her trademark wisdom--she will help you heal and move forward with courage and strength.

When Life is Filled with All the Things,Begin Your Days with the Most Important Thing of AllLife is just . . . a lot. Relationships are hard. Responsibilities are piled high. And it seems like all the things are distracting you from the very best things of all. There's little time left for yourself--or for connecting with Jesus. No wonder you feel anxious in your mind and hurried in your heart. You desperately long for calm amidst your clamoring duties, stacked schedule, and life's unexpected circumstances. But where do you begin? More than anything else, your heart needs a refreshing encounter with God each day. Trusting God in All the Things offers women like you a way forward so you can experience the confident calm you crave. These 90 encouraging devotions will help you face life with God's peace and renewed strength.Start your day here, on these pages, where you'll find the calming reassurance of God, who is the only One who can truly be trusted in all the things.

Before you turn out the lights, turn to Jesus.When coming to the end of a day feels like coming to an end of ourselves, we often struggle to find the words to pray--or even know where to start. We just know we need God.Knowing well this weariness, beloved author Ruth Schwenk comes alongside you, offering encouragement and simple prayers of peace and hope. Whether you're exhausted from worry, fear, pain, regret, or lack of purpose, each of these 365 nightly prayers and journaling prompts will ● give words to your deepest needs and longings● draw you closer to the God who comforts and consoles ● infuse hope into whatever circumstance you are facingEven as your eyes drift shut, you will discover that the end of a day can also be the beginning of a new and deeper dependence on God. Because when you seek Him, you will find the One who never sleeps--and who strengthens us and works on our behalf even as we rest.

Connect with God as a family in just a few minutes each night You love your children and want to pass your faith on to them, but in the busy activity of daily life, it's not as easy as it sounds.This helpful, hopeful family resource is exactly what you need to strengthen your faith as a family. It includes 90 days of biblically grounded devotions, prayers, and action steps. As you walk through these pages together at the end of each day, you will not only instill God's Word in your children's hearts, but you will equip them to: ● understand basic theology● develop Christlike character and virtue● discover their unique God-given gifts● live as confident witnesses in the worldOrganized into three sections, this devotional helps parents answer three important questions: What do I want my child to know? What do I want my child to be? What do I want my child to do?Before your children's heads hit the pillow, let Jesus be the last thing on their minds.Great for families with kids ages 6 to 12.

Because Life's Too Short Not to Love It If someone watched how you spend your days, would they be able to tell what your passions and priorities are? Sadly, sometimes we allow the trivial activities of life to crowd out what's truly important.Offering a road map back to a life of purpose and passion, bestselling authors Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk help you unlock a vibrant life uniquely suited to your personality, season of life, and schedule limitations. Packed with encouragement, biblical advice, real-world help, and personal discovery, this 40-day journey includes interactive workbook components to help you· discern and pursue your passions and priorities· craft a personalized action plan deeply rooted in Scripture· manage the tension between your relationships and your responsibilities· cultivate a life-giving routine of rest and productivity· impact others for eternity through your life and giftsWhen you focus on what matters most, you can live with confidence and joy.

Your Storm Doesn’t Have to Sink YouAt some point in our lives, we all find ourselves in a boat in the middle of a lake. We might be there due to a job loss or the death of a loved one. Maybe disability, divorce, or financial insecurity has stranded us. Patrick and Ruth Schwenk found themselves feeling battered after five miscarriages and then surrounded by the waves with Patrick’s cancer diagnosis at age forty-three. They were alone. Drifting. And that’s when their transformation began.In this compassionate and powerful book, the Schwenks weave together lessons from their own experience with insightful Bible teaching to remind us that one of the greatest ways God transforms us is through trials. As they unpack why Jesus called the disciples into the middle of a lake when dry ground was so safe and comfortable, they help us understand why the depth of our hurt enables us to experience deep hope;learn to conquer fear to experience the freedom God has for us; anddiscover how God uses chaos, and not just the classroom, to shape and work through us.Today—in your confusion about God’s intentions, your disappointment over lost dreams, your disillusionment about prayer—God is offering hope. Because Jesus is still Lord over the water. And while he is not moved by the waves, he is moved by you. And this flood might just be a path to abundance. “A powerful reminder that our current reality is not our final reality, and God is Lord over all chaos and suffering!”—Candace Cameron Bure, actress and New York Times bestselling author