Out of the Mouths of Babes, A 31-Day Devotional for Moms: Lessons from Little Ones in Everyday Life

By Nicole B. Barnett

In Out of the Mouths of Babes, author Nicole Barnett invites moms to reframe everyday exchanges with their children as teachable moments from God.

In a daily devotional format, Nicole shares relatable adventures of life with young children. Lessons and insights abound, revealing how God can

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole B. Barnett
• Release date: Feb 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781735584614

Nicole B. Barnett

Nicole B. Barnett fully embraces her calling to encourage moms of young children. As a postpartum depression survivor and clinical social worker by training, Nicole engages in maternal mental health advocacy, education, and support. She has shared her story through a variety of media outlets, including Oprah, ABC News Now, and The Washington Post, as well as organizations such as Postpartum Support International. A proud wife and mom of the three, Nicole resides with her family in Maryland. She enjoys adventures of family life, serving in ministry, and long conversations with good friends.

Book preview

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Out of the Mouths of

A 31-Day Devotional

for Moms

Lessons from Little Ones

in Everyday Life

Nicole B. Barnett

Out of the Mouths of Babes, A 31-Day Devotional for Moms:

Lessons from Little Ones in Everyday Life

Visit the author’s website at www.yourmommymoments.com.

Copyright © 2020 Nicole B. Barnett

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked as (GNT) are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version - Second Edition © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (NIRV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIRV® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved ­worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIRV and New International Reader’s Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Creative Encouragement

Cover enhancement by Remi Bryant

Interior design by Sandra Jurca

LCCN: 2020917490

Print ISBN: 978-1-7355846-0-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-7355846-1-4

Rewards Publishing

Upper Marlboro, MD

This devotional is dedicated to:

Imperfect moms like me who press forward every single day. You truly make a difference with everything you do.

Jeff, Karis, Naomi & Joy.

I wouldn’t trade our family adventure together for anything. You make being a wife and mom so worth it.

Acknowledgements

I truly thank God for gracing me with an incredible husband and three precious rewards (Psalm 127:3).

To my mother, Anita Reid Boseman, for ­encouraging me to write down every story I shared about her grandbabies.

To Endelea, for loving my three girls and helping me care for them through the most challenging time of my life.

To Tina for your friendship, continuous encouragement to just write, and countless hours of time to edit my initial manuscript.

To Lisa, Regina, Jualecia, Vanessa, Teresa, and Mom Barnett for sharing your mommy-moment stories.

To Elisa and Jualecia, for your friendship and enduring extremely rough drafts of these devotions.

To Donna, Celeste, Robin, Sandy, Tiffany Nicole, and Remi, for your guidance, expertise, and encouragement along the publishing journey. You ladies are a blessing.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Day 1

Maintain Perspective

Day 2

Hall of Faith

Day 3

A Way Out

Day 4

Minding My Own Prayers

Day 5

Limo Please!

Day 6

I’m a Big Girl

Day 7

Real Dad

Day 8

. . . 99, 100!

Day 9

Minivan Moment

Day 10

Fish-Killer

Day 11

Tooth Fairy Tales

Day 12

Doughnuts

Day 13

Figs and Wigs

Day 14

Are You Listening?

Day 15

And Why are You Here?

Day 16

Cruise Control

Day 17

Thou Shall Not Add On

Day 18

Lemons

Day 19

A $1 Sacrifice

Day 20

All About Accessories

Day 21

Never Outdated

Day 22

Same Old Sunday Dinner

Day 23

Selling Out

Day 24

Grace at the Checkout Counter

Day 25

Excuses, Excuses

Day 26

Spelling Word Shortcut

Day 27

Not So Easy

Day 28

Computers for Dummies

Day 29

Plank Removal in Progress

Day 30

Spam

Day 31

The Simplicity of Salvation

Will You Take the Mommy-Moments Challenge?

Encouragement for the Journey

Introduction

As a mom juggling a newborn, toddler, and preschooler at home, my definition of a successful day was comprised of only two things. One, the house didn’t burn down. Two, everyone (including me) still had ten fingers and ten toes by the end of the night! Those two accomplishments were about all I could manage during that season of life. Can any mom out there relate?

Fast forward a few years and a sobering reality slowly set in: my children were teaching me much more than I was teaching them. God had a way of taking everyday exchanges and conversations with my kids—simple mommy-moments—and translating them into divine messages from Him. Sometimes the messages inspired and encouraged me, while other times I felt convicted and challenged. But there was no doubt God was speaking through my children. I just needed to listen.

This devotional reveals adventures of everyday life with my kids, along with a few tales other moms have graciously shared about their children. Through these stories, my hope is for you to be encouraged on this sometimes wild and crazy journey of motherhood. I also hope you begin to embrace a simple truth: our children can bring us precious God-moments, even within all the craziness.

Over the next 31 days, begin experiencing God through a different lens: your ordinary encounters with children—especially the very ones God has gifted specifically to you.

I challenge you to listen to your children with a ­different ear. You might be surprised at the messages God is trying to reveal. Messages that draw you closer to His heart and His Word. Messages out of the mouths of babes. (Psalm 8:2)

Day 1

Maintain Perspective

Mixing toddlers with family devotions sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Yet adding a pinch of sheer will, a dash of determination, and a heaping tablespoon of humor can result in some sweet family memories. Our daughters were around ages six, four, and two when my husband began sharing short Bible stories and lessons with us as a family. These few minutes sometimes ranged from being an exercise in frustration to outright amusing, but we earned an A for effort.

I especially remember one devotional time when our