** This is a book review and give away! I just thought I should make that clear before rumors started circulating the internets that I was pregnant or something!
I’m thrilled to offer a copy of Marla Taviano‘s beautiful book Expecting: Praying for your child’s development – body and soul.
From the back cover:
Just as the heart of your baby begins to beat and as little ears take shape, speak words of prayer asking for a heart that beats for God and for ears that listen for His leading. This beautiful prayer book will guide you as you pray for your child’s physical growth as well as his or her spiritual growth.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I wish had this book while I was pregnant with Little Miss Sunshine and T-Rex. I read all the pregnancy books I could find and poured over them learning as much as I could about the growing miracle inside me. But none of those books helped guide my prayers and spiritual desires for my children. I found myself continually praying that they would come to know and love God at an early age and for their whole life, but how I wished I had this beautiful hard cover book as a prayer guide.
Marla walks you through 40 weeks of pregnancy with prayers and encouragement specific to each week of the baby’s development. Each week’s section contains verses and quotes, a prayer for the baby’s body and soul, and a short description of the baby’s development that week along with a sketch drawing. Each week also features Mom’s development – body and soul with encouragement for Mom and a short journal prompt “In Your Words” with lines to write on. (What a beautiful gift this would make to give your child someday and for them to know they were prayed for and loved even before they were born!)
I especially loved the encouragement Marla gives to the moms on week 26 “Image of God – Face”
Your pregnant face is beautiful, no matter how “full.” Let it reflect the glow in your heart – the joy you feel because of impending motherhood.The joy you feel as a daughter of the King. You were made in the image of your heavenly Father. May those around you see his love in your features.
I had one of those “full” faces and no matter how much my family and friends said the “full” glow was beautiful, I sure didn’t feel like it! What a beautiful reminder that we are made in God’s image and reflect his beauty and love during the miracle of pregnancy.
Expecting makes a wonderful gift for expecting mothers, and I think would even make a wonderful prayer guide for Grandmothers to use. It also makes a good donation to local pregnancy resource centers. Please read Marla’s post here, over 500 copies have been donated already!
Also, she has a group of gals that are using Expecting to pray for pregnant mothers in Haiti through a ministry called Heartline. Read about that opportunity here.
HOW TO WIN! To win this copy of Expecting, leave a comment on this post by Monday March 7, 5 p.m. EST. I will announce the winner Monday evening!
**Full disclosure – the publisher provided this book to me at no charge to review and give away. They did not pay me or force me to say nice things about it. I genuinely love this book. Also, the fact that I have known Marla’s husband since kindergarten did not influence my review. They really are great people and she wrote a beautiful book! 🙂
I met a young gal who found out she was pregnant in a very unplanned way. My heart was heavy for her as she had a lot on her mind as she is graduating this semester and tough conversations ahead of her.
Oh, my heart and prayers go out to that young gal as well, praying for her today. Thanks for sharing, TG.
It sounds like this book would help deal with all of those fears that come with being pregnant, all the things that the expecting mom has no control over. I just learned last week of an expecting mom that I could bless with this book.
I would love this book to take my mind off my worries and cast them on the Lord as well as for the prayer suggestions of specific ways to pray for my littlest one.
Jennifer, I think it would help with those pregnancy fears and bring peace as you pray through the verses.
Karen, I have been praying for you! The book is wonderful as she guides you to pray over all the baby’s developing body parts.
I wish I had a dozen books to give away 🙁
No problem! I told hubby about this book tonight. I hope this doesn’t lower my chances of winning, but I think if I don’t win, I’ll probably order it on Amazon. I have Lisa Whelchel’s Busy Mom’s Guide to Prayer, and while I don’t use it as often as I should, when I do it really helps guide my prayers for the little ones I am already raising.
Your name still goes in the hat Karen 🙂