I’m writing from a place of bliss (minus a very firm bed) in Romania. My corner room overlooks the Carpathian Mountains, with a ridge of snowcapped peaks popping up in the distance. A flock of sheep meandered below our conference site tonight, with a woolen draped shepherd, prodding them along. Laughter drifts upstairs from the gathering room below, where a group of sweet women enjoy rare time away together. They’re making a felt craft with scented oils, to remind them of Session #2’s challenge today, to be a sweet smelling aroma.

Today we walked together, laughed together, prayed together, and opened God’s word together. I was in my happy place, sharing God’s word and its impact for life in every culture, with women of another people group. Many gathered are moms of all seasons. As we  shared through broken words or h help from our kind translator, conversations confirmed what I hear from moms around the world: sometimes challenges of mothering make it hard to find the bliss.

Translator & friend Gratziela helps me share God’s truth with them and listen to their hearts about the burdens of life.

Mothers Day is just days away, so how about another giveaway of a book with a title reflecting its cause: Finding Mommy Bliss by Genny Heikka? It’s EASY  to enter to win a book for YOURSELF or a friend! Like Jenny, this Genny is a MOM Initiative teammate of mine, but we also share the same publisher. I’m watching her journey as I anticipate my own; her friendship in sharing has been invaluable.

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Mommy Bliss: Being a happy MOM 

When it comes to encouraging mothers who crave a bit of the bliss they dreamed of, Genny knows, “being a happy mom isn’t about sailing through motherhood. It’s not about having it all together or having the best kids. And it’s definitely not about perfection. Experiencing mommy-bliss—the deep joy that motherhood can so freely give—is so much about perspective and choices.” In Finding Mommy Bliss, Genny helps moms mine a godly perspective out of the tunnel of mommy days. She leads them to where love and joy fit into a mom’s world, even addressing what to do about a mama’s own needs.

Mommy Bliss:  The big reality

Has God’s plan for your life included he role of a mother? How’s that workin’ for ya? Not easy, is it? Needed an instruction manual, didn’t we? It feels downright, nearly impossible sometimes. Genny gets that and even admits, “Who knew that being a parent would be such a balancing act? We want to be organized, but we feel like we’re not. We want to be productive, but we never seem to be able to get it all done. We want to be consistent, but sometimes we’re exhausted. We want to make the right decisions, but sometimes we don’t know what the right decisions are. We want to be role models, but we’re far from perfect. We want time to ourselves, but our kids need our time.” There’s so much to be discovered (and fast!) on a mother’s journey, including how to sift some blissful moments out of the swirl of life.

How Finding Mommy Bliss helps you be a better mom

Finding Mommy Bliss will lift you up and help you see the sweetness in your role as a parent, in caring for little people who change and grow. In each chapter, Genny provides related questions to consider, space for reflection, ways to connect with another mom who understands, a heart to heart truth from God’s Word, and a Mother’s prayer. Each element works together to help you grow as a mother, gain insight into your children, and discover the joy of your days and years.

How to win a little Bliss

If you’re in the thick of mothering, battling diaper rash, sticky fingers, tantrums, or technology, Genny can help you re-discover the bliss you’re meant to know.

She wants you to know, “Being a mom is a blessed calling and God has amazing joy for us in the journey, even in the middle of the messy and mundane.”

So let me extend an invitation to YOU to find some Mommy Bliss for Mother’s Day! Hallway Publishing is giving away a copy to one Come Have a Peace reader! Just leave a COMMENT on today’s post, sharing 1 moment you felt “bliss” as a parent.
I’ll announce the winner on Mother’s Day!

Your copy will be mailed to you from California! BLISS 🙂

So please LEAVE a COMMENT HERE to win a copy of Genny’s book OR HERE to win a copy of Jenny’s book!  Your summer reading list will thank you!

 About Genny, author of Finding Mommy Bliss

Genny Heikka is an author, speaker, and passionate mentor to moms and writers. From mentoring moms through MOPS, Youth for Christ, and The Mom Initiative, to sharing about writing and publishing on her podcast, she is driven by the desire to encourage others and help them be successful.

Before having kids, she was busy climbing the corporate ladder as a manager at a global computer company. But after quitting her job to be a stay-at-home mom, she rediscovered her love for writing and set out to pursue her dream of becoming an author.

Today, she lives in Northern California with her husband and two kids, where she balances writing with motherhood and loves both. She’s the author of Finding Mommy Bliss, as well as seven children’s books. She also has stories published in the books Kirtsy Takes a Bow: A Celebration of Women’s Favorites Online, Facing our Fears – 31 Stories from M.O.M., and Overwhelmed – 31 Stories from M.O.M. Genny’s blog was listed at Blogs.com as one of the Top 10 blogs for moms and was named Blog of the Week by The Sacramento Bee.

You can find Finding Mommy Bliss at:

• Genny’s website here
• Buy it through B&N here
• Buy it on Amazon here