With the unexpectedly early arrival of our little one, I’m mostly paying attention to my new role as a mother, as you’ll see in my list of five things this month.

1. Seven things children need, by John Drescher (3rd ed). This classic Herald Press title has been “refreshed”  and is on the top of my “to read” pile.

2. The 30-day Praise Challenge for Parents, by Becky Harling. While sometimes challenging me to think critically about the theology, the daily praise themes and prayer guides were incredibly helpful for initiating my time with God in the midst of my foggy new-parent struggle to establish some kind a routine. Bonus: the book includes 2-3 suggested praise songs available on YouTube to help guide your meditation every day.

3. Mothering by heart: loving your kids while leaning on God, by Cheri Fuller. Little bite-sized reflections from an experienced mother perfect for reading while feeding a newborn. Bonus: related questions for reflection after each reading.

4. Sending a card: After our baby spent more than two weeks in the hospital this spring, I realized just how important a community of faith is during times of stress or transition.  On the hardest days, we gained strength from text messages and cards of encouragement from friends and church family (both past and present). Just knowing we had their support, thoughts and prayers brought great peace.

5. Resonate: Join the Everlasting Song: I know I’m behind on the news about the new song collection’s brand, but I look at my sleeping baby and think about how this new song collection (released when she’s 3 years old) will shape her faith just as Hymnal: A Worship Book (released when I was 3 years old) has shaped mine.  I’m so glad to hear that the selection committee welcomes our input through the Heart Song Survey.

This week’s post comes from Jennie Wintermote. Jennie is a native Kansan, grad student and director of the Western District Conference Resource Library. She loves reading, scrapbooking and trying to figure out what it means to live out her faith every day. She also tries to remember to blog at prairieroseramblings.weebly.com.