When you have little kids running around, finding time to read between diaper changes, running to different extra curricular activities, and making dinner can be hard to do! I am right there with you! But one thing I’ve discovered is that reading is exactly what I need to do, even when it seems all but impossible to squeeze in to an already busy schedule.

Why is reading so important? Because it’s during this busy phase of motherhood I need the encouragement from other women who have walked or are walking the same road as me. I need to hear practical real-life advice that I can apply. I need to laugh at the mother-in-the-trenches-war stories that leave me in stitches because I understand all too well!

While it seems all-too-impossible sometimes to pick up a book, can I encourage you to pick it up for even 5 minutes? You might be surprised at just how much reading you can accomplish in 1 year if you read even 5 minutes a day. Audio books are also a great way to increase your reading log! When I’m walking or doing dishes, I can turn on an audio book. Those 5 minutes are refreshing to the soul!

Here are 10 books that have been a balm to my soul over the past few years. I hope they are an encouragement to you as well. As with all books, I may not agree with the authors 100%, but filtering everything through God’s Word gives me perspective as I read and gain insight.

+Why Motherhood Matters by September McCarthy
+Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins
+The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
+Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot
+Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman
+Risen Motherhood by Emily Jensen & Laura Wifler
+Well-Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles
+M is for Mama by Abbie Halberstadt
+Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms by Tim Challies