Find peace and joy with this 9-week devotional journey through the Fruit of the Spirit

“Cultivating Joy” is a transformative 9-week devotional journal crafted specifically for busy moms who are yearning to grow in their faith and live out the Fruit of the Spirit in their daily lives.

Each week focuses on one powerful fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The daily devotions are thoughtfully designed to take just 5 to 10 minutes a day, making it easy to fit into your hectic schedule. Each day includes reflective questions and a prayer prompt to guide you deeper into God’s Word. On Day 7 of each week, you’ll find a list of related readings and a special extended prayer to allow you time for spiritual renewal or to catch up on any missed days.

What sets this journal apart?

“Cultivating Joy” is a better mom devotional, because it’s full of short devotions to fit into the schedule of every busy mom. The just-right-sized readings help moms to maximize their quiet moments and dig deeper into the Word of God.

Filled with undated devotions, the book also includes simple, yet impactful challenges for living out the Fruit of the Spirit in practical, time-efficient ways for everyday life—because moms deserve spiritual growth without the overwhelm.

This beautifully designed devotional book also offers valuable tools to help you integrate the Fruit of the Spirit into your life, such as peaceful affirmations, 10 creative ways to bond with your family, 10 tips for cultivating patience with your kids, 5 strategies to teach your children about giving and more.

By the end of this journey, you’ll not only be spiritually enriched but also equipped with practical wisdom to draw you closer to God and support you in your motherhood journey.

Why the Fruit of the Spirit matters for moms

In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul talks about the Fruit of the Spirit, as in the gifts bestowed to us from God through the Holy Spirit.

There are nine fruits total: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Just like actual fruit, the Fruit of the Spirit needs to be grown and cultivated in our lives. In the season of motherhood, living with more of these 9 characteristics will not only draw us closer to God but also help us be the Christian mom our children deserve. 

More than anything on our journey of motherhood, we want to help our children learn about God’s love and God’s power. We mamas want to be a good example, and the good news is the Holy Spirit is ready to equip us to do so beyond our own strength.

What to expect in “Cultivating Joy”

The devotionals are broken up into manageable pieces. Each Fruit includes the following:

• A focus Bible verse for the week
• How the Fruit of the week fits in with the Fruits of the Spirit overall
• A deeper look at the Fruit
• 3 Practical life applications
• Daily prayers
• Daily Reflection questions
• A weekly challenge or action item
• Suggested additional reading

The 5-minute devotions will bring you a powerful dose of comfort and encouragement. These simple mom heart moments are a great way to have daily Bible study in the midst of your parenting journey.

Excerpt of Joy, Day 4

Verse of the week:

“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” — Psalm 92:4 (ESV)

Devotional:

I love King David in the Bible for a wide array of reasons. One of the biggest is that I related to him in the Psalms so much. He’ll write within a few sentences of each other about the depths of his despair and his overflowing happiness.

I get that! Life is so much that way. There’s the hard stuff and the great stuff and then a whole bunch in between. And often we experience much of it in the same day or week.

Psalm 30 is no different. David spends the first few verses talking about how God has brought him back from the depths of darkness. Not just any darkness, but Sheol. Sheol for Hebrews was the land of the dead or, as we call it, hell. That’s some darkness.

Yet, David has lived long enough to have some perspective. Darkness and pain don’t last forever. He has this to say in Psalm 30:5 (ESV):

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.“

Sometimes we just find joy in knowing that times won’t always be hard. We do have times of weeping, but they aren’t our permanent home or resting ground. Just like winter always gives way to spring, so hard times always give way to easier times.

A few chapters later, David shares that sometimes the best way to find joy is in looking around us. He says in Psalm 92:4 (ESV):

“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.”

God’s creation inspires joy. David realized that if he couldn’t find joy and gladness anywhere else, he could always find it in looking at God’s creation from nature to loved ones and more.

Prayer:

Dear God, open my eyes today to see all the wonderful blessings that surround me. I thank you for all of your blessings and your faithfulness. Thank you that I can have joy in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect

• Think about a hard time you went through. Write a sentence or two of praise to God for bringing you through that hard time.
• What of God’s creation makes you feel joy and peace? How can you use that knowledge to help yourself have more joy?

Additional Content

Along with the devotionals, prayers, action items, weekly verses and more, “Cultivating Joy” includes 10 additional resources to help you put the Fruits into action in your own family life.

• Colorable inspirational images
• A list of Bible-based, peaceful affirmations
• 10 Simple ideas for family bonding time
• 10 Tips to be even more patient with your kids
• A list of 20 positive words to work into your vocabulary
• Volunteer ideas for families of all ages
• 10 Ways to be kind to your family today
• 5 Ways to teach your children to give
• 11 Steps to practice mindful breathing as a Christian
• 5 Tips for more effective Bible study

FAQ

Is this suitable for new moms?
Yes! “Cultivating Joy” is written in an encouraging, short excerpts that are perfect for both new moms and seasoned moms!

How much time do I need each day?
Most days will take around 5 minutes.

What if I miss a day?
Life happens, I get that. Each week has a day built in with just an extended prayer to allow for time to catch up or take a breather. And if it takes you extra time to get through each week for any reason, that’s fine as well!

Do I need to have previous experience with devotionals to use this journal?
Nope. “Cultivating Joy” is written in a casual tone from my real-life experiences as a mom and Christian. It works moms at any point of their faith journey.

Can I use this journal with a group or in a Bible study?
Yes! I absolutely encourage you to do that. I have used it in the private Facebook group I run, Christian Moms with Grace, in just this way. I’ve got free YouTube videos for each Fruit as well that would work well in a group setting.

How is this devotional journal different from others?
“Cultivating Joy” is written specifically for a mama’s heart with the challenges and joys of motherhood in mind. Each day is short enough to fit into any mom’s busy schedule while also helping her draw closer to God.

Is “Cultivating Joy” a good gift?
It’s a great gift! You can give it for Mother’s Day, a birthday, Christmas or just-because. 

Is this available as an ebook?
Yes. “Cultivating Joy” is sold as both a paperback and an electronic version for Kindle.

Where do I purchase the book?
You can order your copy of “Cultivating Joy” on Amazon.

How much does it cost?
The Kindle or electronic version is $9.99 (USD); the paperback is $11.49 (USD).