Dear Mama
The Well-Watered Women Community is made up of women of all ages, races, and seasons of life. It is our goal at Well-Watered Women to illuminate the hope of the gospel to every woman and encourage you right where you are. Last year we released a devotional specifically for college girls called Dear College Girl, sharing wisdom and truth for that specific transitional season of life. Along with Dear College Girl, we were already dreaming up the next devotional written specifically for moms to encourage them with the hope of Christ, and we are excited to finally release Dear Mama, to you!
Our desire in Dear Mama is to speak into the specific struggles and daily life of moms with truth, wisdom, and hope from the Word. In creating this tool and book of encouragement, we reached out to several women who are living this out in daily life and learning more of what it means to look to Jesus in the day-to-day calling of motherhood. These writers and mamas of all ages shared from personal experience, and each one does one thing: she points you to Jesus. Because every woman, and every mama, most importantly needs Jesus.
What is Dear Mama and Who is it for?
Dear Mama is a 30-day devotional, jam-packed with equipping, practical wisdom and encouragement from the Word. A few of the topics covered in Dear Mama are theology, body image, patience, Bible study, friendship, expectations, fear, mentoring, self-care, surrender, legacy, and more.
These short devotionals are meant to be read through slowly over the course of a month or so, and our prayer is that after reading each one, mamas will be encouraged and strengthened in Christ.
Dear Mama is for moms of all ages and stages of life. If you are a mama, or a daughter, or a friend of a mama, or a husband: this makes a great gift and gospel resources. If you are an expectant mom or a foster mom, this is for you!
Can Dear Mama be done in groups?
Dear Mama is created for individual use and will not have a free leader guide available, however, it can be done alongside other mamas and be a great way to facilitate discussion on each of the topics as well as prayer!
Scripture Memory Verse Cards
We also created Dear Mama Interactive Verse Cards that can be used alongside the devotional and placed throughout your home! We recommend placing these in very practical places--the kitchen sink, your laundry room, your car dashboard, a bathroom or kids play area--so they can be used and referenced at any time!
Who contributed to Dear Mama?
Each contributor was prayerfully chosen and the content presented in this short book has been written from a place of experience with the desire to point you to the fullness and sufficiency of Christ in motherhood. Meet the women who contributed!
Gretchen Saffles is a mother to two little boys and wife to an amazing husband, Greg. She is the founder and creator behind Well-Watered Women and she lives in Newnan, Georgia. Gretchen is a hope-writer, grace-dweller, and an adventure-seeker whom you can find with a dream in her heart, toddler by her side, and coffee in her hand.
Valerie Woerner lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, with her husband, Tyler, and their two daughters, Vivi and Vana. She is an author and the owner of Val Marie Paper, where her mission is to create practical tools and content that equip women to cut through the noise of everyday life and find fullness in the presence of the Lord. She loves reading, going on barefoot walks around her neighborhood, taking Sunday naps on her screened-in porch, and eating good Cajun food.
Laura Wifler has been married for eight years and is a mother to three young children. She is the co-founder of Risen Motherhood, currently serving as the Executive Director and the co-host of the weekly podcast. She loves to dream, create, and share the good news of the gospel with women. Laura's writing on has been featured on sites such as The Gospel Coalition and the PCA women's ministry blog, enCourage. Laura likes her coffee black, going on hikes, dabbling in DIY and decorating, reading books with real pages to turn, and having impromptu dance parties in the kitchen with her children. Laura and her family reside in central Iowa.
Emily Jensen has been married for ten years and is a mom to five young children. She is the co-founder of Risen Motherhood, currently serving as the Content Director and the co-host of the weekly podcast. Emily enjoys being a part of the women's ministry team at her local church, speaking to mom's groups about the beauty of the gospel, and teaching in the church preschool nursery. Emily and her family reside amidst the cornfields of Iowa.
Phylicia Masonheimer is an author and speaker teaching women how to discern what is true, discuss the deep stuff, and accomplish God's will for their specific lives. She holds a B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, where she met her husband, Josh, and now lives in northern Michigan with Josh and her two daughters, Adeline and Geneva.
Jessica Mathisen lives in Athens, Georgia with her first and forever boyfriend, Rory, and their sweet puppy, Bailey. She is a recovering perfectionist, a former elementary school teacher, and foster mama. Her passion is to communicate God's love to others through writing and relationships. Eating Mexican food and reading good books are her favorite hobbies.
Amelia Granburg is wife to Garrett and mom to three daughters and a son in heaven. She longs to take her loss and use it to bring glory to God. An introvert at heart, Amelia enjoys a day spent at home with her family, a quiet moment to read or baking a new recipe, with a reheated cup of coffee in hand. She lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia and is the Director of Operations for Well-Watered Women.
Whitney Saville lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia with her husband, Mike, and her three boys. She is the Co-Owner and Finance Director for Well-Watered Women and is passionate about teaching and equipping women to love and study God’s Word. Her favorite things include traveling, hiking, and frequent living room dance parties with her boys. She is currently in the process of growing her family through adoption.
Kelly Needham is married to singer/songwriter/speaker Jimmy Needham. She is a frequent blogger and is the author of the upcoming book Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion. Whether writing or speaking, Kelly’s aim is to convince as many people as possible that nothing compares to knowing Jesus. She and Jimmy live in the Dallas area with their three children, Lively, Sophia, and Benjamin.
Anna McParlan lives in Duluth, Mn with her high school crush turned husband, David, and her three kids. She is passionate about creating a haven for the weary and opening her home to children in her community through foster care. Her favorite things include equipping women to run in the freedom of who God made them to be, chasing beauty along the shores of Lake Superior, and finding good pad thai anywhere she travels. She shares frequently on Instagram about her journey with anxiety and how she experiences Jesus in the middle of it. She is currently trying to thrive without a real kitchen in her early 1900s home under renovation and the mama frequently late to the bus stop.
Ruth Chou Simons is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and speaker who shares her journey of God's grace intersecting daily life through word and paintbrush at GraceLaced.com, on her popular blog, in an online shoppe, and through an Instagram community that reaches more than a hundred thousand followers daily. Her first book, GraceLaced, won a 2018 Christian Book Award. Ruth is married to Troy and they have six sons.
Lauren Washer is a wife, mother of six, Bible teacher and naptime writer. She is passionate about helping women to know Christ and make him known through a deeper understanding of the Bible. She shares about God’s glory from everyday moments on Instagram, and writes occasionally on her blog.
Maggie Combs is a wife, mom of three busy boys, writer, and speaker. When motherhood overwhelmed her, God drew her closer to him through writing her first book, Unsupermommy: Release Expectations, Embrace Imperfection, and Connect to God’s Superpower. You may have seen her before at The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, Revive Our Hearts True Woman Blog, The Journeywomen Podcast, and more.
Ann Swindell is a writer and speaker who is committed to seeing women set free by the love of Christ. She is the author of Still Waiting: Hope for When God Doesn’t Give You What You Want, and her work has been featured in The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Proverbs 31, Deeply Rooted, (in)courage, and RELEVANT, along with multiple devotionals and anthologies. She has been joyfully married to Michael for over a decade and they are raising their two blue-eyed kids in Texas, where he is a pastor. Ann loves helping other writers share their stories beautifully and powerfully through her ministry, Writing with Grace. You can get to know her more here.
Lara d’Entremont is a wife, mother, writer, and biblical counselor in training in her tiny town in Nova Scotia, Canada. She desires to make theology practical for women so they can turn to God’s Word in the midst of their daily life and suffering to find the answers they need. You can find more of her writing at laradentremont.com.
Nana Dolce was born in Ghana and lives today in Washington, DC with her husband and daughters. Nana has a Master of Arts in Theological Studies--which comes in handy as an at-home mother! She teaches the Bible to women and children in her local church and writes for various ministries. Find her at motherhoodandsanctity.com.
Stephanie Holden is a girl who loves the Lord and lives on grace. For 30 years she has been married to Nick, her high school sweetheart, and together they serve the little community of Briggs Chapel out in the woods of Porterville, Mississippi. With God’s grace, they have raised three incredible daughters who are all married to some pretty awesome guys… but the cherry on top of their empty nest season is their four grandchildren who call her "Honey.” She travels often sharing her journey of redemption and God’s grace and the hope that’s found in Him while encouraging others to tell their story too.
Lindsay Cournia is a military wife, mom of two, and content editor for Well-Watered Women. She loves studying God’s Word, serving her local church, fixing errant grammar, reading great books, cooking from scratch, and adventuring with her family.
Heather Cofer lives in Windsor, CO with her husband and four little kiddos. She is a writer for the ministry of Set Apart Girl, and loves spending time doing life-on-life discipleship with other women. She enjoys playing piano, modern calligraphy, sipping coffee with her husband, frost-covered trees, and laughter with friends. She has a heart for overseas missions, having grown up on the mission field (where she met her husband), and where both their parents still serve.
Autumn Kern serves as the content manager for Risen Motherhood. Autumn, her husband, and her two children live in Pennsylvania. She drinks her coffee iced and prefers her books in piles.
Caroline Saunders believes in taking Jesus seriously and not much else. She’s a writer, mother to two scrumptious children, and wife to Luke, a pastor, and firework aficionado. She loves serving women through writing (WriterCaroline.com), discipleship, and creating a retreat experience (StoryandSoulWeekend.com) with her besties.
Abbey Wedgeworth is a wife, mother, and naptime writer living in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She is passionate about helping young moms apply the riches of Christ to the realities of motherhood. You can find more of her writing on gentleleading.com or connect with her through Instagram.
Bonnie Willoughby lives in Auburn, Georgia with her husband Joel and two daughters, Rose and Joellen. She works for Well-Watered Women as Customer Care Specialist and homeschools her children. She has been blessed with the opportunity to share the love and redemption of Christ through her testimony and hopes it can help women better understand the character of Christ.
Known as Marmee to her six grandchildren, Kathy Jones is a wife of 40 years to Ron, and mom to Jason, Kara, and Gretchen. She and Ron live with two dogs known as “the boys,” Buzz and Grey. A retired music teacher, piano player, and lover of old-time movies, Kathy enjoys snuggling with her grandchildren, reading a good book and taking care of those around her. Kathy also contributes to Well-Watered Women and is known as “chief proofreader” and wisdom-giver to her daughters, Kara and Gretchen. She and her husband live in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kara Holmes is a professional counselor turned stay-at-home mom, she is the wife of Trey and mama to two precious daughters, Kate and Alisa, and a son, Justin. They also have three fur-babies, dachshunds Pete and Dapple, and Percie the Great Dane. Some of Kara’s favorite activities include playing sports, writing, getting lost in a great book, and laughing. Kara has a B.S. in Psychology and an M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling. She blogs over at Chasing Geniune, where topics of authentic faith, relationships, and self are explored.
Find Dear Mama and the Dear Mama verse cards here! Mother’s Day is coming up on May 12th and now is the perfect time to grab this intentional gift for your mama, friend, Bible study leader, or coworker.
Bundle the devotion and verse cards together to save 10% at checkout (new coupon required). Find the bundle here.
Mama, we pray this devotional strengthens your heart in Christ and reminds you that He is with you, He is for you, and what you do behind-the-scenes each day matters in the kingdom of God!
Clinging to Christ in motherhood,
Gretchen
Dear Sister,
We recognize that there are many women who battle infertility and have suffered great loss in this life. The loss of a child or the longing for one is something that God sees and understands. For the woman receiving this email feeling the pang of hurt or longing, know that you are seen and prayed for. We have written several blog posts releasing this week to encourage you in this specific season of life, and we pray for the peace and hope of Jesus to cover you.
Looking for some morning tunes or an afternoon pick-me-up playlist?
We made this Dear Mama playlist with mamas in mind! The songs will bring a smile to your face and some happy tunes to your day.
Enjoy the playlist here!
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