(NOTE: This book was given to me by Mind & Media as a gift from the publisher who has donated the books for the purpose of receiving reviews. If you would like to become a Reviewer for Mind and Media, click here!)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms by Dena Dyer.

This honestly-written, inspiring book was just the thing I needed at the end of a long day (or maybe first thing in the morning depending upon the day!) to show me that I'm not the only one trying to be a Superwoman - wife, mom, daughter, friend, teacher, homemaker, laundress, maid, etc. The brief meditations often had me laughing out loud as I saw my life reflected in Ms. Dyer's family! She has a way of writing that is endearing because most of us will have experienced the same situations in our own lives, but WE never dared to write about them to the world!

In the Introduction, we read, "It's my hope that through the real-life anecdotes in Grace for the Race, you will realize that God doesn't desire perfection. What He does desire is daily surrender of our expectations, schedules, emotions, and relationships." Each of the 45 devotions contains an experience from the author's life in which she sees God in the "fine print." Maybe her day isn't going well or she's having an argument with her husband or the kids are sick ... Ms. Dyer always sees the lesson that God is trying to show her and she shares with the reader the new-found knowledge that she has acquired from that incident in her life.

Each of the devotions is followed by a listing of Bible verses which the reader can meditate on, memorize, share with others or look up and read in their own Bible. Often times, the other verses around the listed verse show another truth that we need to hear that day. In several of the devotions in Grace for the Race, Ms. Dyer is very honest about her experience with depression. As someone who has also dealt with depression for over 10 years and continues to take medication to keep myself on an "even keel," I found her willingness to share her experiences reassuring.

I think that this book would make a GREAT gift for your family and friends at any time of the year! All of us "Supermoms" need to take some daily time for ourselves to rejuvenate our spirits so that we can continue to "run the race" that has been set before us. Let Grace for the Race be that book in 2006 - ask for it for the holidays or for your next birthday! I have to say that there is one negative thing about this book ... it's TOO SHORT - LOL! No, really, it is a great book (and I did have to read it a little faster than you will because I had a review to post) and I intend to keep it sitting out so that I can read these devotions again and take the time to really think about the scriptures included with each. I do hope that Ms. Dyer will consider writing a "Grace for the Race 2" - I'd buy it!

... Kris ...