Mothering Without Guilt: You and God, You and Others, You and Your Kids

By Sharon A. Hersh

A Bible study series addressing the unique needs of moms.These 8 Bible studies help women discover God’s wisdom on how to be the best mothers, women, and disciples they can be. Each study contains 6 sessions divided into 5 flexible portions: For You Alone, For You and God’s Word, For You and Others, For You and God, and For You and Your Kids. The last section helps moms share each week’s nugget of truth with their children.• Mothering without Guilt identifies and debunks the “perfect mom” stereotypes and encourages moms to be real—not perfect—and forgiven—not guilty.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Aug 30, 2009
• ISBN: 9780310866565

Sharon A. Hersh

Sharon A. Hersh M.A., LPC is a licensed professional counselor, speaker, and author. She has written several books, including the popular Bravehearts: Unlocking the Courage to Love with Abandon. She has written four books in the Hand-in-Hand Parenting series including, Mom, I Feel Fat!, Mom, I Hate my Life!, Mom, Everyone Else Does!, and Mom, Sex is NO Big Deal!. Her most recent book is The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help is Not Enough. She is an adjunct professor in graduate counseling courses, including Sex and Sexuality and Addiction at Colorado Christian University, Mars Hill Graduate School, and Reformed Theological Seminary. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and retreats. Hersh lives in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Book preview

mothering

without

guilt

1 Other Studies in A Mom’s Ordinary Day

Bible Study Series

Entering God’s Presence

Finding Joy in All You Are

Gaining and Being a Friend

Growing Strong with God

Making Praise a Priority

Managing Your Time

Winning over Worry

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Jean E. Syswerda is mother to three grown children. A former editor and associate publisher at Zondervan, she was responsible for such best-selling Bibles as the NIV Adventure Bible, the NIV Teen Study Bible, and the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible 1. She is the general editor of the NIV Women of Faith Study Bible and the NLT Prayer Bible, as well as the coauthor of the Read with Me Bible and the best-selling Women of the Bible.

Sharon Hersh is the mother of two teenagers. She is also a licensed professional counselor, author, and speaker. She is the author of Bravehearts and Mom, I Feel Fat! She lives with her family in Lone Tree, Colorado.

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9780310311843_Mothering_Without_Guilt_fb_0004_001

ZONDERVAN

mothering without guilt

Copyright © 2003 by Jean Syswerda

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

ePub Edition August 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86656-5

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ISBN: 978-0-310-31184-3

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from The Message, Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

All rights reserved. The original purchaser of this product shall have the right to make unlimited print-form copies here of, provided such copies are not resold or distributed to the general public.

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contents

cover page

title page

copyright page

how to use this study guide

introduction

session 1: when guilt is good

session 2: if i’m forgiven, why do i feel so bad?

session 3: mentors in mothering:

jochebed—let go

session 4: mentors in mothering:

deborah—take heart

session 5: mentors in mothering:

mary—have faith

session 6: mentors in mothering:

lois and eunice—be an example

leader’s notes

about the publisher

share your thoughts

how to use this

study guide

Hey, Mom, are you ready?

When was the last time you did something just for you?

In the joy and junk and memories and mess that is your life as a mother, do you sometimes feel that you’ve lost something—something essential and important?

The Bible studies in this series will help you rediscover and, even more, enjoy all the parts and pieces that make you a unique person, a unique mother, and a unique and holy creation of God.

The five sections of each individual session are designed to meet a particular need in your life—the need for time alone, for time with God’s Word, for time with others, for time with God, and for time with your children. How you approach and use each section is up to you and your individual styles and desires. But here are a few suggestions:

1 For You Alone

The operative word here is, of course, alone. For moms who rarely even go to the bathroom alone, being alone can seem an almost impossible goal. Perhaps thinking in terms of quiet would help. You can do this part of the study in any quiet moments in your home—when kids are sleeping, when they’re watching a video, when you’re nursing a little one. Any quiet or personal time you can find in your own schedule will work. This part of the study is sometimes serious, sometimes fun, sometimes downright silly. It will prepare your mind for the other sections of the study.

2 For You and God’s Word

Put this study guide, a pen, and your Bible in a favorite place— fb somewhere you can grab it at any free moment, perhaps in the kitchen or by a favorite chair. Then, when a few spare