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Last Tuesday was a big day for me, even as it quietly slipped by: Book #2 hit the shelves!

Would you take ten seconds to thank God with me and pray for His work through this book in the hearts of parents?

Deliver Us from Meltdowns: And Other Real-Life Prayers for Parents blends theology, emotional intelligence, and blatant humor to help all of us pray and think more deeply about parenting. 

Historically I have not been stellar at celebrating milestones like this that represent a lot of work and heart.

So today, I’m inviting you to celebrate with me as I give away signed copies of Deliver Us from Meltdowns to two readers!

Behind the scenes: One of my (unexpectedly) favorite prayers

The process of contracting this book was different than my other three, in that the publisher reached out to me with the topic. Usually it’s the other way around.

Among other changes in the process, this meant I worked closely with an editor–the brilliant Jennifer Leight–to compile a list of sixty parenting moments for real-life prayer.

Now, one thing you’ll never (ever) hear me giving others much advice about would be potty training. I was terrible at it. Maybe I was rushing my kids–that whole four-kids-four-and-under thing prompted me to only want two kids in diapers at once, rather than three. But I swear it took me six months per kid.

So the irony isn’t lost on me that I loved writing “For the Passing of the Potty Hours.”

As I gathered my thoughts, I got curious. Where is God in potty training?

I thought of 1 Corinthians 12:22, 23. I thought about someone needing to potty train Jesus, even when he wanted to go outside and play.

I thought about how potty-training slows us down as parents, stopping us in inbox-emptying and house-cleaning and taking the time to sit with our kids to help them care for their bodies.

And here’s the crux of my theology of toilet training, which I embedded in this prayer:

I acknowledge Your goodness in making my child’s body: that though some body parts are far more presentable than others, every part is indispensable—and engineered perfectly by You, without shame.

….We’re born needing and longing to be loved and nurtured not only at our best, but in our nakedness. Our most vulnerable parts call for the most tender care.

….Thank You for wrapping Yourself so personally in our need and liability. For dignifying these bodies. For becoming someone who’d require this intimate level of care to thrive. In so many ways, Your body was given for us. To us.

Of course, I promised humor. So there are some good jokes about poop and such. (Did any of you parents ever anticipate how much you would pray for poop?

Or is that just me?)

How this book changed me

This book was a beautiful step closer for me to see how God has woven himself into the beauty of childhood.

Not only did I get to see him in potty-training in ways I’d missed with my own kids. I also saw him, for example, as I researched the theology of play. I realized God, Creator of farts and belly laughs, dolphins and tiger cubs, enfolded a little gospel-packet in the play of children:

Kids are helpless, status-less, powerless, résumé-less, dependent, trusting. They don’t reserve affection; they are undignified. They bring very little to the table, other than the fact they are ours. (And kinda cute. Most of the time.)

Yet You require that we contributing members of society become like them.

Like the joy God has for us in Jesus, in Heaven, play is delight and joy we don’t earn.

And it’s been really fun to find him all over again in the magic and madness of being a kid–and now, as I close my last two years with kids at home, retrospectively as a parent.

No matter what words (or groans) you bring, God hears you. When you can’t patch together a coherent sentence, He’s there, laboring invisibly—as parents do—behind the scenes. He carried His kids, Israel, through the wilderness “as a father carries his child,” and lends a hand through where’s-my-backpack morning mayhem to midnight feedings.

I’d love to share this journey with you.

Interested in more snippets? Catch

How to enter the book giveaway for Deliver Us from Meltdowns:

  1. Leave a comment on this post.
  2. Gain additional entries by mentioning the book on social media. In your comment on this post, tell me what platforms you utilized. Feel free to share this post as an option!
  3. Enter by midnight MST, Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Uber-easy ways to expand this book’s ministry (thank you!)

  1. Leaving an Amazon review is one of my author love languages! Seriously, if I can make it past 50 reviews, they’re said to organically increase from there.
  2. Tell a friend, gift to another mom, or promote on social media. (Thank you!)

I love to hear from readers. Please reach out if you’d like to connect or schedule a speaking engagement!

And please keep your eyes peeled for two more book releases–on mom anger and emotionally stronger parenting–in 2026.

So grateful for your enthusiasm and encouragement, readers. Pray that through these books, God will shape parents and the next generation to love Him with their lives.

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P.S. Interested in my previous book, Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids’ Hearts? In the sidebar of this blog, subscribe to receive the entire first chapter free.