After my mom passed away, mornings were the toughest time of day for me. Before she died, mom and I used to start most mornings on the phone over coffee. Some days I would call her, and she would say, “give me a few minutes to grab my coffee and I’ll call you right back.” Having lived in different states since I left home for college, I can’t recall exactly when we started that daily habit, but it became a part of my life in a way I sorely missed once she was gone.

During those morning calls over coffee, we covered so much. We would always start with a prayer. On the days that time allowed, we would also try and “fix the world” as she would often say when we got caught up in political or worldly discussions. Then, there were days when we simply covered the little things. Like what the kids were up to or what we had on our schedules that day. We checked in with each other at other times too. A quick text or call but nothing compared to our morning chats.

After mom died, there were days when it took all I had to even get out of bed in the morning. When I did manage, I would sit with my cup of coffee and cry, barely able to take a sip. It didn’t taste right, and it definitely didn’t feel right. I couldn’t even pray because I was so upset that mom wasn’t there to pray with me, and quite frankly I was a little mad at God for taking her from me. How could I take on the day, when I couldn’t even get through my morning?

A couple of months later, my sister-in-law gifted me a small devotional for Christmas. She showed me hers, a little worn from years of use. There were highlighted sections, a year – sometimes two, and a note in the margin that reflected why that passage spoke to her. She shared how from one year to another, she would revisit the highlighted sections and her accompanying notes. Each time it served as a reminder of where she had been, but also how far she had come since then.

I was desperate to replace my morning coffee chats with mom so that I could begin to move on. The first day of January, I made a commitment to myself and God that I would read that devotional every morning. The first morning, I cried so hard I could barely see the words in the book, but thankfully it was just short enough to get through. As the days turned into weeks, I slowly realized it was exactly what I needed. There was no replacing my conversations with mom, and I’m not sure my morning cup of coffee will ever taste as good. However, I am confident mom is pleased with how prayer became part of my mornings once more and helped me deal with her loss. These days, instead of coffee with mom, I make a daily choice to join Jesus for a cup.

Since starting my mornings with a devotional, it has become my favorite part of my day. The hope and peace it provides arms me for whatever the day holds in store. One day, I went looking for a devotional to gift my teenage son. I found numerous books for young girls, women, husbands, fathers, even children. What about our young men? How will we guide them to become good husbands and fathers? I decided to write one myself. And, because my son is an athlete, I wrote it with him and his teammates in mind. In a world that seems intent on discouraging our young men from embracing the male qualities God gave them, I hop this devotional inspires them to:

• Be the man God intends you to be
• Be strong in your faith
• Develop a closer relationship with God
• Always put God first
• Be dependable, loyal, and disciplined
• Live each day in a way you can be proud of

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