I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for devotionals that will challenge me. Yet they have to be something I can do in the midst of my busy life. And ideally, they’ll help me grow in my faith.

One I received recently is Ginger Garrett’s A Woman’s Path to Inner Beauty. When I first heard about this one, I thought, what a great topic. An area most women struggle with is beauty and comparing ourselves. But I long to get to a place where I am secure in who I am so the comparisons fade to the side. Each devotion starts with a verse followed by a short page and half reading and closing with a prayer starter. It’s the perfect size to have at your bedside, in your purse or in a drawer at work. The devotions are short, but thought-provoking. It would make a great gift to a girlfriend, too.

Jennifer Rothschild is an author of in-depth Bible studies. The two I’ve taken (Lessons Learned in the Dark and Me, Myself, and Lies) had great depth and really challenged me. Her devotional Fresh Grounded Faith plays off her Java with Jennifer column. One thing I love about this devotional is the way there are questions at the end of each reading along with room to write. I often need the accountability of filling something in to make sure I get everything from a devotional. The devotionals feel like I’m sitting across the table at Starbucks from Jennifer — her writing style is just like her personality. Intense, bubbly, and oh so open and friendly. I have loved this one and given copies to friends.

This last devotional is actually one my mother-in-law gave me. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I just need to be encouraged in this crazy job of mothering. This devotional does just that. Very short — about the attention span of a toddler, there are enough readings for a year. And the devotions span the spectrum. Funny story all mothers can relate to. Then a study of a Biblical character. On to a devotional on a character trait we’d all like to develop. It’s another great resource to have on your bedside table.