Dear Reader, It is a common trend to read devotionals: a quick five-minute glance at the Scriptures so we can hang onto something throughout our day. We do well to look to the Scriptures for that glimpse, but God wants more from us. He wants our hearts all day, not just for five minutes. These parables do not substitute careful study of the Word. They give a starting point to focus on where God wants you to be all day, a help to see Him even while doing the mundane, rou-tine, necessary, "mom" things in life. They remind us of the heavenly realm that's part of the earthly walk. Parable literally means "cast alongside" something else. Jesus's parables were stories cast alongside an earthly event to illustrate a truth. He united earthly things with heavenly mean-ings to illustrate truth. When the Jewish leaders rejected Him, Jesus turned exclusively to parables. When His disciples asked why, He responded, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:9, 23). Jesus told parables for those who sought God's truth. Some only heard the story. But others, seeking God's truth, had ears that heard. My parables, too, may be read by many as just stories. But to those moms struggling to find that glimpse of the heavenly realm through their hectic, demanding, earthly lives, "let her hear" truths of what one mom has heard from her Savior. Sonya Contreras These parables have been taken from articles previously writ-ten for my website and made into book form.