THE AUTHOR
Susan “Samm” Jeffries is a devoted Christian and mother of four children. She is from North Carolina and this is her first book.
Eighteen years ago, I began writing a book that I never imagined would take nearly two decades to finish.
At the time, I was in the thick of motherhood. My days were filled with diapers, laundry, interrupted sleep, endless to-do lists, and the constant demands that come with raising young children. Like so many moms, I loved my children deeply, but I often wondered where I was supposed to find time to nurture my own relationship with God.
I wanted to be the kind of woman who spent hours studying Scripture and praying. Instead, I found myself whispering prayers while folding laundry, talking to God in the carpool line, and reading a few verses whenever I could find a quiet moment. For a long time, I felt guilty that my spiritual life didn’t look like I thought it should.
Then, God gently began teaching me something that changed everything.
He wasn’t asking for perfection. He was asking for my heart.
I realized that He wasn’t waiting for me to have a spotless house, perfectly behaved children, or uninterrupted quiet time before He would meet with me. He was already there—in the nursery, in the kitchen, in the grocery store, during sleepless nights, and in every ordinary moment of motherhood.
Those lessons became the foundation of A Diaper and a Bible.
When I first started writing, I had only two children. Life was busy, but I believed I would finish the book quickly. Instead, life kept happening. Our family grew. My responsibilities changed. I became an educator, continued serving others, navigated seasons of joy and seasons of heartbreak, cared for aging family members, and experienced the countless unexpected twists that life brings.
More than once, I wondered if this book would ever be finished.
There were seasons when the manuscript sat untouched. Not because I had forgotten about it, but because life demanded every ounce of my attention. Yet through every interruption, every delay, and every new chapter, God continued writing His story in me before He allowed me to finish writing this one.
Looking back now, I can see that those eighteen years weren’t a delay—they were preparation.
Every challenge deepened my faith. Every answered prayer strengthened my trust. Every difficult season gave me new compassion for women who are simply trying to love their families while holding onto Jesus.
Today, I wear many hats. I’m a wife, a mother of four, an educator, and a woman who still believes that God’s greatest work often happens in the ordinary moments we are tempted to overlook.
My heart has always been to encourage women who feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or spiritually discouraged. If you’ve ever thought, I’m too busy to spend time with God, I want you to know you’re not alone. I’ve been there.
My prayer is that A Diaper and a Bible will help you let go of the guilt that so many mothers carry and embrace the grace that God freely offers. I hope you’ll discover that meaningful time with Him doesn’t always happen in long, uninterrupted hours. Sometimes it begins with five quiet minutes before the house wakes up. Sometimes it’s a whispered prayer over a sink full of dishes. Sometimes it’s opening your Bible while your baby naps for fifteen precious minutes.
God isn’t measuring the length of your quiet time. He’s delighting in your desire to draw near to Him.
If my story teaches anything, I hope it’s this: God is never in a hurry, and He never wastes a season. What felt like eighteen years of waiting became eighteen years of growing. The book I wanted to write all those years ago is not the same book you’re holding today because I am not the same woman I was when I began.
And for that, I am deeply grateful.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey. Whether you’re changing diapers, raising teenagers, caring for aging parents, rebuilding after disappointment, or simply trying to find Jesus in the middle of everyday life, my prayer is that these pages remind you of one unchanging truth:
God is with you. Right here. Right now. In the ordinary moments that become the extraordinary story He is writing in your life.
