I safely can say I'm the Queen of journals and devotionals, my daughter not so much. We have done mother-daughter devotionals and some as a family. But, as a young woman of 19 she hasn't found one in this new stage of life that suits her. She isn't a little girl and even teenage devos just aren't covering the stage where she's at personally. A lot of older devotionals are focused around motherhood or balancing work and school, so you can understand my excitement when I opened a package recently and discovered the beautiful Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan. It's geared for ages 12-18, but it works perfectly for Mahala in her season of life. Not kidish or brightly colored, it has a young woman's heart in mind. Relationships with friends and family, dreams, struggles and big life decisions.
Initially I was just going to review it myself and give it to her as a gift. But, the more I read the more I knew it would be a blessing for her through this holiday season. So, during our morning cup of coffee I shared it with her and she was so surprised. Her first thoughts, like me was wow... it's so beautiful. And she loved that it was a compact size and hardback, literally you could toss this in your backpack and even most purses.
One of the things we both liked the most was that it started day 1 and not January 1st. Yes!!!! Many times you get a devotional at another time of the year and you feel like your playing catch up. Or if you miss a day or two, there is this feeling of being behind. With it numbered simply numerically you just pick up where you left off. We also liked that the devotions were short one page devotions with a new verse up at the top that we could meditate and think on. We decided to try and read each day together, but the book was mainly for her. So, she kept it on the kitchen table and most mornings we read together over coffee and one too many cinnamon buns. We also found ourselves reading a little extra over bowls of soup and pizza nights. It is definitely easy to read more then one a day. :)
The format was nice and simple, a passage, a message and then a short conclusion followed by a few lines for notes. Online you can check HERE to see for yourself. Take a look at day 1 up above... The Bible is a man's book...say what? But, I can see that and I remember the intimidation I had as a young believer. Following the devotion you see we are valued and protected... we weren't an afterthought. I thought this was a wonderful beginning to the devotional.
Day 25 was another day that sparked a long conversation between my daughter and I. Submission...boy, how I ran from that word as a young woman. But, I didn't have it explained the Biblical purpose and the power the submissive person holds. Here we see the story of Hagar and the circumstances she was in. We were able to talk about a real problem in society today and discus some fears Mahala had as she navigates relationships with friends, work and family.
There are obviously 363 other devotionals that share the lives of more women like Esther, Ruth, Mary, Delilah, Leah, Naomi and so many more. Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women truly is a powerful little book with topics the reader is sure to relate to and find comfort, inspiration and much needed wisdom to navigate these waters of life today as a Godly young woman. This would make an excellent Christmas, graduation or birthday gift for the young women in your life. I'm thinking a perfect way to ring in the new year or even to celebrate Easter in a few months after that.
Make sure to reach out and Connect with Zondervan on Social Media today!
YouTube
No comments:
Post a Comment