(This post is sponsored by Tommy Nelson Mommies: they give me free books – and allow you to win them – in exchange for my review of them. All opinions are my own.)
One of the first things we learn as believers (or are taught in Christian learning) is “God created everything.” I already teach that truth to my boys. We love the verses that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and “created in God’s image”
But, somehow, I think it is a very easy truth to learn and put into belief the older we get. I remember being a pre-teen girl. I was overweight, wore glasses, didn’t have great hair, had zits, wasn’t all the cool, wanted to be cool, had a crush on the cool guy, started my period, looked different than most of the girls in my class, it wasn’t easy.
I believed lies. I desired popularity. I earnestly tried so hard to fit in. But, one of the things I don’t remember reminding myself of is that God created me perfectly in his image and has a plan for my life.
Then, I graduated high school and started college. I taught 7th grade co-ed Sunday School for 3 straight years. I still keep in touch with some of those girls. There were (and still are) so many battles pre-teen and teen girls face. But, there is only one answer. God’s truth.
My first devotional when I was in 10th grade was Spirit Wings by Ken Burns. I loved it at the time. I was just learning how to have a quiet time thanks to my youth pastor and youth workers. Quiet time material has come a long way. I think it is an important discipline for kids of any age to learn. Taking time each day to talk with God, read His Word, and listen to Him.
You, as a parent to them, have a vital role in this. You can not only model this for them, but also teach them how to do it for themselves, and engage with them after their quiet time. Ask them what they learned. Ask them what they read. Ask them important questions of how they might apply it to their heart that God is in the process of making new and making to look like Christ’s.
Tommy Nelson has put out resources for quiet times for pre-teen or young teen girls called Brave Girls. The two I have for the purpose of this blog is Faithful Friends (on friendships and relationships) and Better Than Perfect (on self-image and how to relate to this world in light of the Word). Each day is a 1-2 page read. Starts out with Scripture, then there is a story, lesson, truth, completely applicable to this time in their lives, and finishes with questions and prayers.
One way I think it could be better would be to bring everything in every story under the Cross of Christ – but I do think these are really really good and can be a great help to you as a parent in giving your daughter some solid material. And, as you talk with your daughter and engage with her in what she is reading, you can tie everything back to the Gospel.
So, if you would like a chance to win these books, please comment with the answer to one of these two questions.
1. What was the first devotional book you read (besides the Bible)?
2. How do you train your children to have their own quiet time?
Dinah
by trying to set the example, share what I’m learning, using the Word of God to instruct and correct sin which shows the importance of Scripture in our lives.
Kimberly
Thanks for sharing Dinah. The Word of God does definitely instruct!
Christi
Having a quiet time is part of our children’s morning routine. From a young age, they know they have a set time and place where they bring their Bible each morning to spend time with God. We have taught them what to do during that time and on occasion, we have our quiet times together. As they have gotten older, I try to follow up with them on what they are doing during that time and how they are feeling about their walks with the Lord, etc. so we can talk through issues as they arise.
Kimberly
Thanks for setting such a good example through the years Christi
Lynn Clippinger
This is exciting to me now as my children are 12, 11, 9 and 6 and I homeschool them for a lot of reasons but one reason is to be able to teach them how to have a relationship with God thru Jesus, our Savior. I don’t remember the first devotional that I read! Sad but don’t!! 🙂 And I am currently training them by taking time each day before we start our work to read from a book called Thoughts to Make your Heart Sing by Sally Lloyd Jones which is very short…we talk about it and we pray using the ACTS method…sometimes, our time is very short and seemingly not very productive and sometimes our conversation is great and sometimes not so much, and sometimes their prayers are surprising and some days no one wants to pray. I hope to continue this thru the summer with them and may try Sarah Hagerty’s 30 day devotional on learning to worship which includes an artistic aspect along with what we are reading/learning. Oh, and I usually let them draw/write/doodle in their journals while we read…I think this helps them remember and just gives them several avenues of learning at the same time. All that said, I am definitely always looking for new ideas and ways to get them engaged. Thanks Kimberly!
Kasey Ferrell
Tozer’s “On the Holy Spirit” has been wonderful. We read nightly with a family devotion or the Bible. It’s a sweet time of reading and prayer.
Michaella Johnson
I can’t remember what my first devotional was, but my parent’s started me out around 2 years old having my own quiet time. We had a bunch of Bible story books that came with a tape. I would listen to the story and follow along by turning the page when I heard the “ding.” I remember one of them was about David and Goliath, and I was so afraid of the giant that I ran and jumped in bed with them. 😉 One thing we are doing this year to encourage a daily quiet time with our girls is that we are all following the same read through the New Testament in a year plan. It gives us a chance at the dinner table or throughout the day to talk about what we read.
Kimberly
Yay – tapes! We’ve come a long way to ipads!
Candace H
Sadly I am still trying to train myself to have a consistent quiet time. For my 11-yr old daughter to begin now, at this age, it would help her to solidify a daily quiet time-devotional & prayer time, and that would benefit her for the rest of her life. I do not remember my first devotional book but my most consistently used one is “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. Am about to begin Bible Journaling and Art to help me with my need to be in the Word consistently, and not just on my “artificial intelligence” devices. 🙂
Kimberly
Candace – I’m thankful for creativity in the Word – it is helping me meditate on it more!