Mom of Many: December 2018

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Journey to Bethlehem

Our Coop had our first ever Drama!

A beautiful Christmas story, and our younger students worked very hard!!

My little angels!

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan: A TOS Crew Review

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan

Spending time with God is one of our privileges! We have been enjoying a new tool to guide us in our quiet times - it's called Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan. This beautiful, hardcover devotional is designed for young women, ages 13-18, but I found it spoke directly to my heart as well!

Written by Lindsay A. Franklin, this lovely book contains 365 short devotionals, one for every day of the year. Each day begins with a scripture passage, in NIV version, followed by a short devotion. The devotions are specifically written to encourage young women in their identity, and purpose as Christians. Each page includes a small space to write/journal your thoughts in as well.

This books highlights Scripture and sixty women of the Bible. The Bible has a high value on women, and this devotional focuses on the unique challenges and blessings of being female.

The focus is truly on bringing the Bible's wisdom and guidance into our daughters (and our) daily lives. The author does a wonderful job of relating the scripture to our modern lives and the challenges facing our girls in today's world.

The devotional starts at the beginning, with readings that follow along the narrative of the Bible. I like that! Each day's devotional becomes part of the big picture story.

Here's a few examples of the lessons:

Day 9 - "you are not defined by your mistakes..." God saw Eve as the complete person she was.

Day 16 - "Sometimes we HAVE to stand out... " Just as Noah and his family did before the flood.

Day 31 - "Rejection hurts." God was not finished with Hagar, and he's not finished with us.

Great lessons, and the chance for God to speak to our girls - does it get any better?

And, of course - the book itself is truly beautiful! With floral patterns on each page, and a space to write/journal in, it would make an excellent gift. It has a pretty ribbon bookmark to hold your page, a nice feminine touch. Not to mention, it's the perfect size for a stocking stuffer!

I decided to leave this beautiful book on our coffee table and see who would pick it up first... My teenage daughters (yes, both of them) noticed it right away and picked it up. They have been reading it ever since.

I have also been enjoying this devotional, for myself! Many of the messages have felt perfectly appropriate in my life, messages like being careful with words, forgiveness, and making sound choices. Timeless wisdom.

I think this would make an excellent tool for starting conversations with our daughters as well. The devotions are well written, and introduce many relevant topics.

You will definitely want this one!