Give a Spiritual Gift this Christmas....

With Christmas nearly here and presents piling up under the tree, cookies & treats baked and parties happening nearly every weekend end I'm wondering....

What have you planned to GIVE to your kids that will encourage them and strengthen them spiritually in the coming year? One thing you might consider doing is giving your kids a devotional - something that will get them thinking and considering where their future is going.

"The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of ALL the earth.

He NEVER grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of HIS understanding."

Isaiah 40:28b

Kids ages 8-12 are just starting to think about their future. Their attitudes and personalities have begun forming and they stop to think of their behavior and how it affects others around them. Consider giving each of your children a devotional that will help them grow and develop into young men and women who you can be proud of.

"Those who TRUST in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not fail."
Isaiah 40:30

A few suggestions you might consider: (Hint: these make GREAT stocking stuffers!)

The Common English Bible is designed for anyone desiring to learn and draw nearer to God. The language is easy to understand, non-denominational and in modern day English. Ideal for young people and new Christians who are just beginning their daily scripture reading and who are perhaps having a hard time understanding the King James or other translations that are available. Read the following passage from Luke 2 to see the writing and see if it would help your children build a life long habit of reading God's word.

Here you can see the passage from Luke 2:8-2:20. You can click here to see YOUR favorite passage from the Common English Bible. This wonderful new Bible Translation is now also available with a Reference Bible. a concordance & Bible Map Guides and a Daily Companion Bible. The Large Print Bible is also available & this coming spring there will be an "extra large print" Bible - just in time for Mother's & Father's Day & Easter! Reference books for the Common English Bible are available, such as a dictionary and an oversized map guide (with National Geographic maps!).

Would you like to WIN a copy of the Common English Bible?

Keep Reading....

Two other books you might consider for your kids are two devotionals specifically written for middle grade children ages 9-12 (and I think it would be good for kids up to 15/16 ~ it really depends on the kid's maturity level). Both books are part devotional and part diary designed to get kids thinking and doing in a positive, action oriented way. Each DARES your child to put their faith into action and challenges them to live a bold, action-packed life for God.

With 5 Daily Chapters (1 page each) and one (1-2 pages) on the weekend your children will be challenged to read a small section of scripture, given a few paragraphs about characters from the Bible and given a couple of questions to answer. There is a small section where your kids can write out their thoughts either by journaling (for girls) and a "your page" and a "What did you do?" and "What did you learn?" section for guys to do. The nice thing about both are the readings aren't arduous, they aren't long and detailed and for kids that HATE to read and share their thoughts they aren't overwhelming or time consuming.

Truth & Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls

by Ann-Margret Hovseptan

ISBN: 978-1434702081

$10.79 Amazon

About the book:

Ann-Margret Hovsepian dares girls 8 to 12 to transform their lives and world through active faith in these short devotions featuring specific daily challenges that put learned truth into life-altering action.

Truth and Dare is a devotional that transforms Scripture from something learned to something lived. Each daily devotion launches with short Scriptures and simple, relevant messages (truth). Girls explore godly truth about everything from standing up for others to guarding their speech. And each day, girls are challenged (dared) to live out their faith by undertaking specific tasks that foster spiritual growth.

Girls will delight in discovering how Scripture can become real in whole new ways as they learn to apply it with each day’s dare. And parents value the solid truth brought by Hovsepian, a respected author and speaker. It ideally suits anyone looking to inspire a young girl to boldly live out her faith.

Truth & Dare Radio Interview:

Triple Dog Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for  Boys

by Jeremy V Jones

ISBN: 978-0781404570

$10.79 (Amazon)

About the Book:

Boys want action. They don't want to sit around and talk - that's for grown-ups and girls. They engage life and relationships by doing something: skateboarding, playing games or re-creating favorite movie scenes. So, why should faith be any different?

The Bible is full of action. Remember how David slew Goliath? He didn't do that alone. Daniel faced those lions (and leaned on God through prayer). Paul survived a shipwreck and Jesus stood up for a woman about to be killed. You see trust, courage, strength and standing up for others. God made boys to take His truth and do something with it, to man up and change the world. These action-packed devotions for boys are filled with godly truth and bold spiritual challenges that transform time with God into the adventure of the day.

Triple Dog Dare is written for guys and uses characters such as David who had others who helped him (as in the battle with Goliath), Isaac who trusted his dad, James (being Jesus' "little" brother) as well as standing up for what's right, obedience, attitude, finances, having "right or pure" thoughts, taming trash talk and more.

My thoughts:

I am so impressed with both of these books. I wish they had been around when I was kid. One thing I would like to caution you about - these books are not family devotionals. They are a place where your kids can share their thoughts without worrying about what others think of them and where scripture backs up the lesson being taught. They don't preach, they aren't meant for discipline or lecturing and you never know ~ your son or daughter may just share some of their deepest thoughts and concerns with you as they grow spiritually.

You can find both these books at your local Christian bookstore. You can also find them at Amazon. Just click on the title of the book to order them. These would all make great gifts for Birthdays, Christmas, Easter - or just when your kids need a little pick-me-up and encouragement.

Learn more about the Truth & Dare Devotionals series:

The Truth & Dare Devotionals Website
Facebook for Girls ~ Click Here
Facebook for Boys ~ Click Here

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Would you like to WIN a copy of the Common English Bible or one of these Truth & Dare Devotionals for your family? Enter Here