Beloved Devotions for Young Women

Beloved Devotions for young women is a one-year devotional for young girls navigating through those middle years.

I received a free copy of this devotional for my honest review. I love to bring resources to my readers that I think you would enjoy and would be of benefit for your growth and walk with the Lord.

One of my favorite grades to teach was middle school. I loved how the kids still had a sense of curiosity and cynicism hadn’t quite set in. They still enjoyed being loved and cared for before it became “not cool”. I loved how they were still able to be influenced by gentle conversation and had begun developing some logic to the world around them.

This devotional is a full year of beautiful messages about how to navigate that time by using God’s Word as their greatest guide.

For kids, these middle years are especially difficult. They are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. They are being heavily influenced by friends but this is also a great time to guide them into right thinking about all the things they are discovering.

Be a Guiding Light

I do not believe there is any better influence than the Word of God. I love that this Beloved Devotional for Young Women acts as a guide. giving Scripture with explanation and then moving into practical application.

Each devotional is brief enough for a young girl to read in a few minutes. It would be a great way to start each morning before tearing off to school and face all the day has to offer. This would also be a great devotional for a mother and daughter to read together or separately and with a book chat. The Beloved Devotional would be a great way to spark conversations about real life issues and as a family. The Beloved devotional is also a fantastic way to celebrate your daughter and encourage her to become the woman who God created her to be, His beloved daughter!

What I love about the Bible is it is always relevant. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that nothing is new under the sun. Each page of Beloved dives into real issues that real women faced in Bible times and still face today.

The scenery may look different but the struggles and victories are still the same. The author, Lindsay Franklin, does a wonderful job of touching on those tough issues. Her devotionals will inspire young minds while using the Bible as a guiding light.

I would recommend this devotional for girls ages 11-15. It would make a beautiful Christmas gift that is why I am including it in this series Gifts to Remember. I believe it would have a positive impact on young girls as they discover their world side by side with God’s Word.

Each page features a verse, a devotional, and a space for writing.

You can find out more about this devotional and how to purchase it at http://www.zondervan.com/p/beloved-devotional/

Snippet from the Publisher:

Check out the other posts in this series Gifts to Remember 

• NIV Adventure Bible
• Ellie Claire Coloring Journals
• Beloved Devotional for Young Women

The post Beloved Devotions for Young Women Review appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Ellie Claire Coloring Journals

In the next couple of weeks, I am going do a Gifts to Remember Series. I will be sharing with you some of my favorite Bible products I have recently received for review. The great part is that a couple of these are already our family favorites so I am glad to be bringing them to you.  All materials were provided for my honest review. I only review things I am interested in and think that you would be as well.

The products I have today, I am so excited to share with you. They are the new Ellie Claire Coloring Journals. For quite some time, I have admired the drawings and sketches that I see people do in their Bible journaling time.

But I have this block. I think that I have to be an amazing art student to take part.

These Ellie Claire Coloring Journals are going to reboot your brain on that thought. Because they are not only giving you space to journal but are teaching you the beautiful art techniques along the way.

I grew up with the impression that you should not write or do anything with your Bible except read it and carry it to church with you. I have the Bible I had growing up and I have one verse written in the back. Yes, I know, I’m a rule breaker. It is Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

What is so vital to our faith is that we have assurance.

Without assurance, we strive to work for our redemption. It becomes an endless uphill battle that we can’t win. Journaling in God’s Word helps us to memorize verses, give our creative worship to God and meditate on it deeply.

One of the great things about journaling in God’s Word is that it becomes this conversation you have with God. God is a creative God and has created creative people. Sometimes it only requires the proper techniques and ideas for our creativity to flow.

Just a few weeks ago as I was studying Daniel and I read the prayer of Nebuchadnezzar. Next to it I made a heart and wrote transformation because I love seeing the transformations of people’s heart. That was nothing complex but my heart was praising God when I wrote it because He shares such amazing things with us in His Word.

Now as I turn through the pages of Daniel, I can be quickly reminded of the heart transformation that took place and I reminded of great verses to go back and meditate on.

Ellie Claire Brings Out Your Creativity

Ellie Claire delivers for someone like me. I am learning how to do elaborate letters with flourishes. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Now, I am really able to appreciate the artistic detail that went into greatly detailed scrolls. Now with Ellie Claire Coloring Journals, I don’t have to sit back and just admire it. I am learning techniques to dive in and create those things myself.

I am going to share each one individually and highlight the points that I like about them. the reason I am going to do each of them separately is that they each have unique features that are just beautiful.

These journals would make a great gift for any time of the year but certainly would be a great gift to remember.

Overall, I absolutely love all three of these journals.

Illuminate Your Story

Illuminated letters at one time flourished on the pages of books, Bibles and scrolls. Artists would carefully add the details and flourishes to enrich the already beautiful words on the pages. With Illuminate Your Story, you, too, can adorn the pages of your journals, Bibles, and planners.

This journal has easy to follow instructions, practice space that takes you from tracing to creating letters on your own. This is a how-to to help you develop gorgeous drawings that will add an extra touch of beauty to your story.

Special Features

• Beautiful Cover. This journal has a thick and durable hardcover. The title is engraved and illuminated with gold accents.
• Soft Binding for a fold-flat journaling experience. Allowing you to write on an even surface on every page.
• Elastic closure and elastic pen holder in the binding (Who knew this was possible?)
• Pocket Folder in the back to store keepsakes.
• Ribbon Bookmark
• Inspiring Quotes on journal pages
• Practice pages laid out on grid lines. Several practice letters for you to trace and several spaces where you can add your own touch of beauty to the letters.
• Thick pages. Work best with smooth pens like Pilot G-2 or colored pencils. I would not recommend permanent markers as they did bleed through the pages.
• Practice pages with a wide range of flourishes, flowers, animals, and basic shapes.
• Part of the Museum of the Bible Book Series

The Illustrated Word

For hundreds of years, monks made the scriptures come alive through intricate handwritten and illustrated manuscripts. This journal will help you become a part of their creations. Each journal page has a picture that was drawn by one of the monks, pages to journal in, Information about the drawing, and an outlined coloring page for you to recreate their drawing using your own color schemes and creative eye.

Special Features 

• Beautiful Cover. This journal has a thick and durable hardcover. The front and back covers are engraved and illuminated with gold accents.
• Soft Binding for a fold-flat journaling experience. Allowing you to write on an even surface on every page.
• Full-color illustrations from the Museum of the Bible Archives.
• The name, the illustrator and time period each piece was drawn in.
• Thick cream-colored pages. Works best with colored pencils. I would not recommend permanent markers as they did bleed through the pages. May work well with watercolor colored pencils for a watercolor effect.
• Full-size coloring page of the original work
• Part of the Museum of the Bible Book Series

Faith and Lettering Journal

This is the most modern of the three journals. I love the bright colors that are on the front cover and all throughout in all the hand-lettered verses. I would also say this is my favorite of the three but the one that seems the most complicated.

Giving our worship through creative journaling doesn’t have to feel complicated or overwhelming or that we simply can’t do it. These journals have opened up a whole new opportunity for my worship and time in the word. I am so excited to use these more and develop the more technical side of creative journaling without all the pressure for it to be perfect.

Special Features

• Beautiful Cover. This journal has a thick and durable hardcover. The title and the flowers and flourishes are engraved on the cover. The colors are stunning.
• Soft Binding for a fold-flat journaling experience. Allowing you to write on an even surface on every page.
• Elastic pen holder in the binding so you will never be searching for your favorite pen again.
• Beautiful hand-lettering of favorite Bible verses.
• Practice pages laid out on grid lines, dots lines, or squares that includes instructions and practice space. Also included are lined pages for journal writing.
• Thick pages. Work best with smooth pens like Pilot G-2 or colored pencils. I would not recommend permanent markers as they did bleed through the pages. Watercolors may be a great addition to this journal.
• Practice pages with a wide range of flourishes, flowers, and basic shapes.
• The pages are large for ample room for writing and practicing your new techniques.

Check out the other posts in this series Gifts to Remember 

• NIV Adventure Bible

The post Ellie Claire Coloring Journals Review appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Indivisible 

One Marriage… One Family… Under God… Indivisible

When I was growing up I heard war stories from both of my grandpa’s. Both veterans of WWII. One proudly served his country as a member of the Navy and the other as a member of the Army.

Grandpa H was always more willing to tell his stories. I think it was how they processed the whole thing and how they learned to deal with all they experienced.

These stories felt like such a rich part of my family history and I loved hearing them. A part of who I came from. These stories were personal and as close to the scene of a war as I had become.

I love both my grandpas very much and was proud of them for leaving their families. They left behind the safety of their homeland to fight for the freedom and safety of the world.

One thing I never got to ask them was if at any time they were scared. I am sure they must have been, but it probably never occurred to me because they both always seemed so brave.

The Movie Indivisible

This past month I had the opportunity to preview the extraordinary movie Indivisible.

Indivisible releases in theaters nationwide this Friday, October 26.

Join me for this sneak peek into Indivisible.

With both of my grandpa’s being veterans, I was immediately drawn in. Anytime, you can get a glimpse into the life of another gives you the opportunity to grow in your compassion for their struggles and joys in life.

This real-life story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his wife Heather was such a beautiful story of the real struggles and restoration that God can deliver through them.

I appreciated the view from the other side

I have seen war movies before, but what I really enjoyed about this movie was that it took compassion and human dignity to a whole new level. Because I was instantly drawn to these people, I was rooting for them the whole movie.

I was hoping that the distance and hardship of war wouldn’t change them. Having never been in a war or actually been in this situation, my compassion has always come from the outside.

Indivisible brought me in. I couldn’t just be a spectator, I had great hopes and expectations for this family. This movie brought me into their lives and their family. It showed me the deep struggles with marriage and faith our brave soldiers and their families actually face.

It makes me wish my grandpas were here, so I could not just hear of their bravery but how they have lived each day with everything they have had to witness. I want to know how those struggles changed and shaped them and how God used it to make them the men they had become.

Right away these characters hooked that special place in my heart. (Just a side note, I was bawling after 30 seconds into this movie). Not just the main characters, but all the brave men and women and their families, I wanted them to win. I wanted everything to work out for them in the best possible scenario.

We want life to be just that way.

But we know war is not like that.  The harsh reality is sometimes things seem unbearable. Families are divided by war with their lives rattled and their faith rocked.

Indivisible is a Must See Movie 

Indivisible is a must-see movie. This movie tore at my heartstrings from the get-go. I was invited into this very intimate time with this family. I was able to share in lives that I have gained even more compassion for.

It an opportunity for all people to see an inside view of most of us take for granted. The rights and freedoms that we have didn’t come free, they come at a cost. For some, the cost is so great and even at times unimaginable.

Why I wholeheartedly recommend this movie? We get the unique and privileged experience to be immersed in the lives of others. Not just anyone, but soldiers and their families. Magnificent men and women that risk it all to allow us great freedoms.

That is something that can’t be given away easily or taken for granted.

For more information, you can click here to go to the official page of Indivisible the Movie and find showtimes and screening locations near you. 

Giveaway!

I am so excited and honored to be offering to one reader the opportunity to go see this extraordinary movie. I have 2 tickets to give away.

Read the disclosure below for full details from Flyby Promotions. Anyone, 18 and over in the US, who comments on this post, will be entered into a drawing to win two movie passes.

This giveaway will go until Tuesday, October 30, 2018, at 12:00 pm. Then, I will draw a name and contact you via email. Please leave a valid email address you want to be contacted with when commenting. (No need to post it publicly, I will get it from my comment system.)

You will then have 24 hours to respond to my email offering you a code for 2 Fandango movie tickets for Indivisible.

I am so excited to be giving this away. In the comments, you can take the opportunity to mention any family and friends that have served in the military that you would like to honor.  Or you can comment about what it is you enjoy about seeing into the lives of others and how that changes you.

Movie Synopsis:

INDIVISIBLE is the extraordinary true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his wife Heather, whose lives are fully devoted to serving God, family, and country. But when war etches deep battle scars—both overseas and on the home front—the Turners’ rock-solid marriage is shaken to its core.

Carrying burdens the other can’t comprehend, they must decide if they’re willing to face one more battle: the fight to save their marriage. From the director of The Grace Cardand the studio that brought you Fireproof and War Room comes INDIVISIBLE, the story of one marriage … one family … under God. Starring Sarah Drew, Justin Bruening, Jason George, Tia Mowry, and Madeline Carroll, INDIVISIBLE opens in theaters October 26.

Winner guidelines for 2018:

Update: Marcy K, You are the winner of the Indivisible tickets courtesy of FlyBy Promotions! Congratulations!

The post Indivisible Review and Giveaway appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

 As God stitches each one of us into His story, he carefully picks the pieces and puts them into place. He knows each one us so intricately and knows where each stitch has been placed. We are beautifully crafted and evidence of His amazing creation and power.

Sometimes I’m asked why I so treasure a quilt that faded and lumpy. It’s because in my family, the Ohio Star is more than a quilt. It’s a symbol of hope. (page 34)  

 “That’s bright,” I said. “Gorgeous purple…”  I told her that purple was traditionally the color of royalty, a fact that didn’t seem to faze her. She just nodded. “We should wear more. After all, we are God’s children. She looked straight at me. “Royalty. We should act as such. Treat each other as such.”    (page 52) 

Throughout Scripture we are encouraged to gather in His name, not only for worship, but for the strength to be had in uplifting and prayer for each other. (page 148)  

*This giveaway is not sponsored by Seeking God and the Winners are at the sole discretion of the giveaway site for My Mother’s Quilt!*

About the Author:
Ramona Richards is an award-winning editor, speaker, author of nine books and a frequent contributor to devotional collections. An avid live music fan, Ramona loves Nashville, which she has called home since she was ten. Sensing her mother was near the end of her life, Ramona documented her mother’s stories and lessons behind each family quilt. These stories form the devotion’s in My Mother’s Quilts. Find Out more about Ramona and her books by visiting her online at ramonarichards.com 

The post My Mother’s Quilt – Devotions of Love, Legacy, Family and Faith – Book Review appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.