I don’t recommend things lightly on this blog, but I was at my local Lifeway store last night looking through the Children’s Devotional section, and I was reminded of the best such book I have ever read with my kids. The name of the book is Growing With Jesus by Andy Holmes. I found the book quite by accident. I ordered it from one of those fund raisers that comes home from school with the kids without ever having seen the inside. That is a bit of a scary prospect when it comes to any so called “Christian Literature” especially of the Kid’s variety because you never know what you’re going to get!
Fortunately, this book did not disappoint, and I comend it to any parent or Children’s Ministry worker to read with their kids. From Devotion #1 – “You’re God’s Special Project” to Devotion #100 – “Jesus is Coming Back,” this book affirms, eddifies, teaches and challenges kids and the adults reading with them. Each devotional offer a Bible Verse, Thoughts to Grow On which explores the verse, Today which offers the kids actions they can take today related to the devotional, and My Amazing World which gives the kids an interesting factoid. Each devotional is two pages and includes illustrations which keep the kids interest. For example, my kids were constantly looking for the devotionals with the pictures from the front cover! Last time we read through this book, my kids were 6 and 4. We are starting in again this week, they are now 8, 6 and almost 2. They love the book, and the devotions spark even deeper conversations. As a parent I love that they love the book, and I find myself learning from it as well.