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4 Ways to Encourage Your Daughter to Read God’s Word

4 Ways to encourage your daughter to read God's Word

If your daughter is between the ages of 9 and 12, she’s the perfect age to build the lifelong habit of reading God’s Word daily.

And if your daughter is between 9 and 12, she’s being bombarded by the world’s message that the things she can see, touch, taste, and buy are all that really matter.

Take a second and think about how many times a day your daughter is told by friends, television, her smart phone, iPad, computer, or a billboard that temporal things are worthy of her complete devotion.

Even us moms fight that battle. Materialism and our own personal comfort wage war against what Scripture teaches. And that’s why we need God’s Word in our lives so desperately.

We need truth to keep us on track. To remind us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).

God’s Word, “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105), is needed in our lives and our daughter’s lives to steer us straight in confusing times.

Want to encourage your daughter to stay in God’s Word? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Help your daughter buy a Bible of her own. 

You take her shopping for other stuff… clothes, shoes, decorations for her room… because she’s old enough to have some say in choosing her own belongings. Why not allow her to help choose her own Bible? While we want our kids to learn to graciously receive whatever gifts they are given, it’s also important to let them have ownership in something as important as a copy of the Scriptures.

A few things to consider…

  • Is your daughter the kind who will value her Bible more if she helps pay for it?
  • Would it be especially meaningful to her if it is a gift from you or someone else close to her?
  • Does she like shopping trips, or would she rather pick out a Bible online? (Don’t forget to check out the Faithgirlz Bibles!)

2. Consider finding a devotional book as well.

Have a conversation with your daughter about the difference between God’s Word and the words of people explaining God’s Word. Scripture is truly God’s message to us, while devotionals are merely tools to help us understand God’s message.

Encourage your daughter to prioritize reading Scripture, but remember that she’ll often need help interpreting and applying it. A devotional book can be a great supplemental tool for her.

Faithgirlz offers a great varitey of devotionals you can check out here, there are also many convenient devotional apps for your daughter’s phone or iPad, or you should be able to find devotionals at any local Christian bookstore.

3. Help create time and space for devotions.

Consider your daughter’s routine. Is she an early riser? A night owl? Does she focus best independently or in a group setting?

Ideas for creating a quiet time routine:

  • Help your daughter find a comfy spot in her room for daily devotions. (Possibly include a lamp, desk, chair, beanbag chair, journal, pens, etc.)
  • Invite the family to have devotions at the same time each morning. After some quiet time in the house, share cinnamon rolls together.
  • Wrap up each day by turning off the tv, unwinding with quiet time and a family prayer.

There are endless possibilities. Ask your daughter for her ideas of how to make spending time in God’s Word a daily habit!

4. Stay focused on the heart, rather than the task.

As you encourage your daughter to read her Bible, remind her that it’s not about checking a chore off a list. The whole point is to allow God’s Holy Spirit to transform our hearts.

Encourage your daughter to start her quiet times with prayer, asking God to work in her life, to make her a “doer of the Word” not a “hearer only” (James 1:22).

Enjoy this journey with your daughter, Mom! It’s a privilege to lead her closer to Jesus. Share with her your own journey of walking with God. Let her know about the seasons that you may have failed to stay in God’s Word, and tell her how that impacted you. Share about the times that God’s Word has directed your ways and helped you make wise decisions.

Let your daughter see your heart, let her see your passion for Jesus and for God’s Word.

And pray for her. Pray that God will create that same passion in her!

 

by Jennifer Ebenhack

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Making New Year’s Resolutions… And Keeping Them! (Part 1)

NY Part 1

Happy New Year!

2016 is full of potential. Full of opportunities to grow, to love, and to glorify God!

What are your goals this year? Your resolutions? What do you long to see come to fruition, what do you long to change in your life?

Maybe you’re afraid of resolutions, knowing how many times you’ve failed in the past.

If that’s you, hang on and read a little further… you might be surprised at the change God can help you bring about!

First, think about where you’d like to be at this point next year. What do you want to be different by then?

Write it down. Pray about it. Mull it over.

There’s no point to impulsive resolution lists. Sure, you could probably whip off half a dozen things you wish would be different in a year, but if you’ve put only two seconds of thought into them, you’re not too likely to have the resolve you’ll need to follow through with them.

Take your time. What really matters to you? What would you be willing to make some sacrifices for? Let the Lord guide you to the things that count. It may take hours, days, or even weeks to discern where the Lord wants you to focus. But that’s what you need. If you want change, it needs to come from your heart.

A resolution isn’t about wishful thinking. It’s about resolve.

Next, once you have your goal(s) in mind, ask yourself what’s standing in your way?

Do you have internal struggles that will make these changes difficult? Lies you’re believing? External obstacles that you’ll have to work through?

Write down everything that stands between you and your goal. List the truths, list the lies. But don’t let the list discourage you. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). And He is faithful to complete the work that He begins. If He is the One starting you on the road to change, you can count on Him to be there with you every step of the way!

Be honest about your struggles. Then take that list of obstacles back to God.

Realize your obstacles are just a gap that the Lord wants to help you bridge.

That’s what transformation is: bridging the gap between where you’re called to go and where you are right now.

Ready to get started on the path to change? Take the time to think and pray through these first three steps, then check back in for the following steps: Making New Year’s Resolutions… And Keeping Them! (Part 2).

 

by Jennifer Ebenhack

 

 

 

 

 

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Gifts for the Soul

GIFTS FOR THE SOUL

Our tween daughters are bound to ask for the practical stuff, the fun stuff, and the frivolous stuff this Christmas.

Nothing wrong with that.

But the thing they may need most might not make it onto their list.

Gifts for the soul.

Gifts that challenge their minds, build their faith, and stretch them past our materialistic culture.

Our girls need to be taken to a deeper level, and Faithgirlz exists for that very purpose.

As you’re shopping this weekend, don’t forget to include some gifts for your daughter’s soul.

Whether she’s into fiction, DIY and real-life girl’s stuff, or needs a great new Bible or devotional, we’ve got some amazing resources, including the soon-to-be-released Glimmer Girls Series by Natalie Grant!

Check out the resources that could truly change your daughter’s life in our online store.

We pray these gifts will make a difference!

The Faithgirlz Bible Collection

FG-NG-PRESALE-HEADER

LUCY EBOOK COLLECTION

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The Guaranteed Cure for a Discontented Heart

The guaranteed cure for a discontented heart

It’s so easy to spot in our kids… entitlement, discontent, the constant longing for more.

One purchase at the store elicits, “Oh man, I wish I could have bought both things!”

One hour of tv is a surefire recipe for “What? That’s all?”

But dissatisfaction is no respecter of age. And we moms are just as susceptible to all forms of greed as our children.

The irony of the upcoming holidays is that we profess joy while scouring sales or envying another’s “perfect life,” always looking for the next thing to make us happy.

It doesn’t take much introspection to dismay ourselves. Could we really be this shallow? We conceal it more skillfully than our children, but our hearts tell us it’s true. Yes, we love Jesus. But couldn’t we have just this one other thing too?

It’s a poison, this discontent. None of us are immune, and there’s only one antidote.

A pure, sweet water, served from the simplest of cups, that promises to quench our thirst if we could just dare to believe it’s better than all the other exciting “drinks” with their gimmicky names and umbrellas and whipped creams and drizzles.

Gratitude.

A refreshing realization that our cup is full.

That God pursued us with His goodness. That the Creator humbled Himself for us. That He loved us. Claimed us. Redeemed us from Satan and sin’s grasp.

A remembrance that through Christ, we are free.

Free from the love of money. Free from slavery to the flesh. Free to live and love with abandon. Free to dream God’s dreams instead of our own and to serve with humility, because we know that our Father sees what is done in secret and will reward openly for eternity.

Gratitude that God is Emmanuel, with us. That He’ll never leave or forsake us.

Gratitude that He sees the sparrow and lilies and us and all our needs. Gratitude that He is the God who provides.

This antidote is life-giving, energizing, transforming, and must be taken daily. Hourly. Moment-by-moment. And while results may vary, the greatest successes come to those who drink most deeply.

It’s not just a day. It’s not just a catchphrase. Thanks-giving changes the very course of our lives.

Instead of wearing ourselves out for more, for better, for cuter, for skinnier, for more successful, we can finally see what is and truly live.

We see that the gifts we’ve been given are precious. That they aren’t meant to be compared to the gifts He gave others, for they are perfect and meant for us right here and right now.

When we stop chasing what we don’t have and slow down long enough to see what is; when we take the time to really see, it won’t actually be so hard to feel it. To let go of the striving and find peace, joy, hope.

Gratitude. Remembering that He who owes us nothing has given us everything.

An antidote we’ll want to share with everyone around us in the season ahead. (Especially those sweet kiddos!)

 

by Jennifer Ebenhack

 

 

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Presenting the NKJV Faithgirlz Bible

NKJV FAITHGIRLZ BIBLE

Faithgirlz is delighted to present the New King James Bible for tween girls… Perfect for anyone looking for a more traditional, yet modern translation!

Your tween will love the extras this Bible provides as well:

At the beginning of each Bible book is a Book Introduction, enabling your girls to understand the big picture, thanks to explanations of “who”, “when”, “where”, and “what” before the story begins.

Then in “Dream Girl” sections, your girls will be encouraged to use their imaginations… putting themselves into the story they just read, helping them get a feel for God’s love and power, not only in the past, but also in their own lives.

In “Bring It On!” girls will be challenged through fun quizzes to get to know who God has created them to be.

Through “Is There a Little (Eve, Ruth, Isaiah) in You?” sections, girls will get a chance to figure out what they may have in common with leading personalities of the Bible.

Words to Live By will provide great Bible memory verse options.

In “What Happens Next” girls are provided with a list of Bible story events, challenging them to retell the story in their own words.

And through “Oh, I Get It!” girls discover answers to Bible questions they may be wondering about.

Help fill your tween girl’s heart and mind with God’s Word and godly wisdom! Check out the NKJV Faithgirlz Bible here, and browse through other Faithgirlz versions here.

For details and to order your NKJV Faithgirlz Bible, click below:

NKJV-buy-now

And watch God work through His Word in the life of your very own faithgirl!

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