Review: Always: A Teen Devotional

Always: A Teen Devotional by Melody Carlson

Publication Date: October 2010
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group/Revell
Format: Paperback, 189 pp
Genre: Young Adult/Christian Growth
ISBN-13: 9780800732561
ISBN: 0800732561

(Received for review from Revell Books)

Synopsis (Courtesy of Barnes & Noble):

Teen girls are already devoted followers of Melody Carlson's fiction series. From the thousands of personal letters she has received, she knows they want more. They're looking for substance and spiritual guidance that can make a difference in their lives.

Always offers readers a fresh way to encounter Jesus's words for their own personal inspiration and practical application. Carlson shares with her faithful young readers the life changing message of Jesus, giving them something to lean on in the turbulent times of adolescence. This 90-day devotional will strengthen teens' faith and help them understand and love the words of the Savior.

Thoughts:

As many of you know, I'm always on the lookout for good devotional materiel for my daughters ages 10 and 12. Almost teens and already feeling that angst, LOL. When I was growing up I found a great devotional book that inspired me to new heights in my Christian life and I hope my kids are able to find one that does that for them.

Melody Carlson is a wonderful YA (young adult) Christian writer that has created books that teens love and now she has put together this devotional based on her experience and the letters she receives from her fans. She is definitely in tune with the situations that young girls are facing today and I feel that this devotional is one of the best that I've seen.

It is a 90-day devotional that focuses on issues facing our teens in their everyday life and offering them great insights into God's word as well as some practical advice on some subjects they might be reluctant to share with a parent. This kind of book can be good used in their own personal lives and quiet times or with a group where they can discuss the things they face everyday and how to deal with them. It can also be conversation starters for parents, when they are worried about things that they are seeing in their teens lives.

Always is the third and final book in the Words From the Rock series. It covers themes that Jesus himself talked about in the Bible. Most of the words in this book come from the latter part of Jesus' life. One of my favorite parts of the book is a small token for the teen to take with them through the week called, "Stone for the Journey..." It expresses the entire devotion in a nutshell. Some of the devotion titles really caught my attention like: Humble Entrances, Messes Welcome, False Religion's Reward and Forgiveness Road.

I highly recommend this for teen girls. My daughters really like it a lot and I think it will benefit teens looking for a closer relationship with Jesus.

Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

This one gets 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 200 books, Just Another Girl and Anything But Normal. She recently was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband like in Oregon.