As a 40-year-old woman, I really love reading devotions. I like hearing stories that help bring scriptures to life. I like themes that apply to my life.
But gathering my family for devotion time often seems stressful to me, especially after we’ve had full days and are spending time together after dinner.
We talk about Jesus often. We serve together. We are involved in church together. Yet my momma ears totally perked up when I heard about a new family devotional: “The Very Best, Hands-On Kinda Dangerous Family Devotions: 52 Activities Your Kids Will Never Forget” by Tim Shoemaker.
After flipping through the book without my kids present, I get excited about the word “activities.” Doing something with my kids comes more naturally than sitting around the table trying to teach and lecture them.
I immediately noticed a few things about the table of contents: The activities are titled, but the themes are also noted immediately after. Some activities that may require extra supervision and precaution – like one involving a potato gun, chemistry experiment, or make-shift balance beam – are noted with one symbol while themes more appropriate for children 12 years and older are marked with another.
Like Shoemaker says in the introduction, parents are supposed to protect their children, provide for them, and prepare them for their futures. All of that is best built on a spiritual foundation and resources like this creative family devotional book are wonderful guides.
I appreciate how Shoemaker offers fourteen tips to making devotions work for your family. It’s good to be reminded these are object lessons, not drawn out lectures that bore the kids. He encourages parents to focus on doing weekly devotions and creating a habit that works best for their schedules.
Stay tuned because I’ll be back with more glimpses as my family moves into our backyard and living room to learn more about what following Jesus is about together.
About the book
The remedy to ho-hum, not-again, “Do we have to?” family devotions. Regular family devotions are important. Unfortunately, they’re often . . . boring. But what if devotions looked less like sitting still and listening to someone read and more like, say, electrocuting a pickle? Or converting a leaf blower into a toilet paper launcher? Or lighting toothpaste on fire?
“The Very Best, Hands-On, Kinda Dangerous Family Devotions” is a 304-page paperback book published by Revell (May 21, 2019).
About the author
Tim Shoemaker is the author of fourteen books. He has worked as a volunteer with youth at his local church for more than twenty-five years and speaks to thousands of students at public schools. He’s a popular workshop speaker at Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences, Moody Pastor’s Conference, Focus on the Family, and GREAT Homeschool Conventions. He lives in Illinois. Learn more about him and his books at his website.
*****
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review as part of the Revell Reads program. These opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply