I'll get to why that's important to this review in a minute.
When FlyBy Promotions asked for folks to volunteer to review Adored - 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan, I jumped on it. I even asked if I could do my giveaway during our middle school girls' youth meeting rather than on the blog (and they said yes - so I did, and one of our sweet girls is going to get a copy in the mail). I was so excited to take the opportunity to review a book that could have a positive impact on young women.
I got the book in the mail and was absolutely drawn to the artwork on the cover. It's simple and doesn't have that "I'm clearly trying to draw in teen girls!" look about it (you know what I mean - the loud designs... yeah... see... you know) which is refreshing. The cover is solid and while the book is thick it's a manageable size; this is a devotional that a girl can carry in her bag easily without it getting to clunky.
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| I "adore" this cover design - so inviting! |
Once you get into the devotionals, one thing I absolutely love about this particular one is the invitation to write notes below the daily reading. I find that often there's just blank space or you squish in the margins, but this book is really encouraging the reader to take a minute and write a thought or two about what has been read. Each reading has an accompanying scripture which is wonderful because it encourages the reader to crack open a Bible alongside the reading and potentially take a deeper dive into the verse of the day and its content.
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| The daily verse is a great anchor and reference for the readings. |
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| A place to write notes? Don't mind if I do! |
(In fact - if you're looking for a good Bible to use alongside this, might I recommend the Illuminated ESV Bible which I reviewed last week? Incidentally that's exactly the Bible that I used alongside this wonderful devotional - so I can honestly say that they definitely tie well together.)
So for the devotionals... here's why what I said earlier is important.
The devotionals are simple, straightforward, and easy to relate to. They are written in down-to-earth language and with a tone that comes off as conversational and approachable. I clearly did not have 365 days to review the whole book, but I selected a few and I have to say that it's the kind of real talk that a lot of teenagers need. The readings are thought provoking of how we should live our lives covering topics of how God loves us and sees us to free will to consistency of character to generosity and more.
As I read through these, though, I realized that the simple language and the thoughts of the devotionals - while geared towards "young women" - are really applicable to any women on this side of the technology age. There are a couple of readings that really hit chords in MY life, and I'm 37 (which some would argue is "young", but that's neither here nor there). While I do highly recommend this devotional for the teen or college age young woman in your life (or if you are a teen or college age girl) - I would also recommend this for any woman who is busy and sometimes just needs a quicker devotional that's quick, easy to read, and challenges your thinking.
To get your own copy of this wonderful devotional (and a free 7-day download sampling so you can try before you buy), head on over to the Adored Devotional home page. This would make a wonderful gift for that young woman in your life that you may be mentoring, a great grab for a youth group Christmas swap, or maybe you've been looking for a good devotional for yourself. Definitely consider this one in your searching - it's worth the look.
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Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
