By Ann-Margret Housepian
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
www.tyndale.com
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
630-668-8300
The One Year Designer Genes Devo, by Ann-Margret Housepian, was written to encourage preteen girls to recognize that their true self-worth comes from their God-designed genes rather than the jeans they wear. There are 52 different topics (one for each week) that have been grouped into seven categories:
- Your body
- Your relationships
- Growing up
- Your soul
- The things you do
- The world around you
- The influence of media
"Topic by topic, girls will have the opportunity to search their hearts, search Scripture, and make courageous decisions about how they will live their lives."
The weekly sections are a few pages long, and they include a Scripture passage for each day of the week and a relevant question or sentence to complete as well as fun puzzles, interesting facts, and creative activities to introduce or reinforce the ideas presented. My daughter found these sections slightly confusing as to the flow of the week. She didn't know when she should do these activities. We decided to read the beginning section together in order to introduce the subject. Then, the section after the daily Scripture list and questions could be used as reinforcement at the end or it could be done a little each day. Another reason for my involvement is that not all things are suitable subject matter for every preteen girl. As moms, we must decide which subjects should be discussed based on our daughters' maturity, interests, and exposure to other influences. For instance, some girls may need guidance regarding boy/girl relationships, as they are "boy-crazy" by age 9, while others may see a boy as just another kid with whom to climb trees. Thus, some topics can be saved until you feel your daughter is ready.
The strengths of this "devo" are reliance on God's plan for each individual, the reading of Scripture, and an emphasis on making personal application. God has so much to say to us about our daily living, and preteen girls need to know how much God cares about what is occurring in their lives.
Product review by Stephanie D. Scarborough, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, December 2007
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