Dear Diary: A Girl's Book of Devotions

by Susie Shellenberger

Overview

The years between ages 8-12 can be an awkward and uncertain time for many girls. Dear Diary is the perfect devotional for tweens looking for straight answers to issues of today.

From author and teen advocate, Susie Shellenberger comes a unique and creative devotional just for girls ages 8-12. Dear Diary is a devotional that addresses many of the issues facing young girls today, by providing biblically based solutions at a time when straight answers and solutions to real-life challenges aren’t always clear-cut. Written in the style of a young girl writing in her diary, each devotion not only offers guidance but also encourages girls to develop their God-confidence.

Dear Diary:

• Is written especially for girls ages 8-12
• Provides interactive devotions for timely topics
• Is paperback for easy carrying in a backpack.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310700166
Publisher:	Zonderkidz
Publication date:	09/26/2000
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.56(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Susie Shellenberger travels as a fulltime speaker forty weeks or weekends every year. She has written fifty-two books, and lives in Bethany, Oklahoma with her two mini Schnauzers Obie and Amos. Susie is a former youth pastor, high school teacher, and editor. She loves Sharpies in every color, burnt hotdogs, and praying at OKC Thunder basketball games.

Read an Excerpt

Dear Diary

A Girl's Book of Devotions

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By Susie Shellenberger

Zondervan

Copyright © 2000 Zondervan
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0-310-70016-7

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Chapter One

Dear Diary ...

Something is been bugging me since yesterday. We were in Sunday school, and the lesson was about being a Christian. Mrs. Johnson asked us to think about when we became a Christian. I don't get it. I've always gone to church! But Gabrielle said when she was seven, she asked her mom to pray with her, and that's when she invited Jesus into her heart.

Alicia said she became a Christian two weeks ago when Pastor Samuelson asked people to come forward who wanted to give their lives to Christ. And when Janie asked me when I became a Christian, all I could think of was, "I don't know."

I'm totally confused!

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Good news! You don't have to be confused. You can know beyond all doubt if you're a Christian. But before we chat about that, take a few minutes to take this quick quiz, okay?

1. You're a Christian if

a. you go to church and invite your friends.

b. you know right from wrong.

c. you've asked Jesus into your heart and are following him.

2. You're not a Christian if

a. you don't read the Bible every day.

b. you've never confessed your sins and asked Christ to come into your life.

c. you get angry.

3. Christians

a. will go to heaven when they die.

b. can never know for sure if they'll go to heaven.

c. need to give a certain amount of money to the church over a period of years to make sure they'll go to heaven.

4. If you're a good person,

a. you're a Christian.

b. God will love you more.

c. you'll probably still mess up.

Let's compare answers. The correct answer for the first question is C. Going to church doesn't make anyone a Christian. And lots of people know right from wrong (even Satan knows that!). A true Christian is someone who has confessed her sins, asked Jesus into her heart and is following him.

If you chose B for the second question, you're right! Forgetting to read your Bible yesterday or getting angry because someone stole your lunch isn't a sign of not being a Christian. Christians are still human, and we're packed full of emotions. We'll still get angry (although God wants to help us with that), and we'll still be forgetful.

What about the third question? I hope you chose the first answer. Isn't it exciting that you can know for sure that you'll spend eternity in heaven with Christ?

The correct answer for the last question is C. Being a good person doesn't make you a Christian. And even good people will still fail. Becoming a Christian is done on faith. Let's open your Bible and check out what God has to say ... and we'll keep chatting about being a Christian for the next few pages, okay? After all, becoming God's girl is all about following him ... and that means understanding this whole thing called Christianity.

Read Psalm 139:13-14. Who created you?

List some words that pop into your mind that describe how God feels about you as you read this Scripture. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

valuable

God's in love with me

special

Read John 3:16 to find out how much God loves you. Write the verse here in the space provided and memorize it.

My Memory Verse

Dear Diary ...

This is blowing my mind! I thought being a Christian was just being a good person. I'm beginning to realize that there's more to it than that.

I'm a good person, and I go to church with my family. And I thought since my parents are Christians, I was automatically one, too. I still don't have it all figured out yet, but I'm super excited about becoming God's girl! I think I'm finally on the right track.

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Ready for some mind-boggling truth? Here it is:

There's nothing you can do to make God love you any more than he does right now.

Let's personalize it, okay? Repeat after me: "There's nothing I can do to make God love me any more than he does right now." Let's say it again: "There's nothing I can do to make God love me any more than he does right now."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Dear Diary by Susie Shellenberger Copyright © 2000 by Zondervan. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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