Today, I would like to share a resource for teen girls. Tessa Emily Hall‘s devotional, Coffee Shop Devos, is one that I can highly recommend. These thought provoking devotions cover situations that every girl faces and give insight from scripture on how to navigate through the challenges of teen life.
Tessa has divided the devotions into sections, so you can read one a day from the beginning of the book, or you can choose from the topic that you are struggling with that day. Some of the titles for each section include: “Inspiration for the Soul”, “Comfort in Trials”, “Healing for Heartache”, “All about Relationships”, “Everyday Issues”, and many more.
At the beginning of each section Tessa includes a delicious coffee recipe with names like: “Midnight Mocha”, “Nothing but Nutella Frappe”, “Sassy Espresso Sundae”, and “Maple Marshmallow Macchiato”. What could be better? A daily shot of inspiring scripture that hits the soul and a delicious coffee to try.
Tessa also encourages interaction through social media with others by asking a question at the end of every devotion. She asks readers to snap a picture of the book or coffee drink they make and answer the question with the hashtag #CoffeeShopDevos. Here is an example of one thought provoking question that she asked: “When we know we’ve messed up, what can we do to allow ourselves to be molded and reshaped back into God’s original design?” (page 41)
That is a great question to ask ourselves and is an encouragement to not continue down a wrong path but to stop and run to God’s Word to get us back on track.
I am promoting this book for teen girls, but I would also highly recommend it for women of all ages. I enjoyed every moment that I spent in the book. You not only get Tessa’s wisdom, but she also includes the wisdom of her mother and grandmother in the devotions she writes.
I will end this post with my favorite devotion from the book titled, “Wasted Energy“. The following excerpt are the parts that I underlined as I read:
“…I’m only human. Why should I expect myself to make everyone happy? Not only is this impossible, but it’s also a form of idolatry. When I live for other people’s approval, then I put them on a pedestal rather than God. Have you been known to be a people pleaser, too? … Thankfully, God doesn’t call us to do this. He wants us to fear Him rather than ‘mere people,’ as this scripture puts it. (Scripture reference Psalm 118:6)… We weren’t created to make others happy. That’s a need only God can fulfill. We can show love to others without striving to constantly please them. The Lord is for us. So what can the opinion of mere people do to us?” (page 348) (Please go to the book to read the entire devotion.)
The question for that day was “Where do we draw the line between loving others and doing everything we can to please them constantly?” (page 349) Think on that as you go through your day. What are people asking and expecting you to do to make them happy when they should be running to God for their needs?
If a dad, mom, or grandparent purchased this devotional, it could be used as a great tool to open up conversations between you and your teen. All you would have to do is ask the question of the day and how your teenager would answer it…then, sit back and enjoy a time of getting to know your daughter or granddaughter on a deeper level.