Dinner Table Devotions: 365 opportunities to grow closer to God as a family
Nancy Guthrie
Pages: 365
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1895-0

Summary: Devotions are a critical part of a Christian's daily life, and to find a book that will effectively draw our eyes heavenward is no easy matter. How do you find a devotional that can engage all the members of the family without sacrificing depth for the spiritual growth of the older children and yet making the gospel clear enough that even the youngest can understand? Is it possible to avoid all those little eyes glazing over as soon as the Bible gets pulled out after dinner? Nancy Guthrie has done an excellent job with this 365 day devotional. Along with a short meditation on the day's topic, applicable scripture passages are written in their entirety along the margin of each page. On the bottom are 3 extremely practical discussion starter questions that range from a simple answer to more thought provoking discussions.

Personal Thoughts: My family has been reading this devotional for a while now. Our 5 year old lovingly nicknamed it 'The Banana Book' based on its front cover. But joking aside, this devotional has been a real blessing to our home. Our kids range in age from 5-13, and since using this devotional, all of them are engaged and participate in the discussions around the table. As a family, we are learning that  sanctification comes in small steps. We each have opportunity to apply Christ's claim on our lives in very specific ways, whether in kindergarten or in band class or on the soccer field. The fact is, Christ's call comes to each of us individually and we must respond. I thank Nancy Guthrie for making that clear in these meditations.

Quote:
"Imagine if a baby just stayed a baby-never growing up or getting bigger. Something would be terribly wrong with a baby who didn't grow. And something would be wrong with a Christian who never grew either-a Christian who stayed a baby in faith. As we grow in years, we want to grow in how we talk to, listen to, and trust God.
How do we grow in faith? It starts with how we "eat" spiritually......."

Discussion Starters
In what way(s) have you been growing in the past year?
What kind of spiritual food helps your faith grow?
Looking back, can you pinpoint ways your faith has grown from what it used to be?

--excerpt from the Dinner Table Devotions for February 23 entitled, Still Growing. pg. 54