The twenty-first century teenager is a unique force to be reckoned with. I know, because I am the mother of one. When I was a teenager, computers didn't even exist. We fought our battles on the playground, not in cyberspace. When we had news to tell (or a rumor to pass along), we passed notes, met on the playground, or used a land line instead of Facebook, MySpace, text messaging, and email. We thought good news traveled fast back then; we could never have dreamed that our secrets would be broadcast across the Internet in a nanosecond!
As a writer of devotionals for men and women, I have spent much time studying God's Word and reflecting on the issues I have faced as a parent and an adult in a very challenging world. Now it is time for me to focus on the people nearest and dearest to my heart--my children and their teenage and tweenage peers.
This journey will be one of discovery for all of us, and one which I hope will prove to be of help to the many troubled teens I know. At the risk of turning a few heads, I plan to share with the young people who will read these devotionals some of the lessons I learned the hard way, hoping that perhaps they will avoid making some of the same mistakes I did. I will be sharing things I have already told my own children about my life and the lessons God has taught me about his love and forgiveness, his Word, dating and physical intimacy, media and advertising influences, friendships, substance abuse, self-image, finances, and other things that our kids are facing now and will have to face in the future.
Parents, I encourage you to prayerfully consider reading and discussing these devotionals with your teens and tweens. We all need every bit of help we can get, and God's Word is full of wisdom, instruction, and hope for those of us in the trenches. Guys and gals, buckle your seatbelts -- this is going to be one interesting ride!
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