Book Review: From Me to You: A Conversation Journal for You and Your Daughter

About the Book:

Do You Crave Deeper Conversation with Your Daughter?

Amid the flurry of family life, communication can become all about daily survival, leaving little room for the kind of talk that draws you and your daughter closer together. 

Are you looking for more opportunities for meaningful moments with your child? 

This unique conversation journal provides a simple, straightforward way to: 

• ask questions to prompt important conversations with your daughter that might not otherwise occur

• encourage her with positive words she can read over and over

• connect with her—and not feel guilty for missing those opportunities

• record her thoughts in a keepsake journal

• learn what she has been thinking on a deeper level

• mentor her as she learns to express herself through writing

• journal your own thoughts—a great life habit you can start now

As you and your daughter pass this journal back and forth, you’ll experience connecting conversations, a renewed relationship and joy-filled journaling. Get started today!


My Thoughts:

What I love about journaling is that it requires still moments of contemplation and produces powerful insights. From Me to You: A Conversation Journal for You and Your Daughter by Mark and Susan Merrill aims to create that type of experience between parent and daughter. It is easy to pass through a day, speaking and interacting, yet not communicating on a deep level. This journal is an invitation to take time to speak the important, life-giving words that are vital to a daughter's heart.

From Me to You is a cute, hardcover, conversation journal. It's a tad smaller than I expected, but has plenty of room to write down thoughts, draw pictures, or add in stickers. The response areas are unlined and the authors suggest being creative and having fun! The journal's target audiences are preteens and teens.

Many of the topics in From Me to You are thought-provoking, some are light-hearted and a few pages deal with difficult life realities such as bullying or drugs. Parents are encouraged to pick a topic relevant to the daughter's life and start writing! Going in order is not necessary. Here are a few examples of topics:

• If you could ask God one question, what would you ask?
• If we had ten days to go anywhere in the world together, I would want to go to...
• If you could be one famous person, who would you like to be?
• Name two of your strengths and two of your weaknesses.
• Have you ever been bullied?
• What is one mistake you have made that you would do differently if given the chance?

Lastly, I think From Me to You: A Conversation Journal for You and Your Daughter by Mark and Susan Merrill would work well for fathers and daughters. I don't see any reason to limit it to mothers and daughters. Also, there is a companion journal for parents of sons: From Me to You: A Conversation Journal for You and Your Son.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

365 Trivia Twist Devotions

365 Trivia Twist Devotions: Fun Facts and Spiritual Truths for Every Day of the Year from B&H Publishing Group is a year-long devotional filled with simple and practical perspective on a plethora of topics. Each devotional topic is somehow related to an event that happened on a particular day. Bible verses, additional trivia tidbits, and related illustrations supplement the devotional text.

Our family has been using 365 Trivia Twist Devotions every few days over the past few weeks. My two year old is uninterested. My six year old is interested and likes hearing the devotionals read, but sometimes the content matter is above her comprehension level and she's wiggly by the end. My husband and I enjoy reading the trivia and usually have a brief discussion of the devotional's content.

Thus far, I like 365 Trivia Twist Devotions. I haven't had the opportunity to read every page, but what I have read has been interesting and various topics are presented. Who knew June 18^th is International Picnic Day? Or that June is World Juggling Month? Trivia topics cover politics, historical events, inventions, sports, food, etc. The devotional entries address priorities, relationships, personal responsibility, sin, forgiveness, and more.

Occasionally, I didn't personally agree with the author's perspective on a topic. However, the devotional still provided a good start for conversation about why we do (or don't do) certain things and why we do (or don't) subscribe to a particular idea. Example: My six year old likes looking at the illustrations that accompany some of the trivia. She was quick to notice that the page for February 3^rd, shows a man with a pipe. Since we have taught her the dangers of smoking, she questioned why this man was smoking. It was a good way to start off a conversation about smoking – Why do people do smoke? What effects does it have on your body? How do we treat people who engage in this activity? (Side Note: The devotional does not advocate smoking. It is only an illustration of Normal Rockwell smoking a pipe as he paints.)

In conclusion, I like 365 Trivia Twist Devotions and will continue using it. Once I finish it, I plan to keep it and reuse it when the kids are older. If you plan to use it with your kids, I'd recommend it for ages eight and older. This book can be used by a single reader. It does not have to be done in a family setting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."