Looking for a way to incorporate devotions into your family time? Look no further. PathLights Press has made it easy to bring God's Word to family mealtime or any other time your family gathers together. This book and accompanying CD allow you to progress through a variety of topics within one year while memorizing Scripture using your NIV Bible.

Intended for use in families with children between the ages of 8 and 12, the material can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of both younger and older children. The book is divided into monthly sections, each covering a different topic. Topics include trusting God, purity, forgiveness, humility, obeying, respect, lying, self-control, wisdom, selfishness and diligence. Each topic is covered over the course of one month, with a related Bible verse given for memorization. To make memorization easier and more fun, the accompanying CD has all 12 verses set to music. Played before each daily devotion, the songs on the CD will familiarize your children with the chosen verses.

The book suggests that each devotion time consist of worship, instruction, and prayer. After singing the song, you simply read the daily devotion, part of which is directly from the Bible. It is recommended that you use an NIV Bible. In the "How to use this book" section, the author recommends that the father read the devotion and assign children and spouse to look up the various verses. The verses are printed in the book, but children can look them up in a Bible as part of the lesson. The story part of the devotion is either a Bible story or a modern tale taken directly from the author's family. Memorizing the Bible verses that reinforce the monthly theme will help your family learn how to apply God's Word to daily living.

We used this book in my family as part of our morning devotions before starting school. My husband was not home at this time, and since my children are older, we took turns being the devotion leader. The lessons are easily adapted to personal needs and style. We enjoyed the stories and had many discussions about applying them to our own situation. We did not use the CD often because my children found it to be silly. I think it would work well for younger children if the verses were read several times as well. Sometimes the songs make it challenging to truly hear all the words in the verse.

Overall, I recommend Family Devotions for busy mothers who want to bring more to their family's worship time. If your children are young and love music, the accompanying CD can help make memorization easier and more fun.

Product review by Katherine Averill, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2011