A Mindful Moment; 5-Minute Meditations and Devotions
Irene Kraegel
There is a handful of questions that I get time and again. It’s almost predictable at this point- very rarely does a week go by without one of them being asked. Towards the top of the list is, “What kids devotional do you recommend?” Almost two decades of parenting and over two decades in the field of children’s ministries has left me with a small shelf of favorites that are dog-earred, ripped, and have stray stains from chocolate chip granola bars. There is a direct correlation between the disreputability of the book’s condition to the high level of affection its contents has garnered by my crew. When A Mindful Moment; 5-Minute Meditations and Devotions by Irene Kraegel landed on my stoop from the publisher, I quickly whisked it away so I could have first crack at it. It is probably the last time this copy will be read without blemishes left on the cover and the pages.
Marketed for teens, this devotional has many features. There are 150 devotions, each centered around Scripture which is printed on the page. At the end of each devotion, there is an encouraged practice to try, coordinated with ten separate mindfulness activities to help connect the reader with God. Each is one page in length and fits well with the timing that teens prefer. Audio and e-book versions are also available, allowing the reader to access the content in the modality they prefer. God is referred to in the masculine form throughout. There is a nuts and bolts guide of meditation at the back of the book to help the reader go more deeply into the practices, along with a beautiful introduction to help the reader get the most from the book.
I see this devotional being used in many different ways. Yes, it’s a solid choice for your youth to use independently. In fact, I wouldn’t limit it to youth. I passed this on to my young adult daughter, and she greatly enjoyed it. She asked if she could keep it, as she found great value in the devotions and mindfulness practices. These devotions would also be excellent beginnings to youth group times and midweek fellowship. In fact, one could use them as a 6 week series of mindfulness practices with a small group. You could also use the book as the spine of a care package you send off to your college students. College chaplains- I would also keep a copy on campus to share with your students. This is a flexible resource and I am quite glad I have had a chance to spend time with it!
