Insulating Your Kids for Life
By: Deborah Schroeder
May 20, 2025
I am excited to introduce my new book titled Girl Time—Conversations on Godly Character.
The idea for this book sparked in July of 2018. I was preparing to lead a women’s retreat on courage, using a book by LaTan Roland Murphy titled Courageous Women of the Bible. A few days before the retreat was to take place, a friend of mine who was registered to attend, called me with a request. “I know you don’t normally include children at these events,” she began. “But my daughter, Addi, is now 12. We have been studying the same book this summer. I would love to bring Addi to this retreat to hear the insights of other women on the very things we have been discussing.” Well, who could say no to that! “Great idea!” I replied. “Addi is welcome, and I look forward to her participation.” Addi joined her mother and both grandmothers at the retreat that hosted approximately 35 women. She was poised and attentive, and even asked a question or two.
Driving home from that retreat, this thought sparked in my mind: What if other mothers wanted to pass on Godly character to their daughters? They just need a tool to do so. Girl Time is one such tool.
Why is this important, you may ask? The Bible encourages us to pass on to the next generation the wonderful truths we have received from God’s Word (Psalm 78:4,6). Girl Time is one such tool to make that happen. Each chapter contains an anecdote which ties to a spiritual truth. Following the anecdote, Addison, the 12-year-old girl who attended the women’s retreat, adds a teen’s perspective to each chapter. Scripture verses are listed to look up and study, along with several discussion questions to personalize the topic. Each chapter closes with the good news from the Gospel and a closing prayer.
Our culture today is vastly different from the Judeo-Christian one we enjoyed many decades ago. Our children do not have the benefit of living in a community where Godly principles are supported. In some cases, quite the opposite is true. Parents often wonder how to equip their children to function in a non-Christian world without compromising their beliefs. While we cannot isolate our children, we can insulate them with the Word of God. That insulation protects them from being easily swayed by every idea or thought that comes to them. They learn to take ideologies and weigh them against what they know to be true from Scripture. Girl Time is designed to assist parents, mentors, and youth leaders in the process of insulating youth.
Girl Time is unique in offering 3 different uses of the book. Detailed lesson plans are included for each specific use, which include:
- As a one-on-one summer project
- Within the family girls’ getaway
- As the theme of a mother/daughter retreat
I might add this tool would also be effective in Christian youth organizations, social service agencies mentoring teens, prison ministries to incarcerated women, or as a discussion tool in a book club.
Girl Time is published by Northwestern Publishing House (NPH.net). If you choose to purchase and read Girl Time, I welcome your feedback on its content. I can be reached either through my blog or email at:
DeborahSchroederBlog.com
[email protected]
