"Does a baby have to earn his or her parents' love? Of course not! The parents already love the child before he or she is even born."
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Stepping into Destiny by Nicole Davenport Trafford Publishing
book review by Maggie Harding
Stepping into Destiny invites the reader to join the author in learning how to accept this same type of unconditional love from our heavenly Father. Nicole Davenport illustrates the many ways that knowing she is a child of God, and that there is nothing she can do to make Him love her less or more, has helped her on her journey from childhood to adulthood; especially during those difficult years in between known as the teens.
Raised as a PK (Pastor's Kid), Davenport was open to learning what it was that God had in store for her, in learning her identity and purpose in life. Stepping into Destiny does an excellent job of reaching out to young women and encouraging them to embrace the various rites of passage on the way to adulthood.
Transitioning from Junior High to High School was a frightening prospect for the young Nicole. Her fears made her miserable and, as a result was not much fun to be around. This made her even more miserable and fearful of never fitting in. But God showed her, through His word, that she had a choice about what to believe. That as followers of Christ, we are called to be "believers" not "feelers." So, just because you may feel afraid, you don't abandon your beliefs.
Davenport offers practical "do"s and "don't"s for girls when they start dating. "Do make the decision to remain pure now, before the temptation to violate your purity arises." "Don't put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted." These values may seem prehistoric in view of our current cultural mores, yet they continue to be important considerations for people of faith who want to see their children avoid making poor choices.
This book would make an excellent gift for adolescents and for youth leaders that are looking for an interesting study guide for small groups. There are questions at the end of each chapter that promote discussion and clarification.