YOU. (Ascension Press)

Talking to teenagers is a skill that many adults lack. Despite how well-meaning adults are, they forgot somewhere along the way what it was like to be a teenager. So instead of being authentic and "real" with them, adults put on a facade that they think will make their message more appealing to their teenage audience. Unfortunately, teenagers can see through something fake in a millisecond. Then, you have lost their trust and attention, possibly forever. Two adults who I would say are the best at authentically connecting to teenagers are Jason and Crystalina Evert. I believe they are because they not only believe what they say, but they care about their audience. Today, I would like to tell you about one of their latest projects called YOU. YOU. is a DVD program from Ascension Press that presents Theology of the Body to teens. In addition to learning what authentic love is; how to navigate through difficult topics like gender, pornography, and same sex unions; and will also learn what healthy relationships look like. The program is divided as follows:

1. Created for Love

2. Naked Without Shame

3. Love Defined

4. Hope and Redemption in Christ

5. Truth and Freedom

6. Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful

7. Language of the Body

8. Marriage

9. Priesthood, Consecrated Life, and Celibacy

10. Friendship. Dating, and Family

Lessons are divided into several steps - 1. Welcome, Icebreaker, and Opening Prayer, 2. Dive In, 3. Bridging the Gap, 4. Video Presentation, Journaling, and Small-Group Discussion, 5. To the Core, 6. Digging Deeper, 7. Take it to Prayer, 8. Session Review, 9. Live it Out, 10. Work it Out, and 11. Closing Prayer. This makes each session approximately 90 to 120 minutes long, so it is a time commitment, but it is one that is worth making. The eleven steps in each lesson are a nice blend of prayer, reading, discussions, and videos, so your teen will not get bored from doing the same activity for two hours solid.

The best part of this program is the authenticity and candidness of the material presented. As I stated earlier, it is difficult talking to teenagers. When you have to talk to them about matters of love, relationships, and sex, it gets exponentially more difficult. You either deal with awkward silence, giggling, snide comments, inappropriate jokes, or some combination of all of these. This series, however, doesn't beat around the bushes with serious topics. It presents these tough topics in an honest manner and uses examples that are real to life, not far-fetched and hard to believe. It also treats teenagers as intelligent people, which they are, and that is why they are more open to the words of this series, because they are not talked down to. Their questions are answered in a way that relates to them and makes sense, not just with a simple brush-off or "Don't do this, because the Bible says so. End of story!"

The starter pack retails for $129 and comes with a 5 DVD set, 1 Leader's Guide, 1 Parent's Guide, and 1 Student Workbook. This is a steal of a price, but of course you will want to supplement it with more student workbooks and parent's guides. After watching through this program, I am convinced that every parish needs this program for their CYO/teenage groups. With the current trajectory of the culture going more secular and over-sexualized, our teenagers need the truth now more than ever. Wouldn't you rather they learned about these important matters from the Church than society? I know I would!

This program was provided to me for free by Ascension Press in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to check out their other programs both for adults, teens, and children's as they are truly the best in the business!

St. George and the Dragon

Every month I get a few emails from authors asking me to review their newly published book. Most of the books are self-published, and it's a pretty even mix of fiction and non-fiction. I have a busy review schedule, so unfortunately I have to turn 99% of them away. Every now and then, a slot appears in my schedule that I can take the time to squeeze one in. Today, I am reviewing Michael Lotti's first novel Saint George and the Dragon.

The icon of St. George slaying the dragon is one of the most recognizable images in iconography. However, apart from legends, very little is known about this saint. Mr. Lotti recognizes this and weaves a story based on the facts and guesses people know about St. George. Therefore, this is a story about St. George, and not the story about St. George. The setting is 300 A.D. in the Roman Empire, and the main character is a soldier named Marcellus, who will eventually become St. George. The audience for this book would be tween to teenage years, though younger adults might find it enjoyable as well.

Throughout the early part of the book, Mr. Lotti paints us a wonderful picture of Marcellus. He is the son of Titus, a former officer in the army of the Roman Empire. Marcellus is also a brilliant soldier, because he has been trained to be a soldier from his youth. He loves and values the Empire above all else, and wants the best for it. He is also engaged to a woman named Regina with a wedding to take place very shortly. In order to get married, he has to take time off from the army and return to his father's estate. It is on this leave that his world is turned upside down. He learns his father is a Christian sympathizer. Titus isn't a Christian, but he allows his slaves to be, and his most loyal slave, Pasikrates, is a big Christian. This was bold for this day and age, because Christians were heavily persecuted by the Emperor Diocletian. Another startling discovery he learns is about a religion that worships a dragon. To make matters worse, Regina is a devout follower, and wants Marcellus to be as well. I won't give away further plot details. You'll have to buy the book and read it to find out.

There are several recurring themes in this book. One major theme is good vs. evil, or God vs. the dragon. The Christians, the local bishop, and the thought of God always seem to put Marcellus at ease. However, the dragon and dragon-worshippers make Marcellus sick to his stomach and feel completely powerless, but not in a good way. The first encounter/conversation Marcellus had with the dragon made me uncomfortable for Marcellus and my stomach tighten up a bit. That's good writing! The other major theme in this book is slavery. Slavery is a common practice in 300 A.D., but Marcellus has a hard time understanding/agreeing with the concept that just because a man is a slave on earth, doesn't make him any less of a person. It is for this reason that he also has a hard time understanding that being a slave for God is one of the best things you can be.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book in all honesty. You never know how an author's first novel is going to turn out. To say the very least, I was pleasantly surprised! It is a great story and a wonderful fleshing out of a legend we know so little about. Additionally, it presents a solid teaching of both Bible and tradition. I also love the fact that it has appeal to both Catholics and Orthodox alike. I hope that this is not the last novel he writes, and I would gladly read another of his books if it's the same quality as this one.

This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!