Heaven is for Real - For Kids!

Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!

This is what “Heaven is for Real – For Kids” says about Colton Burpo’s experience when he came back from his trip to heaven and shares his experience with an important message for other children: Jesus really, really loves children. And they can learn about some of these big, deep spiritual truths in a simple, easy to understand way.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Wildon Ong who followed Colton's direction. Colton shares his first person experiences and the parts of his story touching on things that are of special importance to kids.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Heroes and Villains of the Bible

I just received and read one of Thomas Nelson Publishers new Bible books for kids, “Heroes and Villains of the Bible”. I like the way it is presented, a new and different format, choosing 50 well known Bible figures, presenting a short selection of Bible text to read, followed by a short lesson from the story and then sound bite to finish up. It highlights the choices that each of these people took in their lives, and encourages kids to do the same, to take a look at the choices they are faced with in the day to day and do their best and be like some of their Bible Heroes.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Thank You, God, for Blessing Me

“Thank You, God, for blessing me” is a new children’s book from Max Lucado with illustrations by Frank Endersby. The book is available as a hard copy as well as an e-book, which is what I read. Handy and portable to read on your computer, but for little ones I think nothing compares to having it in print!

It’s a simple, cute and short book. A thank you poem in the form of a prayer, an attractive way to introduce little ones to being aware of the blessings that come into their lives each day which they can thank God for.

The description reads:

“Meet Little Hermie-the cutest baby caterpillar in the garden! Little Hermie's thankful heart shows toddlers how to be thankful for God's blessings.
Little Hermie is thankful for everything God has given him. He goes through his day thanking God for his many blessings in this adorable board book with flocking on the cover!

With over 5.5 million brands units sold, the new Little Hermie books open the wonderful world of the Hermie & Friends garden to an entirely new audience.”

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Night Night Blessings

I just downloaded a copy of “Night Night Blessings” to ready and review. It’s a new kids book by Amy Parker, with illustrations by Marijan Ramljak. The print version is in the form of a padded board book.

It’s a great “count your blessings” book for little ones and goes through many of the things kids do and experience each day such as:

• Morning to night
• Yummy food – including pancakes
• Fun filled days and playing with friends
• Pets, cats and dogs
• Favorite toys
• Times with family
• Bath time
• Bedtime prayers with parents
• The night sky with moon and stars
• For the many ways God fills their day with love and blessings

Each subject has its own page with an illustration to go along with it, great to wind down at the end of the day before going to bed.


Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Jolt! Get the Jump on a World that’s Constantly Changing

I just had the chance to read and review Phil Cooke’s new book “Jolt! Get the Jump on a World that’s Constantly Changing”. Being in the middle of a time of change myself, a friend of mine highly recommended it to me, and I do the same for anyone else in a similar time in their life.

The title “Jolt” is based on the definition of “jolt” which is: to disturb, to interfere with abruptly, to shake things up. This is something that is happening to and affecting many of us today.

One of the initial statements of the book put into words some of the things I am living at the moment which say, “In a world where the very foundations you’ve believe in all your life are crumbling, how do you move forward toward your purpose?” A very good question and one I have been working on myself towards answering and seeing to do about this personally.

Phil Cooke takes is through a step by step journey, giving us wonderful insight, tips and suggestions in how to do this. I love the quotes he includes throughout the book that go along with the topic being touched out. They help to further explain and expound on the points covered.

The chapters are well laid out, covering the following topics:

Jolt Your Direction
1. The Time to Change is Now
2. The Headache is Worth It
3. The Real Truth About Change
4. Start at the Finish Line
5. The Power of “What If?”

Jolt What Matters
6. Jolt Your Priorities
7. Better Choice
8. Borders
9. The Power of Focus
10. A Change of Habit

Jolt Your Potential
11. Personal Growth is Not an Option
12. Creativity
13. Embrace Ambiguity
14. The Power of Generosity
15. The Key to Personal Confidence

Jolt Your Heart
16. Build a Motivation Machine
17. The Freedom of Accountability
18. The Power of Perception
19. Change Your Thinking and Change Your Future
20. Discover the Power of Faith

Jolt Your Future
21. Eliminate Destructive Distractions
22. Failure is the Key to Success
23. Get Over Yourself
24. Leave a Legacy of Change
25. Life a Blockbuster Life

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Gabby, God's Little Angel

Gabby, God's Little Angel is the first book in a wonderful new series by Sheila Walsh and published by Thomas Nelson publishers. “Gabby, God’s Little Angel” offers a beautiful message for young readers, telling them how much God loves them and is always watching over them.

In the book, Gabby is a young angel, sort of a “guardian angel in training” who has much to learn about taking care of God’s little ones. Gabby is given the new assignment to look after a young girl named Sophie, an energetic and adventuresome girl herself. Gabby soon learns that watching over Sophie is a bigger challenge than she had expected! Through the experiences of her day, Sophie learns about guardian angels and their care. After a close call while riding her pony, Sophie learns what the Bible says about guardian angels: “He will put his angels in charge of you. They will watch over you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11 ICB).

This is a cute book with adorable illustrations.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Hermie & Friends: Hermie, a Common Caterpillar

“Hermie & Friends: Hermie, a Common Caterpillar” is a children’s book by Max Lucado in a new, easy to read format.
The book’s description says the following:

“Hermie and his friend Wormie have always felt common. They don’t have stripes or dots, they aren’t very strong, and they can’t find anything special about themselves. But every time they pray, God tells them that He loves them all the time just as they are and that He isn’t finished with them yet. When Hermie becomes a beautiful butterfly, he realizes just how special God’s plan is for him!

This classic story has been revised for kids to read and enjoy on their own as a Lever 2 Reader. With fresh new art and a story kids can read themselves, plus a new, low price—this classic story will find a whole new generation of kids who love Hermie and his garden friends!”

I read this book in it’s e-book format, using a Mobi Reader on my PC. I found this format layout better for my PC than the Kindle Reader, with the text and illustration breakdown better. The book is listed for Level 2 readers, but it doesn’t explain exactly what age or reading level this is referring to. Maybe it has more of an explain on the book copy, but I thought it could had explained that a bit more clearly on the e-copy as well.

This is a beautiful book with a timeless truth and message – that God loves each one of us just the way we are, that He has a special plan for each of us and our lives and that in many – if not most cases, He’s not done with us yet.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Stained Glass Hearts

I had the chance to read “Stained Glass Hearts: Seeing Life from a Broken Perspective”, by Patsy Clairmont, who tells us through stories, experiences, her personal ups and downs of the beauties that God can bring from and make out of these dark moments of our lives. She shows how God can take the broken pieces of our lives and mold them together into beautiful works of art, that is providing we let Him.

At the close of each chapter, she includes a section called “The Art Gallery” with quotes, poetry, music, scriptures, artists, and more. This makes for an interactive adventure and exploration to give us some step-back time to “enjoy the view.”

Here are a few lines that stood out to me in particular:

"...even though the stained glass pieces are artistically designed, they still have been broken, sanded, and soldered. They didn't naturally fit the redemptive pattern without holy repairs. Also, stained glass art doesn't begin to show its beauty or its inspiration or release its story until light touches the dark. The light transforms an otherwise subtle picture into a brilliant, dimensional experience."

“Friend and author Ian Cron said to me, “Christianity is not something we do; it’s something that gets done to us.” So true. I wish that thought could be etched into the stained glass windows of our souls. Our faith journey is about grace, and grace is such a scandal because it whispers that it’s not about our efforts but about God’s provisional love.”

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Cure for the Common Life

Someone once wisely said, “Find something you enjoy doing and you won’t work another day of your life”. In his book “The Cure for the Common Life” Max Lucado is here to help each of us to discover our “sweet spot” – that spot wherein lies our greatest strength. Our everyday life and living for God’s glory intersect and give us that special feeling.

It is easy to read and understood and caught me from page 1. It has helped me to no longer feel bad for the things I can’t do, but rather to thank the Lord for what I can do and find where and how I can apply and use it – to give Him glory and fulfillment for life! And not only that, but it has renewed in me the conviction of not settling for the common, but as Paul says, “to press towards to mark for the prize of the high calling of God”.

I have a feeling this book is going to be one I will reread and refer to quite often.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Unsinkable

Unskinkable tells the true story of sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland and her remarkable attempt at becoming the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world.

Abby Sunderland comes from a family of sailors and adventurers and at the age of 13 discovered her dream of sailing solo around the world and went out to accomplish her dream in 2010.


You will join in on her story prior to her departure and through her account travel with her through her journey and adventures at sea and her dramatic rescue in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The book is fun and entertaining. And while it’s not exactly my type of book, I can say that I enjoyed reading it, appreciating the challenges it takes to set and accomplish a goal and ride the up and down waves of faith, faith and desperation and come through to tell the take. I admire her courage and ambition in this true, real life story that tells not only what was happening to her along the way, but also goes back and forth to what was going on with her family, in the media and the world overall as the different events unfolded.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Max on Life

“Max on Life” an easy read book with questions on a wide variety of topics that are common things we face in our day to day world.
The sections of the book include ones such as:

• Hope God, Grace, and “Why am I here?”
• Hurt Conflicts, Calamities, and “Why me?”
• Help Prayer, Scripture, and “Why church?”
• Him/Her Sex, Romance, and “Any chance of a second chance?”
• Home Diapers, Disagreements, and “Any hope for prodigals?”
• Haves/Have-Nots Work, Money, and “Where’s the lifeline?”
• Hereafter Cemeteries, Heaven, Hell, and “Who goes where?”

This book offers a little something for everyone. Maybe some of the questions are ones that I have not faced personally, at least not as of yet. But in my day to day interaction and conversations with others there are things that come up. And having something like this serves as a wonderful took to help in answering them. Some questions and answers may appeal to certain people, while others sections appeal to others.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

If you feel the need to be well informed before making a decision on the Resurrection, this book is a must!

There are a few things to know before purchasing this book.  First, this is not a feel-good sort of book.  It was not written as one.  The object of the book is neither to provide assurance for a naïve Christian, nor to fuel the arguments of a bigoted atheist.  It is intended to be a reunion of the most cogent and complete arguments for and against the Resurrection of Christ.  It is written I order to make it possible for a prospective spiritual inquirer to receive as objective a viewpoint on the topic as possible and thus, to make an informed decision.

Second, if one has a predetermined bias regarding the subject matter, one must try to lay it aside before beginning the book.  It will not do to only read the parts that one wants to read as that will be neither productive nor wise.  The author has tried in my opinion, fairly successfully to create a work that presents both sides as fairly as possible.  If one does not see this and chooses to fixate on the section that affirms a persistent bias, then the whole book will far from being a help, be a determent.

Third, this book is fairly recent and thus contains some of the most up to date information and references available.  One can make a decision based on the data presented here without very much fear of being outdated.

Fourth, this book may present you with troubling information that may prod your towards a very large decision.  The question of the Resurrection may be the most important in all of history.  If you feel the need to be well informed before making a decision, this book is a must.  Whatever your situation, I can assure you that if you read this book with an open mind (which as a member of Foster’s jury you ought to), I can promise you that after reading it, you will not be the same as before you read it.