"God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Summary
As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear begins to wonder… “Who invented Christmas?” Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that… Jesus is the best present of all.
This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them.

About the Author
Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado , with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

What I have to say...
The children’s book God Gave Us Christmas, written by Lisa Tawn Bergen with art by David Hohn, is a great installment in the “God Gave Us” series. In this book Mama takes her Little Cub and yours on a journey to find God. When Little Cub asks Mama if they can go find Santa she quickly shifts the Christmas focus to whom it belongs, God. She teaches Little Cub that Santa reminds us of many good things but come Christmas it is Jesus that we celebrate. You will learn from Mama that Jesus would have come if only for you, even it was for only someone you find very mean and do not like much at all.

Bergen answers hard questions in such an easy way; you will wonder why you didn’t think of answering in such a way. You will find her book a sure blessing the moment your little one asks you the same questions that Little Cub asks, when all you have to do is sit down and spend time reading a book together! The illustrations beautifully enhance the story. I highly recommend this book for you to share with the little one in your life.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

To purchase this book go to:
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God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Summary

As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.

In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…

“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”

This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”

About the Author

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado , with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

What I have to say...

The children’s book God Gave Us Love, by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, follows Little Cub on his discovery on what “Love” means. Fishing with his Grampa, Little Cub gets becomes frustrated by some noisy otters. Grampa takes the opportunity to teach Little Cub a little lesson about sharing and a big one about love. Grampa will teach both Little Cub and your child how God created us to love. The reader will also learn how there are different kinds of love, and how always loving isn’t the same as always liking. The reader will learn how God will always love us, and will relate how we know God loves us. This book is great for any young child that is good with paper books. It is clear and relates love in a way that will speak to a child’s understanding. It is a great read for any parent that wants a unique way to teach the concept of biblical love to their children. The illustrations are complete, colorful, and fun and take the child on journey with Little Cub. I definitely recommend this book; in fact I am going to share it with my four-year-old cousin.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

purchase this book here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074471

"Limelight" by Melody Carlson

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Book Summary
Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

What I have to say..

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"Extraordinary" by John Bevere

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*This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group*

Summary
Isn’t it true that we long to see the extraordinary, experience the extraordinary, do the extraordinary? Yet, so often we settle for mediocrity when greatness is within our grasp.

Why are we drawn to stories of heroic triumph over seemingly impossible circumstances? In our fascination with adventure movies, superheroes, and tales of incredible human feats, do we reveal an inherent desire for something larger and greater in life? Maybe what we think is a need to escape or be entertained is actually a God inspired longing…for the extraordinary.

Best-selling author John Bevere reveals how all of us were “meant for more,” extraordinarily created and intended for a life that is anything but ordinary. Here is the roadmap for your journey of transformation. You are marked for a life that far surpasses the usual definitions of success or fulfillment.

Isn’t it time to pursue your extraordinary life?

About the Author:
Marked by boldness and passion, John Bevere delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculums and best-selling books, now in more than 60 languages, including Extraordinary, The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near and Driven by Eternity. He is an international speaker and co-host of The Messenger TV program broadcast worldwide.

John enjoys living in Colorado Springs with his wife, Lisa, also a best-selling author and speaker, and their four sons.

What I Have to Say...
I’ve gone through bible studies using John Bevere books before, so I was really excited when his newest, Extraordinary: The Life You’re Meant to Live, came in the mail. We all look up to someone, and whoever that someone is to us they are great because of something they have done, because of who we are. There is an inner longing in us to be extraordinary too, to be someone that others look to for inspiration. This book is about that need God has placed in our hearts to be extraordinary. Bevere biblically points out that God not only put that there but he made us to be extraordinary! He doesn’t put a desire in us without giving us the capabilities to be it.
I don’t know of anyone who does not need to read this book. It will definitely change your life for the better, I know it has mine. How much more joy will you have when you live the life God gave you to live? We miss those teachings of HOW, we learn what God gives us but not how to use us. With biblical examples Bevere shows us the how. So now go out and be Extraordinary.

Kabul 24 by Ben Pearson and Henry Arnold

What I have to Say...
Kabul 24, by Ben Pearson and Henry Arnold, is about a group known as the “SNI Eight.” The SNI Eight are a group of westerners who work with Shelter Now International. These eight worked in a place called Kabul, located in the Middle East. However, the story is not just about them, it is about their families and the locals that they provided employment for. They are arrested and unjustly punished for only helping a people that desperately needed helping. Their story starts as they are arrested back in the year 2001.
On September 11 of that year America was attacked by terrorists. This happened shortly after the SNI eight were “arrested.” Their prisoners soon become more of abductors, attempting to use the eight as a personal shield from U.S. retaliation as well as for ransom. While this book is an account of their experience, it flows in story-like form. I could not put this book down. I have family that lives in Romania as missionaries, so this book definitely touched a place in my heart. We need to endlessly lift one another up in prayer. A book is good when you can’t stop thinking about it even after you’ve finished. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Purchase the book here..
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595550224&title=Kabul-24&authors=Ben-Pearson-and-Henry-O.-Arnold


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This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing

If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn

Summary:
Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

About the Author:
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

What I have to say..
coming soon..sorry it's a BIG book!
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This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

"You Were Born for This" by Bruce Wilkinson

What I Have to Say...You Were Born for This. Just the title of Bruce Wilkinson’s new book says it all. This book is about “predictable miracles.” I know, you’re probably thinking “miracles don’t happen these days.” Has anything ever happened in your life that seemed impossible? Has anyone ever said something to you, and you wondered how did they know that? And have you ever felt the need to do or say a certain thing to only later wonder what in the world would have happened if you didn’t listen to that instinct? If your answer was yes, you have not only witnessed a miracle, but a predictable one at that. Wilkinson gives biblical examples on how we can partner with God, so that He can work through us to perform very personal miracles TODAY! After you read this book you will never have a conversation the same way again. You will constantly be looking for opportunities to partner up with God to bring miracles to people. You will probably even experience several yourself. After a biblically rooted look into miracles, forgiveness, and the very dream God placed in your heart to accomplish His, you’ll never be the same. You Were Born for This!

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Summary

His New York Times phenomenon The Prayer of Jabez changed how millions pray. Now Bruce Wilkinson wants to change what they do next.



Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”



In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.



You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

Author Bios:

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa . Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta .



David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado .

http://bit.ly/19xZ79

This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group