FIRST Wild Card Tour: God Gave Us the World

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa Tawn Bergren

and the illustrator:

Laura J. Bryant

and the book:

God Gave Us The World

WaterBrook Press (January 11, 2011)

***Special thanks to Staci Carmichael, Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, Doubleday Religion / Waterbrook Multnomah / Divisions of Random House, Inc. for sending me a review copy.***

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 makes her home in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.


Visit the author's website.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Visit the illustrator's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (January 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400074487
ISBN-13: 978-1400074488

Also Available:

God Gave Us You
God Gave Us Two
God Gave Us Christmas
God Gave Us Heaven
God Gave Us Love
God Gave Us So Much – a limited three book treasury


AND NOW...THE FIRST FOUR PAGES...press the pictures to better view them:

MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW:
While visiting a museum exhibit, "Bears Around the World," Mama Bear helps Little Cub learn about the different kinds of bears living in different places around the world.  Surprised to see other kinds of bears that have strange diets like panda bears and sloth bears, Little Cub (who is a polar bear) begins to ask lots of questions.  God Gave Us the World is a cute, colorful book that teaches young kids about the awesome wonders of God's creation, the amazing abilities of God the Creator, His creativity, and our responsibility to take care of the earth/world which is God's gift to us. Kids will learn to appreciate the uniqueness of each bear/person and celebrate the beauty of our differences. The illustrations are fantastic. Beautiful details. I encourage you to also check out other books in the God Gave Us series (eg. God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Love, God Gave Us Christmas, etc.). They all are adorable. The books are geared towards children ages 3 to 8.

Download the coloring page here.

Friday's Fave Five #5

It's time for another Friday's Fave Five (hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story).

My fave five this week include:

1. Beautiful springy weather. Sunny..not too hot...not too cold...just right :). Dazzling daffodils brighten up our property. The magnolias are magnificent. I just can't help but rejoice in the Lord, our Creator who lovingly and generously gives us His beautiful creation to enjoy.

2. Biking. We had lots of fun biking in the beautiful weather.

3. Autism: The Musical, an inspirational documentary about five children with autism, their parents, and their acting coach who put together an original stage production, performed by autistic children. It's very interesting to watch; I could relate to and empathize with the parents because our 11 yo son has autism. Warning: there's some inappropriate language.

4. Listening to my kids recite Bible memory verses. My heart is bubbling with joy when I see my kids take delight in God's Word and help each other memorize the Scriptures. "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11)

5. Hearing my kids shout out correct answers when watching Jeopardy. They are so well-rounded and smart. I think homeschooling and their love of learning/reading help a lot :).

Book Review and Giveaway: Angels

 

Book: Angels
Author: Dr. David Jeremiah
Summary:
What are angels? What is their role in God’s plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work, our worship?

Many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth. Dr. David Jeremiah uses scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven, and their role and work in our world—and lives.

More than 60,000 units of this powerful book have sold in two past editions. This repackage of the original 1996 paperback will surely capture the attention of readers of all ages who seek a broad and thorough survey of scripture that clearly separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. The book will appeal to the thousands who follow Dr. Jeremiah’s books, and radio and TV broadcasts.

Relevant, little known biblical facts help readers sharpen their knowledge and sensitivities toward the spiritual reality of angels. Dr. Jeremiah’s enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and more.

Author Bio:
Dr. David Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego , and founder of Turning Point Radio and TV Ministries. His radio program is carried on over 2,500 stations worldwide, while the TV broadcast is received by 500 million homes via cable and satellite. The recipient of numerous awards for broadcast excellence, his books have garnered Gold Medallion awards and become bestsellers with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. He is a sought-after conference speaker by organizations nationwide.

My Review:
Different people seem to have different opinions about angels. What word(s) comes to your mind when you think of angels? Mysterious? Fascinating? Wings? It's A Wonderful Life :)? Dr. David Jeremiah thoroughly explores the truth about angels from God's Word, thus exposing any misconceptions.  In this book, you will get the inside scoop on who angels really are, what their roles are, and how they help us (eg. showing us how to worship and how to work).  I am pleased to see Dr. Jeremiah repeatedly remind readers to revere God the Creator above all else, including angels who are created beings.  Our worship and devotion should be towards God alone...no one else, not even angels.  What you learn from this book will draw you closer to God and help you appreciate His awesome wonder and His love even more. The Scripture index and the subject index at the end of the book are really useful. If you're curious and/or confused about angels, this book is for you.

You can read the first chapter of Angels here.

Giveaway: You have a chance to win a copy of this book.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  The deadline is Feb. 14th at midnight (Pacific time).
To Enter: Please pick a post (other than this one) from my sidebar to read and then come back here to let me know which one you read.
For Extra Entries:- Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave the link to your post in a separate comment here.
                           - Post about this giveaway on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know.

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

Update: This giveaway is closed.  The winner (randomly chosen) is LadyElaine.  Congratulations!

What Really Matters

Have you noticed some division among Christians regarding Christmas? Some strongly oppose celebrating Christmas because of its pagan roots. Others try hard to keep Christ in Christmas. And then there are those who incorporate more and more worldly stuff in their Christmas celebration. In my opinion, just because something has pagan roots...this does not automatically make it pagan. I think the early Church succeeded at replacing Roman pagan traditions with the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas. Why do I say that? Well, how many people really remember or even know that Christmas started out as a pagan festival? Billions of people in the world know (even if they don't really have the right focus) that Christmas is about Christ. Four names of our days of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) are named for Viking gods. We don't stop using these names just because they have pagan roots. To me, each day is a gift from God. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) It's how we spend our day that matters...honoring/ pleasing God or dishonoring/sinning against God. That goes the same for what we do with Christmas (another day that the Lord has made).  I personally believe in celebrating/honoring Christ daily by the way we live.

In Thailand, Christmas provides a great opportunity for Christians to share with non-Christians about Christ. (In fact, I myself came to know Christ and received the free gift of salvation during Christmastime of 1985 in Thailand.) I believe that's what many churches in America are also trying to do. If people are saved because of the Gospel being boldly shared during Christmastime, then we should rejoice. God can certainly use any events, including holidays that have pagan roots, for His glory. Christ's birth is the beginning of the ultimate love story that never ends (John 3:16). If at Christmastime, people tend to share Christ's love more and talk more openly about why Christ came, then we should be glad and encourage them so...and hopefully, they will carry on sharing Christ's love and the Gospel throughout the year (you can see some ideas from my post titled, "Christmas According to Scrooge").

All these thoughts led me to write the following poem last year.

It doesn't matter if you do or don't celebrate Christmas
What really matters is that you believe in Jesus
It doesn't matter if Dec. 25th is not Christ's actual birthday
What really matters is that He was born to save us from a debt we cannot pay
It doesn't matter if you don't trim a tree
What really matters is that you know & worship the Son who sets you free
It doesn't matter if you don't give gifts to one another
What really matters is that you give your heart and your life to our Savior...our Redeemer
It doesn't matter if you don't hang up any lights
What really matters is that you follow the Light of the World day and night
It doesn't matter if you don't get to go caroling
What really matters is that unto the Lord you joyfully sing
It doesn't matter what eloquent words on Christmas cards you write
What really matters is that you spread the Good News of Jesus Christ
It doesn't matter if you bake the best or the most cookies
What really matters is that you help the needy and feed the hungry

I recommend two insightful articles:
- "Is Christmas Christian?" by Hank Hanegraaff, the President of the Christian Research Institute
- "The Origin of Christmas" by Bodie Hodge, Answers in Genesis.

~Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays every week. Have a blessed day in the Lord, everyone!

Without Excuse

Through His creation, we witness His love, power, majesty, glory, wisdom, creativity, nature, beauty, and excellency.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:1-6) Psalm 19:4 is quoted in Romans: "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.  But I ask: Did they not hear?  Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."" (Romans 10:17-18)

People are without excuse.  Creation points to the Creator.  The world is not only functional, but also beautiful.  The testimony of creation shouts out to the whole world loud and clear that God exists and that God's Word is true.  Sadly, some people continue to stubbornly cover their ears and their eyes.  I praise God, the Creator, for who He is and for what He does!  Let's take the time to ponder and worship our Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  May we never stop marveling at His wonders; may we never become numb or blind to His revelation of glory through His creation!

Previous WFW:
- Plentiful Harvest

- Brotherly Love

- Fruit Bearer

- More Than Conquerors
- Where Does My Help Come From?
- Jubilant, Joy, and Judge
- Rooted in Love
- Who Daily Bears Our Burdens?
- Reflecting the Lord's Glory
- The Rock Eternal
- His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Brainwashed?

When I heard people accuse us Christians of being brainwashed, my first reaction was that we have been heartwashed, not brainwashed :). But then my next reaction was: maybe I want to be...maybe I am brainwashed because I want to have the mind of Christ! "The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile." Psalm 94:11 I don't want to think as the world thinks. I don't want to think as I (sinner living in the flesh) used to think. I am now a new creation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 My old way of thinking and living has gone, being replaced with the new way of thinking and living according to God's standard.

I believe being heartwashed (repenting, asking Jesus to wash away all our sins, giving our heart to Him, being filled with His love and the Holy Spirit) is/should be followed by being brainwashed (having the mind and the attitudes of Christ, being filled with Philippians 4:8 kind of thoughts, knowing God as the Creator of the universe, meditating day and night on God's Word, choosing/protecting human life no matter how small or how old, putting others above ourselves, etc.) The ways of God are mostly opposite of the ways of this world. The world thinks:- earth came into existence out of the Big Bang, men evolved from apes, killing unborn babies is a matter of choice (exercising women's rights), looking out for ourselves is the wisest thing to do, a white lie is okay, sleeping around is acceptable, young people don't need to obey or listen to their parents because their peers' opinions are more important, the goal in life should be getting rich, successful, and/or famous, women can dress as seductively as they want because they own their body and nothing's wrong with enjoying their "power" over men (playing with their lust and their visual-sensitive mind), couples should get a divorce when they no longer love each other or they fall in love with someone else, or they discover that they are not compatible, etc. From now on, if I were to be accused of having been brainwashed, I would gladly take it as a compliment :)!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

P.S. "Brainwashing" can be a very bad thing. Here I'm talking about the kind that is washed by only God's Word and His Holy Spirit. Being brainwashed by man-made religions, cults, false teachings, or anything that goes against God's Word is detrimental. You need to be aware of that and be like the Bereans (comparing everything to the Scriptures) so that you may be able to detect any lies immediately and won't be brainwashed the wrong way.

Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts. Have a blessed day in the Lord, everyone!