Nonfiction Book Review: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: A Countdown to Christmas by Ace Collins

About the book: 

Celebrate 31 days of a Christ-filled Christmas season.

For Christians worldwide, the month of December is filled with joy and wonder as we anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth. There is no other time of the year that can compare to the Christmas season for both the young and young at heart.

From December to New Year's Eve, reawaken the wonder, joy, and magic that is Christmas with daily scripture and inspirational readings of stories behind popular Christmas traditions, carols and movies. Enjoy a wealth of fun activities to help make the most of the season, including heartwarming holiday recipes and homemade gift ideas.

With this soon-to-be-cherished holiday devotional, best-selling author Ace Collins will capture your imagination and help to make each day of December more memorable and meaningful to you, and those you love, by shining a light on the real spirit of the season.

My Thoughts:
Christmas can be a hectic time. I try to keep up with everything I want to do, but in reality I long for time to sit and reflect on the reason I celebrate Christmas. Ace Collins has created a lovely devotional book for the month of December. I like that each read for the day includes a devotion, a song and a little bit of fun. Some of the fun includes things you can make as gifts. This would be great to share with the family. I think my favorite part is the history behind the songs. Music is such a big part of the Christmas season and for many they've never heard what the songs mean or where they originate from. Grab a copy of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year to enhance the holiday and bring cheer to the season.  I received this book free from Litfuse.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2frWQG8

About the author:
Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. He has authored more than sixty books that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children's works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archives Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted a network television special and does college basketball play-by-play. Ace lives in Arkansas.

Connect with Ace Collins

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Ace Collins’ ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ Giveaway

Make this upcoming Christmas holiday a Christ-filled season of joy and wonder with the help of Ace Collins' new devotional, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. From December to New Year’s Eve, reawaken the Christmas season with daily scripture and inspirational readings of stories behind popular Christmas traditions, carols and movies. Enjoy a wealth of fun activities to help make the most of the season, including heartwarming holiday recipes and homemade gift ideas. Download a free sampler of the book by clicking here.

Join Ace's Christmas festivities by entering to win the Magic of Christmas Prize Pack. Create new traditions this holiday season with your family and friends with the goodies included in the giveaway.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• A button-wreath craft kit
• Pass the Ugly Christmas Sweater card game
• A gingerbread tree kit
• An advent calendar

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 21. The winner will be announced November 22 on the Litfuse blog.

Thankful

My dad served in WW2. He never talked about his service much. When he did we knew he spoke with a humble heart. No matter what role a service person plays, they have chosen to sacrifice their life. Be it a life given in war, or a life given in time away from family. Each person who serves chooses to sacrifice so much.

I'm thankful to all who have and still serve our country. My dad, husband, and brothers and the many friends and extended family who gave their time and energies to keep America safe. It's time to honor the ones who put their patriotism on the line. With a thankful heart and prayer for peace.

Book Review: NIV Holy Bible For Girls, Journal Edition

Book Description:

The NIV Holy Bible for Girls, Journal Edition is the perfect way to apply Scripture to your everyday life. Designed with the thoughtful writer in mind, a whimsical cover and journaling lines inspire reflection in God’s Word. This Bible contains the full text of the bestselling New International Version (NIV) translation. 

Features include:

• Lines on each page for journaling and notes
• Thick paper perfect for any writing utensil
• A presentation page for gift giving
• A “How to Use This Bible” page to get started on the right foot
• Ribbon marker
• The complete text of the bestselling New International Version (NIV) 

My Thoughts:
The hard cover of the The NIV Holy Bible for Girls is decorated in pretty mandala designs that are popular right now. The little pink butterflies and lovely blue background will appeal to pre-teens and teens. Inside on each page there's plenty of room for notes. This would be great for anyone wanting to write thoughts as they read the scripture. The product is marketed to teen girls, but I believe adult women would like it too. Another nice feature is the elastic band that keeps the Bible secure. This would be a great gift for Christmas or at baptism. With so many pretty Bible's for girls, this one stands out because of the space for journaling. I received this book free from Zonderkidz. 

Children's Book Review: The Berenstain Bears Christmas Fun Sticker & Activity Book

Book Description:

The Berenstain Bears come to life this holiday season with puzzles, activity pages, and more than 50 reusable stickers in The Berenstain Bears’ Christmas Fun Sticker and Activity Book.

Featuring Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey and the rest of the Bear Country gang, kids are sure to find lots to do helping Honey Bear find the missing piece of the Bear family Nativity scene, doing crosswords and word searches with Brother and Sister, and even helping out at the Christmas Eve service at Chapel in the Woods.

My Review:

The Berenstain Bears Christmas Fun Sticker & Activity Book is a fun way for children to learn about Jesus birth. Jan and Mike Berenstain created activities that will keep children busy while they enjoy the holiday. The book will entertain kids for hours while mom and dad prepare for Christmas or would be a great family time activity to do together. Either way your child will enjoy this colorful book. This would be a great gift before Christmas. I plan to share it with my grandchildren and have some holiday fun. I'm tempted to work a few of the puzzles myself. So get out the crayons and pencils and have fun with your little ones with this fantastic book. I received this book free from Zonderkidz.

Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Some of my friends have taken the November challenge. They're writing a thankful post each day and sharing on Facebook. This is a great practice and I find it uplifting considering the negative and controversial posts I've seen. As I follow along and read all the wonderful things people appreciate, I can't help but consider my own blessings and trials. Yes, I said trials.

Jesus' brother James penned these words in James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” As I am thankful for the good God pours in my life, I'm appreciative of the trials that make me stronger. Without them I wouldn't be as satisfied with life or able to struggle through day-to-day challenges. Because God strengthens me, I want to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Praise God for the opportunity to show gratitude and grow in him!

What are you thankful for?

almond pink roses

Children's Book Review: The Lord's Prayer: Words Of Hope And Happiness by Rick Warren, illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson

Book Description:

This iconic prayer is paired with flowing illustrations by award-winning artist Richard Jesse Watson and thoughtful insights by bestselling author Rick Warren, resulting in a book that rejuvenates the familiar prayer for a younger audience. Using poetic scripture from the King James Version, The Lord’s Prayer: Words of Hope and Happiness helps familiarize children with real biblical text while also presenting contemporary illustrations and insightful words that make this beautiful prayer come alive.

My Review:
The Lord's Prayer is a beautiful picture book for young children.  I'd say it would be good for ages three through eight. Divided into natural segments per page spread, Rick Warren shares a brief and personable reflection of what Jesus' words mean. I like that he added a sentence prayer with each one, too. Mr. Warren is known for encouraging and uplifting people. He does this for his young audience, too.  Mr. Watson's illustrations are colorful, lively, thoughtful, and well done. This would be a great teaching tool to introduce children to the Lord's prayer either individually or in a class. And what a comfort and joy for a child to hear how much Jesus loves him or her through this beautiful prayer. I received this book for free from Zonderkidz.