God Gave Us Christmas ~Book Review

Reading level: Ages 3 and up
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400071755
ISBN-13: 978-1400071753

::My Thoughts::
Lisa Tawn Bergen, author of the "God Gave Us..." children's books, has once again brought us a fantastic book to read to our children. God Gave Us Christmas is by far one of the best books I have had the pleasure to read to my kids. Christmas is a touchy issue with children. They are young and don't always fully comprehend that Christmas isn't just about presents and Santa Claus, but is in fact Jesus's birthday. Without Jesus there would be no Christmas. This is the perfect book to get that message across to little ones. Answering the simple question: "Who 'vented Christmas?" "Was it Santa?" "Is God more important than Santa?" While not shrugging off Santa and saying he isn't real, this book instead gives perfectly good explanations. Everything is easy for children to understand and is put across in a very gentle way.
As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate Christmas, Little Cub starts wondering about this very special day. She starts to ask Mama Bear questions so Mama Bear decides to take her on a little journey so she can see God and learn just how much He loves them all. Along their journey together Little Cub learns that the best gift of all is, in fact, Jesus.
My children were riveted with this book and we have been reading it every week. As you embark on the journey along with Mama Bear and her sweet little bear cub the whole family can genuinely enjoy this book.
As the bear cub asks questions about Christmas, Santa, etc., Mama Bear decides to take her on a little journey she won't soon forget. Along their journey questions are answered and seen before their very eyes.
I love how Mama Bear points out to her cub that the lights, ice, etc. are God. It really helps your children see that God is everywhere, in every beautiful thing on earth. Just because we cannot see an image of God he is everywhere and in everything.
The illustrations are beautiful and definitely will capture your children's attentions. They are full of color and are just fun and exciting. There is much for your kids to point out in the pictures as you turn each page.
For my children this book has helped shed light on the true meaning of Christmas without dampening their hopes and joys of Santa. In today's world Christmas is advertised as gifts, Santa, snowmen, etc. While all those things are perfectly fine they can't take away the true reason for such a wonderful day.
Even though this will be a book that we will read throughout the entire year, it is also sure to become a Christmas tradition.
This book would compliment any child's bookshelf, and would be an excellent book to read in Sunday class. Everyone around that hears this magnetic story will take something wonderful away from it, and you won't soon forget.



This book is available in   Hardcover   Kindle   Nook   eBook

You can download a God Gave Us Christmas coloring page by clicking here



Disclaimer: I received this book for free through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Mercy's Chances

Mercy Come Morning
By: Lisa Tawn Bergren
　
I had the opportunity to review Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It has previously been published under another title, Christmas Every Morning.
The cover and synopsis drew me to this novel, and I just had to find the story behind the cover.
I have never read a novel such as this one. I felt such emotions through this book, and by the end I was crying. I am not easily moved, but I was so swept up in this novel I couldn‘t contain certain emotions.
The main character, Krista Mueller, receives a call from the care center her Alzheimer mother resides in. She is told her mother only has a few weeks at most and she needs to come back ASAP. Krista is very reluctant to return to her hometown of Taos, New Mexico. Her longtime old friend, (and childhood sweetheart) and care center owner, Dane McConnell urges her back. expressing the importance and explaining they found something that she needs to see in her mother’s room.
Hesitantly Krista returns to her hometown as well as to her mother’s side. She can’t but help to hope everything is all over with soon enough as she doesn’t want to be there, and she can’t stir up the emotions a mother and daughter SHOULD feel for one another. If that isn’t bad enough she can’t let herself feel emotions towards Dane even though he clearly tries to connect with her.
As she starts to read an old diary of sorts that her mother kept in a Christmas carol book, she starts to see a side of her mother that she never would’ve thought her capable. As the story switches back from Krista’s past and present as well as her mother’s personal entries she finds herself reassessing her entire life and all of her past. God has always been a presence in her life, but can He help her to truly forgive not only a bitter mother she never understood, an old flame who keeps trying to re-ignite their passion, but herself as well? Because of such a troubled past will she ever be able to open the part of her heart that she thought would forever be closed?
I loved the fact that this book made me feel as if I was there in person. I truly have no complaints about this novel at all. It would particularly make a good Christmas gift as it is centered around the holiday, and the message it reveals is a great one. It sends off a great message of forgiveness, and never giving up on God even through the most challenging of times. It shows if we let God lead us, we will end up exactly where we should be, no matter how far off the path we have gotten. It is a fantastic story of redemption as well, and not one I will forget anytime soon.

If you want a copy you can get one HERE


Disclaimer:
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine alone.