outstanding truth from a wonderful child of God
928698
this man is so humble, and walks in the power of The Lord, he shares from that place of humility - the power of THE ANOINTED LIFE - and how to pray like a child - open - expecting - and with YOUR WHOLE HEART~!  A powerful book - anointed and precious - liberting!
2783574
If youve ever felt you weren't enough to serve God--or that you had too much baggage to ever be used by Him, then this book is for you. Avis Goodharts honest and clear-eyed descriptions of her early life left my heart aching for the young girl shed been. Yet there had been joy, too, and her ability to see that as well was both a comfort and an inspiration. She admonishes each of us not to waste our pain, but to let God heal and use it to encourage others. Because she has lived out every word of that truth, her words carry an honesty that compels us to step out in faith, too. Her matter-of-fact retelling of Gods miraculous timing and provision, again and again, will make you long to shore up your timid faith and step out in Gods courage to dare great things for Him. I know it has for me.
Not only will this book encourage and challenge you, but all proceeds from the sale of it will help Avis orphanage in Peru. This is a story you don't want to miss.
1290041
Powerful words, especially for children with special needs.  This book is so beautifully written and illustrated.  The words went straight to my heart.  Through this book, I was able to open dialogue with my child about how special she is. God didn't make a mistake when he made her little body.  Even though her body works differently than other children her age, God had a plan and he knew that the world needed her.

When God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!
Sometimes as parents to a special needs child, we question God. We want to know what was His plan and His purpose. Seeing these words, reading them to my child, they were a balm to my soul. God doesn't make mistakes and He has plans for my beautiful family.  God had a plan when he chose to give me a child that was differently-abled.

This is a delightful book that your child will love. The illustrations by David Catrow are absolutely stunning, imaginative and quirky...exactly like my little one.

If you're looking for a Children's book that has a good message and more substance to it, I would strongly suggest this one.

It is so important that our children know that they are loved by God and that they are special to Him.

This book is well suited for children ages 3-8.  Important to note for children's books, that the book is hardcover with paper pages.  I would love to see a board book edition for the younger audiences in the future as I can see this being a well-worn and loved addition to a child's library.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Blogging For Books. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
3425751
A testimony of a mothers faith, a sons journey and A faithful Redeemer. Amazing and beautiful. Chris is very transparent and shows you just how far God goes in the pit for his sheep. This book is encouraging and comforting. We are loved so deeply.
3768984
My friends in Rochester sent me this book after reading about it in their local Sunday paper.  We are raising a 2-1/2, very spirited and loving son with DS and, although it's frustrating at times with the extra time needed for various therapies, dr. appts., etc., the joy he brings our lives far outweighs any of those frustrating moments.  My friends thought they were sending me a book that would just be an enjoyable read.  What they - and I - didn't realize is the impact it would have on my heart!  The author tells it like it is and doesn't sugarcoat anything:  her sense of loss after learning that Jeff had DS.  The anger she felt with people who treated Jeff like a "non-person" ....and the love and appreciation for those who loved him as much as she did.  Even the frustration she sometimes felt with the doctors and Jeff's limited abilities. And ALWAYS the joy and faith she had in the Lord and His never failing ability to confirm that He was in control.  No matter how difficult things were, she always praised and thanked the Lord for confirmation that Jeff was serving a very important purpose on this Earth:  to spread unconditional love to everyone he met.  The book is easy to read yet has the ability to profoundly impact your life.  Personally, it has helped me realize that I have spent the last 2-1/2 years believing that my son would be the "exception".  And he very well may be; no one knows God's plans for our lives.  But Sybil's book has helped me "ground" me in more realistic goals for his future and prepare me in case he isn't the exception.  She is openly honest about the difficulties of raising a child with special needs and for that I am very grateful.  I can only say "Thank you!" to Sybil for being so honest and open and for sharing her heart.  I feel like I know her just by reading her story.  The book is a "must read" for anyone with a young special needs child, especially if they haven't had much contact with other parents or support groups.
2650287
I met Stephanie before she found her path to joysomeplace in the middle of despair and seeming hopelessness. Today I rejoice to witness Gods amazing faithfulness and fruitfulness in her life. The remarkable contrast bears testimony to the power and love of God. He met her sorrows with His comfort and gave her a passion and venue to share her new-found joy through creative Scripture art, blogging, and now her book. Through its pages you will sense her passion for you to know the freedom, love, and comfort of her heavenly Father. Stephanie writes Renewed Joy to encourage and comfort us through her own struggles and heartaches. Her joy flows through her salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of Gods Word. She also challenges us to find the joy of reaching out to others and giving thanks in all circumstances. I see her as a living example of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
4486587
A deep in-depth analysis of what it truly means to be a child of the Most High and the steps to take to accomplish the journey to fulfill the mandate that has been given to each us by our loving merciful Father, Savior, and His Spirit.  The links at the end of each chapter make the book even more precious with Ian praying the written prayers. I highly recommended this book for anyone who desires to walk in a close intimacy with our Creator.
165657
I am so thrilled and thankful to the Lord for allowing me to get a hold of this book and even more the new revelation that I have imbedded in my spirit.  I have been feeling the tug of God calling me to know Him and in my frustration I cried out for The Helper and God in His faithfulness has responded.  I will forever meditate on what I have read within the pages of this book.  I thank God for using David to share his journey and the ways God has delivered him and called him to walk in true communion and genuine fellowship through knowing  the unchanging Love of the Father thus discovering his identity and worth. Simply amazing book to help the body of Christ to grasp the truth of who we really are and all the power and authority we have because of walking in this truth.
3372405
Your story touched me in so many levels. As a parent whose little one died, I understand the endless cycles of hospital visits, the conferences with the doctors, the hope and denial, and the final crushing blow. I went through all of this without knowing God, but at the moment when my son left this world, God put a thought in my mind that he had gone with Jesus Christ. And at that moment, at the lowest point of my life, I knew God's grace had touched me and he had sent my little boy to draw me to Him.

My favorite quote:

From time to time, I hear parents bragging to each other about their "perfect" children. I smile knowing that some would look at Emily's life and think that a child born with Down syndrome has little hope for a meaningful life. Throw in the diagnosis of leukemia and that little hope turns to no hope whatsoever. I disagree.

Patterson, Matt (2011). My Emily (Kindle Locations 775-778). Matt Patterson. Kindle Edition.

I don't look at people as "perfect" or "imperfect". Every person was designed and created by God for a specific purpose that only God knows. If God was pleased to create that person the way they are, who am I to say anything? Every one of God's creation is perfect in His eyes, and I am just grateful with awe that He has blessed us with all the perfect gifts he bestows upon us every day we exist, especially the most perfect of all gifts - Romans 6:23

This is a book to be read and re-read. Your joy and exuberance of discovering Emily and your pure love for her are a testament to God's love for his children. Thank you for sharing your story!
3169680
Godly wisdom from one of God's great ambassadors.
489510
This book cost me a lot of sleep because I continually stayed up late reading it each night until I finished it. What an amazing story of God's grace. This book shows that no one is too far gone to become a fully forgiven son of God and be used mightily in His kingdom. Bill's life before Christ was a picture of sin and selfishness and the transformation, nothing short of miraculous. If you are a parent with a wayward child I highly recommend this book because you will be encouraged at Bill's radical conversion and it will give you renewed hope for your son or daughter. I highly recommend this book, just don't plan on sleeping for a few nights until you get to the end!
1612860
With Christmas around the corner, there is no better book to dig into than Elyse Fitzpatricks new book, Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ. Because whatever you think you know about the Christmas story or God putting on flesh, you probably haven't grasped its full meaning. In her book, Elyse manages to untangle the theological richness of the incarnation in the plainest of terms, all with the goal to help you understand the daily joy, peace, and comfort that comes from the single truth of a baby being born in a manager.

To help you understand all this, Elyse divides her book into two sections. Part 1 deals with the miracle of the incarnation and his union with us. Part 2 deals with the benefits of the incarnation and our union with him.

Here are some of the wonderful applications from both sections:
1. Because of the incarnation, we are not alone. The Son volunteered to be like us by uniting with us in a common nature.
2. Because of the incarnation, we have great hope. The Son became a new kind of human who is free of sin and formed a new kind of race. As this new Adam, he has crushed our foe, Satan.
3. Because of the incarnation, we are united with God. The Son fulfilled the greatest longing of our soul when he became a man: to be united to him once again.
This Christmas, I will not only marvel at the truth of the incarnation, but I will also be overcome and humbled by it. I would recommend this book to anyone! (I was given a copy of this book for review).
688740
This is why Sara's book is one you won't want to miss: she writes with painstaking honesty about the way God wounded and wooed her and her family to know Him in the midst of great longing. She is refreshing and real, she is genuine and she is unapologetic in her pursuit of the heart of God and wants you to know Him, too. I have been SO blessed and encouraged as I read her story. I have been challenged by the way she allowed/s her circumstances to be an invitation to adore the Father. Her simple prayers, her forthright observations, her gentle use of language draw the reader into a sweeter awareness of God's presence and exhort the reader to consider that even in great pain and bitterness, the Father goes "to great lengths to reorient our understanding of Him". I highly recommend this book to any who are suffering, who are longing, who are waiting on God to move and need to find that in the bitter things, He truly is sweet.
34848
If you only read one book (aside from God's word) the rest of your life, read this book. It's a great testimony of the quality, depth, and richness of relationship one can have with Jesus Christ. After reading it, I am somewhat embarrassed to idenify myself as a Christian given the ease of my life compared to those written of in this book! An amazing story of God's power and providence. The testimony of brother Yun is one that is provoking me out of complacency and on towards longing for God to reveal himself more and more in my life. This is not a light-hearted, feel-good Christian book. This is a "here's what it costs to follow Jesus" book. Absolutely wonderful!
2659875
Seven years ago, we fans watched as the Chapman family embarked upon this journey called adoption. It didn't take long for us to see that God was making miraculous renovations within the hearts of this family. And today, they continue to be amongst the most sincerely passionate adoption advocates in the world. The love within this faithful family is astounding to observe. Even the Chapman's three biological children continue to show genuine signs of spiritual and emotional growth as they work, alongside Steven and Mary Beth to raise the three newer little members of their forever family. It is impossible to listen to the stories of their personal adoption journey without confronting the inescapable truth, that all of us were orphaned and without a home until the love of God "took us in". God is writing a poignant and powerful story, not only for lonely children living in orphanages on the other side of the world, but for lonely people of all ages, everywhere, who are still lost and searching for the only home that is truly "forever".

This third installment of the Shaoey and Dot book series is a precious and creatively written story that everyone will not only enjoy, but be moved to share. Even if adoption is not a part of your personal journey, this is a book that will warm your heart and beckon you back to the kind of childlike faith that first lead you to accept the love of your Heavenly Father. That, in itself, makes it well worth the retail price. But I must warn you:  Don't be surprised to find that those adorable little almond-shaped eyes (beautifully illustrated by Mary Beth's brother, Jim Chapman) open up some space in your heart that you never knew existed before. You AND your child will want to read this one over and over again for many years to come, and this will be the book series that you hand down through the generations. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
2071064
This book is not only for people who desire to "walk in the prophetic", it is for EVERY child of God who desires to love the way God does. It is full of wisdom about the heart of the Father towards His creation. I am inspired, motivated and encouraged to love like Him- in words, deeds and thoughts! Shawn Bolz has done and outstanding job with this book.
3779372
"In popular portrayals of Jesus, it's common to picture Him as a humble and gentle Caucasian man with long-flowing hair that gently frames His face as He meekly knocks on a wooden door. But Scripture gives us a much richer portrayal that cannot be described with any one image or metaphor."
This is one of my favorite quotes from his book because it captures Asheritah's heart for this book so well. She has done a wonderful job of putting Scripture's images and metaphors all in one spot and helps the reader to get a glimpse of how amazing Jesus really is and what a precious treasure it is to know Him.

Though I've not yet finished the book, I can already give it a 5 star rating because it's just that good! Asheritah does a wonderful job of helping us to see how truly rich and wonderful Jesus is by going into depth on Scripture's descriptions of who He is, name by name.

Though I've been a Christian for many years, it's been a delight to work my way through this book, reminding myself of how wonderful my Savior is, as well as learn new truths about who He is too!

This book is filled with Scripture (not just fluff!) and not only is it beautiful on the outside, but the content is beautiful as well. I highly recommend it to anyone, and believe it can be used year-round as a tool to help you grow closer and strengthen your love for the Lord.

It makes for great family reading, but also wonderful for personal study too. I would recommend it for families with children that are a bit older though (elementary?) as I think it's a little bit advanced for my toddler and preschooler. I certainly look forward to reading it with them as they grow though!