CHRISTEPHI

Every year we add at least one new book to our Christmas book collection.  This year it was this book, M is for Manger , by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley. It's almost too young for my kids, but then, are you ever really too old for sweet rhymes and gorgeous illustrations? About the Book Travel through the alphabet with this beautiful rhyming storybook that tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Begin with the angel who tells Mary that she is God’s chosen vessel and follow along until you reach the zillions of stars that paled in comparison to the star that announced the birthplace of the newborn King. Beautifully illustrated and written, this book will be a classic for parents to read to their children every Christmas season. M is for Manger Written by  Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley Illustrated by Claire Keay ISBN:  978-1496401953 Publisher:  Tyndale House Publishers 64 pages What I Thought M is for Manger is a very sweet book for children ages 2 to

A couple of weeks ago I received a special offer from the Tyndale Blog Network to review their new Illustrated Study Bible.  I immediately shot back a response saying of course I was interested in reviewing it! Have I ever mentioned how much I love color? This seems to have been a theme in my life lately. Life is too short to be monochromatic! When the package arrived containing my new Illustrated Study Bible, I was not disappointed. Full color photos, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout the book bring the text to life! About the Book The Illustrated Study Bible integrates background material, study notes, and themed articles into a single volume so you can better understand as you study the Holy Scriptures.  The intent is to open your eyes to the living, powerful message of God's Word. The Illustrated Study Bible NLT by  Tyndale House Publishers ISBN:  978-1496402004 2618 pages My Thoughts Not everyone is an academic. Not everyone can easily r

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. We like to idealize the past, our perfect carefree childhood Christmases, the sweet baby Jesus bundled up in a manger with cute little sheep complacently peeking at Him on the hay.  But the truth is the world Jesus was born into was just as chaotic and scary as the one we're living in today. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. Things were not picture perfect for Mary and Joseph.  They were dealing with some very tough, even life threatening, situations.  Mary was pregnant before marriage -- a potential de

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is socially acceptable to turn our attention to Christmas. (That's how it works, right?)  Don't tell, but I've been in "Christmas mode" since quite a while before Thanksgiving.  This year I'm heading up a casual chorus of Christmas carolers.  Because of that, I've had Christmas carols on the brain since early October!  There couldn't be any better timing for a book about the stories behind our most beloved Christmas carols. About the Book From Oxford professor and renowned British composer, a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols. Everyone loves a carol in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge. They have the power to summon up a special kind of mid-winter mood, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? Andrew Gant choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer tells the story of twenty of our fa