Home for Christmas - a book review

Recently, I was given a complimentary copy of Home for Christmas, Stories for the Young and Old by Plough Publishing. I was asked to review the book and share my review with my blog readers. I was excited to receive the book, especially since it is almost Christmas! As I began reading, I found the book to be cozy and comforting.

Inside the book are twenty different stories. Some of the stories are written by well known authors and some are from newly discovered authors. Some of the stories have been passed down from generation to generation and have become well known favorites, and then there are the new stories...the ones that will soon become old favorites.

One story I particularly enjoyed was The Christmas Lie by Dorothy Thomas. The story is told during pioneer days when things are hard and everyone works to make ends meet. The details in the story are filled with visual imagery and you can almost feel as if you're right there with the characters as the story unfolds. A tiny lie explodes and affects an entire family but in the process reconciliation comes. There are many other warm and interesting stories in the book, but this was one of my personal favorites.

I enjoyed reading this book immensely. I found that although there were many different authors from around the world, they all shared one sentiment, that Christmas is a time for sharing with those you love. I can imagine sitting around a fireplace reading this book, story after story, to my grandchildren as they conjure up images from the descriptive writings the authors have shared.

This book, Home for Christmas, Stories for the Young and Old, compiled by Miriam LeBlanc, would make a treasured edition to your family library.

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Discipleship by J. Heinrich Arnold - a book review

Recently I was given a complimentary copy of the book, Discipleship by J. Heinrich Arnold, by Handlebar Central and asked to review the book. As I began reading it, I found that it was filled with practical, timely resources for living in today's modern world.

As a Christian, it is both challenging and rewarding to stand firm in your beliefs. Being a disciple of Christ calls for strong commitment and dedication. Amid the world's views, being a dedicated follower of Christ seems odd and laughable, but the book Discipleship offers practical helps to aid believers in managing awkward and difficult situations.

There are a wide range of topics covered in the book by J. Heinrich Arnold. Some of the subjects addressed are Purity, Trust, Surrender, Forgiveness, and Unity. Mr. Arnold takes these complicated subjects and helps shine light on the truth by revealing falsehoods.

This book is filled with tough love. It is love that reveals the heart of Christ and how we are to walk after Him in all we say and do. Mr. Arnold uses Scripture references to guide the reader along the path to truth. His words compliment but do not overpower the truth of God's Word. Mr. Arnold says "Discipleship is not a question of our own doing; it is a matter of making room for God so that he can live in us."

Discipleship would be a great addition to any believer's library. It would also make a wonderful and practical gift. Mr. Arnold writes in easy to understand words as he guides the reader into following after the footsteps of Christ.

I would like to thank Handlebar for giving me the opportunity to review this book. It was a joy to read and has enriched my understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

I was given a complimentary copy of the book Precious Children of India by Life Sentence Publishing recently. As I read the book, I was filled with so much emotion. My emotions ranged from anger to disbelief to hope. Each child's story was unique and told with gentleness by the author.

This book helps readers understand more about the hardships and difficulty that people of India face on a daily basis, but more importantly, it focuses on the lives of the children. The beautiful stories portrayed resilience and optimism even under the most difficult of circumstances.

In America, we take our basic needs for granted - having clean water, access to fresh food, and good, safe shelter. In India, none of these needs are readily available and fighting for daily survival is the norm.The children learn to fend for themselves not only due to circumstances beyond their control, but in order to just live from one day to the next.

Precious Children of India allows the voices of the children to be heard. Their stories, though painful to read, give a clear picture of their reality. The children, most of them under the age of 8, have experienced and witnessed more than their little eyes should ever have seen.

To have a clear understanding of how blessed we are in America, please take time to read this book. Prepare your heart before you do read it though because you'll never be the same afterwards. I would like to thank Life Sentence Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book.


The blog tour page for Precious Children of India is at: http://www.lifesentencepublishing.com/precious-children-of-india/

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Never Ever Give Up - A book review

Recently, I was given a copy of the book, Never Ever Give Up by Erik Rees. This story was about a young, teenaged girl who valiantly fought two brain tumors. During her fight with cancer, Jessica, also known as Jessie, finds purpose in her fight and wants to help others.

Through a project Jessie called "Joy Jars," she is able to bring a little bit of joy into the lives of other children struggling with cancer. Jessie enlists the help of not only her family but also her friends as they take time to compile large plastic jars filled with toys and other small items for the children in hospitals all over the country. The Joy Jar project helps Jessie have something to look forward to each day. 

The book is written from the viewpoint of Jessie's father, Erik. He is very candid about their family dynamics in the book. He allows readers the opportunity to become instantly involved in the very raw and real emotions they experience during the time of Jessie's diagnosis and progressing illness.

Faith is a key aspect of the book and readers will see that the Rees family believe in God was instrumental in helping them understand and accept the fate of little Jessie. The love and support of their church members helped make a very difficult time bearable.

I think you'll enjoy this book as I did. When I received the book, I had just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Reading the book gave me hope and I know it will you, too.

The Healing Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter (a book review)

I received a complimentary copy of the book, The Healing Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter through Handlebar publishing to read and review. The book is an easy read and provided good wholesome entertainment. The book begins with a young, newlywed couple, Emma and Lamar Miller. They have just purchased a home in the village of Pinecraft. After only two weeks in their new home, Emma finds herself bored and lonely. She longs for the familiar of family and home. Emma's husband, Lamar, knows Emma is unhappy and he suggests she begins to teach quilting lessons. Emma is shocked and doesn't think Floridians would be very interested in learning to quilt since they live in such a warm climate. After several conversations, Lamar convinces Emma to try it. Emma agrees to teach classes only if Lamar will assist her. They've "tag teamed" before in the past and Emma thinks it will work well again. Emma posts notifications for her classes and waits to see what happens.

Much to her surprise, Emma begins to receive calls regarding the classes. As Emma opens her home, she finds that God brings an interesting group of people to learn quilting from her.  Soon she is welcoming BJ, a man dealing with Cancer, a young teen named Erika, who is confined to a wheelchair, Kim, a woman who has given up on love, and others.

Eric teaches the fundamentals of quilting but along with those lessons, come some valuable life lessons. Each member of the class learns to deal with their problems and find ways to heal from hurtful situations. They learn not only to help each other but learn more about God's love in the process. This book would make a great gift and would be a wonderful addition to any Christian's library. 

Who's your Daddy?

A popular song from the late 1960's has a line in it that says "What's your name? Who's your Daddy?" As I contemplated those questions, they prompted me to write today's blog post.

In Biblical times, a male was identified not only by his given name but also by his father's name. For example, Simon bar Jonah meant that Simon was the son of Jonah. Often times, there were many people sharing the same first name so it was important to know exactly which person was being referred to at the time. The use of the father's name helped with that clarification.To the Hebrews, a name was not a label, or just a tool to distinguish one person from another; a person's name was viewed as equivalent to the person himself. A person's name signified their person, worth, character, reputation, authority, will, and ownership.That is why names given at birth were so carefully chosen by the parents. But while a child's name was very important, the Father's name was even more so.

As Christians, it's important for us to know who our Father is and what His various names mean. By understanding the names of God, we can know more about His character and His attributes. When we understand more about God's character and attributes; we can understand more clearly who we really are too! We can truly understand our identity! God wants us to know who He truly is and He wants us to understand His nature. So let's look at the names of God and see what we can learn about our, Abba - Father, which translates "Daddy!"

1. El Elyon: this name of God means "God most high" and indicates that God is the creator and possessor of heaven and earth. He is the "head honcho" and is in control of everything! There are no accidents where He is concerned. He orders all of our steps. 
2. El Shaddai: this name of God indicates that God is Almighty! He is all powerful and all sufficient. (The Hebrew word for this name of God comes from the root word "shad" which means breast. Just like a child is fully satisfied at his mother's breast, so God is all we need for our sufficiency!)
3. Yahweh/Jehovah: this name of God means "I AM THAT I AM." God is sovereign and never, ever changes. 
4. Jehovah Jireh: this name of God means "the Lord who sees to it." He is our provider! He will see to it that all of our needs are met according to His plan for our lives.
5. Jehovah Rophi: this name of God means "the Lord who heals you." The root word means to fix or mend. God wants to heal/mend us completely - mind, body, and spirit.
6. Jehovah Nissi: this name of God means "our banner of victory." God wins our battles for us!
7. Jehovah Shalom: this name of God comes from the Hebrew meaning completeness and finished. It implies a state of rest. God wants us to rest in Him and find our completeness in Him. 
8. Jehovah Rohi: this name of God comes from the Hebrew word that translates "the Lord my Shepherd." God is our shepherd, the one who guides and protects us just like a sheep herder protects and guides his sheep.
9. Immanuel: this name of God means "God with us." God is always with us. He never leaves us unattended. 
10. Jehovah Shammah: this name of God means "the Lord is there." God is constantly present. His presence will be both in and on his people. 

Now that you know your Father's various names, let's take a look at some of His Attributes:

• Omnipresent: God is everywhere at all times. No one can ever escape His presence! (reference 1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-10, Acts 17:28, and Matthew 18:20)
• Omniscient: God knows everything past, present and future! Nothing surprises Him ever! reference Job 37:16, Isaiah 41:22-23)
• Omnipotent: God is powerful and mighty! The word "omni" means all, and the word "potent" means powerful! So God is ALL POWERFUL! (reference Genesis 17:1, 28:3)
• Immutable: God is unchangeable. For something to change, it has to change for better or worse doesn't it? Since God is perfect, there's no need for Him to change since He can't change to be better and He can't change to be worse, right? He doesn't change, ever! (reference James 1:17, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 1:12)
• Holy: God is perfectly pure. He is separated from all evil and He is distinct from all others in that fact. He is entirely holy. (reference Exodus 3-5, Leviticus 19:2, Psalm 5:4-6)
• Righteous: Everything God does is right. Everything He sets into motion is perfectly moral and just. Because of God's nature, His ways are always perfect. (reference Isaiah 45:21, Zephaniah 3:5, Romans 3:26)
• Truth: God is truth. He cannot lie. (reference John 17:17, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18)
• Loving: God's character is full of pure, unconditional love. (reference Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16)
• Good: Everything God does is good. He is morally excellent! (reference Genesis 1:31, Deuteronomy 8:16, Psalm 107:8)

Now do you see that you come from really good stock?! When someone says, "who's your Daddy," what are you going to say? Are you going to say that you are the daughter/son of the MOST HIGH GOD?  You should because it's true! Your Heavenly Father is ALL MIGHTY, ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, EVER PRESENT, ALL SUFFICIENT, LOVING AND KIND. He is all you will ever need. He is your PROTECTOR and your PROVIDER. He's the very best, most perfect Dad you could ever imagine! He never leaves you alone. He sees you clearly and knows your future. He always wants the best for you and His ways are always perfect.

Your identity is found in your Father. Never forget who you are...a child of the King!

A great lesson learned

This is a very personal, true story, but I want to share with you. Hopefully, it will help someone else. Back in 1991, I was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident where both bones in my right leg were crushed below the knee. Doctors thought they would have to amputate, but thankfully I had one orthopedic surgeon who wanted to try something else. He manipulated and aligned the bones in my leg under general anesthesia and then placed what I called "my satellite dish" on my leg. The contraption was really called an "external fixator"and through a variety of plates and long threaded screws (pins) positioned the bones correctly so they would be able to heal. I had 5 of those long, threaded screws or pins, as the medical team called them, drilled into my leg and attached to the fixator. 4 of the threaded pins were over a foot long as they had to pass through both bones in my leg and out the other side while still leaving enough length to thread through the fixator. The other threaded pin extended straight through the center of my fibula and outward (similar to a Unicorn's horn.) Needless to say, it was not a pretty site and was extremely painful. (Warning: Graphic picture follows, you may want to look away!)

After being discharged from the hospital, I went home to be with my four children, ages 15-2.  I did the best I could to manage caring for them and had to learn how to do things much differently now that I was temporarily handicapped. I found out rather quickly how hard it is to take care of little ones when you're confined to a wheelchair and the chair won't fit through doorways.

I'd always been a "clean freak" and was proud of the fact that I kept my house spotless at all times. Was I going to let this minor inconvenience thwart my cleaning record? No I wasn't. I was determined that my house would continue to be neat and tidy even though I couldn't fit the wheelchair through the doors of my home! It was a huge struggle and a job that would normally take a few minutes, often times took several hours. Still, I was proud that I was able to do it myself.

One day, God wanted to teach me a very valuable lesson on pride. You see, I never really thought that I was full of pride...oh, I knew I was proud of myself for being able to keep my home running smoothly and spotless with 4 small children but I didn't think there was anything wrong with that, afterall...I worked hard at it. But, in God's eyes, there was something very wrong. Before my accident, we had been attending a small, country church close to our home in Gainesville. The people there were very kind and loving. We had grown to be a part of their little community and enjoyed getting to know their hearts. When the church family heard about my automobile accident, they quickly made plans on how they could each help me. They talked and planned at the Wednesday night service. Some of the members decided they'd cook meals, others offered to chauffeur, each person wanted to do whatever they could to help out this divorced mother of 4. (Little did I know this until days later when I received a knock at my door.)

Friday morning, I heard a knock at my door. All of the children were at school except for the youngest one. As I opened the door, I was surprised to find an elderly lady from our church standing there in front of me. She said, "I know you've been hurt in the car wreck, honey, and I know you probably haven't been able to mop your floor...so I came to help you today. May I come in?" I was totally dumbfounded as I motioned for her to come inside. We sat and visited for a few minutes and she asked me about how I was feeling and then stood up and said, "now if you'll just tell me where your mop is, I'll get busy." I looked at her as if she were crazy and said in my most matter of fact voice, "I'm not going to let you mop my floor! I can do it later." (can you hear the pride that was welling up inside of me..."you're not going to mop my floor! How dare you! I keep my whole house spotless and you, you want to come in and mop my floor???") She looked at me and said (in the sweetest little old lady voice you've ever heard) while she humbly hung her head, "are you going to rob me of a blessing?" I couldn't believe my ears...rob her of a blessing? Whatever did she mean? The puzzled look on my face prompted her to respond, "you see, Bonnie, God told me to come to your house today. He told me to come mop your floor. "That's why I'm here. In my 87 years of age, I've learned to be obedient when God tells me to do something. Now you're going to rob me of the blessing that He had set aside just for me." As she said the last word, she walked toward the front door and slowly walked out.

I watched her drive away in her little car...this sweet, almost 90 year old, hunchbacked, woman who'd come to bless me that day. It didn't hit me until she drove out of the driveway that I'd crushed her spirit with my pride. I'd stolen a wonderful blessing that God had intended for her to receive as she was obedient to His command. Tears welled up in my eyes and I longed to call her back and apologize to her for my stupidity. I could feel God speaking to my heart, "oh, my child. You failed this test today. I sent this precious woman to teach you that pride does indeed go before a fall. You have been so full of yourself and your abilities to keep your family and your home in order since your wreck and you have not allowed others to help you even when their hearts were willing." I was so ashamed of myself and for the remainder of the day, I prayed and cried out to God asking for His forgiveness.

I've never forgotten that day and I never will. What a hard lesson that was for me to learn. Now when someone offers to do something to help me, I never refuse! I am so grateful and thankful. When I offer to do something for someone else and they refuse, I share this story with them. Have you ever robbed someone of a blessing by refusing to allow them to do something for you? Perhaps God spoke to their heart and gave them specific instructions on meeting a need for you. He honors obedience.

The next time someone wants to bless you, accept graciously and humbly. Remember that in Acts 20:35 that Jesus said Himself: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Sometimes we need to be "knocked down a few pegs," as my Daddy used to say, so we can understand the important things in life. Don't let pride cause you to stumble and especially don't let it rob someone of a blessing.