God S Christmas Gift

"God's gift of Christmas is Himself. God with us. Immanuel!" -- back cover.

Christmas was approaching. I had been asking God to help me tell the Christmas story to my Kindergarten class in a way that they had not heard it before. I was prepared with my illustrations as we sat on the floor together. Suddenly, I realized that I was telling it in poetry form from beginning to end. It was coming from my heart in a Biblical account, but in children’s language. God was answering my prayer. The children wanted to hear it again and again. I soon realized I had no way of retrieving the words because they had never been written. Late that evening, when all was quiet, I sat down with paper and pencil, said a quick prayer, and it all came back to me word for word. God had answered my prayer again as I wrote the book entitled “God’s First Christmas Gift”.

On Christmas Eve Grandma tells Sam and Susie about the very best Christmas gift of all, the one they can give to the baby Jesus.

When we give something to someone we enter into a many-sided relationship, for in return we hope for the gift of love.

Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."

An Interactive ADVENTure for Your Family Toys and games are great, but the best gifts from God last a lifetime and beyond. Help your children understand the real meaning of Christmas with this 25-day discovery of the good things God has given us, leading up to the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. From creation to Christmas, your little ones will gain a greater understanding of what God has done and how all of Scripture points toward Jesus. Each day your children will learn a key Scripture verse based on that day’s brief teaching interact with modern and detailed illustrations that correspond to the text answer insightful, open-ended questions to help apply the day’s reading read a prayer that reinforces the biblical concept being taught As you walk your children through the Advent season, your family will gain a deeper appreciation of God’s goodness and develop a stronger sense of gratitude for the ultimate gift of salvation. Begin a special new tradition in your home this December with The Best Gift Ever Given.