Who Wants to Win My New Mommy & Daddy Books?

I was never very good at math in school, but even I know that eight cute animals, two padded-cover board books and one awesome illustrator add up to something wonderful…

God Made Mommy Special and God Made Daddy Special  celebrate the special bond between animal parents and their little ones. Whether it’s Mommy Deer, Mommy Hamster, Daddy Bat or Daddy Lion, they all have one thing in common: these parents love their babies!

Each book closes with a celebration of the love between human parent and child, because even though God made all mommies and daddies special, there’s none as special as YOURS!

These two titles are now available in bookstores everywhere, but before you rush out to buy these lovely gifts for Mother’s and Father’s Day, you should enter the giveaway, sponsored by my awesome publisher, Zonderkidz, right here, on my blog.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, telling me who you would read the books to. And if you share this post on Facebook, just let me know and you’ll be entered twice. Three lucky winners will be announced one week from today, Monday April 16th.

Good Luck!

The Story of Tiny…

It was this time last year that we first met Tiny.

Spring had finally come to Michigan, and the robins began building their nests, hopping around and collecting twigs, just like they’re doing now. And the one I saw on the lawn today, I’m wondering if that might be Tiny… but of course, I’ll never know.

Tiny’s story began in a scrawny nest, built in our ladders, just one year ago…

We were worried from the beginning, my son and I.

His blue egg was the last to be laid, the smallest of the four, the final one to hatch.

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An Invitation to Walk Through Holy Week With Me

Welcome to Holy Week.

Over 2000 years ago, a remarkable man named Jesus had just one week left to live on this earth: that’s seven sunrises and seven sunsets; seven short days to show the world what love looked like.

And he did.

I’ll be honest: I’m not very good at walking through Holy Week. I’m terrible when it comes to keeping my focus, as this story, from my last trip to Israel, demonstrates.

But I invite you to walk with me through Holy Week, even if you lose your focus, and even if you miss one day. Just walk with me. I promise I’ll be waiting for you to catch up, just like a walking companion would.

If you happen to own Easter Love Letters from God. please click on the picture below to download your free Resource and Activity Pack that will guide you through each of the seven days. 

But if you don’t own the book, simply read the following scriptures each day and ask yourself:

What does this story teach me about Jesus?

Where do I see myself in this story?

What might God be calling me to do as a result of reading this story?

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FREE! Easter Activity & Resource Pack to Accompany Easter Love Letters from God

In case you missed it… I wanted to be sure to gift my readers with this 25 page downloadable Resource & Activity Pack that I wrote to accompany Easter Love Letters from God.

Just click on the picture below to receive your seven-day devotional, designed to be used during Holy Week, which contains scripture, prayers, cut-outs, conversation starters, coloring sheets, crafts and more. And if you know of any parents, grandparents or Children’s Ministry leaders who might like this resource, please do share it with them.

If you are a church ordering 10 or more copies, they can be purchased at 35% off from Church Source, where your order will be tax exempt and will qualify for free shipping.

Girls’ Love Letters in KOREAN!

In honor of International Women’s Day, here’s Deborah, interrupting our Easter Love Letters from God blog tour, and marching out of the pages of Girls’ Love Letters to bring you not one, but two, very important announcements…

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A Message From my Sweet Grandchildren…

Sam and Colette here, with a very important announcement…

Did you know that our grandma wrote this book? It’s very good and you should get it for Easter.

Now, I know I’m biased… but seriously, aren’t they the cutest?  (Even though I did have to bribe them with jellybeans to get this photo.)

I flew 2000 miles to spend ten days with these two rascals, and since they are ALWAYS on the go, and I’m writing this post during one of their rare nap-times, that’s all have to share.

Except to add…

PLEASE DO read this moving story, shared by my colleague, Vanessa Myers, about one preschool teacher’s experience when reading Easter Love Letters from God. It is so wonderful!

Meet the Illustrator of Easter Love Letters from God, and Giveaway #4

Sophie Allsopp is a children’s illustrator, living and working in the south of England. One glance at the whimsical, lovely illustrations in Easter Love Letters from God is enough to tell you that she is one amazing, talented artist.

One of my favorite features in the book is the inclusion of stamps on each of the lift-the-flap love letters from God, and I’m always anxious to see what images Sophie chooses for them…

Here’s a peek at five of my favorite stamps featured in the book plus your chance to enter the fourth book giveaway… Continue reading

The Theology Behind Easter Love Letters from God, and Giveaway #3

As an author of Christian children’s books, I know that every person picks up a story and reads the text through their own theological lens. It’s quite impossible not to. Equally impossible, then, is the enormous task of an author who tries to placate each reader. And so rather than tie myself in knots, trying to please everyone, I decided, early on in my writing, that I would try to please God.

This is a portion of my interview on the Christians Engaged in Faith Formation blog, where my UMC colleague, Christine Hides, was good enough to interview me about the theology behind Easter Love Letters from God. 

Knowing that more liberal Christian audiences might struggle with some of the language in the book and perhaps wonder about my reasoning, I welcome the opportunity to address questions such as these: Continue reading

Who Easter Love Letters is Dedicated To, and Giveaway #2

If you’ve peeked inside the pages of Easter Love Letters from God. you’ll have seen this:

These words won’t make sense to anyone who doesn’t know me well. But my family, my close friends, and my four brothers and three sisters know only too well who the ‘Secret Supper’ maker was…

Let me take you across the Atlantic Ocean, almost fifty years ago, to a red brick home in northern England, where I grew up with my seven siblings… Continue reading

Celebrating the Release of Easter Love Letters from God

Here’s me, wearing my favorite hat, holding my favorite book…

Easter Love Letters from God, the fifth title in this best-selling series, is now available! To celebrate its release, I have two exciting announcements to share: Continue reading