12 Pearls of Christmas [Litfuse Group]

I'm only a day or two late... But the 12 Pearls of Christmas have begun. So check here every day to gather your pearl and be sure to enter the contest. Be blessed and have a very blessed Christmas!

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Pearl Girls™ 12 Pearls of
Christmas blogging series!

We've gathered several of today's most beloved authors to share their Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along beginning tomorrow (Wednesday the 14th) through Christmas day as Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Rachel Hauck, Sandy Ralya, Sibella Giorello, Susan May Warren and
more, share their heartfelt stories of how God has touched their life during this most wonderful time of the year.

If you'd like to share the 12 Pearls of Christmas with your blog readers too, just email Christen and she'll send you the series.

AND of course there is a giveaway! Beginning tomorrow you and all your friends can enter to win a PEARL NECKLACE and EARRINGS valued at $450! The winner will be announced on New Year's Day! Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.

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Just a quick note before the series begins on the 14th ...

As I write this, I imagine that we are sitting at my kitchen table and chatting over a cup of coffee while familiar Christmas carols celebrate the Season. My twelve year old Chihuahua, Pongo, barks for a pinch of pound cake while my Shih Tzu, Lilly, patiently sits by the chair and waits for a crumb to fall.

My name is not Martha Stewart, and I will never receive a neighborhood beautification award. Just look at my front stoop. Yes, my never-had-time-to-carve-the-pumpkin-that-now-suffers- from-frostbite slouches next to the front door which is decorated with a Christmas wreath. I plan to roll this large orange ornament to the garbage pile tomorrow. For now, however, I will pretend that
my front stoop is a contemplative modern art exhibit capturing the essence of contrast.

Actually, I love the concept of juxtaposition – placing things together that don’t seem to belong together, yet somehow ultimately make sense being paired. A personal example for me this season is the phrase: “comfort and joy.” Having just completed my manuscript for New Hope Publishers about the aftermath of grief, I fully understand the contrast of those two words. How can comfort bring joy? How can one find joy in loss?

Perhaps, dear reader, you have experienced loss this year – loss of a loved one, loss of friendship, loss of health, loss of financial security, loss of trust, loss of love, or loss of direction. Even with the best intent, words of encouragement shared by others can somehow seem insufficient to address an inconsolable loss. A spoken word cannot fully restore joy to a broken heart; however the Word can. And that’s the bottom line message of Christmas! God gave us the most amazing gift: His Son - the Word of God, the Holy Comforter.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

You are not alone this Christmas, dear friend. Juxtaposed to the unexpected grit in life is the gift of God’s grace wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This year I purposely placed a pearl in the Nativity scene as a metaphoric reminder. When we place our grit into the hands of the Lord, His grace transforms our pain into a pearl.

“Joy to the world!”

Thank you so very much for sharing the JOY of the Season with us this year.

God Bless,
Margaret
@mcsweeny

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Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. She is the founder and director of Pearl Girls. For more information please visit www.pearlgirls.info. Margaret is fast at work on several fiction manuscripts. Her book Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace was written to help fund the Pearl Girl Charities. She
is also the host of weekly radio show, Kitchen Chat. Connect with Margaret on Facebook or Twitter.

Rebirth by Dave Longeuay

How did a remnant of scattered Jews rise to build a mighty superpower in the Middle
East?

Fleeing his father’s anti-Semitic organization, Charles Devonshire, journeys into the most volatile land-grab in history—Post WWII, Palestine. Charles pursues a beautiful but
mysterious librarian, Gladia, who introduces him to the elaborate Jewish underground. While joining their plight to reestablish a homeland, he falls in love with her and faces painful challenges in developing a relationship within their culture gap. And in the midst of battling the hostile inhabitants who also laid claim to Palestine, he searches for clues of his own troubled past. Can Charles pursue love, uncover his family secrets and avoid being trapped in the middle of the world’s longest feud?

Rebirth draws you into 1948, into a world of intrigue, espionage and anti-Semitism. Witness how ancient prophecies were fulfilled against impossible odds as Israel built a nation and defied skeptics. Journey through the precarious events that led to Israel’s miraculous rebirth on May 14, 1948. Experience the unrelenting pursuits of the most persecuted race, and how their renewed strength reestablished their original language, customs and land cultivations after 2,000 years of desolation—an accomplishment no other nation can claim.

Let me begin by saying this is one of the most riveting books I have read for a while. I was almost late for work one day because I had a hard time putting the book down. One of the things I like about it, is that it's based on actual events. 

Charles Devonshire is the main character of the story. He runs from America to Palestine, to get away from his father and to find out who he really is. He runs into a librarian, Gladia Limbauski, at the school he is attempting to enter in order to find out more about his parents and ends up falling in love with her. 

At the same time, Israelis and Palestinians are fighting a bloody battle that continues to this day. However, at this time, Israel is fighting for her rights to be a recognized nation. With the Nazis, Arabs, and British against her, it's an uphill battle. More like David against Goliath, with Israel being David. 

Charles becomes a member of a secret organization that is attempting to oust the Arabs out of the land Israel wants. If he is discovered it would mean his death, slowly. But he wants to see Israel become a nation, again.

Throughout his many journeys and meeting so many people, he learns about the God of Israel and how a ragtag group of people endure through the most horrible persecution any people group have and continue to endure. He experiences and witnesses miracles that only the God of Israel could perform.

This is a powerful, wonderful, suspenseful, romantic, intriguing book. I'm sure I could think of other adjectives, but those will work for now. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the current history of Israel and enjoy a story at the same time.
 
About the Author:
Dave Longeuay has been writing since 1978. His works have ranged from stories and poems to songs and video documentaries. Longeuay owns a professional multimedia studio in Southern California, and has more than three decades of production and marketing experience. He’s a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers
association, and has been a student of biblical Israeli history for more than two decades.

You can learn more about the rebirth of Israel by going to http://www.rebirthofisrael.com

This book was provided to my for the purpose of reviewing by Dave Longeuay. 

Broken Words by Jonathan Dudley

Abortion. Homosexuality. Environmentalism. Evolution. 

What if the strongest arguments against evangelical Christian positions on these topics come not from secular America but from evangelical Christianity itself?

Press Release:

BALTIMORE - Nov 7, 2011 - What happens when a young man who grew up listening to James Dobson on the radio and attending a church lead by the co-founder of Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority ends up earning graduate degrees in Christianity at Yale University and science at Johns Hopkins? If he's a writer as insightful and articulate as Jonathan Dudley, he shatters what most people believe about evangelical Christian politics, both inside the evangelical

community and out. Broken Words: The Abuse of Science and Faith in American Politics is an explosive expose on how, through a variety of historical accidents, power struggles, and missteps, evangelicals came to adopt rigid conservative stances on four hot-button issues involving faith and science.

In Broken Words, Dudley embeds meticulous research on the origins of and problems with evangelical political beliefs into a coming-of-age narrative of growing up in the evangelical community. In addition to surveying why evangelicals supported looser abortion laws prior to Roe v. Wade, he demonstrates the idea the Bible says life begins at conception was not

widespread among Christians until the 1980s.

He illustrates how evangelicals have embraced a postmodern relativism on science that contradicts their absolutism on homosexuality. Dudley explains why evangelicals really began embracing environmentalism, noting that the Bible has little to do with it. The author surveys the widespread acceptance of evolution by evangelical scholars, both when Darwin's theory was published and today. The scientific problems are illustrated with the idea that life begins at conception, that being gay is a choice, that global warming is a myth, and that the best explanation for life is Intelligent Design. The most remarkable aspect of Dudley's book is that, while it is a trenchant critique of the evangelical Right, it is also filled with the intimate understanding and empathy of one who grew up in evangelical community.

Polls show young people raised evangelical are increasingly abandoning their parent's beliefs. Broken Words demonstrates why. And because evangelicals constitute roughly 35 percent of Americans-and have a tremendous impact on politics-this change will impact both Christianity and America at large. Jonathan Dudley is leading the way, making Broken Words required reading for anyone who wants to understand what's happening in American politics.

Broken Words: The Abuse of Science and Faith in American Politics is a book I would describe as provocative and challenging. Having grown up in an evangelical church and learned that abortion was wrong, homosexuality the worst sin and evolution is a theory without any merit, I found this book challenged things I always believed to be true. 


For instance, in chapter five, Dudley talks about young earth creationism, he explains that "Seventh Day Adventists comprised the only significant number of adherents to the idea of a worldwide flood responsible for the fossil record and a young earth." [pg 130] One of Ellen G. White's disciples, George McCready Price, believed White's "vision was divinely inspired and dedicated his life to finding scientific support for it." In 1923 he wrote a book, The New Geology." That book later was revised and updated by Henry Morris and John Whitcomb and published in 1961 under the title of The Genesis Flood. So, as Dudley puts it, "Ellen G. White's divinely inspired interpretation of Genesis, filtered through Price, then filtered through Morris, was widely disseminated to the evangelical community." [pg 131] To me, that's a bit disturbing.


Another example would be "when does life begin?" In chapter two, Dudley tackles the sensitive subject of abortion, the "Right to Life" concept and how evangelical leaders use(d) it to sway opinion in the church, on various political candidates. 


Though I may still be pro-life and believe in a young earth, Broken Words has caused me to think about why I believe some of the things I do. Does what I believe stem from just what the Bible says? Or has some of my beliefs been molded by other people's political agendas and faulty scientific research?


Does it make me less of a Christian because I may or may not agree with every evangelical leader and whatever political statement they may be promoting? I don't think so. 


I think Broken Words is a very good book because it does cause a person to examine where they stand on these hot topics. Questioning why we take the stances we do is good, it causes us to seek out answers.



Jonathan Dudley has appeared on CNN's Newsroom with Kyra Philips and written for CNN.com, The Huffington Post, and the Yale Daily News. He also served as an ethical consultant for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a reviewer for the International Journal of Drug Policy. He graduated with a B.S. in biology from Calvin College , an M.A. in ethics from Yale University Divinity School , and is currently a M.D. student at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. 

This book was provided by Jonathan Dudley for the purpose of reviewing. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. 

Truth & Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls By Ann-Margret Hovsepian

I have a granddaughter who will be nine next year and when I saw this book I wanted to see if it would be something she could get into. So I sent my request  and The B & B Media Group, Inc sent me this review copy. 

Truth & Dare is written for tween girls. When I first looked at it and started reading through it I thought to myself, this is a book my granddaughter would like. 

Each day starts off with a bible verse, a "Truth" and a "Dare." Then there's a place for a girl to write her thoughts down on what she has learned. What a wonderful way to encourage young girls to journal.

For the weekend there is a small "quiz" that helps them remember what they learned throughout the week and a "Got More Time?" section that suggests other things they can do.

The only drawback I see about this book is the size. It may be a bit intimidating for a young tween. Though it's packed with many wonderful things, just the thickness of the book may cause them to be hesitant to start reading it. (Not everyone is a bookworm like me or my granddaughter.)

But other than that, it's a wonderful devotional and I believe the girls it's targeted for will get a lot out of it. 

Ann-Margret Hovsepian is a published author, freelance writer and editor and amateur artist. She has published more than 210 articles for dozens of Canadian and U.S. print periodicals and has become a sought-after author of pre-teen girls' devotional books. She has published Blossom: The Complete New Testament for Girls (Thomas Nelson, 2006) and The One Year Designer Genes Devo (Tyndale, 2007). She speaks at conferences and events and is actively involved on the board of Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec. Hovsepian resides in Montreal, Canada.

Journey to Christmas

Journey to Christmas is a fascinating new reality DVD series that invites you to explore Jesus’ birth through five modern-day explorers. Shot on ultra-high-definition film and packaged as a four-part DVD church curriculum, this unique study series chronicles the experiences of five very different people—a messianic Jew, a First Nations woman, a poet, a Christian radio personality, and an agnostic lawyer—as they journey through the Holy Land to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Guided by a local historian (Nizar Shaheen) with on-camera commentary from a team of Bible experts (astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross, ancient history expert Dr. Paul Maier, archeologist and New Testament scholar Dr. Craig Evans, Biblical times culture expert Claire Pfann, and others), viewers will see the Christmas story unfold though the eyes of each member on this unique pilgrimage. Journey to Christmas lets you immerse yourself in the culture, places, and people surrounding the Nativity. Stunning photography, a reality show format, exotic locations, and fascinating commentary from a team of Bible experts make this an unforgettable Bible learning experience!

I decided to review this DVD because I thought it would be interesting and I couldn't pass up seeing some great sights of the Holy Land. 

The five explorers: Kim, Rory, Nazreth, Drew and Dusty, were pretty much every-day people coming from different backgrounds with similar questions about the true meaning of Christmas. I think I understood Drew best, having been a cynic for much of my life. 

Were their questions completely answered? Well, you will have to watch the DVD to find out. 

I went through the provided study material and found it good. It leaves enough room to bring about discussion on not just the explorers but also about who Jesus is, the archeological findings and what the true meaning of Christmas is to each person.

The scenery and places where the series was shot was wonderful and only heightened my desire to go to the Holy Land. But, I might have to pass on riding on a camel.

This is a beautifully filmed series that will be worth reviewing over again. It is suited for a small group study and will not only delight the viewers but will also bring them to a better understanding of why we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

List Price:

19.99 

ISBN:

978-1-4143-6508-4 

Trim Size:

 

Binding:

2 DVDs 

Release:

December 2011 

 

This complimentary DVD series was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review purposes.