God’s Great Love for You, bybestselling
author and pastor Rick Warren, is a story that lets children know that God's love is with them everywhere and all of the time. With simple sentences, and winsome illustrations by Chris Saunders, a child is assured that she is always surrounded by God's great love.
It's a cute book and I especially love the illustrations. I do disagree with the age range recommendation, though. It is much too simple for 7 and 8 year old children, so I would suggest it for 6 year old and under. My great-grandchildren are all under 3 right now, and this seems more suitable as a bedtime story book for them. The very short sentences are a better fit for their attention spans. The main character is also female, so I don't think the boys will like this one quite as much as girls. Of course, that is not true each time, but I still would have preferred a mix of characters. Still, a good book to introduce the love of God to wee ones.
GIVEAWAY: To enter for a chance to win a copy of God's Great Love For You, leave a comment on this blog or as a comment on a social media post. Deadline to enter is end of day, Friday, November 17, 2017.
“Disclosure
(in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):Many thanks
to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing
this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100%
my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a
sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant
per mailing address, per giveaway.If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the
last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.Or if you have won the same prize on another blog,
you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Little One, God Made You Special by Amy Warren Hilliker is a 14 page board book for toddlers inspired by Rick Warren's best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life. Written by his daughter, Amy, the book is just the right size for toddlers to old on to and has simple sentences that are just the right length for a toddler's attention span. You can even use interactions to correspond with each sentence to make it an additional learning lesson.
Cute adult and child animals give the book an appealing charm, thanks to illustrator Polona Lovsin, and a child is sure to be delighted with the drawings. This is also a sturdy book that holds together well (tested by my 8 month old great-granddaughter). Published by Zonderkidz.
I received a copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers program at no cost to myself for review purposes. I was not required to give a good review.
Based on a miraculous story about the power of faith, Captive is
an "amazing, inspiring" drama about the spiritual collision of two lost
souls, Brian Nichols (Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo), on the run
from police and desperate to make contact
with his newborn son, takes recently widowed mother Ashley Smith (Kate
Mara) hostage in her own apartment. Fearing for her life and
desperately hoping to see her daughter again, she turns to Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life for guidance. Ashley
and her captor face a crossroads where they discover hope and light in
the midst of despair in the moving film. (back of DVD)
My Review: Captive is based on a true event that I remember following on television, plus I read the book both when it was originally published and again a few months ago. That is part of the problem for me. On one hand, there were very strong performances, especially by the 2 leads, David Oyelowo and Kate Mara. They were both believable in their roles and kept my attention.
However, the story-telling was a bit shallow and weak. I understand that there is a need to get into the back story and condense 7 hours into a 96 minute film, but too much time was spent on fictionalized sections that I felt took away from the actual events. And it was the fictionalized (or altered) scenes that would cause my eyes to roll a bit. This is a powerful, captivating, story that stands up based on its own merit. There also seemed as though there was a reluctance to incorporate much of the faith aspect, including The Purpose Driven Life, perhaps to entice a larger audience, but the growing faith of Ashley has always been a key part of the story and had to be shown. Don't get me wrong; it was only part of the story and did not need to be over-exaggerated either. There was something in the book that always resonated with me which was used in another part of the film, but was trivialized when moved.
So, because of the performances, I would give it a high score. The film story puts it down to an average rating, but I am going to take into consideration that I am biased in favor of the actual events and tend to be a stickler about staying with facts as much as possible. To be fair, I have loved other movies that I later found out could barely claim "based on a true story" and the Captive screenwriters honestly did not stray that far in this movie. So, I will give it 4 stars.
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2016
Runtime: 96 minutes
Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements involving violence and substance abuse)
There are over 30 minutes of bonus content on this DVD including Journey Through Darkness: Filming Captive and Faith and The Purpose Driven Life. Also included with this DVD is a Digital HD copy that can be instantly streamed and downloaded.
GIVEAWAY!! Thank you to Propeller and FlyBy for providing a copy of this DVD to me at no charge for review purposes. All I had to do is give my honest opinion!! And, even better, they have another copy to send to one of my readers. Just leave a comment (or contact me if there is an issue with posting. Remember that I do need time to approve all comments) and a winner will be randomly selected. Deadline to enter is January 29, 2016 at 2pm CT.
Ten years ago, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church wrote one of the biggest best-sellers of the 21st century. The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? was widely read by people both churched and unchurched. It struck a chord with millions who were searching for what life has to offer...and what their reason is for being here. However, there is now a new generation of seekers, and many are people who are accustomed to a whole new way of doing things. Social media and new technology that are available now are incorporated to give this 10th anniversary edition a new look and feel and to utilize resources unheard of 10 years ago. For those who have not read the original, the book offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey, and
presents what the author says are God's five purposes for human life on
Earth. They are:
1 You were planned for God's pleasure
2 You were formed for God's family
3 You were created to become like Christ
4 You were shaped for serving God
5 You were made for a mission
4 NEW FEATURES
Video introductions by Rick Warren to chapters 1-40
An audio Bible study at the end of each chapter, with over 30 additional hours of teaching by Rick Warren.
Two new bonus chapters on the most common barriers to living a purpose driven life.
Access to an online community where you can discuss your journey to purpose, get feedback, and receive support.
I still have my original book, so I was curious to see if this was a new and improved version, or merely a new cover on the same material. To be honest, I don't have a smart phone or any other handheld device that can be used with that odd looking (well, to me!) symbol on each page. If it works the way it has been explained to me, it sounds like an incredibly useful tool. I do have a computer, though, so I can access all of the features available. I love being able to hear the audio message and to know what resources I can use in individual or group studies. This isn't as much "meat" as some would like when doing an indepth Bible study, but it is a good starting place for those who want to start a daily devotional. I feel that is more of an introduction for new Christians or seekers, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I
received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com
book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive
review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 :
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
Advertising."
