by admin | Dec 2, 2010 | Advent, Christmas
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
by admin | Dec 1, 2010 | Advent, Books, Christmas, Nonfiction
MY REVIEW:
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room is a tiny little devotional for the advent season. Written to help families prepare for Christmas, it contains a daily reading, scriptures and scripture references, discussion questions, a daily prayer, songs, and spaces for notes. The daily readings are simple enough for children to understand and brief enough to hold their attention. The discussion questions are also easily understood but designed to stimulate thoughts and conversation.
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room would be a good choice for a home school family but others would probably also enjoy it. The only disadvantage I noted was the extremely small type. Some may also object to the price of such a small book.
This book was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How many Christmas mornings have you found your family gathered around the tree with presents beautifully wrapped and a scrumptious feast on the table, but with hearts that have not been prepared to truly take in the wonder of God become human? Not this year. Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room, a family Advent devotional from Bible teacher and mom Nancy Guthrie, is designed to bring your family together during a season that is oftentimes too much about programs and presents, and simply not enough about Jesus. Along with devotions for every day in December, this resource includes explanations of some hard-to-understand aspects of popular Christmas carols, and discussion questions to draw in your elementary through high school-aged kids, transforming this time together from a dry lecture into a treasured family experience.
Read the first chapter of Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nancy has written two devotionals: The One Year Book of Hope (also Tyndale), a daily devotional for people who are hurting or grieving, and One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters. Nancy has a heart for in-depth Bible study, and her books Hoping for Something Better (a study of the book of Hebrews) and Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow are an outgrowth of that love. Nancy and her husband, David, cowrote When Your Family’s Lost a Loved One. The Guthries have seen God continue to use their loss to minister to other people going through loss in a variety of ways, including serving as cohosts for a new production of the GriefShare video series. GriefShare is a 13-week video curriculum series that is used to facilitate weekly grief groups in more than 6,000 churches nationwide.
Nancy speaks regularly at women’s retreats and evangelistic events nationally and internationally, including recent events at The Brooklyn Tabernacle, Second Baptist Church of Houston, a Ravi Zacharias International Ministries Conference, and a women’s conference in Scotland. Nancy has worked in the Christian publishing industry for over 20 years as a publicist and special project editor. Nancy and her husband, David, and son, Matt, make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, where they attend Christ Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America).
by admin | Dec 1, 2010 | Advent, Christmas
The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.
You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
Isaiah 9:2-4
by admin | Nov 30, 2010 | Advent, Christmas
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
~Isaiah 11:1-5
by admin | Nov 29, 2010 | Advent, Christmas
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.
The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
And he will be the source of peace.
~Malachi 5:1-5
by admin | Nov 29, 2010 | Advent, Christmas
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
~ Malachi 3:1 ~
