Children's Picture Book Review: I'm Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug by Caroline B. Cooney, Illustrated by Tim Warnes

Book Description:
Let’s get ready to snuggle! This highly engaging sequel to the bestselling and beloved I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! imagines all the cozy, warm hugs little ones love to receive on cold, blustery days.

The story encourages parents and grandparents and their children and grandchildren to giggle and play as they cozy up for their own celebration of the winter season. Imagine who might stomp, sled, and swish through the snow to give a warm hug in these whimsical rhymes and sweet, playful illustrations.

My Review:
As I read I'm Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug, the snow was falling outside my window. Winter is a magical time for children, a let's build a snowman, make snow angels time. So why not be creative and play polar bear hug in the winter wonderland of pretend with "a shivery, quivery, forty below hug." Caroline B. Cooney, known for her young adult novels, has created a lovely, rhyming story celebrating the importance of hugs. In this fun story, the child is hugged by all kinds of animals, at the end, the little one shares a hug with someone special. Tim Warnes colorful illustrations show the story's whimsical words in bright, energetic drawings. This is a great read for 4 to 8 year olds and would make a wonderful holiday gift. Snuggle up with your little one and share a polar bear hug. This book will delight children and adults. I received a complimentary copy of this item. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

Celebrating Christmas~Joseph

Matthew 1:19-21, 24-25
Because Joseph her [Mary] husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph trusted the Lord.

As a child, I heard the story of Jesus' birth. We learned of the trek to Bethlehem, angels singing, shepherds visiting, and of course Mary giving birth to the baby Jesus. I imagined the animals surrounding the manger, the sheep baaing and cows mooing. But I didn't give much thought to Joseph. In the story, he knocks on the inn keeper's door and he leads Mary to the stable. I knew he was present, yet he disappeared into the background.

What I've learned since:

Joseph was kind, compassionate, and faithful to God. He truly loved Mary. I'm not surprised by any of this. In God's plan to bring Jesus into the world, he chose two people who adored and trusted Him. Joseph and Mary's engagement, as binding as marriage is today, could only be broken by divorce. Rather than expose Mary as pregnant before wedlock, Joseph planned to quietly divorce her and set her free. Otherwise, she could have been stoned to death for adultery.

Thank goodness the angel gave Joseph the low down on God's plan. On hearing the angel's words, he could have run the other way. Joseph could have laughed in the angel's face. Instead, he chose to trust God's plan. His faith overcame his fear.

This year the holidays don't seem the same. Some traditions may not happen. Gatherings may look different. Illness may hamper plans. The sadness and stress of 2020 may drag us down. Yet as we celebrate Jesus' birth, let's delight in the Lord with faith like Joseph. He tossed his fears aside and trusted in God. If Joseph could do that in his circumstance, surely we can too.

I pray as we head into the Christmas season, we consider Joseph's faith and his trust in God.

Click to tweet: Faith like Joseph 

Give Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

Sunrise---Sunset

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Linus, of Charlie Brown fame, starts each day with a fresh blanket.

Photo by Maggie Wickline-Jowers

I don't often wake up in time to witness the sunrise. Yet, I know every day that bright star lights our world from dawn until dusk. With the morning I'm given the gift of a new day, an opportunity to start fresh on my journey with Jesus. While I attempt to follow the Holy Spirit's lead each day, some days I fumble through on my own and make a mess.

On the days I fail miserably, I bow my head as the sun sets and ask God to forgive me.

And he does.

The Lord gives second chances. His patience amazes me. I would have been done with me a long time ago. Not God. He calls me to repent when sin strangles me and drags me to the ground. He reminds me how much he loves me and wants me to understand I'm not alone. Instead I'm loved and accepted as his child.

I'm thankful for sunrise, a new beginning every morning. I'm even more thankful for sunset, a time to reflect on my day and seek God's grace.

Jesus calls everyone to repent, to throw off the burden of sin, and follow him.

If you haven't accepted Jesus love and grace, he asks us to hear his word (or read it), believe he is the son of God who died and rose to life, confess our sins, repent (turn away from a life chasing sinful things toward a life of hope and joy), be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit (our comfort and guide,) and be obedient.

 Jesus loves us and wants us to live a life of abundance.

A Quiet Joy

As we approach Thanksgiving,

think back on 2020 and capture the good moments.

Find those times of quiet thankfulness.

Let go of the sorrow, frustration, and grief

and hold onto the peace and joy.

 

Historical Fiction Review: A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen

Book Description:
Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast--known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors--Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents' fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

My Review:
Cornwall's coast is fascinating, especially to Laura Callaway. Although she feels like an outsider in her new home, she fills her days helping others and working to return lost flotsam and jetsam to the rightful owners. On the day she discovers a man who has washed ashore, her life changes. Julie Klassen has done her research in this interesting story of love and loss. I found the characters compelling and the setting remarkable. Although the book was a bit slow, the story is well written. Klassen goes into detail to make the reader feel the chilly coast and the heartache Laura carries. If you enjoy historical fiction set in England, this is the book for you. I received a complimentary copy of this item. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks for Music!

Psalm 95:1-2

Come, let us sing joy to the Lord;
            let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and
            extol him with music and song.

Raise a hallelujah!

In the fall of 1975, I joined several other 18 and 19 year-olds on the campus of Kentucky Christian College. Fresh out of high school, we prepared to join the ranks of freshmen in higher education. I knew a few of my fellow classmates and met a slew of new friends. We gathered at least twice a week for campus worship, where we heard preaching and raised our voices together in praise. One song touched our class more than any other, It is Well With my Soul. To this day it's my all-time favorite hymn.

Fast forward 40 years—several from our class gathered for a reunion. What a joy to meet with these longtime friends. We ate and chatted, then had a time of worship. And guess which song we all wanted to sing. It is Well, because even after all these years, we know whatever life brings, our souls rest in the Lord.

The words of the hymn may seem old fashioned, but they translate into peace, hope, and joy for our troubled souls today. With all the grief, frustration, discontent, doubt, and temptation, God is still watching out for us. Jesus still offers grace and salvation. The Holy Spirit still lives and breathes in the souls of Jesus' followers.

When I feel down, I plug into music that praises the Lord, and then I sing like nobody's listening. I'm thankful for the music written to praise the Lord, whether a psalm, a hymn, or a contemporary piece. Thank you, Lord for musicians.

Come before him with thanksgiving and song!