12 Little Words That Can Teach An Amazing Story and A Giveaway!

In our home it was important to us to introduce our children to God at an early age. From the time they were born we took them to church, talked about God, read the Bible with them and read bible stories to them as well as children's books based on Bible people and events.

Finding good books for children, especially very young children, that are accurate and not just cute is not always easy. Books often focus too much on the cute and forget true, important content. But I am thrilled to say this little book is not one of them!

Little Words Matter has published a simple book, Jesus. The book is just wonderful and it speaks simple truths in a format that you can use with your little ones almost from birth. There are only twelve words in the book. Yep, only 12 and they are words that you can slowly expand on as your child grows, but each word teaches an important aspect of who Jesus is and what he did for each one of us.

The book is made of sturdy cardboard pages, some call a board book. The pictures are colorful and very cheery and bright. Little ones can really appreciate the simple details of the pages without getting an overload of information. They can easily identify the colors, shapes, people and animals, each of which you can use in teaching your child as you read together. Even the words on the pages are bold and easy to read, all in lower case except for the first letter in Jesus' name. Children learn to identify letter faster in lower case which will encourage reading as they grow with the book.

I think this is a wonderful book that can be used and enjoyed by parents and children for a long time. it could easily become a favorite as you use each word and page to teach a specific things about the life and work of Jesus.

You can purchase your own copy of the book Jesus HERE!

Family Christian Stores has generously offered to give one of my readers their own copy of the book. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 11/25/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

This reviewer has been compensated with receiving the product free in order to bring you an honest review. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Win A Copy Of The Book: Living The Braveheart Life

Have you ever really thought about how to live your life with real purpose, being driven by that purpose to do everything you do? I have thought about this very thing often, and as a Believer, it's important to me.

The acclaimed film director, Radall Wallace, thought about that very question when he was driven to learn about and tell the story of William Wallace, that most of us are familiar of from the movie Braveheart. The book, Living The Braveheart Life, is the sharing of that process where he learned about the life of that amazing man and how it affected him deeply.

Here's a little bout it:

Part autobiography, part master class, Living the Braveheart Life invites us to explore five major archetypes in Braveheart that resonate not only in Randall's life but in the modern-day lives of both men and women: the Father, Teacher, Warrior, Sage, and Outlaw. Join blockbuster film director Randall Wallace on the journey of his creative and personal life. Discover why thousands of moviegoers continue to say Braveheart is their all-time favorite film and how its creator and architect came to believe that he must write as if his life depended on it. Living the Braveheart Life is a challenge to all of us to engage in the greatest battle of all-the one inside the human heart.

This book is refreshing in many ways. You don't often find conservative people from Hollywood, so being able to read something like that is really nice. This book reveals a very personal journey that Randall went through before, during and after filming the movie. He talks very intimately about how the story of William Wallace impacted his own life in a very profound way, and how it can impact your life as well.

Wallace points out that his own personal wound, as he calls it, and our personal wounds can drive us to find our true purpose and how we can use that to harness it and direct it so God can use us in a profound way, ultimately for His honor and glory!

This is a very engaging book, but I was hoping for a more direct leading to God and how he worked in Randall's life. To me he has a touch of religion and sits on the edge of true transforming faith. But then, I am not God and can not see his heart. What I can see is there was a man transformed in seeing that he can not live life without purpose and that all of us have one.

This is a good read and it is truly refreshing to see this coming from someone so immersed in Hollywood and surrounded by so many who would disagree with him.

You can purchase your own copy of Living The Braveheart Life HERE!

Family Christian Stores has generously offered to give on of my readers their own copy of the book. use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 11/19/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

This reviewer has been compensated with receiving the product free in order to bring you an honest review. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Learn About Newton and You Could Win A Copy Of The Book

My husband and I both love to read and we love learning about the people who have gone before us who have stood firm on their faith in Christ! We received a copy of the book, Newton on the Christian Life: To Live Is Christ and my husband was sweet enough to read it and review it for all of us!

John Newton on the Christian Life, by Tony Reinke, is one book on the Theologians on the Christian Life series by various authors. Newton seems an odd choice for inclusion in the series, not usually associated with men like Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley or Francis Schaeffer. In fact, many Christians don't even realize that Newton was a pastor. He is most famously known as the former slave trader who turned to God and penned the hymn Amazing Grace.

The details of Newton's life shared in this book are inspiring and insightful in and of themselves, but also serve to illuminate why Newton emphasized certain principles for Christian growth and conduct.
Newton did not write much in the way of formal theology. Reinke had to immerse himself in the sermons from Newton's four decades of preaching in Olney and London. Reinke joins the common opinion that the sermons are hardly memorable.

The richer field of study is Newton's pastoral letters. He wrote hundreds of personal letters to people on many subjects. Many of these letters were later published, and became more popular reading than his sermons were. Newton's views, according to Reinke, were clear and consistent, making his views on the Christian life easy to explain – provided, of course, that one is willing to study these hundreds of documents.

The primary theme is Newton's letters is revealed to be the adoration of Christ. The cure for pride? Focus on Christ's magnificence. The cure for anxiety? Security in Christ. The cure for temptations of the world? Think of the glories Christ has prepared for us in Heaven. This may not sound like “theology,” but Reinke explains that while the perspective is simple, it is not simplistic. John Newton wrestled with hard issues and counseled many people in a wide variety of situations, but always brought matters back to this: keep your eyes on Jesus.

I recommend this book for its brief biography of John Newton, its clear explanation of Newton's concept of the Christian life, and its challenge for the reader to face all aspects of life with Christ's example, glory, provision and love in mind.

Rick and I both like the book. I have not finished it yet, but we would recommend it to you! And you can win a copy of it too! use the Rafflecopter form below to enter!

Or you can purchase a copy of the book HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 8/1/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

The reviewer has been compensated with receiving the product free in order to bring you an honest review. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

The NKJV Study Bible ~ Full Color Edition and A Giveaway

I love getting a new Bible. There is something about opening it up for the first time and finding some extra little somethings in it. Each Bible I own is special and reflects where I was during different stages of my life. They are all special to me in unique ways.

One thing I love to do is study biblical history in context with world history. Personally I think world history should include biblical history! I also love to study the ancient cultures talked about in the Bible from the Israelites to the Hittites, the Babylonians to the Romans. Understanding the different cultures helps you understand why people did what they did and reacted the way they did. It gives you an understanding of the whole Word of God and is fascinating!

Thomas Nelson has put out a full color edition of the New King James Study Bible and I am enjoying it immensely! All the way through the whole Bible are things to help you understand the people and the history of the time period of each book. You can learn about the traditions and ceremonies they took part in. It has been engrossing to me. It's been hard to put down.

Each book has a wonderful opening to it like the one above. It explains where it takes place in history, things about the people and who wrote it, as well as an outline of the book. It has been amazing to read all the information included with each of the books of the Bible.

The table of contents is the following:
Forward
Editors and Contributors
Special Abbreviations
Preface to the New king James Version
How To Understand What the Bible Means by What It Says
Books of the Old and New Testament
List of Articles
List of Bible Times and Culture Notes
List of Charts and Diagrams
List on In-Text Maps
List of Word Studies
The Old Testament
The New Testament
Harmony of the Gospels
Table of Monies, Weights, and Measures
Teachings and Illustrations of Christ
Prophecies of Jesus Christ
The Miracles of Jesus Christ
Prayers of the Bible
Subject Index to Annotations and Features
Concordance
Map Index
Maps

WOW! That really covers a lot. There is so much information in this study Bible that it would keep any one of us busy for a long time. Studying God's Word is wonderful and when you can understand it even more with the information included here, it really helps it to sink in. It becomes much more than those people in a far off time. They become very real and very much like you.

I can say this is one of the nicest study Bibles I have seen. The concordance is quite large and the maps included are nicely detailed. All of the historical information included and the articles are wonderful bonuses and just enhance things the whole time you are studying.

I can highly recommend this to you and I know it would make a great gift for anyone in your family old enough to really get into the Word and study!

You can purchase your own NKJV Study Bible Full Color Edition HERE!

Family Christian Stores has been very generous and offered to give one of my readers their own copy of the NKJV Study Bible. Yay!! Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 5/8/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.

You Have A Brain and A Giveaway For You #FCBloggers

The target audience for Ben Carson's book, You Have a Brain, seems to be the adolescent African- American. He would be an excellent role model for this group, which contains a high percentage of youth struggling to believe that they can have a successful and meaningful life, given their circumstances. A large portion of the book is autobiographical, describing Carson's refusal to give up his dream of being a doctor despite the disadvantages of his childhood.

The book's title echoes a phrase Carson's mother used to say to her children often: “You have a brain, you figure it out;” “You have a brain, you can handle this;” “You have a brain, what do you think?” Carson praises his mother throughout the book for her guidance and inspiration. He also names many other people who helped him as he matured. Yet one easily sees that it was Carson's own decisions and determination that allowed a Detroit boy from an impoverished single-parent family to become an internationally respected brain surgeon and author of more than a half dozen books.

Like many books about successful people, this one contains dramatic incidents which easily gain the reader's attention. Unlike many such books, Carson never seems to be boasting. His humility is refreshing.

The story of Carson's life should convince the reader than this is a wise man who has the right to share life principles – which he does in the latter part of the book. His challenge is: Since “you have a brain, THINK BIG.” Each letter in “THINK BIG” stands for one of eight concepts which Carson believes helped him achieve his goals in life, such as Talent, Insight, and Books. Each is explained clearly, using illustrations which have been shared in the earlier portion of the book. This author has the ability to take weighty and complex concepts and make them easy to understand. He does not descend to the all-too-common “you can do it because you're you” pep talk. He asserts that success is possible, but stresses the need for wise choices and persistence.

The “G” in “THINK BIG” stands for God. Carson acknowledges the role of faith in his mother's life as well as his own. He is not “preachy.” but not bashful about his beliefs. Just as he shares his love of books and in-depth learning, he shares his love of his Creator and calls God “the greatest single influence in my life.”

Ben Carson's story and advice in You Have a Brain present a fine role model for African-American youth, but this book should not be limited to that audience. Carson's book can be inspiring to anyone of any age or ethnic background when they realize that they do, indeed, have a brain and accept the challenge to THINK BIG.

You can purchase a copy of Ben Carson's boo, You Have A Brain HERE!

Family Christian Stores has generously offered to give one of my readers their own copy of the book. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 5/2/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed here are those of the author

Confessions Of A Prodigal Son and A Giveaway

We recently received a copy of the NEW DVD, Confessions of a Prodigal Son. My husband and I love watching family friendly movies and he offered to review this for you. Here's what he thought.

I expected more.

The premise of young Sean searching for meaning and direction in life, unable to see the hypocrisy of asserting his individuality while rapidly depleting the college fund provided by his parents, is rich with potential. The acting is good and the characters are [mostly] not stereotypical.

I think what's missing is drama. The situations presented are not stressful enough on the characters – the emotional reactions rarely seem strong enough. In this production, life is compared to a story. At one point, the main character says that good stories have shooting and explosions. I kept waiting for them, hoping for a relief from all the conversations, introspection and binge drinking. When we finally get **SPOILER ALERT** an automobile accident involving Sean, what could have been traumatic was bland. True, life's greatest moments and decisions are not usually characterized by spectacle, but this is dramatic fiction, not a biography.

A serious flaw in he telling of this tale is the “narrated” commentary by Sean about life as a story. It is not made clear whether we are hearing this in retrospect or if it represents his thoughts, possibly as written in a class assignment. They are presented as profound insight to be pondered by the viewer, but why should we take them seriously when they are voiced by someone who is living life so foolishly?

I was also offended by the “sermon scene” in which the pastor announces that he is abandoning his prepared message based on the Bible so that he can speak from his heart, then presents a talk based on how he feels, with no reference to Scripture, that presents an oversimplified concept of God which would raise all sorts of questions if compared to the Bible. For which he is complimented after the service.

The pastor is portrayed by Kevin Sorbo, best known for the television series Hercules [1995 - 1999]. In criticizing the poor sermon he delivered, I mean no disrespect to him; his acting is top-notch here. Actress Rachael Lee is also excellent in her portrayal of a woman whose search for meaning is often more interesting than Sean's.

Besides the lack of action and excitement, the real turn-off for me was that feeling that the main character didn't suffer enough. We're supposed to believe that he's way off course in life, and reaping dire consequences – but the tale would have been much more gripping if Sean had faced harsher circumstances, and seemed more miserable, like the young man in the parable which inspired the film's title. I felt like I was watching the Slacker Dude, not the Prodigal Son, which may be why I found myself hoping for an explosion or train wreck to stir things up.

Despite my husband not really liking the movie, I thought it was okay. It was a little slow, but it was family friendly and something that you could use to encourage your kids to do what is right.

You can purchase a copy of Confessions of a Prodigal Son HERE!

Family Christian Stores has generously offered to give one of my readers a $10 Gift Card to their stores. Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 4/24/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.