Heaven for Kids is a wonderful book that my kids have just loved reading through over the past month even though they are only age 6 and 7. I have always felt intimidated to truly talk about heaven with my kids not knowing how to respond to their questions, but this book has made it very easy to discuss heaven with them. Every night my kids eagerly share their thoughts on the questions in the book at bed time and have enjoyed it so much they asked if we could read it again. Since there is so much great thought provoking information in the book I’m sure it will be a book we will keep always and reread from time to time. The book makes it exciting to think about the possibilities of what heaven will be like and inspires you to “have your thoughts on things above” more.

HEAVEN FOR KIDS (Tyndale Kids; September 2006) [Written with Linda Washington]

As a parent and a grandparent, Randy Alcorn knows how important it is to pass along the biblical truths about Heaven. So in HEAVEN FOR KIDS Randy has adopted his bestselling book HEAVEN — which has sold over 350,000 copies and is still in hardcover — for a younger generation. He?s made all the great information and fresh teaching accessible and applicable for kids. The book answers the following questions of posed by children, as well as many others:

-Is Heaven a real place?
-Will we have real bodies in Heaven?
-Can we know for sure we will go to Heaven instead of Hell?
-What will our lives be like in Heaven?
-Will there be families in Heaven?
-Will we just hang out with Jesus, or will we be with other friends, too?

Intended for kids ages 8-12, HEAVEN FOR KIDS is sure to be an excellent resource for families — especially those in which the parents have read the adult title and wish to pass on to their children some of those same answers.

To Learn more about HEAVEN FOR KIDS go to: http://www.tyndale.com/products/

Blessings,
Lori Arriaga, Founder
Christian Women’s Resources
Where we strengthen the home and family.

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With Easter just around the corner I wanted to share several messages with you until the end of April in order to help us focus on the true meaning of the Easter season being that of the Cross and the power of the resurrection that is for each and every one of us.

Today I wanted to share with you a devotional I did last year on the Power of the Resurrection.

Power of the Resurrection

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philipians 3:10-11

As Christians, are we able to speak as Paul does in Philippians? Too often we do all we can to avoid sharing in His sufferings and we observe the law by our human effort rather then allowing the Holy Spirit do the work. But the power in Christ’s resurrection does not come without His suffering and the work of the Holy Spirit. In order to attain this power of the resurrection in our own lives, there are some very important conditions to be met

First we must die to ourselves and our sinful nature. It’s a choice we make to no longer be slaves to sin because “anyone who has died has been freed from sin” according to Romans 6:7. It is a choice we find we must make several times daily and for the rest of our lives to be slaves to righteousness instead. We won’t always win this battle within us but it does get easier to make the right choice the more we do it and thanks be to God that sin is no longer our master and we are not under law but under grace.

Second, we must live according to the spirit. By first dying to our sin that once bound us, we have been released from the law so we are able to serve in the new way of the Spirit through our faith not in the old way of the law through our human effort. Those who live according to the spirit have their minds on what the spirit desires according to Romans 8:5 and where ever the spirit of the Lord is you will find freedom no matter what trial you may be facing.

Third, we must be made new in the attitude of our minds. Because our minds are our greatest battlefield we should make every effort to have our minds set on what the spirit desires and on things above, not on earthly things, thinking about whatever is true, noble, right and pure. True freedom in Christ comes from within our hearts and minds, which is why even a prisoner can experience freedom while behind bars. Therefore let us transform our minds by meditating on the Word of God and His truth because the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace according to Romans 8:14.

By striving to meet these conditions each and every day, it will become easier for you to truly be able to speak as Paul does in Philippians and so begin to embrace your trials and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in you in order to attain the power of the resurrection in your life. “The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18 NIV)

Heavenly Father, I thank you for Jesus and the power and freedom in the Cross. Help us to die to ourselves daily and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in us rather then by our own effort. Being made new in the attitude of our minds by meditating on the Word of God. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

In closing, I leave you with a question to ponder. What do I need to die to in order to let the Holy Spirit work and reveal the power of the resurrection in my life?

I pray you and your loved ones have a blessed Easter season.

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Wait Until then is a wonderful book with brightly colored illustrations that is a great read for any child to help get them thinking about and to answer their questions about heaven. With the main characters in the book being a Grandfather and a grandson who share a love of baseball, it especially appealed to my son. This was a great book that not only gets children thinking about heaven but also helps guide parents in teaching them as it provides a page in the back with several points to possibly discuss with your children after reading the story to them. This is a great book to start out with on the subject of heaven for the younger kids.

WAIT UNTIL THEN (Tyndale Kids; February 2007; Hardcover; Picture Book)

WAIT UNTIL THEN is a story of promise about Nathan and his grandfather and their shared love of baseball. It uses the form of story to teach children, ages 6-10, about Heaven, following Jesus and waiting until we see lost loved ones again. The book is illustrated by Doron Ben-Ami.

Alcorn concludes WAIT UNTIL THEN with a special “Note to Parents, Grandparents, and Other Adults,” providing Scripture verses and topics to discuss with children after reading the book together. “My prayer is that this book provides you an opportunity talk about Jesus and Heaven to the children you love,” says Alcorn.

To Learn more about WAIT UNTIL THEN go to: http://www.tyndale.com/products/

Blessings,
Lori Arriaga, Founder
Christian Women’s Resources
Where we strengthen the home and family.

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