Looking Into God's Mirror

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”-James 1:22-25

What happens when you look in a mirror? Very simply, you see yourself. You see a reflection of what you look like and your external features. You see hair, face, body, all of your outward features. James 1 compares God’s Word to a mirror. When we look into that mirror of God’s Word, we see who He says we are. His Word is truth, so when we look into His Word we see the truth about ourselves. It doesn’t matter what you feel like at the time, God’s Word is what the truth is. James 1: 24 says it is possible to go away and forget what we look like after we see the truth about ourselves. What do we do to not forget? Keep looking. Keep reading and listening to God’s Word to get it built into our hearts who we are according to God. Act upon His Word and practice it. Do this until you look like what you see in God’s mirror.

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren is a vivid and colorful picture book to be enjoyed by children of all ages. Set in the Arctic Tundra, God Gave Us Christmas is a story of a young polar bear cub and her mother. The story begins when the Little Cub asks her mama, “Who vented Christmas?” Together they go on an adventure as the mama bear shows her daughter how God Gave Us Christmas.

There are so many aspects of the story that are relevant to the mother-child relationship. One aspect has to do with the parent as a teacher. Every young child at some point has asked one or both of their parents a question of some importance. This book demonstrates a parent as teacher when the Mama Bear takes Little Cub on an adventure to answer her question.

Another relevant aspect of the mother-child relationship addressed in the book is very subtle, and that is the desire in every child’s heart to be special. At the beginning of the story before the adventure begins, Little Cub asks her mama, “Can we leave them at home?” in reference to her siblings. Every child wants that special one on one time to spend with either mommy or daddy and that is something children and parents can connect to in the story.

I liked this story for so many reasons. One reason is that it is a book that should be read while cuddling your child /children close. God Gave Us Christmas has a warm and cozy feel, which makes for a wonderful time of snuggling up and creating memories as you read. Another reason I like the book is because of the element of science in the book. The book is set in the Artic Tundra and the author uses the wonder of the Northern Lights for Mama bear to teach Little Cub at one point during the story. But my favorite part about the book is how it is a tool to teach your children about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. The author weaves this into her story so beautifully and while the Mama Bear is teaching her cub, she is teaching you and your child as well.

God Gave Us Christmas is a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations to make the story come alive. Each page contains just the right amount of words to keep the reader engaged as well as beautiful illustrations that perfectly match the text. I highly recommend this book to any parent with small children, no matter how young. Read it to your infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children. God Gave Us Christmas is a fantastic story that can be read at Christmas, put away, and brought out at Christmastime every year.



You can purchase this book at barnesandnoble.com, lifewaychristianstores.com, and christianbook.com.

Other children's titles by Lisa Tawn Bergren include God Gave Us You and God Gave Us Two. For more information on the author, go to http://lisatawnbergren.com/.

Children Are A Gift From God

Children Are a Gift From God
Psalm 127:3-5

3-5 Don't you see that children are GOD's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;
you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.


Children are a gift from God. The Bible says so. They come from God and are delivered to us as a reward, a legacy, a heritage, a gift. I am a stay at home mommy and I am with my children all day long every day. They challenge me regularly. I must always remember that they are here with me by God’s divine appointment and He has a plan for them. I am just a steward. Now, we planned all four of our children. Some people don’t. That doesn’t matter. No matter how they got here, they were planned in the mind of God from the beginning of time. He just chose you as the vessel to get them here. This week as we are preparing for Thanksgiving let us remind ourselves to be thankful for the children God has placed in our life. They have a purpose and are part of His plan. Let us thank Him for the joy they bring and well as the challenges that help us as parents grow.