It’s the prayer of every Christian parent to raise kids who love the Lord, but how do we go about doing it? Dave Stone’s new book, Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord is a great resource helping parents to seek Christ first and model life with Him for their children to follow.

About the Book:

No matter how perfect the family pictures look, every family struggles and is dependent upon God’s grace and mercy. As a father of three, Dave shows parents that they have more influence on their kids than any other factor in their lives. Brimming with warmth and humor, Stone gives parents creative examples of how to help kids develop their own faith with ideas such as praying at significant times, encouraging kids to display Scripture in special places around the home, and serving others alongside their parents.

About the Author:

Dave Stone is Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, where he preaches to more than 22,000 people each weekend. He and his wife Beth have three children. Dave believes the most practical way to teach the gospel is through moms and dads who model a genuine faith for their children.

Quotes from the Book:

“Only perfect parents raise perfect children.”

“Christian homes don’t just happen; neither do kids who love the Lord. There’s a lot we can do to help determine the outcome of our children’s spiritual lives. We can become intentional in our efforts. We can pave the way for them. We can model true faith and continually pray that God will transform their hearts.”

“If we want to grow a family that loves and honors the Lord, that process begins with our authenticity; with the kind of faith that makes a difference in the ways we live and love every single day.”

“When parents are fleshing out their faith and living out their days with joy and honesty, their children will be attracted to it. Children want something that is real; they want to follow someone who is genuine.”

The Giveaway:

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord in exchange for this post.

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The Messenger is FREE for Kindle app users TODAY ONLY {05.14.12}!!

From the Publisher:

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith… until her twin brother joined the Colonial cause and ended up in jail. She longs to bring some measure of comfort to him in the squalid prison, but her faith forbids it. The Friends believe that they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. She is not allowed to visit him, even if she were able to secure a pass.

Jeremiah Jones, a Colonial spy, needs access to the jail to help rescue men important to the cause. Upon meeting Hannah, a plan begins to develop. Who would suspect a pious Quaker visiting a loved one?

But Jeremiah is unprepared for Hannah, for her determination to do right, to not lie. How can one be a spy and not lie? Hannah, in turn, is surprised by Jeremiah… for the way he forces her to confront her own beliefs, for the sensitivity and concern that he shows her despite the wounds he still carries.

In a time of war, can two unlikely heroes find the courage to act?

My Thoughts:

I have always thoroughly enjoyed Revolutionary War period historical fiction, and The Messenger was another well-researched and exciting read!

Written in a two-character first-person narrative style, The Messenger tells the story of a Quaker girl and a former British soldier turned Colonial spy as they team up together to reach an unseemly common goal. Throughout the story, Hannah is forced to face discrepancies in her Quaker lifestyle and religion as she decides what’s most important in her life and figures out what she truly believes about God.

Though I would not categorize The Messenger as a “Christian” fiction title, there are definitely aspects of faith woven throughout the story as both Hannah and Jeremiah seek out God in their own ways.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Messenger and will be on the lookout for more great titles by Siri Messenger.

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Messenger from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

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From the Publisher:

She has a secret to keep. But will she give her heart away?

Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago’s rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money redecorating.

When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World’s Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family’s expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is?

Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago’s high society as Olivia Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she believes.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book, but at times I felt like pieces of the story were missing. {I feel like that’s been a recurring theme in a number of books I’ve read lately.} While I was able to easily follow the storyline and become engaged in with the characters, I felt as if relationships were happening that weren’t as fully developed and explained as I would have liked {i.e. Daniel’s melt-down, Lucy and Will’s romance, etc.}.

That being said, I fell in love with the time period, the setting, and the characters, and I’m so glad that this is only book one in the Avenue of Dreams series. I cannot wait for book two!

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning in exchange for my honest review.

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