Heaven: What's It Like? How Do We Get There? (First Steps) by Stephen Elkins

This is a wonderful book for young hearts to learn about Jesus. It’s comprised of 60 rhyming stories. The book is divided into three sections as follows: What is heaven like? How do we get there? How do we live like Jesus until then? The illustrations are sure to capture a young person’s eye. The stories are fun and give a child a sense of hope in Jesus. In the back, it has a glossary of bible words, which explains key points in a simple, yet effective manner. For example, prayer is simply talking to God.  

My child is much older than the recommended age. However, it was fun to read the poems together. It’s easy to complicate matters as we get older and forget that prayer is simply talking to God and that this world is not our home. There is hope. This book would be great to read many times with your child. Poems are fun and easy to read. It’s a way to plant seeds in a fun and creative way.

I would highly recommend the book for any parent, grandparents, church daycare, or anyone who is part of a young child’s life. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book free directly from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review.

How to Be Rich by Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley never disappoints. He admits that when he was growing up that he wanted to be rich enough that he never had to worry about how much something would cost. What’s interesting is that we think we are poor. Our house is not big enough. Our car is too old. We open up our closets and we have nothing to wear; however, every hanger has a piece of clothing on it. Yet, we feel poor. If you earn more than $37,000 a year, you are in the top 4 percent of wage earners in the world!

A great quote from the book is, “Rich” is a moving target. No matter how much money we have or make, we will probably never consider ourselves rich.” How true this is! I remember earning a whopping $3.35 an hour but today I earn much more but it’s still not enough. We become greedy. It’s the American way. Another interesting fact is that the more someone earns, the less they give away. It’s actually not entirely true. If you are a giver, you will give more as your income increases. If you are not a true giver, you hold your fist tighter. It’s only when we release our fist and be willing to give, that blessings flow.

Anything past food, shelter, and clothing is extra. We are rich. We have Internet, smart phones, TV’s, and even fresh water. We take so much for granted. Andy Stanley reminds us that we are rich. We have extra stuff that we want versus what we need. Personal challenge. Look around your house, how many items do you have that you really need? Most of it, you don’t. They were wants. And the more wants we buy, the more wants we desire.

I was thrilled to receive a DVD with this book. They complement each other. Andy Stanley is a dynamic speaker. There are four sessions in the DVD titled as follows: Congratulations, Side Effects, Dollar Cost Living, and Diversity. Endorsed by Dave Ramsey, this book and/or DVD will not disappoint. I recommend this as a small group study.

Disclaimer: I received this book free through Harpercollins book review program.  http://booklookbloggers.com. I was not required to write a positive review.