Make the most of the Leap Year

2008 is a special year - you have one extra day in which to take advantage of our February Offer. You only need to spend £25 to get a fiver back. Okay, so you may not think you need any new books, but I bet your Mum would love one! Go on... get your Mum a book for Mother's Day instead of a bunch of flowers. A much more lasting gift and some even have pretty covers (although maybe they don't smell as good)! Which reminds me, I had a rep in the other day trying to sell me Christmas cards that smelt of Christmas. Yes, they were American! Needless to say, I didn't order any (although I could of course if anyone lets me know that that is just what they want at Christmas). Anyway, back to the point... here are a few suggestions for books to get your lovely Mum...

The Mother Who Seeks After God - Daily Devotions for Busy Mums, Laura Martin, £7.99 Short easy to read chapters with musings and meditations on a mother's life. Includes relevant scripture references. Deserves reflective reading.

God's Design for Women, Sharon James, £9.95

This well known book is now available as a double DVD set (£25) and a study guide (£3.75).

The Marvellous Riches of Savouring Christ, Ruth Bryan, £14.95

Highly thought of, Ruth Bryan's letters have been likened to Samuel Rutherford's. Devotional in nature, they are rich in mature spiritual guidance.

If these don't give you any ideas, just give me a call and describe your Mother - I bet I could come up with something perfectly suited (ask for Lorna when you ring - Jeremy probably doesn't even know when Mother's Day is!)
Lorna

Get Planetwise!

Get Planetwise! No, that's not me telling you to buy the new book on caring for this beautiful planet we all share - although I wouldn't discourage that! It is actually the clarion call of Dave (inappropriately named) Bookless, National Director of A Rocha UK http://www.arocha.org/, probably the leading organisation promoting biblical thinking on the environment. It is a message encapsulated in his book published by IVP at £7.99. It is also personalised by him as a leading light in the line up of the 'Hope for Planet Earth' tour. This is a national tour, see http://www.hopeforplanetearth.moonfruit.com/ for dates. It came as close as 2 miles away from us at Horbury High School, Wakefield last night, so encouraged by a certain Tim from IVP, we ventured forth not knowing quite what to expect.
Well, how was it? Mixed I'd say. Good presentation, but poor venue. Some interesting science, although unverifiable to a layman like me. Some moving human experience of suffering due to climate change. A dubious evangelist. Then Dave Bookless, who bossed the show in the best possible way. Sober, sincere, unaffected, but an effective communicator. I respect him, although I don't feel he is justifiable in all his interpretations of scripture passages. It all ended with a challenge for change - even a single act to reduce carbon emissions, like turning the thermostat in the home down a degree or two. The turn out wasn't spectacular, and I didn't recognise hardly anyone, which rather surprised and saddened me.
What I just want to do now is to dig deeper into 'Planetwise' and see how well I get on. It certainly seems as though it will set the standard on the subject in evangelical circles. I'll keep you posted.
Jeremy

Gofors & Grumps

I have only just discovered how good this book is and find myself wondering why I sell so few of them. Gofors & Grumps (originally published as 4 books, but now in a one volume paperback) is an A-Z of Bible Characters. Each character is given a descriptive name e.g. Mr Afraid (Adam), Miss Industrious (Dorcas) and Mr Runaway (Onesimus). This is perfect for my children whose current craze is the Mr Men. I like the fact that a lot of the characters picked out are the lesser known characters that children may not have come across through well known Bible stories. I also like the way the book picks out both good and bad qualities and makes very relevant applications. There are also little pointers for activities plus notes to explain some of the hard-to-understand words in the Bible. The book is aimed at primary school age children, although I think it could be adapted for use in a variety of situations -individual and group.

Gofors & Grumps by Derek Prime, £8

Lorna

Sent to Save

This is a nice series just in from Christian Focus. Called 'Sent to Save', it is a set of 4 boardbooks which very simply explain why Jesus was sent into the world and lead to the gospel message of the cross (no pictures of Jesus throughout). £2.50 each.
Lorna

Lent

Lent. Passing over the issue of its justification, is it only for 40 days in the year that Christians should think about self denial? More positively 2 Corinthians 5 v 15 shows that not living unto ourselves is fundamental to faith. Self and Christ cannot share our hearts. One must end up dominating. It is a sobering thought, and one which Walter Chantry takes up well from a Reformed perspective. I have found this book helpful, and if you wanted to do some one thing which gave a nod towards Lent, then examine yourself whilst reading 'The Shadow of the Cross'. It's not a new book, but still available at £4.50 (£3.50 for the first copy sold mentioning this blog!) There are good chapters applying the subject to such things as Christian liberty, marriage, the ministry, and prayer. If the teaching were followed, then the lifestyle of many christians would be seriously challenged - and yes, I start with myself.
Jeremy

Preparing for 2009

I find it a strange experience to be preparing for 2009 right now, even presumptuous. But that is what is necessary if our AV Block Calendar is to be produced as usual next year. Our printer likes to have it with him in the February of the year before. I have just finished the final proof read, and devised adverts and vouchers to be included within the text block - some of which relate to 2010! This is all painstaking work, but thankfully it has already been scrutinised closely by able volunteers before ever I do my bit. It is amazing what can escape even the most experienced proof readers. However, this is not an excuse for the shoddiness which seems an increasing blot on the publishing industry as a whole. we pried ourselfs on the hiyhest standads... One good result of proof reading as far as I am concerned is that it helps din bible passages into my head - so it's not all drudgery.
Next job for the calendar will be selecting the pictures for front and back. There is more breathing space for that, which is just as well as Lorna and I usually spend ages arguing over them! If you haven't seen our calendar before, and would like to see an example go here. We accept orders for one or for one hundred (or more). Discounts for quantity - apply for details.
Jeremy

Pause for Thought

All things work together for good to them that love God - all the temptations of Satan, all the trials of life. If God's grace is in your heart you will know and feel more and more of the power of temptation, and you will feel more and more keenly the thorns of trial. They work toether for good does not mean temporal good and prosperity, though it is of no small mercy when God is pleased to vouchsafe his favours in this direction. Nor does it mean that God's people will be free from losses and crosses in this world, that they will be able to sit down in ease and comfort in their own homes. What then is that good? This - the increasing of our knowledge of and acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything and everything that brings me consciously and experimentally nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ, is for my good. Anything and everything that weans me from the world, that puts the world in its right perspective, is for good. Everything that brings me to communion with God in Christ, to sacred fellowship with Him, to the knowledge of the love of Christ, all this is for good.

John E Hazelton quoted in the Dec/Jan edition of New Focus Magazine.

Lorna

BTW John E Hazelton wrote an excellent little book called 'Hold-fast' (£9.95). Read this review on our site.

This is the Culprit...

Yep, this is the reason for a distinct lack of blogging in recent days. My dear old computer - the first one the shop ever had 'on site' - has finally come to the end of its useful life. Thankfully the transfer of most of our data has gone almost without a hitch, however we have had some difficulties adjusting to a new email program (I won't bore you with the details, but if anyone out there is an expert in Outlook, let me know!). This accounts for why those of you who receive e-shots from us won't have received your February one yet.

Just to let you know, our Feb offer is pretty tempting (cash back is hard to refuse!) If you spend over £25 on books you'll receive a nice fat fiver back. Check our events diary for more details.

If any of you don't receive e-shots from us and would like to keep abreast of our monthly promotions during our jubilee year - just email us and let us know.

Lorna