A Humble Donk in Nazareth can’t believe that he has been chosen to carry Mary on the road to Bethlehem. Following Joseph, the Donk heads off down the rocky road, only to witness the Lord’s family turned away at every inn. They find room in a stable just in time for the baby’s birth, though the Donk’s not sure why there is such a fuss. Then he meets Baby Jesus himself and knows he’s in the presence of a King. All in his unique voice, The Donk tells how the angels give the Good News to the shepherds and how the Three Kings foil King Herod’s plan. The Donk even helps Herod’s soldier meet the baby and open his heart to Jesus. Mary and Joseph and the Baby and Me is a nine hundred -word rhyming children’s picture book. Perfect to read aloud to children of all ages, the Donk’s Nativity story will become a family holiday favorite.

Discover the magic of the very first Christmas with this classic picture book. From the author of Owl Babies and Can't You Sleep Little Bear? It's a cold winter's night, and Kind Ox is in his stable. One by one, the animals come, and Kind Ox gives each of them a bed for the night. Until eventually, Tired Donkey arrives with some very special passengers... Retold from the perspective of the animals in the stable, this beautiful book will bring the Christmas story to life for even the youngest children. A true Christmas classic, with a universal message about kindness, this is a book to be treasured and shared by every family. Martin Waddell is one of the greatest living writers of books for children. He has won multiple awards for his work, including the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award.

A retelling of the story of the first Christmas.

The greatest story ever told is born again in this beautiful new retelling of the nativity. The traditional feel and charming illustrations make it the perfect introduction to the Christmas story for little ones just discovering it for the first time.

BOOK ONEA TIME TO MORN, A TIME TO DANCE The New Testament offers only points of truth that Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, for instance; that they had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census but it doesnt include the human drama that occurs between these moments. It doesnt illustrate the challenge a pregnant Mary faced in making a ninety-mile trip on foot and on donkey. It doesnt describe the anxiety of a husband traveling with his wife in her ninth month of pregnancy. A Time to Morn, A Time to Dance fills these gaps, telling a story that follows Mary and Joseph from their first meeting, through the birth of Jesus, their flight into Egypt, and back into the welcoming arms of their family. BOOK TWOTHE TRAP In the time of Jesus, the Sadducees controlled the Temple and the high Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, but had little influence among the common people. They were a conservative political group engaged in a bitter power struggle with the increasingly powerful Pharisees. The Sadducees grew concerned about the well-liked Jesus, fearful he would spawn a popular uprising and cause them to lose control to the Pharisees. Alphaeus, a rich Sadducee, volunteers to set a trap for Jesus and bring him down. But the plan is complicated when he falls in love with his servant girl, a faithful follower of Jesus.

If you're looking for ways to add excitement to your Sunday morning services while continuing to follow the lectionary texts, look no further! This remarkably inventive volume includes all the core liturgical elements of worship and introduces your congregation to innovative ventures into the fine arts -- yet everything revolves around each week's assigned lectionary passages. Whether you choose to use the stately calls to worship, litanies, and prayers, or try your hand (and those of your congregants) at dance, art, or drama, all can be done to bring glory to God and a fresh sense of his blessing to your services. There's also a wealth of musical suggestions reinforcing the main themes and ideas of the prayers, including hymns chosen from a wide variety of denominational hymnals, psalm settings, and appropriate anthems for the choir. The Lectionary Worship Workbook is a comprehensive library of creative material that will enable you and your congregation to encounter the living God -- and keep your worship services fresh, passionate, and stimulating. Amy C. Schifrin is currently the interim pastor at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania. A former Seminary Pastor/Dean of the Chapel at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, Schifrin has also served congregations in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, California, and Saskatchewan (Canada) during nearly three decades of parish and campus ministry. Schifrin holds degrees in music theory and composition from Arizona State University (B.Mus.) and Northwestern University (M.Mus.), as well as degrees from Luther Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley (Ph.D. in the Arts, Worship, and Proclamation). Her published works include hymns and psalm settings as well as articles and book reviews in Currents, Word and World, Dialog, and The Lutheran. Martha Shonkwiler is an artist and former elementary schoolteacher whose work encourages healing through art and spirituality. Her current emphasis is on developing spirituality through walking labyrinths. Shonkwiler is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, where she earned her M.A. degree in Christian ministry, and she has also studied art therapy at Sonoma State University and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Now a resident of Grants Pass, Oregon, Shonkwiler serves as a volunteer chaplain, labyrinth facilitator, and occasional art therapist at Three Rivers Community Hospital. Her artwork is also featured in local galleries.

This book is a story of Shirley Johnstons life. There is a lot of messages and lessons to be learn from it. One message is that the Master, requested that I write it. So I could still tell everybody about Him. That even 2000 years, He is still a Miracle working God. Just in this half of my life, God has delivered me from 4 fires, 2 floods, and 1 hurricane. That is to name a few disasters that Sweet Jesus has brought me through. Some of the other events, most people could only imagine surviving. Another message is that others can learn from all I have went through. That God truly is the answer, to any and all problems no matter how big or little the problem is. The lessons is that we dont have to live in nightmares and messes that we get ourselves into. That if we hold onto Gods Unchanging Hand. He truly is a Rewarder of those who dilgently seek Him. So you see God did have other plans for my life.

Children’s Bible storybooks, children’s Sunday school lessons, Bible story coloring books, flannel board Bible story presentations, and video of children’s Bible dramas have all unwittingly conspired to create in our mind’s eye a storybook image of the people in the Bible. Even as adults, we have understood Bible characters as something less than human; we somehow want them to be sacred, different, set apart from who we are. In the process, we have failed to realize that people who lived two thousand years ago were much like each of us today. Like us, when they encountered Jesus, either as a baby in a crib or as Christ on a cross, their lives were transformed. Something happened. They didn’t fully understand it. They just knew that something happened deep inside them. In the presence of the Son of God, they were brought to their knees, humbled by an overwhelming feeling of being in the presence of power and majesty. The testimonies in this book are fictional, based on Biblical accounts and historical information. They are designed to give a real person glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who might have witnessed the events of the birth and death of Jesus. They represent a cross section of society whose lives were profoundly changed by Jesus.