Welcome to the Christian Children's Book Scavenger Hunt! If you are just joining us, please begin at LisaBergren.com to collect the clues in order, so you'll be in the running to win one of three sets of books and a children's Kindle Fire! The hunt runs from 9/13 at noon Mountain time until 9/15 at midnight Mountain. This contest is open to international entrants.
Three winners will receive:
FIRST PRIZE: All 12 books plus a Kindle Fire 7 for Kids!
SECOND PRIZE: All 12 books
THIRD PRIZE: All 12 books
There is no purchase necessary to win. But we do hope you write down titles that intrigue you to check out at the bookstore or library if you don't win!
My most recent picture book, NOTHING joyfully explores the promise that nothing can separate us from God's love. It's based on verses that I find to be some of the most reassuring in the Bible.
Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future thing, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. –Romans 8:38-39 CEB
3 Big Assurances for Little Hearts
I can remember as a young child having done something wrong shortly before bedtime, and going to bed upset about it. I lay in bed with a guilty and contrite heart worrying and waiting for my father to come tuck me in. I knew my father would forgive me for whatever it was I had done, but at that moment, everything felt unresolved and I didn't want to go to sleep with that feeling roiling around inside me. What a relief it was when my father came in. We prayed and talked about it, then he hugged and kissed me goodnight and said he loved me. A huge weight lifted from my heart. I was completely overwhelmed and started crying. Of course he still loved me. I knew that he would . . . yet it was still such a relief to hear him say it. Although my mind had known the truth of his love, my heart had been waiting for evidence of it through his words and actions. I was a child with loving parents who were affectionate and told me often that they loved me. A child who knew about unconditional love. But I still waited to hear those words. Today I don't even remember what it was that I did wrong that day, but I do remember the restoration that came when my father reassured me that he loved me. Through that I was able to catch a glimpse of God's overwhelming love for us.
NOTHING has three big assurances about love for children:
1. God’s love is everywhere. You can never go away from God's love - whether you dive under the ocean in a submarine or fly in a rocket to space!
From Nothing, written by Natalee Creech, illustrated by Joseph Cowman. Published by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.
2. Nothing they do will change God’s love for them. NOTHING reassures children that God's love is not dependent on them doing the right things. God will not take his love away if (when!) they do something wrong. What a relief to know that God's love is unconditional, and that we can ask for forgiveness.
3. By extension, nothing they do will change their parent's love for them. This is not explicitly stated in NOTHING, but parents have told me it's the logical progression they talk about with their children. Not only does your heavenly Father love you unconditionally, ideally, so do your earthly parents.
How fortunate that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
How will you demonstrate love today?
Natalee Creech is the author of WHEN DAY IS DONE (Beaming Books, 2019) and NOTHING (Worthy Kids, 2019) She lives with her husband, two children, and the sweetest cat ever in South Korea.
NOTHING is available at your local indie bookstore (find one near you) Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book and wherever books are sold!
SCAVENGER HUNT CLUE TO WRITE DOWN: don't
LINK TO NEXT STOP IN THE HUNT: Head over to Amy Parker's site to read her post and collect the next clue in the hunt!
