Give the Gift of Reading This Easter
Why I'm making this Easter gift guide
I'm making this Easter gift guide in answer to the latest gift guide lens-making quest but also in order to promote some really good books about the spiritual side of Easter, for all ages, and the thus keep idea of giving the gift of reading, which I first purposed in my Christmas gift guide, alive. Of course (who am I kidding?) I'm making it also to get another chance to shamelessly promote my Biblical novel, which depicts the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as seen through the eyes of characters from different walks of life who might have lived then. (See 2b below).
The death of the art of reading?
[From my Christmas gift guide:] Is reading a dying art? With all our fancy devices (iPods, Xboxes, blackberries, Nintendo's, DVD's etc.), how many of us take the time these days to curl up with a good book? How many books have your read lately? How many do you think your friends or family have read? Maybe it's time to revive the art of reading before it's too late.
Don't let this happen:
For more, check out my Christmas gift guide here:
- GIVE THE GIFT OF READING this year
Yes, why not give the gift of reading? Yes, give them a good book to read. They may not get as excited about it at first, but they'll thank you in the future.
Poll 1: Have you given books?
Have you ever given books as holiday gifts before?
1. The gift of reading for kids:
Easter can an especially exciting time for children, and, as such, it offers an especially unique opportunity to present the real message of Jesus, His death and resurrection, in ways that they can understand and appreciate. There are a few really good Children's books out there which cover the events quite well and apply their meaning so children can readily understand and accept, like the one pictured above and listed below. One reviewer wrote: it is a simple and Bible based account of the story of Easter. Another writes: "it does a conveys our need for Jesus, his sacrifice, and his resurrection. Through reading and referring to this book, our son first came to understand Jesus' love for him when he was only 3 years old. This is THE best Easter gift you could get for your children ages 1-12 for their Easter basket."
Perhaps you can find more There are even some for toddlers you can find if you search, Even toddlers can be made to appreciate the wonderful story of Easter. Get a book like the one below and read it to them. They're not too young to gain some modicum of understanding.
2. The gift of reading for Easter for teens and /or adults:
Easter can also be an especially meaningful time for teenagers and for us adults as well, as we all seek to recall the death and resurrection of Jesus and what it means to us. In case you don't know, His death bought eternal salvation for all who will accept it, and His resurrection sealed the deal.
2a. Help them recall factually His death and resurrection:
Even though we have been taught since childhood about the crucifixion of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection, we need to be reminded of it and made to realize details of the events that may have passed us by.
In the Special expanded edition Book listed below, drawing on insights from history, archaeology, geography, and the Bible, author Adam Hamilton invites readers to experience and understand the significance of Jesus final hours.
Hamilton guides us, step by step, through the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life in his popular, heartbreaking, and inspiring book.
No single event in human history has received more attention than the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. In this book, Hamilton helps you experience and understand the significance of Jesus’ suffering and death like never before. He retraces the day that changed human history in a straightforward yet easy, conversational style that speaks to both long-time Christians and those who are simply curious about the story of Christ’s crucifixion. We visit the sites where those earth-shaking events took place, and we walk where Jesus walked along the road that led to the pain and triumph of the cross. This book can entertain and inspire the entire family or your church group. I took the course at our church and it was a real blessing: Highly recommended--JMB
2b. Or, better yet, get them my newly revised, edited and re-published Biblical novel:
My newly revised, edited and re-published Biblical novel:
In case you missed giving it at Christmas or 3Kings Day, give them a copy of my Biblical novel for a really neat fictionalized account of these events and what else MIGHT have happened as seen through the eyes of characters who MIGHT have lived then.. Parts I covers the beheading of John the Baptist and the insurrection against Pilate and who MIGHT have been behind it. Part II leads up to the crucifixion and hints at the resurrection, while Part III begins with the resurrection and reflects on it's significance and results in the life of the early church,.
Even though you give it on Easter day, when we celebrate the resurrection, they may appreciate reading about what MIGHT and did lead up to it as well as what followed it.
