God Thinks You’re Wonderful! , written by Max Lucado with cute illustrations by Chris Shea and published by Thomas Nelson (2003), is a very small but mighty book! It is about half the size of a regular book, but it would make a very special gift for both children and adults. It would be great for readers aged nine and above. I, myself, received the book from a good friend, and it encouraged me.
There is only a sentence or two on each page telling you how wonderful you are in God’s eyes. These thoughts are helpful to all of us. We often forget, or do not take the time to think about how God really feels about us. Some of the pages contain a scripture statement, such as Isaiah 49:16, “I have written your name on my Hand.” Others have simple thoughts like “Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give.”
For me, this little reminder helped me to see my cup as half full, rather than half empty. When I start counting my blessings, I realize that they are more and greater than I can number. Even though we all experience pain and suffering, the riches we have in Christ, as His children, are tremendous.
I found many of those thoughts in this book. One of them is, “You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted and lovingly positioned on this earth.” Another one is, “If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark.” I know the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. This little book is so helpful to keep me reminded of that.
Patsy Ledbetter has written poetry, short stories, devotionals, and book reviews for many years. She has also been a drama instructor, special needs teacher and substitute teacher. She and Kevin have been married for 41 years. They recently lost their oldest son Craig, age 33. They now have three children, Vanessa, Bethany and David. They also have four grandchildren, Elyse, Aurora, Hayden, and Molly. Kevin has been a music pastor most of his life and together they serve the Lord in a local church. Patsy loves to read, pray, and spend time outdoors and with family and friends. Her main desire is to bring glory to God through all the talents He has given her.
Notes from Jesus , subtitled What Your Best Friend Wants You to Know , is a little book with big thoughts. Written by Mikal Keefer and published by Group Publishing (2018), it will warm your kid’s soul with its direct, loving thoughts and its practical helps about how to get to know Jesus better. Though it’s a small book, 6.25 x 6.25 inches with only 63 pages, I think its pages will appeal to and be an especially rich experience for 8- to 12-year-olds.
Each spread has a Bible verse, (presented as a colorful graphic), something to know about Jesus and a suggestion for how to become better friends with Jesus. Each spread begins with “I [Jesus] want you to know . . .” and then gives short, specific sentences on various topics and/or questions that kids (and even grown-ups) wonder (and worry) about. Topics include: “I love being with you;” “I’m not surprised when you mess up;” “We can laugh together;” “I’ve got your back;” “I made you for a purpose;” “Not everything you hear about me is true.”
The suggestions for becoming better friends with Jesus are many times suggestions to pray, but the author does not suggest the prayers. Instead, the child is asked to interact with the lesson and simply talk to Jesus. For example, on the pages, “. . . I made you for a purpose,” Jesus asks the child to tell him something “I did really, really well when I made you. And then thank me.” Children are encouraged to talk honestly with Jesus, about their lives, their dreams, their hopes, their worries, even their mistakes.
To expand a child’s relationship with Jesus even further, the last pages in the book offer more Bible verses which a child can turn to if they feel angry, lonely, tempted. etc.
I experience energy and excitement just looking at the book. It is appealingly illustrated with bright colors and bold graphics.
The back cover says Notes from Jesus is perfect for children starting a relationship with Jesus. It is. But I think even kids who have known Jesus for a while will, at times, love and need its directness. I think it’s one of those books that you could put out someplace where your child could easily see it, pick it up, and read a few pages (finding the very topic that concerns him/her at the moment
