Archive for the ‘Beyond the Manuscript’ Category

Meet Jennifer Bosma

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “5 Things” series. Jennifer Bosma is the author of the adorable children’s books I Know the Plans and The Baby Garden. Check out Jennifer’s five fast facts below…

 

  1. I applied to be a contestant for the TV show “Survivor.”
  2. I have walked with lions in Zimbabwe at a lion rehabilitation center.
  3. I swam in a shark cage while observing over twenty sharks swimming around the cage.Jennifer Bosma, I Know the Plans
  4. I have appeared in Andy Grammer’s “Honey I’m Good” Music Video.
  5. I have finished 3 marathons.

Jennifer Bosma has an enthusiasm for life, seeking joy in each day. Knowing the importance of spoken Scripture, she loves sharing God’s Word and His promises for abundant life with children and their parents. Jennifer taught elementary school for twenty-three years, touching the hearts of over five hundred students. Her first published children’s book, The Baby Garden, explains God’s plan for every child, planned or unplanned.

When Jennifer’s children were small, early on, she learned the importance of speaking Scripture to them. There were a few Scriptures that she spoke over them every day. Her goal behind I Know the Plans is to incorporate these powerful Scriptures from the point of view of Jesus as promises to each child. The rhyming text captures the attention of children as the Scripture is introduced. Her prayer is that both parents and children will make these Scriptures a part of their everyday lives as biblical promises for them.

I Know the Plans by Jennifer Bosma

I Know the Plans by Jennifer Bosma

Jennifer currently works in a discipleship ministry for ladies facing an unplanned pregnancy and has a very active blog to mentor young women. She and her husband of thirty-three years love spending time with their three grown daughters, a son-in-law, and two granddaughters. They enjoy traveling and being in the great outdoors, marveling at God’s beautiful creation.

You can find Jennifer on her website, Goodreads, and Bookbub! Learn more about Jennifer and her adorable children’s books here!

How Do We Define Love?

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What is Love?

A Letter from the Publisher

Valentines Day. Love.

These two words seem go hand in hand. Every year we take a day to appreciate that special someone in our life by buying flowers, chocolates, jewelry, or a nice, fancy dinner. We take an evening out of our busy schedules to slow down and focus on each other.

But what is love?

Society tells us that love is a feeling. It is how you feel when you think about someone or even look at someone. But in my experience, feelings fade and change with our current emotions. I have seen couples who were so in love end up leaving each other with nothing but hate after years of marriage. So where did the love go?

In order to answer this question, we must look to the creator of love, God, and see what He has to say about it in His Word, and what better chapter to look at than 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to tell us!

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

To me, I do not get the sense that love is a feeling after reading these verses, but instead, it is a choice.

A choice to be patient with your spouse, a choice to be kind, a choice not to be envious or boastful or proud! These are all choices that we have to consciously make, they don’t just magically happen. This is why it is so important for our foundation in any relationship to be built on Christ and His Word. When we do this, we can display many types of love: the love for a spouse, the love for a mother or father, the love for a child, and then there is the greatest love of all, the love of Jesus to us. 

Author Celeste Hawkins in her newest release Always Been Loved: Discovering God’s True Feelings for You, she focuses on the love that Jesus has for us. How do you think God feels about you – right now? Just hold still. As that soul-searching question sinks in, let yourself admit what you really thought the last time you closed your eyes to pray. Maybe you’ve come to believe that God feels angry with you?  Or disappointed. Or, worst of all, completely unconcerned.

And yet the reality we forget—or maybe never even heard during years of church services—awaits discovery, hidden away in some of the unexpected places in our Bibles like treasure buried for too long. Always Been Loved unearths forty specific truths that demonstrate what’s actually in God’s heart for us: genuine, unconditional love. This book captures these acts of love in the form of personal letters, as if God Himself had written them right to you.

God’s ready to show you His true feelings, once and for all, to tell you how much He loves you. You’ve always been loved.

 

Karen Ferguson follows this theme of God’s love for us in her book Guess How Much God Loves You with a similar message but geared toward children. Guess How Much God Loves You is the story of seven-year-old Lucy Lu, a colorful, creatively curious first-grader, who is starting to have serious questions about God.

How old is He? Does He sleep? What does He do all day? And the biggest one of all—does God love me?

After one particularly hard day of being bullied by her classmates at school, Lucy feels like she doesn’t matter. She sits with Papa Joe, who has promised to answer her questions about God, launching them onto a journey to discover God’s never-changing, never-failing, never-ending love.

What follows is a wild adventure through the Bible, where Lucy and her papa find themselves in the middle of each page of the exciting story of God’s love and faithfulness for all people throughout all of history.

I Know the Plans by Jennifer BosmaIn I Know the Plans, author Jennifer Bosma seeks to show God’s love for us through the perfect plan He has for each and every one of us. It is so important for children to have a firm foundation to build upon. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path(Psalm 119:105). This children’s book, with its beautiful illustrations, points children to that plan.

God has a plan for each child before they are even created. But in this noisy world, it’s easy for our children to not hear God’s voice and forget who they were created to be.

I Know the Plans presents God’s promises to young children with a fun, engaging rhyme, planting the seeds of Scripture into their hearts to help them grow in their love for Him. With vivid illustrations accompanying each passage, I Know the Plans captures a little one’s attention from start to finish and should be the first book in every child’s library.

Each of these books examines the happiness that can be found with love, but there can also be sorrow.

Shelly Calcagno explores this love and sorrow in The Longest Goodbye: A Family’s Hope-Filled Journey Through Alzheimer’s. How do you love someone who doesn’t even remember your name? How do you continue to let them know you are there for them when they no longer remember you are their child? How do we say goodbye? And more importantly, are we ever ready to say goodbye?

Shelly tells readers, “I wasn’t prepared for her to go. To have her sit right beside me, yet be so far away. My mother and life-long best friend who doesn’t even remember my name. It’s been the longest goodbye. And I keep asking this question—how do we love through the hardest of days? Through the pain and the loss? Listening to the slow ticking of the clock, as we sit watching everything slip away. Most of the time we don’t have a choice. I didn’t have a choice. So we look for glimmers of hope, reach for deep grace, and collect precious memories into a big pile of legacy love. We treasure each goodbye like it’s the most important moment we’ve ever had. Because it is.” 

Alzheimer’s disease affects almost fifty million people worldwide. It touches people across every walk of life. So, how do millions of people figure out how to love as they let go? The Longest Goodbye is a collection of stories and moments not just about the clinical side of memory loss–but the emotional heart journey. It is a story that shows how joy and grief are often intertwined and wrapped up together in the glorious mess of life.

The Longest Goodbye encourages readers to remember the ones they love while they are still here and to intentionally celebrate and live through the pain and hard days. It’s filled with tears, hope, and bitter-sweet moments all held together by the beautiful love of a mother and daughter holding onto a life filled with memories, while learning to let go and say goodbye.

Caitlin Smith examines how sometimes we have to relearn what love is in her book Love’s Lost Star.

Caitlin follows the stories of the main characters Cece and Jason. Cece Burbin thought she knew what love was—people using you to get what they wanted. Until she met Jason Porter. But on what should have been the happiest day of their lives, Cece wakes up on a riverbank cold, alone, and in pain. After realizing she lost her voice, Cece becomes desperate to find a way to communicate with someone that she needs help. Freeing herself, she sets off in search of the only man she has truly loved. But as she struggles to find her way back home, her past quickly begins to creep back. The gang she thought she had left behind was never that far away, and the crimes she has committed are coming back to haunt her. Can God truly love and forgive her for all she has done?

Jason is just as frantic to find his missing bride. But when he receives a note saying she left him for another man, his world is shattered. How had he missed her change of heart? Jason struggles to trust God in this heartbreak, battling uncertainty about the future he thought he had. But when he meets a strange woman who claims to be a private investigator, he discovers a clue that could change everything. Unaware that time is running out, the abandoned bridegroom sets off in search of love’s lost star.

Something that seems so simple turns out is actually quite complicated. Love.

My prayer this Valentines Day is that we would each understand how to love those in our lives a little better, a little longer, and a little stronger. I pray that we would each experience the life-changing love given to us by our Savior, and show that love to everyone we meet. I pray that we realize what it means to truly love before it is too late. 

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

Colossians 3:14-15

 

#Throwback Thursday: The Wild-Bird Child by Derick Bingham

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As we reminisce on the over forty years that God has blessed Ambassador International to remain in business, we are highlighting a different #backlistbook each week in a series called #ThrowbackThursday.

Today we’re highlighting the book The Wild-Bird Child: A Life of Amy Carmichael by Derick Bingham, first published by Ambassador International in 2004, and re-released with a new cover in 2019.

Amy, a Christian missionary, social reformer and writer of thirty-five books, once described herself as a ‘Wild-bird child and in no wise tame’: her life proved her observation to be hauntingly accurate.Amy Carmichael

For this biography, the first by anyone from her home County, Derick Bingham carefully researched Amy Carmichael’s original letters now placed by the Dohnavur Fellowship and Miss Margaret Wilkinson in the Northern Ireland Public Records Office.

During the time of the Raj in India, Amy Carmichael discovered a custom of the time in which children were ‘married to gods’ and so introduced to a life of prostitution. With a mixture of courage and heartbreak, she began to uncover the facts, sometimes under disguise, for the government. After independence, the Indian government courageously prohibited the practice by law. Against difficult circumstances, Amy and her colleagues provided a safe home for these children against awesomely difficult circumstances at Dohnavur in South India.

Until her death in 1951, she devoted fifty years of her life to rescuing babies and children from dangerous backgrounds in India.

As Bingham tried to uncover the heart and conscience of this extraordinarily self-effacing legend, he is on record as saying that it proved to be one of the greatest spiritual experiences of his life, and in this biography, readers will find spiritual gold. She was brilliant, personable and passionate, and she is arguably the most gifted of all Irish woman writers of Christian literature.

You can add The Wild-Bird Child to your Goodreads HERE and you can learn more and find purchase links HERE. This book is available in paperback, ebook, and audio!

#Throwback Thursday: Warrior Poets of the 21st Century by Robin Mark

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As we reminisce on the over forty years that God has blessed Ambassador International to remain in business, we are highlighting a different #backlistbook each week in a series called #ThrowbackThursday.

Today we’re highlighting the book Warrior Poets of the 21st Century: A Biblical and Personal Journey in Worship by Robin Mark for our #ThrowbackThursday. Robin Mark is a Northern Irish Christian Robin Mark, Author of Warrior Poets of the 21st Centurysinger, songwriter, worship leader, and recording artist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and he may be most known for his song “Days of Elijah.” We were {are!} thrilled to partner with him in bringing the message of Warrior Poets of the 21st Century to the world at large. Warrior Poets of the 21st Century was published by Ambassador International in 2007.

What is Warrior Poets of the 21st Century about? Worship. It’s about how absolutely important worship is and how, perhaps, it is the highest calling and occupation of the believer. But it’s not about excellence of musicianship in played and sung worship. It’s #Throwback Thursday: Warrior Poets of the 21st Century by Robin Marknot about personalities or individuals, or specially gifted folks, or style, or technique. It’s not a ‘how to’ book, or a work book, or a ‘here’s a service schedule that’s bound to work’ type book. It’s about how God calls us all to be His worshippers and how, perhaps, every single one of us can, through a deeper understanding of worship, make an impact and a difference in the society in which we live.

“Never let the pursuit of excellence be the pursuit of your heart.”

Endorsements

Robin touches the heart of worship with passion, insight, and experience. He is the real deal and like many from Ireland, has an uncanny gift with words. You will love this book. –Paul Baloche, Christian Songwriter, Worship Leader, USA

You will find many pearls of wisdom in Robin’s new book. –Paul Kelly, Unite in Worship, Canada

Every church should hear this wisdom, it would dramatically enhance their understanding and practice of what has been called ‘the believer’s highest occupation.'” –Paul Reid, Senior Pastor, Christian Fellowship, Belfast

 

You can add Warrior Poets of the 21st Century to your Goodreads HERE and you can learn more and find purchase links HERE. This book is available in paperback, ebook, and audio!

Five Things about J.D. Rempel

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “5 Things” series. J.D. Rempel is the author of the middle grade series, The NorCal Girls, with book two Melanie at Camp Redwoods releasing on April 20th! Check out J.D.’s five fast facts below…

1. I am an Anglophile.J.D. Rempel, author of the NorCal Girls series

2. I have a turtle named Applesauce.

3. I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up . . . I still do.

4. I love Christian alternative rock and eighties music.

5. My favorite painting is The Maids of Honor/Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez. I have a copy of the painting in my library.

 

Melanie at Camp Redwoods by J.D. RempelJ.D’s books in The NorCal Girls series are clean, family-friendly reads that encourage young girls to have a relationship with God and also model positive friendships. Her latest book, Melanie at Camp Redwoods, explores the meaning of friendship through memorable adventures at camp. And more importantly, she weaves  into the story how God pursues a relationship with us to become His children.

 

You can find J.D. on her website, Goodreads, and Bookbub! Learn more and pre-order J.D.’s newest novel, Melanie at Camp Redwoods, here!

#Throwback Thursday: Walking in the Word: A Family Journey From Genesis to Revelation

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As we reminisce on the over forty years that God has blessed Ambassador International to remain in business, we are highlighting a different #backlistbook each week in a series called #ThrowbackThursday.

Today’s #ThrowbackThursday book isn’t quite as old as the others have been, but that doesn’t make it any less important! In fact, while all our books are important to us, we are especially fond of this book because as Christian families it is good to discover how to apply the whole of God’s Word to our lives, and this family devotional helps us do just that. 

Walking in the Word: A Family Journey From Genesis to Revelation was written by Carolyn Wells and published on December 1, 2015. Carolyn lives near Glasgow in Scotland, has been married to Alan for twenty-four years, and has three grown children. They have been involved in church pastoral ministry for over twenty years. As well as being a pastor’s wife and a mother, Carolyn works as a radiographer in a local hospital and is involved in the children’s ministry in their church.

The readings in Walking in the Word give your family a chance to read God’s Word together, discuss the things that affect your lives, encourage each other in your faith, and helps you reach out to tell others the Good News of Jesus.

Walking in the Word will help your family read through the story of the Bible together, finding out how it all fits together and how it can affect our lives today, and this family devotional includes some practical activities, memory verses, and encouragement to pray for others and will encourage spiritual growth for both the parents and the children.

Walking in the Word is a flexible book, to be used in the way that suits your own family best, and we hope it will be a wonderful resource for you and your family.

 

You can add Walking in the Word to your Goodreads HERE and you can learn more and find purchase links HERE.

Ambassador International’s Review Crew

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Ambassador International's Review Crew

Do you love books?! Do you love Ambassador International’s mission of spreading the Gospel through the written word? If so, Ambassador International’s Review Crew is the perfect place for you! There are a limited number of spaces, so learn more and sign up HERE.

Five Things about J.M. MacLeod of “The Siege of Logon’s Bridge”

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “5 Things” series. J.M. MacLeod is the author of Tolkien-esque fantasy series, The Saga of the Singing Sword Brigade, with book four The Siege of Logon’s Bridge releasing on March 7th! Check out John’s five fast facts below…

J.M. MacLeod, author of Saga of the Singing Sword Brigade seriesBeing at least half-Scottish heritage, I’ve always had a fascination for sword and crossbow stories. The novels of Kidnapped and Rob Roy and Treasure Island often took over my imagination and filled my playtime hours in the mountain woodlands of eastern Pennsylvania as I grew up. The Sunday School and Church my family attended taught us songs like “I’m in the Lord’s Army” and “Onward Christian Soldiers” likening the adventure of soul-winning to fighting against the Devil and his kingdom and rescuing people from a horrible fate.

As a teen, I learned to play guitar, thanks to the Ventures and The Beatles. When I volunteered working with Youth for Christ I met a fellow believer who played keyboard; together we formed The Owl of Light, a Christian folk/rock band, explaining in our testimony that like owls, we were creatures of darkness but came to the light. Actually, we chose the name because we had a big, old stuffed owl that we took along on our gigs.

I met my soul mate, Beverly, in college and married her asap. Immediately after we went from Pennsylvania to Indiana where I had a Summertime ministry/job running a Christian coffeehouse called “The Sign of the Fish” where we tried to introduce counter-culture teens to the Gospel. After returning to PA we were attracted to a local Bible Study group calling themselves “The Move of God” that seemed to take teachings of Scripture to a new level of revelation. Through a series of supernatural events we wound up on one of the Move’s communal farms to await the End Times and the Return of Christ. The revelations and supernatural phenomena soon became weird and quite a few of the leaders of the group became abusive to many of the “non-elite.” We left not only the farm but The Move as well.

We started raising children, four in number, all born in the 1970’s spaced about 2 years apart. I became a commercial school bus driver and did odd jobs during the summer months to support the family. The lay-over hours between bus runs is when I started to write about our journey through deception in The Move and what we learned from that bitter experience. I also was enchanted with Tolkien’s writings, reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings several times, enjoying them again and again as if I was visiting old friends. Then I began to wonder if I could ever write a Christian fantasy like C. S. Lewis but following more the genre of Tolkien. Thus began The Saga of the Singing Sword Brigade.

While learning the craft of writing (as I still am) in addition to school bus driving, I worked as a reporter/photographer on two New England newspapers, manager of a school bus company in New England, truck driver in Tennessee and am currently retired but still driving for LYFT— until royalties come rolling in.

Our four children and their spouses have produced for Beverly and I fifteen grandchildren who, in my unbiased opinion, are the smartest, most good-looking, best-natured and obedient children ever born.

 

You can find John on his website, Goodreads, and Bookbub! Learn more and order John’s newest novel, The Siege of Logon’s Bridge, here!

#Throwback Thursday: Treasury of Daily Devotions, compiled by Charles Edwards

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As we reminisce on the over forty years that God has blessed Ambassador International to remain in business, we’ve decided to highlight a different #backlistbook each week throughout the year in a series called #ThrowbackThursday.

It has been said that “We stand on the shoulders of giants” in reference to the legacy of those who walked with God in previous generations.

Treasury of Daily Devotions was originally compiled by Charles Edwards and published by Ambassador International in 2012. This daily devotional brings us the writings of influential Christians in previous eras, including C.H. Spurgeon, F.B. Meyer, Catherine Booth, Matthew Henry, George Mueller, R.A. Torrey, E.M. Bounds, John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Frances Havergal, J.C. Ryle, Andrew Murray, John Owen, Amy Carmichael, John Bunyan, Robert Murray McCheyne, A.W. Tozer, Martin Luther, J. Hudson Taylor, and many other people of faith.

The zeal of these men and women will challenge us to go forward in the Christian life and be equipped to serve the Lord. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, requires careful nurture. For this we need help from God and from His servants sent to encourage us along the way. May this “Cloud of Witnesses” minister to our timeless needs.

Want to read this book but don’t have time now? Add it to your Goodreads HERE. Ready to get started? Find the link to your favorite retailer HERE. Currently available in print and ebook.