I recently received a book in the mail to read.  It’s called Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.

Wow.

If you are looking for something that will help pull you out of that spiritual funk that you have found yourself in, check it out.  While Primal may not be the answer, it will point you back to the answer.

What does that mean?  It means that Mark Batterson has written a book about getting back into that relationship with God that we need to have.  He has included ideas and personal anecdotes that will help spur you onto good things and remind you of many of the ways you can build - or re-build - your relationship with Jesus Christ.  He focuses on compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power in our relationship with God, and reminds us of why these are important.

It’s that time of year when we have been going, going, going with a slow-down that hits right after Christmas and a time for looking at our lives and re-evaluating things.  Is there a better time for a refresher course on getting in touch with our Creator?

If you are floundering out there somewhere feeling like you need to draw closer to God, I recommend picking up Primal - it will show you a way back into that relationship.  It will remind you why we need a Savior and how to take part in that Great Commandment that Jesus gave us - to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind & strength, and to love others.  After all, is there a better way to share God with others than through relationships?  Our lives should proclaim Him, but if we aren’t strengthening our relationship with Him, our lives won’t be talking very loudly.

So, where can you pick up your copy of Primal?

It is available at booksellers nationwide on Dec 22, 2009, just in time to be the first book you read in 2010 - or perhaps that quieter week after Christmas.

Personally, I like to get books through Amazon.com.  Other places that I often shop for books are CBD,  Borders.com and BarnesandNoble.com

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Oh, and the legal stuff - I received this book for free to read and review.

This is a great resource for those who enjoy reading, but don’t want to pay the high prices that the bookstores often want. Basically, you post books that you have and want to get rid of, and others browse through the available books and order the ones that they want.

For every book that you send out, you get a credit for a book to order. The only cost at this time is to ship the books - and they get the media mail discount. They provide you with the label, you just wrap it around the book & ship it out.

We have posted some books, and one of them was requested the next day. I shipped it out, she received it, and I got a credit applied to my account that I used to order a book for my husband. This is great! It saves money, as he can get books for free to read when he travels instead of buying them at epensive airport bookstores, and I am clearing out our over-filled library one book at a time - and I don’t feel bad for throwing books away.

If you have too many books laying around, or you want to get some new-to-you books, check out PaperBackSwap.com

If you are looking for a great gift for a family on your list - or your own kids - you need to take a look at a new book by Sara Ann Denson called Christmas Turtles. This great story is about Sara’s own grandmother, and the wonderful turtle candies that she used to make every year when Sara was growing up - even though her grandmother couldn’t eat them herself!

This is a wonderful and heartwarming story that may bring back fond memories for you Moms, Dad’s and Grandparents, and it includes a recipe for turtles and a wooden mixing spoon to help you create new memories of your own!

Christmas Turtles is available from Purple Sky Publishing, and if you use the coupon code “cottagegiftspecial” you can save 15% on your total purchase. Hurry over to check it out - there may still be a few autographed copies left to order!

Christmas Turtles is also available at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and borders.com, however the 15% off coupon is good only at purpleskypublishing.com

Do you want more info about the author & illustrator?

Sara Ann Denson has been a nationally published author since the age of 18. In 1995, she received the first place One-Act Play Award at the annual Alabama Writer’ Conclave and she went on to publish three books of scripts and play along with various magazine credits. She currently lives in Jefferson City, Missouri with her husband, Boyd, and their two sons, Samuel and Gideon. She is a member of the MOMpack.

Tara McMillen as always had a special love for art. Tara is a painter who has done numerous murals in the Kansas City area. Her attention to detail and her intuitive nature makes her the perfect illustrator for children’s books. Tara has been married for seventeen years and has two wonderful children, Ericka and Kyle, who have also been blessed with their mother’s artistic ability.

For additional information regarding the author and illustrator, as well as other authors and illustrators employed by Purple Sky Publishing LLC, please visit purpleskypublishing.com