C.H. Spurgeon's Evening Devotional
Tuesday July 15, 2025

"He appeared first to Mary Magdalene."-Mark 16:9
    
    Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates, she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favoured with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Saviour. He was her first, her chief object. Many who were on Christ's side did not take up Christ's cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving His wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve Him. Tell me who they are that sit oftenest under the banner of His love, and drink deepest draughts from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord. But notice how Christ revealed Himself to this sorrowing one-by a word, "Mary." It needed but one word in His voice, and at once she knew Him, and her heart owned allegiance by another word, her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience. She said, "Master." There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. No, when your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, "I am Thy servant, Thou hast loosed my bonds." If you can say, "Master," if you feel that His will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, "Mary," or else you could not have said, "Rabboni." See, then, from all this, how Christ honours those who honour Him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of His to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how His presence makes the heart's sunshine.
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Monday, October 20, 2014

Frizzy the S.A.D. Elf by Dorothea Jensen



Frizzy the S.A.D. Elf by Dorothea Jensen
About the Book Title: Frizzy the S.A.D. Elf (Santa’s Izzy Elves #4)
Author: Dorothea Jensen  
Illustrator: Shayne Hood 
Publication Date: August 2, 2014
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 34  
Recommended Ages: 4 to 10


Summary:  Santa’s Izzy Elves stories are not your usual picture books – older kids who enjoy playing with words and rhythmical verse will love them, too. One reason for this is that although their stories are told in verse echoing the famous 19th century poem: A VISIT FROM SAINT NICHOLAS, Santa’s Izzy Elves are definitely 21st century, with electronics galore!

FRIZZY, THE S.A.D. ELF is the fourth of these poetic tales. In this story, Frizzy, one of Santa’s Izzy Elves, styles the hair of Christmas dollies, but misses them dreadfully when Santa takes them away on Christmas Eve. (She suffers from S.A.D.: Seasonal Affection Distress.) Frizzy decides she needs to change her job so she doesn’t get so attached to the toys she works on. She starts making something completely different but soon finds that her plan isn’t going to work out exactly as she intended!

This story is cute retelling of Night Before Christmas in modern day terms.  Children beginning to read will love the rhyming verse.  This is just the book ordered by Santa for that special reader on your Christmas shopping list.  This would be a wonderful book to add to your holiday reading book list.  It's cute, adorable and modern day all rolled into one book.

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Santa’s Izzy Elves have won a number of literary awards.  Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf received Honorable Mention in the 2014 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards and has been Story Book Approved.  Plus, the e-book editions of Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf and Blizzy, the Worrywart Elf both received the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award, honoring “the best in family-friendly media”.

Purple Dragonfly Book Awards - logoStory Monster ApprovedMom's Choice Award





Purchase

Amazon (Paperback)  | Amazon (Kindle)Barnes & Noble

CreateSpace  |  Book Depository

The Buzz About Santa’s Izzy Elves

Book 1 (Tizzy):  Tizzy, The Christmas Shelf Elf is a clever holiday read-aloud story featuring two excited siblings who sneak down early Christmas morning and discover a very special surprise.  Only through their discovery of the magic of books do they find a way to send Tizzy back home.  Kudos to the author for highlighting the importance of books!  I recommend this book to be read aloud to children ages 5 and older.” ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Book 1 (Tizzy):  “This is a delightful and cleverly written rhymed poem, sprinkled with echoes of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with a similar rhythm and rhyme scheme but not a slave to it.” ~ 5 Star Review, Carolyn P., Amazon

 Book 2 (Blizzy):  “Such a wonderful mystery and perfect for pre-readers and those getting ready to read. Jensen has a very creative personality put to good use while developing this series about Santa’s elves.” ~ 5 Star Review, Gene G., Amazon

Book 2 (Blizzy):  “Any kid would love this poetic bedtime story.” ~ 5  Star Review, robinsm, Amazon

Book 3 (Dizzy):  “I love the story and especially the artwork in this book. A great read for my children for the upcoming Holiday.” ~ 5 Star Review, Ben L., Amazon

Book 3 (Dizzy):  “If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out! The Izzy Elves are awesome, and the Dizzy story is really our family favorite so far.” ~ 5 Star Review, BookLover, Amazon

About the Author: Dorothea Jensen

Dorothea JensenDorothea Jensen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Carleton College, and a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of New Mexico. She is the author of The Riddle of Penncroft Farm, an award-winning novel for young readers about the American Revolution. Named an International Reading Association’s Teachers’ Choice Selection soon after publication, it is read in schools throughout the United States. More recently, Riddle earned a first prize in the historical fiction category of the 2014 Purple Dragonfly Award, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published an e-book edition in 2014, twenty-five years after its original release.
Deedy recently completed A Buss From Lafayette, another historical novel for middle graders. She is now working on a new story, set in seventeenth century Massachusetts, called A Scalp on the Moon.The fifth Izzy Elf story, featuring Bizzy, is also in the works.
For more information about Dorothea and her books, please visit http://izzyelves.com/ or  http://www.dorotheajensen.com/

About the Illustrator:  Shayne Hood

Shayne Hood is a professional animator and illustrator. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree at the California Institute of the Arts.

An ecopy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by.....

MDBR Book Promotion Services



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