C.H. Spurgeon's Morning Devotional
Saturday March 29, 2025

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered."-Hebrews 5:8
    
    We are told that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, therefore we who are sinful, and who are far from being perfect, must not wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. Shall the head be crowned with thorns, and shall the other members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease? Must Christ pass through seas of His own blood to win the crown, and are we to walk to heaven dryshod in silver slippers? No, our Master's experience teaches us that suffering is necessary, and the true-born child of God must not, would not, escape it if he might. But there is one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ's "being made perfect through suffering"-it is, that He can have complete sympathy with us. "He is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power. One of the early martyrs said, "I can bear it all, for Jesus suffered, and He suffers in me now; He sympathizes with me, and this makes me strong." Believer, lay hold of this thought in all times of agony. Let the thought of Jesus strengthen you as you follow in His steps. Find a sweet support in His sympathy; and remember that, to suffer is an honourable thing-to suffer for Christ is glory. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to do this. Just so far as the Lord shall give us grace to suffer for Christ, to suffer with Christ, just so far does He honour us. The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings whom God hath anointed are their troubles, their sorrows, and their griefs. Let us not, therefore, shun being honoured. Let us not turn aside from being exalted. Griefs exalt us, and troubles lift us up. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."
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Monday, June 20, 2022

Wild Creatures In My Neighborhood and What if I Went to the Circus by: Cheryl Carpinello

About the Books:

Title: Grandma and Grandpa’s Tales Books 1 - 6

Author: Cheryl Carpinello
Publisher: Silver Quill Publishing
Genre: Children’s Picture Books (Ages 4 – 8)

BOOK BLURB:

Grandma and Grandpa’s Tales books 1-3 encourage early readers with fun stories
incorporating difference aspects of nature. Book 1, Wild Creatures In My
Neighborhood and What if I Went to the Circus, explores the wildlife around
neighborhoods and introduces decision-making. Book 2, Singers of Songs and The Not
Too Stubborn Humpback, explores a common, but not so common insect, and lets
readers see that being stubborn isn’t always good. Book 3, Vampires in the Backyard
and A Fish Tale, introduces readers to an extended metaphor and lets them decide if
the fish story is real.

I was able to review a pdf copy of Grandma's Tales Book 1: Wild Creatures in My Neighborhood and What if I Went to the Circus.  This book would be a very good read for early readers.  The story was fun and I was able to make connections with Wild Creatures in My Neighborhood as here just the other day we were driving past a golf course in town and there in the middle of the course stood three deer eating grass as if they belonged there.  I live in a fair size town 50,000 +.  We have a river that runs through our town and on the other side of the dyck where the golf course is the river.  Also I've woken on a summer night to skunk smell outside my bedroom window.  We have had raccoon in our yard as well.  My husband has also spotted an owl in the tree outside our house too.  The story What if I Went to the Circus is a cute tale on animals Jackson brought home from the circus, but in the end he decides that maybe his sister would be a better playmate choice.  Both these books were so adorable.  I can't wait to share them with my own Grandson soon. 


Book Information

Release Date: Grandma’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandma’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandma’s Tales #3 (2021), Grandpa’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandpa’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandpa’s Tales #3 (2021)

Amazon Ma 1:  https://amzn.to/3374bEX

Amazon Pa 1:  https://amzn.to/3uHMKpA

Amazon Ma 2:  https://amzn.to/3Jan0X5

Amazon Pa 2: https://amzn.to/34HGt2g

Amazon Ma 3: https://amzn.to/3wELnJj

Amazon Pa 3: https://amzn.to/3GyXTLJ


About the Author      





Cheryl Carpinello taught high school English for 25 years. During that time, she worked with
numerous students who didn’t like to read for a variety of reasons. However, she discovered that
even the most reluctant readers became engaged in the classroom and in reading when she
introduced units on King Arthur and the works of ancient world writers. Upon retiring, she set
out to write fast-paced, action-filled stories in these setting to encourage young readers to read
more. Her success with readers aged 8-16 led her to reach out to the youngest of readers and
those readers just starting out. Revising stories she had written for her own children, she
created Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales for ages 4-7.  Her four grandchildren's conversations
created the stories in Book 3 of this series.
Visit her on Twitter and Facebook.