Simon And The Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale For Easter

Simon And The Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale For Easter

Written by Mary Joslin and Illustrated by Anna Luraschi

This story portrays Simon, the man who in the Bible is recorded to have helped Jesus carry His cross, as a farmer making his way to the market to sell wine, bread, and eggs. As Simon gets close to town, he sees a crowd of people calling out “Crucify him!” Then the officer (or Centurion) sees Simon and tells him to carry a man’s cross.

While the story is beautifully illustrated, it is a weak Easter story. Sure, it mentions God. But it fails to mention who was on the cross and why he was there. In fact, the man sentenced to die said only that his crime was “preaching a message of peace.” I found the book to be too politically correct, rather than a children’s book on the real story of Easter.

I give the illustrations 5 stars. But the text of the book only 2 stars.

I received this book free from Kregal for the purpose of this review.

Three Hearts movie

Movie Description

Graduating college senior, Cissie Graham Lynch, granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, takes on an internship at Samaritan’s Purse working with the Children’s Heart Project. This project is dedicated to saving the lives of children by providing medical procedures that aren’t available in many countries. Cissie is charged with supervising the arrival and surgeries of three Mongolian children suffering from fatal congenital heart defects.

But the task is not easy and filled with unexpected challenges. Cissie balances responsibilities as a newly married wife to a professional football player and her tasks with the internship. Meanwhile the Children’s Heart team turns to a Texas family who travels to Mongolia for the adventure of a lifetime to help bring the children to San Antonio for their surgeries. In Texas, two host families make sacrifices to care for these children and their mothers, while a team of doctors and nurses volunteer their time only to stare directly into the face of life and death. How far would you go to save a life?

It’s a fight for survival, a fight of faith, and a fight for a new life for these three hearts.

Bonus Features include: trailer, deleted scenes, and video clips about the Children’s Heart Project.

My Review:

A Samaritan’s Purse ® presentation with Cissie Graham Lynch and the Children’s Heart Project.

Cissie Graham Lynch, granddaughter of Billy Graham, and daughter of Franklin Graham  shares her life-changing internship with Children’s Heart Project, an arm of Samaritan’s Purse, which is most know for their Operation Christmas Child. Cissie shares the journey of bringing three Mongolian children back to America to Texas for life changing surgeries to correct deadly congenital heart defects. While one family travels to Mongolia to help bring the children and their mothers to the states, two other families host the children while they wait for their surgery and recover afterwards. Te extras include deleted scenes, clips about the Children’s Heart Project, and a 5 part miniseries on the Children’s Heart Project in Kurdistan.

I knew about Samaritan’s Purse through their Operation Christmas Child, but I had no clue about any of their other ministries. This video is an in depth look at a ministry I had never heard about before. The Children’s Heart Project examines and then provides operations in America for children who could not have these life saving operations in their own countries. In the miniseries on Kurdistan, American doctors are training the Kurdistanese doctors how to do some of the easier procedures in their own hospitals. I greatly enjoyed watching the video. These children stole my heart. I look forward to sharing this DVD with those who are familar with Samaritan’s Purse through Operation Christmas Child and those interested in medical missions. The lives of these children in the video as well as others who have received these life changing surgeries will forever be changed because of the Children’s Heart Project, both physically and spiritually.





I received this DVD from Booksneeze for the purpose of this review.

The Three Cups by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain

The Three Cups

by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain

Illustrated by April Willy

This is a great kids book, teaching kids about money. So many parents have problems handling their own money, so this is a simple way to remind them, and teach their children how to handle money. This young boy is given a special gift, three cups which are marked, spend, save, and give. Each week, as he is given his allowance, he is to put money in each of the cups. While he is able to spend the money in the spend cup in whatever way he chooses, he is able to use the give money to help others. His save money helps him pay for college many year later.

This is a fantastic children’s book. I loved the pictures in it. This is a book that I’d give to children or give to parents at a baby shower. I love the idea of teaching children early how to handle money, and using the three cups is a tangible way to do it.

I received this book free from Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of this review.