Book Review and Giveaway: The Invisible World by Anthony DeStefano

Hope everyone had a reverent Memorial Day! (For my overseas readers, the last Monday in May is set aside as Memorial Day here in the US. For some, it’s nothing but the “unofficial” start to summer; for others, the day gives us another chance to stop and remember those who gave all for their country.)

A few months back I was contacted by Anthony DeStefano about reviewing his most recent Adult Novel, The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us. You may or may not remember, but I reviewed Mr. DeStefano’s childrens’ book, Little Star during Advent. And like in Little Star, Mr. DeStefano has proved himself to be a knowledgeable and complete writer, with the ability to get complex messages across to his readers without going over their heads. It might come across as off-putting to some, but Mr. DeStefano’s writing style in this book is so casual and conversational that you almost forget that you are reading a book on Spirituality and not just having a chat with a good friend.

Early in the book, Mr. DeStefano reminds us that the most important things in life are also the ones that cannot be seen with the naked eye:

Ideas can’t be seen. Love can’t be seen. Honor can’t be seen. (pg. 18)

Keeping pace with traditional Christian teaching, Mr. DeStefano walks along with us as he discusses God, Angels, Demons, The Soul, The Battle for our Souls, Grace, Suffering, Heaven, Hell and fine tuning your “Haunt Detector” to be more open to experiencing these happenings.

One of my favorite passages comes toward the end:

Everything in life comes down to faith. Our whole knowledge of human history is based on it. Think about it. Where you around when the Romans conquered Carthage in 146 BC? How about when Columbus discovered America in 1492? Do you know for sure that George Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776? No? Well, how do you know these events took place?… None of it is firsthand. None of it is scientifically provable. All of it, really, must be accepted on faith- faith in the authors of the documents, and faith in the reliability of the testimonies. (p. 199)

For me, this was a quick, extremely interesting and uplifting read… It just took me forever to post about it! This book would make a great addition to anyone’s library, whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool Christian or if you are questioning the existance of God in general. Hey, I just had an inspiration! A Great combination would be for a Book Club would be to read this book along with C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters! And then do a little C and C? (Compare and Contrast?) (Our group read Screwtape this fall, and if you haven’t read, please do!! It’s fantasic!)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Invisible World here’s how you can do it:

1. For one entry, leave a comment below telling me your opinion about Angels and Demons (and I don’t mean the Dan Brown book) and if they affect our lives.
2. For an additional entry, head over to FaceBook and “Like” my Page (Caffeinated Catholic Mama)
3. For an additional entry, sign up for email subscriptions, so you never miss a posting!

(If you already “like” me and are signed up for emails, let me know in your original comment, so you get your extra entries!)

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Because this is a great book, I am leaving this giveaway open to all readers WORLDWIDE (can’t leave out my UK and Germany peeps!) Winner will be drawn by The ever popular Miss Random.Org on June 30 at 5p CST. Be sure to share with your friends and family!

Pax Christi!

**I was contacted by the author for my honest, unbiased review. I was not compensated in anyway for my opinion.**

Children’s Book Review: Little Star

A King is about to be born! The stars in the heavens are competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they see the poor family, the donkey, the shabby stable, the stars all think, That can’t possibly be a king. We’ve been fooled.

All except one. The smallest, loneliest star in the sky, Little Star, is the only one to understand what the king is about to bring to the world. But what can Little Star do for him?

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by best-selling author Anthony DeStefano about reviewing his latest Children’s Book, Little Star. As I was humbled and honored by his request and, of course, I jumped at the chance.

Mr. DeStefano’s book has all of the elements of the traditional Christmas Story, told from the perspective of the stars in the heavens. The story of the Nativity is intertwined with themes of self-worth, perseverence and ultimately, self-sacrifice out of love for others. (hmm… sound familiar?)

For me, the mark of a “good” Children’s book is if it can make me cry and this one certainly does that (and for those of you who do not know me personally, I do not cry easily.) The illustrations by Mark Elliot are beautifully rendered and are works of art in of themselves. My eldest daughter, the three year old, loves this book and calls it her “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” book and right now, really wants it back. *smile*

If you are looking for a nice addition to your family Christmas traditions, please pick up a copy of Little Star. While the text is easily designed for children aged 3-8, children of all ages will love and appreciate this heartwarming tale.

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Want a chance to win your very own, autographed by the author, copy of Little Star? Well… all you have to to is leave a comment below with your favorite Christmas tradition or Service Project. For an additional entry, Become a Fan of Caffeinated Catholic Mama on FaceBook!

Entries will be accepted until Monday, December 13 at 11:59p (CST) and the winner will be drawn by random number generator on Tuesday December 14th.

Pax Christi!

(I was provided a review copy of Little Star by the author, in exchange for my honest review.)

Things I love Thursday: Diaper Koozie EXTENDED!!

Since I am now cloth diapering two children, I found that I was in need of some new diaper covers. I like to support Work At Home Mothers as much as possible so I headed over to Etsy to see what I could find. I found the cutest covers at Diaper Koozie.

Tiffanie at Diaper Koozie uses print fabrics backed with PUL to make a soft, flexible yet very functional diaper cover. With my latest purchase from her, I discovered that she is making her diaper covers multi-sized, which is great if you have multiple children in cloth or if you want to get the most bang for your buck.

In addition to the diaper covers, she also makes eco-friendly, reusable snack packs/ sandwich bags and “Baby Hanks”… think handkerchiefs for baby. The Baby Hanks are great because they are super cute, very soft, well made and you can use them as on the go wipes for sticky hands, faces or at home as diaper wipes, eliminating the need for boxes and boxes of disposable wipes. The snack packs and sandwich bags are lined with PUL and easily wipe clean on the inside. They close with a simple hook and loop closure so there are no worries of bunny crackers accidentally dumping out all over your bag. Get a few of these and you greatly decrease the number of sandwich bags your family goes through!

Tiffanie ships quickly and her work is supurb! I am glad to be a Diaper Koozie customer and I’d like you to have a chance to enjoy her products as well! Time for my FIRST giveaway!

For a chance to win a eco-friendly snack pack in a cute clocks print, please leave me a comment with your favorite healthy on-the-go snack and/or a cloth diaper washing secret AND what Diaper Koozie item you’d love to use. Be sure to head over to Diaper Koozie to check out all of her items and place an order if you are so inclined! I’m telling you, you won’t be disappointed! I will select a winner by random lottery on Friday June 18 and notify the winner by email.