A Great Gift!

If you have a son or husband that loves action/adventure/fantasy movies like Pirates of the Caribbean or books like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, then I have a great gift idea for you! (Okay, to be fair, some of you moms might like that kind of stuff too!) Let me recommend the book The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka. I bought this book for my son, Cameron, and he devoured it, stating that it was by far his favorite all-time book. Then my dad read it and now I am currently reading it. We gave an autographed copy of it away at Open Book night, and I talked about it briefly at that time. It is the first installment in the "Trophy Chase Trilogy" and has been compared to a pirate version of the show "24." Let me share with you three reasons why you should get this book:

1. It is a Christian fantasy/adventure, so there is no worry of mystical/magical themes that are dark and might be objectionable for you as a parent. However, it has all the action, suspense and adventure to appeal to the most serious reader who might otherwise overlook Christian fiction. I would recommend it for anyone 12 or over, because the thematic elements do deal with the reality of good and evil in our world. The author says this, "Although the kingdom of Nearing Vast is mythical, it is not magical. Like our world, it is populated with people who have very real limitations. The world, the flesh, and the devil press in, and threaten destruction. But here, as in our world, there is power in faith, and all people have hope for redemption. This is not a 'sword and sorcery' tale, but one of 'sword and spirit.' There is no magic....but there are miracles."
2. As a mother of two boys, I have at times struggled to raise boys that are Godly young men, yet still masculine MEN. (Thank God I have a husband who is a great example of a Godly man to lead that process!) This book beautifully addresses this struggle that I have no doubt many men struggle with as well. How do you obey God's word and follow Jesus' example (like turning the other cheek), yet avoid becoming weak and pushed around? When do you fight and when do you just walk away? Packer, the hero in this story, is a great example of what it means to be a man of faith in the face of trials and temptation. He exudes biblical "meekness" which is really strength under control.
3. The third reason I love this book is that Polivka creates a heroine that is strong because of her God-given female traits, not in-spite of them. You gotta love that! Panna faces trials and temptations with perseverance and overcomes her human flaws with faith and persistence.

Well, in the spirit of full-disclosure, I must tell you there is one more reason I love this book. The author, George Bryan Polivka, is incredibly talented, and he gave me my first job out of college and taught me many of the skills that I now use in my ministry of speaking, teaching and writing (even though we were working in television and not in a Christian environment!). God used him in my life many years ago to prepare me for the path He would eventually call me to, long before I was even a mom or had any notion of starting a ministry. We crossed paths again recently and I was so happy to see how God is using him through these books. He is a fantastic writer and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. By the way, don't forget to click on our Legacy Moms "store" and order it through Amazon. When you order anything through Amazon by going through our store first, Amazon gives Legacy Moms a referral fee. 100% of the money goes back into our ministry so we can continue to equip and encourage moms. Thanks for supporting us. Blessings!