Friday, April 13, 2012

A to Z Challenge, Book Review, "A Chocolate Life; Savoring God's Sweet Grace"

“A Chocolate Life; Savoring God’s Sweet Grace”
By Deb Burma

Review by Shelly Burke

Who doesn’t love at least a bit of chocolate once in a while? Deb Burma’s new devotion book, A Chocolate Life; Savoring God’s Sweet Grace, shows readers how life can be like chocolate—sweet, bitter, light and smooth, or dark and lumpy. In devotions with titles that include Chocolate-frosted Grace, Hot Cupcake Aromatherapy, Chocolate Gifts, Choice Morsels, and Not by Chocolate Alone, Burma takes examples and illustrations from her life and shows us how we can apply them to our own lives. In every devotion (there are 30 devotions in the book) she shows us how God sustains us, forgives us, and provides us with His endless grace. As an extra treat readers will find nine chocolate-based Burma family recipes in the book. YUM!

One of my favorite devotions is Chocolate Gifts. In this devotion Burma relates how her kids sometimes hoard the chocolate gifts they’ve received…only to find later that the months-old stash is stale and hard. She reminds us to not to do the same with God’s gifts to us, but to use them and share them! God’s gifts will never spoil but, as Burma points out, “if we don’t use them, other people will miss out on the rich blessings and grace of God that they could receive through us.”

The devotions are quick to read and packed with God’s Word and meaning. Burma encourages us to take in “nuggets and morsels of God’s Word (and chocolate)” and make Him a priority in our lives—just as each of us is a priority to Him. She encourages us to make God’s Word available at all times—by having a Bible handy, written verses or passages posted around our homes, and a devotion book in our car or purse to read while waiting.

A Chocolate Life; Savoring God’s Sweet Grace  is the perfect size and price (quantity discounts available) to wrap up with a candy bar or other chocolate treat, or tuck into a greeting card and give as a gift on a special occasion or “just because.” Every reader of A Chocolate Life will “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

To read more by Deb Burma, check out her blog at Fragrant Offerings .

(Now that I’m done writing this review, I’m going to go find…some chocolate!)
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To purchase A Chocolate Life; Savoring God’s Sweet Grace devotion book, magnets, or Scripture cards, ask at your Christian bookstore or go to www.cph.org (Concordia Publishing House).

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