GIFTS

Discover a beautiful, personal way to engage with Scripture through The Catholic Journaling Bible. The first of its kind for Catholic women, this journaling bible is the perfect companion as you dive deeper into the Word of God. Including the full text of the New American Bible, Revised Edition, this single-column bible offers wide margins that are perfect for:

• Note-taking
• Journaling
• Recording prayers
• Doodling
• Drawing
• Creative Expression

The elegant design includes hand-lettered quotes and space for personal reflection. Ideal for gift-giving, this beautifully bound bible invites Catholic women to immerse themselves in God's Word like never before.

After the horrific Virginia Tech massacre in April 2007, all of us are now aware of the major disasters that can strike our students at college. But each year more than 500,000 college students become victims of crimes and accidents that rarely get reported in the media.Protect Yourself at College College is based on three years of extensive research and interviews with college and security officials. It provides parents with a vital tool to give their students as they pack up for school. School administrators will want to hand out this book to each student entering the freshman class. It covers everything from dorm safety to binge drinking, from spring break concerns to date rape, from walking the campus to keeping your computer safe, from fraternity hazing to taking the bus. Every chapter includes real-life examples and a checklist of safety suggestions and prevention measures that will ensure students do no become a crime statistic.REVIEWS If you want your kids to be safer at college, read this book. It's probably things they should already know but will forget the day they arrive on campus. Help them remember with information from Protect Yourself at College. --Joseph Newport, Assiciate Director Public Safety, Indiana State UniversityThe stories and precautions suggested throughout this book can aid in reducing the risk of a student becoming a victim of a crime or an accident. --Thomas R. King, Chief of Police, State College, PA

Following Christ isn't always easy. You need faith, courage, patience, and love.

Colleen Swaim looks at eight young souls who became saints for the against-the-current, selfless heroism of their teen years. In addition to the inspiring stories, Ablaze includes maps, recipes, prayers, journal prompts, scripture references and reflection questions to help the reader apply the saints' experiences to every day life.

Read how an Italian high school student inspired thousands as she faced cancer joyfully. Follow a new Christian as he marches to his death by fire after standing firm in his faith in the face of a wretched king. Lock arms with a young man and his crucifix as he dares brawling teens to throw the first stone.

We are all called to follow Christ in our own ways. This book will inflame your heart with vivid storytelling, saintly challenges, prayers, images, and more. Discover how you can set your world ablaze with love for the Lord!

Features: Saint Dominic Savio; Saint Teresa of the Andes; Saint Kizito; Blessed Chiara Luce Badano; Saint Stanislaus Kostka; Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception; Blessed Pedro Calungsod; and Saint Maria Goretti.

View sample pages.

Paperback

Review by Lisa M. Hendey, CatholicMom.com webmaster:

If you're a mom of teens like me, you're constantly on the lookout for books and resources that will help inspire your family. With this new book by Colleen Swaim -- her first, but hopefully just the start of a prolific writing career -- we discover a treasure of the faith for Catholics young and old.

Ablaze is aimed at teens, but truthfully, the resources contained within this book will aid anyone looking to grow in sanctity and faith. Colleen profiles the lives of eight young saints and blesseds, sharing their path to sainthood with accounts that are filled with insight and detail. She has a voice that truly manages to bring these stories to life. Perhaps it's her work as a high school teacher that has provided her with an insight into what will move, challenge and inspire young people. Ablaze is filled with so much more than simply biographical details, including sidebars, vocabulary descriptions, maps, sacramental lessons, and even recipes. Journal prompts, prayers, scripture references and reflection questions help the reader to fully interact with the content presented, applying it to the challenges of every day life.

Each of the saints profiled, though living in different periods of history, has a freshness and a relevance to the world our teens face today. Colleen Swaim aptly brings their heroic virtues to light in a way that will have teens (and grown ups too!), eagerly interacting with her content and asking for more. I give Ablaze my highest recommendation and will enjoy sharing it with my own son this summer.

So you believe in God. Now what?

Just before he left, Jesus sent his followers into the world with a revolutionary mission: to change the world by proclaiming God s truth and demonstrating his incredible love. But the single task he gave us to accomplish remainsunfinished.

In this six-session small group Bible study, bestselling author Rich Stearns takes you and your small group on a breathtaking journey to rediscover the critical mission of Christ in our world today and the richness of God s calling on our lives.

Why are you here, what is your purpose, and where do you fit in the bigger story that God is writing? How should your faith affect your career, your money, your families, and your life? And why does it matter? You will find your deepest purpose only when you discover the unique role God created for you to play in his unfolding story.

Features:

The six sessions include: The Meaning of Life and Other Important Things, Magic Kingdom, Tragic Kingdom and the Kingdom of God, The Invitation of God, We Were Made For More, Spiritual Dominos, God's Great Adventure for Your Life