No matter your beliefs...whether you choose to read this book to your young grieving hearts as "fiction or non-fiction" this is a must read if you or a loved one has experienced a death. The book is simply timeless. ********************* This book is also unlike any other children's book regarding death. While most are about the process of healing & acceptance in the aftermath of losing someone they love. This book gives an opportunity for children to have some comfort for years to come & in particular during the holidays. The author leaves no question that she is a Christian & she wants her grandchildren to truly visualize the concept of her message. Albeit, she also stresses the main objective is to help grieving hearts; not change someone's views of religion. She has respect to the diversity of others views. With all that being said, this book does in fact focus on heaven. With an open mind, she wants readers to consider the literal definition of Heaven. The first death she can remember was at 9 years old & her grandfather passed away two days before Christmas. He was her Mom's father & it changed Christmas for many years to come as her Mom & others continued to mourn in particular during the holidays each year. She states that her worst death she witnessed her children suffer was that of her nephew, (sister's son) who was 18 yrs. old on December 7, 1995. Despite her faith & attempt to be positive it took everything her family had to function through Christmas that year and years to come. Five years later Spilman lost her father right before Easter & nine years after that her sister, who was 56 yrs. old, passed away. It was right as the holidays began before Thanksgiving. She needed a heart transplant. She left behind 5 beautiful grandchildren with her younger son. Four years later, Spilman's mom was gravely ill during Christmas and passed away two weeks later. The little ones in the family began to ask more questions. Are they sad at Christmas? Are they with Samson (Spilman's late 10 yr. old Newfoundland) in heaven? It is all too familiar to hear these fears & questions. ************************ While there are many holidays observed throughout the year, she chose select ones to express in her book. The goal is to attempt to give comfort with some visuals by adding a little magic for their heavy hearts. Moreover, she believes her book's message is to open the door for children to open their minds and create happiness for whatever holidays they may celebrate That is why her book can be an inspiration to many. Visit Spilman's FB page - HOLIDAYS IN HEAVEN-The Children's Book Websites: www.outskirtspress.com/holidaysinheaven.com www.holidaysinheaven.org

When a self-centered famous movie star builds a mansion near her family's diner in an isolated part of Florida, twelve-year-old Honey develops a friendship with the younger daughter that helps Honey realize how special her own family is.

THE INSPIRATIONAL CLASSIC FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS 'Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary' Cecilia Ahern _________ To his mind, Eddie has lived an uninspiring life. Now an old man, his job is to fix rides at a seaside amusement park. On his eighty-third birthday, Eddie's time on earth comes to an end. When a cart falls from the fairground, he rushes to save a little girl's life and tragically dies in the attempt. When Eddie awakens, he learns that the afterlife is not a destination, but a place where your existence is explained to you by five people - some of whom you knew, others who were ostensibly strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, five individuals revisit their connections to Eddie on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his 'meaningless' life and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: 'Why was I here?' __________ WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN 'Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that will stay with you forever' 'A beautiful and flawlessly choreographed book . . . No other book may ever compare' 'One of my favourite books . . . Wonderful, inspirational, and heart-warming! To me, it is a MUST READ! 'The book is beyond words . . . Well written, engaging, poignant' 'This really is a wonderful book. You should read it'

Christmas from Heaven is the story of the humble beginnings of what became a beacon of hope to a war-torn land, the story of Gail Halvorsen, a young pilot in the US Army Air Corps who was assigned as a cargo pilot to the Berlin Airlift, in which US forces flew much-needed supplies into a Soviet-blockaded Berlin. As he performed his duties, Lt. Halvorsen began to notice the German children gathered by the fences of Tempelhof Air Base. Knowing that they had very little, he one day offered them some chewing gum. From that small act, an idea sprang: He would "bomb" Berlin with candy. Fashioning small parachutes, he and his crew sent them floating down as they approached the Berlin airport, wiggling the wings of their C-54 as a signal to the children that their anticipated cargo would soon arrive. Lt. Halvorsen became known by hundreds, if not thousands, of children in Berlin as "Uncle Wiggly Wings" or "The Candy Bomber." Word soon spread, and donations of candy and other supplies poured in from sympathetic Americans. Lt. Halvorsen's small idea became a great symbol of hope not only to German children in a bombed-out city but to all those who yearned for freedom.

Dylan loves his family's yearly vacation to Holiday and wishes it could last all year. When he finds a flyer asking if he'd like to keep Holiday, he encounters a bigger and better Holiday than the one his family has always visited; he also learns that entering it requires the Founder's authorization. Thus begins Dylan's quest to meet the one of whom people keep saying: "You can't find the Founder; he finds you./He's not just the Founder, he's the Finder too." As Dylan reads of Holiday's origins, he experiences a number of adventures and meets characters who represent the sights and sounds he always finds in Holiday-characters who explain how each of these familiarities points to the Founder's previous rescue of the city's inhabitants. And the more Dylan learns, the more he longs to personally know the one who holds the key to entering the "real Holiday." Writing for elementary-age children and older, author, teacher, and grandmother Starr Meade offers a book that families can read together, discovering along with Dylan how God brings a person to faith. Keeping Holiday is also a charming, insightful way to help children grasp the meaning of the Incarnation.

Inspiring Stories of Supernatural Encounters What if death was only a beginning? What if there was a supernatural world where angels intervened in people’s lives, heaven and hell were real places, and the decisions made today impacted your afterlife? This is the message highlighting every story presented in Real Messages II. Author Faye Aldridge has assembled an inspirational collection of short stories showcasing multiple supernatural encounters. Each testimony brims with hope, representing unique accounts of normal people experiencing the unseen world. These stories are certain to: Bring you comfort through revealing the reality and glory of heaven Stir confidence in the protective presence of God’s angels Open your eyes to the unseen realm of the supernatural Challenge you to share the Gospel with those bound for a Christ-less eternity Prepare for an encounter with living hope in these amazing testimonies of the afterlife, divine intervention, and the miraculous.