May 22, 2019

Welcome to Morning Star Reviews from Morning Star Christian Bookstore, sharing Jesus Christ with New England and the world. Here is our review of the book “After College: Navigating transitions, relationships and faith” by Erica Young Reitz.

“After College” is about the situations that college graduates face as they move from college to the real world and is divided into three parts; Real Faith: Faithful to Christ, Real Life: Faithful to community and Real World: Faithful to our calling.

Part one, Real Faith, prioritizes the importance of maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ during the post college years and beyond. Reitz talks about how the abrupt change from a predictable and structured academic college environment to an open-ended, unfamiliar, and potentially volatile workforce situation challenges a person’s faith and walk with God. This section contains solid advice on embracing change, dealing with adversity, and making God-honoring decisions in uncertain times.

Part two, Real Life, brings a plan for success in personal relationships. There are some great insights here for what to look for when choosing a church and a healthy church life, how to handle the change that comes when college friends are no longer close by, how to relate to bosses and to coworkers with different personality types, how to properly move back in with your parents and away from your parents, and also how to go about the dating process.

Part three, Real World, is all about a person’s calling, beyond just what they do for work. Here, Reitz focuses on taking personal inventory and completely ordering each aspect of your life in a Christ-centered, kingdom-minded way. This section deals heavily with redeeming both our vocation and our resources for the glory of God, including excellent advice for lifestyle choices, work motivations, and financial planning.

Here’s what I like about this book. Everything comes back to Jesus, and why this whole college thing mattered in light of who Jesus is and what He has called us to do. All three sections are filled with Bible passages and the principles that Reitz brings to the table find their foundation in Biblical truth. The book is loaded with failure and success stories, real-world results of certain choices, motivations and paths to help guide the graduate forward.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book: “When I look back on my life, the progression to this point has been far from linear. My experience has been more of a mess of dots that God has graciously connected as He has worked out his will.” As a recent college graduate, perspectives like that helped me connect with this book. Reitz addressed a lot of what I’ve experienced post-college, and I found the advice very timely, practical and encouraging. I’d recommend this book more for younger, single graduates who have yet to begin their career, but any college graduate who reads it will definitely benefit from the biblical principles and life perspectives contained here.

Thanks for watching this episode of Morning Star reviews. If you liked this video, give us a thumbs up, share it with a friend, and subscribe for more great videos and reviews. Find us on Facebook and visit us at morningstarbookstore.com for the store nearest you. Join us again for our next video as we continue to share Jesus Christ with New England and the world.

“After College” is about the situations that college graduates face as they move from college to the real world and is divided into three parts; Real Faith: Faithful to Christ, Real Life: Faithful to community and Real World: Faithful to our calling. Part one, Real Faith, prioritizes the importance of maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ during the post college years and beyond. Reitz talks about how the abrupt change from a predictable and structured academic college environment to an open-ended, unfamiliar, and potentially volatile workforce situation challenges a person’s faith and walk with God. This section contains solid advice on embracing change, dealing with adversity, and making God-honoring decisions in uncertain times. Part two, Real Life, brings a plan for success in personal relationships. There are some great insights here for what to look for when choosing a church and a healthy church life, how to handle the change that comes when college friends are no longer close by, how to relate to bosses and to coworkers with different personality types, how to properly move back in with your parents and away from your parents, and also how to go about the dating process. Part three, Real World, is all about a person’s calling, beyond just what they do for work. Here, Reitz focuses on taking personal inventory and completely ordering each aspect of your life in a Christ-centered, kingdom-minded way. This section deals heavily with redeeming both our vocation and our resources for the glory of God, including excellent advice for lifestyle choices, work motivations, and financial planning. Here’s what I like about this book. Everything comes back to Jesus, and why this whole college thing mattered in light of who Jesus is and what He has called us to do. All three sections are filled with Bible passages and the principles that Reitz brings to the table find their foundation in Biblical truth. The book is loaded with failure and success stories, real-world results of certain choices, motivations and paths to help guide the graduate forward. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book: “When I look back on my life, the progression to this point has been far from linear. My experience has been more of a mess of dots that God has graciously connected as He has worked out his will.” As a recent college graduate, perspectives like that helped me connect with this book. Reitz addressed a lot of what I’ve experienced post-college, and I found the advice very timely, practical and encouraging. I’d recommend this book more for younger, single graduates who have yet to begin their career, but any college graduate who reads it will definitely benefit from the biblical principles and life perspectives contained here. Thanks for watching this episode of Morning Star reviews. If you liked this video, give us a thumbs up, share it with a friend, and subscribe for more great videos and reviews. Find us on Facebook and visit us at morningstarbookstore.com for the store nearest you. Join us again for our next video as we continue to share Jesus Christ with New England and the world.

March 7, 2019

How To Celebrate National Reading Month With Your Family

How cool – a month devoted to the celebration of reading!

Of course as a bookstore, the idea of having a nationwide reading party all month long is just awesome to us. It’s a great time for families too, since reading is such a key part of a child’s growth and development.

Some have called reading a “gymnasium for the brain” which makes sense – it’s a workout for the mind but it’s also FUN! 

Not only does reading help children learn language and gain knowledge, it also provides opportunity for parents and kids to be together and bond over great books.

Here are some fun tips to get you started on your reading celebration:

Choose A New Book Together

While this one might seem obvious, there’s a trick to it – kids are more likely to read a book if they get to pick it themselves. We recommend browsing collections together that are age appropriate, encouraging different genres based on their interests, and guiding them through the selection process. Maybe they are into mysteries, fantasy or science fiction. Maybe they would like to read a real life biography about someone, or perhaps other non-fiction topics of interest like animals. The key is to make a way for the child to connect with a book they find interesting.

Then of course, you may just have to pick one out for yourself. Because, hey, it’s National Reading Month!

Read Aloud Together

There is nothing quite like having someone read aloud to you. The closeness that we experience between reader and hearer is powerful and often just as memorable as the story. Even as children learn to read for themselves, hearing and listening remain their strongest learning style. Children learn the rhythm of language, new words, correct pronunciation, and grammar as they listen to the storyteller read. Afterward, it’s often just as important to listen to them read aloud to you!

If you’d like someone to read a grown-up book to you, try an audio book in the car on the way to work. It can be very relaxing and sometimes easier to digest, since someone else is essentially reading for you (No, it’s not cheating. We’ll vouch for you.).

Take “Shelfies” Together

Take a snapshot next to a bookshelf loaded with your favorite books and share it with friends on social media. Come up with a clever caption or hashtag, maybe even a cool filter, and have fun with it. Then invite your friends to share their own “shelfie” and check out the good books they’re reading. Who knows – you might find your next book sitting next to your friend’s smiling face!

Bring A Book Together

Vacations, waiting rooms, and even some daily errands often contain some waiting time.  Why not bring a book to read while you wait? This could be the difference between having something quiet and constructive to do or, say, playing video games, climbing the chairs, or playing hide and seek under the clothing racks.

If you are going on vacation, consider letting the kids pick a brand new book to read, which will reinforce the association of novelty and fun – and keep them from climbing the chairs at the terminal.

Read Regularly Together

Create a family reading ritual – a regular reading time when the TV, computer and mobile devices are turned off, and everyone sits together to read their book. Having a family reading time allows kids an opportunity to see their parents reading, giving them a valuable example to follow.

After reading, encourage everyone to talk about what they are reading. You could suggest that each family member share three things that stuck out to them. Did something surprise them or make them laugh?  You could even combine it with a snack time and each person gets to have their favorite treat while they present. Mmmmm!

Give Books As Gifts

Books are gifts that keep on giving. Often after someone reads a book, they naturally think of others who might enjoy or benefit from the contents. Consider opportunities for you and your family to shop for books to give as gifts to others. Giving a book as a gift is not only a loving and thoughtful gesture, it also reinforces the value of books and learning in a child’s mind.

Start A Series Together

Ah, the series. While you may not be able to finish a whole series during National Reading Month, what better time to pluck up the gumption to begin one! Perhaps you and your clan can challenge one another to finish a series by a certain time (like next March, lol! For real tho…). Book series are a great way to keep reading stories that are familiar in style and focused in purpose, yet fresh in content. Once you get to know characters, it’s fun to follow them through more journeys and adventures.

Remember, it’s never too early to start (or too late to encourage) a love for books. Even if you are reading this sometime after March (which happens in blog life), you can always utilize these same strategies for cultivating a lifestyle of reading in your family.

And it’s only a matter of time before March rolls around again…

Happy reading!

November 23, 2018

Be sure to visit your local Morning Star location for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday! Each store will be offering their own unique sales from a wide array of books, multimedia, gifts and toys. Get a great start to your Christmas shopping with Morning Star!

November 5, 2018

 

If you have never tried ordering a personalized gift from one of our Morning Star locations, you are truly missing out! Our personalized gifts come in a variety of different products and can say what you want; from names to Bible scripture, the options are limitless! Best of all, these gifts are affordable with our flat rate pricing. If you want to get a personalized gift on the same day of your visit, go to our North Attleboro location where these gifts are made. No appointment necessary!

Just another way Morning Star makes your gift Meaningful!

March 28, 2018

Have you heard?

Just by filing out a quick survey on shopping at Morning Star Christian Bookstore you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a pair of multi-day passes to the SoulFest 2018!

But that’s not all!

The sooner you fill out the survey, the more chances you will have to win! This is because we will be announcing winners at the end of every month till June. The first winner will be randomly selected Saturday March 31st.

So what are you waiting for? Fill out the survey by clicking the link below!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-XR3P4eXC0gyLiQu-owdnYFKfQDK2LrCvpiixMmDQ8G8xkA/viewform

 

February 1, 2018

Do you have your tickets for SoulFest?
New England’s Premier Christian Music festival featuring headlining artists TobyMac, Skillet, and For KING & COUNTRY.
August 2-4 at Gunstock Mountain Resort.
Kids 10 & Under go FREE!
Get your tickets by clicking the banner below and use the promo code MORNINGSTAR to save 10%!