Cosmic Christmas

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Christmas Story
Review: I always imagined Jesus' birth as a peaceful event, lambs lowing, all's right with the world. This book opened my eyes to other possibilities and it's probably much closer to the truth.

Rating:
Summary: Very addictive
Review: I fell in love with the books of Max Lucado a few years ago. All of his stories are very easy to read. I started to read Cosmic Christmas and became completely addicted. When I first picked it up, I just read a few pages. I couldn't wait to get back to it. I had to make time to finish the book. I couldn't think about anything else. Everyone I have loaned it to has said the same thing. "I just can't put it down!" It is a wonderful story, creatively written. You can actually feel the throne room. You can feel the Hell Hounds around you. You can feel yourself standing in the presense of the baby king, Jesus. I highly recommend this book to everyone of all ages. It also makes a great Christmas gift.

Rating:
Summary: Christmas in Heaven
Review: Max Lucado looks at the Christmas story from a very different angle in his first novel. Loosely based upon the scriptures, the story tells of Gabriel being summoned by the Lord to go to Earth and deliver a great message3 that is reminiscent of the opening scenes of "It's a Wonderful Life". There are some fictional angels who appear now and then, but it helps to flesh out the story. The most poignant scenes are when Gabriel does arrive on Earth and actually is protecting Mary from Satan just before the birth of the Messiah - this is, of course, a fictionalized account.

However, the book does have its drawbacks. First, the size and shape of the book make it awkward to hold and read. This sounds petty, but it was a real problem for me. Also, the illustrations did not add to the story and were misplaced. I could have done without them. Most importantly however is that the book is just too short. There are not enough details and it really feels more like an outline than a compete story.

Why 3 stars?:
While Lucado's first novel is an interesting take on the story of the Nativity, it was not designed particularly well. It will make a nice addition to Lucado fans' bookshelves, but otherwise it could be skipped.

Rating:
Summary: A twist on A Christmas Story...
Review: My pastor read us this story on Christmas Eve, very much like a father would read to his children;in front of a faux fireplace and Christmas tree in a large overstuffed chair. He even had people acting it out behind him on stage dressed as Satan, and Gabriel, and so on.. I have never been so moved by any one book. As soon he finished it, I made sure to put in a order at my local bookstore and read it 3 times the first day. It really makes you realize how much the Lord loves us. More importantly it shows how much Satan wants to succeed in making us FAIL. I have since recommended it to every person I know, and have told a dozen more about it. It's a very beatiful, very different spin on the traditional Christmas story. Let's face it, we all know why we celebrate the season, but do we know the reason behind God's plan? Even thought it is a work of fiction, I think all will agree this book is very worth taking an hour out of your day to read.