Dan and Ali Morrow - It's Where Dan and Ali Are

Homeschool Co-ops (and more)

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:11:40 +0000

Anyone out there homeschool? We do! We love it. I don't want to get into a big debate about the importance or lack-there-of of homeschooling. Suffice it to say that we believe it is a parent's responsibility to see to it that a child is educated and discipled according to the wisdom and mandates of Scripture. We further believe that this is best done — especially today — in the form of homeschooling.

So what about co-ops? If you are a homeschooler, you surely know what I am talking about. If you are someone who would like to consider homeschooling but don't think you can manage it (for whatever reason), co-ops are a fantastic resource that just might make the difference for you.

Co-ops are, essentially, organizations that support homeschooling parents, offer supplementary homeschool classes and keep things fun and interesting. There are a couple in our neck of the woods and there is probably one near you. If you want to further immerse your child(ren) in the community, expose your whole family to new experiences and receive the support you may need, look for a homeschool co-op.

Another resource we take advantage of weekly, which is not exactly a co-op, is a homeschool enrichment program, for lack of a better term. Not far from our home is just such a program that offers homeschoolers from kindergarten through tenth grade a full school day of lessons and activities and new friends every Friday. Many co-ops offer these kinds of classes too, of course, but for anyone who can't find a co-op near by, or who wants to take advantage of both resources (like we do), keep an eye out for a homeschool enrichment program.

Finally, accept my encouragement. In my experience, the vast majority of people who don't think they can homeschool, actually can! You don't need to be a college graduate and you didn't even need to be a good student in school yourself. Interestingly, one reason many of us (myself included) struggled in school was due to motivation. Well, what better motivation than your own child and the Word of God! Another reason people struggle — especially in what are now considered "traditional" schools — has to do with the nature of large classroom education. Even the best teacher in the world can't possibly cater to twenty, thirty or more students representing a half-dozen or more learning styles — not too mention personal needs — in the space of forty-five minutes to an hour! It just can't be done. It's not the teacher's fault, it's the system; and that's a system you do not have to deal with when teaching your own child. I'm speaking from experience: Alison teaches sixth grade Language Arts!

So, when you are thinking about homeschooling, give it a fair shake. Odds are, you can do it. Interestingly, the few legitimate reasons why someone may not be able to do it are directly linked to other ways in which we have fudged or completely abandoned Scriptural teaching in certain areas. Unscriptural economics and all it leads to (e.g. debt, covetousness, etc.) is a perfect example. There is no doubt that for many people, some sacrifices and lifestyle changes will have to be made, and some of those changes may be huge! It's up to you to honestly decide whether they are changes you need to make. If you decide it's time, feel free to drop us a note and if there is anything we can do to encourage you or help straighten the path, we will.

The Sinner's Prayer?

Dan — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:46:00 +0000

The only serious criticism I have received about our book, That’s Where God Is, has to do with the inclusion of what many Christians today would call the sinner’s prayer. When I first heard this criticism, it struck me as odd and I was not sure how to respond, so I didn’t; but over the years I've not stopped thinking about it. Now, for the sake of clarity, I want to offer a brief response.

So, what did I find odd about the criticism? Here is where things get interesting. For some of you — probably most of you — the sinner’s prayer is the logical next step after introducing someone to Jesus. In your mind, you are thinking, “You’re right, Dan. It is odd that someone would criticize you for including the sinner’s prayer. What else would you do at that point?” For others, however, the sinner’s prayer is entirely unbiblical and arguably one of the most dangerous traditions of the modern church. You’re thinking, “It’s not odd at all, Dan. You don't understand the danger inherent in this awful practice!”

Let me see if I can clear things up a bit.

Personally, I do not believe the sinner’s prayer, as it typically plays out today, is a biblical practice. In fact, I believe it can be downright dangerous. “But you included it in your book!” Yes, I did... sort of. I did include a scene where the boy prays, thanks God and asks Him to help him be more like Jesus. In my mind, this is simply a prayer – not a sinner’s prayer. It is the temporal beginning of a relationship with God characterized by prayer and fostered by a loving grandfather and family. It is one step in this boy’s story of redemption.

Unfortunately, I chose to use the phrase, “Come into my heart.” I admit, I wish I had not used those exact words. They have become the calling card of the sinner’s prayer and I should have been more aware of that. Basically, because I don’t subscribe to the notion of a sinner’s prayer, I did not ascribe that meaning to the scene. I hope that those of you who were offended or put off by this will forgive me.

Having said all that, allow me to share two more thoughts. First, for those of you who stand against the sinner’s prayer, let me remind you that, while I completely agree that the practice should be avoided, what we are most trying to avoid are naive confessions and false conversions. This being the case, regardless of what anyone prays or does not pray upon allegedly becoming a Christian, it is incumbent upon the messenger to stress the importance of true repentance and visible fruit in the life of the new believer. In fact, the messenger should help see to it that the convert is, at the very least, immersed in Scripture and surrounded Godly influencers before moving on. Remember: the problem with the sinner’s prayer is not that it’s a prayer, but that we have ascribed a sort of “ticket-punch” power to it (or if we haven’t, new believers may mistakenly think this is the case). There’s no better way to begin a relationship than with communication, and that’s what prayer is. As Christians, our goal should be to reframe the entire conversion experience in a way that fosters true repentance and understanding, and avoids the unbiblical notion of regeneration by hand raising.

Second, I don’t want anyone who subscribes to the practice of the sinner’s prayer, or who has simply taken the notion for granted, to think that I am questioning their faith or salvation. To them, I would only ask that they consider the concept carefully and be sure that, when evangelizing, they look for fruit and understanding and not only raised hands.

Thank you for your time and understanding. If you’d like to continue this conversation, feel free to contact me.

Halloween

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:43:56 +0000

Halloween can be a touchy subject for Christians. Opinions run the gamut. Should Christians celebrate it? Is there a difference between celebrating and participating or are we strategically using semantics to justify ourselves? I'm not going to spend much time on it right now, except to mention a few things.

First, it should not be controversial to say that Christians shouldn't celebrate or take part in the occult. Despite the fact that Halloween has turned into little more than an excuse to horde candy, the occult remains a serious and very real thing. So, the first thing a Christian must do is be sure he is not glorifying or entertaining the occult in any way. Making light of the occult now may place our children in a dangerous position down the road when opportunities present themselves to experiment in this "harmless" lifestyle.

Second, there is no reason why a Christian cannot dress up, eat candy and celebrate something. For instance, the harvest! Yes, pagans have been doing this for millennia in their own fallen ways, but that does not mean Christians cannot worship the true Lord of the Harvest in faithful ways. Many churches have Harvest Festivals where kids get to dress up, fill bags and have a great time in a wholesome environment. Though some Christians would disagree, I do not believe this is an example of celebrating Halloween via a backdoor. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. The Lord set the seasons long before the pagans started their idol worship. When it comes to harvest celebrations, it isn't about reappropriating a pagan holiday, but honoring the true Lord of the Harvest. If the harvest (and remember, "harvest" refers to more in Christianity than just bushels of wheat and corn) isn't your thing, Reformation Day, when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg door, is recognized on October 31 and marks the beginning of the Reformation. Either way, you're good to go.

Finally, while I believe there are bold lines associated with Halloween that Christians should not cross, we do have freedom in Christ to come to our own conclusions this side of those lines. But before we run too far with that ball, we must understand that freedom in Christ is not a license to sin and it is not something to be taken lightly. Remember that while we have the freedom to eat meat that may have been sacrificed to idols, we also have the responsibility to avoid doing so if it might offend those around us who do not yet understand that freedom.

In the end, each of us must determine what we believe to be faithful in light of Scripture when it comes to things like Halloween. We must also be charitable and loving with each other as we wrestle with these things. This is true whether we believe Harvest Festivals are cool or we believe we should completely avoid anything remotely related to Halloween or late October (or Christmas or Easter, for that matter).

For more reading, you might want to check out Greg Koukl's take at Stand To Reason.

— Dan

Where have we been!?

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:30:10 +0000

Right here, only doing many other things. What can I say? I'm sorry. I am excited to see that some of you have kept writing though. We have received some very nice, encouraging letters over the year. There are few things better for an author than hearing that your work has played a significant role in the life of a reader.

Halloween is coming up! This can be a hot topic for many Christians. It's one of those holidays that Christians, when asked what they are doing for Halloween, will mention the Harvest Festival at church, the DownTown Trick-or-Treat party, or the gathering at their house with a few friends. If you ask them if the celebrate Halloween, that's when things get sticky. : )

We will be attending a shindig at our church complete with square dancing and carnival games and costume parades and pie contests. Should be fun. You have any plans? How about strong opinions? : )

So, are we writing any more books? We are trying to! I have at least three other books for the That's series, but in this economy, getting publishers to bite isn't easy. Of course, if the masses contacted a publishing house demanding more books, who knows. We are also working on many other projects, so keep an eye out.

Alison is teaching again! As it turns out, so am I! That's right, Alison is teaching 6th grade language arts and I am doing our homeschooling. I don't want to get all mushy here, but I can tell you that this is a dream come true for me. I absolutely love homeschooling my girls and it turns out I am not bad at it. Maybe I will talk about that more another time -- sometime in May if I keep this schedule up.

Again, forgive us. Especially without any books in the pipeline, it can be tough to keep on track. I am sorry. Thanks again for your patience.

- dan

Alison is teaching a writing class!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:36:57 +0000

Are you an aspiring writer in the Denver area? If so, Alison is teaching a writing course that might be just what you are looking for! This June or July sign up for Crash Course Fiction and get that book out of your head and on to the page. Click that link to learn more and tell your friends.

Thanks for your patience!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:53:10 +0000

Dan here. I wanted to take a moment to apologize for not getting back to everyone as quickly as I would like to lately. Things have been crazy around here for a long time now. It's not an excuse, but it is a reason. I would particularly like to thank those of you who have taken the time to write actual, hand-written letters - you know, the ones requiring a stamp! We have received a few over the last month or two and we will respond as soon as we can.

Thanks again for your patience, understanding and support. And thanks for reading!

Good Friday

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:43:31 +0000

Don't underestimate your child's ability to cope with the truth about why we celebrate Good Friday - though don't feel the need to get into every gory detail, either. Without a true understanding of the sacrifice Christ made on the cross - and WHY he made it - we can't understand the beauty of Easter Sunday or the grace that God extended to humanity through the resurrection. Easter is an excellent opportunity to show your child the "big picture of Scripture": how it all started (and fell apart) in Eden, how the law was given to show us how life works best and to highlight our need for grace, and how the law was fulfilled and the ultimate grace extended through the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. Don't wait until they're "a little older" before you impart Truth; immerse them in it every day!

Big Deal! That's Where God Is for Kindle only .99!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:59:33 +0000

While the details are still a little hazy, we are excited to announce that the Kindle Division of Amazon has chosen That's Where God Is as one of their Q1 Big Deal Books! From what we have been told so far, the ebook will be available for only .99 from March 17 to March 25. Amazon will be sending out email blasts and all kinds of other marketing as well as featuring it on their site(s). We tried to get a specific link to share with you but have had no luck yet. If you want to get your copy - or encourage someone else to grab their own - please head over to Amazon and start searching for the book there. Hopefully it will all work out. If we find anything more specific we will post it here and on our Facebook page.

We are very honored to have our book selected. Of the thirteen nominations from our publisher, Cook, we were one of only three to be chosen. Thanks to everyone involved and especially to you, our readers.

The Meaning of Christmas

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:36:00 +0000

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! May you find joy and peace in God the Father, the creator of all things great and small. To God be the glory!

If Mary and Joseph used Facebook

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Great Games for Little Kids

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:15:00 +0000

This is the earliest I’ve ever had my Christmas shopping done, and I must say I’m quite relieved to know the pressure is off to beat the clock. But for those of you who are still looking for gifts for your kids ages 3-8, I thought I’d post some Morrow Family Favorites to give you a hand.

We love games here at Casa Morrow. Board and puzzle games particularly–especially when they make you think. (When you’re a homeschooler, you tend to look for games that require more of the players than simply rolling a die and moving some spaces!) One of our top favorites, which even my husband and I enjoy playing, is Richard Scarry's Busytown. It’s a combination of spinning to see how far you can move and working together with the other players to spot as many of a particular object as you can in 30 seconds (and then everyone gets to move that number) on the I Spy-like game board. We got this last year when PJ wasn’t even 3 yet, and the only thing that sometimes got in the way of her playing properly was her own lack of focus. Developmentally she was able to understand the rules and play correctly. It’s a great mix of activities (either spinning the spinner or searching for the objects; working as an individual and working as a team) and it doesn’t take real long to play, either. This one gets a very enthusiastic double thumbs up and 5 stars.

The other favorite board game is Granny’s House by Family Pastimes. Family Pastimes makes cooperative games that encourage teamwork, reasoning, and thinking outside the box. The goal of this particular game is to reach Granny’s house with a gift without being eaten by bears, drowned in the lake, lost in the forest, baked by the sun, or stopped by a fence. These obstacles, called “Uh Oh’s,” are conquered using the “Good Things” that you choose at the beginning of the game or whenever you land on a red diamond on the board. If you can come up with a reasonable way to use, say, a trumpet to get over a fence or an inner tube to get past the bear, then you can–it’s a great way to encourage creative thinking! I recommend this one for the upper end of the age range we’re working with here, because it can get a little long, especially if you land on an Uh Oh that you can’t get past and you have to follow the path down to the Uh Oh below it (and on and on until you either land on an Uh Oh you can get past or you land back at your house). The games may look a little bit ghetto, but that’s because they’re manufactured entirely by the Deacove family. They have games for all ages, including adults, and buying from them is a great way to not only support a family, but to also cast a vote of confidence for the Mom and Pop shops that are struggling to survive in this conglomerate corporation-run economy.

ThinkFun is the maker of the two other great games that we love here. What I particularly like is the fact that they’re single-player games, which encourages independence and confidence. The first is Clever Castle. The object of the game is to correctly achieve the layout of the nine tiles as shown in the clue notebook. The notebook is divided into skill levels and the clues get quite tricky towards the end. It seems ridiculously easy for adults, but for children it’s a huge challenge, even the beginning clues where they show you exactly where everything goes and all you’re doing is directly copying the layout. The only thing I don’t like about this game is that there isn’t a way to keep the mesh bag of notebook and pieces attached to the board so they don’t get separated, though I suppose if you simply kept everything in the box you’d be fine. Don’t ask me why we didn’t. :)

The second ThinkFun game is Camelot Jr. (Or Royal Rescue, as it used to be called--you might see it with that name in a resale shop or garage sale.) This is a great spatial reasoning game that challenges you to lay out blocks across a board in such a way as to allow the prince and the princess to be able to reach each other. Again, the notebook of clues progresses in difficulty as you go along, and I’ll admit there were a few that stumped me just in the intermediate level!

The last game we enjoy is Quirkle, though PJ can’t really play it and Abby is just getting to where she understands it well enough to be able to play without my help (though she still misses the majority of the strategy). The goal here is to get as many points as you can by laying out your tiles to create rows where all the tiles share either the same color or the same shape. Because it can reach all over the place like some mutant crossword puzzle, you need to make sure you’re either on a very large table or on the floor, which can be tricky when you have a little one who thinks it’s fun to run through the game and kick the pieces around. (PJ and I often play as a team, and she likes laying down the tiles where I specify and helping me decide which ones to use on a given turn.) This is a great thinking game, plus it reinforces colors and shapes (and counting, if you let your kids keep score!).

And even though my Christmas shopping is done, Abby’s birthday comes up before the end of the month and PJ’s is in the spring, so if your family has found some winner games and toys, be sure to leave a comment telling us about them!

PS: Today we’re starting Phase 2 of our fundraiser for author Sandi Rog, so be sure to check out the blog so you don’t miss the opportunity to win your choice of a Kindle Fire or a Nook Color, delivered in time for Christmas!

A Family Needs Your Help!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:19:59 +0000

Do you ever feel like there's so much junk going on in the world that you just get frustrated and sad and angry? You wish that you could do *something* but feel like the issues are so big and your effort would be so small? That's how I felt at the end of October. I knew so many people going through so much hurt, and I didn't know what I could do for anyone--and then God nudged me to do something I thought would be small that ended up being huge!

That picture right there is of my friend Sandi and her family. Sandi has stage 4 lymphoma, and has been battling it for over a year now. Traditional treatments aren't stopping it, but she's found a new treatment that is very promising--and very expensive. And, of course, it's not covered by insurance.

Sandi needs $20,000 to do the full treatment, and God led me to start an online fundraiser to help raise that money. People from all over the country (and even a few outside it!) have donated a variety of awesome items, from books to homemade chocolates to services to scads of other cool things, for us to put into giant prize packages that we'll start raffling off on November 25th. Raffle "tickets" are $5 each--buy as many as you want, and then enter them on the baskets you want when they go up for the raffle! Visit the Fundraiser for Sandi Rog blog to learn more and help the Rog family this holiday season.

Danscribing

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:58:00 +0000

Dan here. If you are a writer or just interested in the writing life, check out my new blog, Danscribing. It's not specific to children's writing, Christian writing, or any particular kind of writing. It's more about exploring and immersing oneself in the craft and community of writing. The style is - for the most part - characterized by quick jabs and bite-sized morsels of intereting, informative, and inspirational material. There you will find random quotes, author interviews, photos of writer's homes and workspaces, app and tool reviews, and whatever else strikes me as worth posting. You can also access my Pinboard.in profile where I am compiling links relevant to writer's and artists, and my YouTube Channel where I am developing playlists of author interviews and more. Of course, you can also follow me on Twitter.

I've recently rededcated myself to practicing the writing life. Danscribing is a large part of this. You can be a part of it too! Come by and leave a comment, share a perspective, and reommend a link or video. I need all that help I can get!

It's that time of the year again...

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:14:25 +0000

...Halloween. This can be an interesting time for Christians. On the one hand there are no shortage of opinions as to how a Christian family should observe the day - if at all. On the other hand, there are probably even more Christians out there who have never even stopped to think about it. What do you do? Do you head to your local Church "Fall Festival" for some homemade carnival booths and candy? Do you head out to trick or treat your neighbors? Do you shy away from the spooky and talk about Reformation Day? Or do you avoid the latter part of October entirely and get an early start on Thanksgiving?

What are we doing, you ask? Well, tonight we are headed to the Denver Zoo for Boo at the Zoo! We will be bundled up, walking from candy station to candy station while keeping an eye out for nocturnal critters. Despite the fact that it will likely be somewhere in the 30's and 40's (better than Wednesday when we got about 8 inches of snow!) we are looking forward to it. We've got an awesome double stroller that is totally weather-proof for the girls to snuggle in if need be, and Alison and I like to wear winter clothes, so it should be all good.

But what about Halloween night? Honestly, I am not sure yet. But as long as you keep God at the center of your heart and mind at all times, any time can be redeemed!

Be safe.

Support Your Local KLOVE!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:54:00 +0000

If you are one of the many KLOVE listeners across the country, we would like to encourage you to support them financially and prayerfully right now. There are only two days left in their current pledge drive and they sincerely need your support. It costs a lot of money to run a radio station, and listeners provide the bulk of the funding.

I don't know about you, but our family has been influenced tremendously by the minstry of KLOVE. Every day when we get in the car or tune into KLOVE online or on our Roku Box at home we are blessed, encouraged and motivated to be better ambassadors for Christ in our family and in the world. If you are a listener already, you know exactly what we mean. If you are not yet a listener, you need to be. You will be blessed.

So head over to KLOVE.com to learn more about local stations, online listening options, and how you can help support the ministry. You can be an integral part of the KLOVE ministry which, with your help, is able to reach millions with the love and encouragement of Christ and His gospel.

Please prayerfully consider supporting KLOVE right now. And please let us know how KLOVE has touched your life in a "positive, encouraging" message" way. Comment below or send us a message through our contact page. Thanks!

Back to school!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Alison here! I can't believe it's already mid-August--where on earth did the summer go?! The teacher in me is a little wistful at all the back-to-school sales going on. I miss shopping for supplies! I can't wait until our girls are old enough to need notebooks and things so I can justify taking them on a spree at Target or Office Max. :D Abby is already showing an affinity for such items; I foresee the need for a lot of storage space in her desk someday...

For those of you with a child enrolled in a Christian school, would you consider loaning your copy of That's When I Talk to God or That's Where God Is to the school librarian or your child's teacher? We'd love to see these books get into more schools where teachers can use them to jumpstart great conversations about prayer, what it means to have a relationship with God, and how God is always with us. It's so important to start those conversations at an early age--you know how we feel about that subject!

And you can always let teachers and librarians know that I'm available to Skype with classrooms if they'd like to give their students the chance to talk to an author about how to write books, get published, etc. I started writing stories in first grade and would have loved the chance to talk to a Real Live Author about writing books--I'd be thrilled to have the opportunity to provide young budding writers with that kind of encouragement. And if you have kids in high school, that offer stands for English classes as well. I actually had a high school teacher read one of my novels with her class when they talked about popular contemporary literature!

In the spirit of the new school year, I'll pose this question: Who was your favorite teacher and why? Leave a comment and your name will be added to the hat for the next free book drawing!

Alison's New Novel, Composing Amelia

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:57:03 +0000

Alison's upcoming book, Composing Amelia, was just named a Top Pick by Romantic Times with 4.5/5 stars!

"Strobel's gift for characterization allows the reader to become an intimate part of the story. She takes on difficult subjects like mental illness and questioning one's faith, and makes them accessible and understandable. This novel is a true gem."

This is a big honor and we are thrilled to see what God has in store for the book. It is receiving amazing reviews and buzz. Be sure to check it out and share it with your friends. Also, check out AlisonStrobel.com to learn more and find out how you can follow her on Facebook.

Be our Fan on Facebook!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:08:00 +0000

If you haven't done so yet, we would love it if you'd "Like" us on Facebook! We are going to try to look for more of your feedback on our Facebook page and implement it into future projects. Also, we just like getting to know the people who read and share our books. So, for whatever reason, please head over to Facebook and join in. Thanks!

>>Like Us on Facebook<<

Our Insanity Challenge!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:50:00 +0000

Ali and I have decided to commit to an extremely rigorous and intense 60-day health and fitness regimen called, appropriately enough, INSANITY! Some of you who have found yourself channel surfing into the wee hours may be familar with this. Either way, we have set up a blog to help keep us accountable and to record our experience. We would love for you to stop by and follow along as we fumble toward fitness. We can use all the prayer and encouragement we can get! Hope to see you there. Be sure to say hi!

>>Our Insanity Challenge<<

Find us on Family Fiction!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Ali and I are pleased and honored to be featured in the July/August issue of Family Fiction Magazine! You can access the issue HERE. We are featured on page 58, and Alison's fiction is featured on page 54.

Check it out and thank you all for your support. It means everything to us!

Same Old New Contest Underway!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Why mess with a good thing? Our new contest will be the same as the last one. Write in and tell us what you would do with an extra copy of That's When I Talk To God to help get the word out. On the first of each month we will pick a new winner and send them two copies of the book!

Share it with your childrens church? Read it at your library? Give away a copy on your blog? There are so many possibilities. What's your idea?

Enter Today!

2011 Selah Award Winner!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:28:00 +0000

We got our first award plaque in the mail and we've got just the place for it! Thank you again to the Blue Ridge Mountians Christian Writers Conference for this great award. You can learn more about the Selah Awards here.

Another Award!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Sat, 14 May 2011 10:40:00 +0000

I don't have a page to link to or any other details yet, but we were just told that That's Where God Is won the 2011 Selah Award at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference! Blue Ridge is a great conference and it's an honor to be recognized by them. Thank you!

Happy Mother's Day!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:33:00 +0000

It's that time of year again, when we - well, when we are supposed to - take the time to say an extra special thank you to mom for all that she means to us. Hopefully you have already sent your cards and gifts, or made plans. If not, get on with it!

If your looking for a gift for a mom with young ones, consider our new book, That's When I Talk to God. In addition to being a great tool for parents, it's also pretty in pink and lavender - perfect Mother's Day colors!

But whatever you do, be sure to take a moment to remind your mom how much you love and apprecaite her.

That's When I Talk to God...on TV!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:27:00 +0000

It's a real honor to be chosen for this broadcast, and Ali is really looking forward to sharing about all the ways parents can help their children connect with God through prayer. The show is live on Wednesday at 2pm EST, and you can even call in if you have a question to ask! 1-888-465-6595 is the number to call. Hope you'll be able to watch, but even if you can't, you can watch the show in the archives--we'll link to it after it's posted.

Lights, camera...pray!

Doug Wilson Considers Earth Day

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:37:00 +0000

Today is Earth Day. It is also Good Friday. How should a Christian think about Earth Day? Take a moment to read Doug Phillips' thoughts on the topic.

Thank You!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Just wanted to write a special "Thank You" to everyone who has purchased their copy of That's When I Talk To God! We have received a lot of good feedback and are excited to see how God will use the book. That said, if you would like to tell us how God is using the book in your life, please head over tot he contact page and let us know!

New Book, Facebook, and Focus on the Family Interviews!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Some quick status updates:

1) The contest for That's Where God Is is officially over. But stay tuned because we will be starting another one for the new book, That's When I Talk To God, soon.

2) Speaking of the new book, it's almost out! In fact, it's already been spotted on the shelves despite the April 1 official release. Lifeway Christian Stores has selected That's When I Talk To God as one of the Recommended Products! We are honored and excited to see the book get out into as many hands as possible.

3) What's on the horizon? If we can get our act together over here, in addition to some website tweaks we will also be putting up a Facebook Fan Page where you all can "Like" us, stay informed, tell us more about yourselves, and generally connect with us and other readers.

4) Last, but far from least, Alison and her father, Lee Strobel, recorded two shows for Focus on the Family Radio which will be airing April 14 and 15. Be sure to tune into your local Focus on the Family station and hear what the two of them have to say about imparting a Biblical worldview to your children and sharing your faith with them. If you can't tune in, you may be able to listen live or in an archive at Focus on the Family Radio. Don't miss it!

Here's the link!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Here is the link to Outreach's Award Winner list! Never thought I would be sharing top prize with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Berenstain's!

2011 Children's Resource of the Year!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:25:01 +0000

We are so excited to announce that Outreach has named That's Where God Is as the top Children's Resource for 2011! We are so honored to have been chosen for the award and are excited to see how God will use the book for his glory as it reaches a much wider audience.

Thank you all for buying and sharing the book. Without you none of this would be possible. As soon as we have more details we will post them here.

Thank you!

When the snow lets up...

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:45:00 +0000

...we will be heading to the post office with two copies of That's Where God Is for Lu! She has a handful of folks to share the book with and may even do a giveaway on here blog. Thanks, Lu, for sharing our story.

While I am not sure when the current drawings will end, I know we will be giving another set of books away on March 1, so if you have not already entered, be sure to head over to our contact page and let us know what you would do with an extra copy of That's Where God Is! And get ready for the second book in the series, That's When I Talk To God, to hit shelves in March.

Two Books Headed to Daryl N.!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:53:00 +0000

I'm excited to report that Daryl N. has won this month's drawing for two copies of That's Where God Is, one for him and one for him to share with someone else. Daryl, check your email and get back to us ASAP!

I'm not sure how much longer this contest will run, but at least one more month! So if you have entered, keep checking your email around the first of the month. In a few months we will be announcing the release of the second book in the series, That's When I talk To God, which will help parent's share the discipline of prayer with their youngsters. It is essentially finished and I have seen the proofs: it looks awesome. This new book will be the perfect Mother's Day gift for friends and family. Stay tuned!

An all time favorite

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:22:00 +0000

A great scene from an all-time favorite Christmas special. I particluarly love how Linus drops hos security blanket when he declares, "Fear Not" at :34.

May the Lord bless you and yours as you celebrate the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ this season.

Congratulations Lisa H.!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:16:00 +0000

It's already December! Can you believe it? Things are always so busy this time of year - sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for, well, not so good reasons. In all things, remember to always keep Christ at the beginning, middle and end of Christmas. We are excited to report that Lisa H. may have one more gift taken care of this year as she is our newest winner of two copies of That's Where God Is. From our correspondence so far, it sounds like she will put the books to great use.

If you have a good idea for how you would use an extra copy of our new children's book, That's Where God Is, let us know and you will be entered in the drawing. It's totally random and every one has a chance to take home a prize.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get a message across. Folks naturally respond to the personal testimony and convictions of people they trust. Because of this, we hope you will consider sharing our book with friends and family, in an effort to help us get the word out - God's Word!

Thank you all and God bless!

And the winner is.....

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:41:00 +0000

Maureen T. who is blessed with a slew of grandchildren who she is looking forward to sharing her books with! Thank you Maureen for entering our contest, and we pray that the books will bless you and your family and help bring you all a little closer to God. Keep an eye out for an email with more details.

For the rest of you, we will be having at least one more drawing, and probably two: January 1, 2011 might mark the end of this particular contest. We'll have to wait and see. Remember, if you have entered once, you are entered until you win or we have to end this thing. Keep an eye out here and in your email.

Updated and proper TWGI trailer!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:02:00 +0000

While we absolutely loved the original "trailer" for TWGI, truth be told, it was more of an audio book than a trailer. Thankfully, the kind folks at David C Cook have remedied the situation by releasing this new video. I think they did a great job. Enjoy - and feel free to share ; )

Congratulations Scott!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:04:00 +0000

"Scott" just became our second randomly selected winner of two copies of That's Where God Is! Scott and his family have "adopted" a family in Louisiana who they graciously help out each month and it looks like next month the family will have some new reading material. What a great way to share the book. Thanks Scott and family!

Scott, if you are reading this, check your email soon for more details. For the rest of you, if you have already entered once before, you're still good to go. If you have not yet entered, head over to the contest page and tell us what you would do with an extra copy of the book. Thanks!

More Buzz!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:59:00 +0000

That's Where God Is was recently featured at examiner.com in a post celebrating Grandparent's Day! Part of the post included lists of books for grandparents (and their grandchildren) and we made the list! Woo Hoo! Check it out here.

We were also thrilled to find that two of our books were featured in the September issue of Five Star Books and More by The Reading Mom. That's Where God Is as well as Alison's latest release, Reinventing Rachel (or ReRa, as we call it around here) were both recommended this month.

Referring to ReRa, "...is one of those books that kept me up past 1am reading....it's a story that will impact anyone who's ever had a crisis of faith...."

Speaking of TWGI, "What an AMAZING teaching tool for families and Sunday School teachers!"

Five Star Books and More is a subscription based newsletter. You can learn more or subscribe my emailing thereadingmom@gmail.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Congratulations Beth!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:27:00 +0000

The winner of our first monthly contest is Beth B. Beth has two lovely daughters and another child on the way and she is looking forward to reading That's Where God Is to all of them. Beth is going to donate her second copy to her church where she says it will "be the perfect book to read aloud during junior church, Sunday school or youth group."

What a great idea! We hope that you, your girls and the children in your congregation are all blessed by the book and that God uses it to draw both children and parents closer to Him. Keep us posted, please! We would love to hear how it goes.

We received a lot of great entries, and are looking forward to a bunch more. If you didn't win this month, fear not - you are automatically entered into next month's drawing, and the one after that, and so one until you win or we run out of books! And whether your name is chosen or not, if you already have your own copy of the book, please consider ways in which you might share it with the children (and parents) around you.

* all winners are chosen at random, usually by the hand of one of our own little girls.

WATCH That's Where God Is!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:26:14 +0000

David C Cook just released a video of That's Where God Is read by Lee Strobel! It contains the whole story, minus the Scripture and some illustrations. So check it out and then go get a copy of the book to share with your family and friends.

Win a book...or two!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:12:00 +0000

We like giving stuff away. We're guessing you like to get stuff for free. It's a match made in heaven!

Our first contest starts NOW. We want to know what you'd do with an extra copy of the book. Give it to your library? Gift it to a friend? We're not talking hypothetically, either, because if you win, you'll get two books--one to keep, and one for you to do, well, whatever you decide to do with!

Now, the really cool part of the contest is this: we're not just drawing one winner. We're drawing a winner every month from now until, well, we decide to stop. And that might be a while. So unless you win a book, you'll be entered into the drawing every month. Yay for you!

To enter, contact us through the contact page and tell us what you'd do with the extra book. We'll draw a winner on the last day of every month. Good luck!

The little book that could

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:44:00 +0000

Once upon a time, Mr. Dan and Miss Ali were out for a drive. They started talking about random things, and Mr. Dan said, "You know, I had this idea that I think might make a cool children's book." Miss Ali is all about books, so she was excited to hear what Mr. Dan was thinking about. He told her about an image he had in his head of a boy sitting on his grandfather's lap, and how maybe the grandfather would answer any questions the boy had. So then they started thinking about what questions a boy might ask, and soon they had a pretty neat idea about the boy trying to find God in the world.

A few weeks later Mr. Dan gave Miss Ali some notes. "I've been thinking about that book, but I don't know how to start it. Any idea?"

Miss Ali took the notes and read them over. "I think I know how it could start. Let me take a stab at it." So she did, and soon they had a whole book, beginning, middle, and end, and thought a good title might be, "That's Where God Is."

It just so happened that Miss Ali had a writing agent, so they asked Mr. Don to please see if anyone might want to publish this book. He contacted Portland Studios and hired Mr. Cory to whip up a couple pictures to go with it. He did, and they all waited anxiously to see if anyone would like the book.

A month went by. Then another, and another. Mr. Dan and Miss Ali had a baby, and still they waited. "It's a great book," everyone would say, "but we're just not doing kids' books right now." They were all disappointed, but they didn't give up hope. Mr. Dan and Miss Ali just knew that the book was special, and that someday someone would snatch it up.

Mr. Don moved on from being an agent, and Miss Ali signed on with a new agent and had another baby. And then one day Mr. Don called and said, "Hey! Guess what? I'm working at David C. Publishing now, and they want your book!"

There was much rejoicing in the house of Mr. Dan and Miss Ali. And much more waiting to be done, because it takes a lot longer than you might think to put a book like this together. But then one day Mr. Dan and Miss Ali got the first copy of the book in the mail, and they knew all their prayers and patience had been worth it.

They hope *you* think they were worth it, too.

Hey! We're gonna be on the radio!

dhmorrow@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:44:00 +0000

Dan and Ali are going to be on Alex McFarland's show on American Family Radio! Tune in on Wednesday, July 28 at 4:15pm EST to hear them talk about "That's Where God Is" and how parents can pass on the Christian worldview to little kids. The interview will be live, and there will be a giveaway involved, so be sure to listen!

Click here to find the AFR station nearest you or to listen to the show live over the Internet.