The heartbeat of our bookstore

Today, I'd like to share a brief video that tells the story of the Christian bookstore company we at Swiss Valley Christian Bookstore partner with, as an affiliate.

Come, shop over 500,000 Christian products using the link below:

swissvalleydiscount.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick Trivia

How much do you know about Saint Patrick?

Select "true" or "false" for each question.

Then check your answers at the bottom of this blog post.

True or False: St. Patrick was Irish.
True or False: His real name was Patrick.
True or False: His birthday was March 17.
True or False: He was kidnapped and sold as a slave.
True or False: He drove all the snakes out of Ireland.

Did you know?

* St. Patrick wasn't Irish. He was born in mainland Britain.
* His real name wasn't Patrick. It was Maewyn Succat. Pope Celestine gave him the name Patrick later in his life, and we still know him by that name today.
* St. Patrick was kidnapped by Irish Pirates from what is now known as Wales when he was 16 and sold as a slave in Ireland.
* While enslaved, something special happened to Patrick. He said, "It was there that the Lord opened the understanding of my unbelieving heart, so that I should recall my sins, and turn with all my heart to the Lord, my God."
* After six years of slavery, during which he became a Christian, St. Patrick escaped from Ireland.
* When back in Britain, St. Patrick was called to return to Ireland as a missionary with a message.

Patrick's Message

 

Slave

When Patrick was in slavery, he came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. He realized that he was not just a slave to the Irish, but also a slave to sin. We, too, are slaves to sin. The Bible says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" and "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (Romans 3:23; John 8:34). We have all lied or stolen something, had bad thoughts or meant ill to our fellow man. We have all sinned.

 

Separated

Patrick was separated from his homeland, but he was also separated from God because of his sin. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). We are also separated from God because of our sins.

 

Saved

Patrick realized he could be saved from the consequences of his sin by placing his faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day so that we can be saved.

Patrick did not trust in any of his own efforts for salvation—he trusted in Jesus Christ alone. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

 

Sent

After Patrick became a Christian and received new life in Christ, he escaped from slavery in Ireland. This led to new opportunities. Later, when he was in Britain, he was sent as a missionary. Where? Back to Ireland! Jesus was sent here to give us new life. He said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31)—as Patrick was!

Trivia answers: False, False, False, True, False

Be sure to visit our Irish Gift Shoppe.

Food for thought

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies; a man who never reads lives only one.

Add My Book to Your Store

Please do not call me! Often I receive requests from authors, wanting me to add their book to our store, eager to learn ways to promote their book. The last thing an author wants is a garage full of their books! To save time answering one author at a time, I have spent a great deal of time collecting a list of resources that I pray would be a help and encouragement to you as an author.

Our store is supplied by 40+ distribution warehouses so the chances are you will find your book already listed in our store. If you see your book in our store, please check the description for accuracy. If you don't see an author bio, please send us one and we'll be happy to add it to your book listing. If your book cover is blurry, please supply me with a good photo and I will upload it to your book listing. Be sure to mention the ISBN number so I can easily find your book.

If you don't see your book listed in our store, number one, go back and make sure it's tagged as a "Christian" book, because we are a Christian bookstore, not a secular one. Contact your publisher if you don't know how to fix that label yourself. Mailing a copy of your book to me will not help, because we are not a brick and mortar store but strictly an online store.

To have your book added to our network of stores, it needs to be added to one of our distribution channels. Below are our three biggest ones. Find their contact page and get in touch to see what you need to do to have your book added.

Anchor Distributors
STL Distribution
Ingram Distribution

As an author, you need to educate yourself. Here are some great resources to help you learn how to get your book marketed:

365 Ways to Market Your Christian Book. Specific People, Places, Procedures by Bette E Filley

Christian Writers Market Guide 2012 by Jerry B. Jenkins

Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers by Bob Hutchins and Greg Stielstra

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt (formerly CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers)

You Can Market Your Book: All the Tools You Need To Sell Your Published Book by Carmen Leal

Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace, Second Edition by Sarah Bolme

Below are websites you should find of great help:

* Excellent tips on how to promote your book
* 12 Tasks Every Author Should Tackle Before Publishing a Book
* How to select the right publisher
* 25 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing a Book

Our parent company, DeeperCalling Media is now giving away free online stores to charities, authors, churches, ministries, broadcasters, and CBA bookstores. If you would like to have an online store to sell your books, CDs and more, then visit our parent company's website here and ask for details. I do not personally have that information.

Hope this helps! Please let me know if you would like to receive an occasional newsletter from us so we can stay in touch.

Helping you make a difference,
Barbara Haas

Redirecting the buying power of the Christian community back into the Kingdom of Christ!
www.swissvalleydiscount.com
440-941-1008 Mon.-Sat. 10am-10pm Eastern (Wed. 10am-5pm)
barbara@swissvalleydiscount.com - Available 24/7
Join us on Twitter @swissvalley
Connect with us on Facebook

Cat Problems with Your Christmas Tree?

Want to keep your cat away from those delicate ornaments on the Christmas tree? Make a skirt of aluminum foil. Then sit back and let the fun begin! It's hilarious, yet effective. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

On the light side, here are my two favorite cat videos:

Surprised Kitty

How to Stop a Nightmare

Okay. Since I'm on the subject, let me give you a handy link to 139 incredible cat resources. Enjoy!

Time-Saving Bible Finder

Have you ever gone into a bookstore, hoping to buy a Bible? Then you know it can be a very confusing and very long process. Plus, bookstores are limited in the number of Bibles they can display so your choices are really narrowed.

Here at Swiss Valley Christian Bookstore, we offer you over 4,000 choices. We invite you to try our unique, time-saving Bible Finder tool. It will help you to quickly and easily find the exact Bible you want.

First, select a translation. Then click the NEXT button at the bottom of the Bible Finder window. There you can choose what options you would like—red lettering, an indexed Bible or a Bible with a concordance. You can also select the color of the binding. Pick a font type size that's comfortable for your eyes. When you click NEXT, it will instantly show you every Bible in the stock which meets your specifications.

Try it now!

First-Time Shoppers

To help guide you through the purchasing process, we have created step-by-step instructions, suitable for domestic and international purchases. We currently ship to all countries outside the African continent. We encourage you to print this page and keep it beside you, especially if this is a first-time purchase.

How the Internet Works | Handbook of Family Advice

Just wanted to give you a taste of one of our newsletters. Each time we publish one, we try to feature top Christian resources and include some meaningful quotes, plus a how-to video which we hope you'll find useful. Additionally, we provide a calendar look at upcoming free Bible story lessons so parents and teachers can plan ahead.

Swiss Valley Christian Bookstore is the home of Children's Chapel free Bible stories. You'll find subscription instructions in the newsletter that follows. Please help us spread the word so we can get these Bible stories out to as many people as possible.

In today's newsletter, we have pointed out some great resources especially designed for ministers' wives. You can be a great blessing to someone by passing this newsletter along to a friend.

To stay plugged into what's new and keep on top of great Christian resources for your family, church or school, be sure to sign up for our free newsletter.

www.swissvalleydiscount.com Home of Children's Chapel FREE BIBLE STORIES Christian Books | Bibles | Music | Bible Study | Homeschool | Apparel | Church Supplies | Search Encouragement and practical help for your home from an internationally respected counselor. Learn more. Quote of the Day A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her. —Max Lucado Don't lose hope. When you are down to nothing, God is up to something. —Unknown Quick Help How the Internet Works. You can't really see it. So how does it work? Take the ride of a lifetime. Ride shotgun with a packet of data. Look deep beneath the surface of the most basic Internet transaction. Watch now. Upcoming Bible Stories July 23—I W-a-a-a-nt! July 30—The Horrid Nightmare August 6—Overnight with the Lions August 13—God Chooses a New King Bible stories include a telling of the story, something to think about, a memory verse, coloring page, where the story is found in the Bible, object lessons, activities, and songs to go along with the story. 10,000+ subscribers. Click here to subscribe to our FREE weekly Bible story lessons or share the link with a friend. Christian Resources to Help You Make a Difference High Call High Privilege by Gail MacDonald Mystery and the Minister's Wife series: Where There's a Will by Beth Pattillo Proof: A Novel by Jordyn Redwood The Struggle (Kentucky Brothers) by Wanda E. Brunstetter Twirly Q's by Klutz AnyBook Reader and Recorder by Franklin Electronics Genuine Leather Cross Bible Carrier by Bob Siemon Designs The Beginner's Bible Deluxe Edition w/CD by Zondervan KJV King James Study Bible by Barbour Publishing Don't Quit Marbled Plaque by Abbey Press Red White and Blue Liberty Tie by Divinity Boutique Prayer Shawl Gift Set by Holy Land Gifts Ministers' Wives' Resources Just Updated! A minister's wife called me one day, searching for Christian resources designed specifically for pastors' wives or ministry wives. She saw so many materials out there for pastors and Christians in general but found it really hard to find something helpful especially for her position in ministry. That prompted me to take the time to put together a list. I pray you find something here that directly ministers to you. Please pass this e-mail along to a ministry wife. Browse the new list of resources. Handmade Genuine Leather Japanese Quartz Movement Watch by Forgiven Jewelry This masterpiece, handcrafted watch is a one-of-a-kind gift. The stylistic cross symbol makes it a unique witnessing tool. Learn more. Christian Ties | Klutz Crafts & Hobbies | Mighty Bright Lights Browse store | Neat Accessories w/Scripture| Bible Covers | Customer Favorites Help us make a difference by sharing this letter with a friend. Have a question? Include item number. E-mail us at barbara@swissvalleydiscount.com Helping you make a difference,  Christian Books | Bibles | Music | Bible Study | Homeschool | Apparel | Church Supplies | Search Home of Children's Chapel Free Bible Stories 1511 Shaffer Dr/Lorain, Ohio 44053 USA 440.941.1008 Phone orders welcome! Mon-Fri 10am-10pm; Wed 10am-5pm International online shopping and outstanding e-mail support barbara@swissvalleydiscount.com www.swissvalleydiscount.com

Our Beginnings

Swiss Valley Christian Bookstore opened its online shopping portals on August 31, 2003, as an outreach of The Missing Link, Inc., its parent organization, linking troubled youth and adults with life-changing programs since 1983, from their headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio USA.

Chaplain Mario, its founder and president, was converted to Christianity through the power of the printed page entitled The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. That book sent him on a journey toward Christ and deliverance from nine long years of alcohol addiction.

Today we serve side-by-side in prison and Internet ministry.

Swiss Valley Christian Bookstore is one more additional way we can point hungry hearts to Christian books that change lives and music that restores the soul.

We deeply appreciate your patronage!

Welcome to our Blog!

In case you're wondering, we'd like to let you meet the people and ministries behind our store, plus share interesting customer stories and helpful shopping tips. Because we understand that life gets tough, we'll also be sharing encouraging quotes and Scriptures to lift your heart along the way.

Hopefully, these entries will help you get to know us better and inspire you to face life with your head held high, knowing you have nothing to fear because God is still in control.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.                  —Isaiah 41:10

Your comments are always welcome here. Never hesitate to let us know how we can help and please feel free to suggest topics you'd like to see covered on this blog or jump in and share a favorite Scripture or quote. You never know whose life you may touch. There are so many people hurting in this world. Together, we can build a loving community where everyone finds a haven—a Christian "vacation spot," away from the troubles and cares of this world.

Go ahead and take a minute to let us hear from you.