Francine Rivers uses Biblical truths in Redeeming Love to accurately display spiritual, physical, and emotional battles that come and go in life. The sacrificial and covenant love that is displayed really tugs at you heart!

I couldn't put this book down. I highly recommend it, especially for teenage girls who need to take a closer look at their relationship with God.

This is a MUST READ book! The characters are encaptivating. Worth every penny.

This book was so moving and really brought about a change in my heart. Everything I read doctrine-wise concerning scripture I already knew, but it made me see God's love from another vantage point and held such a powerful grip on me that once I was halfway through it I could not put it down! If you are not a Believer, I don't think you'll fully understand the amazing message this book can send to those that love Christ. Truly, you should pray before beginning this book and ask God to give you eyes to see what he's trying to teach you through this story. GRACE-that's one of the main themes you should take from this novel.

I highly recommend this reading, it is excellent!

Great product, it was exactly as the seller said it would be, was in great condition

It was easy to identify with the main character. Beautifully written. Good book to read while curled up next to a fire!

After having received this book as a gift, I was so impacted. I decided to use this book for our women's fellowship book club at church. The issues that the main character Angel struggles with, shame & rejection affect many. The probing questions at the end can ultimately work towards wholeness and healing. The strongest point in the entire story is the love of our Heavenly father as depicted by another character, Michael Hosea. We are loved deeply, passionately, fiercely and with a love that continues to draw us to Him. Now that is a message of hope and good news for all!

This book tells not only of a seemingly impossible, desperate love between a man and a woman but also of the endless and unconditional love that God has for each and every one of us. A really great read.

Although I am a Christian, I'd never read any Christian books until this one. Now that's all I read. This book was recommended by a young man at my church and boy, was I impressed. I've read all my life, I love it, but I'd never read a book that was as great as this one. This is a must for anyone who needs to know what it means to really have a relationship with God & what it needs to be between husbands & wives. Men should read this book also, it'll give them a new perspective on women, marriage and God. I've read 3 or 4 Francine Rivers books now & they are all really, really good, but this one has been the best so far. SERIOUSLY!!! A MUST READ for EVERYONE!!! Thank you Mrs. Rivers for putting the story of Gomer & Hosea into a story everyone could relate to.

This is the 1st Christian book I have read (even though I am a Christian). I liked the begining and the end but the middle of the book was SOOO slow. I was going to quite reading half way through but friends of mine encouraged me to keep reading so I didn. It turned out to be an "ok" book but not one that I would say is a must read.

This isn't typically the type of book I read either so maybe it just wans't for me because I have heard many other people just rave about this book.

This gripping fictional tale is loosely based on the book of Hosea. As evidenced by the hundreds of glowing reviews, it is an immensely popular book among Christian women. Unfortunately, this author has made some serious theological missteps which are not brought to light in previous reviews.
1. She allows the voice of the Spirit (in bold print -- be careful, the voice of Sarah/Angel's flesh is also in bold on occasion) to contradict the directly inspired Word of God. The whole premise of the book -- that Michael Hosea is "led" by the "Spirit of God" to marry an unregenerate woman is preposterous. God has certainly led many, many godly men and women to marry those with sordid pasts, but AFTER He has performed His redeeming work in their lives. Numerous scripture passages forbid the marriage of a believer and an unbeliever. Several other minor points and the climax of the book also violate this principle. She further pushes her charismatic agenda with dreams and visions as major plot points.
2. She seems to intimate that the relationship between a believer and Jesus Christ can be compared to a marriage relationship. That analogy is NEVER used in scripture. The marriage relationship is always protrayed between God and Israel or Christ and the church. The individual believer is pictured as Sheep/Sheperd, Master/servant, Father/child, and even Vine/branch but the marriage relationship is always reserved for the body of Christ(the church) or Israel.
3. Her Harlequin romance novel style writing is designed to titillate the flesh. I would not consider this book appropriate for unmarried young ladies as intimated in some of the previous reviews. If you are a mom considering this for a teenaged daughter, read the entire book FIRST. Even though the most graphic scenes are between a man and wife, there is far more detail than most young ladies who are desiring to keep their minds as well as their bodies pure before marriage need to know.
This book is thought provoking and has some compelling themes, but in my opinion is not worth reading. You may be able to pick a perfectly good meal out of a restaurant dumpster, but you'll have to go through a lot of disgusting trash to get it. I would highly recommend biographies of Amy Carmichael's life to see the redeeming love of Christ in action with helpless child prostitutes. A bonus: it really happened!

It is the most beautiful illustration of God's love for us. Very touching and well written.

This book is truly my new favorite. There are so many different ways to appreciate this love story! It really helped me grow spiritually. It's a great Christian historical fiction book.

I looked forward to cracking this book open each day. A beautiful and inspiring love story. My only complaint is some of the language used among the characters seemed a bit watered down. Just because this is a Christian novel doesn't mean it should be watered down! I would recommend this book to others.

This book is amazing! It actually seems to come alive as your reading it, almost as if your watching a movie unfold! The first time I finished reading it, I actually went online and bought one for all of my friends and family and they were ALL touched by it as well!

Unconditional love and acceptance. Who doesn't want that? But we need reminders of what real love looks like, acts like, and feels like. "Redeeming Love" was amazing, an excellent example of Christ's love for each of us through the Hosea character, Michael. He kept pursuing her, though she fled. He kept loving her, though she did not return his love. But Love won! Read this and remember real love.

Jackie Johnson
Author, Power Prayers for Women

First I have to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read.
Francine Rivers is an amazing Christian writer. She is not preachy at all (and if you think she is then please don't read anybody like Lori Wick!).

2nd- This is a GRAPHIC book. It's not for young readers. Just because it's Christian doesn't mean it's light hearted! This is a tough book to get through! There are some dark scenes and you feel a little dragged through the mud- but, oh, it's worth it! And this is NOT a typical romance. It's a story of true love, real love..... and not in what usually fills the pages of typical romance books.

3rd- Reviewers on here who say this is unrealistic crack me up because this story is just a more present day (late 1800's) version of the book of Hosea in the Bible. And I don't want to get too theological on the reviewers who didn't like that God's voice was so audible instead of quoting direct Scripture... but read Hosea and that's why Rivers wrote that way. God was audible to His people then.

4th- If you're not a Christian, you probably won't like the book. Just a guess, but I want to be honest. I LOVED the book, but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends who aren't believers.

5th- If you are a Christian, then read this book putting yourself in place of Angel's character, and your sin in place of her prostitution. This is why people are encouraged by this book. Because even though Angel keeps going back to such a disgusting and vile choice of prostitution after she's married.... we keep going back to our disgusting sin after we're married to Christ. What's encouraging is the GRACE that's from Michael's character, and how we can relate that to how much God forgives us.

It's a beautiful book that I sobbed through and have recommended to many of my friends. I can't wait to read more from Rivers.

I started reading this a couple weeks ago, at the recommendation of my 16 year old daughter. Honestly, I was disturbed and upset reading the first 30 or so pages. I handed it back to my daughter on the brink of tears, telling her that I didn't have the heart to read anything that victimized children. She begged me to continue reading it, assuring me that the 'it gets better' and that it was her most favorite book and it would be mine too. I picked it up again yesterday and finished it before the sun went down. She was absolutely right. There were parts of it that I struggled with, because it brought me to places I prefer not to think actually exist, but in reality I know do. Without giving too much away, there were times when I was frustrated with 'Angel's' behavior and didn't understand how she could run away from a man who loved her so completely.

This book is a beautiful example of God's unconditional love.

I give this two huge thumbs up!!

When I got this book (a friend loaned it to me) I thought, huh, ok, sure I'll give it a try. Wow, I had no idea how good this story was going to be. I could not quit reading. Michael was so faithful to God, and it had a huge impact on me. I liked it so much that I bought two books of my own; one for me to keep, and one to loan out. Everyone that I loan it to is so moved by this story. Way to go Francine Rivers. Please keep it up! BEST BOOK I EVER READ BY FAR! This book should be in the schools as required reqding material.

I am not much of a reader, and I could NOT put this book down. It was sooo good! I would definitly recommend this book to anyone!

My mom had given me this book saying, "This is what a real prince charming should be like." I looked at her funny when I realized what the story was about and was a little hesitant.

The book was fantastic! I couldn't put it down for one second (I stayed up till' three in the morning reading it). Even for those who aren't christians, I think any girl would enjoy reading about Michael's character. He's, in my opinion, what every girl wants in a man. He's loving, caring, gentle, compassionate, honest, romantic, and loves Angel more than anything in the world.

Considering that Angel is an ex-prostitute you have to expect some references to what her job was. There are also a few parts where her and Michael are making love, but it's after they have been married and Francine Rivers doesn't go into any details.

All in all, I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who dreams of true love and likes reading inspirational stories. No matter what those other reviewers say, christian or not, just try it and I'll guarantee you'll be glad you took the time to read it.

I think it's important that I preface this by saying that I am not a Christian (which had a definite effect on my opinion of this book, if only because I was able to look past the intended "inspirational message" and appraise it as a novel.) This book was recommended to me by multiple (devoutly religious) relatives on the grounds that I would like the love story and that they had cried over it.

First of all, "Redeeming Love" is poorly written to the extreme. It's full of choppy sentences and far too many melodramatic sentence fragments. All of the characters, and especially Michael and Angel, are incredibly dull: Angel is your stereotypical, self-loathing prostitute, while Michael marries her because a very articulate and surprisingly talkative God tells him to, displays no depth to speak of, and seems completely unable to think for himself. The plot is excessively repetitive and annoyingly redundant, and none of the "twists" were even mildly surprising.

Secondly, the book was a poorly disguised vehicle for marketing Christianity, which in my opinion degrades both the book and the religion. Some of the reviewers claim to have been moved by Angel's spiritual journey; personally, I felt Rivers relied on the faith of her target audience and the tragedy (or horror, if you prefer) of some of the concepts in the book- such as children sold into prostitution- as opposed to her strength as a writer or the relatability of the characters to produce that effect.

Many of the reviewers complained about the "graphic" sexual content in the book. I have no idea what they're talking about- the book I read was not graphic, and all the sex was either vaguely referenced or simply just implied. Much of it was in the context of marriage: I don't understand how the idea of a married couple having sex can be considered shocking.

I cannot believe that this book received over five hundred five-star reviews. It is not worth your time, it is not worth your money, and honestly, it is not worth the effort of five hundred people to type up a few mindlessly praising words on Amazon.com.

I am not an avid reader but found out about this book through a friend that told me how it changed her life. I was skeptical but still very curious so I bought the book. I finished it in three days. WOW. All I can say is that for the first time in my life I began to hear the Lord speak to me through this book! I could literally feel the presence of God's love all around me as I read this book. "Redeeming Love" has caused me to fall in love with my Savior all over again! It is a new and fresh love that I now have in my heart for Him! If you feel like you have fallen away from Him and miss His love and presence then you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!!! I promise, it will re-ignite your love for Him. He has always been there waiting on you to fall in love with Him again. HE NEVER STOPS LOVING US! It is US who falls away from Him! This book will prove that to you!

To give you an idea of how this book affected me, I have been an Amazon user for years and this is the first review I have ever left.
I actually bought this book somewhere else and only bought by it accident. I was really after another book that had no Christian leanings. I found this book by accident and hoped I would have a good weekend read. I started at about 9 or 10 pm Friday night and didn't stop until 5:30 am Saturday morning. After reading this I read some in my Bible to cofirm some of what the book talked about and I cried for I think a good hour or so after I read the book.
This book shows a beautiful example of God's love for us.
This is suprisingly the best book I read have on accident in my life. I have never read anyting by this author, but I will definately check out her other work.
Note: The NIV refernces are ok, but to get the beauty of the verses quoted check out the KJV of the Bible.

I cannot explain the impact that this book has had on my life. I was lent this book and after telling a friend 'I'm really not that into Chritian fiction' read the first page and kept reading the entire night. I am now reading it for the second time and ordered my own copy. I think this should be required reading for anyone who has ever fallen in love. Francine Rivers' classic retelling of the book of Hosea is beautifully written, she presents God's love for his people in a way that leaves no doubt that there is nothing we can do to make our Father love us less.

The character of Michael Hosea is absolutely mesmerizing. The love trust he has in the Lord as well as his commitment to his very worldy wife, Angel (Sarah) is inspirational. Although she has had a tumultuous and very difficult life, Michael listens to the Lord that this is the wife He has chosen for him, refuses to give up on her, and trusts the Lord in all things in their relationship.

After reading this book, I have decided to walk with the Lord in a much closer way. I think that it would be impossible for any woman to read this book and not wish that her own husband/boyfriend etc. (no matter how wonderful he may be) was a little more like Michael! This book serves as a model of what a relationship and life based on the Lord should look like. If you read one book this year, please let it be this one! You will NOT be sorry!

Time is short, so I try to read books that will improve my thinking (i.e. the classics I missed out on earlier in life). Books such as "The Tale of Two Cities" and "Emma," among others, are usually first on my list. My sister was reading this novel and said it was wonderful, so I thought I would read it with her.

After a few pages and great expectation, I could see clearly where this book was going: the same old romance format using a Christian wrapping. (WARNING - I am going to give away the ending in the following paragraphs, but I'll bet you can guess it anyway!)

First, the style of writing is lacking depth in every sense of the word. Where are the wonderfully intriguing character studies that I so love in Jane Austin's books? Where are the complicated sentence structures? It was very, well, predictable.

She is bad, he is good; she is still bad, he is still good; she finally repents, he finally wins her heart. I know God is mixed in, but really, He doesn't talk to us like that. We are to search Scripture to find the answers, not hear them in our heads, and especially not in bold print in a romance novel.

I got through one half of this book and couldn't stand it any longer. The dialogue was extremely weak, boring me to tears (a different kind of tears than other reviewers seemed to have shed). I had to skip to the end to verify what I already knew would happen. He got the girl, they lived happily ever after, ta-da.

A more realistic ending would have been that Michael got syphilis from his lovely wife and became disillusioned at the least, at the worst, he would have died. A book with a memorable ending that comes to mind is Edith Wharton's House of Mirth. I didn't necessarily *like* the outcome, BUT it had a powerful impact. It was REAL.

Get this from the library if you must; just don't spend money on it. Well, actually, don't even spend time on it if you have better reads waiting on your shelf.

As for those who have said that this is the best book they have ever read - there is a world of romance out there, but it can be clothed in beautiful layers of rich silk and embroidery, not only in plain sackcloth.

There's only so many hours in a day so I always make an attempt to read books that will hopefully enlarge my brain cells (the classics I missed out on earlier in life). Books such as The Tale of Two Cities and Emma, among others, are usually first on my list. Well, my sister was reading this novel and said it was wonderful so, I thought I would read it with her.

After a few pages and great anticipation, I could see clearly where this book was going, the same old thing using a Christian wrapping. (WARNING - I am going to give away the ending in the following paragraphs, but I'll bet you can guess it anyway!)

First, the style of writing is lacking in every sense of the word. Where are the wonderfully intriguing character studies that I so love in Jane Austin's books? Where are the complicated sentence structures? It was so, well, predictable.

She is bad, he is good, she is still bad, he is still good, she finally repents, he finally wins her heart. I know God is mixed in, but really, He doesn't talk to us like that. We are to search scripture to find the answers, not hear them in our heads, and especially not in bold print in a romance novel.

I got through 1/2 of this book and just couldn't stand it any more. The dialogue was extremely weak which bored me to tears (a different kind of tears than other reviewers seemed to have shed). I had to skip to the end to verify what I already knew would happen. He got the girl, they lived happily ever after, ta-da.

A more realistic ending would have been that Michael got syphilis from his lovely wife and became disillusioned at the least, at the worst, he would have died. A book that comes to mind with a nasty ending, but an ending that will stick in my head probably the rest of my life, is Edith Wharton's House of Mirth. I didn't like the ending, BUT it had a powerful impact. It was REAL.

I would say, just get this from the library, if you must, but don't spend $ on it. Well, actually, don't spend even time on it if you have better reads waiting on your shelf.

As for those who have said that this is the best book they have ever read, I am truly sad for you. There's a world of romance out there, but it can be clothed in beautiful layers of rich silk and embroidery, not only in plain sackcloth.

Hands-down, the best book I've ever read! Could not put it down. I was somewhat consumed by it and cannot wait to read it again. Go get this book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read!! Shipping was quick, too. Would highly recommend seller!

Francine's book was such a gift of hope to myself and our woman's group. We all desire to understand Christ's redemptive love in our lives and to share it with others. As we study this book and the Biblical book of Hosea, our discussion is rich with our own stories. Stories of freedom from the chains of this world and Christ's redemption in all of us. Francine weaves the intricate details of this story expertly with each character's arrival in Sara's life. She elicits page after page of emotion as she tells the heartbreaking tale of Sara's rejection and betrayal throughout her early life She does an exquisite job of sharing the thoughts and feelings of the main characters later in the book and their inward struggle between fear and trust. She consistently demonstrates the struggle both of them endured as they learned to love one another regardless of the circumstances. Francine shows that someone who is truly seeking the Lord can love without reservation and let forgiveness flow from within. Conjointly, someone who lives a life of rejection and betrayal can arrive at a place of healing with the unconditional love of Jesus Christ and His liberation in our lives. The story reveals what grace and mercy really entails, and it has nothing to do with earning it or striving after it. This book is one of the most difficult books for me to put down, and when it is over I'm sure I'll desire it to continue. If I can continue reading a book from cover to cover, I know it is divine!

This was the best book about christian fiction that I have every read. It brings the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer to life in a way that makes you understand God's message. I look forward to reading other books by Mrs. Rivers. She is truly a gifted writer.

When I first started reading this book I was not sure which way it was going to go. I almost put it down. I am very glad that I kept reading it. It really teaches about not judging others and being more Christ like.

I think the purpose of this book was overshadowed by the very dark subject matter. A lot of people have called this a Christian Romance, I find that very hard to believe. The story is about a young girl sold into prostitution at the age of eight who later is rescued by a man named Michael. The books goes into shocking, disturbing detail of the sad life she led. She run's away from her devoted husband multiple times, which also got old. The whole thing was very depressing and I only continued to read hoping it would get better. I also didn't like that her husband was suppose to be so understanding yet was still sleeping with her before she even loved him or before they really had a decent relationship. If he really had respect for her and what she had been through he would have waited until she was ready. The book was way too long and way too gloomy. For the subject matter and details given I would have give it at R rating. I wish I hadn't bothered reading it.

Grab this book, sit down and read it. It is amazing...one of the best books I have ever read.....powerful message of Christ's redeeming love. I am about to read it a second time.

When I first got this book I looked at how thick it was and said "Great this will take me at least 2 weeks to finish" (I read about 80-90 pages / hour) Plus my natural indistinct is to think a thick book will be a long and boring book.

Man was I wrong - I finished it in 3 days because each night I wanted to read more and more.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fictional Christian book. If you're on the airplane or going on a long road trip this is a book to read. For a girl this book shows how a man should truly love you in marriage. And for a guy it showed me how much love needs to be shown and displayed in marriage.

After reading this book, I recomend that all the ladies and friends I know to read it. It's like a story you don't want to end. This book should also be a mini series. Everyone should know the love of God like Angel does.

I have loaned this book to every woman that I care about. I think it is an essential read. This book literally changed ny life. It is not only a wonderful romance novel, but a fantastic book about God's NEVER-ENDING love for us.

This book had been favorably recommended to me by a number of people so I thought I would see what the reviewers of Amazon had to say. I was amazed to see that over 550 reviews were available and stunned to see that less than 30 of those reviewers gave it 4 stars or less. So I bought the book and am now one of the 500+ people to agree to the 5 stars.

Rivers has a beautiful interpretation of the Biblical book of Hosea. I believe this to be a tastefully written work handling such a delicate subject as redeeming the life of a prostitute through the committed love of a Godly husband. Rivers is sensual without being too explicit and gives a raw look into the depleted heart of a lifetime harlot.

Need encouragement in the choices of your own life? Read this book as I did and find new hope in what God wants for you.

Francine Rivers is a fantastic writer. I couldn't put this book down! It's one of my all time favorite books and I've recommended it to numbers of friends...all agreeing that it opened their eyes to the extent of God's love and graciousness. Read with an open heart and prepare to have your life changed!

I first read this book when i was 15.and i absolutely loved it.
It showed me how truly graceful God is. living in the society that we do, Christian people don't show much forgiveness and grace. therefore, this was a breath of fresh air.
As for the 'explicit'ness, it really isn't as bad as it probably was back then. think of Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba, and other girls that did sexual things. You can not possibly get the full effect of how difficult their lives were UNLESS you were standing right by them way back then. Therefore, Redeeming Love is ONLY a minor glimpse of the sadness and horror of the life of a prostitute. as for young readers, let the parents be the judge of that, my sister first read it when she was 13. She loved it too.

Anyways, this book Shows just how amazing god's grace is.
I first read the mark of the lion trilogy and fell in love with francine river's books. they are so amazing and cause peopl to think.
And for a christian book, yes this is different, but in such a way that it's real. unlike other christian novels in which the guy or girl always end up living happily ever after.
this book shows the strife involved.

i recommend this to all readers of ALL ages.
i say this earns a 9.

This book was recommended by a co-worker and I'm so glad I ordered it. It was a wonderful book - the title really says it all. I've already ordered more books by this author.

I will completely raw and honest as much as I can without giving too much of the story away. Let's just start with a little bit about myself. I am 26 years old, a full time wedding photographer ([...]), mom of three boys ages 3, 2 and 4 months, and in way over my head with work. For the past year and a half I have averaged about 3-6 hours of sleep per night because I am so overloaded with work, and during the day I am SO tired, and sad to say -irritated with everyone around me, even with my own children. I try so hard to please my clients and I feel like it's not good enough. I try to be a good mother and yet I feel like such a failure at it. I feel like there's no end to anything...hopeless. Reading this book CHANGED MY LIFE. I am a Christian. I love Jesus, I go to church and lead worship every Sunday, but after reading this book I realized how backslidden I was. I tried to handle everything in life by myself, not asking for help from anyone, and just sinking lower and lower everyday into depression. I have had a few nervous breakdowns these last couple of months and reading this book made a lightbulb go off in my head...more like a stadium light. I was playing God. I thought if only I could do 'this' things could get better; if only 'that' would get done things would get easier and I can relax. This book showed me that if you leave everything in God's hands, and pray about everything- big or small, that God will take care of it. Then all of our worries will go away as God takes care of us. I am so grateful that I found the time to read this book even in my BUSY schedule. I couldn't put it down. I finished almost all 500 pages of it in 4 nights! I am finding my next Francine Rivers book! God Bless!

I bought this book for something to do. It is hands down, the best book I have ever read in my life! I have loaned it out so many times I am not even sure where it is anymore. If you read this book, it will change your life. It's an amazing book.

I read this for my book group. It was widely recommended. All the members who had already read it said it was worth reading and rereading.

It's an excellent book. Full of adventure, despair, and joy.

I love Francine Rivers- and this is the best book I've read by her so far. In fact, this is one of the best books I have ever read.
A love story between a strong farmer and a strong-willed prostitute. This is a real love story. Where love is sometimes a choice, and not a feeling.
I could not put the book down. It was absolutely wonderful. Definitely worth reading over and over.

I checked this book out from the Public Library. When I read it, I loved it so much, I immediately re-read it. It was a wonderful romantic story. But, more than that, it reminded me of the love of God and his longsuffering towards us. I purchased it because it is a book that I want to have always.

This was a great book to read. It kept my attention, was exciting, and I really loved the characters. It is a great story of the power of love, I recommend it for anyone that has had to love through hard times.

I don't normally like romance novels, but this one isn't so goopy and predictable (it is, but it isn't). Great story line. Great role model for men, and helps women to see what a truly strong man is!

Finally, a romance novel with meaning! This is truly a beautiful story, only to be rivaled by Julie Garwood's Ransom. I enjoyed it very much.

Unlike most of the other negative reviews on this book, my problem was not with the sex. I actually thought the sexual experience between Angel and Michael to be beautifully portrayed in the way he expressed his love to her. I am a Christian and have no qualms about sex in marriage. I don't think it should be graphic and Francine did a great job of keeping it tasteful. So I gave her two stars for that.

The story was very sad. I'm sorry but I couldn't finish it. I got sick to my stomach because she was sold into prostitution at eight (after watching her mother be a prostitute), and she ran back into prostitution after being with Michael who showed her how good she could have it. I know they ended up together because I read the last few pages to help motivate me to continue but I was too depressed to keep going after she ran back into prostitution, especially after she was practically raped by her brother-in-law. I wanted to cry. I'm a comedy reader by heart, I guess. If you can handle depressing stories, then this book will be good for you. As for the sex, it's a gift from God and can be celebrated if we put it in the right perspective.