Monday, October 22, 2018

Ancient Modern Bible

I was excited to receive the NKJV Ancient - Modern Bible.  I love the idea and the way it is constructed throughout the pages of the Bible.  There are so many extra writings by so many people from the past.  There are so many writers, they are too numerous to mention.

There are also wonderful paintings which are glossy at the end of the book, which adds to the flavor of this Bible.  The Bible also comes with a very sturdy box for giving the Bible away as a gift. 

My only concern is the font size!  The font was really small and surprised me at its size.  It did make for difficult reading for my old eyes.  That was the only potential issue for this Bible.  Otherwise, I would highly recommend this for those who wish to read others commentaries about the scripture.

I received this Bible from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Becoming a Minimalist!

Last night I finished reading The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life.  It's an interesting book with a great premise.  Is is possible to declutter our homes so that we may be able to refocus on what our priorities should be?

As you look around your home, is it possible that there is too much clutter in our homes?  Isn't it true that we generally buy a larger home, then fill it up?  So, Becker writes about ways in which we can begin the process of removing the clutter from our lives, which then frees us to focus on what the real priorities should be.

Becker wants to help the reader better define what their vision is for their homes and their families.  To do this, he offers practical advice on how to encourage the family members to begin the process of minimizing. 

He takes us on a room by room journey through the house so that we can better discover what it is we are holding onto.  How many of each item do we really need?  How many old movies do we need to hold onto?  And more.  He includes a minimizing checklist at the end of each chapter.  I will admit, some ideas seemed really great, and others not so great or practical.  But maybe that is my reluctance to let go of some of my "stuff."

He discusses the advantages to being a minimalist before you hit retirement.  He also admits that it has been difficult for some of his children to buy into this as well.  I appreciate his honesty in talking about his family.  Not all family members are going to embrace this.  The key is discussing this in advance and having a plan, rather than going at it willy-nilly.

Overall, this is a great book, an interesting read, which hopefully will help families better focus on what's really important.

I received this book from WaterBrook and Multnomah Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, October 07, 2018

Learning from Less Than Perfect!

When I ordered Less Than Perfect: Broken Men and Women of the Bible and What We Can Learn From Them, I did not realize this was really more of a devotional book.  I may not have ordered it, but I am glad I did.  Author Ann Spangler looks at 38 different people from the Bible who were not quite perfect and helps us to see some things in each person we can maybe identify with and learn from.

We see people struggling with sin issues of all varieties, we see different personalities, temptations and successes as well.  They help us see a little more of ourselves in some of these biblical characters.

There are 38 chapters averaging about 10 pages or so each.  There are also questions at the end of each chapter / devotional to help you dig a little deeper into your own life.  This may be good for a small group discussion, as you can also pick and choose the characters you wish to study and learn from.

Overall, this is a very good book and I would highly recommend it.  It is a paperback book.

I received this book from booklook bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

You've Got This!

In this devotional from KariAnne Wood, You've Got This! (because God's got you), the author gives us 52 short devotionals which are are meant to encourage the reader.  Wood also has a blog at the following site https://thistlewoodfarms.com.

On the days when life feels a little less than amazing, remember: you’ve got this.  You do. Even when the dinner’s burnt or you missed an important event on the calendar or your hair has suddenly developed a mind of its own. Even when you feel invisible or misunderstood or unwanted.

You’ve got this―because God’s got you. Straight from the heart of popular Thistlewood Farms blogger KariAnne Wood comes this beautiful, pocket-sized, 52-day devotional. Full of warmth and encouragement, each reading holds Scriptural reflections, personal stories, and prayers to remind us that God is always by our side. He loves us when we feel unlovable. He lifts us up and gives us a peace that passes all understanding. And in the midnight of every dark moment, he is there.



This is the perfect gift for anyone who needs a little hope today, You’ve Got This (Because God’s Got You) will give you the inspiration you need to keep going―and to know you’re never alone.

It's an easy to read devotional, short, about 2-3 pages each in this nice hardcover book.

I received this book from Tyndale Press in exchange for an honest review.

Fun Kids Devotional

God Gave Us the Bible: 45 Favorite Stories for Little Ones is a very well done, hardcover introductory Bible for parents to read with thei...