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.

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.

A Story about being a Prodigal

Stumbling Toward Wholeness: How the Love of God Changes Us is a raw and unfiltered book which has the potential to change your life forever.  Andrew Bauman has written a book which is based on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32.  On its own, this is a powerful story, but as Andrew Bauman unpacks it, looking at the older brother, the father and the younger brother, it becomes easy to see ourselves in all of them.

The book helps the reader dig deeper into their own story and learn more about who they are and why they are the way they are.  His hope and expectation is that each reader will see themselves and discover who they are and live a more passionate, God centered, God focused life.

Bauman shares his own story to help the reader better discover and reveal their own longing for wholeness and to experience the power of God’s strength, grace, love and compassion.

I would highly recommend this book.

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

Having an Unshakeable Hope!

I don't have the adult version, this is a Student Edition of Unshakeable Hope: The Promise Book.  It is a paperback devotional / book, which is for youth around grades 8-12, ranging from 12-16 years of age.

The premise of the book is to help youth learn and understand through self exploration about 30 different promises God has made.  In the end, Lucado wants to instill hope to each person through God's promises which will not be broken.  The format for each chapter is the same ~

• There is a cover page which contains a pertinent scripture.
• There are 2 pages of reflections and examples regarding this topic.
• There is 1-2 pages of scripture about this topic.
• There are 4 questions for study and to help the reader dig a little deeper.
• Finally, there is a promise for you to make to God regarding this topic.

Each chapter is 6 pages in length.  The book/devotional is pretty straight forward and easy to read.  Some may say it is not deep enough, but the hope is that it spurs some questions which lead to some discussions in a youth group or at home.

Overall, this is a good book and resource, possibly for a parent to do with a teenager, which may draw them closer to one another and to God.

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

NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible = Excellent!

Many years ago I purchased the original Spirit Filled Life Bible in the NIV.  This is the 3rd edition and there are many more enhancements which make this a Bible worth purchasing and using on a regular basis.  I would add that this Bible is most likely not for those who are not familiar with the Bible, since this will be more beneficial with word studies.  I also appreciate that this is in the NKJV, the first Spirit Filled Bible I purchased was the NIV.  I prefer the NKJV will over the NIV.

This Bible is a hardcover, but it's not flimsy.  It is sturdy and should last for years.  When you open it it stays open, instead of closing and struggling with it.  It's a great looking and feels good when reading it and using it. 

But more than that, this Bible is so functional, especially for those who are a little more Charasmatic.  Included in this Bible are ~ 

• Over 650 word studies, including more than 100 new ones.
• Kingdom Dynamics which are biblical notes addressed by spirit filled preachers.
• Truth In Action which includes helpful charts for practical application.
• Praying the Word - 192 helps for guided prayers based on Scripture.
• Study notes which helps explain the Scripture.

Overall this is an excellent Bible and a great resource.  I would highly recommend it.

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

Excellent Bible!!

Many years ago I purchased the original Spirit Filled Life Bible in the NIV.  While I liked that one then, this one surpasses it.  Partly, I appreciate the NKJV so much more than the NIV.

This Bible has an amazingly soft feel to the leather.  When you open it it stays open, instead of closing and struggling with it.  The looks and feel are great.

But more than that, this Bible is so functional, especially for those who are a little more Charasmatic.  Included in this Bible are ~ 

Over 650 word studies, including more than 100 new ones.
Kingdom Dynamics which are biblical notes addressed by spirit filled preachers.
Truth In Action which includes helpful charts for practical application.
Praying the Word - 192 helps for guided prayers based on Scripture.
Study notes which helps explain the Scripture.

Overall this is an excellent Bible and a great resource.  I would highly recommend it.

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

Daily Questions!!

I wish I had this book when my boys were younger.  This is a wonderful and powerful way for parents to engage with their children on a daily basis.  In the book, The Daily Question for You and Your Child, there is a daily question to be discussed.  Each page has that question and you write down your child’s answer for the day.  There are spaces for the same question the next year, and then the next year after that.  You have 3 years of answers of what your child thinks and feels about various questions.

The book is for boys or girls.  The questions are generic enough to be asked to either sex.  Some questions are simple and basic. “What was the best part of your day?”  “What is your favorite color?  Or what’s your least favorite chore?”  These are some of the simple questions.  They get deeper as well, “What is inspiring to you?”  “What do you think heaven will be like?”  If you could ask Jesus a question, what would you ask Him?”  “How do you show love to others?”

These would be great questions to ask and talk about.  Not to correct your child, just simply to listen and learn about who your child is.  It’s a great opportunity for bonding as parent and child.  There would be lots of moments where you, the parent could share your story as well. 

This book is more for those who are Christian.  Although there are no scripture verses in the book.  The book is a quality hardcover and should last for years.

I would highly recommend it.  It would be a great gift to your child.

I received this book from Waterbrook Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

God Keeps His Promises!

God Always Keeps His Promises: Unshakeable Hope for Kids was written by Max Lucado, adapted by Tama Fortner, and illustrated by Alessia Trunfio is a wonderful Bible story book for children.  This is really more of a devotional / children's bible story book.  It is designed for children between the ages of 4 - 8.

The devotional Bible story book describes 25 different promises from God to us.  Each chapter is about 8 pages in length, ending with a promise, a prayer and Bible verses.

The book is filled with colorful pages which will engage the children as you read the story to them, or as they read for themselves.

I would highly recommend this book for parents and grandparents.

I received a copy from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

100 Days of Thanks!!

I really appreciated the devotional 100 Days of Thanks. 
This devotional covers 100 different devotions focused on our giving thanks.  Each devotion ranges from 1-2 pages, and ends with a question to consider and a few lines to jot down your thoughts.  There is a scripture to start each devotion.  There's also a Table of Contents, so you can mark the ones which really speak to your heart and soul.  I have really come to appreciate devotionals which do not take so much time, but have meat within them.  This devotion fits that bill perfectly.

It's a hardcover book, with beautiful pictures on every page.  This book would make for a great present for yourself or another person.  It would be a great way to start the day or even to end the day.

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

4 Amish Short Stories

In the book An Amish Family: Four Novellas, author Kathleen Fuller has written four short stories focused on four Amish families.  Each story has it's own plot and are all well written.

They are very nice shorts stories of young Amish men and women who are searching to find happiness and relationships as them move into adulthood. 

The four stories are ~

Building Trust - Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace accepts.  But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. 

A Heart Full of Love (also in An Amish Cradle) - Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight — and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant.  When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them.  But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why she can’t let go.

Surprised by Love - In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Schwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuben Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuben is barely even a friend.  Seeing how desperate she is, Reuben plays along.  But what happens when the past sneaks up on them?

A Gift for Anne Marie (also in An Amish Second Christmas) - Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago.  But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.

If you enjoy short stories and Amish stories, then this is a great book to read.

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

Unwrapping the Bible!!

Too many people do not read the Bible, with basic excuses being the length of the Bible and the fact that they do not understand the Bible.  Well, David Veerman helped with the latter.  In his book, Unwrapping the Bible: Understanding God’s Essential Truths, he is helping the reader to better understand those essential truths (in his opinion) of the Bible.

The book is broken into 7 sections, with 5 chapters in each section.  The 7 sections are

1. Doctrine of God
2. Doctrine of Humanity
3. Doctrine of Revelation
4. Doctrine of Christ
5. Doctrine of Salvation
6. Doctrine of Sanctification
7. Doctrine of the Church

Within each chapter, Veerman has broken it down to work within a study group.  There are 3 sections within each chapter called, Look, Listen and Live.  Listen in the longest section and within those sections there are a number of questions, and at times he does give the answers.

This is a very easy to read, with a larger font as well.  Even though the book is 409 pages long, it should not be intimidating to read.  There are fun facts, and he makes the reading interesting as opposed to sounding like a text book.  The theology is conservative.  This would make for a good introduction to theology for anyone who is wanting to go a little deeper in their understanding of the Christian faith.

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

Powerful Story!

We live in a day and age when being a police officer is not looked upon with esteem.  Every decision is highly scrutinized by those who have no clue about what it takes to accomplish their job.  With that in mind, I was looking forward to reading “13 Days in Ferguson.”  Captain Ronald Johnson tells an amazing story about the 13 days of rioting in Ferguson, MO.  He was the officer assigned with returning this community to a place of peace and hope.

This book is a memoir of the events which happened on a daily basis.  It is a book about the power of Captain Johnson’s faith, courage and strength.  He was continually targeted by everyone regarding every decision he made.  He lost friends, he was viewed as a traitor by other police officers and he was highly criticized. 

He felt he needed to understand what the people were thinking and feeling, so he stepped across the lines to better understand, therefore, to help those who were at the center of the struggle.

This is a very well written, powerful book describing for the first time what was occurring in Ferguson, MO and how one man stood above others, willing to take the heat, in order to restore the peace. 

I highly recommend this book.

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

Setting Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries For Your Soul: How to Turn Your Overwhelming Thoughts and Feelings into Your Greatest Allies, by Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller is an excellent resource for those who seek to help others and for those who struggle with “negative feelings and thoughts.”

One of our biggest problems is boundary setting and allowing others to invade our hidden boundaries.  This book is written from a Christian perspective on mental and emotional well being and they use what is called an “IFS Model” (Internal Family Systems). 

I found the book to be an excellent resource.  The authors main objective is to help the readers use their emotions / feelings / thoughts in ways which are positive, rather than reject and repress what they are feeling. 

They give stories, quizzes, and move through the 5 Steps to help the reader move forward.  There are many practical suggestions in this book.  There are 3 sections, an introduction, an analysis of the 5 steps, and a more specific way to help those who are struggling with more specific issues, such as, anger, fear and anxiety, sadness, envy and desire, guilt and shame.

Overall, I’m not big on self help books, but I found this to be an excellent resource, easy to read and not overly technical.

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

Devotions for Parents!

Gary Thomas has written a powerful devotion called - - DEVOTIONS FOR SACRED PARENTING.  This is not a how to book.  It is not meant to teach you how to parent, instead, Thomas seeks to help the reader gain a better understanding of God's presence in their lives and how to instill those biblical values into their child's life. 

Yet, in some ways, this is a parenting book, but with wisdom from God.  The book has a bright and colorful cover, which is inviting.  The pages are glossy, and well done.  Each devotion is about 4 pages in length, so they are pretty short and easy to read.  At the end of each chapter, there is a purple box, with questions for reflection.

Overall, this was a very good devotional, which I would highly recommend.

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

Finding Jesus

In her book, Finding the Love of Jesus: From Genesis to Revelation, Elyse Fitzpatrick has written a book in which she looks at the life of Jesus as demonstrated his presence throughout the Bible.  He was present not just in the New Testament.  But she wanted the reader to look into the Old Testament as well to see where Jesus was present.  That is a great idea and thought to accomplish.

This book is only 8 chapters, 152 pages long; and is an easy to read book.  I believe this book was written for women more so than men.  I did not realize that when ordering this book.  I question whether Jesus spoke differently to men as to women?  Is the message of hope and salvation, the same or different?  I suppose it depends on your viewpoint.

That was a little disconcerting, because Jesus has been present throughout the ages, yet there is the wonderment if the message is different for women, due to the era they lived in, versus men, since it was a patriarchal society.

Her hope is that women would experience the power of the love of Jesus and would be able to claim it from the beginning of time.  Yet, I believe there are nuggets throughout the book in which everyone can find value and grow.  There are also questions at the end of each chapter to encourage further growth.

Overall, I would recommend this book!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Devotional - Proverbs!!

10 Minutes in the Word - Proverbs, was a fun and easy to read devotional.  I was not sure what to expect but was thrilled with this little devotional.

The authors were willing to look deep into our lives in just a few short paragrpahs to ask important questions as we read through the book of Proverbs.

The book is designed where you read scripture on your own, then you turn to the book to read a little more about what you've just read.  The devotional expands a little on what you have just read.

Each chapter ends with questions / thoughts and a short prayer.  I would highly recommend this devotional.  It is bright and enticing to read as well.  The pages feel nice to the touch and have a glossy finish to this hardcover devotional.

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

Words and Deeds (Men-must read)

I was excited and not disappointed when I received the book, Words and Deeds: Becoming a Man of Courageous Integrity, by Charles Causey.

Charles Causey speaks with great wisdom and integrity about one of the major issues confronting our society - - becoming men who demonstrate courageous integrity.  This is a crucial book for men to read and I was captivated from the first pages of the book.

Charles Causey was the recipient of the Bronze Star and formerly served at the Pentagon as a Senior Army Chaplain for the chief of chaplains.

His theme is obvious - - men need to become men of integrity, and we show this with our words and deeds.  Our words and deeds must be congruent, otherwise the world will continue to spiral out of control and people will also view men of faith as hypocrites.  The book is clear and to the point.  Yet, easy to follow and understand his excellent points.

This is an excellent book!!  I am also considering using this as a men's bible study.  There is a 6 week Bible Study included which would greatly help.  There is also a 40 question diagnostic assessment in the book to measure your integrity.

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

The Newlywed Kitchen

I was not sure about ordering this book, but thought it would be fun to read and be able to pass on some thoughts to others about being a newlywed, since I was one so long ago.

The author of this book, Our Newlywed Kitchen, Laura Schupp is a mother of three adult children and a grandmother.  She is also a Christian. 

The book was inspired by one of her daughters and she went to work so that other young women would have this as a reference and as a memento of this great occasion.

The book is very Christ centered.  It is based on traditional family values.  So, if this is not where you are at, then most likely you will not find this book appealing or desirable.  For those who prefer tradition, this book is filled with ideas and little treasures.

There are stories, places for prayer, places for recipes and thoughts for a newlywed couple, especially the woman.  The book has a lot of basic information in it.  It assumes the couple is a little clueless when it comes to the kitchen.

She includes menus and recipes and pictures.

The book is a hardcover which should last a long time.  It is tastefully written and would be a nice gift to give a couple.

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