Seeking Him

So here’s a new bible study that feels more like an experience journal by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth and Tim Grissom.

So I’ll be honest I had no expectations going into reviewing this bible study because of the personal revival aspect in the title. I didn’t know if it would be super rigorous.

However, what I found is a journal of sorts. The questions in the study are first geared towards scripture then they turn inward. There’s also many passages for additional reading and study. Each week starts with the memory verse and going deeper passages. Then it goes into the study, which broken down into roughly 5 days per week. And studies through several topical passages that are meant to spark an internal revival in us.

I haven’t finished the study yet but I am confident in the writing of it and would highly recommend it for a women’s bible study group as the format of the study is much more conducive to group study (each week has a section to be completed with the group and if you’re doing the study solo you would likely just skip over that section) than to individual study.

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this book through from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Friendship Promises

We all have friends, right? And what particularly makes us a good friend? What would we tell others if they asked us this question?

So this is a new gift book by (in) courage, it is composed of devotions, prayer prompts, and journal prompts on the topic of friendship combined with beautiful Scripture art and graphics. I can easily see this book going from gift to interactive treasure as the devotions, prayers, and journaling prompts (along with the space to journal) invites us to linger and digest these lessons & promises on friendship. Then, as we marvel at the Scripture art, perhaps they are left blank without color so that we, too, may participate in making this book beautiful. 

The friendship promised this book offers are:

I promise to be Authentic, Present, Encouraging, and Rooted in Christ. The entire book is organized by these friendship promises. The reflections are drawn from Never Unfriended by Lisa Jo Baker and Craving Connection (another book by (in)courage). I mention this so that you have an idea of the authors of the book since other than this mention, there is no attributed author.

So for the exterior, we're looking at linen over the board. In person, it is the perfect shade of a coral/salmon color. And is the same size as Open Door Living (another gift book). The cover lettering & design is embossed with gold foil. There's also a ribbon marker the same shade of coral/salmon as the book, which makes me happy. 

I really like this book. I think that in this world of people being so easy to write each other off (and being proud of that fact) we need more resources on friendship. The beauty in friendship and knowing just what godly friendship looks like.

Highly recommend. I say buy in pairs. One for yourself and one for your best gal pal (or more for your best gal group of friends).

{As always, I received this book from the publisher (B&H) in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

A Standard of Grace

A Standard of Grace is the third book by Emily Ley. And Omgosh I wish I'd known about her before. After getting my hands on this guided journal, I am itching to read her other books, Grace, Not Perfection and A Simplified Life. 

So starting on the outside, it is a beautiful and bright hardback. The front lettering is embossed in gold. Also, there are 3, yes THREE, colorful (navy, yellow, and pink) ribbon bookmarks. Yep, excited! This journal is smaller than the average notebook yet larger than the average journal (9x6.6). 

Now for the inside, this is the GOOD paper. I mean you can use gel pens or even a highlighter without worry of it bleeding through. The guided journal is organized weekly instead of daily, with about 2 journaling prompts per week. It's enough to really get into but not so much that it takes us too much time. So it is PERFECT for the busy mama (like myself) or even the busy gal on the go who wants to stop to smell the roses but still has a full plate. There are also loads of beautiful photography found in the book.

Back cover...

The purpose of this guided journal is to get us to slow down to create the life we want and will be proud of. Not a life of perfection but one full of grace and mercy. One that has room for margin, which means less stress and frustration when disruptions to our day come. She also encourages us to dream in our journaling. And there are plenty of nuggets of inspiration and motivating quotes sprinkled throughout the journal. 

I'd definitely recommend, especially for those who could use help in staying on track in journaling. *hand raised*

(FYI: I received this journal from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.)

Settle My Soul....a Pressing Pause Devotional

This is my second devotional authored by Ruth Schwenk. This, however, is co-authored with Karen Ehman (currently a writer & speaker with Proverbs 31 ministries).

This is one of those devotionals that you completely enjoy and devour. That you sit and linger in because of the daily journaling prompts to respond. And it is completely beautiful. The theme like the previous one (and The Better Mom Devotional) is floral. It's a hardback book with a nice ribbon bookmark (never realize how much I use bookmarks until I come across a book/bible without the ribbon already in it).

There are 100 devotions with each author writing 50 devotions. They trade off First Karen then Ruth and going back and forth for the rest of the devotional. Rest and indulging in Jesus, kindness and disappointment are some of the many topics discussed. Each devotion starts with Scripture and ends with a prayer as well as a journal prompt along with journaling space to write in the book. I enjoy these devotions greatly because there is enough to chew on. I also greatly enjoy the journaling prompts and lined space to write. I enjoy their different yet similar writing styles. I also enjoy the differing perspectives offered (as Karen has been married longer with older children than Ruth). It feels like the cover both the older mom and younger mom demographics.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

(FYI: as always I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.)

Artisan Collection Bible

I expected so much more from this Bible. The only thing to set this journaling Bible apart from the many others is the music note artwork that shows up on the page edges when the Bible is laid flat. Other than that there is no additional artwork found inside the Bible to prompt you to create artwork. There is the standard center column with lined margins.  The exterior cloth over board handprinted artwork is beautiful enough and definitely will catch your eye. There's just so much more that could be in this Bible that just isn't there.

However, if you're in the market for a beautiful note-taking bible, this is PERFECT. It's low fuss without the artwork to distract you from taking notes. There's also additional notes space in the back of the Bible. There are two bookmark ribbons, which is also a great bonus as most Bibles have only 1. It's also (in my opinion) small enough to take with you to church. It is apart of the Journal the Word series of bibles.

{FYI: I received this Bible from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Journal the Word Reference Bible, NIV

So this Bible came last week (one of two that came for review). And I was SO thrilled. Why? One is it is a journaling bible but more because it is a reference journaling Bible. This is quite rare. Usually, most bibles do not have cross-references in them like so. The last couple of study bibles I received did not have cross-references. And for good studying, you NEED cross-references. Why? Because it allows the Bible to speak for itself and be its own commentary.

As you can see it is actually quite thick. So I do not recommend this become a Bible to tote around with you because it is heavy. There's also a ribbon marker. 

This is what the average page looks like. It is a single column with ample writing space. And there's a single column that shows verse by verse cross-references. The pages are thin but not so thin that my gel pens (I use these instead of highlighters) bleed through.

This is the back of the packaging so you can get an idea of all of the other resources in it. For example, the dictionary-concordance feature is really nice, of course not quite as comprehensive as having a completely separate book for it but still good enough. Also, as you can see this is a red letter Bible (words of Jesus speaking are printed in red). And I love the elastic closure as it allows me to leave a thin notepad with my Bible without losing it.

All in all. 2 thumbs up. Literally one of the most resourceful journaling Bibles that I've had the pleasure of coming across. 

FYI: I received this Bible from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.

A Memory a Day for Moms

EEK!! I love, love this book!!! So it's set up as a journal but there are prompts for each day and it is dated. For each day of the year, there are 5 spaces with each space allowing you to put what year you are responding for (see the below).

The great thing is that you can start whenever you like! And it prompts you about yourself, about your kids, and about your spouse. It prompts you to leave memories not just for you to reflect on but ones that you can pass on to your children.

This is a hardcover book with fairly thick pages. There's also golden page marker. Then on each page, there is a bible verse that kind of correlates with the journal prompt as well as a prayer prompt.

I've already started filling in the dates from March (since I got it). I plan to pass it on to my kids when they are older and maybe invest in a second one in order to catch about ten years worth of memories for them.

I do recommend this for mamas, especially busy mamas because it helps us remember to stop savour the little things in life that we often take for granted. 

FYI: I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

NIV Journal the Word Bible for Teens

This is what the Bible looks like. Absolutely stunning!

So, the first thing I noticed is just how beautiful this Bible is. It's gold leather with colourful flowers on the front. The font is black and pink (writing prompts). Its a single column journaling Bible with writing prompts. I look at those prompts more like thinking points because while it makes me reflect on the Scripture on that page, it also makes me want to cross-reference (unfortunately this Bible does not contain cross-references). I also like that it is made to lay flat, which is awesome for taking notes in it.  There is a short subject index in the back, but no concordance, dictionary, or maps.

I think this is good for devotion time when you want to just read and journal what you're reading. It's quite pretty and would make an awesome gift for any woman, young or older, she'll appreciate it. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the "for teens" portion of the name of the Bible because it is literally just feminine and made to get you to think as you read. Anyone could appreciate it. 

My daughter (10 yr old) likes that it is pretty but she's more taken with a different journaling Bible that has illustrations in it, so she can colour in it.

All in all... This book gets two thumbs up!

{FYI: I received a copy of this Bible from the publisher in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Girl Talk

How often do mom's want to better connect with their daughters? Especially through the teen and preteen years and if they cannot connect personally, at least know that someone they trust can connect with them.

I'm that mom. I want to connect with 9 year old better than we already do. I want her to feel as though she can trust me with any and everything on her heart. 

But that's not always the case, so my prayer is that she will turn to God, turn to the Bible, and turn to a trusted adult, like a grandparent or aunt or uncle.

I like this book as it is first broken down weekly (undated) then broken down by day. Each week starts with a story and each day of the week relates to that story. The goal of this book is to help young girls see that other girls go through similar situations that they go through. It helps them to start journaling and relating Scripture to their lives. 

My recommendation: give this to your daughter, your niece, your cousin. She will glean from this. It will help her understand and possibly spark a few conversations about what she reads. It will help her see the beauty in the life around her.

Thus far I will say I love everything put out by the Faithgirlz brand. 

{FYI: I received this book from BookLook Blogger program in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}

Gratitude Coloring Journal

So the craze right now is journaling bibles...especially those that have coloring inside as well.

Some examples are the Inspire Bible by Tyndale, the Beautiful Word Bible by Zondervan, My Creative Bible by Christian Art Publishers, and the Illustrators Notetaking Bible (HCSB). I personally own the HCSB Illustrators Notetaking Bible. I have seen the Inspire Bible and Beautiful Word Bible in person, they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

So imagine my joy when I am offered the chance to review the Gratitude Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal!!!! Such a happy girl :)

This is a journaling devotional on gratitude. And it is awesome and beautiful. and a great size for travel. Some of the devotion pages are lined and others are not. It encourages you to draw or doodle. To praise God in your creative expression.

Here are some photos of the inside so you can see just how beautiful it really is. It's a bit smaller than an iPad Mini, so it can be easily thrown into a purse or diaper bag (ahem! lol).

And as noted, I did receive this journal from Tyndale in exchange for my HONEST opinion.

Illustrated Journaling Bible

Finally!!!!

I have wanted an illustrated journaling bible for SO long. And finally I have one thanks to B&H Publishing sending me one to review!

My immediate reaction: LOVE!

It is very beautiful! It is made to lay flat as you journal and color the illustrations in the bible. The one that I have is leather on outside grey and white with gold. I like that the illustrations are either Scripture or nature. There are also some articles within the bible that ask and answer a question. One is "How to Read and Study the Bible." This one that I have is an HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) version. I actually really like the translation. It kind of puts me in the mind of a NASB translation. I also like that in the beginning of the bible it explains the translation, what manuscripts it used, and features found in the bible. It is a decent size, large enough to read without my glasses yet small enough to toss down in my diaper bag to take with me.

Being able to color in the illustrations is a great help in calming me down when I am upset or having a hard day. It just focuses my attention to the Scripture I am coloring in.

This is the outside of the Bible.

This is what the inside looks like. As you can see I have been having fun.

Another shot of the inside of the bible. As you can see there is room to color and room to jot down some notes.

These are the color pencils that I use in the bible (on sale at Walmart for $0.50). I personally do not recommend anything heavier than a color pencil or gel pen considering how thin the pages are and especially not markers as I think they'd bleed through.