NIV Real Life Devotional Bible for Women

The NIV Real-Life Devotional Bible for Women is published by Zondervan. I have long been in like with the NIV Bible. This Bible on first inspection is simply beautiful. The flowers (Dogwood? Apple??) are perfect, the colors are stunning.

The Bible has 366 devotionals inside written by such women as: Lysa Terkeurst, Glynnis Whitwer, Renee Swope,  Karen Ehman, and many others.  The writers are all also writers for Proverbs 31 Ministeries. I did not read every devotional, but the one I did read seemed to be biblically based and sound.

I had a couple of “issues” with the Bible.

1. It took forever to get here. I know I shouldn’t complain about that because it was free to me, but it took well over a month to arrive at my house. I know it left the publisher’s facilities late but it still took about 4 weeks to arrive. I have not had a shipment take that long in years. It was not sent Media Mail through the USPS, that would almost be understandable, rather it was sent UPS. 
2. I would rather have all the devotionals together in either the very front of the Bible or the very back of the Bible. As it is they are scattered throughout the Bible. There is almost nothing I dislike more than reading the Word and having to skip every other page because of a devotional page. I have enough ADD/ADHD to lose my train of thought, especially when I have to turn multiple pages to continue my reading.
3. And lastly, I am becoming increasingly less “in-like” with the NIV. I think they are changing the text too much. For example, Hebrews 12:2 used to read, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…” and now reads “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” I have personally used the NIV for 25 years and now verses I had previously memorized in the NIV are not the same.

(I received a free copy of this Bible from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.)
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card Insight Notes author is:

Lysa TerKeurst

and the book:

NIV Real Life Devotional Bible for Women,
Insights for Everyday Life Notes

Zondervan; Special edition (March 19, 2013)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author and national speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith. She is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, author of 15 books, and encourages nearly 500,000 women worldwide through a daily online devotional. Her remarkable life story has captured audiences across America, including appearances on Oprah and Good Morning America. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five children.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This Bible will help you live up to your God-given potential. Insightful daily devotions written by the women at Proverbs 31 Ministries help you maintain life’s balance in spite of today’s hectic pace. Dive into the beauty and clarity of the NIV Bible text paired with daily devotions crafted by women just like you—women who want to live authentically and fully grounded in the Word of God.

Product Details:

List Price: $34.99

Hardcover: 1536 pages

Publisher: Zondervan; Special edition (March 19, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310439361

ISBN-13: 978-0310439363

AND NOW…SOME SAMPLE PAGES (CLICK ON PAGES TO ENLARGE):

 

Humble Orthodoxy By Josh Harris

from changedbythegospel.com

Humble Orthodoxy, Holding the Truth High without Putting People Down by Josh Harris is more than a timely word. It was a book that needed to be written.

The premise of the book came from his book, Dug Down Deep. The final chapter of that book was titled “Humble Orthodoxy” and it seems the readers were not shy about telling Josh that was their favorite chapter in the book and needed to be expounded on and given a book all its own. He,of course, obliged. Or maybe it was when Jon Piper told him to write a book on the subject.

Josh Harris, with a healthy dose of love and grace, seasoned with compassion, writes about the Christians need to be orthodox without being a jerk. We are to uphold the truth of Scripture without beating others about the head with it.

So many times we are either wishy-washy in regards to the truth of the Word because we don’t want to offend the world. Or we’re so convinced of our right-ness and their wrongness that we act like angry jerks.

Josh uses 2 Timothy as the text, or basis for this book. It works well. Paul was both staunchly enamored with the truth and was willing to die to defend it. He was not one to mince words with truth. But he was also full of love for all people.  We need to be the same way.

The book is just four little chapters, a total of 61 pages. But don’t let it’s small size fool you. It’s power packed full of goodness.  I think it could have well been a lot longer and the ideas expounded on even more. But as it is, it’s a quick enough read you can read every few days. It does come with a study guide in the back with questions to answer, a prayer and an action step to perform. I think this would work well for a short 4-week Bible study.

The book is small, both in volume and height. I am not sure I would have paid $10 for a copy. Unless I had read it first. Then I would know it is worth every penny.

I’ll leave you with my favorite line from the book. This one simply jumped off the page at me.

We are not those who are right; we are those who have been redeemed.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

Beginning Prayer by John Killinger

from barnesandnoble.com

Prayer is probably my biggest difficulty in the Christian life. Yes, I struggle with sin. But communing with God is difficult. When I saw the book Beginning Prayer by John Killinger I knew I had to read it.

Published by Upper Room Ministries (which as far as I can tell through research is a division of the United Methodist Church), Beginning Prayer is an easy read book, the flavor almost reminds me of an old book. It is written in an almost conversational tone, or at least like a college lecture with your favorite professor.

It doesn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things but at times I wasn’t sure if it was written by/to Catholics or by/to Protestants.  It could work very well with either group.  It lends itself to be very liturgical in nature.

The only thing I did not like about the book was he talks about chanting our prayers like one chants a mantra. Just a word or phrase over and over. He tells the story of one man who was given the task of praying “the prayer of Jesus” over and over, at first having to say it 30,000 times in a day. Within it week it was nearly tripled. Now he spends hours a day just chanting that one phrase.  He also talked of prayer in silence and said we need to “rid our mind of everything.” That to me sounds a little too much like transcendental meditation. Which I’m not interested in at all.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

 

Rock Harbor Search and Rescue by Colleen Coble and Robin Carroll

(Review written by my 10-year old)

I enjoyed this book because while I’ve never been put in a circumstance like this, the main character is kinda like me.

Emily O’ Reilly dreams of becoming a a part of the Rock Harbor Search-and-Rescue team and her dad and step-mom are even willing to pay half of the cost of a dog–if she will pay the rest.  Emily is thrilled! But then when an expensive necklace goes missing at the Fall Festival, all the clues point to Emily.

She sets out to find the real culprit. But with the clock ticking it looks like her puppy and reputation are lost forever. And to top it all off her mother, who tried to kill her little brother, is up for parol in a month.

Will Emily find the real culprit before time runs out? You’ll have to read it for yourself and see!

My thoughts….

I have not actually read this book. Both of my children have however. I love that the moment it arrived in the mail my 10-year old was all over it. Not only was she excited to get it she had it read by the next afternoon!  She does love to read but is not one to sit down and read for long periods of time. She needs to get up and move around. I’m pretty sure she gets that from me.  

I also love that Tommy Nelson publishes books I don’t have to wonder if they are appropriate for my children. I love being able to hand them a book to read and review and know there is nothing objectionable in them.

We are giving away one free copy of this book! Yay!!! Please enter below using rafflecopter. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 8th right here on the blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And to increase your desire for the book, I’m including the book trailer!

 

The Bare Naked Truth by Rebekah Joy Martin

image from amazon.com

The Bare Naked Truth is a hard-hitting, soft touch book about purity. Namely purity for girls. Author Rebekah (Bekah) shares funny personal stories to aid in getting her point across. Namely that girls do have a choice and there is only one right choice.

By “right” I don’t mean to alienate anyone who has made other choices, but by “right” I mean there is only one right choice without nasty consequences.

Each chapter is based on 10 lies girls believe about sex. They include:

• I have all the sex facts
• Waiting is for wusses
• Guys won’t want me it I’m not experienced
• Sex is Okay as long as it’s safe
• I’m the perfect virgin
• It’s okay to have sex as long as you’re in love.

Even though I’m well into my 4th decade of life, married with two children I enjoyed this book. I plan on using it in discussions with my children. Bekah uses stories and analogies I had not thought of on my own.  The book is an easy enough read for pre-teens, although the subject matter on  some chapters might be better suited to older teens.

The one thing I was confused about in the book was the tone seemed to be geared toward 8-12 year olds, but sometimes it seemed geared more toward girls in college or even post-college.  The subject matter on most chapters I would say is not for girls under 12. I have a 12 year old myself and I’m not sure I’ll hand her my nook and have her read the book on her own.  However, I do think it would be a great book for a mom and daughter to go through together.

At the end of each chapter, Bekah has a short multiple choice quiz. She calls it “The (Un)Scientific Quiz” and some questions for the reader, with space to answer.

The book doesn’t officially release until next Tuesday, May 7th, but you can pre-order it on amazon.com.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

from http://www.barnesandnoble.com

In 2005, 5 fishermen set sail from San Blas, Mexico for what they believed would be a regular job of net fishing. When a storm blew in and they lost their net, the captain would not return to port for rest and more fuel. He wanted that net, worth over $1000, and refused to rest until it was found. They crisscrossed the area until they ran short of fuel. Soon they were adrift.

Joe Kissack spent most of his adult life struggling to please his earthly father. He quickly rose in the ranks of television syndication.  He bought fast cars, fancy houses and still felt incredibly empty. He turned to alcohol and drugs and watched as his life unraveled.

The Fourth Fisherman is the story of both, Joe Kissack and the three remaining Mexican fishermen.  It is also the story of faith in God who pursues us.

The three fishermen spent 9 months adrift, floating out of control for 5,500 miles. They were found off the shores of Taiwan.  For almost all that time the only thing they had was each other and their faith in God. When Joe lost all his “gods” and discovered the only God he really needed, he found that God to be enough.

Joe tells the story will candor and a little humor. You will be captivated by both stories. I know I was. I liked the whole book, from the front cover to the back cover, with one exception. I did not like the way he treated his wife. He wasn’t abusive per  se but he did  not keep his promises and it didn’t seem to bother him. His wife went through a lot for him and because of him.

If you’re looking for a good story about unwavering faith in God, read this book!

 

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.

 

Get Back Up…Book Review!

Sheryl is celebrating the release of Get Back Up with a Kindle Fire Giveaway. Enter today!

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Get Back Up by Sheryl Giesbrecht

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 28th. Winner will be announced on 4/30/13 on the Litfuse blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

What’s Your Mark by Jeremy Cowart

This is a great book!!!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Jeremy Cowart

and the book:

What’s Your Mark?

 Zondervan; Special edition (March 19, 2013)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning photographer Jeremy Cowart has traveled the globe photographing some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industries. With boundless energy, indomitable faith and a mind ever-flowing with creative ideas, Cowart appears utterly tireless and rarely stops. There is always something unique and interesting going on in his world, whether it’s starring in an episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, raising money to fight poverty through his Twitter feed, teaching photography online or taking the cover shot for Tim Tebow‘s best-selling autobiography.

Born in Nashville, Cowart continues to make Music City his home. Here in the comfort of familiar surroundings he draws continual inspiration from his wife, Shannon, and their two beautiful children, Aidler and Eisley, ages five and seven. Though he clearly considers his craft a labor of joy, when not holding a camera he has time for his favorite pastime which is doing anything that involves his children, and much to his delight, joy around the Cowart home is about to increase as the family is in the process of adopting two children from Haiti.
Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

What do an actor, a TV producer, a businessman, and a leader in social justice causes have in common? They’re all making their mark on the world because their lives have been eternally marked by Jesus. You’ll be captivated, challenged, and changed as you read their stories in this full-color, fully illustrated softcover book created by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. With text from the Gospel of Mark, you are invited to ask—and answer—the question “What mark am I making?”

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 120 pages

Publisher: Zondervan; Special edition (March 19, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310411092

ISBN-13: 978-0310411093

AND NOW…A SNEAK PEEK. CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW THEM LARGER:

Rescuing Hope by Susan Norris

Every day in our world people, mainly girls and women, are sold into slavery. Most of them are sold into sexual slavery. A slavery they will more than likely never be released from. This is a horrible fact and one that I wish were not true.  Many people are working tirelessly to eradicate this travesty.

In hopes of adding to the growing publicity with the desire to stamp out modern-day slavery, Susan Norris has written a novel. Rescuing Hope is that novel.

Rescuing Hope is the story of Hope, a young girl who is raped by men hired by her mother to move them.  This sends her spiraling downward in despair. Despair makes her vulnerable to men who prey on women who are weak and not thinking clearly.  She is almost unknowingly sold into prostitution.  This is her story.

I hate that women are treated this way. I hate it. Hate doesn’t even seem to be a strong enough word.  I believe we do need to raise awareness that this happens even in our country. This is not an issue for developing countries only. It happens right here in America. I have heard the Super Bowl is on the biggest venues for sex trafficking.

I am not sure this book, however, is the way it should be done. It reads very much like the old John Benton novels about runaway girls who turn to prostitution.  Only more graphic. It’s not *that* graphic, but it is definitely more graphic than I want my girls, who are the ages this book is geared towards, to read.

I can not recommend this book.

 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. The opinions are mine alone.

Get Back Up by Sheryl Giesbrecht

Sometimes life knocks us down. We get bloodied, bruised, and dirty. So often when this happens we feel unfit for service, we feel we are a broken pot not fit for anything. We take ourselves out of ministry. That might not be God’s desire, not His plan. His plan is restoration.

Sheryl Giesbrecht knows what it means to let God pick her up, dust her off, heal her wounds and use her for increased ministry. She shares her story in Get Back Up, Trusting God when Life Knocks You Down. 

She gives a list of questions for the reader to answer at the end of each chapter. My only “trouble” with this was some of the questions seemed to me to be too focused on the “bad” thing that happened and not the grace and love of God. I’d rather focus on Him and how He can heal, than whatever issue I might have experienced. If we focus on the things of life that are hard that is all we can see. But when we focus not on troubles but on Jesus that is when we find true healing.

If you are struggling with some of life’s hard knocks, this might be a book for you. It’s an easy read and mostly biblically sound. I did find a few places she took a few liberties with the Bible, and we know I’m not a fan of that at all, but for the most part it’s Scriptural.

For me the book didn’t really teach anything. (and I shudder to say that.) It almost seemed more a list of “this happened to me and God did…..”. Which is good! I love hearing how God works in other people’s lives. I was expecting a more hands-on approach to trusting God when life knocks me down than I found in the pages.  She does give some very practical suggestions and does encourage the reader to focus on Jesus. Which is a VERY GOOD thing!

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.