God Bless My School by Hannah Hall, Steve Whitlow (Illustrations)

God Bless My School

by Hannah Hall, Steve Whitlow (Illustrations)

   What a sweet book this is, perfect for the beginning of the school year! Preschoolers will love this smooth, shiny board book with the delightful illustrations. I think the artist did adorable renditions of the critters represented in this book. On a personal look, I am happy that they chose to include a red panda, my favourite of little critters. The text in this book will point children to a worshipful view of life and school. The perfect addition to your preschool's library, or a great gift to give your little one this month.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are you ready for some brand-new fun—at school?

These cuddly critters have got their school supplies and are ready for big adventures! Help your own little learner look forward to exciting activities and new friends and—most of all—remember that God is with them everywhere they go.

The King James Study Bible, Full-Color Edition by Thomas Nelson

The King James Study Bible, Full-Color Edition

by Thomas Nelson

  What a wonderful Bible this is. Of course the Bible is itself the most wonderful Book of all, but some versions are especially helpful for personal study. Such is this edition of the Bible. In the classic and beloved King James Version, this Bible includes full-colour pictures of places and historical objects in the Bible. This helps the reader gain a proper idea of what is going on in both the Old and New Testament. This Bible is perfect for Bible scholars and history lovers. It is a large size, but perfect for at-home study. The photo provided is of the box holding the Bible. The book itself is bound in brown simile leather and is very impressive. With all the illustrations and photos and notes in this Bible, it will make a wonderful addition to your Bible studies. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The King James Study Bible, Full-Color Edition is the most complete and comprehensive KJV study Bible available. Comprehensive book introductions, doctrinal articles, study notes, commentaries, personality profiles, word studies, and archaeological insights will help you experience the riches of God’s Word. The full-color design, Holy Land images, classic works of art, charts, and maps further enhance your Bible reading experience. With all these features, plus special subject indexes, Christ’s words in red, and an extensive concordance, no other KJV Bible offers more to students of the Holy Bible.

Features include:

Time-honored KJV Bible text Center-column references with translation notes Beautiful full-color pages and features Hundreds of full-color maps, images, and charts 5,700 authoritative and time-tested study notes Over 100 archaeological notes Over 100 Personality Profiles highlighting important figures in Scripture More than 200 notes on important Christian doctrines Book introductions and outlines Indexes and word-study concordance

The Mission Walker: I was given three months to live... by Edie Littlefield Sundby

The Mission Walker: I was given three months to live...

by Edie Littlefield Sundby

What a story this is! I love reading autobiographies- they are one of my absolute favorite genres of books. I have been blown away by several books written about and by people who, through God's grace have conquered death. In this particular one, the author documents her life battling cancer which threatened to take her life within three months. I was amazed by her desire to live and her strength to fight through each day of pain and the daily rigour of treatments and doctor's visits and bad news. 

Personally, I was a little confused by the faith held by the author, Edie Sundby. The beliefs expressed in this book would not offend anyone of Christian, Catholic, Orthodox (the author thought highly of a blessing given to her by an Orthodox priest) and maybe even Buddhist? I just found the author didn't attribute her healing to Jesus as much as she ought to have. However, this was an inspiring read and I would hope to have as much strength and will to fight cancer as she did. 

  Of course, that is not all there is to this book. As the title suggests, this book focuses on the author's miraculous walking journey  across southwestern America. Edie's goal was to live the last days of her life to the fullest and she truly enjoyed herself and continues to find zest in life. Personally, I don't know how necessary it is to walk across difficult terrain when you could die any day. I would rather invest in different relationships while staying active if possible as well as sharing the love of Jesus during my last days. However, as I'm sure is the case already, Edie's tenacity is an example and encouragemt to other cancer victimes to fight to live.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Edie Sundby was diagnosed with metastatic cancer and given only three months to live, she vowed to fight. She sought out the best care that the medical community could offer, and she relied on the faith she had inherited from her cotton-farmer parents. But Edie also found healing through movement. Edie knew that if she was still walking, she was still alive.

"The Mission Walker" is both an adventure story and a reflection on the universal experience of confronting our own mortality. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Edie’s story shows that the sum of a million steps is a life forever changed.

Girl Talk Guy Talk: Devotions for Teens by Jesse Florea, Karen Whiting

Girl Talk Guy Talk: Devotions for Teens

by Jesse Florea, Karen Whiting 

This is a good book for young teens. As I read this book, I thought the advice a little basic so decided this book is best for the early teen years. I thought it interesting that the page-long chapters alternated between ''girl talk'' and ''guy talk'', making this book good for both boys and girls. Although this book is geared towards both, I assure you there was nothing in the girl chapters a guy shouldn't read and vice versa. I always appreciate when a book for young teens focuses on Biblical values and this one does. This is a good book to give a teen to read on his or her own or to use in a study. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

One of the most awkward things about growing up is learning to communicate with the opposite sex. What is she thinking? Why did he do that? Teen guys and girls know they often don't understand the opposite sex or know how to talk to one another.

Communication is a key tool in life. We interact with words, gestures, and movements. The devotions in Girl Talk Guy Talk give insights that focus on different aspects of teen life to help both guys and girls better understand and communicate with the opposite sex. Various styles of devotions, including stories, checklists, quizzes, fact-based news, text messages, and skill-building tips will encourage and equip young girls and guys to understand how the opposite sex is wired and how to best relate with them.

God's Crime Scene by J. Warner Wallace

God's Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe (Paperback) 
by J. Warner Wallace 

I was pleasantly surprised by this unique book! The author put a lot of thought and preparation into this book! Kids of a variety of ages will find this book fun to read. I absolutely loved how the author manages to keep young reader's attention (I know because as I read this I imagined myself reading it at age 8 or a little older), while introducing Bible facts concerning God's creation of the world, and salvation! I was immensely pleased with the book. Of course, older children might be a little disappointed that there is no real mystery. However, with a little word of preparation they will still read and enjoy the book. Younger (age 7, 8) readers will of course love it either way!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

In this companion to Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, Jason uncovers a mystery in his grandmother’s attic. He and his friends, Hannah, Daniel and Jasmine, enlist the help of Detective Jeffries at the Jr. Detective’s Academy. Along the way, they develop the skills needed to investigate the mystery and the evidence of God’s existence. The cadets learn logical-thinking skills as they examine the contents of a mysterious box and the vast universe.
 
In God’s Crime Scene for Kids, real-life detective J. Warner Wallace shows kids ages 8 to 12 what skills are needed to solve Jason’s mystery, and at the same time looks at evidence in the universe that demonstrates God is the creator. Ultimately, kids will learn how to make their own case for God’s existence.

NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible by Zondervan

NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible, Full Color Interior: Explore the Story of the Bible---People, Places, and History

by Zondervan

   An excellent Bible for children to use! Young Bible readers will find the numerous visual aids interesting and helpful. There are also notes in the margins of every page, intriguing for not only children but adults as well. I speak from personal experience. This Bible has the popular NIV translation text paired with helpful explanations of different portions and words from the Bible. Parents will find the notes appropriate for younger readers (not going too in-depth with sexual portions of the Old Testament). This is a good beginner's Bible.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible, for ages 8–12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near the relevant verse. Intriguing facts; colorful, engaging maps; photographs; and illustrations make this a Bible they’ll want to explore.

Features:

Over 700 four-color photographs, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout 
Full-color design 
Book introductions, including important facts and an image to orient the reader 
One-column format with side bar study notes for ease of reading 
Presentation page 
The complete text of the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible 

Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul by Hannah Anderson

Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul

by Hannah Anderson 

   What an excellent book this was! The author uses examples from nature to explain biblical truths. Personally, as one who has always loved nature and cultivating the earth, the thoughts and word pictures in this book really interested me. Even if you don't consider yourself an outdoors person this book had a fresh perspective on humility that I think every woman should experience. In fact, I did not expect this book to be one of the best I'd ever read but was happily surprised. I was convicted and taught throughout the chapters of this easy-to-read book. The author uses simple examples from nature paired with life-changing truths from the Bible which will really change your perspective on life. This book is a must-read, especially for women! 

Find abundance in a humble life.

A lot of books these days are trying to diagnose our discontentment—too busy, too distracted, too hard on ourselves, too (fill-in-the-blank).

While many of us could do to simplify, peace is not about productivity, saying no, or any other external. It’s about saying yes to our dependence on God. This is what Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul is all about.

Exploring Jesus’ “Come unto me” invitation, Philippians 2, and various texts from the Gospels, Hannah Anderson reveals:

The cause, nature, and dangers of busyness and self-dependence 
The myriad benefits of humility
What humility is (and isn’t), and why it’s essential to our identity
How Christ modeled humility through His incarnation
How humility plays out in our salvation and sanctification
How to learn humility and walk in dependence on God
The reason many of us feel so unsettled is that we are attempting to be something we were never intended to be—it’s an internal issue. We need to recover a theology of creaturehood that leads to true abundance, and Humble Roots is the perfect place to start.