The Big Picture Interactive Bible (CSB) by B & H Kids

Are you considering buying a new Bible for your child or giving one as a gift? B&H Kids has come out with an updated Bible version for The Big Picture Interactive Bible.  This updated version is called the Christian Standard Bible, an updated version of the Holman Christian Standard Bible. The goal of this version is to combine a literal translation with easy readability. This Bible includes many different special features.  They are as follows:
* Interactive Full-Page Color Illustrations with Digital Pop-Up
   App
* Introductions for Every Book of the Bible
* Christ Connections
* 100 Verse to Remember
* Big-Words Dictionary
* Big Questions and Answers
* "Seeing the Big Picture" Feature
* CBS Text

This Bible is full of color and the full page illustrations are sure to draw your child's attention.  I appreciate that they have Christ Connections from Genesis to Revelation to help your child realize that the whole Bible points to Jesus. The app is a fun interactive tool, but does have some limitations. The app is a free download, but does use 1.1 GB of your memory. Using the app is pretty self-explanatory, but you do have to hold your device directly over the page in order to hear the story being read. If you move away from the Bible, the story will stop and you'll have to start the story over again from the beginning. This could prove frustrating for kids. This Bible version is readable, and I like that there is a section on the page you are reading to explain bigger words used in the text. This Bible would make a great gift for kids ages 8-12 years old, and would promote them reading Scripture on their own.

My Rating: ★★★★



***I received this Bible for free from the publisher.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Answers to Prayer by George Muller (Read and Reflect with the Classics Series)

This is one of those books that needs to be in your home library! Answers to Prayer is a compilation of journal entries by George Muller that gives the reader a glimpse into the life he lived by walking in faith day by day. This book is part of the Read and Reflect series by B&H Publishing Group that combines great classic literature with Bible study suggestions and thought provoking questions.

Who was George Muller?
From the Back Cover: George Muller was an English Christian Evangelist in the nineteenth century. He devoted his life to directing the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. In his lifetime he cared for more than 10,000 orphans. This alone is a great feat of faith, but what makes him a pillar of prayer in Christian history is that he never once requested financial support for the orphanage, nor did he ever go into debt. He prayed for what was needed, and God provided--many times hours before funds or provisions were needed. His story and journals stand as the picture of God's faithfulness.

My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  George Muller left a legacy that was meant to encourage all of those in his present age and in years to come. And truly his story is one that encourages us still today. George Muller's first thought when facing anything in life was to bring it in prayer before the God he trusted with everything. This thinking was as natural to him as breathing air. I love his perspective on life. How he views everything as God's purpose and plan even down to the tiniest detail. What a testimony not only to the believing, but also to the world of what God can do when we have a different perspective on life, a heavenly perspective.
If you want to read a book that will encourage your faith, pick up this classic, Answers to Prayer. These stories will not only encourage you, but will also direct your gaze upward to the One whom they glorify.

My Rating:
★★★★★

Other books in this series are: 
The Christian's Secret to A Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Humility by Andrew Murray
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon
The Imitation of Christ by Thoma a Kempis
Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray
(These books are available in hardback or e-book.)


***I received this free book from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano

Do you enjoy fun stories with the main heroine having a personality all their own? Then you will want to pick up Jen Turano's newest book Behind the Scenes.  This is the first book in Jen's new Apart From the Crowd series.

In Behind the Scenes, Miss Permilia Griswold has been cast aside as a wallflower at the society events during the social season.  But she really doesn't mind since she doesn't care to become a part of the fashionable set. When an opportunity comes to use her anonymity at these fashionable events, she jumps at the chance. Her job is to write a column for the New York Sun and detail events that the public would love to know about that happen behind the closed doors of society. In order to maintain her cover, she writes under the assumed name of "Miss Quill."  Of course this creates quite the stir in society, and if anyone where to find out, she would certainly be cast out of society and possibly bring her family to ruin.   But when Permilia overhears a murder plot to harm Mr. Asher Rutherford, a local department store owner,  she is determined to intervene and notify him of the danger that lurks ahead.

Jen's books have a way of making me smile as I read them.  The main characters in her books have such a quirky personality that lead to some hilarious scenes.  And it really doesn't take much imagination to envision these scenes since Jen's use of words paints a clear picture of the comical situation the characters have found themselves in. This book is just fun to read and I would definitely recommend it to pick up for your summer reading.  I was hooked after the first few pages and had a hard time putting the book down.  Be sure to watch for the next book in this series, Out of the Ordinary, coming out November 2017.

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received this free book from Bethany House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

The 10 Commandments of Marriage by Ed Young

Marriage is one of those topics where you are continually learning how to make things better for your relationship. Since we are imperfect people, we need frequent reminders to help us along the way.  In Ed Young's book, the 10 Commandments of Marriage, he shares 10 ways to help a marriage be better.

What are those 10 commandments?
1. Thou Shalt Be Selfless
2. Thou Shalt Have No Strings Attached
3. Thou Shalt Continually Communicate
4. Thou Shalt Make Conflict Thy Ally
5. Thou Shalt Avoid the Quicksand of Materialism
6. Thou Shalt Flee Sexual Temptation--Online and Otherwise
7. Thou Shalt Forgive Thy Mate--490 Times and More
8. Thou Shalt Romance the Home
9. Thou Shalt Begin Again and Again
10. Thou Shalt Build a Winning Team

I thought that the book was well written and addressed many of the areas that marriages are vulnerable to attack by satan and our present culture.  Many of the concepts are ones that I had already been taught, but some of the topics were just good to be reminded again of a having proper focus in marriage.  I think that the book would be useful especially for engaged and newlywed couples.  The first chapter and later chapters seemed more relevant to those who have been married for a while. If you're looking for a book to refresh your perspective in your marriage, then pick up the 10 Commandments in Marriage.

My Rating: ★★★

***I received this book free from Moody Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Too Deep for Words by Andrea Boeshaar

     Do you enjoy novels set during the time of the Civil War?  Andrea Boeshaar has a new series called, Shenandoah Valley Saga, and the second book in this series, Too Deep for Words, has just been released.  This story begins with Carrie Ann Bell and Colonel Peyton Collier being recently married. With war raging all around them, Carrie knows that Peyton life is in God's hands.  When Peyton comes up missing after a battle, Carrie refuses to believe that he is really dead since they haven't found his body.  Everyone tells her to accept the truth, but she just can't let go of this feeling that he is still alive.  Carrie is willing to go to dangerous lengths to find out if her instincts are right, but what will she find? Peyton or a broken heart?

I thought this was an interesting story to follow up the first novel. The author does keep you guessing all throughout the book as to what has happened to Colonel Peyton Collier.  I appreciated all the research Andrea Boeshaar put into writing this novel.  The story transports the reader to another time and gives them a glimpse of our nation's past history.  This was one of those books that was hard to put down especially not knowing how things would end, and it had me racing to the end. The way this book ended definitely leads to another book, and I'm looking forward to reading the third book in this series, There is a Season, which will be released in 2018.  If you're looking for a fun historical series to start, pick up this new series by Andrea Boeshaar. These books are fun and captivating.

You can read my review of this first book in this series, One Thousand Shall Fall, by clicking here.

***I received this free book from Kregel Publications.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.