The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook

December 17, 2014December 16, 2014 - Amy 18 Comments

The following is a review and post written by my darling husband!

I have been a student of the Bible for about two years and make it a goal to dig deeper into the Word in a variety of ways: through One Year Bible daily Bible reading, Verse by Verse ministries audio Bible during my commute, and learning memory verses. So I was excited when I was recently asked to review The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook. This handbook has a load of full-color pages, color photos and illustrations, cool maps and charts, and articles by leading evangelical scholars. It is intended to help the reader grasp God’s word and understand how each book of the Bible fits together into God’s overarching purpose. It will help you more effectively interpret the Bible and apply it to your life. Below are my key takeaways.

This is not a Bible

I thought I would be reviewing a Bible, but I found out pretty quickly once getting into the book of Genesis that I, in fact, was not reviewing a Bible. Instead, this is a reference guide to the Bible — as indicated in the title, it is a Bible Handbook. This can be seen as a supplement and guide to reading your Bible, but not a replacement. I will point out that by the nature of being a summary of the Bible, it is inevitable that certain details are lost in the process.

High Level – 50,000 Ft. View

This handbook does a good job of summarizing the Bible. This would help someone new to the faith or young in the faith to grasp the vision of the overall message of the Bible and to see how the books of the Bible fit together. Each book of the Bible is almost like a cliffs-notes version of the book. Some examples of this book that I particularly enjoyed are The Grand Story of the Bible showing how the grand story is summarized into Opening, Problem, Resolution, Climax, and Closing as well as How the Bible is Organized which shows and explains the sections of the Bible (Old Testament: Pentateuch, Historical Books, Psalms, Wisdom Books, Prophets, New Testament: The Gospels, Book of Acts, Letters of Paul, General Letters, and Revelation.)

Going Deeper

This handbook also does an excellent job of arranging facts, maps, and charts of information, simplifying what would otherwise be complex. A great example of this is found in the The Beginning and The End section which gives a chart matching up events in Genesis (“The Beginning”) and Revelation (“The End”) showing how the beginning elements in Genesis find their conclusion in Revelation. An example would be: Sinful people are banished from the presence of God in Genesis 3:24; But God lives among his people in Revelation, effectively restoring them to His presence (Revelation 21:3, 7, 22; 22:4.) Digging deeper, for each book of the Bible, this handbook covers important historical context as well as information on the author of the book, the audience, the heart of the message being communicated, and any interesting / unique facts about the book. It includes letters from Bible scholars throughout. It also has Part II and Part III sections which respectively cover How the Bible Came to Be and Digging Deeper into the Bible.

In summary, this is a great and unique companion resource for the Word of God. It is easy to read and understand and is well organized. I am excited to own a copy and plan on referencing it.

Grab a copy of The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook for $29.97 at Family Christian right now!

And you might just be able to use this to do it…

$50 Family Christian Appreciation Certificate Giveaway
(can be used in-store and online)

This giveaway will end on December 26th at 11:59pm CT. I will contact the winner on December 27th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them, I will then name a new winner.The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook was provided for review purposes by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Finding Gratitude

November 26, 2014February 14, 2017 - Amy Leave a comment

Everything in my home seems to be breaking. I kinda want to break up with it. It started with the hot water heater. Next came our van. Then it was the heat in the bonus room. Now ladies and gentlemen, it is our garage door. We’ve gone without hot water, used only one car, went without heat upstairs, and now have to walk allllllll the way around the house to get into our car. You gotta love being a homeowner.

My girls are at a stage where they actually play together. They are 4 years apart and you’d never know it some days. They pull each other around in the laundry basket and make sweet cards for each other. But that sisterly love can go from sweet and innocent to completely mean in a matter of moments. I go from watching them frolic in the sibling daisies to surviving the prickly thickets of contention.

Sometimes I just find myself consumed in the things that are wrong with my life. I can just see God looking at me thinking, “Are you kidding me? LOOK at how I have blessed you, my child.” The fact is, I’m spoiled.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In ALL circumstances. That one is easier said than done after all the circumstances that I listed above. How do I change my discontentment to gratitude?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God achat viagra fr. – Philippians 4:6

First, we can see that if we’re discontent, then we’re worrying. Worrying about what others have that we don’t have. Focusing on what we lack. Second, if our heart is filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction it can’t also then be filled with thanksgiving.

How great is our God? He’s bigger than broken heaters and fussy children. He has a much bigger and better plan for us than that.

Thankfulness is mentioned over and over in the Bible. Every good and perfect gift if from God. (James 1:17) Give thanks to the Lord, calling upon his name, making known his deeds among the people. (Psalm 105:1) I could go on and on.

Beyond all of the problems with my home, vehicles, and arguing children, I see the incredible blessing of a home and a family. Let’s do our best to focus on the blessings of God in our lives, rather than the attempts of the enemy to take them away. Each time that we choose to be thankful with what we have, the devil loses a chance for a stronghold.

Where do you see God in your circumstances? When you find Him, you have found thankfulness.

God is thrilled when we open our eyes to find Him revealed. Isn’t that His ultimate goal? It’s what we were created for! To bring Him glory! What good things is God doing in your life? Are your eyes open for Him to be revealed? Make a list of your blessings. Sometimes writing it out can help you to see it all more clearly.

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for so much. To have a home with things inside (even if those things break occasionally). I’m thankful for my entire family and friends. But most of all, I’m thankful for a God who fiercely loves me enough to continue blessing me every day, even when I don’t always see it.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever. – Psalm 118:1

CLOSED For Such a Time as This {Giveaway}

November 21, 2014December 22, 2014 - Amy 10 Comments

The Bible is full of amazing stories isn’t it? Stories of love, hate, deceit, and loyalty. Examples of the way we should live our lives and also how we shouldn’t. There are some awesome stories about courageous men that with God’s power overcame otherwise impossible circumstances. I mean. The Bible is kinda tha bomb.

Though we often times relate the courageous stories in the Bible to men, I want to focus for a minute on the women. Yep, let’s give it up for the ladies. They are a huge part of the Bible, too. Some were not the smartest crayons in the box, but the Bible also shares the stories of many brave and amazing women, too.

My personal favorite story of a woman in the Bible is Ruth. I think that the book of Ruth is one of great loyalty. And also of great love. After the death of her husband and her father-in-law, Ruth decided to stick by her mother-in-law even though she was urged to go back home. Through emotional and physical support, she was extremely faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi through the hardest of times. I gotta tell you, that must not have been easy. Think about it. She left her own family (Momma and Daddy) to be with her mother-in-law. Mother. In. Law. She was armed with love and a bazooka loaded with grace. That’s what I’m guessing.

Leaving everything she knew behind, Ruth stayed to care for Naomi. She began gathering leftover grain behind farmers in the fields to provide food. A rich landowner named Boaz began to bless them providing more grain and welcoming Ruth. She listened to the wise advice of Naomi and they began to thrive. Eventually Boaz and Ruth got married, and both she and Naomi were taken care of from then on.

What a friendship those two shared. One based on loyalty, family, and God’s plan. I just love to read about the women in the Bible who made a difference.

I was thrilled when I got a chance to review For Such a Time as This by Angie Smith! I had the privilege of meeting Angie back in 2010 (I believe) and she is such a sweet soul. This book is jam packed full of stories about women in the Bible. A whopping total of 40 examples of women who made a difference. The stories are retold so that girls can understand and read them and the illustrations are just amazing! It’s as though the stories come alive.

At the end of each story, there is a “He, Me, She” section where you can go a little deeper with your daughter about the story. The “He” section is about how God was involved in the story. The “Me” section is about the reader and how the truth of the story can be applied to her life. And the “She” section is for the parents to pray over their daughter. I just LOVED this part of the book.

My girls really enjoyed this book. It is requested each night! Some of the women in the book are women that aren’t spotlighted in the Bible. It’s awesome to see perspective on the women that we don’t normally hear about. I encourage you to check out For Such a Time as This. It would make such a great Christmas gift for a daughter or niece. Buy one for yourself! I think I enjoyed just as much as my girls. 😉

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$25 Family Christian Appreciate Certificate Giveaway

To build up some excitement around this book, I’m so happy to be able to offer a $25 Appreciate Certificate to one of YOU from Family Christian. With Christmas coming up, this will surely come in handy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Saturday, November 29th at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 30th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only.

I received a copy of Such a Time as This for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Sorry, But You Can’t Do That Alone

October 23, 2014October 22, 2014 - Amy Leave a comment

The average person consumes 2 bottles of ketchup per year. The average lifespan of a squirrel is 9 years. The average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in their lifetime. And the average number of times that I tell my children “don’t do that” or “stop that” is approximately 63 times per day. Per child.

Children don’t understand that there are times when they simply can’t do things alone. Recently my 7 year-old decided that she was thirsty. So thirsty that she decided to skip the part about asking for help from a parent and do it herself. Can you see where this is going? Our pitcher of juice is on the very top shelf in our refrigerator. It’s a french door on top and freezer on the bottom so it’s very tall.

She manages to get the pitcher (full of juice) off the shelf. Then as she is slowly walking to her cup, the moving waves inside the pitcher cause her to slop juice all over the floor leaving a juice trail behind. As you would imagine, this is the moment when I walk in the room and see what’s going on. The first words out of my mouth are, “You need to ask for help with that. You can’t do that alone.” And like most mother’s, I added, “Do you understand me?” The first words out her mouth were, “I’m sorry”,

There are just some things that we can’t do. Here are some things that I can’t do:

Change a flat tire
Crochet
Eat raw oysters
Tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue
Ice skate
Tell a joke

The list goes on. I’m alright with not being able to do these things. I thought I was really good at ice skating until I busted my bum. That’s all it takes to keep this girl off the ice for a good long while.

Though we’re not helpless children anymore, there are many things that God wants us to see that we cannot do by ourselves.

What about some of the harder things in life? Like overcoming anxiety, depression, or addictions. Forgiveness. Healing. Gaining courage in the midst of fear. Provision through a drought. These may seem completely unattainable and they are. To you. You simply cannot do these things on your own.

But with God you can.

You simply have to trust that He will. Jesus says…

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

The Bible says that we can do anything through Christ.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13

As humans, especially type-A humans *ahem*, we can be a little controlling. It’s natural for some more than others. This makes it hard for us to hand the reins of our problems, illnesses, relationships, and addictions over to God.

Sometimes God finds me just like my 7 year-old daughter, mid-pour with juice all over the floor. And I have to say, “I’m sorry God. I should have asked for your help.”

He is waiting. His hands are wide open waiting for your burdens. Whatever it is, He will walk through it with you. He will bring you to a place of peace no matter how bad that situation is. Make your plans, but turn the over to God before you carry them out.

It’s ok to be thirsty. We are ALL thirsty for the Living Water that comes from the Father. Just make sure that before you scale the refrigerator, grab the pitcher, and slosh juice all over the floor on the way to fill up your cup, you ask for help.