Book Review: The Sequin Sparkle and Change Bible

Book Description

The Sequin Sparkle and Change Bible is sure to be a hit with girls! This fabulous material is on everything from pillows to T-shirts. The "mermaid" sequins change color right before your eyes. Girls will love the design and will want to carry the Sparkle and Change Bibles with them everywhere!

This Sequin Sparkle and Change Bible features rainbow sequins that change color depending on which way your child swipes. It’s double the fun! It’s perfect for kids ages 6 to 10 to take to Sunday school, read with the family, or study on their own.

The ICB, the first Bible translation created specifically for children, is easy for children to read and understand with a third-grade reading level and is typeset in a large, readable font. The Bible text is set in ten-point type, with bold in-text subject heads that help kids easily find the passages they are looking for. Also included are boldface words that correspond with a dictionary and concordance entry to explain word definitions. A great new feature in this updated setting is more than 300 key verses that are highlighted throughout the Bible for kids to read and learn. The beautifully illustrated insert pages are in a style that children love and will delight their imaginations, including topics such as:

A Bible timeline
A presentation page
A place to keep favorite Bible verses
Bible maps
Articles on topics such as how Jesus loves them, knowing Jesus better, and how to pray, etc.

Your little girl will love her Sequin Sparkle and Change Bible!

My Reflection:

This Bible features the now trendy sequin changing design that is all the rage amongst children of all ages right now. You see this type of cover on everything from pillows to t-shirts, so it is no surprise that it now is featured on a Bible!

My daughter loves the texture and the versatility on the cover of this Bible, she has already spent much time making different designs on the cover to go ahead and erase them and start fresh. I am glad that Bibles are so diverse in their design and style, yet keeping with a traditional layout within. The pages are sturdy and of good quality, ready for young hands and eager minds. The layout is much as you would expect, with timeline, scripture reference space and colourful maps. 

Any child will love this beautifully appointed Bible, it would make a wonderful addition to your regular family devotional time. If you are looking for a gift idea this may be just what you are searching for.

Bible has been provided courtesy of Bool Look Publishers, thank you Book Look!

Book Review: The Art of Parenting, Aiming Your Child's Heart Toward God

From the Back:

Embrace God's Purpose and Plan for Your family parenting is an exciting adventure, full of twists and turns. But sometimes it feels like you don't know where you're headed, or you're just making it up as you go along. How can you get where you want to be without having a plan in place?

Dennis and Barbara Rainey have spent decades teaching on the foundations necessary for building godly families. Now they share the insights and expertise gleaned from those years of ministry, as well as stories and teaching from their own children about the challenges of parenting today. The Art of Parenting focuses your attention on four crucial elements in your children's lives:

1. Relationships--fostering godly connections with others
2. Character--learning to live wisely and honorably
3. Identity--understanding who they are in Christ
4. Mission--understanding why they are here

When you apply biblical truth to these four areas, you can feel confident your children will have a foundation they can build upon for the rest of their lives.

My Reflections:

This book. Wow. in my years as a parent I have read more parenting books than I care to admit. In the attempt to be the parent I didn't have I strive to know the answers to the questions that elude me as a mom. 
No matter if you had the perfect parents growing up, or none at all, Dennis and Barbara Rainey share wisdom paired with practical applications on how to grow your child's heart for God. This book feels like you have two caring, wise and loving mentors cheering you on in the journey you find your self on.

Some days feel like I am just barely hanging on as a parent, the pressures of work, homeschooling, driving the kids everywhere, making nutritious food and keeping the house clean..ish all seem like too much some days. However, it is my life, my joy, and as my children grow and develop into the people God is leading them to be I see his hand in it all. He has this, I don't need to stress. These are his children too, he has a plan, I just need to listen and follow his lead.

Reading books that are so well written like "The Art of Parenting" help make God's plan that more clear. This book breaks down the fundamental elements to steering your child's life in the right direction. This all starts with you really. How is your prayer life? Do you turn to God when the road gets bumpy? Do you read the Bible? (Yep, I've still got lots to work on too, no judgment here) We are all on the same path bumbling along trying to make the right choices for our families. Reading good solid scripture based parenting books has made me feel more confident and ready for that sometimes bumpy but always joyful journey!

So if you are looking to read a fantastic book on Parenting this one may be just what you're looking for!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Dennis Rainey

Dennis Rainey is the president and cofounder of FamilyLife, a Cru ministry. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and hosts conferences on marriage, men's ministry, and parenting. Dennis is the daily host of the nationally syndicated radio program...

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Barbara Rainey

Barbara Rainey (www.familylifetoday.com) is a wife, mother of six adult children (plus three sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law), and "Mimi" to twenty-one grandchildren. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts...

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Dave Boehi

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Book Review: It's Okay Not to Be Okay

From The Back:

When Sheila Walsh discovered "I'm not good enough and I'm good with that," everything started to change.We've all experienced that moment when we wish we could start all over again. Failed marriages, lost friends, addictions, lost jobs. This is not the life we imagined. Yesterday can leave us stuck, sad, shamed, scared, and searching. Sheila wants you to face the pain head-on and then start again, from right where you are.

In It's Okay Not to Be Okay, she helps you overcome the same old rut of struggles and pain by changing the way you think about God, yourself, and your everyday life. She shares practical, doable, daily strategies that will help you move forward one step at a time, knowing God will never let you down.

It's never too late to start again . . . and there is healing and freedom in just taking the first step.


Not self-help. God help.

My Reflections: I have been in love with Sheila Walsh's stories and humour since I was a young mom and attending the "Women of Faith" Conferences in Vancouver. Her honest, heartfelt way draws people in making them privy to her heart, leading them to God in the process. 

Her newest book It's "Okay Not to Be Okay" delves in deeper, Walsh leads her readers to the truth, not merely fluffy feel-good platitudes. Hope and encouragement ring loud in this book making this a fantastic read for all women in all stages of life. 
Be prepared to laugh, cry and evaluate your life and the lens you view it through. I so love how God works in our lives, he always pairs something he is trying to convey with an affirmation. Our sermon this Sunday was about the measuring stick we use to judge our expectations and life through. This sermon hit some of the same themes of this book, love how God hit's his mark!

I enjoyed that Walsh peppers her chapters with real-life stories, practical applications to her teaching and lots of scripture to soak in. I usually can get through a book in one or two days, I'm a fast reader who digs in and absorbs the pages, however, this one took me much longer as I re-read and jotted key facts down. I will most certainly be returning to this book again and again, as it is too packed to leave for just one sitting. 

If you are looking to grow in your faith, challenge your views and expectations this book gives you the roadmap to break free from the pressures of the world's expectations. Be ready to be shaken and encouraged. 
The title of this book has become a "thing" in our house, my kids often say, "mom, it's okay not to be Okay"! 
I hope to read more books by Walsh in the future. I pray it has the same effect on you as it has had on me, one book, one sermon at a time God uses everything to get our attention and grow us to the person we will one day become.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Sheila Walsh

Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and bestselling author with more than 5 million books sold. She is the author of the award-winning Gigi, God's Little Princess and In the Middle of the Mess. She is cohost of LIFE...

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