Book Review :: NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible

This week I am reviewing a variety of Bibles here on my blog, and today's review is about the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible. There are two versions of the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible: the hardcover version and the imitation leather version. I am reviewing the hardcover version.

The NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible hardcover is sturdy and comes with a dust jacket. The hardcover is printed with the same image as the front of the dust jacket, but does not include the back cover text. 

The NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible has all black text (including the words of Christ) with medium brown headings, laid out in two columns. This is the NIV version of the Bible (© 1973, 1978, 1984, & 2011). The text is standard size - not large, but not extra small. There are no study notes in the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible, but it does contain some basic footnotes.

There are a total of 312 devotional readings placed throughout the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible text. (The devotionals are each one full page, so they do not interrupt the flow if you are just reading Scripture.) Having 312 devotionals means that they can be completed in a year by reading 6 per week for each of the 52 weeks of the year. The devotionals also link to corresponding passages of the Bible, and if you stick to the 6 per week/52 week plan, you will have read the entire Bible (and the devotionals) in one year. There is a full reading schedule on pages vii-xii of the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible.

Each devotional is divided into three sections: "God's Story", "The King's Heart", and "Insight". "God's Story" is a summary of the scripture that you will read. After reading the "God's Story" portion of the devotional, you should then read the corresponding Scripture. Once you have read the corresponding Scripture, you will want to come back to read "The King's Heart" portion of the devotional. This portion is a more in-depth look at the passage and what God has revealed to us through it. Finally, the "Insight" portion of the devotional includes some additional information that you may not already know. The devotionals are good, thought-provoking, and bring to light more about God & His love.

In addition to the devotionals, there are book introductions/overviews for each book of the Bible in the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible. 

There are no maps or concordance like you might find in many Bibles. At the back of the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible is a "Table of Weights and Measures" and 6 themed "Tour of the Bible Reading Plans". The "Tour of the Bible Reading Plans" are laid out in either 90 or 30 days, making them great to use for monthly reading plans.

With both a Bible and 312 devotionals in one, I find the NIV Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible to be a great value and a wonderful tool for our spiritual walk.
FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers by Diane Stortz, illustrated by Sheila Bailey

The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers is a padded hardcover book with boardbook pages. There are 32 boardbook pages total (with 4 pages/2 page openings per story). 

The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers is written by Diane Stortz and illustrated by Sheila Bailey. The illustrations are big and colorful - they take up the majority of each page, leaving room for just a few lines of text on each page. Because the stories are short, there is not a lot of "fluff" in with the basic facts as you might find in many Bible storybooks. 

The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers contains 8 Bible stories:

Old Testament stories:

- "A Perfect World" (creation)

- "Safe in a Big Boat" (Noah's ark)

- "Saving Baby Moses" (baby Moses)

- "Brave Queen Esther" (Esther)

New Testament stories:

- "Born in a Stable" (Jesus' birth)

- "Let the Children Come" (Jesus & children)

- "The Saddest Day" (crucifixion)

- "Alive Again!" (resurrection)

Although the exterior of The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers is obviously aimed at girls, the inside does not feel "girly". (I actually wish the cover had been more neutral - this would be a great book for both boys and girls.) Perhaps the most "girly" story in The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers is "Brave Queen Esther", but the story of Esther is not just for girls.

I think The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers is a great addition to your toddler's bookshelf. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Plush Bible Collection, NIV

This week I am reviewing a variety of Bibles here on my blog, and today's review is again from the Plush Bible Collection from Zondervan. I have already reviewed the Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle, but this review is focused on the Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra. 

The Plush Bible Collection is a party on the outside, but business on the inside. The Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra has a vibrant purple zebra-print fabric on a padded hardcover. (The shiny, purple fibers do not easily shed - this seems like a cover that will wear well.) Inside, there is a decorative presentation page. 

The Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra has black text (including headings) with the words of Christ in red, laid out in two columns. This is the NIV version of the Bible. The text is standard size - not large, but not extra small. There are no study notes in the Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra, but it does contain some footnotes. There are no maps like you might find in many Bibles. At the back of the Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra is a "Table of Weights and Measures". 

The Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra has the basics you need, wrapped up in a pretty cover. I think any girly-girl would love to receive this Bible. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Plush Bible Collection, NIrV

This week I am reviewing a variety of Bibles here on my blog, and today's review is from the Plush Bible Collection from Zondervan. I will also be reviewing the Plush Bible (NIV) in Purple Zebra, but this review is focused on the Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle. 

The Plush Bible Collection is a party on the outside, but business on the inside. The Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle has a bright pink, fuzzy fabric with silver sparkles on a padded hardcover. (The sparkles do not easily flake off and the fuzz does not easily shed - this seems like a cover that will wear well.) Inside, there is a decorative presentation page. 

The NIrV is a simplified version of the NIV, written at approximately a 3rd grade reading level. The NIrV is composed of smaller, easy-to-understand words in shorter sentences than the traditional NIV. 

The Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle has all black text (including headings and the words of Christ), laid out in two columns. The text is standard size - not large, but not extra small. There are no study notes or footnotes in the Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle, just strictly Bible text. There are no maps like you might find in many Bibles. 

Within the text, quotes from other places in the Bible are cited directly (in parenthesis) after the quote. (Example: John 3:3 has a quote from Isaiah 40:3.) 

At the back of the Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle are two study helps: a 5-page dictionary (words & definitions, but no verse references) and lists compiling 92 "Great Bible Stories" (with verse references). The "Great Bible Stories" lists would be great to use for monthly reading plans. 

The Plush Bible (NIrV) in Pink Sparkle has the basics you need, wrapped up in a pretty cover. I think any girly-girl would love to receive this Bible. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Adventure Bible for Toddlers by Catherine DeVries

The Adventure Bible for Toddlers is another addition to the popular Adventure Bible line from Zondervan/Zonderkidz. As with the rest of the Adventure Bible line, the Adventure Bible for Toddlers contains many references to "adventure". (It leans toward overkill of the word, in my opinion.)

The Adventure Bible for Toddlers contains 40 boardbook pages (counting front and back side as two pages), featuring 6 stories from the Old Testament and 4 stories from the New Testament. Each story is 4 pages (2 page openings) long.

Old Testament stories:

- "The Adventure Begins" (Creation)

- "Noah's Ark"

- "Moses' Many Adventures" (Moses)

- "Boy Versus Giant" (David & Goliath)

- "Drooling Lions" (Daniel & the lions)

- "Fish Food" (Jonah)

New Testament stories:

- "Jesus Is Born" 

- "Jesus Is Baptized"

- "Jesus and the Children"

- "The Adventure Continues..." (the Gospels)

The art in the Adventure Bible for Toddlers is not like the very cartoon-like drawings you will find in most toddler books, but are rather more on the realistic side. (The illustrations are done by Jim Madsen who also illustrated the NIV Adventure Bible, the NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers, and the Adventure Bible Storybook.) Although in general I appreciated the illustrations in the Adventure Bible for Toddlers, I did find one of the illustrations in the story about Jonah to be a bit graphic for my taste. (The illustration shows an angry looking fish spewing a green liquid, along with Jonah, from his mouth. This is accompanied by the story, which says, "Jonah got up and wiped himself off.")

The text is by Catherine DeVries who also wrote the Adventure Bible Storybook. The stories in the Adventure Bible for Toddlers are just that - stories. (They are not quotes from the Bible.)

The title (Adventure Bible for Toddlers) references this being a book for toddlers, but the back cover says "Ages 4-8". In my experience, kids generally tend to get over board books around age 4, so I would go with the "Toddler" on this, not the age recommendation. The boardbook pages are sturdy and the cover is hardback with a slight padding. 

All in all, I think the Adventure Bible for Toddlers is a good book to have to share with your toddlers. With the limitations of a boardbook (not very many pages), you will also want to have other toddler Bible storybooks on hand to share with your little ones to give a more comprehensive overview of the Bible's stories. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

Book Review :: Sketch! by France Belleville-Van Stone

Sketch! is an inspiring book by France Belleville-Van Stone written with the non-artist in mind. This is not a how-to book or a step-by-step "learn how to draw" book, but is rather a book filled with inspiration, tips, and tricks about drawing daily life.

The author (France Belleville-Van Stone) does not dive into explanations of basic drawing techniques (perspective, form, etc.) in Sketch!, but she obviously has a grasp on these ideas. In fact - although the author claims that she has not "studied art past middle school", she goes on to mention joining a friend in a graphic design class that they were "both taking at the School of Visual Arts". (Doesn't sound like not studying art to me.) Either way, the author is very talented and the "fails" that she shares in her book are still more advanced than many (or all) of my best efforts. 

Overall, I appreciated the book's style - the page backgrounds have the appearance of sketchbook/watercolor paper and there are a variety of examples of the author's art shared throughout the book. The book is well-written (although I did find a few typos throughout the book) and the text kept my interest. 

Sketch! is probably best for a someone that is looking for inspiration but does have a previous grasp on basic art concepts. There is a "Basic Techniques" chapter, but, in my opinion, it is a minor part of the book. The book as a whole focuses on basic black and white (pen/pencil) drawings, with some having color added. (Most of the color added is from watercolor paints.) Chapter 5 does talk about "Going Digital" (including suggestions for 3 iPad apps), but the majority of the book focuses on non-digital sketching.

For me, the major draw (pun intended) of Sketch! is the motivation and inspiration. Chapter 1 ("Preliminaries") is great inspiration for just getting in to the process of drawing, not focusing so heavily on the end result that you miss the joy of the process. The major focus you will find throughout the book is working with what you have on hand, in the time you can find, with the inspiration in the everyday things around you. (The author is not a supply snob.) Chapter 6 ("Prompts") is a great chapter to reference when you just don't know what to draw. There is an A-Z list of a variety of items that are great for sketching, with a little explanation for the how/why of each item. 

All in all, I find Sketch! to be a good motivational book - for drawing anywhere, with anything, on anything.
(And, as a bonus, this is one drawing book I won't hesitate to share with my kids. The drawings are appropriate and family-friendly.)
FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Blogging for Books book review program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

The Twinery/CardMaker {Blog Hop}

The Introduction:

If you are hopping along with us today: You should have come here from Rebecca VanDeMark's blog. If you did, you are in the right place! Welcome!

If you aren't already a follower, I'd love to have you follow my blog!

If you are on Facebook, please "like" Ink Blots by TRD.

If you are one of my regular readers: Thanks for coming back! I love having you! Please join along in the hop - you can start at the CardMaker blog.

The Hop Order:

CardMaker
The Twinery
Monika Wright
Jeanne Jachna
Amy Crockett
Jaclyn Miller
Mae Nazareth
Rebecca VanDeMark
Tifany DeGough <<< You are here
Noelle McAdams
Stacey Schafer
Melyssa Connolly
Penny Ward
Katarina Damm-Blomberg
Tobi Crawford
Piali Biswas
Suzanna Lee
Denise Hahn
DoBea Alberts
Theresa Momber
Jennifer Cuthbertson
Anita Mulcahey
Andrew Roberts

The Prizes:

The Twinery is giving away 4 fabulous spools of twine - perfect for fall projects:

The Projects:
In my neck of the woods, we seem to have gone swiftly through fall and straight on to winter, but I still enjoyed creating a couple of fall cards for today's hop.
I've been having fun with watercolor paints recently and decided to give it a go on this Fall Greetings card:

After I added the stamped/watercolor flower panel and stamped the sentiment, I finished off my card with some of The Twinery's Solid Cappuccino twine. 

The second card I created is simple - just a bit of embossing, a little stamping, and some twine:

For this card, I kept the palette very simple by finishing it off with some of The Twinery's Solid Honeydew twine

The Twinery's twine is the perfect accent for cards - it ties everything together perfectly. (Literally.)

Thanks for stopping by today!

The Next Stop:

Noelle McAdams

Fall Greetings Card Supplies: 

Twine: The Twinery (Solid Cappuccino); 
Cardstock: Canson (140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper);
Cardstock: My Favorite Things (Replenishments Cardstock);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Flowers from Hey Girl - KOM 5/14; Sentiment from Pumpkin Greetings);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black); 
Paint: Master's Touch (Watercolors - Yellow, Orange, Deep Vermilion, Magenta, Blue Green, Yellow Green, Green, Skin Tone, Indian Yellow, Carmine);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Thanks Card Supplies: 

Twine: The Twinery (Solid Honeydew); 
Cardstock: My Favorite Things (Replenishments Cardstock);
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Thanks from Sentiments O'Simple);
Ink: Tsukineko (Chalk Ink - Tea Leaves);
Embossing Folder: Craftwell (Teresa Collins Collection - Love Triangles);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Celebrate BIG & Warm Wishes {Craftwell Guest Designer}

{I am today's Guest Designer for Craftwell - check it out!}

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for Craftwell today! 

Craftwell sent me the Love Triangles embossing folder to work with (from the Teresa Collins Collection) and I had so much fun with it! I created two cards to share with you today:

Both cards used the embossing folder in the same way (I used it to emboss vellum for an overlay), but the results for the cards are very different. I wanted to go bright and fun with the Celebrate BIG card, but keep it warm and cozy with the Warm Wishes card.

The embossed vellum overlay on the Celebrate BIG card is placed over a background that I created using watercolor paints. I punched out a portion of the vellum to highlight the sentiment, then I wrapped the card with twine and added some enamel dot "confetti" to finish it off.

The Warm Wishes card makes me think of a snowy day, sitting in the warm house and drinking some hot chocolate. It is a simple, neutral color palette, but the embossing adds some great texture. 

Thanks for visiting today - have a great day!

Celebrate BIG Card Supplies: 
Embossing Folder: Craftwell (Teresa Collins Collection - Love Triangles);
Cardstock: Canson (140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper);
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Celebrate Big);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black); 
Paint: Master's Touch (Watercolors - Magenta, Orange, Yellow);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Charcoal); 
Other: Studio Calico (Enamel Dots);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board); Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher);

Warm Wishes Card Supplies:
Embossing Folder: Craftwell (Teresa Collins Collection - Love Triangles);
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream);
Vellum: Papertrey Ink (Vellum);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Retro Warm Wishes);
Ink: Tsukineko (Chalk Ink - Sahara Sand);
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Natural);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Thankful For Our Friendship {The Twinery}

{I'm sharing today on The Twinery blog - check it out here.}

It's that time of year again when many people are focused on the things they are thankful for (followed by a mad rush to shop for all the things they "need" - how ironic, right?).

In my opinion, it's always a good time of year to be thankful - and what better to be thankful for than those around us? 

I created this card and tag combo to celebrate the gift of friendship. It was a simple (& fun!) process involving watercolor paints, stamps, and of course The Twinery's twine. The hardest part of this process was waiting for the watercolor paints to dry. :o)

I chose to use one of my favorite colors of twine - Solid Charcoal. (It is like the little black dress of twine.)

Outside of school when I was younger, I have only recently started getting into watercolors and thought the watercolor background would be perfect for some silhouette stamping. I kept the card and tag very similar which made it a very easy process. After the tag is given, it can even live a little longer as a bookmark. 

Thanks for stopping by today - I am thankful for YOU!

Supplies:
Twine: The Twinery (Solid Charcoal);
Cardstock: Canson (140# Cold Press Watercolor Paper);
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company (Tree of Gratitude: Leaf Silhouette - Layers of Life September 2013; Pumpkin Blossoms - Thankful Sentiment);
Ink: Ranger (Archival - Jet Black);
Paint: Master's Touch (Watercolors - Orange, Indian Yellow, Yellow);
Tools: Fiskars (Trimmer, Scissors); Scor-Pal (Scoring Board);

Book Review :: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (New and Enhanced Edition) by General Editor: Ronald F. Youngblood, Contributors: F. F. Bruce and R. K. Harrison

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (New and Enhanced Edition) is a great resource to keep on hand. This is a new/enhanced edition. (A complete revision was done in 1995 - this version includes © dates of 1986, 1995, and 2014.) 

The Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary lists and defines key words based on the NKJV, but also has variants from 5 other translations - KJV, NASB, REB, NIV, and NRSV. The inclusion of all these variations will make this edition easily compatible with pretty much whatever Bible version you have on hand.

The Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary does not only include words found in the Bible - it also includes related themes and ideas, such as "Archaeology of the Bible", "Bible, Interpretation of the", "Bible Versions and Translations", etc. There are also entries for each book of the Bible that include "A Study and Teaching Outline", which are great for a quick overview and reference of each book. There are also a variety of study helps included in the Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pages x through xxxviii). The entries range from a single line to multiple pages (there are 12 pages for the entry "Jesus Christ"). 

As the title implies, the Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary includes illustrations (some drawn, some photos) throughout. I must admit that I had higher hopes for the illustrated portion of this Bible dictionary. With "Illustrated" being obviously highlighted in the title, I hoped to see more images (and more prominent images) among the dictionary entries. There are over 1200 pages with over 500 images - I just had hoped the ratio would be weighted a bit more on the illustration side. Even so, the images are definitely a welcome addition to the informative text and will be especially appreciated when using this with a family. I especially appreciate the topographical illustrations which show the surface structure of the land. 

In addition to the photos and illustrations, there are 9 maps in the back of the Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, similar to those you will find in the back of many Bibles. 

The Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary includes the "Fan-Tab™ Thumb Index Reference System" (which I believe is just a fancy term for the index color being visible on the closed page edges - making it easy to find which letter you are looking for). 

All in all, I am happy to have the Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary on our bookshelf and I think it will be a handy resource for our family. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.