"God Bless Our Fall" Book Review

I love Fall.  Its my favorite time of year!  I love cooler weather, lovely breezes, falling leaves, pumkins, comfort food, Thanksgiving, and Autumn colors.  I also love getting books about Fall to read with my kids, and "God Bless Our Fall," by Hannah C. Hall, is a great addition to our collection.

"The Navy Seal Art Of War" Book Review

As you may have noticed by the title, this isn't my typical book review fare. But when I had the opportunity to receive this book for review, I couldn't pass it up!  You see, my husband loves books about the military - and he's a business man!  So I thought he'd enjoy this one!  He agreed to read and review it for me!  So you get a special treat today - a review written by my husband...

"For The Love" Book Review

I love Jen Hatmaker.  There.  I said it.  And I mean it.  We've never met in person, but I feel like we're soul sisters.  She gets it.  She really gets it.  And she's able to write about it in a simple, yet profound; touching, yet hilarious style.  I first became acquainted with Jen when I read "7."  It was funny - REALLY funny.  Like wet your pants kinda funny.  But it was also deep and spiritual.  (How on earth does she hit both of those extremes in one book!?!) So when I got the opportunity to review "For The Love," I said, "I'm in!  Sign me up NOW!"

B&H Publishing Journaling Bibles Review

Have you seen the latest coloring craze?  It turns out, so studies confirm, that coloring actually relieves stress.  I know a lot of adults who color!  Seriously! Its a thing!  But when you think about it, it completely makes sense.  Coloring is an artistic, creative activity.  And those types of things are great for relieving stress!  So what could be better?  I'll tell you!  Adding some Bible verses to your coloring!  Reading and meditating on God's word is another stress-relieving activity!

So that brings me to my current review: Journaling Bibles.  These things are becoming CRAZY popular, you guys!  Now, if you are totally disinterested in getting "artsy" in your Bible, a journaling Bible is still a great option because it leaves lots of room for notes.  A journaling Bible is really great for everyone!!!

But lets get back to this "Bible Art Journaling" thing!  I'm totally on board!  I find Bible Art Journaling to not only be a relaxing, creative exercise, but it makes me really meditate and study a particular verse or passage.  I often find myself searching several different Bible translations when I'm journaling - to see how each one phrases the same thing.  Its a wonderful experience.

Here are a few examples of my recent Bible journaling.  These were done in my ESV Journaling Bible, but they will give you a taste of what I'm describing. -

B&H Publishing has 3 fabulous Journaling Bibles: the Holman Christian Standard Bible, the King James Version, and the New King James Version.  All three have a lay-flat binding, a 2 inch margin (although I measured and its actually more like 2.25 inches!), and 8pt font!

Here's my new HCSB (left) next to my ESV Journaling Bible (right).  The margin on the ESV is slightly less than 2 inches, so the HCSB margins are slightly wider.  The ESV has 7.5pt font, so the font on the HCSB is also slightly bigger. You wouldn't think 1/2 a font point would make a big difference, but it does!  They also have only one column of writing per page (versus the two columns in my ESV Journaling Bible). I really like the one column format.  It really makes everything seem less cluttered - especially after you add your art/notes.

Here are the three B&H Journaling Bibles together.  The top one is the HCSB.  The middle is KJV.  And the bottom is NKJV.  As you can see, the HCSB (top) and NKJV (bottom) have a phrase-by-phrase spacing, meaning that each new phrase is a new line (at least in the poetic books, like the Psalms.  The KJV (middle) has a verse-by-verse spacing.  I like the spacing of the HCSB & NKJV best.  

In the other books (such as the letters in the New Testament) all three have a paragraph spacing (meaning that each new thought/paragraph begins a new line, so there may be several verses together before a new line starts).  

The KJV and NKJV also have the words of Jesus in red.  The HCSB does not.  So far, that's the only downside I've seen to the HCSB.

I'm loving these Journaling Bibles!  They're easy to work in, easy to read, and well-made.  I plan to journal one for each of my kids with important Bible verses, great points from sermons at church, and my favorite hymns and praise songs.  You can pre-order your own HCSB, KJV, or NKJV Journaling Bible from Amazon.  They are scheduled to release on September 1, 2015!

You can find more of my Bible art (along with recipes, crafts, and reviews) on my instagram account: @theproverbs31mama

I received these Bibles, free of charge, from B&H Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

Pediped Flex Sidra Shoe Review

If you read my blog at all, you know there are a few things I'm obsessed with: like proper footwear.  I have a wide variety of clothing companies I'll purchase from.  Its all about fit and feel.  But with shoes I'm EXTREMELY picky.  A bad pair of shoes can be a nightmare for your feet!  And for kids, a bad pair of shoes can actually lead to all sorts of serious issues.  According to recent studies, wearing the wrong shoes or ill-fitting shoes is responsible for 70% of foot problems.  Pedipeds shoes are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association for promoting healthy foot development, and that's a biggie for me!  I mean, if I can help keep my kids from having some of the issues I've been plagued with, I'd love to do that!  After all, who doesn't want better for their kids!  So when it comes to shoes, my kids only wear a couple of different brands, and the TOP brand on my list is Pedipeds!

"Hello Ninja" and "Blah Blah Black Sheep" Book Review

I'm always looking for great little board books to read to my kids.  With 3 small children, paper books don't often fare well in this house.  And often, at bedtime, Daddy and I are just too exhausted to read a long, drawn-out book.  (And the kids are often too tired to listen to a long, drawn-out book.) I wasn't sure if we'd like these two little books - both written by ND Wilson - when they first arrived, but they have quickly become favorites.


Hello Ninja is a cute, rhyming story about an adorable little ninja.  At the end, you find out that "Ninjas ninja hard all day, they need to sleep before they play."

"Say & Pray Bible" Review

My four year old is currently learning to read and I'm always on the lookout for ways to incorporate Bible reading into her phonics and reading lessons.  The Say & Pray Bible is a great way to do that!

"NIrV Study Bible For Kids" Review

The folks at Zonderkidz have done it again!  "Done what," you ask.  Well, make another fabulous study Bible for Kids!

The NIrV Study Bible for kids is colorful, informative, and easy to read!  It would make a great gift for any young reader who wants to study the Bible for themselves!  The font is large and easy to read.