Choosing a Bible -- Bible Reviews

Disclosure: I was sent these books free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel is getting old enough that the story Bibles are a bit young for her. She wants to be able to look up scripture. It is time for a new Bible. How do I choose one? Well I was able to get two different types of kids' Bibles as well as a journaling Bible (which I am going to keep for myself). I am going to share all three with you today. The first Bible is the ICB Blessed Garden Bible from Tommy Nelson. 

Bible Fun -- Summertime Fun!

Disclosure: I was given copies of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Yesterday I shared a book about the importance of adding fun to our lives and the start of my new series--Summertime Fun. For our first Summertime Fun I thought I would share some fun resources for fun with the Bible. Since Hazel goes to a Christian school, I know during the summer there will be less church and Bible time for her, so I wanted to make sure to give her some resources to keep up with her Bible time. To start we are sharing two of Marcia Goldlist's The Bible in Rhyme. Marcia emailed me e-copies of Enjoying the Book of Esther and Enjoying the Book of Ruth. 

Spiritual Growth for Kids -- New Year Resolution #1

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is hard to believe another year has begun. Hazel turned nine this past weekend and we had two very fun parties to celebrate. It has been a busy time in our house. However now the festivities are over and I am beginning to think about what I want 2018 to be like for me and my family. Have you thought about your new year? I know I want to focus on me and my family this year. I want to take the time to grow in my relationship with God and get myself healthier and more fit. I also want  to grow in my relationships with Steven and Hazel. And I want to help Hazel grow in her relationship with God. To this end I am sharing with you two great books to help her do just that. The first is Jesus Always: 365 Devotions for Kids by Sarah Young and adapted by Tama Fortner. 

Biblical Times History Lesson -- Back to School Series

Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me copies of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

What was life like during the times of the Bible? Do you know? It is something that children wonder about all the time. It also helps kids understand some of the stories a bit more. Today I am sharing two books that help with this and they are meant for different ages!! The first is for the younger kids. It is Look Inside Bible Times by Lois Rock and illustrations by Anthony Lewis. This book is being released in October!

Bringing God and the Bible into Your Life for All Ages

 Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me copies of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Do you want to bring God and the Bible into your life more or perhaps into your child's life? Today I am sharing some books and a printable game for kids to do just this. Going by age we will start with the book for the younger child, The Bible and Me: Stories with a Message to Live By retold by Lois Rock and illustrated by Alida Massari.  

Five-Minute Bible Devotions for Children

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge from Ideals Books. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

With it being summer Hazel is not learning about the Bible at school or going to chapel at school and we have been traveling many weekends and thus she has not been attending Sunday School regularly. I want her to know that reading the Bible and praying is still very important and that we are not taking a vacation from God. We found the perfect way to include Bible lessons in our nightly story times with the books Ideals Books sent us. 

Both books are very similar in how they are written. The first is Five-Minute Bible Devotions for Children: Stories from the Old Testament by Pamela Kennedy and Anne Kennedy Brady and illustrated by Amy Wummer. This book has twenty-one of the Old Testament stories. It simplifies and summarizes the stories so a young child can truly understand it and then it gives a paragraph of relating the story to everyday kids' lives. Next comes a prayer. Then there are four questions relating to the story, the illustration and the child's life. Finally there is a scripture.  To show you an example of the story I found this sample page at Rainbow Resource Center.

Christmas and Other Religious Books

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is hard to believe Christmas is only a little over a week away. This year is flying by way too fast for me, but I am looking forward to having time with my family. Before that happens, I want to share some more books with you. This is a mix of some Christmas related books, a children's Bible and an adult devotional. We will start with the one that is most related to Christmas. It is Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne. 

The Adventure Bible Book of Daring Deeds and Epic Creations Review

Disclosure: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The links are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

Do you look for ways for your child to understand the Bible but have fun? Want some everyday activities and crafts that tie into lessons from the Bible? I have the book for you! It is The Adventure Bible Book of Daring Deeds and Epic Creations by Sherry Kyle. 

The Wisdom of Solomon -- Book Review with Crafts and Activities

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I haven't shared a Christian themed book in a while. Today I thought I would share one about King Solomon. You may remember Solomon is the son of King David and becomes the third king of Israel. He is known for his wisdom which is a gift from God and building the temple in Jerusalem. The book I'm sharing today is The Wisdom of Solomon by Demi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also sharing some crafts and activities to go with the book.

Book about Women of the Bible & Prayer

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I said it. Today's book is one of the best Christian books I have ever read! Now I am always intrigued by a book about women of the Bible. I have looked at several of the women in some detail here on this blog. Women like Mary, Esther, and Mary Magdalene. I have shared versions of the Bible as well as devotionals including my go-to devotional that I reread every year! Today I am going to share a book that can be used as a devotional though each chapter is a bit long for a short read that delves into the stories of ten women of the Bible and relates their stories and their prayers to your everyday life. What amazes me most about this book besides that it really hits home is it is written by a man. The book is When Women Pray by Bishop T. D. Jakes. 

The Story of Queen Esther -- Exploring Iran/Persia

Do you know the story of Queen Esther? Many people do not even though Esther is a book in the Old Testament as well as one of the great female Bible heroes. She even has a Jewish holiday where they celebrate her and her courage to save the Jews of Persia. Her story is Hazel's favorite Bible story and Hazel was very excited when I explained that Esther was Queen of Persia which is now called Iran and the country we have been exploring with Global Learning for Kids this month. 

Queen Esther by Edwin Long 
[Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

God's Work with Ministries and Books

Disclosure: BookLook sent me these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

My main thoughts for 2018 is to take care of me. I want to find the time to exercise and to get myself healthy and fit as well as find time to connect with God each day. Today I am going to share some of our new endeavors and two great books to help me and Hazel with connecting with God. The other week I was at Hazel's school's chapel service and the principal shared one of the student's own ministries. She collects money to buy items homeless people would need. She packages them in a plastic bag and keeps them in her parents' cars so if they see someone begging on the street they can give them a bag. Hazel loved this idea and so did I. I always feel bad about not giving to them, but I also have heard not to because they buy drugs or some actually make more money then most of us just by begging. So Hazel and I went to Target and the Dollar Tree and bought some items and gallon bags.

Hands-on Bible Craft Book -- Crafty Weekends Book Review & Link Party

 Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

We have been enjoying a very busy week with our Christmas celebrations. Have you? However we have found some time for crafting! Today we are sharing Hands-on Bible Craft Book by Christina Goodings.

Mary and Mary Magdalene for Women's History Month

With today being Palm Sunday and Easter a week away, I thought we would learn more about two of the women who loved Jesus, his mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene. Besides the Bible I wanted to share with Hazel what is known about these to Biblical women. I found a few books on each of them. We have only been able to read one from each person, but I found these books on Amazon or available at our public library.

A Look at the Life of Jesus

Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me copies of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

With the Christmas season approaching it seems like a wonderful time to help our kids look at the life of Jesus. Today I am sharing three books that help kids do just that. The first book is Candle Day by Day Walk with Jesus by Juliet David. This book breaks the life of Jesus into forty parts for forty days. There are 42 days left before Christmas!! 

Happy Family Times--A Bible Presentation at Church

Have you done something fun and exciting with your family this week? Kelly from Happy Whimsical Hearts and I would love to hear about it. Please share below.

This week was a very special day at church. Hazel received her first children's Bible. This year they started a new Sunday School class for three to five-year-olds since we had a good number of kids in that group (based on baptisms) and we are trying to get more of these families to attend more regularly. As a result it was decided the families should receive a copy of the Bible story book being used in the class, so we can reenforce the lessons at home or help fill in gaps if they miss a week. Today was the day of the Bible Presentations. So the three-to five-year-olds received them with a parent, then the third graders got theirs and the ninth graders got their adult Bibles.

As with anything that happens at our church that involves Hazel, Steve's mother and Steve come to church with us. (They are Catholic and attend mass at their own church usually.) This of course excites Hazel. She loves having her Nonni at our church. Since it was a special day, Hazel got a new sweater dress and also wore her necklace I bought her for her Halloween costume. After the Bible Presentations, the children went to their Sunday School classes.

After church we went with Nonni to get lunch out. Hazel had a wonderful time!

Now it is your turn to share how your family has spent some quality time lately.

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Ok, now for our PARTY!! Please share your FUN Family Times!!

Religious Books for Different Ages

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Today we are going to share with you some wonderful religious themed books for different ages. This post will also include three Hazel's Corners! The first is Princess Prayers by Jeanna Young, Jacqueline Kinney Johnson, and Omar Aranda. This a sparkly book filled with prayers for various times of day and different events for your little princess.

The World of the First Christians -- Kids Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When you read the Bible do you ever wonder about life during the times it is telling us? What were houses like? What was travel like? As Christians today our world is so different. We are accepted and often leaders in the US at least. We have luxuries such as indoor plumbing and private bathrooms as well as electricity. Plus many families take vacations all over the world. As a Sunday School teacher and mother I know kids wonder often about what the world was like during Biblical times. Today's book is a book to help them understand more about the Biblical world. The book is The World of the First Christians: A Curious Kid's Guide to the Early Church by Marc Olson and illustrated by Jemima Maybank. 

This book is very kid friendly. It is full of illustrations and bits of information. It is organized not to overwhelm but to educate. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 and I would say that is the perfect age to go with this book. The book deals with who the first Christians were and what they did. It also shares about life in Rome and other Roman cities. The details are very interesting and explain a bit about life and yes there is bathroom talk in parts of it!

The illustrations are clear and add to the information shared. This book is more of a guide to educate than a picture book. It goes through many different things as well as relating them to the different parts of the Bible. The Gospel is explained as well as the Apostles and the letters. It even goes into how the letters were delivered. 

Modes of transportation are addressed as well as people like the Egyptian Monks and Paul. The words are also described as well as where they come from. It is such an interesting book full of facts you do not see every day. If you have a kid who is curious and asking questions about the Bible, take a look at this book and the Bible will come even more alive for you and that kid. 

Religious devotionals -- Mommy Time Review

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am taking some time out of my crazy sharing of children's books to share two religious adult books. Both are devotionals. The first is the devotional to go along with a wonderful book I reviewed previously. It is The Better Mom Devotional by Ruth Schwenk. 

Origami Bible Stories for Kids Kit -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this kit in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well school has started here and Mother Nature has turned the switch to fall weather. But after a few weeks off from Crafty Weekends we are back!! Today I am sharing a fun origami kit perfect for Sunday School and Bible lessons for kids. It is Origami Bible Stories for Kids Kit by Andrew Dewar.