I Need a Little Bit of Coffee….

…And a WHOLE lot of JESUS!

Seriously. I received this cup from Consumer Associates to review and it could not have come at a better time. I’ll tell you a little bit more about the cup later on in this post– First things first– UPDATES!!!!

Continue reading →

Book Review: Jesus Today

Reading is TRULY one of my favorite things to do.

Despite my increasingly fast paced lifestyle, I still enjoy taking time out to read books, especially in hard copy form.

I was blessed with the opportunity to review another book from Sarah Young, “Jesus Today.”

I didn’t know what to expect from the text, but it was just what I needed.

I like having a daily devotional at my desk in my home office and this text provides a perfect morning meditation– just enough to digest before starting the day, but not so short that it leaves you feeling like you need to read an additional days devotion.

Here’s a bit more about the book from the publisher:

Whether you need a lifeline to lift you out of discouragement or are simply longing for an encouraging boost in your day, this devotional—a sequel to the #1-bestselling Jesus Calling®—will speak powerful hope into your life.

Based on truths in Scripture, it is written as if Jesus Himself is assuring you that He is in control, that He is good, and that a glorious future awaits all who anchor their hope in Him.

Reaching out with peace-filled reminders of Jesus’ Presence from the Word of God these devotions will intimately, quietly connect you with Jesus, the One who meets you right where you are.

Book Review: NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible

No more exam preparation means I can do what I love, COLORING and reading my stack of book reviews. 📚🖍📚🖍📚🖍

Book Description:

With hundreds of inspiring verses illustrated in detailed, ready-to-color line art, the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible employs the proven stress-relieving benefits of adult coloring to help quiet your soul so you can reflect on the precious truths of Scripture.

Perfect for all ages, the thick white paper with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins, provides ample space for your own artistic expressions and journaling.
The NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible is a perfect gift that will become a cherished keepsake full of personalized creative expressions of faith.

Features of this treasured Bible include:

Hundreds of verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art
Thicker white paper for enduring note-taking
Lined, wide margins for notes, reflections and art
Full text of the most read, most trusted modern-English Bible – the New International Version (NIV)
Easy-to-read black letter text in single-column format
Lays flat in your hand or on your desk
Ribbon marker.

Book Review: Initial Impressions of “Jesus Always”

I’m so excited to share my initial impressions of the soon to be released text, Jesus Always.

First, let me start with a quick nod to the earlier text, Jesus Calling.

That book still speaks to my soul, DAILY. This really amazes me because I’ve been re-reading the book for years. I have it in a hard copy version; a Kindle e-book that I can access from my phone, laptop, and various Kindle apps and devices ; and a desktop calendar that sits in the guest bathroom (aka, “my bathroom”) in my home.

Yet and still, every time I turn those familiar pages, the words fall fresh on my heart EACH and EVERY time and something will speak to the depth of my exact situation with THE EXACT encouragement I need. Long story short, I love that little book!

On top of all of this, Sarah Young has written SEVERAL BOOKS over the years, but this is her FIRST 356-day devotional since since Jesus Calling was released in 2004, so I am tooooo excited to add this new book to my devotional collection.

Initial Impressions of Jesus Always:

The Cover:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE (Did I mention, LOVE?) The purple cover! Purple is one of my FAVORITE colors!

The cover has an irredessecent sheen that is actually very subtle (I really only noticed this as I attempted to take a photo and caught a glimpse of the book aganst the light from my the flash on my phone).

Photo of the Cover (Fresh Out of the Box)!

The Content:

While, Jesus Calling is a filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year written from Jesus’ point of view (thus the title Jesus Calling), Jesus Always invites the reader into a new way of living—a life of joy.

The new 365-day devotional was written as part of Sarah Young’s exploration of the promises of joy in scripture.

It continues in the style of Jesus Calling and is written as if Jesus, Himself is speaking directly to the reader with joy-filled reminders from the Word of God.

Each devotion includes companion scriptures that will intimately and gently connect you with Jesus—the One who meets you where you are.

Today’s Devotional Page (Note: the Ribbon Bookmark on the Left 😉🖒)

Other Things I Like!

I’m a sucker for a book with a ribbon bookmark. I’ve even started hot gluing my own ribbon bookmarks into books.

Little known fact about me: One of my first jobs at UNC was in the Walter Davis Library as Book Preservation Specialist. As a result, I can deconstruct and reconstruct a book in 30 minutes flat!

That also means that I can be a stickler on book construction. I really am a fan of the pocket-friendly size of Jesus Calling and I was happy to see that Jesus Always remained in that same vein (and had the bookmark ribbon 😁)!

The Inside Cover

You Can Reserve Your Copy, Now!

The text will officially be released to the public on October 4, 2016.

You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com and get their price guarantee!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What the Cross Represents…

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

1 Peter 2:24 New Living Translation (NLT)

I received these earrings to review. I know I post a lot of reviews here… most of that is required for the product reviewing hobby I’ve developed (I hope you’ll continue to bear with me as I try to incorporate other content), but they help me to keep the content updated more frequently and usually lead to some deeper sort of reflection for me.

When I looked at these, beyond the baguette stones and the solid construction, the lyrics to the song below came to mind. This album came out when I was in middle school and my mom played it all the time.

I didn’t mind though. I loved it. This was one of the songs that was very personal for me. I think it was around this age that church became more than a “place to go” for me. My salvation became VERY real and I would often reflect on the kind of love one had to have to sacrifice His “only begotten son” for a world of people.

At this point, my nephew had been born and I loved him with all of my heart– I didn’t know that a love like that could exist. To see a person that you’ve never known before and love them instantly– and want the best for them. It blew my mind.

So when I thought about that kind of love and asked myself if I would be able to give his life to save the world. I just cried. I’m crying now (I’m more of a softie than most people realize 🙂 ).

It really IS a powerful question to ask yourself: Think about the person you love THE MOST in this whole world. Then ask yourself if you could give his/her life to save the fate of the rest of the world? Could you do it?

I sometimes think we can hear altar calls so often that we can become numb to what that sacrifice REALLY meant and just HOW personal it was.

He did it JUST FOR ME.

He did it JUST for YOU.

He did it with EACH and EVERY one of US on His mind.

When I look at a cross– be it a pair of earrings, in a church, or a photo on a wall — That is what it means to me.

Just for Me ~ Donnie McClurkin

What does the cross of Jesus mean?
It’s more than songs we sing, yeah
Much more than that emblem on your chain
But it means I’m free, yes from the chains of slavery
And the blood that shed won’t let my sins remain, oh my

Upon the cross my Saviour died, the Lamb was crucified
Showed us love that this world had never known
Oh what love, divine so divine, true a love you’ll never find
So that we might live, love came and died alone, Hallelujah

Well the Cross will always represent the love God had for me
When the Lord of glory, Heaven sent gave all on Calvary
He did it just for me, just for me, Hallelujah

There are lots of different ways to pray the prayer of Salvation, but I wanted to leave one here if you’ve yet to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and feel a stirring in your heart after reading this post. This is from one of my favorite prayer authors, of the book Prayers that Availeth Much. You can reword this to make it more personal, but this is the general overview.

Prayer To Receive Jesus as Savior and Lord
Father, it is written in Your Word that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved. Therefore, Father, I confess that Jesus is my Lord. I make Him Lord of my life right now. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead. I renounce my past life with Satan and close the door to any of his devices.

I thank You for forgiving me of all my sin. Jesus is my Lord, and I am a new creation. Old things have passed away; now all things become new in Jesus’ name. Amen