Bible Jumble for Kids

Bible Jumble for Kids is intended for kids age 8 and older. It contains 200 puzzles that will teach them about Bible stories and characters. It contains traditional jumbles, mystery person jumbles, jumble detective, jumble criss-cross, find the fumbles and Bible passage jumbles. Each section starts in the beginning in Genesis and moves through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. There are clues or hints given for each one and answers are found in the back.

I have never reviewed a book like this before. I was intrigued by it as I have kids, I like fun facts and I like games. So I thought it would be a good fit and it was. We have had a fun time going through the puzzles and found it to be engaging as adults and potentially stimulating for fun Bible stories based on the people and themes that are the answers for the jumbles. Definitely more fun time are ahead and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for some fun games with the family.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge is a look into what the author sees as God’s true design and intent for men versus what our worldly and cultural preconceptions of men are today. He looks to set men free from a world that would strip them of their God given purpose so as to allow them to thrive and find fulfillment and purpose. The basic assertion is that our current society teaches that being aggressive, daring, or brave is something that is OK for kids to do when they are playing games, but that it is something we are taught to grow out of as we mature into adults. The book is written in a pop culture style and is an easy read.
Overall I would say that this book has a good and well meaning message that would benefit many. I do think that to many men settle for much less than what God truly intends for us. As men we need to dream and pray and act. To often we dream, but don’t get clear direction because we neglect the prayer and we fail to act because of fear. That being said I think Eldredge's encouragement for men to be Godly men of action is good. However I would agree with others that Eldredge does give broad generalizations regarding men and his supporting evidence for all his points is somewhat lacking. So I see this book not as the final case building argument that substantiates the changes to be made in men, but more of a starting point. Being more useful as a starting point that gives men pause to consider where they are. And then to be encouraged to express their heart to the Lord as David would in the Psalms while seeking wisdom and direction to act in a manner that is fearing God and not men.

Note: I am a Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer: http://booksneeze.com/#frombrb

Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3rd Edition

This is a Bible handbook that includes maps, charts, pictures and reference material. In addition you can go to Thomasmelson.com/MapsAndCharts and download additional maps and charts that accompany the book.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information that is contained in the book. To me it is more than simply maps and charts as there is a good amount of reference material that goes along with the visual aids. It is formatted like a handbook as it goes through the Old and New Testaments which I found easy to navigate. There is a nice index in the back that also helps you find specific charts quickly. While the information in the book isn’t exhaustive, it is a nice place to start and is a welcome addition to my reference library. It has enough information to help you decide where to go for a more in depth study of whatever subject you plan to delve into.

Note: I am a Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer: http://booksneeze.com/#frombrb

The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible by Falcon Picture Group

This is a NKJV Bible audio drama of the New Testament boasting a large cast, soundtrack and special affects. The CDs come is a nice soft case that zips closed. It is a reading of the New Testament and goes verse by verse with out commentary, but it doesn’t include every word. For instance it does not always include phrases like “and they said,” (Lk 19:34), but they generally are included if they infer movement like “But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them,” (Lk 19:33). This makes you pay more attention to the change in voice of who is speaking and the continuity of the conversation. And when you are following along in a program like iTunes you can select a chapter to listen to, but it isn’t possible to select a specific verse. Also, when certain groups of people speak, sometimes you hear multiple voices and sometimes only one. For the disciples they use the voice of Peter to speak for the group.

Overall I have enjoyed listening to this audio Bible. It is engaging and entertaining. It feels like you are listening in on a scene as it unfolds. I find it good to sit and listen with Bible in hand.

Note: I am a Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer: http://booksneeze.com/#frombrb

Buried Alive by Roy Hallums

Buried Alive recounts the events surrounding the capture and eventual rescue of Roy Hallums in Iraq. Roy was held hostage for 311 days by his Iraqi captures. Roy is retired military and was working as a civilian during the time of his capture. He is one of the few Americans to have been rescued from being held hostage in Iraq.
The things he suffered and how he endured is impacting. I praise the Lord for his rescue and safe return.
As for the style of the book I was disappointed. While it read easily, I found that the retelling of his life events during his 311-day capture lacked depth. The author simply did not convey the depth and power of Roy’s ordeal. If I were to compare it to a movie, it felt more like a made-for-tv movie than a major motion picture. The book lacked the depth, feeling, and power that I would expect from a story as amazing as Roy’s. Also, I read nothing in the book of Roy’s faith in Christ. To be honest I was expecting the story, being published from Thomas Nelson, to highlight Roy’s faith in Jesus Christ.


Note: I am a Nelson Book Reviewer: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible

Thomas Nelson’s the “NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible” starts by delineating that the book is not a Bible, but is designed to be a compilation of the most well-loved and impacting stories from the Bible. In short I would agree with this description. However I would say that the cover of the book is a bit deceiving as it does look like a Bible. If you read it with the hope that it is a Bible you will be disappointed.
As with any book that bills itself as containing the best of or most beloved stories in the Bible, one might ask who decides what stories are the best. While I feel that the book does include a great many of the most loved stories in the Bible, I found myself thinking of stories that I would have included.
Nelson gives each story a title and for the most part I found them to be simple and accurate. Too often a title for a passage will influence and predispose one’s thoughts on a story. Sometimes this was ok, but often times I would prefer to simply read the passage of scripture and let it speak for itself. Nelson did a good job of making the titles to be simply descriptive without adversely affecting the passage for the most part.
The layout was simple and easy to navigate while using both the table of contents and the index. Also I was pleased the see the scripture references under the titles and the verses marked throughout the stories. I found this a helpful feature to use when comparing it with an actual Bible. Keep in mind while you are reading that it is in the NKJV translation and may differ from your normal Bible if you read another version.
In conclusion, I can see this book being a nice addition to one’s library and fitting in with books of a devotional style.

Note: I am a Nelson Book Reviewer: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

The Language of Love & Respect

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs’ book, “The Language of Love & Respect”, is a continuation of Dr. Emmerson’s book, “Love & Respect”. If you liked Love & Respect, you will probably like “The Language of Love and Respect”. He starts with a brief review of the principles of “Love & Respect”, but then dives into further clarification regarding communication as this is where he has seen couples struggle the most.
What I like about this book is that it is based on the Biblical principles. You won’t find 10 essential steps or some new doctrine, but you will find his exposition of what the Bible says about husbands loving their wives and wives respecting their husbands. He sticks to God’s Word and expounds on it while in the end still keeping it simple and pointing couples to Ephesians 5 and other scriptural principles the Bible lays out regarding love and respect.
As with his first book, “Love & Respect”, I find it to be redundant and some of the scripture quotes he puts in the boxes I feel are taken out of context and are hard to apply on their own to a successful marriage out side of the story or example he put them with in the book. While he does give examples of couples he has worked with or those that write in to him, I would like to see him refer to more examples that are in the Bible.
Overall I would recommend this book to couples. It is a good reminder of Biblical principles that will help husbands love and wives respect each other and should encourage couples to apply God’s Word to their marriages.

http://brb.thomasnelson.com/