BookLook Blogger Review - I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God by Diane Stortz; Illustrated by Diane Le Feyer

I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God written by Diane Stortz is the most recent book I selected from the BookLook Blogger program to review, because we were in need of a new devotional. It contains 40 Bible Stories, Devotions, and Prayers About the Names of God. The 224-page colorful book is illustrated by Diane Le Feyer and published by Tommy Nelson. This hardcover children's devotion is suitable for children ages 4 to 8. As children read and learn more about God; they'll discover his love for them.

The textured cover of the glittery book is absolutely beautiful and sparkling. It makes me think of God's light shining in our hearts and life. The book contains brightly animated and detailed illustrations within the pages that you'll surely adore and appreciate. 

The four-page Table of Contents precedes A Letter to Parents. The book addresses stories from BOTH the Old and the New Testament. The Bible stories begin with Genesis and end with Revelation. Each page features one of the names of God with a pronunciation guide for more difficult names followed by the story title.

A referenced scripture is indicated at the top of the page. A Bible story related to the verse helps the reader apply the newfound knowledge to their life. A Biblical truth or main idea is provided in a light purple banner on the page. For example, on page 128-129 the scripture verse is Luke 5:31-32 (ICB) which states "It is the sick who need a doctor . . . I have come to invite sinners to change their hearts and lives!" The translations for the scripture verses and passages referenced vary. The related Biblical truth stated in the banner is "Jesus heals and forgives." The Bible story titled Great Physician: Up, Down, Up was about four men in Capernaum who lowered their paralyzed friend down on a mat through the roof of a house where Jesus was staying to be healed. Jesus asked the man to get up, pick up his mat, and go home after telling them he had authority to heal and forgive sins. The Devotion for the day consist of approximately 2-4 pages in length. A corresponding Prayer concludes the devotion. In the case of the story above, the prayer was "Dear God, thank you for Jesus, our Great Physician. I'm glad He knows how to make me well. Amen." My 8-year-old daughter will most likely read aloud each prayer every day with me.

On the next page, a What Does It Mean section explains the story in age-appropriate terms for children. There is a Learn More feature which enables the child to dig deeper into Bible scripture in relation to the specific truth being discovered. An additional referenced Bible verse and story are given to explore each particular name of God further. The book referred us to Matthew 8:14-15 to read another account of God's healing work. What Happened Next? helps the reader visualize the story during a specific time period. It summarizes the events that follow next in the story.

The author explains in the book that some Bible names for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit may also be descriptive titles. Several of the names taught and featured are Great Physician, Son of God, Teacher (Rabbi), Cornerstone, I Am, Jehovah Jireh, Immanuel, Creator, The Lord My Rock, Holy One, Bread of Life, Logos, Abba, and Messiah.  Learning the different names or references of God will bring us closer to Him. They tell us all something about his character (who he is), what He is like, and what He does. The book teaches children how vast God's love is and how much He cares for us all. By reading this book, you can develop a deeper understanding of God and his character. 

Our love has grown for God and will continue to grow over time. The foundation of the book is based on a scripture Psalms 9:10 which states, "Those who know your name put their trust in you." As you study God's name you'll know Him better and become closer to God spiritually placing all trust in Him and His Word. 

The names of God and the stories in this book will reveal a lot about His character. The author's hope is that children around the world will develop an understanding of God's character, learn to know him better, and grow to love Him more. This is the reason the book was written.

You'll find a few adult and middle grade resources for Learning More about the Names of God at the back of the book. The book also includes a green bookmark ribbon to save your place.

What I Like 

• Short Devotions
• Biblical Accuracy
• Teaches the Names of God
• Pronunciation Help
• Relevant and Meaningful Prayers
• Digging Deeper in the Bible to "Learn More"
• Stories Told from Both Old and New Testament
• Age-Appropriate Explanations
• Diane Stortz Website Book Resources (Matching Game and Coloring Pages)
• High-Quality Vibrant and Beautiful Illustrations

Recommendations
I highly recommend this well-written book to Christian families wanting to explore the Names of God. We plan on using this devotion in the morning before beginning our school day.

The strong, spiritual message is given in a clear and concise manner that children can easily understand. Diane Stortz, the author, distinctly presents the names of God which is the core message yet she weaves in an additional profound message that stands out with regards to God's plan to send Jesus who will make things right again.

I definitely think this devotion would make a GREAT Christmas or Easter gift. I know we explore the names of God during those holidays in my home. This book was included in my daughter's Easter basket this year. It would be perfect for any family or Sunday school class learning about the Names of God. A teacher could also read aloud and discuss the devotion at the beginning of class.

Price
Thomas Nelson Website Store $16.99
Amazon $11.21

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice.

Would you like to see a sample. Click on the link. 

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary, free copy of this book from the publisher as part of the BookLook Blogger Review Gold Team Program in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

B&H Bloggers Review: The Bible is My Best Friend Family Devotional by Sheila Walsh

The Bible is My Best Friend Family Devotional: 52 Devotions for Families written by Sheila Walsh arrived in the mail a couple months ago for me to review as part of the B&H Publishing Bloggers Review Team. I was thrilled when it arrived! I've been waiting to focus more on scripture memorization and looking for ways to serve and glorify God with my daughter. This book was going to help. 

Product Description (Description Taken From Website)
Gather the family and spend some time with your best friend—the Bible! From best-selling author Sheila Walsh, the Bible Is My Best Friend Family Devotional connects families both to God’s Word and to each other. Fifty-two key scriptures form the basis for the devotions, which build on the verses, challenge the family to commit them to memory, and explore how each verse is part of God’s wonderful message. “Let’s Talk” questions urge the family to discuss what they’ve learned and offer challenges for different ages of children as well as their parents.

This unique family devotional touches both the mind and the heart. Minds will grow as the text builds on past weeks by reviewing memory work and themes. But most importantly, hearts will grow as families learn together to value the gifts found in the Bible and realize how God’s Word can be their greatest friend.

Special Features

• Memory Verse - Memorize Weekly Referenced Scripture Related to the Devotion
• Let's Talk - Discussion Questions To Ask Each Other
• Family Fun - Crafts, Games, and Interactive Fun
• Weekly Challenge - Serve and Glorify God Together with Service Learning Projects and Activities
• Back to the Bible - Devotional Connects to Bible Story
• Checkpoint - Track Your Progress By Checking Off Completed Activities

How We Used It
We used this brightly colored book as a family devotional on a weekly basis usually early in the morning or before bed. My daughter and I would sit on the couch with our Bibles and this devotional. We took turns reading the different sections. Alyssa was eager to dig deeper into God's Word. This special time really brought us closer together. 

We started memorizing the verses on Mondays. The verses were added to our scripture memorization system. We saved the weekly Family Challenges for Sundays if possible. I would often look ahead to see if the challenges would take more than a day so that we could actively work together throughout the week to accomplish our goals. The Family Fun activities usually took place on Fridays. 

My Thoughts
The recently released family devotional contains 52 weekly devotions enveloped inside a hardcover format. The author, Sheila Walsh is a passionate Christian writer with a desire to teach children about God's Word. This 224-page well organized and structured devotional will help you and your family connect with God at a deeper level. It has a ribbon bookmark to help keep your place during your study. The illustrations are colorful with cartoonish characters. 

The book begins with a two-page table of contents. A parent connection can be found at the back of the book reminding you that the Bible won't change but that your family will. It encourages you to revisit the same activities down the road enabling you to learn even more about each family member. Questions for you to ponder are given at the end to discuss with your family. They help you figure out what your family liked best about the devotional and its activities. For example, the book asks you, "Which memory verse was your favorite and why?" I skimmed ahead and found Luke 1:37 "For nothing will be impossible with God." That is by far one of my favorite verses, because the message is so profound. Trust God and everything becomes possible. He uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. This devotional provides you with examples seen in the Bible. This verse gives me strength when I feel like I am facing impossible obstacles. When I pray this verse, I see that He is always there guiding me along the way and helping me accomplish the plans He desires for me. A memory verse index and the "Look For It' answers are also provided at the back of this devotional. 

There's a spiritual message reminding you to turn to your Bible for all answers and to keep God's Word close to your heart, because it is your best lifelong friend. You can learn about God's plan to save you and can seek answers to life's difficult questions in your Bible. If you use the Bible to guide your actions and words then you will be glorifying God.  

The exceptional devotional was small enough for my daughter to handle on her own. The font size was a reasonable size and was larger than other devotionals I've utilized. The weekly devotions are more manageable for our family than daily devotional readings. However, you can easily break up the weekly devotion into daily sections if desired. The routined organization and layout of this devotional makes it easy-to-use in a family or group setting. 

My daughter loved the challenge of learning a new Memory Verse each week. We would play games to help us both learn and memorize them. There were a variety of Family Fun activities included in this devotional such as games, crafts, scavenger hunts, and other fun hands-on activities. They were categorized by activity types such as Look For It, Crafty Creations, Birdbrain Ideas, Act It Out, etc. These activities address a wide range of learning modalities and styles. The Let's Talk thought-provoking questions led to heart-warming, tender conversations which enabled us to share our feelings and develop a deeper mother-daughter bond. My favorite part of this devotional were the Family Challenges. I especially enjoyed the one featured on page 33. We listed five ways to help someone in need and acted on several of them. We created homeless bags and donated clothes to Salvation Army. Children can relate to the topics making the activities more meaningful and applicable to life. We look forward to spending this special time together growing in God every single day.

Price
B and H Publishing $14.99
Christian Book $11.99
Amazon $11.22
Family Christian $14.99

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice. 

Recommendations
I highly recommend this age-appropriate book for children ages 4-10. Christian families wanting to add devotional time to their week will appreciate and love the contents of this devotional. This would make a great Easter basket gift too. You can teach Biblical truths using God's Word in a simple manner to younger children. It won't overwhelm them and can be completed in a short amount of time.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary, free copy of this book from the publisher as part of the B&H Publishing Group Book Review Program in exchange for an honest, unbiased review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

BookLook Review - Brave Girls: Faithful Friends written by Jennifer Gerelds

Today I am reviewing Brave Girls: Faithful Friends written by Jennifer Gerelds. It is a small 90-Day Christian devotional paperback book consisting of 135 black and white pages. The book is meant for preteen or tween girls between the ages of 8-13. However, younger girls can benefit from reading it. The devotional is published by Thomas Nelson as part of the Brave Girls series.

A couple months ago, BookLook's Blogger Review Program gave me the chance to review the other book in the series titled, Brave Girls: Better Than Perfect. We also own Brave Girls Bible Stories. We use these resources each morning as part of my daughter's personal Bible study time. I believe that each one of these books are treasured gems that any young girl would appreciate.

Book Summary (According to the Website)

Faithful Friends, forever true . . . hearts together, me and you! From the time they are babies, some little girls reach out to those around them, smiling, laughing, playing, and making friends. Others might find it a little tough. This new Brave Girls devotional features 90 devotions that will reinforce a young girls desire to have friends, to BE a friend, and to help her share her faith with friends of all ages. Just as God is our "Forever Friend," faithful and true, the Brave Girls take readers through these pages, encouraging her to be best friends she can be!

Each Devotion Includes

• Meaningful Bible Scriptures with References
• Reflective Daily Friendship Devotionals
• Short 1-2 Sentence Closing Prayers

Hope, Faith, Glory, Gracie, and Honor (the Brave Girls) teach girls the qualities of a being a good friend to animals, family, and others based on God's desires. They share their ideas for making and keeping friends through interesting stories. They emphasize friendship truths such as "God sometimes uses our friends to correct us" and "There's a reason God gave us one mouth and two ears." The devotional covers proper phone etiquette during conversations. It evens discusses how to throw an awesome slumber party that will please any girl. It covers the planning process and gives pointers or tips on how to be a great host. My daughter will use this information when planning her summer slumber.

Eight Relevant Topics Addressed

• God is My Best Friend
• Bible Friends
• Critter Chat
• Friendship Starters
• Friendship Fixers
• Friends at Home
• Quizzing the Night Away
• Friendship Fun Zone

My Thoughts
The beautiful, colorful cover featuring the 5 "Brave Girl" friends who are from different ethnicities is eye-catching. The well-organized format or layout is easy-to-read. The devotionals can be read in any order, but I would create a tracking sheet to mark off the days that are read. Children may need a dictionary or parent nearby to explain the meanings of a few larger words mentioned. 

We both loved the chapter on Critter Chats. The Critter Chat chapter relates the content to one of God's amazing animals such as "Copy Cat (kittens)," Puppy Love (puppies), "Eagle Eye (eagles)," and "Winging It (geese)" Animal lovers will adore this section. "Copy Cat" teaches a lesson by referring to lessons a mother cat teaches her kittens. It reminds children to obey and model examples of good behavior taught by a parent. They must listen to their rules which will help them grow strong in the Lord.

Friendship Fixers is another chapter we enjoyed. The Bible Scripture verse references are encouraging and helpful during any tough situation. The problem-solution scenarios will help children know what to do in sticky or uncomfortable situations. My daughter said that her absolute favorite devotional was the first one titled, "Better Than Best," because it reminded her that when you feel alone God is always with you and is your best or closest friend. Another chapter emphasizes Bible characters that maintained good friendships and other Bible characters who didn't display good friendship qualities. Children can learn from the mistakes and successes of these characters.

This relationship building book contains verses to memorize and topics that are age-appropriate which address real-life situations. The topics can be easily applied to life. The book will help the social and emotional well being of your child giving them a balanced outlook on life and friendships. The pertinent messages are ones girls should hear before their teen years. It addresses a variety of difficult friendship topics from a Christian viewpoint. The devotions are short 1-2 page readings which share examples of good choices to make in life.

There are engaging and interactive activities provided in the book such as word searches, drawing fun, problem-solution scenarios, journaling notes, fill-in the blanks, thought-provoking questions, quizzes, and a scheduling activity. The contents of the book reinforces their faith in God and gives young girls practical advice on how to develop healthy friendships. I love that the series encourages girls to be and act brave in today's society.

Recommendations
This was an easy read for my 7 1/2 year old daughter to use independently. It is also a devotional with a clearly understood message that a mother and daughter could do together discussing personal experiences and key points each day. The conversational, personable writing style of the book will capture the attention of your tween girl. This devotional would be beneficial to families, small church groups, or Bible study groups. It would make a great Christmas, Birthday, or Easter gift for a special girl in your life.  

Do you want your little girl to develop strong, long-lasting, Godly friendships?

Consider this devotional as a starting point or guide. 

Price: Retails For $7.99

Faith Gateway Store Currently on Sale for $5.59
Amazon $5.51 (on sale)

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice.

Disclaimer

I received a complimentary, free copy of this book from the publisher as part of the BookLook Blogger Review Team Program in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."