HCSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible, British Tan, LeatherTouch

The Illustrator’s Notetaking Bible combines two hot trends: Bible journaling and adult coloring. Through unique illustrations included on every page spread, readers, illustrator’s, and notetakers alike learn to engage the biblical text in a new way. The exceptional design offers a unique balance for everyone from seasoned artists to the creatively challenged, allowing for guided creativity and meaningful personalization of the Bible reading experience. From filigree, Scripture quotes, and unique images, these line-drawn illustrations are waiting to be brought to life.

Features include:

Over 600 images, including text designs, images, and filigree
Unique illustrations on every page spread
Open margin space for creating new, personalized images

Light grey illustrations allowing readers to add color to each image

Lined margins for note taking

This Bible has on almost every page has either a scripture passage lettered and illustrated, or a very pretty design on it. You can color the illustrations in and add some of your own. A great way of making this Bible your own! There is also ample space in the margins for your personal journaling. The Notetaking space is lined .

I love this Bible. I will be using it for my daily Bible reading as well as for coloring and illustrating the passages. I wish the font size was a little bigger but I understand it would make the Bible a lot bigger.

I do not recommend anything heavier than a color pencil or gel pen considering how thin the pages are and especially not markers as I think they'd bleed through. I am not sure you could use a highlighter with this Bible. I think the pages are to thin.

*I received this book from BHP/Lifeway Publishing Group as part of their book bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unashamed: Drop the Baggage, Pick up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny

Shame can take on many forms. It hides in the shadows of the most successful, confident and high-achieving woman who struggles with balancing her work and children, as well as in the heart of the broken, abused and downtrodden woman who has been told that she will never amount to anything. Shame hides in plain sight and can hold us back in ways we do not realize. But Christine Caine wants readers to know something: we can all be free.

“I know. I’ve been there,” writes Christine. “I was schooled in shame. It has been my constant companion from my very earliest memories. I see shame everywhere I look in the world, including in the church. It creeps from heart to heart, growing in shadowy places, feeding on itself so that those struggling with it are too shamed to seek help from shame itself.”

In Unashamed, Christine reveals the often-hidden consequences of shame—in her own life and the lives of so many Christian women—and invites you to join her in moving from a shame-filled to a shame-free life.

In her passionate and candid style, Christine leads you into God’s Word where you will see for yourself how to believe that God is bigger than your mistakes, your inadequacies, your past, and your limitations. He is not only more powerful than anything you’ve done but also stronger than anything ever done to you. You can deal with your yesterday today, so that you can move on to what God has in store for you tomorrow—a powerful purpose and destiny he wants you to fulfill.

Join the journey. Lay ahold of the power of Jesus Christ today and step into the future—his future for you—a beautiful, full, life-giving future, where you can even become a shame-lifter to others. Live unashamed!

This is my first book I have read by Christine Caine. I enjoyed it. Women especially seem to be consumed with shame and guilt. This book was life-changing for me. Christine covers the spectrum of guilt, shame and negativity women carry with them. This weighs them down from the most severe of women trafficked to being made to feel lesser than for even small things in our lives that make us feel unworthy and ashamed. There is lots of Scripture in this book.

Shame is “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. . . Guilt says, ‘You’ve done something bad.’ Shame says: ‘You are bad.’ There is a big difference between ‘you made a mistake’ and ‘you are a mistake.’
Christine summarizes it this way:

“Guilt is about my do. Shame is about my who.”
Shame kept Adam and Eve hiding from God, rather than running to Him to deal with their guilt.

Enter: The Gospel.

If you are a woman who has ever felt ashamed or judged or rejected, this book is for you! I highly recommend this book. This book was very freeing. I will be reading it again.

This book was provided by Zondervan, through the BookLook Bloggers program, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Do Hard Things by Alex Harris and Brett Harris

Do Hard Things by Alex Harris and Brett Harris

Most people don't expect you to understand what we're going to tell you in this book. And even if you understand, they don't expect you to care. And even if you care, they don't expect you to do anything about it. And even if you do something about it, they don't expect it to last. We do. – Alex and Brett

A generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution"

Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.

Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life.  Then they map out five powerful ways teens can respond for personal and social change.

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of an already-happening teen revolution challenges a generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

Now includes:
--A new introduction from the authors, “Looking Back, Looking Ahead”
--Questions (and Stories) To Get You Started
--A list of 100 Hard Things to help inspire you
--A study guide for personal or group use

 This book challenges teens to intentionally do 5 kinds of hard things:

1. Things that are outside your comfort zone.
2. Things that go beyond what is expected or required.
3. Things that are too big to accomplish alone.
4. Things that don't earn an immediate payoff.
5. Things that challenge the cultural norm.

I would recommend this book for teens and people who have teens in their lives to help them go in the right direction and work on doing the hard things. Adults, as,well as teens can benefit from reading this book. Don’t sink to the level of low expectations. You can do more, be more. We need to expect more of our teens and ourselves.  I recommend it for anyone, at any age, because all of us have areas in our lives that we don't attempt to do, simply because they seem too "hard".

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.