The Voice Bible Translation

The Voice New Testament Bible Translation is a fresh way of reading the traditional scriptures. It retains the poetry and narrative format of the scriptures while choosing to remain faithful to the original meanings in Greek and Aramaic. It is a joint effort from Bible scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets and other artists while giving attention the the beauty of the story. It can be read like a modern literary piece yet the authors painstakingly made sure that the truth and the fullness of the scriptures are still intact!

Here are some of its features:
- Italicized information indicate what the original readers would have known
- In text commentary notes include thoughts whether historical, cultural, devotional or theological in nature.
- The format is ideal for public readings or group studies.
- There is a book introduction which aids the reader to understand the book more

So if you want to read the Word of God in modern English, this book would be a good choice for you. It can also be used as a basic study Bible

The New Testament translation is affordably prized at $6.99 only. This is published by Thimas Nelson Inc.




Note: I was given a copy of this book electronically but it has in no way influenced my personal opinions about the book.   

Books

As long as I can remember, I have loved reading books! I started with junior novels when I was younger and got to reading novels and devotional books when I got older. I get inspiration, instruction and insight from reading books. It is a great way to expand one's horizon and knowledge about places, things, culture and life's lessons. 

Now that I have kids of my own, I want them to enjoy reading as much as I did. Because I believe that once we have instilled the joy of reading, they will never cease learning. 

You cannot open a book without learning something.
Confucius

Cultivating Your Inner Life Review

I have been reading a really good book by Rev.Edmund Chan entitled "Cultivating Your Inner Life". It is all about our spiritual formation and what discipleship should really be. I have really enjoyed this book because it is not just something to be read, but it really speaks to one's heart.

The author used his personal life experiences to illustrate his points on christian growth. One of the book's main topic is intimacy with God. The book discussed several myths that people believe  about intimacy with God. Here are the 4 myths:
> Intimacy is the key to blessing
> Intimacy is a prize
> Intimacy with God is optional
> Intimacy is experienced the same way by everyone

Rev. Edmund Chan stated 4 truths to contradict the 4 myths. The 4 truths are:
> God delights in intimacy with us and invited us to it
> Intimacy is a God-given birthright for all
> Intimacy takes trust and not just time
> Intimacy with God results in redemptive acts of love

The book has made me rethink the status of my personal relationship with God. Am I too comfortable or am I intimate with Him?

If you want to re-evaluate your relationship with God, this book is a good companion especially this Lenten season.

This book is published by Covenant Evangelical Free Church.

Note: I have not been paid to write this review. All opinions are personal. 

The 10 Best Decisions A Woman Can Make

I was looking for a book that I wanted to give to a friend who was in her 20s and has her life ahead of her. I wanted one that would speak to her and help her evaluate her life. So I headed out to OMF Literature Book shop and found this book!

The 10 Best Decisions A Woman Can Make is written by Pam Farrel. Pam challenges women to make decisions instead of just allowing life to drift by. She begins by challenging women to assess how they view their significance. Every decision she would make is based on how she views herself and it is important that she has the proper view about herself. A significant woman bases her identity on who God says she is, and not on what she does.

Living an intentional life is not easy and Pam Farrel challenges us to do just that in every area in our lives. We need to be authentic, know what is the truth, maximize ourselves, live by love, take good care of our selves, be successful in every season of our life and leave a lasting legacy. This book speaks to women across the different seasons of their lives and wonderfully makes one realize that each season is as special as the next one.

Each chapter ends with decision points, questions that will help every woman evaluate the current state of her life and how she wants to proceed. It is most beneficial to read through this book with the intention of making changes in one's life.

I recommend this book to women who want to make a difference and live their lives meaningfully.

Note: I personally bought this book and I am not compensated for this review.

The 4 Hour Chef Book

I am not a cook, nor do I aspire to be one. I just cook out of necessity. I don't have a love affair with food and I've never been a food enthusiast ever since. I remember when I was small, it would take me hours just to finish my meal. Thankfully, I have outgrown that phase in my life, but I still am not adventurous when it comes to eating or cooking. I also don't like cooking without recipes because I am afraid that if I cook without a recipe at hand, the food I'm preparing would taste bad and no one will eat it!

So after seeing The 4 Hour Chef book on the bookstores, I wonder what it has to offer to a non-cook like me! I am interested to see how Timothy Ferriss will help me through this four hour chef book. It mentioned that the book has recipes and cooking techniques. But the highlight of the book is teaching one to learn new skills quickly. Since cooking is a skill, mastering it quickly can be a plus for me.

Mastering the art of cooking has been a lifelong quest, just maybe with the help of this book, it won't be as elusive anymore.

It Only Hurts When I Pee, RJ Ledesma’s Guide on Bodily Gases, Hair Loss and Pink Parts

Do you like reading books with a different twist? Well here is a book by Three-time best-selling author and 30th National Book Awards finalist RJ Ledesma entitled “It Only Hurts When I Pee, RJ Ledesma’s Guide on Bodily Gases, Hair Loss and Pink Parts.”

No, this is not another story about vampires who sparkle in the midday sun while wearing outrageously pale faces and pouted lips. This is the truth that young boys long to discover, grown ups laugh about, and our grandpas love to revisit. This is the story of every Adam that will never be written in the history of mankind.

Author RJ Ledesma unravels how this and other crazy, perplexing phenomena are taking place, as he launches his fourth book which is distributed by Anvil Publishing. It is a compilation of the ridiculously truthful, self-aware and highly comical chronicles of the less hygienic male species based on curious epic research, thorough investigation and, ahem, first-hand experience.

From the freshly squeezed brain juices of RJ Ledesma, the book and all its 167 pages tackles amusing topics and antics, including classic and epic details in the Pinoy dating and mating scenes, and male entertainment created simply by grimy fingers and a lack of good taste.

Wonder why bad guys often become the object of romance by women who, in RJ’s own word, desire “to increase the country’s current voting population”? Let the entrepreneur, multimedia practitioner, yogi and author of Lies My Yaya Should Have Told Me (2008), I Do or I Die (2009), and Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Me? (2010) tickle your funny bone and usher you into testosterone land with his newest masterpiece guaranteed to make you pee to your heart’s content.

The Gospel According to Jesus Review

This book has been with me for a year now and it took me so many months to finish reading it for the simple fact that this book contains rich truths and thought provoking statements. Chris Seay challenges what you think you already know about "righteousness" and the "gospel". He continues to give a clear picture of man's fall because of sin and how man has been justified through Christ. Aside from the theological truths, one will also see practical tips on how to live out one's faith. This is a good book to read for new Christians and old Christians alike. The truths you will learn from this book can lead you to better understand your faith in God.

A Review of Solo Flight

Being married for many years, I have always wondered what is it like to be single all these years. Now that I have a copy of Solo Flight Embracing the Single Life and Discovering God's Purpose by Grace D. Chong and Francie Castaneda-Lacanilao, I read it at once to gain some insight.

I found the book to be very interesting...in fact, it didn't take me 2 hours to read through the whole book. I thought that I was going to read about how to wait for God's perfect mate or what to do while waiting but I was mistaken. Instead, the first part was actually the life story of Ms. Francie. The book narrated her journey through life until God gave her the life long partner she had been waiting for. It was very inspiring and encouraging to know her story.

The second part features different stories of different women who have embraced singleness in their life. The stories give you a reflection of what goes on in the heart of these women who have accepted their singlehood and others who still hold on and wait for their mate. Reading the stories gave me a new perspective about singleness and appreciate the plans God has for each one of us.

The last part of the book is about danger signs single women should watch out for. God has a different plan for each person, what really matters is whether we live our life in obedience and in praise of Him.

4 Hour Work Week?

I have not heard of Tim Ferriss before but as I checked out his website, I realized that he is the author of 4-Hour Workweek book. I was wondering what the 4- Hour Workweek was all about and I saw that it was all about changing your lifestyle. If you have been used to a life doing the usual work routine and you have always dreamed to work on minimal time with maximum output so that you can do things that you enjoy, this book would be of interest to you.

When I was still working in an office many years ago, I was actively involved in church ministry work and also very active socially. I had many travel plans but was always restricted with my 5 day work and desk job. I tried to start my own business with some friends but it didn't work out so we had to close it down. I tried to study about cashflow management because I want my money to work for me. It would be great to be able to invest money on the Philippine stock market and make money work.

I guess the lesson we need to learn from this book and this author is that we should maximize the hours in our day. Life is not just about work but living a life worth waking up to every day.

OMF Literature at Manila International Book Fair

It is the time of year again when all book lovers are excited! The annual Manila International Book Fair will happen at SMX Convention Center on September 14-18! One of my favorite booths to visit is OMF!

All books at the OMF Lit Bookshop booths at Aisle D will be at 20% off, visitors with the I Read Postcard can avail of selected titles at 30% off. They can get the postcards for free at any OMF Lit Bookshops in the Metro Manila area.

Booklovers can also look forward to the launch of new titles from both homegrown and international authors.

• Hula, Multo, Faith Healing Atbp by Pastor Hiram Pangilinan explains the different occult practices in the Philippines and how people can break free from them
• Pass or Fail by Ronald Molmisa, a practical and relevant book that teaches young people how to be the best student ever (in Taglish format)
• Solo Flight by Grace Chong and Francie Castaneda-Lacanilao, a guide to single women and how they can make the most of their lives
• The Last Man Dancing: The Nestor de Villa Story by Gicky Soriano, a biography of Mr. De Villa and his faith journey, written by his son
• Oh Mateo 14: Tree for All by Grace Chong which teaches kids good stewardship and taking care of the environment
• The Great Crocodile and Duck Race by Robert Magnuson which teaches kids to get along while at play
• Bee Safe by Joyce Piap Go, a practical and informative book that teaches kids how to be safe in their environment
• Dopple Ganger Chronicles Vol 2: The Secret of Indigo Moon by G.P Taylor, a graphic novella featuring more adventures from twins Sadie and Saskia and their friend Eric
• Cupidity by Hayley and Michael DiMarco talks about 50 stupid things people do for love and how you can avoid them
• Making Room for Leadership by MaryKate Morse, a practical study on the gift of power of servant-leadership
• Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman, a practical little book, packed with wisdom and tips that will help many develop the loving, supportive and mutually beneficial marriage men and women long for
• Think by John Piper brings together the life of the mind and the love of God
• What Women Don't Know (and Men Don't Tell You) by Michelle McKinney Hammond and Joel A. Brooks Jr features the unspoken rules of finding lasting love
• Workplace Grace by William Carr Peel and Walt Larrimore which deals with becoming a spiritual influence at work

You will also get the chance to meet and greet these home-grown authors on the following dates:
o Joyce Piap Go - September 14
o Francie Castaneda-Lacanilao - September 14
o Grace Chong - September 14
o Hiram Pangilinan - September 16
o Gicky Soriano - September 16
o Ronald Molmisa - September 17

If you want to find out what books will be on sale, check out this link.

To find out more about all the activities and happenings at the OMF Lit booth, log on to www.omflit.com or like OMF Literature on facebook/omfliterature or follow us on twitter @omflit.

Max on Life by Max Lucado

Along our Christian walk, we always have questions in life. It could be questions about life itself, our circumstances, our faith and about God. We don't always have the luxury of finding time to talk to someone who knows the answers to our questions or the questions might be too personal to ask. Max on Life by Max Lucado answers these type of questions. The book is actually a question and answer type of book. It is a compilation of 172 questions Max Lucado has received over the years being a pastor and a writer at the same time.

The questions are categorically arranged. The 7 categories are hope, hurt, help, him/her, home, haves/have-nots and hereafter. The questions are real life and challenging. Max being the gifted devotional writer that he is, answers the different questions based from the Scriptures and uses real life examples to make his point. I thought I would get bored reading this book, but apparently, I was mistaken. The questions are actually the kind of questions I would have asked myself. I was able to get a different insight into several seasons of life. This would be a great gift especially for new believers and those who are looking for answers in life.

At the end of the book, there is a special section for those questions about writing a book. I will end this review with a quote that I especially liked from this book. "Written words go to places you'll never go and descend to depths you'll never know."

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com 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.”

Regret Free Parenting by Catherine Hickem

Regret Free Parenting by Catherine Hickem challenges the usual parenting styles and myths. The book tackles the importance of being an intentional parent and how it will affect the life of the kids. There are seven key principles shared in this book. Each principle gives practical suggestions, questions and action points to help the parent to become intentional in fulfilling her purpose and role.

I am a firm believer of intentional parenting and this book has definitely given me several action points that I want to implement in my parenting. I don't want to miss out the best years to train my children and to know them so that I can affirm them. The book also reminded me that parenting is partnering with God. I realize that it is not enough that I stay at home with the kids, but I need to pay attention, pray for them and be involved if I want to be a regret free parent someday.

The book also has a coaching plan which can help any parent get started and to put the principles into practice. There are many resources included in this book as well, including websites, books, movies and other tools which can help the parent in her journey to regret free parenting.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com 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.”

Grace Found Me by Grace Chong

Moms like me are always busy, especially now that another school year is about to begin. Everyday it seems like we are on a rush to get chores accomplished. Our schedule is packed from preparing the kids for school, doing household chores, accomplishing our part time work and fulling our roles as moms and wives. Because our roles are important in the house, it is imperative to find a quiet time to spend alone with God. It is in this time of solitude and prayer that we can be refreshed by the Word of God. Grace Found Me : 365 Thoughts for Busy Women, a daily devotional book by Grace Chong, can be a good companion during your quiet moments of reflection. Be inspired daily by short snippets from the author, a short prayer and a Bible verse to reflect on. Be reminded that God has given you all that you would need for a productive day. He has bestowed grace upon grace in every area of your life. This is definitely a perfect gift to moms who need a breather!

Grace Found Me : 365 Thoughts for Busy Women is published by OMF Literature Inc.

Note: I am not compensated for this review.

OMF's ROB Us Forty-fied!

I love books! So whenever OMF Literature has a sale, I try to drop by their shops to check good deals. Today is the start of OMF's R.O.B Us (Raid Our Bookshop: Ultimate Sale) Forty-fied! 40% off over 200 Titles and 30% off all OMF Lit titles! Here is the list of local and republished and imported titles that you can choose from!

I am personally heading to the book store tomorrow to get a copy of The Big Book of Questions and Answers about Jesus and A Woman After God's Own Heart!

This sale will be until May 31 at all OMF Branches!

Check out their website to see where the nearest OMF shop is!

Booksneeze

I love reading but when I had my 2 kids, my reading time has been lessened. But this year, reading is definitely included in my goals. Reading the entire Bible is my number priority and along with this, I have started to read books regularly too. Aside from reading homeschool curriculum reviews, I have started reading books already. I am quite excited that Booksneeze enables me to read books and create reviews for them.

The first book I requested from Booksneeze has already arrived, so watch out for the first book review in a few days!

Share Knowledge

Today is our 6th Project already for Fixing Your Heart on Titus 2.

Our project today is :

to share a book with someone, either to borrow or to keep. Have you read a great book about what it means to be a Christian woman, wife, parent? Why not share the knowledge?

This week, let’s all share a book with someone. This way, we will be spreading biblical knowledge and understanding!

Use this as an opportunity to lift up another woman who is considered “younger.” Maybe a new mom, or a new wife, or a teen young lady.

I am currently reading a real good book that I would recommend to all parents.

Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.

I am only in chapter 5 of the book yet I have learned so much already. I learned about how my child responds to the my authority now shows how we will respond to God's authority in the future. I also learned that more than the behavior, we ought to be more concerned of the child's heart, because out of the heart, the mouth speaks. If we don't resolve the heart issue, it will just recur in the future and the lesson is not learned. I also learned that I am God's agent of change in my child's life and I am only obeying his command when I discipline my kids.

This is really a very insightful and practical book... but above all, it is very sound in its teaching. So if you are a parent out there, I recommend that you get a copy of this book!

Theology Matters! Dug Down Deep

The Mystery of History

My daughter is enjoying her World History class... so far. :) We are using Mystery of History. The history is based on the Bible's timing and narrates history as it happens. I also find it interesting myself! We are using Volume I, from Creation to Christ.

We also created a timeline as suggested by the author of the book and we update the time line with the people and events as we go along. It definitely makes studying history more interesting! :)

Books for 6 Year Olds

I used to love reading books, in fact, I used to read books in a very fast pace. Well, that was before I gave birth to my kids. Since I gave birth, I noticed that I read books at a slower pace and I can hardly finish a book. I don’t know if I became disoriented? Or too busy? Anyway, now that my kids are no longer infants, I want to go back to reading books. Aside from blog hopping, I want to establish a good habit of reading books as my past time. I know that my kids watch me and how I handle books will have a big influence on them as well. Right now, I am glad that my eldest, who is 6, loves to read. She is reading magic tree house for the past few days... I know that it has an impact on my son, who is 3 years old. He loves to imitate his sister so he tries and pretends to read as well.

Before checking out the free software download for Windows, I am checking out good books for my 6 year old, I realized that our library of books is no longer suitable for her as most of it are books with one word and she has been reading it for the longest time. Do you have any suggestions?

What I Learned From Do Hard Things #2

This is the conclusion of my post on Do Hard Things.

In a society where teenagers are expected to be "typical teenagers", Do Hard Things challenges all teens to do hard things. What kind of hard things?
1. Things that are outside one's comfort zone.
These are actions which take one away from what one is used to. This can be scary but these usually makes good memories! They make one grow.
2. Things that go beyond what is expected or required. These actions rely on one's initiative to do things.
3. Things that are too big to accomplish alone. These are big actions, big projects, big causes. This action causes one to share his passion with others.
4. Thing that don't earn immediate pay off. These are little things or tasks that no one else notices or knows about. Examples are spiritual disciplines, good study habits, controlling one's self, doing the right things.
5. Things that challenge the cultural norm. These are choices that go against "what everyone else is doing". Examples are dressing modestly, saying no to premarital sex, drinking excessively, taking a stand for your faith, not watching pornography. This choices can make you rather unpopular.

I think this is a great book not only for teenagers, but for parents too. It gives us practical steps so we can make a difference with the life God has given us. Definitely worth reading.