Review of the NKJV Study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers

I was excited to get the opportunity to review the NKJV (New King James Version) Study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers. This second edition is in full color with cross-references, translator notes, study notes, in-text maps and charts, articles and much, much more. This Bible is amazing! When I opened the box and saw this HUGE Bible (it's 2000+ pages), I didn't know what to think! I opened it up and explored it. There is so much to read and to learn! Each book of the Bible has a description of the book, information about the author (or presumed author), when it was presumed to have been written, the purpose, and for the Old Testament books there is also a section on Christ in the scriptures that talks about how this particular book relates to prophecies about Christ and how they are fulfilled. Knowing about the culture, meanings of words that are unclear, etc. helps to expand my understanding of the words in the Bible so much. When looking at this Bible, I started thinking about my undergraduate courses in Christianity and in particular my Old Testament studies course. A Bible like this would be excellent for a course in Bible studies, to read on your own, or for a pastor to read when preparing sermons. I look forward to reading the whole Bible in this new way. I know that I will be seeing God's Word in a whole new light! I was so blessed to have this opportunity to obtain this wonderful Bible and I suggest that you pick one up as a gift for yourself or someone else this holiday season.

I receive these books free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook Bloggers book review 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.”

Smart Money, Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze - A Book Review

Smart Money, Smart Kids is a book by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze. You may have heard of Dave Ramsey and his book Total Money Makeover. This book comes from the same premise of teaching your children the principles from the total money makeover so they won't make the same mistakes that you may have when they grow up.

Ramsey and Cruze present a method for teaching your children about money called the envelope method. Your child will have an envelope for save, one for give, and one for spend. Your child will divide the money they earn among these envelopes and you will teach them that once their spend money is gone for the month, that's it. They learn by doing. I tried this for a while with my daughter and she was learning a lot about money. It also was a good way to get her to help out a little more around the house (though she had chores that were required without getting money for them). Ramsey and Cruze also discuss important issues for the teenage years like how to pay for college(scholarships, scholarships, scholarships) and saving for a car. If you want to teach your child to manage money, but you don't know where to start, this is a great book for you!

I receive these books free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook Bloggers book review 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.”

Redefining Friendship

Recently, I have asked myself the question - "What is a friend?"
When I was a child, I always thought a friend was someone who spent time with you, who enjoyed being with you, playing with you, coming to your birthday parties. I always thought a friend was someone who would drop everything to help you and be with you. I expected it to stay that way when I grew up. I was wrong.

Dictionary.com defines friend in several ways. I list the most relevant here:
noun
1.
a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2.
a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter
3.
a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile

Not one of these definitions says the friend always has to be there or want to spend time with you, though you would think that if someone has feelings of affection, supports someone, and is on good terms with someone they would want to spend time with them.

I feel like I don't really have any friends except for my husband because when I invite people to come to my house, to my birthday party or a cook out, they always seem to have excuses. I have felt like I'm being rejected. I've felt like these people who say they are my friends really are not my friends.

What I've come to learn is that there are different levels of friendship. I have a few best friends. My best friends are all related to me; my kids, my husband, my mom and dad, my mother-in-law, and my brothers (especially the brother who is closest in age to me). These are friends who will drop anything to help me out, who will spend time with me, who will show up at my cook outs and birthday parties unless something out of the ordinary prevents them from doing so. These are my best friends.

But just because someone is not my best friend, doesn't mean they aren't my friend. It doesn't mean that they don't have "feelings of affection" for me. It doesn't mean that they aren't my supporter. It doesn't mean they aren't on good terms with me. If I go by this definition, I really have a lot of friends.
I desire that close, personal connection with people. I may find it with very few people, but I should feel blessed to have so many supporters, so many people who care about me. I've found a lot of these people over the past year and a half at my church. These are people who are on my side, who want me to succeed, who are there to support me and help me. I really learned the definition of this friendship when Little K was born. I have never seen such an outpouring of support from a group of people before. It was a hard time for me. I was recovering from a c-section while trying to take care of a 14 month old. My husband was out of a job and we were struggling. These friends were like family, and I now consider them my family. I am lucky and blessed and I now understand that these types of friends are just as good as the ones who come to every event you have. They will be there for you if you really need them!