JOT Bible Life-Notes ™

When my free review copy of the new JOT Bible Life-Notes ™ arrived from JOT Publishing, my first impression was, “Nice packaging!” Removing the book from its attractive, plain black box, I saw – or, rather, felt – the genuine leather cover encasing the lined pages, sewn sturdily into place.

This innovative journal looks like a high-quality edition of the Bible with three ribbon markers but is actually a companion for keeping together your notes, inspired thoughts, and key words or phrases from any or every translation in one journal.

As God-incidence would have it, the book arrived just before our Bible class at church stopped using our regular curriculum to begin a consecutive study of Bible books, starting with Genesis. The leader encouraged each of us to bring our favorite study Bibles in whatever translation we preferred, so we could pool our resources, compare word choices, and collectively use informative footnotes to deepen and broaden our understanding of God’s Word.

With that in mind, I kept the JOT journal beside me as I read various translations of Genesis 1-2 along with study materials and other relevant info. More importantly, I contemplated each verse to see what God brought to mind for me to note.

Inside the journal, each page allows two full lines per verse with two to four lined pages for “Extra Notes" at the end of each book. So, beginning with Genesis 1:1, I wrote: “Before everything was, God is.” Then I made a note to myself about the possibility of God’s actions creating a “big bang,” especially since verse 2 shows the earth as “formless and void.”

To expound on this, I went to the “Genesis Extra Notes” page and wrote, “The first day of creation establishes a movement of energy and matter before time existed.” Then on day two, God created “the sun and moon as time clocks – makers of time, which earlier, did not exist.” So we have a timeless era outside of time before God shaped our earth and atmosphere or called on the land, seas, and sky to “bring forth.” As each part of creation obeyed, God called it “good” and mankind “very good.”

Jotting down those thoughts brought others to mind too, which is most likely what the creators of this Bible journal intended –- a place to “bring forth” insights and understanding of God’s Word. Furthermore, by constructing the journal for beauty and durability, these Life-Notes -– your Bible life notes –- could very well turn out to be a priceless heirloom for generations to come.

©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler


JOT Bible Life-Notes ™ with genuine leather cover



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Exquisite! Tyndale Select NLT

For all of my adult life and then some, I’ve been reading the major translations, study editions, and various versions of the Bible, but the new Tyndale Select NLT (New Living Translation) in goatskin is surely one of the best reader editions I’ve ever had the joy of owning, thanks to Tyndale House Publishers, who kindly sent me a free copy for my always-honest review. And, on a scale of 1 to 5, I'd honestly give this exquisite treatment of God’s Word a 10!

First of all, the NLT has continued to be my favorite contemporary version, not only for its intelligent thought-for-thought translation aka dynamic equivalence rendering but for its respectful, poetic tone in easy-to-grasp language.

Even so, in “A Note To Readers,” we learn that the Bible Translation Committee decided “an additional investment in scholarly review and text refinement could make it even better. So shortly after its initial publication, the committee began an eight-year process with the purpose of increasing the level of the NLT’s precision without sacrificing its easy-to-understand quality. This second-generation text was completed in 2004, with minor changes subsequently introduced in 2007, 2013, and 2015.”

The Introduction then goes on to say that “the Bible Translation Committee recruited teams of scholars that represented a broad spectrum of denominations, theological perspectives, and backgrounds within the worldwide evangelical community,” which basically means the diverse committee did not translate the apocryphal aka deuterocanonical books.

Although the Tyndale Select NLT is a reader’s edition with no footnotes except those needed to explain a particular choice of words, the single-column pages allow for cross referencing in the outer margins of the text and a full “Dictionary/Concordance” followed by colored maps in the back matter.

Besides the newly updated text, this gorgeous edition includes: a well-inked, roundish font that’s easy on the eyes; silken Smyth-sewn pages; and the finest quality of covers in a sturdy, soft, huggable goatskin.

I love it!

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, Bible reviewer, is a poet-writer of numerous books in all genres for Christian and educational publishers. She also blogs on poetry, writing, Bible prayers, and Praise Poems.

Tyndale Select NLT, black or brown goatskin


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The Message 100

Unlike chronological Bibles that divide up the chapters of each book, The Message 100 Bible keeps the books intact but arranged in the most likely time sequence then divides them into 100 sections to help us get grounded in each biblical time, place, and culture. Or, as the cover explains, this edition gives us “the story of God in sequence.”

Published by Tyndale House, who kindly sent me a free copy for review, this edition provides an excellent option for youth and people somewhat interested in the Bible, but also Bible students who want to feel themselves as present and part of God’s Word. Not only do the 100 sections aid that experience, so does the highly accessible text, paraphrased by Bible teacher-pastor-author Eugene H. Peterson.

In the interesting Foreword by Bono, the musician says he “discovered Eugene Peterson’s The Message through the Psalms. In the dressing room before a show, we would read them as a band, then walk out into areas and stadiums, the words igniting us, inspiring us,” which is exactly the effect we pray the Bible has on each of us as we read.

In his “Preface to the Reader,” Rev. Peterson says, “The Message is a reading Bible. It is not intended to replace the excellent study Bibles that are available. My intent here… is simply to get people reading it who don’t know that the Bible is read-able at all, at least by them, and to get people who long ago lost interest in the Bible to read it again.”

Before we study, before we write sermons or devotionals, before we even try to live in a manner fitting for God’s people, we first must know what the Bible says. As the “Introduction to the Message” puts it:

“There will be time enough for study later on. But first, it is important simply to read, leisurely and thoughtfully. We need to get a feel for the way these stories and songs, these prayers and conversations, these sermons and visions, invite us into this large, large world in which the invisible God is behind and involved in everything visible and illuminates what it means to live here – really live, not just get across the street.”

Lord willing, regularly reading the Bible will help us to do that and more in Jesus’ Name.

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer and lifelong lover of the Bible, is also a poet-author of Bible-based poems and books in all genres.

The Message 100, paperback


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Just Like Jesus Bible Storybook

When Tyndale House Publishers kindly sent me a review copy of Just Like Jesus, my first impression was, “Nice!” With its lightly padded cover and thick, slick pages, this book should stand up to long use and sticky fingerprints that can probably be wiped off with a barely dampened sponge. That sturdy construction is impressive as is the beautifully done artwork, which will undoubtedly appeal to young children and also adults of all ages!

Unfortunately, beginning readers will most likely deem those same illustrations as “babyish,” which matters only because elementary school children will identify with the vocabulary and content far more than will children 4 to 7, who are seldom mature enough to understand abstract, character-building concepts.

Exemplary character, as perfectly shown by Jesus, is the overall purpose of this sturdy little storybook. If, therefore, a child received it at an early age and grew up reading it, concerns about age and abstracts would no longer be a factor.

In the book's clear aim to build character, each section begins with a theme and relevant Bible verse before guiding children and their parents, grandparents, or other caretakers to discussion various aspects of Jesus’ character, which we’re all to emulate.

If we want to be just like Jesus, that means we’re to be thankful, responsible, kind, caring, and spirit-filled.

In focusing on the latter, for example, the title “Jesus Was Spirit-Filled” precedes scripture from Matthew 3:16, which says, “After his baptism… [Jesus] saw the Spirt of God descending like a dove and settling on him.”

The adjacent page, “Jesus in The Bible,” goes on to develop that verse more fully by saying:

“Jesus was perfect. So why did He come to be baptized? He had no sin to wash away! When Jesus came up out of the water, God’s Holy Spirit filled His heart.

“It was time to start His mission! Jesus came to teach us about God and to forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the power to do it!”

Although the question posed was not answered in the text, parents might discuss it with their children, depending on their ages or ability to understand.

Then, the next page “Jesus In Me,” explains:

“When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, we give God control of our lives. Then He fills us with His Holy Spirit. When we are full of God’s Holy Sirit, His love controls our actions.

“Now we can be just like Jesus!”

The last page on each theme and section ends with a prayer such as:

“Lord, I want to be Spirit-Filled! I pray for more and more of Your Holy Spirit each day.”

And finally,under the ribboned healing “To be just like Jesus….” we read, “I will be Spirit-Filled.”

The consistent format covers each theme in four-page sections, which young readers can be encouraged to read by themselves with a little help from adult caretakers, who take time and care to help children develop character with the sterling examples only Jesus can provide.

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer and lifelong student of the Bible, is also a Christian poet and writer who writes on biblical themes.

Just Like Jesus Bible Storybook (Wonder Kids), padded hardback


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