Resources – Page 45 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

Chronological Guide to the Bible
Thomas Nelson Publishers
March 2010
$24.99
217pp

For my BookSneeze Review this month I chose the Chronological Guide to the Bible. This book is an excellent reference for any serious Bible student. Extremely user friendly with a nice form factor and feel; great color photos and charts. It’s an enjoyable study tool. As a former home school mom, I see this as a great addition to any home school Bible curriculum, and best of all the Chronological Guide to the Bible works with any Bible translation.

Rather than being divided by the traditional order of books in the Bible, the Chronological Guide to the Bible is divided into 9 Epochs of time; with handy charts for chronological reading of the Bible. Where several of the Bible’s books overlap, (i.e., 1 & 2 Samuel / 1 & 2 Kings) they are combined to tell the history in the order of their occurrence.

Most of the information is adapted from The Chronological Study Bible published also by Thomas Nelson in 2008. The benefit to using the guide over the Bible itself, I believe, is primarily simplicity of use. As far as I can tell it isn’t necessary to own both, although I chose to purchase the Bible myself so I could give an accurate review. I personally prefer to have both in my library and would encourage others to do the same.

I thoroughly enjoy studying the Bible; and because I find Biblical history fascinating I really look forward to spending more time in the Chronological Guide to the Bible.

This is an excellent reference tool I’ll use in my personal library for many years to come. Thank you Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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

I follow Michael Hyatt’s blog (CEO Thomas Nelson), where he recently recommended a book.

I was unfamiliar with the author, but because I take Michael’s advice very seriously, I ordered the book.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years:
What I Learned While Editing My Life
by Donald Miller
$19.99
Thomas Nelson Publisher
ISBN 978-0-7852-1306-2

This book caught me completely by surprise; and is now one of my top 10 books! I’m so taken by this book, I already want to reread it. I want to buy a case and pass them out to all my friends.

It’s funny, profound, entertaining, thought provoking but most importantly — life changing!

Maybe you’re in a low point of your life.

Maybe not.

Maybe your life is going great with no conflicts.

Either way, this book is a must.

It’s an easy, fast read that will catch you laughing out loud at the wonderful stories Don lives to tell.

What makes this one of my favorite books?

Simply – it made me look at my life in a completely different perspective and see that I have the ability to partner with God and write my own story.

“A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.” -Donald Miller

We may feel like we’re a million miles and a thousand years away from being able to live what we believe is our “true story.”

But whose fault is that?

We don’t have a story because we are lazy. We don’t want to turn off the TV, get off the couch, and put away the Cheetos.

We don’t see that God is allowing our character (us) to experience conflict that pushes us to become better people.

“Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller.” -Donald Miller

I don’t usually have to go too far to find the conflict in my life, it seems to come looking for me.

The big question is:

What am I doing with that conflict?

“One of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don’t want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgment. We don’t want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage.

… we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants.” -Donald Miller

What’s Your Story?

Are you in conflict today but trying to numb the pain of it by depending on something or someone?

Or you pressing through the conflict to find the resolution/freedom/joy that waits on the other side.

“It’s a good calling, then, to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to repeat them.” – Donald Miller

Let’s not be lazy and allow our life story to pass us by.

Let’s partner with God to help tell His story through us.