Mosaic Holy Bible

When a new-found friend and contributor (see pg. 264 written by Lisa Colon DeLay) recommended I look over this Bible, I was curious. After all, how many Bibles does a body need? After reading, and studying and meditating on the passages as well as the scripture, I am convinced that any Christian believer could throw all other versions through the window and keep only this one and benefit for the rest of their life from it.

"A mosaic is made up of many small pieces of marble, glass, or tile called tesserae. The Mosaic in this Bible is made up of hundreds of tesserae, the words and art of hundreds of believers from throughout the centuries and across the globe."

The first part of this Bible consists of a series of writings, devotions, quotes and artwork formatted in the order of the church year. Hear contemporary and historical voices as they share regarding our mission as a Christian. It doesn't matter what your denominational background is as treating the poor with kindness, seeing wealth for what it is, and understanding justice is not limited to one belief system-they are truths to be embraced by everyone.

The second part of Mosaic Bible is the NLV-New Living Translation-of the Old and New Testaments. There was a time I snubbed any version but the King James. For some reason I thought it was superior to others until I bought a NCV. (New Century Version) and realized that all a newer version does is place the words into contemporary language. The translators of the Mosaic Bible kept to the original texts-meaning that they tried to adhere to a word-per-word translation-while making it easier for readers in the twenty-first century to grasp the concept. There is a great advantage to reading the Mosaic in that you know the scripture is authentic even if the wording isn't.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the Mosaic Bible is that although alone while reading it, you feel part of a host of people with a common belief system. It makes you proud to be a believer.

The Mosaic Bible is a keeper. I can't imagine being without mine and I've only had it a short time. You will reach for it first when entering your quiet time. It's just that good!

Hardcover: 1340 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (September 22, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414322038
ISBN-13: 978-1414322032
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches

When you get your copy be sure to thumb to the back where the concordance, dictionary and maps are. You can get lost in the information provided there.

Join other Mosaic Bible fans at
Holy Bible Mosaic.com. Join the forum, read the blog and keep inspired. Also, read weekly devotions related to Mosaic from contributor Lisa Colon DeLay at her blog.

Voices Against Injustice by Catherine House

The people chosen for this book are ordinary people who have made a significant contribution to the improving the lives of other people, or who have had the courage to speak out and draw people's attention to injustice in the world. They are not perfect Christians but we can learn from their examples and even from their failings. As you read, you will be challenged to think about how your Christian faith relates to the world around us. These stories can be uncomfortable to read and will provoke discussion on moral and social issues. Often there are no easy answers to the social challenges that Christians face. Injustice is still around us. Where societies lose their moral moorings they need people of courage and conviction to set a radical and just, perspective. Be encouraged to face these challenges and prayerfully seek a Biblical response to them. You'll find fact pages at the end of each chapter for group discussion.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 Will you defend human rights? Will you join the voices speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves? Let this book teach about freedom and challenge you to do the right thing.

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: CF4K (November 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1845502809
ISBN-13: 978-1845502805
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.4 inches

June Bug by Chris Fabry

June Bug believed everything her daddy told her. That is, until she walked into Walmart and saw her face on a list of missing children. The discovery begins aa quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks about, and ultimately herself. A modern interpretation of Les Miserables, the story follows a dilapidated RV rambling cross-country with June Bug and her father, a man running from a haunted past. Forces beyond their control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever.

From Publishers Weekly-Chris Fabry, evangelical fiction author of more than 60 titles and coauthor of Left Behind: The Kid series—offers a lovely, moving, present-day account of sacrifice linking to the famed novel Les Misérables. It all begins in a nondescript Wal-Mart parking lot where nine-year-old June Bug sees an artist's rendition of herself on a missing child poster in the store where they've parked their broken-down RV trailer. With questions galore, June Bug starts pestering her dad about their RV vagabond life and where they're headed next. Johnson, little June Bug's father, is obliged to face his past in short order as a series of unexpected media events force his hand and reroute his life. Afraid and emotionally battered, Johnson returns to the scene of the crime and discovers what he thought was lost forever. Fabry's retelling of the world-renowned Victor Hugo tale is a stunning success, and readers will find themselves responding with enthusiastic inner applause.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 9, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414319568
ISBN-13: 978-1414319568
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur

Although clearly a fictional novel, Wisdom Hunter resounds with deep seeded truths on many pertinent levels. If it weren’t based on a foundation of truth, Arthur wouldn’t have had 85% of the churches that supported his mission agency severe their relationship within a 3 month period. He wouldn’t have been fired on the spot after sharing a copy of Wisdom Hunter with the president of the agency, either. Wisdom Hunter is written in a fictional novel format, but hardly stands as just a work of fiction.

Here’s the central idea. Pastor Jason Faircloth has the Christian world by the tail and spins it at his will. His super-sized congregation amounts to nothing more than mere yes parishioners. They believe Faircloth to be God himself-or atleast to know what God himself would tell the congregation if he could. Faircloth uses every tactic in the book to keep his fold in line-from peer pressure to fear, he knows it all and won’t hesitate to remind them that he is subordinate and not to be questioned.

When Faircloth faces life altering events, he is forced to let go of the control he stubbornly white knuckled and realizes God is not the being he preached about. In fact, everything Faircloth believed up to that point is washed away by pain, and for a short time, indifference, as he is taken to school once more. Only this time, he learns the truth, and in no way a cliché, the truth really does set him free.

Wisdom Hunter is split between two story lines that intersect but never overpower each other. Faircloth goes on an exhaustive search for the grand-daughter he’s never met. At the same time, he searches for the truth in regards to unadulterated ministry. How they meet and change him as a person-well, that’s the beauty of the novel. In the end, the more he tries to manipulate and control each endeavor, the further from his destination he goes. Once he gives in to what it is that God wants him to learn, it is only then that he witnesses the things he adamantly searched for coming to him. Literally.

This is not an easy read for those wanting to cling to traditions or the teachings they have come to hold near and dear. It is, however, a real eye opener for those willing to believe there is more to what man was created for than following a list of rules and regulations. In fact, if you are convinced those man-made rules and regulations push you further away from God and man, this is the exact book for you.

Who would have guessed when it was originally released in 1991, it would become a source of prized comfort to those tired of legalism and ready for real ministry. With Mulnomahs’ release in September, it is available once again for those wanting to ditch the bottle and tackle the meat of ministry. The information in this book is real and can be applied starting today. Now. As you read.

It took guts and real passion for Arthur to tackle legalism in the church. He writes of questioning and reasoning what is taught and not just blind acceptance. He exposes the root of evil in following rules and regulations to the point of severing relationships. In fact, his emphasis is strong when he shows how it is responsible for uprooting family ties instead of making them bind tighter. Only God could have guided Arthur's hand as he penned this modern classic.

Not to be confused with a how-to, this is more of a how-not-to. It’s time to take off the religious hats and quit parroting what we believe to be between the lines of our Bibles. If you’re willing, Wisdom Hunter is primed and ready.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (September 20, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590522591
ISBN-13: 978-1590522592
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 1 inches

NOTE: Multnomah provided a copy of Wisdom Hunter for review purposes.

A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers

In this compilation of the five books of the best-selling Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers, we meet the five women whom God chose--Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Each was faced with extraordinary--even scandalous--challenges. Each took great personal risk to fulfill her calling. Each was destined to play a key role in the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.

While reading these short stories, I was captivated by one woman after another who, by being herself and following her own convictions, changed the course of the world by becoming part of Christ's entrance into the world. It's easy to pretend we as women don't play a vital role in God's big plan but Rivers dispels that lie with vivid examples. I was amazed at the tenacity and strength of each woman. These women didn't wait for an opportunity to come knocking on their door-they were persistent in their passion to find God and stood with a firm belief that God was the only power to fear. They walked in trepidation of never being able to call him their personal God and actively pursued his glory in their life.

At over 500 pages, don't let the size overwhelm you. At the end of each story there is a study guide to help you further contemplate the uniqueness of each woman and how that can relate to your own unique abilities. Let the experience of reading A Lineage of Grace be a personal time you set aside for you and your heavenly father to get to know each other. After all, the experiences of each woman may be strictly theirs, but it's a good indication that God smiles on his creation and has given each of us a special job to do that will impact mankind for generations to come.

Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (September 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0842356320
ISBN-13: 978-0842356329
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches

Thirsty and Touched by A Vampire

There's no place like home, they say.

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic." For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.

Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets?

As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

Order Thirsty here

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 030745715X
ISBN-13: 978-0307457158
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
Request a Copy


People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?

Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.

Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.

Order Touched by a Vampire here

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601422784
ISBN-13: 978-1601422781
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
Request a Copy

Note: Both books were provided by Multnomah for review purposes

White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

Order White Picket Fences Here

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400074576
ISBN-13: 978-1400074570
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
Request a Copy

NOTE-A copy of White Picket Fences was provided by Waterbrook Publishing for review purposes.