All posts by Kaycee

Hi all! My name is Kaycee. I live in Arkansas with my husband of almost ten years. We have a 21 year old daughter who has grown up, got married on us and a had a little one who is less than a year old. Just love being Nonna! We also have two great Chihuahuas and a Great Dane, along with several fish. My educational background is in Psychology and Child Development but my heart is in ministry, crafts, fun, reviews and my website, My Crafty Zoo. I look forward to continuing to share my life through word and pictures with you and love hearing your feedback! Thank you for taking the time to read and allowing me to share!
Halloween, Reviews, School and Office

Fall Lesson Planning with Let the Little Children Come @SMGurusNetwork #BTS18

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The Halloween Tracts are perfect for the holidays this fall! Definitely want to order them for your classroom now!

Fall Lesson Planning with Let the Little Children Come @SMGurusNetwork #BTS18Let the Little Children Come has some great products for every classroom! They have a ton of relevant tracts that make learning lessons fun and easy! I highly recommend their selection and they have some great free resources as well!!!

In the interest of preparation, we have brought you the perfect lesson for this fall! I don’t know about you, but I prefer to have my lessons ready to go as early as I can. No stress when the time comes! Lesson planning is always best in advance!

The Halloween Tract is absolutely perfect for this fall! On the outside it asks ‘Is there anything better than candy?’ and comes on a flat sheet, with the inside of each pumpkin having a part of the lesson written on it.

Each pack comes with 20 fold-able pumpkins and comes ready to assemble with a hard piece of cardboard on the back to keep them from getting before they arrive. They were very well received and the kids absolute loved them!  We also did a Friendship Lesson with them!

Halloween Tract from Let the Little Children Come

There are two ways one could utilize the pumpkins to teach:

1.  Allow the Children to Assemble the pumpkins as a group. The students could take turns reading each of the lessons, then fold them together to form a pumpkin! Not only is it a fun way to learn, it’s something the kids can take with them for years to come!

2.  If you prefer to hand the out rather than do them as a classroom project, you can form them and place inside some of the kids’ favorite candies and treats. Either way, it’s a great product to help teach and reinforce the gospel message!

Let the Little Children Come

~ FACEBOOK ~ GOOGLE + ~

2018 Back to School Gift Guide

Here are some additional free resources for your enjoyment:

Salvation Bracelet Tutorial ~ Gospel Plane Printable

Free Gospel String Magic Lesson ~ Free Bracelet Tutorial

15 Lessons You Can Teach with Paracord

5 Great Lessons Using Optical Illusions

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Book Reviews, Christian, Reviews, Young Adult

Summer Under My Quilt

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Introducing the debut Author Crystal Sellers with a story of love, life, and learning to let go.

CrystalSellers

Smmer Under My Quilt

Megan Creeway spent the summer at her grandparent’s lake house. Her life had imploded and she didn’t know how to get it back. Her husband was a cheat, her son was outgrowing his mother, and her grandpa was very sick. Seeking refuge from it all, the one thing she did not expect, was to find herself being courted by the very handsome local Pastor.
Reid Stone was finally enjoying his life three years after a divorce. He started over in the quaint town of Lake Charlotte as the pastor of the local church. He quickly made friends yet still led a peaceful quiet life of bachelorhood.

An Excerpt from the novel

He appeared just as captivated by the fireflies as she had just been a moment ago, watching them dance in the air above the wheat field. It was all so majestic, like a carefully orchestrated Broadway play. One thing Megan always enjoyed was how the night sounds of the country took her far away from reality.

My Thoughts

You can read my original review on Good Reads but the skinny is: I LOVED this book!  It was a great read; wonderful story of home, family, love and triumph over trials.  It’s a definite page turner that you just don’t want to put down.  The story will warm your heart while giving you a sense of peace and comfort about the world.  The characters are well written and I felt like I knew them when I was done reading about them, like somehow they could be friends or family of mine.  Though I’m not sure what would take place, I’d love to read a sequel to this book because, frankly, I feel like I miss them.  While reading the book, they became very real to me.  I can imagine the lives the characters would continue to live and what they might be doing, but I’d love to read it from the author’s perspective.

Author’s Links

Amazon

GoodReads

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

 

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Originally posted 2016-02-04 00:00:04.

Food, For Your Home, Kitchen, Reviews

#Brieftons Vertico Spiralizer

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Brieftons Vertico SpiralizerBeing a blogger means making food pretty. It isn’t always easy, as a matter of fact, it can be quite a challenge. Not only do we need to be able to take gorgeous pictures, we also need to be able to make the beauty of our subject look great and food isn’t always easy. Food photographers get paid very well to do what they do, they also use techniques for it which means you can’t necessarily actually EAT what is in the pictures. I assure you, every single picture of food that I take is promptly eaten.
Brieftons Vertico Spiralizer is made to, basically, cut fresh veggies and fruits into spirals. They can be either big or small, depending on how you choose to use it. I have plans to use mine for some dinner parties and this summer I will be making some amazing and gorgeous salads. However, this week is kind of slow and I didn’t have any fancy food to test it out on. I still have to eat though and when I went to get an apple to snack on, I realized it was the perfect test object. It if looked terrible, I wasn’t depending on it for garnishment on food for guests. Fortunately, it looked gorgeous. In order to prepare the apple, all I did was washed it. I personally dislike biting into an unsliced apple (unless it’s covered in caramel, haha) so ‘spiralizing’ my apple was a win-win scenario.
Putting the Vertico Spiralizer together was quick and easy, taking only a minute or two. I was able to figure it out without any instructions, though Brieftons does have a youtube video demonstrating how to do it on youtube and on their site. Cleanup was also a breeze, a good rinse got the left behind fruit out of the blades and it is top rack dishwasher safe. Have I said how much I love my dishwasher? LOL. There was a little bit of pressure required to keep the slice going once I got to the middle of the apple, but it wasn’t very difficult. There are grips on the bottom that holds it in place as you operate it. I was able to get 2 out of 3 suction cups and they did well to hold it in place.
There are only two things I would change about the Vertico Spiralizer. The first is the ability to add pressure. While it was easy to modify the way I turned the crank, I would really have loved for there to be a little more weight to the crank so that perhaps the additional pressure wouldn’t have been necessary. The other thing that I would have loved is if their slicer would better double as a mandolin. While it probably is possible to use the blade on the bottom as a make shift mandolin, the top rack gets in the way of really using it much. Plus, that particular blade is not very long.
All in all, the spiralizer is a really good and fun product. The company sends you 3 virtual recipe books that contains recipes to use with it. One of which is a raw foods recipe book. While I, personally, haven’t ventured into the raw foods arena some of the recipes sound really good and I may eventually try them out. Right now, I plan on using it for gorgeous garnishes and to play with during meals. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do with it. I know it is going to make some beautiful chocolate spirals for cakes and cupcakes. Bring on the sweets, baby!

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Originally posted 2016-02-02 00:31:29.

Beef, For Carnivores, Main Dishes, Recipes

Wild Mushroom Beef Stew

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WildMushroomBeefStew

It’s been so cold this winter that I’m trying out new soups left and right.  I’m also working on stepping out of my comfort zone.  That hasn’t always been my strong suit. So, as one of my new trial recipe I tried this out.  My husband thinks it will be even better if it was made in a dutch oven.  Modification instructions are below the crockpot recipe.  Hope you like it.

  • 1 1/2- 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1/8 cup of flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbs minced garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 med carrots, sliced
  • 2 med potatoes, diced
  • 1 sm white onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  1. Put beef in crockpot.  Mix together flour, salt and pepper.  Pour over meat, stir to coat each piece of meat with flours mixture.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
  2. Cover & cook on high for 4 hours or until done.  Stir stew before serving.

Dutch Oven Modification: Heat dutch oven over med-high heat.  Mix flour and seasoning (all but bay leaf) and toss the beef in it. Coat pan with 1-2 tbsp olive oil.  Brown beef in oil.  Add all ingredients, stir and cook until done.

**If you have any thoughts or modifications, I’d love to hear them!  Please share.

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Originally posted 2016-01-29 06:30:39.

Food, Reviews

Chomps Jerky Review

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chompChomp’s is a great alternative to the typical beef jerky.  A much better choice, I feel.  The meat from Chomps comes from grass fed beef, it is non-GMO, gluten free, paleo friendly and all natural.  Sounds great but we all know that flavor is the essential requirement, at least for those I know anyway.

Let me tell you the flavor is great!  I was a little surprised at the packaging, as there is an extra layer of plastic protecting the freshness of the jerky.  There are a couple of different flavors, my favorite is the original.  I tend to lean toward the all beef flavor and it’s really good.

Started out of an apartment in Chicago, Chomps was created by Peter and Rashid, with the all important assistance of their wives.  Their mission is to “create the highest quality jerky product on the market” and with 9 g of protein per stick, I think they are well on their way!

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Originally posted 2015-12-29 15:56:10.

Current Giveaways, Giveaways

Alex & Me Starring Soccer Superstar Alex Morgan And Exclusive Blog App!

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Have you heard of Alex & Me yet?  This super exciting soccer film will inspire the whole family!

Alex & Me Soccer Superstar Family Film!

**“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”**

When I was a kid, soccer was my jam!  I was on a really good team and made every practice and game.  We worked hard and we played hard.  That year, we even had the entire team come to my soccer themed party at the skating rink!

So yeah, maybe I just dated myself.  That’s okay.  Kids today will never get how great so many things in the early 90’s were!  Or perhaps I’ll just never get over it.  haha.

Moving on…

Alex and Me Blu Ray! Work hard, play hard, succeed!

Alex & Me features Alex Morgan, scoring her movie debut!  I love watching kids get their time to shine!  It also features Siena Agudong, one of the Nickelodeon stars of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn and  Star Falls.

The movie features an uplifting story of a young female athlete who learns how you need passion, determination and self-worth to make all of your dreams come true!

I love that it teaches so many wonderful lessons and inspires young girls!  I feel like it’s a very important factor to raising smart, confident and successful young girls!

Alex and Me Blu Ray

Alex & Me

Get Yours Here!

Teenager Reagan Willis (Agudong) has one dream – to play soccer like her hero, Alex Morgan. Her bedroom is a shrine to all things Alex, including a life-size poster of the Olympic gold medalist. Yet in the Willis house, Reagan lives in the shadow of her prep football superstar brother, Logan. When Reagan fails to make the cut of the premiere local soccer club team and is humiliated by her rival Claire, she’s certain her ship has sailed. But after accidentally hitting her head, Reagan’s poster of Alex Morgan suddenly comes to life and everything changes!

An Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion with a penchant for goal scoring, Alex Morgan is one of the top soccer players on the planet, currently playing forward for the United States Women’s National Team and the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League. Away from the field, Morgan is also an accomplished author of “The Kicks” series, a collection of chapter books filled with wonderful messages of empowerment for young girls. The first The Kicks book, “Saving the Team,” debuted at No. 7 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Alex and Me Film Still Shot

Eric Champnella (Thunderstruck, Mr. 3000, Eddie) wrote the Alex & Me screenplay and is also making his full-length feature debut as the film’s director. Alex Morgan serves as co-producer. Producers are Mike Karz (Blended) and William Bindley (Mother’s Day). Todd Williams (The Illusionist) is the executive producer.

Jerry Trainor (iCarly) also stars as Nigel, a less-than-reliable youth soccer coach, alongside Matt Cornett (Bella and the Bulldogs) as Reagan’s brother, Logan; Colin Critchley (Legends of the Hidden Temple) as Reagan’s soccer-playing pal, Ben; Chuiti Tiu (Nashville) as Reagan’s mother, Ann Wills; and Jim Klock (True Detective, Scream Queens) as Reagan’s father (and biggest fan), Joe Wills. Jessica Treska (HBO’s upcoming Sharp Objects) plays Reagan’s arch-rival, Claire.

BONUS FEATURES

• Getting to Know Alex
• Aspire to Inspire: Success in Hard Work
• Soccer, Script to Set: A Playbook on Alex & Me
• Outtake

Enter to Win Alex and Me on Blu-Ray! #Giveaway Ends 6/30

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Accessories, Jewelry, Reviews

Quan Jewelry Earrings Review

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Earrings4I received these earrings to review from Quan Jewelry and was very excited when they arrived.  They looked adorable on the site. Here are the product details from the company:

  • Open heart earrings with high-quality crystals.
    925 sterling silver.
    Butterfly clasps.
    Available in Pink and Silver.
    Perfect gift any time of the year.
    Packaged with loving care from the USA.

When they arrived, they were packaged in a cute little fold up paper gift bag, then in a small cinch bag containing the actual earrings.  Unfortunately, one of the earrings in the bag was broken.  The silver heart with the crystals on it had broken away from the earring base.  I contacted the company and they were completely gracious and quickly sent out a replacement pair.  Needless to say, I was very pleased with the amazing customer service.

I am the type of girl who leaves earrings in for a while, I don’t take them off every night or change them out frequently.  After about two months wear, the same thing happened to the new pair that was wrong with the original.  The part of the heart with the crystals came unglued and fell off.  While I did get a lot of wear out of them, I expect my earrings to last a good bit longer than two months of wear.  Perhaps if I hadn’t wore them constantly, they might have lasted longer, or I would have at least lost one before they had a chance to fall apart on me.

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Originally posted 2015-12-14 11:06:56.

Journaling, Non-Profits, Thoughts & Such

Have You Considered Adoption?

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AdoptionAdoption has touched my life in so many ways.  I had the privilege of taking guardianship of a fun and silly young lady you may know as ‘Monkey’ some years back and she made our lives absolutely crazy in the best way possible (except those few days, but then she was a teenager haha).  I have also had the honor of knowing several adults who have adopted some fabulous kids.  They all have ‘gotcha’ days each year to celebrate the unification of their new families.  The one thing they all have in common is an incredible love and some amazingly fabulous families!  I love hearing their stories and even more being blessed to know them.  I can’t begin to tell you how great these kids are! I also have the blessing of a very loving and great woman in my life who was adopted.  Adoption touches so many lives!  If you have any, I would absolutely love to hear your stories of adoption!
November is National Adoption Month and I’m reaching out on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AdoptUSKids, and the Ad Council to ask for your help in spreading the word about a new PSA campaign that encourages prospective parents to adopt older youth from foster care.

The theme for National Adoption Month is, “We Never Outgrow the Need for Family.” That’s because older children and youth still have many big milestones in their life they need a family for.

There are 415,000 children in the U.S. foster care system and 108,000 are waiting to be adopted. AdoptUSKids’ maintains a national photo listing service for children waiting to be adopted. Since the project launched in 2002, more than 25,000 children who were once photo listed on adoptuskids.org have been adopted and nearly 38,000 families have registered to adopt through the website.  Nevertheless, older youth are disproportionately represented – approximately 41 percent of children and youth photo listed on adoptuskids.org are between 15 and 18 years old, but only 17 percent of those adopted have been in this age group

Older youth and teens have lower adoption rates than younger children, and they often wait longer to be adopted. But no matter their age, all kids need a supportive, loving home and the teenage years are a critical period for growth. The new TV PSAs, which were created for the campaign pro-bono, portray a dad giving advice to his teenage daughter after her first breakup, and a mom giving her son a haircut at home. The humorous, lighthearted scenarios aim to overcome fears adoptive parents may have regarding their own imperfections. The PSAs end with the tagline, “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent,” reassuring prospective parents that even if they are not ‘perfect’, they have the ability to provide the stability and security that older youth in foster care need and deserve.

The PSAs direct audiences to visit adoptuskids.org or to call 1-888-200-4005 (English) or 1-877-236-7831 (Spanish) to receive the latest information about the foster care system and the adoption process.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Use #NAM15 and #perfectparent to share your experience or the new PSAs on social media.
  • Spread the word! Let us know if you know a blogger who might have a place in their hearts for the Adoption from Foster Care campaign.

For more information about adoption, or about becoming an adoptive parent to a child from foster care, please visit www.adoptuskids.org or visit the campaign’s communities on Facebook and Twitter.
Why Older Youth?

  • All of us – and that includes older youth in foster care who are waiting to be adopted – need and want families throughout life to support us and to share important life events. Learning to drive a car, applying for higher education, and birthday and holiday celebrations are just a few examples of the times in life we need and want to share with family.
  • Older youth are overrepresented in the foster care population, as they generally wait longer to be adopted, and have lower overall adoption rates.
  • On adoptuskids.org, roughly 41 percent of the children and youth actively photolisted are between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. About 58 percent are male. (Most recent stats as of May 31, 2015)
  • Families who adopt older youth, are providing them with the support and stability of a family during a critical period of normal adolescent concerns and additional self-identity issues.

Some of the Misperceptions about Adoption from Foster Care:

  • Adoption is expensive.  Unlike the private adoption of an infant or adopting internationally, there are virtually no costs associated with adoption from the US child welfare system. In addition, the vast majority of youth adopted from foster care are also eligible for monthly adoption assistance up to the level of the foster care rate.
  • You have to be married. You do not have to be married to adopt in most states. Many children have been very successfully adopted by single parents. Single-parent families accounted for 29 percent of all adoptions from foster care in 2014 (AFCARS).
  • You have to have a college degree. Having a high school diploma or college education is not required. What is important is that you are stable, flexible, and compassionate, and that you have a good sense of humor. Most importantly, you must have the support and commitment to raise a child and to be there for him throughout his life.
  • You have to own a home and each child has to have their own room. You can rent your home or live in an apartment or a mobile home so long as your living situation is a stable one.
  • You have to be of child-bearing age to adopt. Experienced parents and empty nesters are encouraged to adopt. In most instances, you’re eligible to adopt regardless of age, income, marital status or sexual orientation.
  • You can only adopt a child who is the same race and ethnicity as you. Federal law prohibits the delay or denial of an adoptive placement based on the race or ethnicity of a child in U.S. foster care and the prospective parent or parents who are seeking to adopt them. The only exception to this law is the adoption of Native American children where special considerations apply.
  • You can’t adopt if you’re in the military. Military families stationed overseas and within the U.S. are eligible to adopt children from the U.S. foster care system.
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Originally posted 2015-11-25 21:47:09.

Giveaways, Group Giveaways

Vita Bone®Artisan Inspired®Treats Giveaway ~ 1 Winner (Ends 6/29) @Vita_Bone #VitaBoneGoodSmells

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Vita Bone®Artisan Inspired®Treats Giveaway ~ 1 Winner (Ends 6/29) @Vita_Bone #VitaBoneGoodSmells

Vita Bone®Artisan Inspired®Treats Giveaway ~ 1 Winner (Ends 6/29) @Vita_Bone #VitaBoneGoodSmells

Deliciously Savvy Is Hosting A Giveaway In Which One Lucky Winner Will Receive A Bundle Package Of Vita Bone Artisan Inspired Treats & Swag! Make Sure You Read My Review To Learn Why Harley & I Are Loving These Delicious Biscuits! Enter Today & Good Luck!

 

Sponsored By:

Hosted By:

Deliciously Savvy

 

Co-Hosted By:

Missy’s Views and Savings Clues // My Silly Little Gang // Amy & Aron’s Real Life Reviews // Michigan Saving and More

PLUS…. A Big Thank You To All Blogs Helping To Promote This Giveaway ~ We Cannot Do It Without You All!

And Now The Sponsor & The Details:

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM ~ YOU TUBE

1 Lucky Winner Will Receive A Bundle Package Of Vita Bone Artisan Inspired Treats & Swag!



Read Deliciously Savvy’s Review Of These Products Here
 Giveaway Dates: 6/13 12PM EST until 6/29 11:59 PM EST


Entrants must be 18 years old to enter and giveaway is open to US residents only.


Any Questions Email Me At mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.


This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only
in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/29/2018.


Good Luck! Enter Below


Also we all “love it if you like us” on Facebook!


Deliciously Savvy did not receive any form of compensation for this giveaway. Once winner is selected via the Rafflecopter process, the product will be shipped. Winners have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. No other blog associated with this giveaway is responsible for the product shipment. Vita Bone will be providing the prizes above to the winner. Thank You for stopping by! Any Questions or Concerns email me at mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.


If you have any questions or are a brand/company and would like to work with My Crafty Zoo please contact us here.


As Always, Thanks For Visiting My Crafty Zoo Today! Leave Some Comment Love While You Are Here!

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Book Reviews, Christian, Reviews

#MENSDEVOTIONALBIBLE

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mensdevotionalAbout the 

ESV Men’s Devotional Bible

Our world presents daily distractions that can easily displace Christ as the center of a man’s heart and life.  The goal of the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible is to strengthen and encourage men through the life-giving Word of God and sound devotional content aimed at nurturing godliness.  With 365 theologically rich and gospel-centered devotions drawn directly from the Bible, this all-new resource was created under the editorial oversight of Dr. Sam Storms with contributions from over fifty Christian leaders.  Introductions orient men to each book of the Bible, exploring its unique contribution to a man’s walk with God.  Thoughtful and instructive articles address the importance of sound doctrine, life in the local church, leadership, the heart, calling, and a host of other relevant issues for today.  The Men’s Devotional Bible will strengthen men in their walk with Christ, helping them apply the gospel and the truths of God’s Word in their homes, churches, and workplaces.
Features:
– 365 brand-new devotions
– Brand new book introductions
– 14 brand-new articles
– Dictionary of key terms
– Ribbon marker
– Smyth-sewn binding
– Lifetime guarantee on TruTone edition
– Packaging: slipcase (TruTone), L-card (HC), permanent slipcase (Cloth over Board)
Retail Price: $34.99

About Crossway:

The purpose of Crossway has been, from its founding as a not-for-profit ministry in 1938, to publish gospel-centered, Bible-centered content that will honor our Savior and serve his Church.   They seek to help people understand the massive implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God.

My Thoughts

If you read my review on the ESV Journaling Bible for women you’ll know that I really enjoyed the ESV version of the Bible. After comparing it to different versions, I really enjoyed it.  The ESV Men’s Devotional Bible is a great version.  I really love that they put the story descriptions in gold.  It really looks fabulous!  If you are looking for a new Bible, or for a gift for someone, this version is perfect!

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Originally posted 2015-11-19 06:07:49.