Tag: NIV

Be Trustworthy

Published on by LizLeave a comment

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

Humans are known for… changing our minds. But that’s not how we were created to be. I was created in the image of a trustworthy God who does what he says he will do. So were you beautiful friend! Yet we struggle don’t we? Maybe we can keep promises to others, but can we keep them to ourselves?

How do we grow into the person we were intended to be before the world got to us? I think that emulating someone who does this so well would be a good place to start. We all love a good role model because they inspire us to level up ourselves. So let’s fan girl over God and: pray, look and seek.

PRAY: to God. Sincerely pray. When you do this He will listen.

LOOK: for God. Don’t just glance around and wonder when He will show, but look with passion. Be enthusiastic about your search.

SEEK: Him with all your heart. He’s not really hiding but you may need to discover Him in places you’re not used to looking.

When you pray, look and seek you will find a God so worthy of emulating. And yet the question is what will you allow it to do in you? Will you allow the trustworthy nature of God to inspire a change in you? Spending time with excellence always makes me want to reach higher, do better and conquer my struggles with renewed dedication.

Do you want to be known as someone who makes goals and reaches them? Speaks action? Runs a faithful journey? I know I do!! But let’s be real about our humanity because perfection isn’t the goal. Growing more in the character of who we were created to be like IS the goal. Though it lingers… wait for it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

Are you trying so hard but not coming through? Are you struggling to accomplish a goal or flat out failing? God is trustworthy. He does what he says. And it’s not an unrealistic goal to work towards being that way too. Keep praying. Keep looking. Keep seeking.

New Blue Boo(k)

Published on by LizLeave a comment

I don’t know how you feel about your Bible… but I LOVE mine. This is my latest – it is the NIV Grace + Truth Premium. I was using an ESV Study Bible but here’s an honest issue I was having. It’s super heavy. I’ve gone on 2 trips with it and lugging it through airports is a lot. We are heading to Israel in a month and of course I want my Bible along. So I knew I needed to make a change. Enter this boo(k) + here are some reasons I picked it:

LIGHTER: This Bible is about 2 pounds lighter. I know that might not seem like much but I carry my Bible around with me. Just imagine throwing a 2 pound weight in your purse or pocket. You would notice.

COLORFUL: It’s beautiful right?! I mean the blue color isn’t a blasé dark navy, but more like the color of a deep ocean soaking up bright sunlight. And the ribbon colors… LOVE the blue, grey and red. You can’t see inside except for a glimpse of the edge from the photo above but the liner is crimson red. I can’t get over the colors. They make me happy just to open it.

SOFT: Can we talk about the leather now? It’s goat skin and extremely soft and flexible. I don’t like a stiff Bible because sometimes I sleep with it. Am I the only one who likes to put the Bible under their pillow?

NIV: I have been using NIV or ESV translations for most of my life. Let’s take a minute to compare the two. The NIV translators goal was to create an “accurate, beautiful, clear, and dignified translation suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use.” It is known for its “thought for thought” or “dynamic equivalence” translation rather than a “word for word.” The ESV version is the closest to the original text of the Hebrew Bible. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew text. The translators emphasize “word-for-word” accuracy. This being said, there is very little difference in the readability of either of these. I like both translations, so the NIV will be a great Bible for me at this time.

YAPP: (nerd alert) Where are my book lovers? So the yapp on a book is basically the edge of the cover. A semi-yapp cover will wrap around the page edges, while a full-yapp cover wraps even farther, to the point of touching or thereabout. I love this funny little article on yapp history: meaning of yapp. Anyway, not many Bibles have a yapp at all anymore and this one has a semi-yapp. I’m here for that.

So those are some reasons I picked this Bible. It also has great pages. They are thick enough that you don’t think you’ll rip them just by turning. Some pages can be so thin it’s hard to use the Bible. Not the case here. Speaking of pages I’ll show off an inside shot (before I start adding all my personal notes).

Pretty right?! So this is the Bible you will see me using and posting from. Just FYI in case you fall in love with it too.