Book Club: Book Review of The Bible Recap

 

I received a FREE copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I was very excited to read and review The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble. The beautiful hardcover book is designed to help you read through the entire Bible in one year using a chronological plan. For those who struggle with understanding what they have read after reading the Bible, this will be a great resource. Cobble sets out to explain and connect the story of the Scripture over the course of 365 days. 

What Is The Bible Recap? 

The 752-page book offers first the three mistakes that the author made when trying to read the Bible cover to cover and presents a simple explanation as to how to use the book. Cobble presents the information according to a one-year chronological plan but encourages you to use your regular Bible as she has her plan presented in the book. The English Standard Version (ESV) will be the primary translation used in The Bible Recap, but you can use your own preferred version. After you read the Bible chapters for the day, return to The Bible Recap and 

• Read the summary provided
• Visit any links provided 
• Read "Today's God Shot" where Cobble "points to one place where God's attributes are on display in that day's reading"

While I haven't read The Bible Recap cover to cover yet, it appears that each day's readings' summary and "Today's God Shot" are presented on two pages. This makes it very easy to read and digest during the time you read your Bible. For example, one of the books I find to be the most difficult to read personally is Job. The first two weeks spend time in Job. I found the summary to be one of the most clear – if not the clearest – summary of the book of Job I have read.

What Did I Think of The Bible Recap? 

While The Bible Recap is less scholarly and provides more of an overview of the Bible, I think I am going to thoroughly enjoy using it this coming year to read through the Bible chronologically. (This is something I have wanted to do for several years, but I haven't found a plan yet that I liked.) Looking through the book, the readings appear to be manageable, which is important for this homeschooling, work-at-home mom. As I started reading The Bible Recap, I discovered many places in Cobble's summary where I wanted to go back to reread the Scriptures to identify the references she was making. I really appreciate books that make me look more deeply into the Bible. 

In the "Today's God Shot," I appreciated the fact that the author points out how God's character is found in each of the day's readings. For example, on Day 160, we read Proverbs 19-21 where we see how God identifies himself with the poor and as someone who reimburses the giver. "God not only identifies with the poor, but He's also generous to the rich" (337). In each "God Shot," Cobble ends with "He's where the joy is!" This is a wonderful reminder as we read through the Bible. 

As I wrote earlier, I have not read The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible yet in its entirety. I usually do read a book cover to cover prior to writing and sharing a review, but this is not like the normal fiction or non-fiction books I review. The Bible Recap requires you to read through the Bible and this book to get the full appreciation of the author's words. Through the year, I will be sharing on social media my thoughts of the book as I progress through it as I will use this work as my main Bible reading plan for 2021. 

I recommend The Bible Recap for those seeking a Bible reading plan. As it is a chronological reading plan, you might want to keep that in consideration of whether it will work for you and your Bible reading. You could use this book at the start of 2021 or pick it up at any time of the year as it is not dated with specific days like January 1 or January 2, but each day's readings are listed as Day 15, Day 16, and so on. So whether you receive the book prior to the start of the New Year or buy it mid-year, The Bible Recap can still work as your 'reading through the Bible' reading plan guide. 

Wordless Wednesday: Abraham Lincoln

Looking through older photographs, I discovered some from a trip in the mid-1990s to Washington D.C. If you want to read more about Abraham Lincoln or the Navy during the American Civil War, I have written several posts on these topics. 

Book Club: Children's Winter-Themed Books

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With our library still only offering curbside pick-up, it was just as challenging to find winter-themed books as it was when I put together a post sharing autumn-themed children's books. I had to use our library's online catalog to search by topic and by age-level to find some books that we could check out and read as we prepare for winter. While our library appointment was made a little early before the Christmas "season" began (our librarian even remarked on the fact that we checked out so many winter and Christmas books before Thanksgiving), putting together a list before the Christmas holidays was very easy and fun for me. So, what would you like to include in your Winter-themed morning basket or reading lists? How will you learn about the seasons?  

Winter on the Farm

Part of the My First Little House Books series, Winter on the Farm, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Jody Wheeler and Renee Graef, is a beautiful book that takes a look at the winter season on a farm in the mid-1860s. Winter on the Farm contains text adapted from Farmer Boy which features Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband, Almanzo Wilder. He lives on a large farm in the New York countryside with his father, mother, big brother, Royal, and his big sisters, Eliza Jane and Alice. In this children's picture book, we see a typical day while Almanzo helps prepare clean beds for the farm animals and milks the cows. At the close of the book, the family eats a wonderful meal of sweet baked beans, salt pork, boiled potatoes, ham, and more! 

Waiting for Winter 

A simple children's book is often the most fun to read aloud – especially during arts and crafts time. I read Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser to our children while they were painting, and the giggles ensued. In the story, Squirrel decides he wants to stay out of his tree to wait for winter and see the first snowflake. He is eventually joined by Hedgehog and Bear, who also want to wait for the first snowflake, but none of them know what a snowflake looks like. This is where the giggling begins as the book shows us what they each think a snowflake is! 

Sleep Tight Farm 

The gentle but educational text by Eugene Doyle and illustrations by Becca Stadtlander make Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter a wonderful children's book to read about the approaching winter season. I found so many wonderful things to talk about with our children as I read through the book with them one day at lunch. As the farming family prepares their farm for the winter weather, we learn about covering crops to protect them from the cold, the varieties of food the farm was harvesting, and the preparation of the raspberry bushes. I think one of my favorite parts to share with them was about the bees and beehives since we had recently watched a video clip about beekeeping.

Snowflakes and Ice Skates: A Winter Counting Book 

Part of the same series of books from which we read Footballs and Falling Leaves, this book introduces key images associated with winter and reinforces counting. How many mittens? How many sleds? It is an easy book for early readers to read aloud with you. 

Why Do Geese Fly South in Winter? A Book About Migration 

For children who are a bit beyond learning to count, you can read this book by Kathy Allen about migration with them. Key vocabulary words include habitats, hibernate, instinct, migrate, and sense. These words are defined in Why Do Geese Fly South in Winter in the glossary and throughout the book. Our son enjoyed reading about the different animals that migrate and applying that knowledge to the other books we read about winter.

Winter's Coming: A Story of Seasonal Change 

One of our favorite books from the library was Winter's Coming by Jan Thornhill and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. The story traces a young snowshoe hare, Lily, during her first year. She was born in the spring and has never met winter before this one. Just who or what is Winter, she wonders. Throughout the story, there are funny moments as she tries to figure out if she should get ready for winter like other animals are getting ready. In the end, she meets winter and leaps in the air just for fun.

Learning about the seasons can be so much fun when you incorporate books – both picture books and nonfiction – into your homeschool day. Even the smallest of libraries can provide access to a great number of books. These were only a few of the books that our library had available for checkout, so we will be sure to find more in the near future! 

Journaling through the Bible: Christmas Season

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Our family has focused upon a few different aspects of Bible reading during the month of December. During the evenings, we have read through an Advent reading plan at dinner time, which took us from the genealogy of Jesus through his birth. My husband has been reading through an Advent book with the children at prayer time before bed. Personally, I have been finishing up a reading plan on YouVersion, which includes readings from the Book of Isaiah. December has allowed me to welcome readings from all parts of the Bible. 

Countdown to Christmas 

We are using an Advent plan I had found online several years ago. It takes us through 25 readings from John 1: 1-18 to Revelation 22:17, 20-21. We have had to make some adjustments over the years because several of the readings were too long for our youngest when they were little. There are also a few typos, but in general, this plan has served us quite well. 

"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." 

John 1:9-11

Reading a New Book 

My husband picked up An Advent for the Cosmos by Jeffrey Pitts to read with the children this year and in future years. It is a 72-page paperback book with color illustrations for each day of Advent with a Bible memory verse, introduction, a Bible reading, and more. To help you and your family dig deeper, there is a summary and discussion section with questions. Each day's readings finish with a prayer, and then you can listen to a song or songs that relate directly to the day's readings. While most Advent reading plans focus upon the birth of Christ, this book also brings us the message that God sent his son to redeem the world. It brings everything together. 

Monthly Bible Reading Plan 

In order to read the Bible in a year for 2020, I chose to follow twelve monthly plans from YouVersion. I chose the "Let's Read the Bible Together" plan, which is a 12-part series where the participant will read the entire Bible in 365 days. Each month, there were readings from the Old and New Testaments with the Psalms scattered throughout the months. November included the books of Song of Solomon, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Revelation. December featured the books of Isaiah, Micah, First Peter, Second Peter, First John, Second John, Third John, and Jude. My only complaint is that without referring to the month or plan description or scrolling through the days, I did not know which book was going to be up next. I did like that the plan mixed things up, rather than a straight reading of the Bible from cover to cover. 

In 2021, I plan on reading through the Bible chronologically using an item that I will be reviewing soon on A Mom's Quest to Teach. I received The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble to review from Bethany House Publishers. This is a sturdy, hardcover book that provides 365 days of readings taking one through the entire Bible in a year in chronological order. Readers are taken through the Scriptures as they were written. I have not tried this approach to reading the Bible in one year yet, and I am looking forward to this endeavor.

I love that the Christmas season offers so many ways to journal and reflect upon Bible readings. Whether we read through the birth of Jesus in the book of Luke or we find His story in the other Gospels, there is so much joy brought by the story of His birth. So many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled when our Savior was born. I have been able to read and enjoy God's Word this month while listening to Christmas music.

Favorite Christian Christmas Songs

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'Tis the season to start playing Christmas music. There is a great variety of Christmas music available to purchase and many places from which you can stream your favorite Carolers. We use a variety of digital methods to listen to our favorite Christmas songs – both Christian and holiday-themed – as well as the less traditional way of listening using CDs and – gasp – even cassette tapes on the rare occasion. Over the years, my Grandmom had collected a great variety of Christmas cassette tapes and then CDs, all of which I inherited. My husband also has a large collection of Christmas music, so there are many favorites among our collection. 

O Come All Ye Faithful 

I have enjoyed this song for many years. It was the first song sung by the senior choir at my high school as we entered the auditorium holding light-up candles. We would sing the first verse in Latin as we walked down the aisles, continue on to sing the first verse again in English, before moving onto the second verse. By then, we were all on the stage and ready to sing the next song. We never really sang many traditional Christmas songs – religious or secular – beyond a few. Our choir director always picked obscure songs from the Middle Ages or the Renaissance for us to sing. So, this one was a particular favorite of mine. 

What Child Is This? 

This was a favorite song of my mom's. Knowing this, I learned how to play it on the electric organ that my Grandmom had at her house. It was one of those instruments for which the books had the keys numbered and not actually listed by the real notes. So, all my practice learning how to play it did not translate to anything else. 

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 

Can I share a secret? I love singing this song, too. There is something about the way the music swells that stirs my heart. Whether I am listening to Frank Sinatra sing about the angels singing or I am enjoying Ella Fitzgerald sing about peace on the earth, I enjoy the melody and message behind this beautiful Christmas song.

The First Noel 

I particularly love the way in which this song captures the story of Christmas. Whether Jesus was actually born on a cold winter night or not, the imagery of the birth of the King of Israel is stunning. As I write this post, I am listening to Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams all sing their own versions of this classic Christmas song. Do you have a favorite artist who sings The First Noel? 

Silent Night 

Lastly, I want to include Silent Night on my list of favorite Christian Christmas songs. I would love to think that the night of Jesus' birth was silent and calm. As a mom, it is wonderful to recall those first hours after the birth of my own children. Even though there was so much going on, there was a special calm. I love that heavenly hosts helped to announce the birth of Christ the Savior.  I am so thankful that Jesus was born. 

Wishing You a Merry Christmas 

I hope that no matter what your favorite Christmas songs may be – whether you prefer traditional artists, classical versions, instrumental versions, or maybe modernized, rock versions of Christmas Carols – that you have a very joyous holiday season as you listen to your favorite songs. As we approach the New Year, I hope that you have a wonderful time with your family.