A Busy Mom's Bible

As many of you know, I often take advantage of freebies. Especially books. E-books, hard cover, paperback - doesn't much matter. LOL So, I definitely jumped on the proverbial wagon when Zondervan offered bloggers a new Bible to review.

As a rule, I'm usually not a fan of the ever-lengthening list of Bible translations and specialty Bibles. I did invest in a Amplified Bible for a new take on my Bible reading this year but have long since walked away from NIV translations since I found it frustrating and even inaccurate at times in comparison with KJV and NKJV.

And, I generally find it a little irksome to see the rows and rows of Bibles for women, men, pastors, kids, teens, charismatics, Lutherans, Catholics, families, students, those in recovery, recent graduates, brides, couples, parents, sports fans, military, public service, and the list goes on and on.

But, my curiosity was piqued when Zondervan was offering a "Busy Mom's Bible." And, I thought I'd give it a shot.

The book itself is well-constructed, solid, and has a nice feel in your hands. This is a quality book. I'm not into the whole "pink is for girls" thing so the hot pink and pale pink cover was a bit much. Maybe a "tomboys" Bible is in the works!? LOL

"Busy Mom's" is a NIV translation but I found it worked in this particular situation. My guess is that the publisher was responding to the much heard cry of busy moms in and out of the home who can barely find time to shower much less get to their Bible reading each day. So, they interspersed "Busy Mom's" with 1, 5, and 10 minute devotional inserts throughout. And, I think the NIV translation facilitates the read-it-and-go idea.

The inserts not only have the 1-5-10 devotional options but they are also thematic on topics including the following: God is..., Family Ties, Your Marriage, Raising Your Kids, Your Relationships, Your Identity in Christ, A Woman of Character, Overcoming Obstacles, Your Emotions, Your Spiritual Life, Healthy Living, Stewardship, and God's Love For You.

The additional inserts are equally spaced throughout the Old and New Testaments which while visually pleasing are a little annoying since the Scripture reference cited in the devotion is NOT necessarily where the insert was placed. For example, the insert on Stewardship appears near the second and third chapter of John in the New Testament yet cites 1 Samuel 5.12 for the 1 minute devotional read. Or, the insert on being a woman of character is placed near chapter 5 of Song of Songs while citing Philippians 2.3 about doing nothing out of selfish ambition.

There are some very useful references and tools in the back of the Bible including a 104 page concordance. One reference is a "10 minute study index". It is organized by subject and are follow-ups to the inserted devotionals. Due to the way it's organized, I'd find this index WAY more useful than the inserts.

Finally, I really like the "5 Minute Readings of Jesus" and "5 Minute Readings About the Women of the Bible". Those were lists I would definitely use if I truly only had 5-10 minutes to read my Bible.

Overall, this is a quality Bible for someone looking for a relatively well organized way to use a short amount of time to get into God's word. I see from Christianbook.com that they are offering this for $16.99 and it retails for nearly $25. I would definitely say it's worth the price. And, other than the two inserts on marriage and having kids, this could be a good buy for any busy woman and not just a busy mom.