A little while ago, I was introduced to a new group called The Blythe Daniel Agency. Among other things, The Blythe Daniel Agency launched The Blog Spot Network in January of 2015. It was through them, that I was offered a copy of the Journal the Word Bible for review!

Being both a writer and a Christian, I decided to take them up on the offer! I've had the same Bible since middle school, so I figured I could use a new one! Plus, I was thinking a new copy might be just the kind of motivation that I needed to jump back into the Word.

The Journal the Word Bible, published through Thomas Nelson, comes in a variety of styles and print options. The description that I received is below.

"NKJV Journal the Word Bible and KJV Journal the Word Bible is a new, sturdy hardcover Bible. Each page has lined spaces on the left or right margins of the text and leaves ample room to journal or draw outside the text as you read. It's a great way to practice the concept of creative note taking. By taking notes as you read the Bible it can help you to center your mind on certain words or verses to better remember them.

Complete with an elastic band around the Bible for holding down pages as well as a ribbon marker, it allows you to creatively express yourself everyday with plenty of room for notes or verse art journaling next to your treasured verses. This single-column edition features thick cream-colored paper with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins, perfect to reflect on God's Word and enhance your study.

Journal the Word Bible is excellent for personal use or for someone else. It can also be a cherished heirloom to pass on to future generations with your personal writings inside!

It's perfect for Bible art, studying, or reflecting on your thoughts while reading the Bible. Plus it will lay flat when you hold it in your hands or set it down on the table."



Review:
When the package first arrived, I was a little surprised. The Bible came in a large box filled with brown craft paper. Due to the large amount of empty space in the box, the paper cover got a little messed up during shipping. Upon further inspection, it doesn't appear that there was any damage to the actual Bible though. So that's a win!

In addition to the size of the box, I was surprised by the size of the Bible itself. The copy that I received was a large print version, so the book was quite big. Not to mention, heavy! After doing a little bit of research, I figured out why! It appears that the large print edition is approximately 1900 pages while the regular print edition is closer to 1400 pages.

Being a chronic illness warrior, the size and weight can be a little problematic for me. I definitely can't just slide it into my purse with it like I could my other one. However, I do think that its larger size does make it a great family Bible. Like suggested above, I definitely think that it could be the type of Bible that gets passed on for generations!

As for the book's design, I personally love it! I'm currently in a phase where everything I own is black (phone case, planner, journals, purse, etc.) so it fits right in with my collection! Plus, it's made with a thick hardcover material with beautiful writing on the spine.

I think my favorite features though are the simple ones! I love the fact that it comes with a ribbon and an elastic band. They're great for keeping a page or holding the book together. My favorite part though, is that it can lay flat! My previous Bible is a small Bible with a magnetic closure, so it constantly closes in on itself. Luckily though, that won't be a problem with this one!

An additional plus is that it comes with two different tables of contents. Personally, since I found my faith later on in my life, I never quite learned the cute songs that explained the order of books in the Bible. So, in order to quickly find my place, I always look for a Bible that comes with a table of contents in alphabetical order. And of course, the Journal the Word Bible has one!

As for the book's formatting, I'm not 100% a fan. The cream colored pages and the black and red text are fine, but my problem more so lies with the actual journaling sections. I think the margin sizes are great, but I would have really enjoyed some blank margins or some other form of guides. I've been looking for a great Bible to draw in, as well as journal, and the website's description made it sound like the lines were light enough to be drawn over. However, this doesn't seem to be the case.

Overall though, I would highly recommend the Journal the Word Bible! I think it's a great copy to have at home, both for studying and for journaling! Personally, I run through notebooks like crazy, so it's awesome to have one already built in! And with the large text and wide margins, I can highlight, color, and write anywhere and everywhere! Of course, I'll probably put a protector sheet between any pages that I'm working on, just to be safe :)


Giveaway:
As promised, I am hosting a giveaway for you guys! One of my lucky readers will receive the exact same Journal the Word Bible that I did, for FREE!

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