On Ash Wednesday, many of us intend to spend the next several weeks preparing for Easter.

The Lent section from Holy Bible: Mosaic is a helpful tool for reflecting on the cross, our sinfulness and our dependence on God.



Here are some resources for using Mosaic during Lent:

• Devotions for Lent for Kindle (Free. Pick this one if you've given up spending money for Lent)
• Mosaic Hardcover
• Devotions for Lent ($2.99). Includes five weeks of Lent and Passion Week, with all the full-color art and writings from those weeks in Mosaic.
• Devotions for Lent 10-Pack (for your small group, church, etc)
• Mosaic for iPhone
• Mosaic Deluxe Edition (or win a copy here)

Labels: iPhone, Laura Bartlett, Mosaic, NLT Bibles

Tyndale.com is getting a new look and new functionality. I've been involved in some of the beta testing, and it's very nice. The site will launch tomorrow (Feb 1), so come take a look around. It will be easier to find books that you're interested in, easier to connect with you favorite authors via social media and it'll be easier on the eyes, too.

To celebrate the relaunch, there will be lots of giveaways--including a Bible giveaway every day in February. Let me know what you think of the Bible finder in the Bible section of the site. Purchasing a new Bible can be overwhelming, so we're hoping this makes it easier to find exactly what you want (within the Bibles published by Tyndale).

Labels: Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles, Tyndale House Publishers

J.I. Packer recently commented on the One Year Bible in an excellent article called “A Balanced Bible Study Diet” in from our friends at Logos in Bible Study Magazine (Nov/Dec 2009 issue). Here's an excerpt from the article:

As an advocate of Bible study for over sixty years, Packer tells Bible Study Magazine he has long believed Christians should read the entire Bible thoroughly at least once every year. To help facilitate Bible study, he recommends tools such as The One Year Bible, where passages from the New and Old Testaments, Psalms and Proverbs are part of a 15-minute daily reading. “I find that variety, along with the cross references they suggest, keeps my heart fresh and alert in Bible study. I suppose you can compare it to a balanced diet."

I love the "balanced diet" image for the One Year Bible--seems just right.

If you want to read the rest of the article, you should be able to find this issue in many Christian bookstores or check here to see if it becomes available as a back issue.

Labels: J.I. Packer, Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles, One Year Bible

Tyndale Español, the Spanish publishing division of Tyndale House Publishers, announces the launch of the New Testament of a new Spanish translation of the Bible--the Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV). This Spanish counterpart to the NLT is being developed by Tyndale Español in partnership with the Luis Palau Association and the Spanish publishing house Editorial Unilit.

The Spanish language is considered to be the third most spoken language in the world, and the intent is for the NTV to have the same ministry impact in the Spanish-speaking world that the NLT has in the English-speaking world. The goal for the NTV is identical to that of the NLT: to communicate the Scriptures to today's readers as clearly and powerfully as the original texts did to readers and listeners in biblical times. The NTV will bring the style and purpose of the NLT to the Spanish-speaking world.

The Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV) is an entirely new translation of the Bible with roots in the original Hebrew and Greek texts and the style and dynamic approach of the NLT. Phase One of the NTV project was the creation of a Spanish translation from the English NLT and the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The translation went through a rigorous theological, grammatical, and stylistic review under the supervision of Jaime Mirón, Bible Project Director, from the Luis Palau Association in Portland, Oregon. Phase Two, now in its final stages, is being supervised by Senior Bible Editor Dr. Rafael Serrano. In Phase Two the NTV is undergoing an additional theological, linguistic, and stylistic review with emphasis on the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The overall NTV development is being overseen by Andres Schwartz, Publishing Director of Tyndale Español, and Dan Elliott, Editorial Director of Tyndale House Publishers. The NTV project has involved over 50 theologians, translators, linguists and stylists over a course of 9 years.

The New Testament is being released over the course of this summer/fall in several editions. Some beautiful pocket thinline editions just arrived on my desk last week. By the summer of 2010, the Nueva Traducción Viviente will be available in its entirety. It will be published in many styles and bindings, including Spanish-language versions of The One Year Bible, standard text and reference editions, and parallel Bibles.

Tyndale House president and NLT blogger Mark Taylor says, "We pray that the NTV will bring God's word to life in a fresh new way for the Spanish-speaking world. God intended us to read his word with clarity and understanding, and the NTV will provide a wonderful new tool for anyone who wants to read and understand the Bible in Spanish."

Luis Palau, who has often been called the Billy Graham of Latin America, says, "I am proud to be associated with the Nueva Traducción Viviente. This translation boasts an academic precision which is perfect for serious study of the word of God. At the same time, it is characterized by quality, clarity, and the contemporary language of our Spanish-speaking world. I recommend with all my heart that you read and assiduously study this translation of the Bible."

Labels: Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles, NTV, Nueva Traduccion Viviente

Wiliam Guice! William entered the Mosaic giveaway using all three entry media and was chosen today (by me) (at random) to win the $300 Amazon gift certificate and deluxe edition of Mosaic.

From the looks of (Pastor) William's dedicated reading section on his blog, he'll know just what he wants to do with the book money and will put it to good use.

Mosaic surpassed the 2,000 rank today and it has decreased in price a bit.


So, way to go everyone for spreading the word about Mosaic! And there's lots of excitement yet to come, as yesterday kicked off of a blog tour that lasts until the beginning of Advent (which is when the first Mosaic reading begins). Bookmark this post on the Mosaic Blog to keep up with the blog tour, which will include interviews, guest posts, and more with contributors, editors, and artists that worked on Mosaic. Yesterday Joel Watts started things off with an amazing 24-hour blog-a-thon, today Henry Neufeld interviewed General Editor Keith Williams on his blog, and tomorrow the blog tour is hosted by Rick Mansfield at This Lamp.

One more thing--if you haven't seen the interactive online sampler, I encourage you to do so--visit HolyBibleMosaic.com and click on "Try Mosaic Online Now." It gives you a good sense of what the real thing is like. When you're browsing this sampler, click on the upper or lower right-hand corners to advance the pages. The sampler is the first few weeks of readings from Mosaic, in a slightly different format--it's a little smaller; it doesn't include the as much response space; and the Scripture is only the selected readings, although the real Mosaic is the full Bible, not just selections. (We had to use this smaller version to make it work in this online format.)

Labels: Laura Bartlett, Mosaic, NLT Bibles

Visit HolyBibleMosaic.com to learn about the new Bible edition, Holy Bible: Mosaic. The site includes resources for bloggers, a forum for weekly discussion of the Mosaic selections, and a new blog by Mosaic General Editor Keith Williams!

Labels: Laura Bartlett, Mosaic, NLT Bibles

Update: All review copies have been spoken for. But watch for a Mosaic giveaway coming soon.


If you're a blogger, we invite you to sign up at the Tyndale Blog Network to get a free review copy of Holy Bible: Mosaic and participate in a blog tour. There are 12 copies left. (Update: 4 copies left) Also email christywong (at) tyndale.com when you sign up. She'll give you further information.


Also, visit HolyBibleMosaic.com to receive news and updates about Mosaic as they become available.

Labels: Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles, Tyndale Blog Network

If you have an active blog and like Tyndale Bibles and books, we want to give you books for free to review. What we ask in return is that you write a review on your blog and on an online consumer site of your choice (such as Amazon.com or CBD).

Just register at the Tyndale Blog Network. Once you recieve a confirmation email, you'll have your choice of any of several Tyndale books, including Hebrews from the Life Application Study Series and the Every Man's Bible.

If you're a Bible blogger, be sure to indicate that the focus of your blog is "Bible/Theology" in order to have the most opportunities to recieve Bible and reference books.
Thanks to Dr. Jim West and Nick Norelli for helping spread the word about TBN.

Labels: blogs, Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles

We recently released a new One Year chronological Bible that has the unique feature of including woodcut prints of historic christian art throughout the Bible, which we commissioned specifically for this project. There are 12 images--one for each month, featured in each reading for the month)

24/7 (in both hardcover and softcover) also has a unusual nearly-square shape, which allows space inside for single-column text with a generous outside margin, in which a verse has been highlighted for each day's reading.

This is one of my favorite new releases of the year, as I really like the fresh, narrative reading of the Bible that the chronological format (and the NLT) gives and I love the historic christian symbols used in the text.

Here's what some others thought of the various aspects of this Bible:

Woodprints

"The beautiful watermarks of twelve historic Christian symbols are what make this bible stand out from the rest. If you like art, these watermarks on each page will liven up your day. I really like the design because these classical pictorial watermarks add a unique flavour to each page for each day. For example, there’s the crown of thorns, the dove, the cup of the Last Supper, the basin and bowl, the lamb and the cross, the seven lampstands, plus more. There is a new symbol for each month."
-Kevin Sam (New Epistles)

Timline in Introductory Material

"I’ve mentioned before that I’ve often had problems keeping track of varying time periods in the Bible, not the least of which is due to the canonical order not being chronological. These timelines along with the chronological layout of the Bible eliminates this problem."
-Nick Norelli (Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth)

Size

"The Bible is small and chunky: shaped a bit like a desktop calendar. It will pack easily into a briefcase or backpack, which for my lifestyle is very useful."
-Eddie Arthur (Kouya Chronicle)

"The paperback version is relatively light and small and would be good for people on the go who want to read during lunch or on the bus. Please don’t read while driving."
-Jeff (Scripture Zealot)

"This Bible does a good job being compact, but very readable."
-Brent Kercheville (Christian Monthly Standard)

Verse Callouts

"Every reading has a “verse callout” in the margin. This is one particular verse that editors found to be an important key to the reading. I found this particularly useful, especially for memorizing scripture or for having a passage to meditate upon once your daily reading is completed."
-Brent Kercheville

Dates Indicated in Daily Readings

"Dates are often included in the Bible as can be seen in the larger version of the picture above under Jehoshaphat Rules In Judah on the left page which is extremely helpful."
-Jeff

Chronological format

"I believe chronological Bibles provide a wonderful opportunity for people to read the scriptures have see how the recorded events fit together. The prophets offer greater clarity when placed in their historical context. The book of Acts can have greater meaning when one is able to see what Paul was going through when he penned each of his letters."
-Brent Kercheville

" Well, for those such as myself, who have problems with regimented reading, this Bible takes all the fuss out of it. A reading for every day of the year is clearly marked out and it leaves no room for excuses"
-Nick Norelli

You can try it out for yourself with this PDF of the first pages of 24/7.

Update: another endorsement for 24/7 as a fun book:

"To the writers of the NLT 24/7 Daily Readings in Sequential Time. I bought this One Year Chronological Bible and can''t wait to read it. I am far ahead of the day of the year where I am supposed to be reading. I can only describe this book as 'A FUN BOOK TO READ' and therefore I am reading it as I like and not just by the daily listing only. I have decided that if I want to read ahead I can use it as a regular bible to enjoy and need not worry about the day of the week or month of the year. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to whomever put this book together. I love reading it more than any bible I have ever tried to read and that is a long time since I am 82 years old. Please put a sticker on the front 'A FUN BOOK TO READ THAT CAN BE READ BY THE DAY OR HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE.' I love it."

-Frances A. Day

Labels: chronological Bible, Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles, One Year Bible

The seven winners for last week of the hardcover NLT Study Bibles are : Dan Masshardt, Greg, drmellow, Juan Martinez, Dave, Jimbo S. and CD-Host. All were randomly chosen (by the random number generator on my nerdy graphing calculator). Only six and seven people (respectively) entered for the last two days, so chances of winning these days are pretty high! To enter, just ask a question about the NLT Study Bible in the comments of last week's post.

We want these questions because Sean Harrison (General Editor of the NLTSB) will be answering questions live in two online seminars this month. If you're still deciding whether or not to buy an NLTSB, want a tutorial on how to use your NLTSB, or are just interested in learning more insider information about it, sign up for either of the free webinars, taking place on August 7 at 11AM CST and August 28 at 7pm CST.

Labels: Laura Bartlett, NLT Bibles