Miss PattyCake Christmas Bundle Review

I wanted to share with  you something we have been enjoying this holiday season, the Miss PattyCake Christmas Bundle.  This is a fun, educational, music-filled and God-centered gift set!  It's geared for preschool children and kids up to 6 or 7.  G (age 4) has really been enjoying it.

What's included in our set?  Our set includes a Christmas DVD, which is all about the true story of Christmas and contains lots of music.  Songs include PattyCake Praise, It's Christmas, Handy Helper, What Will The Weather Be?, Mary's Song, Good News, and Hap-Hap-Happy Birthday.  We also have Miss PattyCake Let's Decorate The Tree! book, which is a colorful, rhyming book that uses decorations as a teaching tool to show children about God's love and Jesus' birthday!  And lastly our set contains Miss PattyCake's Christmas Coloring & Activity book.  This book goes right along with our DVD and has fun activities like dot-to-dot, spot the difference, cut and paste, color by number and so on.

Reading Let's Decorate the Tree! with G

G is loving the coloring and activity book.  There are so many fun pages for him to complete.

I love that this set is fun, engaging and most of all Christ-centered.  G is absolutely loving it and I imagine that he is going to have his activity book complete in no time!  I appreciate that there are some parent "extra credit" ideas to complete with G.  Some of these ideas include having a dress-up day with crowns and royal clothing to remember that Jesus is the true King.  Another is to make cookies in the shape of a star to remind us of Jesus.  I plan on doing a few of these next week with him as it is the week of Christmas.  If you are looking for a fun gift set for a preschooler, we would definitely recommend Miss PattyCake and this amazing Christmas Bundle!  You can purchase one here.

Disclosure:  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing me with this bundle in exchange for this review and post.  Opinions are 100% my own.

Laura Story's Open Hands Album Review & Giveaway

I have a new CD album to tell you about, Open Hands by Laura Story.  I was already familiar with Laura for her smash hits "Mighty to Save" and "Blessings".  She also has penned hit songs for other renowned artists including Chris Tomlin's "Indescribable".  If you know those worship songs, they are pretty amazing so I was super excited to receive Laura's new album, Open Hands.

This album is just as amazing as I expected!!  The songs are uplifting and inspiring and just beautiful.  Laura has a truly gifted voice and this album is beautiful to listen to.  The very first song on the album, "Death Was Arrested" is my absolute favorite.  In fact, I love it so much I wanted to share the lyrics below - so touching.  I highly, highly recommend this album.

[Verse 1]
Alone in my sorrow and dead in my sin
Lost without hope with no place to begin
Your love made a way to let mercy come in
When death was arrested and my life began

[Verse 2]
Ash was redeemed only beauty remains
My orphan heart, was given a name
My mourning grew quiet, my feet rose to dance
When death was arrested and my life began

[Chorus 1]
Oh Your grace, so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with You

[Verse 3]
Released from my chains I'm a prisoner no more
My shame was a ransom He faithfully bore
He cancelled my debt and He called me His friend
When death was arrested and my life began

[Chorus 2]
Oh Your grace, so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with You
It's Your endless love
Pouring down on us
You have made us new
Now life begins with You
Ohh with You

[Verse 4]
Our Saviour displayed on a criminal's cross
Darkness rejoiced as though Heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That's when death was arrested and my life began, ohhh!

[Chorus 2]
Oh Your grace, so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with You

Ohh, it's Your endless love
Pouring down on us
You have made us new
Now life begins with You

[Post-Chorus]
Oh we're free, free
Forever we're free
Come join the song
Of all the redeemed ...

Yes we're free, free
Forever amen
When death was arrested and my life began

We're free, free
Forever we're free
Come join the song
Of all the redeemed ...

Yes we're free, free
Forever amen
When death was arrested and my life began
When death was arrested and my life, began ...

In addition to being an artist, mom and author, Laura Story is a worship leader and is gifted at teaching the truth of God to others.  You can purchase your own copy of Laura Story's Open Hands album or enter below to win one.

Check out Laura's Open Hands Lyric video below.



Ready to win your own copy of Open Hands?  Just enter below and good luck!

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Disclosure:  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive my own copy of Open Hands in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller/FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

TobyMac This is Not a Test Review & Giveaway

 

We love TobyMac in our home!  He is real, authentic and his music is just plain awesome.  Our family listens to his CD Eye On It all the time!  Guess what?  He has a new album that is about to be released, This Is Not A Test is to be released tomorrow August 7th!  I have been listening to this album and it does not disappoint!  One of my favorite songs on the album is track #9, Beyond Me.

Here are the lyrics to Beyond Me

Call it a reason to retreat
I got some dreams that are bigger than me
I might be outmatched, outsized, the underdog in the fight of my life
Is it so crazy to believe

That You gave me the stars put them out of my reach
Called me to waters a little too deep
Oh, I've never been so aware of my need
You keep on making me see
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
Yeah, it's out of my league
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond ...

Anything that I got the strength to do
In over my head keeps me countin' on You
I'm leaving the sweet spot, sure shot
Tradin' it all for the plans You got
Is it so crazy to believe

You take me to the place where I know I need You
Straight to the depths that I can't handle on my own
And Lord I know, I know I need You
So take me to Your great ...
Take me to Your great unknown

I cannot say enough good things about TobyMac's music.  It is relateable, extremely enjoyable and it glorifies God!  I love that David and I can jam listening to TobyMac and our kids can join in the fun.

More About TobyMac:
Toby McKeehan (known professionally as TobyMac) is a husband, father, performer, songwriter, producer, and businessman.  Growing up in the northern Virginia suburbs adjacent to Washington D.C. helped instill his love for rap music.  While attending Liberty University during the mid 80s, Toby met Michael Tait and Kevin Max Smith and these three friends formed the Grammy winning, platinum selling group dc Talk.  Toby began his solo career in 1999 with his first solo album, Momentum, releasing in 2001.  Momentum has been followed by four additional studio albums, Welcome to Diverse City (2004), Portable Sounds (2007), Tonight(2010), and Eye On It (2012), along with his first live album, Alive and Transported (2008).  This Is Not A Test is his 6th studio album to be released.  Starting with dc Talk, and then going solo when the group disbanded, Toby still clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience, and - perhaps most relevant of all - the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.  "It's the truth," he says.  "I still believe that a song can penetrate a heart.  I believe God can use a song to open someone's mind and heart."

You can order your own copy of This Is Not A Test on iTunes.  You will receive 4 songs instantly with pre-orders.

Ready for a giveaway?  One of you will win your own copy of This Is Not A Test by TobyMac.  Just enter the giveaway below and good luck.

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Disclosure: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing a copy of TobyMac's This Is Not A Test CD for this giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive my own digital copy of This Is Not A Test CD in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Easter Stories Classic Tales for the Holy Season Review & Giveaway

Are you in the Easter mood?  I know we are around here.  Our small group is having an Easter egg hunt at a nearby park on Saturday.  Yet, I know that this is not the true meaning of the season.  And I know my church will have palm branches ready to hand out on Sunday when we enter the building (love Palm Sunday).

I want to share with you a new book, Easter Stories, Classic Tales for the Holy Season.  This book includes time-honored favorites from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, Anton Chekhov, and Walter Wangerin - as well as many you've never heard before.  This book contains 27 short stories that were selected for their spiritual value and literary quality.  I love that these stories are short and can be read quickly yet each story has a clear and powerful message.  This book is illustrated with original woodcuts.  This book really captures the true spirit of Holy Week and Easter in a transforming way.  You will be thinking less about eggs and candy and more about the Savior that came for you!

This book starts out with a bang with The White Lily by Jane Tyson Clement.  Reading the transformation of Ivan, Peter and Rubles was inspiring.  I love how the clean, white lily transforms these three not only on the outside but also within, just as Jesus does.  Robin Redbreast by Selma Lagerlof is another favorite of mine.  The Lord is in paradise giving unique characteristics to the animals.  Bee was being greedy with the honey; therefore, it was determined every time she decides to sting something she will surely die.  Robin couldn't figure out the meaning of his name when there wasn't a drop of red on his body.  In this story he "earns" his coloring through his compassion to Christ on the cross - truly beautiful.

Find out more about this book HERE!

Ready for a giveaway?  One of you will win your own copy of Easter Stories.  Just enter below and good luck!

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Disclosure: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing Easter Stories for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive my own copy of Easter Stories in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.