The Narrow Way Crochet

I would like to take time to share this awesome local business with you! I recently bought a wool hat from The Narrow Way Crochet and absolutely LOVE IT!!!! It is comfortable (it fits very well due to giving them the measurements of my head!) warm and very pretty.

Okay...so I need lessons in taking "selfies" and I could have smiled more. But you can see the beautiful colors of this hat! Grey, brown, and there is even some cream in there!


So what sets this company apart from many others? Well, they are local and not an overseas sweatshop. I will go out of my way to buy locally every chance I get and as often as the pocketbook allows!! I've been to their farm and was able to visit the sheep and they gave us a tour and explained how they wash, card and spin the wool (with an old fashioned spinning wheel!!!) and then crochet beautiful things! You will want to visit their website and check out all their beautiful handiwork!

Also, when you check out the Farm link, you will see that The Narrow Way Crochet is just PART of a family farm...they offer so much more.

Review & Giveaway: I'm Happy For You {SORT OF...not really}

About I’m Happy For You (Sort Of…Not Really):
Our cultural obsession with comparison is undercutting relationships and sapping contentment. With disarming candor and humor, Kay Wills Wyma explores how to trade comparison for compassion and rediscover what life is all about.
It’s easy to get caught in the comparison games we play with our appearances, our kids, and our homes. Kay reminds exhausted families about tried and true remedies from the pressures of competitive living.
In her warm, relatable style, Kay confronts the comparison epidemic raging in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our social-media feeds, offering remedies along the way.
With candor and humor, I’m Happy For You (Sort Of…Not Really) explores the troubling effects of living in an excessively competitive culture—and reveals simple yet effective ways to escape the comparison trap.

About the Author:
Kay Wills Wyma is a blogger, mother of five, and the author of Cleaning House through which she has appeared on The TODAY Show, CNN, Glenn Beck, The New York Times, Focus on the Family, and more. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, she held positions at the White House, the Staubach Company, and Bank of America. Kay lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Jon, and their family.

My Review:
This has been the most delightful book I've read in a long while and it came at such a perfect time! Just hours before getting this book in the mail to read, I had attended our monthly homeschool support group. Guess what was talked about? You guessed it, comparisons!! The dangers of comparing our lives to others. So when I opened my mail and saw the title....well, I literally laughed out loud!

In chapter 2, Kay shares the term, "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" and this alone will help us all to regain a proper perspective when we find ourselves in the throes of discontentment and envy.

Ctrl: Control the thought process by pausing to recognize the problem

Alt: Consider an alternative perspective

Delete: Eliminate comparison--or at least tone it down

Now of course there is more in the book on each of those terms and what they mean and how to do it, but I don't want to spoil it for you!!

As we enter the holiday season, I pray that you won't have to deal with comparison issues, however, I highly recommend this book if you do or think you might or that your sibling might. Kay's sense of humor is incredible as she helps us to see the problem areas and then gives us wonderful ways to eliminate them, and she does this without making us feel inadequate. While humorous, the book also encourages change in our behavior and thought patterns, changing the comparison into compassion.

Check out Kay's blog HERE

If you'd like to listen to her interview on Focus on the Family about her book "I'm Happy for You" check it out HERE

I'd love to have you enter the giveaway, here's how to enter!

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): 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 a sample of the product 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.”

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on Dec 10th for a copy of the book I'm Happy for You {Sort of...not really}

Review and Giveaway: The Bridge Builder

About Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein:
Founder and President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and Goodwill Ambassador for the State of Israel, Rabbi Eckstein has devoted more than 35 years to building bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews and broad support for the State of Israel. He is recognized as the world's leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians. Rabbi Eckstein received Orthodox Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University in New York. He holds master's degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University, where he also completed studies for his doctorate. Rabbi Eckstein has served on the faculties of Columbia University, Chicago Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Seminary. He currently serves on the executive committee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

About the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews:
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews was founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein to promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for Israel and other shared concerns. Their ministry's vision is that Jews and Christians will reverse their 2,000-year history of discord and replace it with a relationship marked by dialogue, respect, and cooperation. Among the many things they do as an organization, they also create materials for teaching about the significance of connecting Israel and Christianity through such resources as A Woman of Valor: Celebrating The Proverbs 31 Women In Our Lives, A Man Of Faith: Reflections On Godly Leadership From The Ancient Shepherds Of Israel (both devotionals by Rabbi Eckstein), and Seven Fruits of Israel: Recipes And Devotions From The Holy Land (by Yael Eckstein).

About the book and author:
Hardcover; 272 pages
Zev Chafets is the bestselling author of fourteen books of fiction, media criticism, and social and political commentary. He has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine and is a former columnist for the New York Daily News.

BOOK RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2015

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SOCIAL • C O R N E R

Official Websites: IFCJ
Rabbi Eckstein

Twitter: @TheFellowship
@RabbiEckstein

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipFan
https://www.facebook.com/RabbiEckstein

Website to Purchase: Amazon






Wow, this book is an awesome one! Not only is it an eye opener about the recent history of the Jews as they came to America, but also how politics played out in regards to how the US and Canada failed to support Israel in the years after the Holocaust. And sadly, the United States continues to snub Israel, while Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper has taken a stand FOR Israel. His stand for Israel makes me proud to be Canadian. But back to the book, Rabbi Eckstein made it his mission in life to bridge the gap between Christians and Jews, to focus on the common ground we share and support one another. It caused him to be shunned in his own orthodox community, even at his daughter's bat mitzvah, he was not allowed at the Bimah to speak, simply because he entered a Christian church to share his ministry. Apparently this is equal to idolatry!! Yikes! I look forward to finish reading his biography and will update this blogpost when I've finished. It has been an inspiring read so far!! May we all act according to our convictions and not worry about what others will say about us. It only matters what our Heavenly Father says!



"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): 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 a sample of the product 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.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a copy of this book!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on Sept 11th, just a few short days away!

Review: FamilyLife's Passport2Purity Getaway Kit 3rd edition

About the getaway kit:
(1) Tour Guide for the parent, (1) Travel Journal for the preteen including 25 follow-up devotions, and (8) CDs containing 5 sessions, scripture memory songs and downloadable MP3s: Session 1: Beginning the Journey - Challenges, Traps, and Choices; Session 2: Running With The Herd - Friendships and Peer Pressure; Session 3: Ready For An Upgrade? - Changes in Him, Changes in Her; Session 4: Destination: Lé Pure - Setting Boundaries; Session 5: Crossing The Date Line - Seeing Dating Differently

Passport2Purity from FamilyLife® on Vimeo.

Learn about the traps your preteen will soon face as a teenager and how Passport2Purity will help you to guide your teen through those difficult years.

Your child begins the journey into adolescence in a world of sexting, bullying, online stalking and moral defiance. Innocence is under attack, and you cannot win the battle with a single awkward talk or a strict set of rules. The primary defense for your child is a strong relationship with you and with God. FamilyLife developed Passport2Purity (P2P) to assist you in building heart-to-heart communication with your preteen while laying a foundation of purity that will prepare him or her for the turbulent years ahead. Through the shared listening experience, object lessons and guided conversations of a P2P weekend getaway, you can set your son or daughter on a journey of moral integrity - and strengthen the bond between you. It is designed to be used by a mother and daughter or a father and son when the child is a preteen. It is suggested that the materials be completed over a weekend away from home, as the child may be more open to discussing the topics away from his or her normal environment. If this isn't possible, the material can be completed over a period of four or five weeks.

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S O C I A L • C O R N E R

Official Website: http://familylife.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=2&aff_id=1022&url_id=18

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Passport2Purity-Getaway-Kit-by-FamilyLife-Version-3/278981062285397

Twitter: @FamilyLifeToday @DennisRainey @BarbaraRainey

Official Website to Purchase: https://shop.familylife.com/p-1988-passport2purity-getaway-kit.aspx?utm_source=FL&utm_medium=image&utm_campaign=hpresource

It was my great pleasure to take part in this review! As part of our family's homeschool we have used the God's Design for Sex series, and this is the perfect ending for that series of books, which spans a very great range of ages beginning at age 3 or 4 when questions first arise about where babies come from.

This kit includes everything a nervous parent could possibly need for having that "scary" talk that most would rather avoid. If this is you, PLEASE buy this kit!!! My parents gave the sex talk to my sister and I after we were teens and it was really already too late. It is so much better to err on the side of too early than too late. We will go through it with our oldest, even though we've kinda done the talk all ready, and also with our daughter who will be 10 this school year. Just reading the through the material and listening to the "parents only" session has me feeling excited and full equipped to take this on! I came from a family where sex was not a welcome topic to talk about. I want to change that, I want my children to feel okay about talking to us about anything. So Check out the link above and buy your kit today!!!

Review and Giveaway: The Adventures of Mickey Matson: Pirate's Code

About the movie:
Releases on DVD June 2, 2015
91 Minutes // Genre: Adventure // Rating: NR

About Pirates's Code The Adventures of Mickey Matson:
In this follow up to Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure, Mickey Matson is at it again; this time pitted against the evil Admiral Ironsides and his gang of pirates who are intent on destroying civilization. They're new invetnion, the Tesla Coil, is a weapon of mass destruction that will send an electromagnetic pulse throughout the world, destroying every electronic device in existence. With the help of a secret organization, Mickey and his best friend Sully embark on a mission to stop the pirates from taking over a submarine and stealing the last part needed to complete their devastating weapon. If Admiral Ironsides succeeds in his plan, civilization will be sent back to the Stone Age. It's a race against time, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Review
I quite enjoyed watching this with the kids! It was fun to see some familiar faces!   Christopher Lloyd plays one of the main characters, Mickey Matson's grandfather. And then there's Tia Carrere who plays the part of a villian. I loved her character in Relic Hunter...so it was fun to watch her in something recent!
A fun adventure movie for all ages. Because I live quite an alternative lifestyle and not into media so much, I did notice something that bugged me, that might not bug others so much.

Kids being scouted and kidnapped out of their lives and taken to a secret training facility to "save the world". I am very much against secret orders of any kind, like Freemasons, Scouts, Guides etc. And this group in the movie was called the Secret Order of the Patriots. There is just something very dark about these secret groups and they usually end up being Satanic at the roots. So the fact that this movie seemed to make these secret orders harmless and fun instead kinda bugged me.

Other than the above observation...it was a great movie! One that I would probably watch again....lol There was no boy/girl stuff, language or gory violence. The best part, is the first movie is available on Netflix!!! So go enter the giveaway and then go watch the first movie while you wait for the second one!!!

SOCIAL • C O R N E R

Twitter: @MickeyMatson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mickey-Matson/211224175604758?fref=ts

Official Website: http://mickeymatson.com

Official Website to Purchase: http://pureflix.christianbook.com/adventures-mickey-matson-the-pirates-code/pd/03738X?event=ESRCG



"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): 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 a sample of the product 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.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a copy of this DVD!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.
4. Fill out the rafflecopter form, I'm trying rafflecopter out so please help me by using it!!
Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on July 1st!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review & Giveaway: Love Inspired Series

This review is for the series of books by Harlequin called Love Inspired. I know, I know, when you see the name harlequin, the first thing that comes to mind is "trashy romance novels" right?! Well, I will admit I was a little hesitant at first, but am so glad I chose to do the review. I chose the following book in the set of 6 that I was sent simply because the author lives in the same province as myself. lol

I am very pleased to share that this book was NOT by any stretch of the imagination a "trashy romance"!!! The characters were pure in heart as well as in action. I have read other books in this series as well and know that this a recurring theme for this series, keeping it pure. I give this series two thumbs up. Great light reading, I much prefer one of these short novels to a movie any day!

About the book:
A Hero for Her Son

When the baby he rescued seven years ago returns—with his widowed adoptive mom—Deputy Fire Chief Matt Bailey can't turn them away. Desperate to escape the reminders of his failure in the line of duty, Matt is close to leaving town. But one look at Rachel Carter and her son, Christopher, has him second-guessing his plans. Rachel is a mom in need of a hero for her son. But as much as she wants the two to bond, she's determined to keep her distance from Matt. After losing her husband on the job, she promised never to love another fireman. Yet somehow she finds herself drawn to the one man she should avoid.

About the author:
Patricia Johns has been writing novels ever since she graduated from her honors degree in English Literature. After some agonizing, she quit her responsible full-time job in favor of something more flexible and poured herself into her writing. She's never looked back. After having several historical novels and children's books published, she turned to romance writing.

Patricia lives with her husband and son in Alberta, Canada.

More about the books:
The Love Inspired product line is a series of 6 books that are released every month & only have a shelf-life of one month.

S O C I A L • C O R N E R

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Website

Here is a coupon for $1 off


"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): 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 a sample of the product 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.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a set of 6 books!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on May 5th, my sister's birthday!

Review & Giveaway: Christy Nockels new album

About Christy:
As a worship leader for many years, she has been an integral part of Passion Conferences from its inception in 1997. She's seen first hand music sweep people into the presence of God in a powerful way.
pastor’s kid, who was born in Fort Worth and raised in Oklahoma,she grew up singing in church. She met her husband, Nathan, in 1993 at the Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, Co. They recorded an independent record with fellow worship leader Charlie under the name Sons Daughters that led to an invitation from Louie Giglio to participate in the first Passion conference in Austin. Christy’s voice gained a national platform when she and Nathan formed the duo Watermark, recording four acclaimed albums before that musical season ended, paving the way for Christy’s solo career. In 2008, the couple moved to Atlanta to become part of Passion City Church where she serves on the worship team with sixstepsrecords labelmates Chris Tomlin and Kristian Stanfill. The following year, Nockels released her acclaimed solo debut, and spent much of the next two years touring with Tomlin and Passion.

S O C I A L • C O R N E R

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

iTunes

#LetItBeJesus

I had the wonderful pleasure of being introduced to this worship artist.  I have listened to it often over the course of the past few weeks and it always lifts my soul and encourages a smile on my face. Go check out the previews on itunes!! And leave a comment below to win a copy of this album! You won't be disappointed!

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): 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 a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, 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.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a digital copy of this album!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on May 5th, my sister's birthday!