Veggie Tales - Noah's Ark ~ Review and DVD Giveaway

Veggie Tales
Noah's Ark

The last year has seen many offerings of Noah's Ark in both book and movie format. Well, Veggie Tales has joined this list with this, their newest DVD offering.

Bob (a tomato), Larry (a cucumber), and Roger (an elephant) introduce us to Larry's imaging of what Noah, his family, and the Ark were like.  With a variety of songs the story is told.

Shem (one of Noah's sons) is the main character in this version and he's not the happiest veggie on the boat (make that Ark).  He's just gotten married and is looking forward to a life with his new wife when literally there is an Ark in his life.  We see Shem go from arguing with Noah just what God's will is to having absolute faith in God's will and His timing.

The people are portrayed by the Veggies while the animals are animals and the elephants
and zebras are absolutely adorable!  And then there is Mr. and Mrs. Hamster who have a
bit of a separation thanks to some of Shem's earlier impatience before he learned that God
has a time for everything.

There is a little side video in the midst of Noah's featuring a Silly-Song "My Golden Egg".
Think Indiana Jones meets an Easter egg hunt and you'll have an idea of what it's all about.

I was provided a review copy of this DVD in exchange for my honest review.

"Noah and his family along with a zoo full of animals take an adventure aboard an orange slice ark. After 40 days and nights of rain, everyone’s faith has been tested, and they’re ready to jump ship. Will they chart a new course, or will they remember to trust God’s promises? Grab your umbrellas and find out in this Veggie Tales re-telling of the beloved Bible story!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In NOAH'S ARK, Brady, the multi-Emmy® award-winning host of one of TV’s most famous game shows, Let’s Make a Deal, and star of Whose Line Is It Anyway, brings to life Noah’s son Shem, who first questions, then learns to embrace, his father’s direction from God. Christian singer, actress and radio host Jaci Velasquez co-stars as Shem’s wife, Sadie.

“Saying ‘yes’ to VeggieTales was a no-brainer – my daughter’s a fan and I love the music and messages,” says Brady, who performs seven original songs in NOAH’S ARK. “The best part is, Bob and Larry are down to earth and they never let the ‘I’m a global Veggie superstar’ thing go to their heads.”

Adds Velasquez: “Every parent searches for entertainment that’s both wholesome and imparts valuable life lessons, and with Noah’s Ark, VeggieTales serves up a delicious dish on both counts. The story, the music and the visuals are perfect for the entire family.”

In NOAH’S ARK, Shem and Sadie return home from their honeymoon to find that Noah (played by Pa Grape) has begun, at God’s direction, to work on a massive ark, which his wife Naamah (played by Madame Blueberry) and sons Ham (played by Larry) and Japheth (played by Bob) are helping construct before the start of 40 days and 40 nights of rain.

But Shem doesn’t understand Noah’s unshakable faith in God, particularly when animals start arriving two-by-two – while the rain is nowhere to be seen. When the deluge does come, Shem begins to understand Noah’s determination to preserve humanity’s future … and the importance of trusting in God.

NOAH’S ARK also features a brand-new “Silly Songs With Larry” segment, in which Larry dons a safari outfit as he goes on a quest for a gigantic, golden egg.

Less than three weeks after the DVD and digital download release of NOAH’S ARK, the VeggieTales excitement continues when five all-new episodes of VeggieTales In The House, the hit animated series, debut exclusively on Netflix – bringing the total of VeggieTales In the House episodes to 15 as the series continues its first season.

To learn more about NOAH’S ARK, and to pre-order the DVD, visit the official VeggieTales website at http://www.veggietales.com, or call the toll-free VeggieTales Hotline at (844) 2-VEGGIE (U.S. callers only).

Carrots meet cubits as VeggieTales builds an ark filled with fun, adventure and important lessons about trusting God in NOAH’S ARK, its first Bible-themed production in more than four years. Starring Wayne Brady and Jaci Velasquez, along with Larry the Cucumber, Bob the Tomato and a whole crew of Veggies, NOAH’S ARK will be available March 3 on DVD and digital download.

Enter for a chance to win a copy of this DVD

Open to US mailing addresses only.

Runs February 25th through March 3rd!

Winner will be contacted and have until March 6th at noon

to reply or an alternate winner will be chosen. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lift the Flap Bible ~ Review

Lift the Flap Bible
Text by Karen Williamson
Illustrated by Louise Anglicas

New from Candle Tiny Tots is Lift the Flap Bible for ages 10 months and up. Eight favorite Bible stories are simply shared making this the perfect Bible story book to share with your littlest one.

This book is in a board book format, so as to withstand little hands that have a tendency to stick to pages.  Each of the stories is told on two pages with three to four flaps to help tell the story.

Old Testament offerings are Noah's Ark, baby Moses, Daniel in the Lion's Den, and Jonah.  From the New Testament we have Jesus's birth, Jesus feeding the crowd, the parable of the lost sheep, and Jesus healing the man who was lowered through the roof.

This is nice introduction to the Bible and children will love the flaps that further tell the story. This is perfect for a new baby gift or for a first birthday.

I was provided a copy of this book through Kregel in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.  

About the book:

What's under the flaps? Find out in this collection of eight very simple Bible stories in a large cased board book format. Each story is told across a double-page spread and there are flaps on every page. Bright, quirky illustrations full of wit and color from Louise Anglicas are perfect for this engaging introduction to Bible stories.

Stories are: Noah and the Ark, Moses and the Bulrushes, Daniel and the Lions, Jonah and the Great Fish, Born in a Stable, Boy with Loaves and Fishes, The Lost Sheep, and Man Lowered Through the Roof.

The Crimson Cord ~ Review

The Crimson Cord
Rahab's Story
Daughter's of the Promised Land - 1
By Jill Eileen Smith

Rahab, one of four women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus, is a woman not expected to be in this lineage.  She was not Hebrew by birth.  She was a harlot in a city brought down by God when the Children of Israel retook the land given to Abraham.

But who was this woman who received such notice?  The Crimson Cord is her possible story.  A story of slavery that brought safety to the spies of Israel and new life to both her and her family.  This a story of mercy and redemption.  A story of promise.

The basics of this story are well-known to most people who attended Sunday school.  But Jill Eileen Smith takes it beyond the basics, bringing humanity to this woman.  A woman who would have been disdained for her situation and yet was in demand.

The Crimson Cord looks into the heart and mind of Rahab.  A woman sullied and unclean by even her own examination.  A woman who viewed herself unworthy of mercy, of grace.  A woman confused by the God of Israel - a God who demands blood for sin and yet offers life to one such as her.

Though a work of fiction, the story that portrayed is entirely plausible and believable.  A woman whose husband's debt has forced her into a life of servitude - a life of prostitution.  A woman who sees that these spies of a wandering people are a way out of a despised life.

This is a book that will open your eyes to the ancient world of the Old Testament and the blood sacrifices.  This is a book that will touch your heart and bring empathy for this woman who was redeemed.

I was provided a copy of this book by Revell through their Blogger Program in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:
Wife to a gambler who took one too many risks, Rahab finds herself sold as a slave to cover her husband's debt. Forced into prostitution, she despairs of ever regaining her freedom and her self-respect. But when Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.

In one risky moment, she takes a leap of faith, puts her trust in a God she does not know, and vows to protect the spies from the authorities. When the armies of Israel arrive weeks later, Rahab hopes they will keep their promise, but she has no idea what kind of challenges await her outside Jericho's walls-- or if she will ever know the meaning of love.

Under Jill Eileen Smith's talented hand, the familiar story of Rahab bursts forth in high definition. Immerse yourself in a world of dark and dusty streets, clandestine meetings, and daring escapes as a mysterious biblical figure claims her full humanity--and a permanent place in your heart.


Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling author of the Wives of King David series, the Wives of the Patriarchs series, and The Desert Princess, first in the Loves of King Solomon series. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.

Click here to view an excerpt of this book

Midnight Runner ~ Review

Midnight Runner
   By Marilee Jackson

      Moira and Isobail are running -
               one from her past,
                     the other to her future.

Moira hasn't known love or kindness since her mother's death 12 years ago.  But Moira refuses to put up with the abuse and mistreatment any longer.  She's planning her escape and the new life she will live in Allail. And Moira is determined that nothing will keep her from achieving her dream.  But is the price she'll be asked to pay too much?

Isobail has known only love from her parents.  Her plans for the future are anything but grand.  Someday marriage and home much like she has always known.  But when offered an opportunity to serve as a lady's maid Isobail has a choice to make.  A choice that would take her away from all she knows and all whom she loves.

Midnight Runner spans nearly 30 years as two lives unfold not so differently and yet vastly different. The difference being love.  This book is both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time as love is discovered and lost.  Though the book is complete, I would love to see a sequel that furthers the lives of these characters.

Compelling characters that one can connect with.  A story that will touch your heart. Just a couple of reasons why you should give this debut novel your full attention.

I was provided a copy of this book by Cedar Fort/Sweetwater Books in exchange for my tour participation and my honest review.

About the book:

Mistreated for years, orphaned Moira dreams of building a new life in the royal city. Little does she know that her dreams will cost more than just her own fate. This medieval tale of romance, mistaken identities, and long-sought redemption will change how you feel about villains and heroines, loss and love.

About the author:

Marilee Jackson is an avid reader and has dabbled in writing since the third grade. She stays home and chases her four rug rats around. She lives in a tiny Arizona town (don’t blink you’ll miss it) with her amazing husband and their four children. Midnight Runner is her first novel. Follow her on her blog at http://jacksonjacket.blogspot.com/

Have you heard about Finding Jesus:Faith, Fact, Forgery?

CNN has a new series starting and I thought I'd share the trailer with you.

What do you think, is this something you'd be interested in watching?

Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, a CNN original 6 part series premiering March 1st 9 pm ET/PT

seeks to answer the question "Did Jesus leave behind physical evidence of his existence.

An Uncertain Choice ~ Review

An Uncertain Choice
By Jody Hedlund

Lady Rosemarie Montfort is but a month away before she is to enter the convent for the rest of her life when a friend of her father offers her another option.  If she can find true love and marry by the eve of her eighteenth birthday she will be exempted from the vow made by her parents.  But for the last four years Rosemarie has been preparing for this life.  Can she put aside what she viewed as her certain future for an uncertain one?  One that depends on finding a true love in mere days?

But whose leading should she follow at this late date Abbot Francis Michael or the Duke of Rivenshire?  What would her parents want?

Determining that she must be open to all options both for herself and for the good of her people Rosemarie accepts the Duke's challenge to see if she can find love from amongst the three knights he feels the most noble and loyal in the land.  Sir Bennett Windsor, Sir Collin Goodrich, and Sir Derrick Harding are the three chosen as being worthy of Rosemarie's hand, but only she can determine if one has captured her heart and is her true love.

But someone seems determined to stop this challenge and the question is why.  Why would seemingly random attacks take place against those vying for her hand and her heart?  Is one of the knights not as honourable as the Duke believes?  Or is there another threat within her lands?

This is a lovely book, one you won't mind sharing with both friends and family.  Set during the mid-fourteenth century this is perfect story in which nobility and chivalry are valued.  But it is the inner qualities that are the most highly honoured when Rosemarie makes the choice that will determine her future.

An Uncertain Choice is written for the YA audience and this is a lovely offering.  Tweens and teens won't leave this book with feelings of depression because the world is ending in a cataclysm.  Suicide isn't a major character in this book.  This is a book with a message of hope that will leave you with a smile on your face.

I was provided a digital copy of this book in exchange for my review of this book.

About the Book:
Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice--if Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.

Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights--the one who appears the most guilty--had not already captured her heart.

  

Discussion Guide

Created by Jody for group discussion or individual study, the discussion guide is a great tool to share with your friends, daughters, and youth groups.

Download Jody’s An Uncertain Choice Discussion Guide

**Be aware there are spoilers, if you read the guide prior to reading An Uncertain Choice.  http://jodyhedlund.com/books/an-uncertain-choice

Old Fashioned ~ Review

Old Fashioned
Novelization by Rene Gutteridge
Screenplay by Rik Swartzwelder

Chivalry 

          makes a 

                           comeback

Clay Walsh has made a vow to be a changed man.  He no longer wants to be the man that he was, even if it means isolating himself away.  He wants to treat women with the respect they deserve.  Clay's ideals are the source of ridicule in the town in which he lives.  His theories on love and romance are odd and outdated, but he has been living by them for nine years.  He has yet to meet the woman who understands his views.

But when Amber Hewson arrives in town his theories are about to be tested.  Something about Amber draws him and terrifies him at the same time.  Amber senses something about Clay is different though she's not sure what it is exactly.  But when her apartment needs a repair she learns quickly what about Clay is different - he won't do the needed repair and be alone with her in the apartment.  His "rules" confuse and intrigue her, but how do you get to know another person when you don't know the rules?

This is a book that I highly recommend - the values Clay lives by are in fact ones that I was taught from a young age and men and women who live by these standards are hard to find today.  Pressure to conform to the lax morals of today come from all sides and it is hard to stand for what one believes as evidenced by the ridicule Clay faces (even from friends).

I think my favorite line comes from Betty - "You know, marriage is kind of like a tea bag. You don't know how strong it really is till you get it in some boiling water.  And the water don't boil till you're over the heat, and the heat don't come till you say, 'I do.'"

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Tyndale through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Former frat boy Clay Walsh has given up his reckless lifestyle and settled down to run an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. Determined to put his partying ways behind him, Clay has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance. But when Amber Hewson, a free-spirited woman with a gypsy soul, rents the apartment above his shop, Clay can’t help being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. 

New to the area, Amber finds herself surprisingly drawn to Clay and his noble ideas, but her own fears and deep wounds are difficult to overcome. Can they move beyond their differences and their pasts to attempt an “old-fashioned” courtship?