"The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings us Back to the Garden" Book Review & GIVEAWAY! (9/23) #BIGGESTSTORY #FLYBY

*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.

About the book:

Hardcover: 132 pages

Publisher: Crossway (August 31, 2015)

In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung - a best-selling author and father of six - leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heave and new earth.  With powerful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, this imaginative retelling of the Bible's core message-how the Snake Crusher brings us back to the garden-will draw children into the biblical story, teaching them that God's promises are even bigger and better than we think.  

About Kevin DeYoung:

Kevin DeYoung is senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan.  He blogs at the Gospel Coalition and has authored or coauthored numerous well-known books, including Just Do Something, The Hole in Our Holiness, Crazy Busy, and Taking God At His Word.  He lives with his wife and their 6 children in Central Michigan. 

About Don Clark:

Don Clark is an artist and the cofounder of Invisible Creature, a widely respected and award-winning design studio in Seattle that has worked with clients such as Target, Nike, LEGO, and WIRED magazine.  He lives with his wife and their 3 children, 4 goats, 12 chickens, and 1 crazy dog on a farm just outside the city limits.

My Review:

The Biggest Story was definitely the most interestingly portrayed Bible storybook I've ever read.  It isn't laid out story by story, but as one BIG story (in chapters).  I absolutely LOVE the idea of it and think it's neat to see the major story of the Bible told in this way.

The illustrations in The Biggest Story are very colorful and fun to look at as well.  I had a hard time concentrating on what I was reading because I kept trying to see how the colorful pages related to what was being read.  I just love how the pictures beautifully fill the pages of the entire book.

I read this to my children, who are 8 and 9 years old, before bed over a couple of nights.  They're pretty good listeners but, unfortunately found some things confusing.  The one thing that they both agreed confused them was Jesus being referred to as the 'Snake Crusher'.  I think they tend to associate Jesus with love and joy and the name 'Snake Crusher' sounds kinda dark or mean.  They kept thinking that the 'Snake Crusher' was a bad guy that was coming!

All-in-all The Biggest Story was a wonderful book to read to connect all the little stories of the Bible into the major message.  I would highly recommend this book to everyone young and old! :-)

Buy it!: 
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden can currently be purchased for $14.98 at amazon.com.

GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to Miranda W.!

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of The Biggest Story!

To enter to win leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

 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. 

Extra Entries: (1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

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*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
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Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

"Uncommon" DVD Now Available at Walmart and Family Christian Stores

*Disclosure:  I was provided a copy of the following DVD in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own.

About Uncommon:

When the students of Rosewood High School lose their theater, music and dance departments due to budgets cuts, they create their own. Struggling to find the right script, music & choreography the students get advice from an uncommon source; the Bible! Each student becomes uniquely influenced as they discover that God takes them personally. Equipped with unique talents, they bond together to prepare the perfect production by exploring the diversity of parables taught in the Bible.

Fighting overwhelming challenges, the teens fight against political correctness to defend their privilege to worship, meet and perform.

Will months of constant bullying by the establishment defeat the production and dismantle their faith?

Armed with expert legal counsel and unexpected help from Christian music’s finest, these teens realize what it means to be…UNCOMMON!

To learn more about the movie, Uncommon, visit the official website: http://uncommonfilm.com/

Take a look at the trailer:


My Review:
Uncommon is a very enjoyable movie.  It takes you through some ups and downs in a handful of high schoolers' lives where they ultimately put their faith in God and stand up for their beliefs.   It was neat to see teenagers having the courage to stand up against school leaders.   I don't want to give away the ending....but God wins! ;-)

I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy of Uncommon!  I think it's a great film to watch as most kids are heading back to school.  It may encourage them to be more open about their beliefs this year if they've been holding back. :-)

Buy it!
Uncommon can currently be purchased at Wal-Mart for $16.97 or Family Christian Stores for $19.99.

First Day of School 2015

The kids are back in school today.  Morgan was looking forward to it, but Blake was a bit uneasy.  He got up three times after being put to bed to talk to me, then was up again around 3:30 AM.  (The super early wake-up had partially to do with our schedule the last 5 months, but that's another story.)  Morgan was eager to be up and get ready to go.  Despite a crazy schedule over the summer, she went to bed easily at 8:00 and was up at 6:30 like school had never let out for the summer.

Getting back into the morning routine was a bit tricky for all of us.  The kids forgot that they're not allowed to watch TV on school mornings. (They have a tendency to forgo getting ready if they do.)  I kept getting distracted by everything needing to be done and almost forgot to make them lunches.  Hopefully it all smooths out in the next week or two! :-)

 Morgan ended up with the teacher she wanted.  She had actually had her in Kindergarten, so she had no problem going into class and getting settled when I dropped her off.  We typically give hugs and have a little routine when I drop them off, but we were a bit out of sorts this morning with the rain and it didn't happen.  As we were walking down the hall towards Blake's class, he reached over and gave a quick hug before we got to his room...most likely realizing we had forgotten to do it.  I had to laugh at how quick he was...I'm pretty sure he didn't want anyone to see... ;-)

No phone calls from the school yet, so I'm guessing it's going well!  I'm praying for a great first day and wonderful school year for the kids and teachers! :-)

I put a couple collages together last year to see how Morgan and Blake have grown each year of school. I don't plan to update them this year, but if you'd like to stop by and check them out, click here.  (I can barely stand the cuteness!  Where did those little ones go?!)

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Sixth Season & The Originals: The Complete Second Season GIVEAWAY! (9/16)

*Disclosure: The following was information was provided to me to share with my readers in promotion of Warner Bros.  I will receive the same package as the giveaway prize in exchange for this post.  All opinions are my own.

The 6th Season of The Vampire Diaries and the 2nd Season of The Originals came out on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD September 1st!

Check out the information on each of the seasons:

About The Vampire Diaries The Complete Sixth Season

The Vampire Diaries continues its sixth season with more delicious drama to sink your teeth into. In season five, after a passionate summer with Damon, Elena headed to Whitmore College with Caroline, not knowing Bonnie sacrificed her life for Jeremy’s. Meanwhile, Stefan and Caroline’s friendship deepened as they stood up to the Travelers, a nomadic witch tribe driven to strip Mystic Falls of magic and cast out its supernatural residents. In the shocking season finale, Damon, fearing he would lose his loved ones on the crumbling Other Side, made a huge sacrifice to bring them all back — with catastrophic and heartbreaking results. Season six follows the characters’ journey back to each other as they explore the duality of good versus evil inside themselves. Matt Davis reprises his role as Alaric Saltzman, recently returned from The Other Side. Plus, the season will make you misty-eyed as the departure of a major character will turn lives upside down and leave us asking what happened to Mystic Falls.

Contains All 22 Episodes From The Sixth Season Plus Two Featurettes, An Audio Commentary, The 2014 Comic-Con Panel, Deleted Scenes, And A Gag Reel

The Vampire Diaries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevampirediaries 

The Vampire Diaries on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cwtvd

About The Originals The Complete Second Season 

As Original vampire-werewolf hybrid Klaus Mikaelson returned to the vibrant, supernaturally charged city of New Orleans in season one, he was stunned to learn — along with his siblings Elijah and Rebekah — that Hayley, a werewolf, was pregnant with his child, and his vampire protégé, Marcel, whom the Original siblings had thought long dead, was ruling the French Quarter. Soon, a bloody war escalated between vampires and witches — the stakes raised by powerful teenage witch Davina and by Klaus’s bond with Cami, a student with a painful past — and a ruthless pack of wolves seized the opportunity to stage a violent coup. Now, in season two, a new status quo must be adjusted to, as the newly empowered werewolves control the city. Klaus struggles with weaknesses as Elijah desperately tries to save Hayley — now a hybrid — from a vicious spiral of self-destruction. Meanwhile, with the re-emergence of several Mikaelsons, “family is power” takes on new meaning.

Contains All 22 Episodes From The Second Season Plus Never-Before-Seen Featurettes And Much More!

The Originals on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cworiginals
Ask The Originals on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cworiginals

Click below to download recipes for a viewing party!

Julie Plec's top 5 episodes of The Originals:

Julie Plec's top 5 episodes of The Vampire Diaries:
 Check out the fun app and take the quiz!

GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to comment #5, Sandra Davis!

One lucky reader is going to win either The Vampire Diaries The Complete Sixth Season or The Originals The Complete Second Season (CHOSEN AT RANDOM)!

To enter to win take the "Are You Fit For Vampire Life?" Quiz and comment with your results. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Each household is only eligible to win ONE of either The Vampire Diaries The Complete Sixth Season or The Originals The Complete Second Season (CHOSEN AT RANDOM) via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Extra Entries: (1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

*Follow me through Google Friend Connect
*Follow me on twitter.
*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
*Follow me on Pinterest
*Pin an image from this post to one of your boards
*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post.

Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

Orkin Household Pests 101 Back to School Pack For You! GIVEAWAY! (9/9) #LearnWithOrkin

*Disclosure: The following was information was provided to me to share with my readers in promotion of Rollins Inc.  I will receive the same package as the giveaway prize in exchange for this post.  All opinions are my own.

It’s back-to-school time and class is in session … Orkin is back with Household Pests 101 – featuring some of Orkin’s scientific knowledge of pests. The Orkin Man is here to help you #LearnWithOrkin so you don’t get schooled by pest problems in your own home.

But Back-To-School doesn’t just mean for the kids. Orkin knows that moms are on the go more than ever and wants to make sure you’re all set when driving the kids to soccer practice, racing to make it to school on time and just maybe getting a minute for yourself!

Click to Download these helpful tips to keep mosquitoes away!

Check out the following app to find more helpful tips:

GIVEAWAY!

Congrats to comment #4, Ken Ohl!

One lucky reader is going to win The Orkin Back-To-School Prize Pack!

The Orkin Back-To-School Prize Pack includes:

One (1) Silver USB Portable Charger – We know you’re on the go from sun up to sun down and you can’t afford not to be accessible. This emergency charger is small, sleek and can help your phone keep up with your busy lifestyle!

One (1) Double Wall Stainless Steel Travel Mug w/ lid - Your car isn’t the only thing that needs fueling up in the morning … this stainless steel travel mug is a great way to ensure your morning coffee is always within arm’s reach.

One (1) Orkin “Protect Your Home” PDF Checklist - This handy checklist from the experts at Orkin will help you think like a pest in order to help protect your home from pests.

To enter to win take the Pest Prevention Pop Quiz and comment with the most helpful or surprising fact you learned. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Each household is only eligible to win One Back to School Prize Pack via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Extra Entries: (1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

*Follow me through Google Friend Connect
*Follow me on twitter.
*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
*Follow me on Pinterest
*Pin an image from this post to one of your boards
*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post.

Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, September 9th, 2015 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.