Have You Ever Wondered About "The Young Messiah" : A Review

The Young Messiah : A Movie Review

Many Christians know their Bible and the stories that are told!   From Old Testament stories of Adam and Eve in the Garden to Moses and the Red Sea, Christians everywhere will have no trouble recounting the stories. 

Songs  and movies have been written about these stories so that we can teach our children through visual means.  Heroes of the Bible is made for parents to share with their children.  It is a wonderful way to connect with the Christian heritage we wish to impart to our children and a great way to spend a Sunday evening too!

There is a movie out in 2016 that just might make a great fodder for some debates!  The Young Messiah screenplay is adapted from the original novel titled: Christ the Lord:  Out of Egypt, by Anne Rice.  

If you are wanting to read the book just use the link in blue above, I have not read the book yet, but I am really interested in making the comparisons.

The Young Messiah is a work of fiction, but it does make a Christian think about the ramifications of the whole Nativity Story and the unknown life of the young child named "Jesus".   I'm sure many of you have asked yourself these questions about Jesus:
1.  What happened during Jesus's young life?  Why do we know nothing until his Baptism in the Jordan?
2.  How did his earthly parents explain Jesus or their understanding of the Messiah, to their young son?
3.  When did Jesus become aware of who He was?
4.  How do Mary and Joseph protect the child, that should have been killed in Bethlehem?
5.  How many atrocities has the young Jesus seen and been subject to during their time in exile and their return to their homeland?
6.  What happened during those years that we know nothing about?7.  Is there anywhere to find out about those years between his birth and His public life? And is it important for us to know?

There are a few things that we know from History and that is that Jerusalem and the Surrounding areas of Nazareth, Bethlehem and Galilee, at the time of Jesus' birth were all under the rule of Herod the Great.  When they returned from Egypt, Herod Antipas (the Great Herod's son) was the ruler in Galilee.  He was as vile and dangerous as his father before him.  So Israel, the promised land was not a safe nor an easy place to live.  Romans still held power to do as they pleased.  It was a brutal time in history especially for the Jewish people.

Let me be clear, in this adaptation of the Early Life of Jesus, there are many parts that are imagination and drama.  There are no written words that give us the truth of His early life.  In this adaptation, the screenplay uses the devil Satan to tempt others into playing a part in the attempts to kill Jesus.  Herod's son is aware that Jesus lives, but has no idea who this Jesus is.  They always seem to get close to getting their hands on the child, but something always thwarts their efforts.  Mary and Joseph as his earthly parents show their undivided love and loyalty to the promises made to both of them in the Old Testament.  Mary his mother and Joseph his step-father, are keenly aware that Jesus is different from the other children.  That he is "special" and neither of them knows just how to explain or accept that their lives are even more difficult because of Jesus and His relationship with God.  Yet they also know and accept with totality that God will in every case look after His Son.  But what happens when the Boy Jesus starts to ask questions that every child asks?

This is a great movie to start some dialogue with your family or your faith group.  It leaves you asking a lot of questions and faith grows with asking those questions and seeking the answers too!

I hope this season leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will find time to watch this movie or read the book, either way I'm sure that you will be asking lots of questions when you are finished.  The last line in the movie says it all....Father I am Your Child.  And we can say the same thing too! If you believe.

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Samsung MU6300 HDTV Reviewed

Treat Yourself To A Quality Viewing Experience

Vintage TV image courtesy of Pixabay.com

Remember when we watched TV on a set similar to the one on the left? We actually have a set similar to it that we use as a TV stand for a flat screen television in our kitchen. Last week my husband and I decided to upgrade our main TV that was an LED flat screen to a larger sized HDTV. Oh my goodness, why did we wait so long?

If you are in the market for a new television, I can recommend a great one to consider. Now, I must admit that I was willing to settle for a lesser model but my husband convinced me to follow the old adage..."Go big or stay home". We differ in that respect. I am a little "cheap" when it comes to purchasing items. I want quality but am willing to get something that isn't necessarily the latest and greatest or newest shiny thing to save a few greenbacks for a rainy day. My husband on the other hand doesn't want to grab the brass ring; he would rather go for the gold one. (Why save money when you can spend it now?...is kind of his motto.) You can imagine our two views create a healthy discussion when it comes to purchasing a major item for our home. We usually compromise for something in the middle.

So, last week we agreed to get a new television for our living room. I agreed to get a larger screen and to get a high definition model. I also agreed that it should be a Smart TV. I had one in mind that I felt fit our budget; we just needed to go see one to make sure the quality of the picture was satisfactory. The model I had picked out was pretty awesome and if my darling hubby had not been along on the shopping excursion, I am sure he would have loved it. He was duly impressed with my selection until his wandering eyes spotted another one; a TV that was a few inches larger and instead of the 1080 pixels had 4K pixels. (I swear I think I heard angelic music coming from above and a light surrounded him! There might have been a little bit of drool slipping from his lips!) The next thing I knew the absolutely delightful salesclerk was bringing the box to the counter with the required HDMI cable and ringing up the sale. 

Samsung Smart TV Model MU6300

Arriving home (I'm still a little in shock at that point), I began to get the new HDTV set up for our viewing pleasure. It isn't that my hubby can't do this sort of thing, he just has less patience than me and doesn't think that reading instructions is a necessary step to bother with. That is another story for another day, however. Getting the Samsung MU6300 HDTV set-up was an extremely easy and painless process! The TV is so smart it actually does some of the steps for you and walks you seamlessly through the rest of it. I was impressed!

I did have a little trouble with the remote in the beginning. Being so used to just pressing a button to accomplish a task, it took me a little bit (and watching a video) to realize that the buttons for changing channels and the volume also move up and down. Pressing it in does one thing, pushing it up or down does something else. Once I got that down, it was smooth sailing!

We watch a lot of movies both from DVDs and streaming and I am here to tell you the quality of the picture on this television is amazing! The detail is absolutely incredible! You feel like you are in the room with the actors or the woods or whatever the location. I am really happy with my husband's choice! I was a tad upset until we watched the first program and then I realized that he was right. This is a much better TV for us and I am glad that we got it. I realize now that with the newer technology that this set offers; we won't have to replace it anytime soon.

If you are in the market for a new television, consider the Samsung MU6300 HDTV. I am pretty sure that you will not be disappointed.

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Reviewing Christmas Card Address Labels

Christmas card address labels by Colorful Images

Do you send Christmas cards? Do you like to add a personal touch to the cards you send? Once upon a time, I sent many Christmas cards each year. I sent them to family and friends. A stack of cards with a short hand-written message and a personalized address labels to match the cards. Over the past few years I have planned on returning to that tradition. While shopping for my own cards and labels, I decided to review the variety of Christmas and holiday address labels that can be found at Colorful Images. 

I have reviewed address labels by Colorful Images previously. Most recently, I shared my homestead theme labels. I have ordered address labels and other items from Colorful Images through the years and I have never been disappointed. 

Christmas and Holiday Address Labels by Colorful Images

There are 18 different categories of Christmas address labels listed. The following are just a few:

• Angels
• Animals and Birds
• Christmas Trees
• Christmas at the Beach
• Faith and Religious
• Poinsettia
• Santa Claus
• Snowflakes
• Snowmen

There are also a variety of shapes and sizes of available address labels. I really like the new wraparound style. The 7" long address label shows the address on the front of the envelope and the remainder of the label wraps around to the back of the envelope with an extra bit of design.

Winter Wonderland Connect Wrap Diecut address labels

Some of the address labels are foil labels. There are single-color foil labels and labels with a design that includes some foil accents. Christmas is a great time to add some foil for that shine and sparkle. 

Whether you prefer the original-sized small address labels, the over-sized large labels, square, or round labels I am confident that you will find something in the Colorful Images collection that suits you and shows your style. If you are like me, you'll have difficulty narrowing down your selections to just one or two!

address labels by Colorful Images

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Three Funky Tatami Floor Seats - Check these Out

More Info on the Lazy Mouse Tatami Sofa Seat Here

Tatami floor seats are a type of Floor Mat used in Japanese style rooms.

Of course today's Tatami seats aren't like the traditional ones made of rice straw or wood chips.

These funky seating choices have expanded into artsy designs and styles and are mostly made of foam materials.

If you're looking to for a unique gift, Tatami floor seats can be quite affordable. The smaller funky seats are lower in price than the featured  soft cute lazy mouse bed.

When you click the link below the photos you'll get additional product detail including the price.

Lazy Mouse Tatami Sofa Seat

This comfy squeezable bed is made of foam and velvet. It's the perfect spot to read a book with the kids or to snuggle up and watch a family movie.

Put one in the family room for the kids and have it available as an alternative sleeping spot for company. Use it as an extra bed when the kids have party sleepovers.

The Tatami sofa seat is more expensive than a chair floor seat so it makes for an elaborate but very useable gift.

Tatami Chair Seat Found Here - Multiple Color Choices

Soft Handrail Tatami Chair Seat

If price and space are equally an issue, be sure to check out the price of this funky Tatami chair. It comes in six color choices and at the time of typing this, is under fifty dollars.

For a girls room or in a games room, these floor chairs are ideal for reading or gaming. If a full-blown gaming chair isn't in the cards, then these make a practical substitute.

You can also use them on a chair as a chair pad. Their dual purpose makes them a practical home décor accessory.

Tatami Funky Toast Chair - More Info Here

Funky Tatami Toast Seat

You're reading that correctly - It's a Tatami seat that looks like two pieces of toast.

When a regular gift just won't cut it, but something usable and practical is needed, this funky chair works.

These fun seats make an excellent addition to a media room. When regular extra seating is just too expensive, include a few of these on the floor and you'll have your problem affordably solved.

Best of all, they're portable. Move them from room to room as you need too and always have an extra comfy seat to offer company.

The cover of this seat is polyester, removable and washable so don't hesitate to use it whenever needed. Again, it makes an excellent gaming seat or just let the little ones watch their cartoons as they relax on a piece of toast.

Happy funky decorating!

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National Gingerbread Cookie Day Review

Gingerbread Cookies (source: Pixabay)

November 21st is National Gingerbread Cookie Day.  There is no real reason for the establishment of this fun food holiday, except perhaps the approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays around which these rolled cookies have become favorites.

Gingerbread cookies are traditionally made in shapes such as flowers, hearts, and trees.  They can be made in different sizes and can be iced and decorated. 

The Gingerbread Man shape probably goes back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I.  History tells us that her palace baker during her reign (1558 to 1603) baked and decorated gingerbread men in the likenesses of important court visitors for Her Majesty to present to them.

The tale of Hansel and Gretel of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1812) increased the popularity of gingerbread cookies and other treats. Later, Gingerbread men and animals became popular Christmas tree ornaments.

Gingerbread Cookie Recipes

There are lots of gingerbread cookie recipes online.



For a different and a bit unusual Gingerbread Cookie recipe, I found this one in a gingerbread crafts leaflet:

Gingerbread Cutout Cookies 

by Shelly Vaughan

Source: Pixabay

Touch of Pineapple Gingerbread People Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 1 cup pineapple juice or more as needed
• 5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Miniature candy-coated chocolate candies (M&Ms) and/or raisins

Icing:

• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice:

Instructions:

1. For cookies, combine shortening, sugar and molasses in large bowl.  Stir in pineapple juice.  In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  Gradually stir into molasses mixture until thoroughly incorporated (Dough will be stiff.)  Cover and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray once.
3. On floured surface, roll dough out 1/3 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes with floured cookie cutter, using gingerbread people cutter or other cutter.  Place cookies 1"-2" apart on prepared cookie sheet.  Decorate with candies and/or raisins as desired.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until light finger indentation springs back.  Cool completely.
4. Store cookies in single layer in airtight container, or layer cookies with waxed paper separating layers.

*Makes 3 dozen.

Decorating Gingerbread Cookies

Source: Pixabay

Decorating Tips

• Gently press decorating candies or other items into cookies before baking.
• Pipe icing onto warm cookies with a small decorating tip.
• Icing is quick and easy to make. If you prefer convenience items, however, you may use tubes of decorating icing with decorating tips.
• If you would like to add some color to your cookies, lightly spinkle colored sugars, sprinkles, nonpareils or flaked coconut over wet icing.  Gently shake off excess, if necessary.

Gingerbread People Parts

It's fun to personalize your gingerbread people.  When baking with children, this is the part they like the best.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Eyes -- raisins, dried blueberries, miniature M&Ms.
• Noses -- cinnamon red-hot candies, M&Ms, dried cranberries.
• Buttons -- raisins, cinnamon-coated raisins or golden raisins, small jelly beans, decorating stars, miniature M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, walnut pieces, pecan pieces, macadamia nut pieces.
• Mouths -- licorice strings, almond slivers, red or pink decorating icing.

Currently Available on Etsy

*The gingerbread cutout cookie recipe and decorating tips are by Shelly Vaugham and was printed in the craft leaflet "Easy Gingerbread Crafts" published by House of White Birches in 1999.  Available on Etsy on sale at the present time.

And, in addition to the above recipe, Coletta Teske of Review This! included a yummy looking gingerbread cookie recipe in her blog post food review of Simple Snacks for Santa.

Other Forms of Gingerbread Cookies

Besides edible gingerbread cookies, other forms of this  cookie have become popular.

Gingerbread toys are fun too

 

Plush Gingerbread Cookie Doll

Adorable gingerbread man plush doll handmade in crochet. He measures about 8 inches high.

He will look great with your holiday décor or in your kitchen year!

Created by Jackie of Pittsburgh, PA and available in her Etsy Shop Jackie Draz Art. 

Gingerbread Holiday Decor 

Gingerbread Cookie Coasters

Add to the decoration of your home for the holidays with this set of Gingerbread Cookie Coasters.

This is a set of 4 drink coasters with a gingerbread cookie design. Two coasters have a gingerbread boy with a candy cane. Two coasters have a gingerbread boy with a heart.

Gingerbread Cookie Coasters are handmade in needlepoint using acrylic yarn and plastic canvas.  They measure 3.5 x 3.75 inches.


Gingerbread Cookie Playset

Christmas Gingerbread Men Cookies Playset 

This Miniature 18 inch doll playset includes 3 Gingerbread Cookie Men with a Lovely Silver Tray! This is the Perfect set of cookies for your 18 inch Dolls; American Girl Dolls, Baby Dolls or any other toy around that size! Each Cookie is approximately 1 3/8 inch (3.5cm) across! 

Gingerbread Holidays Throughout the Year

November 21st isn't the only gingerbread holiday.  Besides this 'cookie' day, we have:

• National Gingerbread Day on June 5.
• Gingerbread Decorating Day on December 9.
• Gingerbread House Day on December 12.

For more cookie reviews, check out Review This Reviews: Cookies

Happy Gingerbread Cookie Day!

(c) Wednesday Elf 11/21/2017

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Halo 800 Lumen Handheld Flashlight Review

Flashlights come in all sizes, colors, and price range, but I have one I would recommend above all the rest!

My husband has always "collected" flashlights, therefore I have been exposed to a wide range of flashlights.  When I need a flashlight, I want one that is going to light up my world.  I have no use for a soft-light, delicate, cheap plastic flashlight that requires 2 or more D batteries.  Nope, give me a torch!  

I want lightweight and small, but I don't want to give up real lighting ability to get something easy to hold.  Fortunately for me, with the Halo 800 Lumen Handheld Flashlight, I can have everything I want and need in a very compact, lightweight flashlight. 

Halo 800 Lumen Handheld Flashlight with Rechargeable Battery

When I tell you, the 800 Lumen Halo flashlight is the best flashlight I have ever owned, I am not exaggerating at all.  At first glance, it may seem a little pricey, but it is well worth every cent!  

I can stand against the back wall of my bedroom and the light beam can easily shine through and light up all the rooms inside our home.  It is a bright light and I can clearly see across the entire house without having to move.  

Outdoors, it will light my up my backyard so I can easily spot the pup that thinks he is hiding from me at the back fence.   

You know those horror movies where the woman carries a dimly lit flashlight and is practically face to face with the villain before she sees him?  Well, if she had the Halo 800 Lumen Flashlight, that would never happen!  She would see him coming 1000 feet away.  That would greatly increase her chances of either getting away from him or in better preparing herself for his fiendish actions.  He might even tuck tail and run like a spotted squirrel.  After all, his sneaking around would certainly be thwarted.  

Frankly, you need two of these flashlights.  One for your home, and one for your car.  Consider being stranded on the side of the road at night with a flat tire.  No wolf would sneak up on you and have you over for dinner.  When you hear the rustling in the bushes, cast your Halo 800 lumens in the general direction and Mr. Wolf would feel the burn of your current day torch.  (figuratively speaking, of course!)

Hiking in the woods and out past nightfall, fear not!  Your trusty Halo flashlight will help keep you on the path and lead you to safety.   This is where I should mention the SOS mode.  You can set your Halo Flashlight to flash the Morse emergency distress signal instead of a constant stream of light.  

Rigid Industries 30120 Halo 800 Lumen Flashlight with 1 Rechargeable BatteryCheck PriceFabulous Features of the Halo 800 Lumen Flashlight 

• Lightweight - Weights 4.5 ounces
• Short Length (easy to hold) - less than 6" long 
• LED Light
• Wide Beam for Area Illumination
• Rechargeable Battery (wall charger & car charger included)
• 3 hours of use before recharge needed
• Water Resistant (you can use it in the rain!) 
• Impact Resistant
• Wrist Strip included 

 The Perfect Gift for Anyone

Christmas is coming! You can search high and low, but you're are not going to find a better gift suggestion anywhere regardless of the gender of the recipient. Excellent for almost any age too. With the push button switch it is extremely easy to turn off and on. 

Don't settle for less, get the best! 
 

Read More Product Reviews at
ReviewThisProductReviews.com

Halo 800 Lumen Handheld Flashlight Reviewed by:

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Review of Fall Photography in a Cemetery

Bellefontaine Cemetery

On a crisp fall morning in mid October several members of the O'Fallon photography club took a trip out to Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum in St. Louis.  This historic old cemetery was a wonderful place to explore and take photographs.

History

The Bellefontaine Cemetery has been in operation since 1849 and contains over 160 years of history. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The cemetery contains the graves of many of the men and women who shaped the history and culture of St. Louis.  To find out more about the people who have graves and mausoleums at Bellefontaine you can click on this link to their website. Bellefontaine Cemetery  There are brief life stories of many of the influential people who are in the cemetery as well as a detailed history of the cemetery through the years.  Before the 19th century cemeteries were mostly in church yards.  When Bellefontaine was first started there was a movement to provide peaceful parklike settings for burial places. 

Architecture

The architecture and art in Bellefontaine Cemetery is truly amazing.  There are many different types of architecture including Classic Revival, Romanesque, Gothic, Egyptian Revival as well as mausoleums and statues with Western influence. The first mausoleum in the photograph below is one that was constructed in 1921 and is an elaborate Gothic Revival style.  The details on it are truly beautiful.  You can't tell from the photo, but when I looked in the front doors I saw beautiful stained glass windows on three walls.

 You can see from the next three photos that there are a wide variety of different styles of mausoleums at the cemetery.

There were also  many statues throughout the cemetery.  A lot were of angels and crosses were carved into many of the stones.

There were beautiful features in the windows of many of the mausoleums.  Above you see a stained glass window and below is a photo I took from inside one of the mausoleums.  I really liked the details on the window.

Nature

Bellefontaine is also an arboretum that has over 500 trees and woody shrubs throughout its 314 acres.  These come from over 200 different species and when we visited in mid October some of the leaves had turned and others were still green.  This made for a beautiful mix of colors among the old stone tombstones and mausoleums.

We walked around the cemetery taking photographs for over 2 hours and only saw about 25% of the area.  I'm looking forward to going back and exploring more. It was truly an interesting place.

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Music to Prepare Your Heart for Thanksgiving: A Review

Thanksgiving and Praise Music Go Together

When our hearts are especially thankful, we can often express our thanksgiving and praise best with music. Even when our hearts are heavy, music can remind us of all God has done for us and help us remember his faithfulness during times stress. Songs of praise can often bring gratitude back to our hearts. Today I'd like to share some music and verses that help my own heart give thanks for God's many blessings.

Prepare Your Heart to Praise the Lord with Music - Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

Let's get started with a song I first heard back in the seventies when I had many albums by the St. Louis Jesuits. I think I had all of them. Even though I'm Protestant, the Catholic Church was more innovative in writing music that expressed what was in  my young adult heart. Here's a sample I found on YouTube so you could hear the complete song, "Glory and Praise to Our God."




Even though  I'm now old, I still appreciate the simple melodies and beautiful harmony of many of the St. Louis Jesuits' songs.

The Music in This Thanksgiving Album Has All I the Qualities I Want

When I started searching Amazon for some of my favorite songs of thanksgiving and praise, I wanted to find an album with a variety of styles and artists. If I'm going to listen for a while, my attention wanders if the voices or music styles don't change periodically.  It's especially important to me that the rhythm changes. Even creators of albums by a single artist try to vary the rhythms as they put an album together.

I also wanted music with understandable words. All you need to do is listen to YouTube for a while to know that some choirs and smaller groups enunciate their words more clearly than others. It's wonderful that some videos show the words as they are sung, but most of us aren't able to watch our music on video when we are driving or doing the dishes. I don't know about you, but I normally listen to music to keep from getting bored while I'm doing some physical task

My personal music preference is songs with strong melody that beg me to sing along, and at least some harmony as the music flows. I want music that will lift my spirit, and tunes work with the words to do that.

This album meets all my criteria. There are a few songs included I wouldn't buy separately, but they work in the album to vary the styles and rhythms.  Click through to see a complete listing of all the songs and sample them right from the page. Although the thumbnails featured on the videos show different covers, the songs are the same ones by the same artists you will find on this video. OCP puts many of the songs in several different albums. If a song is only from a different album, I will tell you.

Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26

What's in the Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26 Album?

Here are some of the videos I've found that will let you hear more complete recordings of some of the artists featured on the album. Most of the traditional hymns included are sung by the OCP Session Choir. Here is their YouTube presentation of one of the most popular Thanksgiving songs you will find in the album -- "Now Thank We All Our God." It dates all the way back to Pilgrim times and I grew up singing it every Thanksgiving.



I'll be the first to admit that the cover of this album is not very exciting, but one isn't going to listen to the cover.

There are also many songs associated with the St. Louis Jesuits which you can stream or still get on CD's.  Among them was the song in the first video I showed you above. This next one, also on the album, is by Bob Dufford and the St. Louis Jesuits. I'm giving you the visual version here. It's prettier than the album cover.






The album also features another of my favorite Thanksgiving songs: "Let All Things Now Living." It's sung to the popular folk tune of "The Ash Grove" by the OCP Session Choir.







Now let's vary the style and the rhythm a bit. This one is bilingual:
"Alabaré / O Come and Sing" by Manuel José Alonso and  José Pagán. It will start you dancing. It's also on the album.

The songs by Grayson Warren Brown are a bit slower and reflect a different cultural style.  Here's "Been So Busy." This artist was new to me.

If you'd like to sample more of this artist, which I did, you can not only steam his music, but also buy his CD. I like that, because I don't have an MP3 Player. Actually, I do, but it's ancient and I never figured out how to work it.

Greatness and Glory Are Yours [CD]Check Price

While checking out all this music, I see that to get the music I really want to buy and play it in a portable form I may need to invest in an MP3 Player. I'm checking out this one.

Still More Songs to Check out from More Artists on this Album

"Grateful" by Tom Tomaszek is also included in the album. Here it is complete. It's yet another style.




All these new styles are getting to me. I need to calm down a bit with another traditional hymn by the choir. Here's another of my favorites: "All Creatures of Our God and King." It dates back to St. Francis of Assisi in 1225 and was translated into English by William Draper in 1926. It appears some of the words have been modernized since then. The tune dates back to 1623. This version is from the Cambridge Singers and a different album, but the song is also sung by the OCP Session Choir on the Glory and Praise Album linked to above. I put this version here because I like the extra organ and trumpet music in many of the selections.



The O Praise the Lord of Heaven album it comes from features only a couple of the Thanksgiving hymns in my featured album. Most of the selections in O Praise the Lord of Heaven will appeal more to those who are "high church" or who enjoy classical music. If that's you, try the downloads from this album.

O Praise the Lord of HeavenCheck Price

Let's change the style again with "Lift Up Your Hearts" by Roc O'Connor - a song that comes from our featured album:



Now we'll bring in a female vocalist, Sarah Hart.  She sings "Hallelujah is Our Song" in our featured album.

If you enjoy this artist and style, you can buy the CD or stream the songs by clicking the link below.

Above Earths LamentationCheck Price

We've almost got this album covered. I haven't shown you all the songs, but you can sample the rest on the Amazon site. I do want to leave you with one last song from the album by an artist who was new to me and I'm glad to have met. It's another song I love, "Alle, Alle, Alleluia" by Richard Ho Lung. It will wake you back up if the slower songs were making you drift off.

If you enjoyed that song, you might want to check out others by the same artist and a couple of others on Working for the Lord. Most feature the faster rhythms, and some of the songs include female vocalists.

Working for the LordCheck Price

We've Come to the End of the Album

At least we've reached the last song from it I want to share with you in video. This is the version you will find on our featured album. The hymn has been around  with many different tunes. The English translation by Jane Campbell has been around since 1861. This version of "All Good Gifts" is by Kevin Keil.




I hope you've enjoyed our video tour of Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26. If you'd like to purchase the album or individual songs just click the link to see the Amazon listing where you can listen to parts of each song. You can stream 13 of them for free if you Try Amazon Music Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial. That membership will also allow you to listen to many of the songs in the other albums featured here. If you'd like to do that, I'd really appreciate it if you'd click the affiliate link above to look at the offer instead of the one on whatever Amazon page you land on if you go to look at the music.

Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26

I hope this music will help you nurture a grateful heart and teach you more songs to help you praise the Lord.

Photo Adapted from Pixabay Photo

For more Thanksgiving music, check out what our contributor Heather Burns, wrote: Thanksgiving Canon, A Hymn for the Ages

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Jenga Classic Game Reviewed

Family Fun For All Ages

Playing Jenga Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com

It is that time of year again, we are all looking for gift ideas. Today I would like to review the classic game of Jenga for you to consider as a gift for a child or the entire family.

We love to play games in our house. Board games are fun but when the entire family gets together some of those are too difficult for the little ones to play. Not all of the adults like playing the simpler games like Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land so the the youngest can play along. 

That is why I love the Jenga game. Even the littlest family member can play. We have one who still delights in losing by pulling out a block and causing the tower to fall. She used to clap and say, "Do it again, do it again" or "I did it! I made it fall!" She has reached an age now where she understands that the object is to remove a block without making the tower crash and has become more skilled at playing. She is a little like her Grandma in not being too awfully competitive; losing doesn't bother her like a few of the adults who get perturbed when they lose. I think that is one of the reasons that I have always loved to play games with the children. It is fun to show them what it feels like to win but it is just as important (in my humble opinion) to show them how to lose gracefully. Depending on who is playing at the time, sometimes the kids see an example of what it looks like to be a "sore loser" and that is important for them to see, too. 

Jenga Classic Game

It is a fun and inexpensive game that is easy to play although it does provide some chances for skill and strategy as the tower grows and it becomes less and less stable. Because the blocks are made of wood; it isn't going to break and it is extremely easy to store away when the game is over. We've even played with the blocks like building blocks from time to time instead of playing the actual game.

If you are looking for a gift idea for a child, I recommend that you consider the game of Jenga. Both children and adults can enjoy playing it and it never goes out of style.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Meaningful Gifts by SimplyYoursByDesign

Personalized ornaments and bracelets by SimplyYoursByDesign

As the season of serious gift shopping fast approaches, I want to bring attention to these personalized and meaningful gifts. In this review I will show you gifts that are not mass produced, are handmade, and are personalized to your specifications. These are gifts that are meant to last through the years.

Earlier this year I ordered custom metal garden tags from SimplyYoursByDesign and was extremely pleased with both that shopping experience and  the quality of garden tags I received. I expect that the experience with their gift items would be the same.

Engraved Double-Sided Cuff Bracelet

This lovely double-sided cuff bracelet is stamped with one word on the top side and is personalized on the inside.  This example shows the top side word as "blessed". That word can be exchanged for a word of your choice. The inside is a list of names separated by hearts. Perhaps the names of someone's children? Or a proud grandparent's grandchildren?

The top side could be engraved with the word "remember" with an important quote on the inside. Or perhaps "never forget" on the top side with a date or memorial on the inside. 

These bracelets can be as personal and unique as you can imagine - within the character limits of course. And they are available in several different metals.

engraved cuff bracelets by SimplyYoursByDesign

Engraved Metal Ornaments - Personalized for Your Family or Theirs

Many families have ornaments that they use year after year. And eventually pass down through the generations. A wonderful tradition that is even better when the ornaments don't just say "Baby's First Christmas" but also includes baby's name! 

My readers are probably more imaginative than I am and can probably come up with some fantastic ideas for ornaments. These are the ideas I've had for meaningful ornaments:

• gift for grandparent with the grandchildren's names
• baby's first Christmas
• special dates or events that have occurred 
• family name ornament
• parent ornament listing the children's names
• memorial ornament - to always remember
• ornament for pet
• couple's first Christmas together (imagine the same ornament of a different metal each subsequent year!)

some of the MANY ornament possibilities offered by SimplyYoursByDesign

SimplyYoursByDesign on Etsy

customized garden tags

As I mentioned, I had ordered personalized garden tags earlier this year (see that review here) and as a result, I continue to recommend SimplyYoursByDesign. 

When you order your personalized item, remember that this is a small family business and the items are engraved by hand. If you are a last-minute shopper and desire instant gratification, these are probably not the gifts for you. The folks at SimplyYoursByDesign list the current production time on their policies page, so be aware of that when you are considering ordering.

If you are looking for a special and personal gift for someone (or maybe for yourself) these may be just the things you were looking for. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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