Apologetics Study Bible for Students

I get quite a few requests to review items on my blog - some jump out at me and some don't.  This one, however, was one that I truly hoped I'd make it on the blog review team.  The Apologetics Study Bible for Students is one I wish we'd had when my boys were younger.  One of my sons has been deep into theology and apologetics since he could read - he just devoured anything on these topics and he would have thoroughly enjoyed this Bible as a reference tool he could sink his teeth into!  The articles in the Bible (120 of them) are written by some of today's leading Christian thinkers and they deal with some of the big questions - Homosexuality, Yoga, New Age Movement, Cloning, Gambling, Scientology, Rape and Incest and more.  The articles are thoughtful and well-written and give our teens some great topics to ponder.  The Bible is created to be appealing to teens - both the design and layout.  We also thought the Twisted Scripture articles were great!  These are written to discuss topics that current religious movements use to twist Scripture and go against historic Christian teaching.  This is another area where we want to strengthen our kids' faith in the world in which we live.

The other thing we loved about this Bible is the resource library of videos online.  There are videos still yet to be added - but some there already as well that answer the tough questions in video format - you can stream them or download them OR even share to social media.  I was excited with the quality of the videos and the topics they covered.  http://www.apologeticsbible.com/video-archive/

Don't forget to enter the Confident Faith Sweepstakes while you are surfing - this is a great contest when you can win a Bible, mini apologetic library or even a trip!  https://app.promo.eprize.com/confidentfaith/

ADDED BONUS - I was told I could give away a copy as well here on my blog!  So - you get an entry for commenting below.  AND leave a separate message for each social media platform you share this giveaway on and you will get additional entries.  Winners will be chosen on August 7!

"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.”

Lifesong in Zambia

Brush to Berries from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

"Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline... a better solution would be to develop a relationship that says, we are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future'" (An excerpt from the book, When Helping Hurts)

Lifesong is serving the people of Zambia... the orphaned, the at-risk, and the poor... by utilizing the land that is, like the people, so full of potential. Lifesong farms-Zambia reaped its first strawberry harvest in June, and local grocers have been purchasing the berries. With additional acres to farm, we are hoping to process some of the berries and begin marketing Lifesong Farms Strawberry Jam.

By harvesting fruit, we are able to serve more orphans by providing the gift of a job at Lifesong's gardens and self worth to an orphan's caregiver. We are also able to provide future employment for our kids as they transition into adult living, develop a system to raise funds to help cover operational costs, and develop expertise that can be replicated in multiple countries where Lifesong serves. Most of all, we are seeking to glorify Jesus as we teach others how He walked.

**GIVEAWAY:

1st PRIZE: Lifesong is giving away a 1-night hotel stay for the LIVE ORPHAN SUNDAY event in Kansas City!!! Let me just tell you, this event will be FABULOUS!!!

2nd PRIZE: Lifesong is giving away FREE Gobena Coffee for 1 year - 2 lbs per month shipped straight to your home.

HOW do you enter? Well, I'm glad you asked! There are several ways to enter. PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON THIS LIFESONG POSTING FOR EACH ENTRY, including your email address so Lifesong is able to contact you!!!

1. Share how the Lord is working in and through your adoption/orphan care ministry (1 entry)

2. Re-post this Zambia blog posting on YOUR blog to share what the Lord has been doing at Lifesong Zambia (1 entry)

3. Tell about an Orphan Sunday event you had or attended in the past (1 entry)

4. Tell your plans for THIS YEAR's Orphan Sunday on Nov. 6th (1 entry)

5. Re-post this on your facebook wall (1 entry)

6. Re-post this on your twitter page (1 entry)

7. Post on YOUR blogs, facebook, or twitter and tell Lifesong that I sent you (1 entry)

8. Tell what you think about the 'Brush to Berries' video - what moved you, what stood out to you, what are you excited about? (1 entry)

9. Become a fan of Lifesong on facebook here (1 entry)

10. Send an email to info AT lifesongfororphans DOT org asking to receive our monthly updates (1 entry)

PLEASE leave a separate comment on Lifesong's post for EACH entry, including your email address so they are able to contact you!

***Giveaway starts immediately and ends at midnight on Monday, October 3rd.

Get In, I'm Driving

SO if there were an award for the most clever album title, Ginny Owens' new CD would definitely WIN!! Get In, I'm Driving - I just love this title!! Ginny is an amazing woman with an even-more-amazing voice. Her work is so versatile - just listen to the first song which is catchy and hip hop and then continue on and you will find a soothing song that is a completely different style altogether. I haven't tired yet of this album - it is wonderful and my girls LOVE it as well.

Here is some background on Ginny:

A three-time Dove Award winner, including the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year recipient, and multiple ASCAP Award winner, Ginny Owens has sold nearly one million albums. A top performer on the Christian radio charts with hits like “If You Want Me To,” “Free” and “I Wanna Be Moved,” among others, Owens’ music has impacted mainstream audiences at Lilith Fair, the Sundance Film Festival and the White House. Her music has received widespread film and television placement, including songs on the popular WB series’ “Roswell” and “Felicity.” Owens was featured on national television, including NBC’s “Today” and CNN, for her contribution to help rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Born and raised in Jackson, Miss., Owens was discovering melodies on the piano almost before she could complete a sentence. Songs began to emerge from her fingers as the vision began to leave her eyes and by the age of three. A degenerative eye condition left Owens completely blind. Despite her physical challenge, Owens pursued a music career. Songs provide a window into a world Owens can’t see and an outlet for her to express her thoughts and dreams. Owens’ unique musical style and inspirational lyrics continue to appeal to Christian and mainstream audiences alike.

In 2005 Owens launched The Fingerprint Initiative, a hands-on, non-profit organization designed to “bring hope to the world, one project and one touch at a time.” The organization has partnered with and raised money for groups such as Compassion International, International Justice Mission and Habitat for Humanity. Go HERE to learn more on her Facebook page.

With a daughter with a serious eye condition - this lady touches my heart! And her album touches my heart too - Powerful!

And I am delighted to offer you a copy of the CD as well - to enter my giveaway:

1) Leave a comment

2) Tweet this contest or Facebook it

3) Follow my In The Pages Blog on Facebook

Contest Ends Sept. 21 so enter soon!!

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

It's a Giveaway!!!

Remember THIS post?? Well I STILL love the book, highly recommend it and NOW have a copy to give away!!

Here's what you need to do:

1 entry - post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment.

1 entry - Tweet it and leave a comment with your twitter "handle".

1 entry - post about this giveaway on Facebook and leave me a comment.

1 entry - "Like" In The Pages on Facebook and leave me a comment to let me know you did it!

The drawing will be held on Friday, August 19!! Stop back to find out if you've won your very own copy. Believe me, you want your own so you can mark it all up!!

I Will Praise You

Rebecca St. James is back!!! And she is STRONG!! I am just loving her new worship album - I Will Praise You. It is upbeat and features many new worship songs - this is one that my girls are begging me to play over and over right now. The songs are catchy and encourage me to smile all day long! LOVE IT!! If you have not heard her album - the first since 2005 - then I encourage you to go get it! It is a strong album that challenges me spiritually and also makes me glad to be a Believer - we have SO much to be grateful for in our Savior!

AND HERE'S THE BEST PART!!! I have a copy to give away to you - one of my readers!! All you have to do to receive an entry is:

Leave a comment below.

Follow Me on Twitter.

Post about this giveaway on your blog. (Send me the link)

Tweet about this giveaway! (Leave the link in your comment.)

For each item that you do above - leave a separate comment!!

I will announce a winner on Tuesday, April 12!! (U.S. addresses only please)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Book Club Hub

In honor of Tyndale launching its new book club enewsletter they’re running a 30 day giveaway on their website. The Book Club Hub Newsletter will be an email newsletter geared towards people who are in or are running book clubs. It will feature suggestions, discussion guides and great ideas for your book clubs. You can see a preview by clicking here.

To enter the giveaway you just need to visit the contest page and click on the book you’d like to sign up to win. You can even go back and sign up for both books. Each day is a new giveaway so you can return to the site each day and try to win. Every few days the books change, so check back!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes Paper!

July 7 - the BIG day for the paperback version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a breathtaking finish to a remarkable series. The final chapter to Harry Potter’s adventures will be released in paperback July 7^th! It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve.

And to celebrate this BIG EVENT - Scholastic has allowed me to give away BIG prizes to all of you!!
Five (5) Winners receive a paperback prize pack:

Book 5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book 7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Now, I bet you want to know what to do to win!?!? All you have to do is leave a comment with your email so I can get in touch with you! Want another chance to win? Then Twitter about it as well! And for a third entry, become a follower of my blog!! That's all you have to do!!
You may enter until July 7 - the day of the paperback release - that is the day I will use Random Generator to choose a winner!

Click HERE to visit Scholastic's Harry Potter page and learn more!

Sway Giveaway

When I read about this book giveaway - it sounded so fun I jumped at the chance to participate. I will be giving away 5 copies of Sway by Zachary Lazar. Want to know what it's about?

Three dramatic and emblematic stories intertwine in Zachary Lazar's extraordinary new novel, SWAY--the early days of the Rolling Stones, including the romantic triangle of Brian Jones, Anita Pallenberg, and Keith Richards; the life of avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger; and the community of Charles Manson and his followers.

Lazar illuminates an hour in American history when rapture found its roots in idolatrous figures and led to unprovoked and inexplicable violence. Connecting all the stories in this novel is Bobby Beausoleil, a beautiful California boy who appeared in an Anger film and eventually joined the Manson "family."

With great artistry, Lazar weaves scenes from these real lives together into a true but heightened reality, making superstars human, giving demons reality, and restoring mythic events to the scale of daily life.

"One hypnotic tone poem.... It is not the now-historic acts of violence that make Sway so riveting, but its vivid character portraits and decadent, muzzy atmosphere, all rendered with the heightened sensory awareness associated with drugs and paranoia.

The near miniaturist precision with which he describes Keith Richards's attempts to master his guitar, Brian Jones's acid trips and Anger's obsessive desire for Beausoleil bring this large-scale tableau into stunning relief." --Liz Brown, Time Out New York

I haven't read it so I can not tell you a thing about it - but hey, it's free! It's worth a try! AND, it has a reading guide available so it might be great for a book club. Only stipulation?? You must leave a comment WITH your email address to participate and you must have a US or Canada address - no PO Boxes, please. Drawing will be held, Sat. March 14 and the books will be shipped shortly thereafter. (This giveaway is courtesy of Hachette Book Group.)

Fun Giveaway at Patchwork

Amanda, over at Patchwork of Books, is giving away TWO of my favorite books. BELIEVE ME, I hardly want to share this with all of you since I am hoping to win - but I will be generous and kind - and share anyway!! Ok, I admit it, I get more chances to win if I blog about it!!! But you MUST go see it - the new Llama and the new Ladybug Girl - who can pass that up!?!?!?

Amadi's Snowman

Katia Novet Saint-Lot has written Amadi's Snowman. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful children's book set in Nigeria. Amadi is a little boy that is convinced there is no need to learn to read - especially if he only plans to be a great businessman - an Ibgo man. While purposely missing one of his reading lessons, he finds himself amongst some books and becomes intriqued with one book that has pictures of a strange creature - all in white - with a carrot for a nose! Thus begins his adventure to find out that reading could open up a whole new world for him - yes, even for an Igbo man of Nigeria!! The illustrations by Dimitrea Tokunbo only enhance this touching story - they give it an authentic feel. I think this is a wonderful addition to our shelves - because it shows the importance of learning to read and the lifestyle of another culture.

The publisher says:

Amadi's Snowman is the story of a mischievous young boy in Nigeria who believes that he can become a great businessman in his village without learning to read. But one day, after running away to the market, he spots an older boy at a book stall, reading a story about a strange white creature with a carrot for a nose. Amadi soon realizes that learning to read will open up whole new worlds for him, and introduce him to places and ideas he never knew existed outside his village. The author, Katia Novet Saint-Lot, now lives in India with her family. Her husband's work for UNICEF took them to Nigeria, where she was inspired to write this story. The illustrator, Dimitrea Tokunbo, brings to life the day-to-day experiences of life in Nigeria, where her father grew up.

And the bonus today!?!? If you leave a comment - you will be in the drawing to win a copy of the book signed by both the author and the illustrator from the publisher, Tilbury House! (Sorry, only US and Canada addresses are eligible.)