reviews

This Is Our Time Review

May 1, 2013 Leave a Comment

About the Movie

The movie tells the interwoven stories of Luke (T.J. Dalrymple) and Alé (Erin Bethea), who marry right after school and move to India to serve as missionaries for Embrace A Village, a ministry that cares for those afflicted with leprosy and their families; aspiring financier Catherine (Kate Cobb), who joins a prestigious financial institution determined to make an impact on corporate America; Ryder (Matthew Florida), who lands an impressive job in social media and can’t wait to use the powerful medium for a greater good; and Ethan (Shawn-Caulin Young,) seemingly the odd man out, who struggles to find his God-given-purpose and feels sidelined by God. (information from FlyBy Promotions)

Review

I have been a stay at home mom for the past 9 years now and sometimes, I wonder if I am fulfilling God’s call in my life. Doing household chores, cleaning up, watching over the kids and teaching them daily can seem mundane and routine. But after watching this movie, I am inspired to be reminded that God’s calling is not to do something but to be something. And that is to become more Christ-like. God wants to work on our character first and the work we do just follows.

The story is focused on the lives of fresh college graduates but everyone can easily relate to the movie. There were some slow moments but the turn of events makes the movie exciting to watch. It is very inspirational, and can cause one to shed a tear or two.

This Is Our Time would be a good movie to watch with the entire family, especially with your young adults.

This Is Our Time is presented by Pure Flix. It is now released on DVD and Blu-Ray . It is available at Family Christian Stores and most Christian online and brick-and-mortar retail stores nationwide.

Website: http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4565

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsOurTimeMovie

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in 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.”

Filed Under: movie review

Christian Parenting Handbook Review and Grand Launch Giveaway!

April 29, 2013 6 Comments

I have been shared with you last week that you should watch out for the grand launching of a great parenting resource, The Christian Parenting Handbook by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller RN, BSN. I have been given an advanced copy to review this book and I must say that it is one of the parenting books you’ll want to have in your shelf.

Here are some reasons why I really like this book:

There are no formulas in parenting but the advices given are practical suggestions which you can easily follow in your own home. The strategies are all heart-centered which would cause a lasting impact in the life of the children.

The chapters are short and easy to read. The book consists of 50 parenting tips and each chapter’s length is just right.

The tips are relationship focused, enabling the parents and the child to look beyond issues and resolve differences together.

As I read the book, I feel encouraged and know that I can do better in parenting. The author doesn’t put down or criticize other parenting styles but encourages parents to try their suggested tips. I know that I am a work-in-progress with my children and the lessons I am learning through this book will be a great help to my parenting.

Here are some lessons I learned through this book:

- Affirm right behavior. Instead of always pointing out your child’s mistakes or weaknesses, as the parent, we should affirm their right behavior more.

- Move from the issue to the process. It is not enough to get the results but how the results were achieved is even more important.

- Teach kids to add energy to family life. The kids need to learn to honor their parents or their siblings so that they eventually can become a good part of the society one day.

- Consequences aren’t the only answer. Children need to know what is the positive thing to do instead of just receiving consequences to their action.

There are so many more good parenting tips so I encourage you to buy a copy of this book. Now, if you have decided to buy this book, I recommend that you buy this book this week. Why? Because if you buy a print copy of The Christian Parenting Handbook between April 29 and May 5 , you get a package of free resources valued at more than $400.00.

There are 8 video, audio and electronic items contained in the Bonus Parenting Package.

Here’s what’s included in the $400 package when you purchase the book!

• The Christian Parenting Handbook electronic versions for iPad, Kindle, Nook or any mobile device ($29.97)

• Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids Lesson #1Complete Package including Lesson 1 on Video, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids Lesson #2Complete Package including Lesson 2 on Video, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• Teach Kids to Listen and Follow Instructions on Video, Workbook, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• Correction Ideas that Touch the Heart on Video, Workbook, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• Addressing Bad Attitudes in Kids on Video, Workbook, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• Everyday Parents CAN Raise Extraordinary Kids Session #1 on Video, MP3, Study Guide, and Children’s Lesson. ($59.95)

• How to Use The Christian Parenting Handbook 30-minute Video ($24.95)

That’s $404.60 of biblical parenting resources forFREE!!!

In addition, you can get The Christian Parenting Handbook Companion Guide (This is a workbook with audio clips that will help you apply the material in The Christian Parenting Handbook.) for free if you purchase 5 copies or more of the book. You can make your purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BAM (Books A Million), CBD or Parable.

To claim your premium, simply forward your purchase confirmation to Gift@biblicalparenting.org and they will send you your special product code for the $400.00 package. If you purchased 5 or more copies of the book, they will send you the PDF version of the Companion Guide along with the audio segments.

To celebrate this launching week, the National Center for Biblical Parenting is hosting a mega giveaway!

Also remember to come hang out on Tuesday evening April 30, 2013 at 7:30pm ET. “Live Google Hangout” Don’t forget the Twitter Party on Wednesday evening May 1 at 8:00 pm. Hashtag for the Twitter party is #heartparenting.

Filed Under: book review, giveaway, parenting Tagged With: Christian Parenting Handbook

Home School in the Woods Great Empires Review

April 29, 2013 Leave a Comment

My 9 year old daughter is very much interested in world history. So when we were asked to review Home School in the Wood‘s Great Empires Activity Studies through the Schoolhouse Review Crew, we were both excited to see what we will learn through this activity study!

The Great Empires Activity Studies consists of PDF files which includes texts, projects and printable activity pages. The 14 empires in the whole study includes Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Arab Muslims, Engish Empire, French Empire, German Empire, Japanese Empire, Mongols, Russian Empire, Spanish Empire, United States and the Vikings. The projects lists include recipes, games, maps, hands-on projects based from the text, some crafts and list of reference literature which you can use for further in-depth studies.

The text materials for each empire consists of 1-3 pages and activities consists of 5-10 pages. Each empire study can be covered in 3 days, depending how in-depth you would like to pursue the study of each empire. It would take you less than 2 months to go through the entire Great Empires activity study. You can do the activity in any order since each empire is independent of the other but if you would like to see the chronological order of events in world history, you can use the Timeline provided as your guide.

We are on summer break already so my daughter is able to work on the Great Empires activity study at least 3x a week. We didn’t follow the chronological order of the empires, instead we chose the empires according to preference. We worked on the Vikings first since she is most interested in them. We read the text and immediately after our discussion, we worked on the printable projects like creating a map of the voyage to Vinland and researching about the Viking Longboat or Longship. Then she created her own Viking coins.

She read the French empire next and worked on the important moments in France’s history. She cut out the figures and put them in chronological order. She enjoyed this activity very much because she was able to remember the famous people we have studied in our history lessons months before. It is interesting to see that she is able to retain so much information.

The Spanish Empire is another interesting empire for her because it shows the different Spanish explorers who discovered many parts of the world, including our own country, the Philippines.

I myself enjoyed the activity study because of it’s hands on approach and brief history summary. It gave me an overview of world history in less than 2 months. My daughter enjoyed the activity study immensely because she loves to read and do the hands on activities. Though the suggested grade for this activity is elementary students, we would recommend this activityfor students in 3rd grade and above because there is a lot to read. You can get the entire study at a very affordable price of $18.95 only for the download version and $19. 95 for the CD version.

If you’d like to know more about this product or see the other activity studies from Home school in the Woods, click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew!

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Filed Under: homeschool, product review Tagged With: World history study

The Read Along Program of Krispy Kreme and DeAF Deaf

April 24, 2013 1 Comment

When I was in college, I took the sign language learning module class and it opened a whole new world for me. I gained a new perspective in life and I developed deeper appreciation for the things I usually took for granted. I met amazing Deaf students who were my teachers all through out my classes. I realized that though we certainly have different life stories but I saw that we were all the same in some ways.

So when I was invited to attend Krispy Kreme’s Read Along program for Deaf chidlren last Saturday, I was really looking forward to attending the event. The Read Along program was developed by Development and Accessibility Fund for the Deaf (DeAF Deaf) and Support and Empower Abused Deaf Children, Inc. (SEADC).

The Read Along Program is one of Deaf Deaf’s immersion programs, done in partnership with Krispy Kreme’s Share the Gift of Joy campaign, set to not only spread joy, but induce change.

Put together to immerse people in the culture and language of the Deaf community, the Read Along Program will be a two-way educating session: Deaf children will be taught how to read and improve their vocabularies, while their hearing parents and peers will be shown their learning process and will be given tips on how to properly teach them.

The Deaf kids and some hearing participants will read a book together— The Flower Who Did Not Know God Was Protecting Her—written by DLS-CSB Filipino Sign Language student Happy Ruth Pamintuan.

Then it was followed by an act-the-story game to challenge the comprehension of the Deaf kids.

Liwanag Caldito from Support and Empower Abused Deaf Children, Inc. (SEADC) shared about their organization and how people can support by volunteering their time, their talents or their gifts to SEADC. Though the biggest help we hearing people can give them is to start treating the Deaf with respect and to learn how to communicate with them.

They also gave some basic sign language lessons that day to the hearing participants as well.

As a remarkable doughnut and coffee brand that continuously etches its flavors in the hearts of many, Krispy Kreme extends the value of sharing by treating everyone beyond bites and sips. By supporting these remarkable groups, it’s overwhelming to note how brands and organizations are working together to lead a life-changing project such as this. The Read Along Program will not only be an immersion experience, but will serve as a catalyst—launching people towards one noble cause as it breaks the barrier of communication for the Deaf community.

Filed Under: event review Tagged With: deaf

Pregnancy App From Anmum

April 23, 2013 Leave a Comment

I remember first being pregnant 10 years ago. It was an exciting journey yet it was also a scary one as you don’t know what to expect. Being pregnant then was very different from being pregnant today. Today, there are loads of information available through technology and books which can help any pregnant mom in her journey.

I recently saw the Pregnancy App that Anmum has developed to help moms everywhere in their pregnancy journey. This application is more like a diary, program, reference, reminder and a friend a preggy mom can count on.

Here are the highlights of the application:

Keeps your Pregnancy on Track

Receive weekly updates on the progress of your pregnancy so you know what to expect and you can be better prepared for it.
The Kick Counter tracks your baby’s movement to help gauge its health inside your womb.
The Weight Tracker and exercise tips help you track and maintain a healthy pregnancy weight.
Trying to remember all the important reminders, dates, and appointments can be overwhelming. Never miss a doctor’s appointment again with the app’s scheduling feature.

Guides and Helps you Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy

Have a healthy pregnancy diet and get the nutrients you need with our healthy recipes.
Take the 1-Minute Folate Test and check if you’re fulfilling your daily Folate requirement. Folate is a crucial nutrient for your baby’s proper brain and body development.
Set regular reminders so you won’t forget to take your milk, vitamins, and supplements.

Connects you with Caring Team of Experts

Get the answers and assurance you need when you need it. The caring team of experts- OB-gyne, Pediatrician, Nutritionist, and Parenting Expert are just a click away!

The new Pregnancy App from Anmum acts as a portal to different information that pregnant women need to have immediate access to. I personally like the weight tracker, kick counter and folate test. These are the things that I always wondered about when I was still pregnant and I didn’t want to keep bothering my OB-GYNE so having these app would make the pregnancy journey more enjoyable and easier to stay healthy. Not to mention that it would certainly help give the pregnant mom more peace of mind.

If you want to try this pregnancy app, you may download the NEW Anmum Pregnancy app. Simply search for “Anmum Pregnancy App” on the Google Play Store for Android devices (“Android link”) or on the Apple App Store for iOS devices (“iOS link”). It is downloadable for FREE.

Filed Under: product review Tagged With: Anmum