Every year thousands of teenagers and college-age adults get together to learn about and worship Jesus.   This is simply called PASSION!
Their vision statement is:
“Rooted out of the Passion movement, we are committed to leading people towards renewed intimacy with God and fresh encounters of worship. Passion is more than music. More than events. Passion is a generation living for His name."
  
This year's live music will again be released on an album on Feb 23rd at http://capcmg.me/PassionWholeHeart (This will be updated and active on 2/23 when the digital album release

The list is spectacular of the artists involved:
Kristian Stanfill, Sean Curran, Melodie Malone, Brett Younker, Crowder, Matt Redman, and Tauren Wells all are involved.

This album has been streaming on my computer almost non-stop of when I first received the link. Last year's top track for me was Glorious Day/I Ran out of the Grave.  That tune was very catchy and compelling.

This album doesn't leave wanting in songs that can be translated easily into your Sunday Morning.
There are newer versions of classics such as "Great are you Lord" with Matt Redman, and "All my hope" with Crowder and Tauren Wells.

Personally, my favorite song is a slower song with the typical musical swell in the end that ramps up the dynamics to make "More Like Jesus" with Kristian Stanfill a powerful pray song.
Heaven with Sean Curran is another great song reminding us where our focus should be, living in expectation of Heaven.

Musically this is a strong album.  With the variety of instrumentation leads that you would expect of Passion.

I'd love to be able to share this CD with you and ONE PERSON will be selected to win this album on FEB. 19th at 7:00 pm.
To be entered in the Drawing just comment below with your FAVORITE Passion Song and I'll enter you in the drawing.
Winner will be notified by Facebook messenger on Feb. 20th.

“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 on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Entangled: For Everything There is a Key with Harris the III

Saw a great film called “Entangled: For Everything there is a Key”…

Harris the III is the star of this unique drama which mixes both Dramatic film elements of an Illusionist and his apprentice, with real footage of a stage presentation by Harris the III. 

The overarching elemental theme of this film is deception and lies.  Are we being duped?  The truth that is portrayed in this film, from the dramatic to the stage, was that even when we do not know it we may be being duped.  “Adam had the whole garden, but yet he kept reaching for the Illusion of MORE”…. This is an amazing quote.

Harris the III as an illusionist is able to take the simple vase and ball trick or the rope trick that every 10 year old learns and turn it into a masterfully choreographed show. 

This film also shows truth and deception in a way that my children understood.  They were all fascinated by the tricks and the story.  And when you kids range from 4 to 11 that takes a lot!  (Scary thing is that 3 of them want to now be ‘tricksters’ as my 6 year old put it!!  That could be costly…. 

As I child I grew up around illusionists who came to churches.  I met multiple ones who were very famous.  I even learned multiple seemingly expensive tricks.  But as this show portrays you may know the secret of the illusion but without practice of your performance it will not amount to anything. 

This is one film that I would HIGHLY recommend!  Oh and by the way if you are an aspiring magician you can sign up for ‘Illusionism’ and learn from Harris the III some of the arts of Illusion.  So HARRIS THE III if you are reading this, this poor papa of 6 kids would LOVE to enroll their kids!!!  HAHA!!

Final point to this rambling: Many of you know my family, if not read back through this blog.  We believe in God’s call to us as Christians: Of reaching the poor, of missions, caring for the orphan and the widow, and of evangelism… These themes are LIVED by Harris the III who speaks to his career and success; yet God called him to sell his house and live a simpler life in order to help others!  Also in the Bonus Content he has an element/video entitled Truth where he gives a beautiful story of what God has done for all of us! 

THIS FILM will be a great tool to witness, and to help to start a conversation with your friends, neighbors and family!

Thanks for living and preaching the message!

Oliver Twist Focus on the Family Radio Theatre

I grew up on Musicals.  I can sing all the songs from My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Sound of Music, One and Only Genuine Original Family Band and many other Disney or family wholesome films.

One of my favorites as a child was Oliver.  The story touched my heart seeing this boy, forgotten to the world.  Yet his soulful songs keep him grounded.

I still remember signing "Who will buy these wonderful feelings"... or "I'd do anything for you dear..."

So when I saw that Focus on the Family's award winning Radio Theatre were doing Oliver I was very excited.  Then when I got an email that I could receive it to review for Free I was overwhelmed!

So Thanks to Tyndale Publishing who have given me this 5 CD + 1 DVD set for free for my review!

In true Radio Theatre fashion this is a HIGH quality production.  Very compelling acting and professional sounding voices, as many of them are accomplished and award winning actors.

Now if you are familiar with Oliver the Musical, or have seen Oliver Twist the newer version of the movie, you know that there are some similarities.  Yet if you have never read the book you are in for a surprise.  The book has many twists and another 2 story lines that are not developed in the films.  These Story lines are somewhat difficult for young ages to understand.  I wouldn't recommend this for younger then 10.  Yet this audio did a tremendous job at bringing this classic to life!

I loved this... In fact I listened to it within 2 days as I couldn't stop listening!

If you are a fan of Radio Theatre or Dramatized Audio books then you will not be disappointed with this.

Beginners Bible App

As many of you know I have 6 kids.  All between 3-10.  So when I can find things to use as rewards for doing school, chores etc.. I love it!

Recently I was given the Beginners Bible App for Ipad to review free from Zondervan publishing.  This app contained 6 Bible Stories told using very simple words and concepts.  As well as illustrations in the best selling Beginner Bible way.  The pictures captured the attention of all of my kids as they love the Beginners Bibles that have been passed around, down and used till they fall apart.

The app not only has 6 stories that can be read, or read to you with color highlighting the spoken word for the early reader to track along; but it also has multiple games that kids can play.

This is a great app and will entertain my kids very well.
Check out the main link for it at:
http://app.beginnersbible.com/

Peretti: Love what you've done with the place but where is the old stuff

I recently received an EBook version of the Illusion by Frank Peretti from Howard Books to review.  I grew up on Peretti’s works.  I loved them all.  From This Present Darkness,   to House co-authored with Ted Dekker; they all were filled with a level of intrigue that kept me guessing.

I even read the Christian Living work of “No More Bullies” and heard him speak at a world view conference.  He has always captured my mind, and took me on a journey that left me thinking.

His most recent book is out Illusion!  Let me first give you the publisher’s words on this title:

Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy's life-or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn't know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy's powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.

Frank Peretti has crafted a rich, rewarding story of love and life, loss and restoration, full of twists and mystery. Exceptionally well written, Illusion will soon prove another Peretti classic.

So now what did I think… I wasn’t sure what to think when I began reading this book.  Would it be the spiritual warfare version or the World View version seen in his Teen fiction works…?  I was captured by the story. 

In typical Peretti fashion I was not let down by the twists and the imaginative road that this book wove.  As far as were to put it… well it was a great story.  Yet not the redeeming message that I found so blatantly played out in even his books like Oath and Monster.

The final bit of the book is the author giving his take on what the story was an analogy of.  I have to fully admit, I didn’t see that when reading the book.  After the description of the meaning I got it… but it is almost like a joke: It’s not funny if you have to be explained the punch line.

Now do not get me wrong: I did fully enjoy this book.  The twists, the plot, the magic, the adventure it all captured me and took me to another world where my mind asked “What if.”  But the overtly Christian themes seemed to be hidden and veiled behind the words of the story.

So all in all a 3 ½ stars out of 5 in my book.