Coming Home for Christmas DVD Review and GIVEAWAY (ends 12/3)

Do you have a Christmas movie collection? I always look forward to bringing those much loved films out of the attic and watching them as a family. Tonight we watched a lovely new Christmas movie, called Coming Home for Christmas. I received my copy as a sample for review, but it can also be purchased from Wal-Mart. The scenery of the film was striking and frequently included gorgeous mountain backdrops. My daughter and I also appreciated the beautiful harmony of the soundtrack music and the sweet love story included in the plot, expressed in G-rated fashion. I'm happy to add this one to our Christmas movie collection and hope you'll take a look at the trailer to see what you think.

From the Sponsor

After their parents separate, two estranged sisters who haven't been on speaking terms reunite in hopes that having a family Christmas all together for the first time in years will bring their Mom and Dad close again. They plan to do this in their old family home... the only problem is someone else lives there now. The audience for this movie is primarily families, but would be enjoyed by couples and children groups as well. The DVD includes a limited edition Norman Rockwell print!

Director: Vanessa Parise

Cast: George Canyon (Christmas Miracle, Dawn Rider, Man of Steel), Aaron Pritchett, Britt McKillip (Dead Like Me), Carly McKillip (Hot Rod)

Available at Walmart for $14.99 or order the DVD at http://www.walmart.com/ip/25983152http://www.walmart.com/ip/25983152. Soundtrack also available featuring holiday songs performed by George Canyon.

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." 

The Giveaway!
You can enter for a chance to win your own copy of this lovely holiday DVD, as long as you haven't won within the last 30 days. 

Entry-Form

The Sparkle Box Review & GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

 

Have you ever been concerned about the temptation to drift from the Christ-centered focus of Christmas? If so, you'll appreciate this book!

The Sparkle Box is a lovely picture book that tells the story of how one family uses a glittery  box to encourage them to remember the reason for season. During the Christmas season, the family writes on slips of paper the things they do for those in need and place the slips in the sparkle box. On Christmas day, they open the box and read aloud all of the gifts they gave to Jesus in honor of His birthday, exemplifying  Matthew 25:40: 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ !  It even includes a sparkle box for you to assemble and use.

This is such a neat idea, and I love how the publishers give you a ready-to-assemble sparkle box for your family to use. I'm looking forward to reading the book to my children just after Thanksgiving. What a wonderful way to usher in the Christmas season! 

From the Publisher

A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas

Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, looking forward to holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift: a sparkly box sitting on the mantel. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's mom explains that the things that they've been doing are, in fact, a gift for Jesus, for Jesus said that whatever we do for those in need, we do for Him. 

Author Jill Hardie and her family began placing a gift for Jesus under their Christmas tree as a way of bringing more meaning to the holiday.  The first time they opened His gift, the commercialism of the season melted away and they felt a profound joy and peace.  Jill hopes that The Sparkle Box will spark a new Christmas tradition, bringing light into thousands of lives. 

At a very early age, Christine Kornacki developed a love for painting and bringing stories to life.  After receiving a BFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, her dreams of illustrating children's books began to take shape.  She spends her days painting in her studio, which adjoins a charming cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.

Written by Jill Hardie

Illustrated by Christine Kornacki

Available now!

Hardcover with jacket, 10 x 10, 32 pages, with a fold-out sparkle box included!

ages 4 to 8 

Website: http://www.idealsbooks.com/The-Sparkle-Box-Jill-Hardie/dp/0824956478

and http://www.thesparklebox.com/buybook.aspx

Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/49762666

Author Video: https://vimeo.com/49763494

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

#TheSparkleBox

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." 


The Giveaway!
You can enter for a chance to win your own copy of this wonderful book!

Entry-Form

 

Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener Review: A MODERN MARVEL!

I, like most teachers, can rattle off a quick list of frustrations that result from the classroom use of electric pencil sharpeners:

• overheating after repeated use, causing one to wait indefinitely for it to start working again
• tips breaking off in the blades, with little to no hope for removing them
• over-sharpening brand new pencils because there's no indication that it's finished, turning 8 inch pencils into 3 inch nubs
• messy shavings that overflow because you can't tell when it's full
• ragged edges after the blades get dull

For the past year or so, I've noticed more and more posts about a pencil sharpener by Classroom Friendly Supplies. I asked them if I could review one, and they gave me one like this to try out in my school library:

After it arrived in the mail, my first impression was, "This is it?" It was very light-weight, smaller than I expected, and uncomplicated, with no batteries to load or cord to plug in. I already knew it was a little different from a conventional sharpener, so I watched their instructional video, which took less than a minute.

Then I was ready to give it a whirl. First, I loaded a pencil with a broken point, and, with only a few turns of the handle, I felt a distinct reduction in resistance. Skeptical of the difference only a few turns could have made, I pulled it out to find...I am NOT exaggerating...the most beautiful pencil point I have ever seen. Um...I hope you're a teacher-type, because otherwise you're sure to think I'm a nut...

• the wood of the pencil was smooth, as if it had been sanded
• the tip was REALLY long, allowing it to be used longer before needing re-sharpening

Then I thought I'd try sharpening a brand new pencil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took more turns, but soon enough I felt the resistance lessen, and I knew we were done! I took it out, and there was an equally beautiful pencil point. 

 

 

 

 

Regrettably, the picture doesn't do it justice, but hopefully you can see the elongated point on that pencil. It's just BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, it elicited exclamations every time I tried it. It became entertaining - what else could I sharpen? It was so much fun to watch my colleagues faces when I demonstrated it for them. They were as excited as I was. I love this little gadget and look forward to buying one for my home, as well. It's such a pleasure to know that I'll never be at the mercy of an overheated electric pencil sharpener again!

If you're in the market for a new pencil sharpener, I highly recommend this one. It's available in red, green, blue, black and pink from Classroom Friendly Supplies for $24.99 with FREE shipping within the United States. 

 

DISCLAIMER:  I received one of the pencil sharpeners mentioned above for free in the hope that I would review 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."

GIVEAWAY: Audrey Bunny (CLOSED)

Recently the folks at FlyBy Promotions sent me a free copy of Audrey Bunny to review. A perfect bedtime story, I read the book to my daughters, ages 9 and 4, and we all just loved it!

The story tells of Audrey Bunny, a humble stuffed bunny, who is eager to be loved but feels insecure about her faults. A young girl named Caroline takes the bunny as her own and takes her along for all of her adventures. All along, Audrey Bunny is frantic with worry that her imperfection will be revealed. 

It isn't easy to lead your readers to fall in love with a story's characters in a brief 32 pages, but Angie Smith accomplished just that with my girls and me. We loved gentle Caroline and the humble little bunny and were eager to see what happened to them both. 

I really enjoyed sharing the discussion questions with my daughters and addressing any concerns they might have about their imperfections. It truly was a pleasure to share this book before bedtime prayers

From the Publisher

From best-selling women’s author Angie Smith (I Will Carry You, Mended) comes this sweet children’s book about a stuffed animal named Audrey Bunny who fears her imperfections make her unworthy of a little girl’s love. She'll learn the truth soon enough, and young readers will learn that everyone is special and wonderfully made by God. 

Also included: The Parent Connection (last page of the book) shares discussion questions and activities reinforcing God's love for us.

Angie Smith is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Dove Award winning group Selah), best-selling author of Mended, I Will Carry You, and What Women Fear, and one of the most popular speakers and blog writers in the country. She holds a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University and lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, TN.

Written by: Angie Smith

Publisher: B&H Publishing

Hardcover with jacket:  32 pages 

$14.99

For More Information

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/books/products.asp?p=9781433680458

http://youtu.be/hB6YFDowXxs

https://www.facebook.com/bhpublishing

https://twitter.com/bhpub

http://www.pinterest.com/bhpub

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." 
 
The Giveaway!
You can enter for a chance to win your own copy of this sweet book!

Entry-Form

GIVEAWAY: Rufus and Ryan Go to Church Board Book (ends 10/11)

Recently the folks at FlyBy Promotions sent me a free copy of Rufus and Ryan Go to Church, to review. Here are my thoughts:

Published in 2013, this is a lovely board book written by Kathleen Long Bostrom. The story tells about Ryan and his stuffed animal, Rufus, as they attend Sunday morning worship. The author describes in order the events of the day, beginning with Ryan getting dressed for church. Once the family arrives, the author takes the reader through the typical elements of a worship service, including singing, Bible story time, and prayer. Throughout the story, the author alerts the reader to Ryan's courteous behavior. 


As I read the book, I thought of several reasons I'd like to purchase more. I'd love to have one of these in the church nursery, one in the foyer at our children's welcome table, and one to carry in my church bag to share with my 4 year-old. What a great way to introduce the concept of worship to our young ones. And, according to FlyBy, there are more to come:

This is just one of the first titles in a new series of inspirational books for preschoolers. Also available now: Rufus and Ryan Say Their Prayers.

I strive to teach my children how to participate in worship in a way that not only glorifies God and blesses them, but also doesn't keep others from being able to focus on their worship. The results aren't perfect, but I'm in this for the duration! 

I do believe that most of the pressure moms feel about their children's behavior during worship is self-imposed. After all, as my husband, who is a pastor, reminds his congregation: The sounds of children during worship are coming from the future church! Still, we moms have to try, right? Here are some really good ideas to supplement the book. 

TOP TEN TIPS FOR INTRODUCING YOUR CHILD TO WORSHIP

1. Attend a child-friendly church. A church that invites children to attend worship, that has a children’s time during worship or a service in which children are included, will not mind the noise and commotion that comes with having young children in worship.
2. Bring your child to church on a day other than Sunday morning. Call the church office and make an appointment with a pastor, Christian education director, or church school teacher. Go on a tour of the church facility, and locate the Sunday school rooms and bathrooms as well as the sanctuary. Let your child explore the sanctuary, see how it feels to sit in the pew, and leaf through the Bibles and hymnbooks. Look behind the pulpit, Communion table, and baptismal font, and explain the use of these.
3. Take home a worship bulletin and go through the service at home. Show your child that there are times to sit, to stand (and in some places, to kneel), to sing, to pray, and to listen. If the Lord’s Prayer is used, write down the words and let your child practice at home. Prepare offering envelopes and let your child put money in the envelope, and explain why the offering is important.
4. Play “Let’s go to church” at home. Practicing the worship service at home will help your child feel more comfortable with what happens in worship.
5. Read the Bible and pray at home. Purchase an age-appropriate Bible for your child and read the stories. Let your child handle the Bible and encourage questions. You can explain that the Bible is where we learn God’s story, and how we are part of that story. If you let prayer be a part of your everyday life, not just something you do at church, your child will understand its importance.
6. Sit near an aisle or in a place where you can make an exit if needed. If your child needs to go to the bathroom, or is feeling overly stimulated or having a disruptive day, don’t be embarrassed. Walk your child out of the sanctuary until she can work off a little energy, and then come back in. This is much easier if you don’t have to crawl across a row of other people in the pew!
7. Be prepared with a worship notebook or bag. Many churches provide materials for children to use during worship, but if not, bring your own supplies. Colored pencils can be used to mark the parts of worship in the bulletin as you go through them one by one. Get to church a few minutes in advance and use a bookmark to mark the hymns that will be sung that day. Have some coloring pages from a Bible coloring book for your child to color, or some blank pages for doodling. This is not disrespectful, and can help your child listen more attentively. Have the words of the Lord’s Prayer printed on a page for the child to follow, if he or she is of reading age. Let your child draw a picture of the anthem or hymns being sung, or the sermon, and give this to the choir director or pastor afterwards.
8. Teach basic church etiquette. Speak to people before and after worship, and teach your child how to shake hands and greet others.  If your child is shy, don’t force it, but practice at home and let your child see you greeting others. Let the child put the hymnbook and Bible away after use, and be sure to take your bulletin with you, rather than leaving it in the pew. Meeting other people and taking care of the church facility helps a child feel that “This is my church!”
9. Get to know the pastor. Pastors of child-friendly churches love to get to know the children of the church. Introduce your child to the pastor after worship, and participate in other church activities so that the pastor becomes a friend and not a scary adult.
10. Don’t give up! It may take awhile for your child to become comfortable in worship, and to learn how to sit quietly. The best way for this to happen is to attend worship on a regular basis. There may be days when it doesn’t go well, but don’t let this stop you from coming the following week. Practice makes perfect!

 

For More Information
Ideals Books Website
Ideals Books on Facebook

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." 
 
The Giveaway!

Thanks to Fly By and Ideals Books, you can enter to win a copy for your little one!

Entry-Form

Children's Sermon: True Colors (for Autumn)

Title: True Colors

Source: Every Season Kid Pleasin' Children's Sermons

Scripture Reference: Colossians 3:2

Supplies Needed: colored leaves and green leaves

Lesson: (See link)

vtech Innotab 3 Review and GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

The Product
Recently, VTech provided me with an Innotab 3 Learning Tablet to try out and review. Here's VTech's Description of the product:

The InnoTab® 3 combines educational games, creative activities and reading skills in a child-friendly, multi-function, touch screen tablet to make learning fun.

• Compact and lightweight design with 4.3” color touch screen, new directional pad and tilt sensor
• 2.0 megapixel, 180° rotating camera with more than 55 photo features and special effects
• Four different media players: e-book reader, MP3 music player, photo viewer and video player
• Includes 16 exciting apps such as: What’s that Noise?” (e-book), WonderCam (uses the camera to add special effects, funny faces and photo frames to pictures), Magical Bean Stalk (a growing game that lets kids harvest and collect beans from their beanstalk), Color & Pop(a coloring book activity that makes coloring pages come to life), and H2O Go! (a directional pad game that teaches science concepts)
• Hundreds of downloads are available via the Learning Lodge™ to enhance learning fun

And their description of The Learning Lodge

The Learning Lodge features more than 350 educational games, e-books, music and videos developed specifically for each child’s unique stage of development and will nearly double its current selection by the end of the year.

The broad library of subjects includes reading, math, social studies, science, creativity, problem solving and so much more!

Starting with activities suitable for toddlers and expanding to grade schoolers, the Learning Lodge™ gives every child an opportunity to expand their learning potential while keeping them entertained.

Featured throughout the downloads and software cartridges are popular characters from Monsters University®, Turbo®, Planes®, Doc McStuffins®, Sofia the First®, Jake & the Never Land Pirates, Mike the Knight™, Angelina Ballerina®, Team Umizoomi™, Dora the Explorer™, Thomas & Friends®, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, Sesame Street and many more.

Parents can track their child’s progress through the Learning Lodge™ Progress Log, offer encouragement and share in their pride when kids reach new learning milestones.

My Experience
After setting it up and handing it to my 4 year-old, it didn't take long to see that this product is a much better fit for her than the tablet she received for Christmas!

She really liked it and was able to independently operate and enjoy many of its applications. Some of the advantages of this product include:

• Comfort: The Innotab 3 is light and fits in her hands well. This allows her to be comfortably engaged for longer periods of time. 
• Rotating Camera: The camera on the Innotab 3 can rotate to take pictures behind it, above it, in front of it, and anywhere in between. Not all tablets do this!
• Battery Option: Although I'd prefer using an adapter, the battery option is a nice convenience. It automatically shuts down after a few minutes of inactivity. And when we need to replace the batteries, I found it to be super easy, requiring only 4 AA batteries.
• D-Pad: The gaming control makes up, down, left and right movements easy.
• NOT Wi-Fi: My preschooler has no need for wireless internet connectivity! 
• Educational Games: The cartridge that came with our Innotab 3 included an e-book, coloring activity, and a game that explained the properties of water.
• Easy Downloads: When I initially connected to the Learning Lodge, I had to download an update before I could take advantage of the complimentary download included in the purchase. THAT download was not easy, and I had to repeat it twice. However, once that was over, downloading a game was remarkably simple, and it "landed" exactly where I expected it to. 
• Popular Character Apps: The Learning Lodge offers games related to characters my children love.
• Price: The MSRP for the Innotab 3 is only $69.99.

Also Great:

• Built in bumpers
• Attached stylus 
• Audible directions: great for my not-quite-a-reader

Wishes:

• Adapter: I read online that an adapter can be purchased for about $10, but it would have been nice to have it included.
• More built in games
• More on screen "back" buttons: Sometimes the screen has no back button, but sometimes it does. I would prefer that every screen have this feature.

For More Information
VTech website
VTech on Twitter
VTech on Facebook

The Bottom Line

My preschooler really likes the Innotab 3, and so do I! Should you decide to purchase it, I recommend buying the adapter and an additional cartridge or two at the same time. That combination should provide a great deal of entertainment and education for your little one for a long time to come!

The Giveaway!

Enter below to win a VTech Innotab3 for your little one!

Entry-Form

Children's Sermon: Keeping Life in Place

Title: Keeping Our Lives in Place

Source: Preaching.com

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 3:3

Supplies Needed: sewing notions (zippers, buttons, cords, etc)

Lesson: (See link)

Children's Sermon: Work and Worship

This children's sermon is fitting for Labor Day weekend.

Title: Work and Worship

Source: Preaching.com

Scripture Reference: Colossians 3:17

Supplies Needed: work gloves (I'll be using those bright yellow kitchen gloves)

Lesson: (See link)

GIVEAWAY: Alone Yet not Alone (CLOSED)

Recently I was offered the opportunity to read and review the book, Alone Yet Not Alone, and I must say it was a pleasure! Written by Tracy Leininger Craver, the book tells the inspirational true story of the author's ancestors, who experienced much loss through murder, kidnapping and separation during the French and Indian War. Through it all, the main characters exhibited a dependence on God and His provision as they sought to be reunited with their families. Written for a tween and teen audience, the story should appeal to a broad array of readers by combining a historical setting, lots of suspense, strong faith, and a touch of romance. It's little wonder that the story was made into a movie, which will open in theaters on September 27, 2013.

For more information, check out these resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aloneyetnotalone?ref=br_tf

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AYNAthemovie

Website:http://www.aloneyetnotalone.com

The copy of the book that I received is a movie edition, with color photographs of scenes from the movie. Enter the Giveaway Tools box below for a chance to win your own movie edition of the book!

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."

Entry-Form

FREE Books & Bibles with Tyndale Rewards

As FlyBy Promotions Blogger, I was recently invited to share the Tyndale Rewards points program with you. I was able to register and earn 85 points in about an hour (might have been 15 minutes, but I was also getting my son ready to send to camp). That's enough for a FREE book! Read more about it below, and see if it's something you'd like to join, too.

Tyndale Rewards

"The Tyndale Rewards program is designed to provide you with opportunities to get books and Bibles for zero dollars. That’s right—F. R. E. E. As a member of the Tyndale Rewards program, you’ll have access to inspiring literature, Bibles, special promotional offers, and much more.

Other member incentives include a free gift on your birthday, along with opportunities to share your personal recommendations and feedback concerning Tyndale products. The more participation you have with the program, the more points you earn—and points translate into free stuff!

The Tyndale Rewards program is a great way to get free books and Bibles that you can keep for yourself or give to friends and family. Your journey to earning free faith-based products is here!"

Earning Points
Points can be earned in multiple ways:

1. Sign up at Tyndale Rewards: You'll receive 10 points for simply doing that, and, during the FlyBy promotion (through August 30), I'll receive an entry into a contest for a Kindle Fire as the referring blogger.
2. Refer your friends:  Under the "Earn Points" tab, you can "Get Your Code." It's actually a link that takes your friends to the Tyndale House website AND lets the website know that you sent them. I used my code in the link above, but I could also simply email it to my friends. Each friend who signs up using your link gets 25 points, and you’ll receive 10 points for each friend that uses your link.  There is no cap on the amount of points you can generate through referring friends to signup.
3. Complete Surveys: Currently, you there are two available to earn 10 points each.
4. Subscribe to newsletters: For up to 10 points.
5. Join a Focus Group: 25 points for joining, plus more for every survey you complete.
6. Join the Birthday Club: For 15 points.
7. Review Tyndale products: Submit posts of your reviews for up to 50 points per month.
8. Share on Facebook, Twitter or your blog: For up to 50 points per month.

Redeeming Points

"Log in to your account on TyndaleRewards.com to see how many points you have collected in your account. Next, browse the product available for redemption. If you find a product you like and you have accumulated enough points, click the “Redeem” button. Your Points will never expire!"

After earning my points, I clicked "Browse" and found that I had enough to get books like these...

But I decided to save my points so I could one day get a Bible like one of these...

I hope you're blessed with this information. Enjoy!

Protect Your Computer and Your Children From Each Other

 

Imagine my surprise to find that my 4 year old was bypassing the games bookmarks on the toolbar I'd set up just for her and going straight to Google to find her own instead! Who knew the girl could spell??? I knew she could read her name and our names, but G-A-M-E-S???

Shortly after this incident, malware was detected no our computer. Even though I can't tell who's responsible for downloading it, I decided to find a way to keep the children from unintentionally downloading anything. An online search led me to Family Safety Filter by Microsoft Windows. The program is FREE and sets up safeguards to keep children from viewing unsuitable content and your computer from being damaged by innocent or intentional downloads.

"Parents can approve or block websites and contacts, set time limits, choose game and program restrictions and get online activity reports on the Family Safety website."

Microsoft provides instructions and more information at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/set-up-family-safety#set-up-family-safety=windows-7, but the basic directions are: 

1. Download Family safety from the Windows website.

2. Set up a Microsoft account as the monitoring parent.

3. Find the program in your Programs list, open it and sign in.

4. (This is where the tutorial sort of abandoned me, and I only vaguely remember how I muddled through, but I'll try to walk you through) I believe you have to add each child as a standard user to your computer (Control Panel>Users...) before the filter can add it. It sort of "finds" the users you already have set up on your computer and then lets you choose from the list. In our house, we only need one account that all of the children can use. It doesn't need a password and the settings I applied are good for all three of my babies. Make sure the box is checked to indicate it's being monitored.

If your children know YOUR password, you need to change it and guard it close to your heart and away from your children. While you're there, make sure you have your Guest user turned OFF.

5. Click on the link for setting up at familysafety.microsoft.com. and select the account you want to monitor

6. Set up all your preferences! The most important setting in our case was the box for "Block file downloads from the web" under "Web Filtering." But you can also limit their time on the web, set up curfew times, limit gaming ratings, and more.

We've been using the program for a couple of months, and I'm really happy with the results. By the way, I'm not affiliated in any way with Microsoft Windows. I just wanted to let my readers know that this seems to be a great answer to a concern that many parents have. 

Children's Sermon: The Hokey Pokey & The Body of Christ

This children's sermon, based on 1 Corinthians 12:27, relates the passage to the children's song, "The Hokey Pokey." The website also has a coloring page to print for the children.

Title: "The Body of Christ"

Source: Sermons for Kids
 
Scripture Reference: 1Corinthians 12:27

Supplies Needed: None

Lesson: (see link)

Children's Sermon: Let Your Light Shine

In searching for a children's sermon about John 15:5, I came across this wonderful one based on the song, "This Little Light of Mine!" The website even has related resources you can print and use!

Title: "The True Vine"

Source: Sermons for Kids
 
Scripture Reference: John 15:5

Supplies Needed: lamp, electricity

Lesson: (see link)

PineCone Research Accepting Memberships!

 

I'm excited to share with you that, for a limited time, PineCone research is accepting referrals for membership! I've tried many other survey sites, some good, others awful (see Survey Police for more info), and this is my favorite one! If you'd like a referral, please use my "Contact Me" form (see above), and I'll send you the link a.s.a.p.