Just Breathe

Source: bodyzen.tumblr.com via Tracy on Pinterest

♥...Tracy

The Voice New Testament Review & Giveaway

The Voice New Testament published by Thomas Nelson
Step into the Story of Scripture.

From Thomas Nelson Publishing:

Let the Voice reach you. touch you. change you. move you. teach you. surprise you. heal you. inspire you. humble you. transform you.

The Bible is alive like no other book, and The Voice draws you in like no other Bible. Scholars, poets, musicians, and storytellers have come together to create this singularly unique translation that transports you into the Bible's narrative. Don't just read the Word, step into the story.

Visit HearTheVoice.com today for free downloads, translation comparisons, resources, and more.

The Voice™ Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.

This is an updated and revised version of the New Testament edition, now at an even more affordable price.

Features include:

• Italicized information added to help contemporary readers understand what the original readers would have known intuitively

• In-text commentary notes include cultural, historical, theological, or devotional thoughts

• Screenplay format, ideal for public readings and group studies

• Book introductions

My Thoughts:

Though I would never replace my traditional NIV Bible with this, I am really enjoying The Voice's easy to follow format. I think this would be especially useful to both new and old Christians alike. The screenplay format and translation makes it more intriging to read and easier to follow. It indeed brings the New Testament to life much like reading the lines of a play would.

The screenplay format is used to identify dialogue and to avoid the endless repetition of conjunctions, articles, and certain verbs.

The beginning of each chapter is short introduction into what you are about to read and from whom's viewpoint, i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke, etc. I found that to be really helpful. Who could just pick up a book of any kind and understand it without first knowing something about the view of the narrarator?

I also love the reading options listed in the beginning. As The Voice explains, there are four ways to step into the story. As they explained and you and I know, we have become accustomed to reading a few verses of Scripture at the time. Because we seldom read entire books or even complete passages, we tend not to get the full benefit of the fullness of a passage.

I know this is something that I've been thinking about for a long time. I know that as much as I love my Bible, I can't begin to grasp the magnitude of It's words and messages. I love that they have laid out a plan to read the New Testament in 24 weeks, that I can follow. Now I can follow the books of the Bible, without skipping around all willy-nilly.

They also list:

"Readings To Celebrate Advent" from November 27th through Christmas Eve.

"Readings for Lent and Easter" from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

"Daily Readings for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God.

My Overall Opinion:

I think this is a great to have in addition to my NIV Bible. It gives me an exciting new way to veiw and understand the Bible. I think I will gain a new insight into many of the verse's I've read for years.

THE GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for generously offering one lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader the opportunity to win one for themselves. For your chance to win do one or all of the options listed below:

***Mantatory Entry

• Please leave a comment with your email address.

Extra Entries:

(you're already a follower just leave a comment letting me know)

• Become a follower of Cotton Pickin Cute - leave me a comment telling me which method you follow by: Google Friends Connect -GFC, Linky, email or any other method. ( see my right sidebar to become a follower by these methods)

• Share the giveaway on your blog with the giveaway button on my right sidebar or any linky. 5 extra entries for this one!!! (Just leave one comment for each extra entry with the link where I can find it. i.e...5 comments for this one)

• Follow Cotton Pickin Cute on facebook (Leave a comment telling me)

**Please don't forget to leave your contact information so that I can contact you if you win.

Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be chosen.

Giveaway Ends May 23rd.

Have a blessed day Friends.

Hugs...Tracy♥

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"Spring Bouquet" Mother's Day Collector Plate

Mother's Day is coming up quick.  I thought now would be the perfect time to introduce you to my 1983 MI Hummel/Schmid's collector Mother's Day Plate called "Spring Bouquet".

I love this sweet girls face.  She's getting her Mother's Day Spring bouquet ready for her mother.  She's so cute.

I've listed her on ebay starting at only $5.99 at auction (which lasts a week) or buy it now for only $9.99.  I know it's just perfect for that mother who loves old over new and is a collector of all things cute and sweet this Mother's Day.  You can see this and more of my chotchkies here.

Have a blessed day Ya'll...♥Tracy

$25 BURGER KING GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

One of my favorite restaurants since childhood has just got better.

With an expanded menu that includes classic items, along with a wide range of exciting, new offerings, BURGER KING® is giving you even more reason to HAVE IT YOUR WAY®! Sure to appeal to WHOPPER® lovers, as well as those seeking more choices, the enhanced menu includes a variety of made-to-order Garden Fresh Salads, Snack Wraps, Real Fruit Smoothies, Frappés and Crispy Chicken Strips.

Since 1954 BURGER KING® has been committed to offering great-tasting, fire-grilled food and the WHOPPER® Sandwich has been proved to be America’s Favorite Burger year after year.

Over the past nine months, BURGER KING® has created and tested more than two dozen new products and they are committed to providing you with the products that are best-in-class and true to their heritage of great taste.

Based on extensive consumer feedback, BURGER KING® is rounding out their menu to provide more choice and something for everyone!

Visit the nearest participating BURGER KING® to try any one of these new options with your friends and family today!

New Garden Fresh Salads at BURGER KING® are made fresh daily with premium ingredients that can be topped with your choice of TENDERCRISP® or juicy TENDERGRILL® chicken. Varieties include:

Chicken BLT Garden Fresh Salad ~ made with a three cheese blend, thick cut bacon, tomatoes and red onion, served with Ken’s® Avocado Ranch dressing

Chicken, Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad ~ made with crisp apples, dried cranberries, bleu cheese and Ken’s® Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Chicken Caesar Garden Fresh Salad ~ made with 100% romaine lettuce, tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese, and home-style croutons

New Snack Wraps at BURGER KING® provide quick, flavorful snacks for less than 400 calories each. Snack Wrap options include:

Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap ~ A flour tortilla filled with crispy, marinated white meat chicken, a three-cheese blend, and a combination of spring mix, romaine and iceberg lettuce, all topped with Ken’s® Honey Mustard Dressing

Ranch Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap ~ A flour tortilla filled with crispy, marinated white meat chicken, a three-cheese blend, and a combination of spring mix, romaine and iceberg lettuce, all topped with Ken’s® Ranch Dressing

New Crispy Chicken Strips at BURGER KING® are made with white meat tenderloin chicken, marinated and lightly battered in seasoned home-style breading. The new Crispy Chicken Strips are perfect for dipping in one of eight BK® classic or bold new sauces and are available in 3 or 5 piece servings

New Real Fruit Smoothies at BURGER KING® are offered in 12, 16, and 20oz. servings, and are made fresh to order with real fruit, low-fat yogurt and juices blended together. Each smoothie provides a full serving of fruit and is offered in the following varieties:

Tropical Mango

Strawberry Banana

Rich and smooth Frappés at BURGER KING® are made to order and provide the perfect combination of sweet Mocha or Caramel flavors, a hint coffee and ice. Offered in 12, 16, and 20oz. servings, frappes are available in the following varieties:

Mocha Frappé ~ The perfect combination of sweet flavor, a hint of coffee and ice all topped with whipped topping and a swirl of fudge

Caramel Frappé ~ The perfect combination of sweet flavor, a hint of coffee and ice all topped with whipped topping and a swirl of caramel

*At participating restaurants, nutritionals available upon request*



I can still remember what a big deal it was to go to Burger King with my parents and sister as a kid.  Like I said before it's still one of my favorite restaurants.  Neil and I tend to always get the same thing every time we go.  A Whopper with cheese for Neil and a Whopper Jr. with no onions, no cheese for me. 

Thanks to this Burger King review we took the opportunity to try out a couple of new items and it won't be the last time either.  I ordered the Chicken, Apple and Cranberry Garden Fresh Salad ~ made with crisp apples, dried cranberries, bleu cheese and Ken’s® Apple Cider Vinaigrette.  It was just as good as it sounded.  I've always been a big fan of Ken's dressing but this was the first time I'd tried this flavor and loved it!  Neil tried the  Ranch Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap ~ A flour tortilla filled with crispy, marinated white meat chicken, a three-cheese blend, and a combination of spring mix, romaine and iceberg lettuce, all topped with Ken’s® Ranch Dressing and he wasn't disappointed.  It got us out of our rut.  Now, there's no telling what we'll try next.

Visit the BK Website here FB here and Twitter here.

And here's the big news you've been waiting for.  One lucky CPC reader will receive their very own $25 Burger King Gift Card!!!

For your chance to win, just use the easy entry form below.  I can't tell you how many times it's been one of the easy to do extra entries is the winner (chosen randomly of course by Rafflecopter).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck Ya'll. Hugs...Tracy :)

Disclosure:  The coupons, product information, and gift pack have been provided courtesy of Burger King Corporation through MyBlogSpark.  I received the gift card for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.

Life Lessons Never Stop

We all learn different things at different paces.  The good part is we're never too old to stop learning.

If you are not enjoying the journey....you probably won't enjoy the destination....

                      ~author unknown

It's such a simple truism.

It's Been A Busy Month of Kittens, A Birthday and Surgery

I've completely destroyed the house.  Sorry but I don't have the guts to show that picture. 

Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.....

Source: etsy.com via Denise on Pinterest

Source: ihatemyacne.com via Natasha on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Denise on Pinterest

Yep, we've got 5 new kitties and a mama in the house.  Try adding that to a house that already has a dog and a cat.  Nope, the above picture is not of my new temporary kitties.

Source: etsy.com via Denise on Pinterest

Those precious kitties were found late in the afternoon on the 13th.  Only half a day before my birthday.  I can consider that a birthday present can't I?
Then I spent 2 days cleaning up the mess I'd made in my house.  I felt like I was about to give birth.  I had that huge, nesting burst of energy.  So I did lots of dusting, vacuuming, washing, and trying to make everything that I have spread out over the house generally better.  Tip - that's not really possible when you've started a half a house job, of prepping walls to paint but get surprised by surgery.  But it's clean - sort of. 

I even managed to get a new rose bush planted and a tomato bush as well as transplanted some plants and raked up about 8 wheel barrels full of leaves. 

My feet have been hurting since November.  I finally saw the specialist on the 11th and he said we need to do surgery the next Wed.  Knock me over with a feather.  Two feet - Four Places - All At One Time. EEKKK!

The most fun part had to be getting there at 9:30 for an 11:30 surgery only to have to wait until about 2pm to go back to get ready.  Then they decided they needed monitor me for an hour and to consult with others about my others about my heart before going through with it.  No food, tired, not real happy.  Surgery got underway around 4 and I got home close to 7pm.  We were both exhausted by then.  Why did I even need to go the day before? 

Now my feet look similar to the ones below without the heel attached.  Does Givenchy really call this fashion? 

Source: breakfastatsaks.blogspot.com via Emmanuelle on Pinterest

These Givenchy heels don't look much bettered than my bandaged feet but.  I can't image buying these, especially at Givenchy prices.  I'd be more than happy to get rid of mine.  From looking at the above photo, I'm pretty sure the model on the right isn't a foot model but what do I know...

We did pause in the middle of my home destruction to go over to my cousin's house and hang new sheet rock in his kitchen several days.  He's a lot of fun to be around and he's always eager to help us when we need it.  Even in the middle of his construction zone he baked a wonderful ham for Easter and hosted a nice outdoor diner.  We've always been more like brother and sister than cousins.  There were just 4 of us but it made the day so special being together.

Now that you know what I've been up to.  What's been going on with you?

Hugs...Tracy ♥

General Mills - Big G Curvy Straws Giveaway

UPDATE - GIVEAWAY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 30TH.



Because of my surgery I haven't been able to promote my last 2 giveaways like I would like so I am extending the giveaway deadline to Monday, April 30th.


We've all heard it before.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 

I absolutely believe it too. We all need fuel to get our bodies going in the morning. We certainly want to make sure our kids start the day off right.


General Mills is here to make it a little more fun to get them to drink every last drop of the milk.

Did you know that simply drinking the leftover milk from cereal bowls may help kids work towards fulfilling their body’s daily dairy, calcium, and Vitamin D needs? And what better way to slurp down to the bottom of the bowl than with the new Curvy Straws, available in-pack of specially marked boxes of Big G cereal! With these collectable, connectable Curvy Straws, children of all ages can enjoy mixing and matching to build bigger, colorful straws all while helping them work towards stronger bones and muscles through increased calcium intake!

Collect all six different colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters.


Participating Big G cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz)


Made with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great start to your family’s day.  Learn more about the Whole Grain Network here.


Whether you use one or connect them all, the fun with Big G Curvy Straws doesn’t have to stop when you reach the end of the bowl. Simply grab another serving of ice cold milk, and slurp away! Need more cereal to go with your milk? You and your readers can visit this link to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off of the purchase of (2) boxes of participating Big G cereal today!

I recieved a Prize Pack from Big G and My Blog Spark to review they want to give one lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader a prize too.

The Package includes:

1 box of a participating Big G cereal

1 Curvy Straw

1 ‘spilt’ milk bowl

2 glow cups

2 tangle toys

Enter now using the Rafflecopter form below. It makes entering so easy.  The giveaway ends Friday 4/20/12 but you don't want to wait so enter now!  See all my giveaways on the right side of the screen.

Good Luck Ya'll!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


I'm linking up to the following parties.  Stop by and visit them for more giveaways.

Piece of ME
A Frugal Friend
Friday Finds @ Rachel's Giveaways
Mommy's Hangout
Fun Being Frugal
Susan Heim on Parenting
My Springfield Mommy
Tammy's Two Cents
Look What Mom Found
Mama to 4 Blessings
Jabbering Jessi
Money Saving Michelle
Musings From a Stay at Home Mom
Heartfelt Balance/Handmade Life
One Busy Moma
Tammy's Two Cents
To Be Thode
Someday Crafts
Cocktails With Mom
Giveaway For Prizes

Disclosure:  The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

A Christian Self Help Book: My Own Worst Enemy Review

By: Janet Davis

Do you have it all together? 

Do you think everyone else has it all together? 

Add me to the latter group.  I know it's not true, everyone has issues but somehow I've always had the misconception floating around in my head, that almost EVERYONE else but me has it all together.  Silly isn't it?  I knew it wasn't true, but just like fairy tales we grew up loving, sometimes we just can't let that idea die, even if we don't love it.  That's way I choose to review the book, My Own Worst Enemy, how to stop holding yourself back, by Janet Davis.

The author uses her own stories along with others to help us gain insight on problems many people, especially women struggle with.  She shares Biblical verse to aid in our search for the long sought answers to questions that we have, but sometimes push out of our mind. 

A good example is, the confusion in our Christian culture about pride and shining as well as hiding and humility.  I really liked this comparison that she used with the verse of Matthew 5:14 -16:

    "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."  That song is not idle chatter; it is based on Scripture.

           You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Now this is a verse that I could stand to read daily as a reminder to let Gods love shine, and also not be ashamed of our own accomplishments. 

Janet is reminding us, or maybe even informing some for the first time, that it is okay to shine.  It is okay to take credit.  To accept a compliment without feeling like we are taking away from God's glory.  God is at work within all of us.  It's not about being prideful but about recognizing that God create us to partner with him in the doing of great works.  Without him we are nothing.  With him we are capable of doing great things.  Remember we are made in the image of God.  That doesn't say that we mean to imply that we are God. 

So many women, especially the ones from my era, when it seemed more of us grew up with stay-at-homes moms than those who didn't, were taught that it was not lady-like are proper to toot our own horn.  I always had difficulty accepting compliments, not that I didn't enjoy them.  Who doesn't want to feel like they do something well?

Janet's book provides a jumping off point for examining your own thinking.  How do you perceive yourself?  Your positive or negative view can lead to your own freedom and help break the shackles of your mind that may be holding you back.  All this is done in a friend next door manner with a gentle hand and not a club.  This isn't one of the new, nonsense books telling women to rise up and become a B.

I love that the book has study questions at the end of the chapters, which encourages a little self-analysis. 

I really think this book is not a end-all, fix-all but it does give you a good starting point and a perspective outside your own.  Using this as a book club read would be useful.  The book has a perfect format for that.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Bethany House publishers in exchange for my review. opinion here is entirely my own.

Angels Are For Real - Review

by Judith MacNUTT

I've always loved hearing heavenly miracles. You know the kind where you know God's hand or the hand of an angel has been involved in someones life. I believe we still experience miracles today and that angels do exist. That's why I wanted to review Judith MacNUTT's book 'Angels are for real'.

First, a little about the author:

Judith MacNutt worked as a psychotherapist in private practice and at several hospitals in Boston. She has since started, with her husband, a unique and cutting-edge healing ministry, Christian Healing Ministries.

 

Judith starts the book off with her own story of experiencing her own divine encounter. Her book is written to share more with us than just the re-telling of others experiences. Judith tries to help the reader understand the role of Angels with chapters like:

 

• What Is an Angel?
• How Angels Appear
• Angels in the Kingdom of God
• The Classification of Angels
• Guardian Angels
• Angels and Healing
• Unholy Fallen Angels
• The Veil Is Thin

The writer talks about the jobs of angels and their primary responsibilities. She uses scriptural references to provide examples of angel's primary responsibilities. Throughout the book Judith quotes Bible scripture to help the reader better understand where her opinions come from. She has obviously put much effort into research about Angels.

 

Whether you believe or come to the same understanding as the writer the book serves as encouragement and a jumping off platform for you to do your own research. As with any book, it's meant to be thought provoking, allowing you to make your own final decision.

A final thought:
I was looking for a book with feel good stories. This book does have that but it's more in depth than that. It's not a 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' kind of book. The book requires you to think a little more and is to help you better understand Angels and there purposes. Just so you know.