Game Review: Praise Champion

Our whole family have had a blast with Praise Champion (Karaoke World Tour) CD-rom. We had never done karaoke before and Praise Champion blew us away. Well, not at first since we couldn’t score above a few hundred points due to a defective microphone that was included. Hopefully, this wouldn’t happen to you and if it did, I’m sure you could contact them for a replacement. Through a better microphone that we already owned and through practice, we were able to score well over 100,000 points at times. Not only is it fun to sing and rack up points, but you can also unlock new venues (places to sing) and clothing and accessory options for your character by performing well enough to earn silver, gold, and platinum. You won’t receive a new venue/clothing option every time you reach silver or gold on a song but on certain songs you will. *whispers* If you manage to get gold on a certain song and it unlocks something, you can get gold again and again (at least a couple other times) and unlock two more with the medal level on the same song. That’s a free hint from my 17 yo daughter who has really enjoyed this game. In fact, this singing game has been a big hit with my two sons (12 and 9) as well. After performing a song, we can replay our recording and add effects such as reverb and chorus. There are also mini games such as “Pitch-N-Pass” and “Tune-a-Tuna” that aim to help you improve different vocal skills like pitch detection, pitch sustaining, pitch change and lung capacity. While we haven’t personally unlocked anything through them (and don’t find them as fun as the performances), the instructions say you can unlock new stuff if you do really well. The High Scores list shows the high score for each song that has been sung. For those of you who are competitive, you’ll have fun trying to beat others’ scores :).

Praise Champion features 40 wonderful praise and worship songs such as “Revelation Song”, “I Am Free”, “My Savior Lives”, hymns such as “Amazing Grace”, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”, “Blessed Assurance” plus 20 bonus Christmas songs such as “Silent Night”, “O Holy Night”, “Joy to the World”, and many more. When we sing, we get real-time performance feedback. A glowing pitch bar moves up and down the scale to display the singer’s pitch. A performance meter indicates whether the singer belongs in the shower, in the choir, or on tour :). We all have had a great time singing. It’s so good for me as a parent to know that my kids are singing clean Christian songs (with great lyrics). It’s okay if you don’t know some of them, this is a fun way to learn new songs! Awesome CD-rom for all ages and one of the most enjoyable PC games we’ve ever owned!

~I received this CD-rom for free from LB Games in an exchange of my honest review. LB Games produces quality PC-based Christian interactive games for children, teens and adults. Their games are supported by Focus on the Family, the Billy Graham Center and many preachers who appreciate that their games provide a healthy alternative to other violent games. I share their approval.

Friday's Fave Five #36

It's time for another Friday's Fave Five (hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story).

My Fave Five this week:-

1. You can get a FREE sample copy of "An Encouraging Word," magazine for Christian women of all ages. $5.00 value! Enter promo code: AEWFB in the check out process and click "Continue." Please feel free to share this offer with your friends! http://www.anencouragingword.net/aewsample.htm

2. We've had a blast singing with Praise Champion (Karaoke World Tour) CDrom. Great song selections (lots of hymns, praise and worship songs, Christmas songs, songs by Lincoln Brewster, Kari Jobe, etc.)! We all try to get platinum records :).

3. We had so much fun playing games with our Chinese and Taiwanese friends last Friday night! We played Whoonu, Apples to Apples, Would You Rather...?, and I Have Never. Lots of laughter and I discovered I enjoy crispy anchovy snacks :).

4. Tomorrow, January 22, Focus on the Family is co-sponsoring the first annual Life and Justice Conference at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. You can also join live via simulcast. Discover how you can be an advocate for the preborn child, orphans, those living with special needs, the elderly, or victims of human trafficking and genocide. For more details: http://www.lifeandjusticeconference.org/?page_id=817 

5. I enjoyed reading Life Without Limits and highly recommend it. This inspiring book is written by Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms or legs. He is living his life to the fullest with gusto for God's glory! Please take a few minutes to read my review here and rate it.  Thanks so much!

Friday's Fave Five #10

It's time for another Friday's Fave Five (hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story).

My fave five this week include:
1. Nice visit with a friend/sweet sister in Christ.  She and I went to a coffee shop.  We had a great time and before she left, we prayed for each other.

2. Taking a walk and taking pictures during my walks.  It's fun to exercise and enjoy God's creation at the same time.

3. Faithful Feet.  I am one of the nine contributors to this new international blog where we share and learn together what it means to be true followers of Christ and to walk faithfully in His steps.  My first article there is, "Don't Waste Your Life!"

4. Ultimate Blog Party 2010.  I'd like to invite y'all to visit my blog party post which includes a slideshow and a giveaway.  I've had fun blog-hopping and "meeting" new bloggers :).

5. Singing joyfully to the Lord.  I love singing hymns and praise/worship songs while my husband plays the piano.  What song(s) do you like to sing to the Lord?

Your Love Broke Through

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.

                   Your Love Broke Through by Keith Green

"Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.  I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You." (Psalm 63:3-5)  Your love broke through; my soul now clings to You!

Previous Songs:
- Until the Whole World Hears
- Take My Life
- In Christ Alone
- Sweetly Broken
- Be Thou My Vision
- God With Us
- Offering- Christmas Version 
- How Many Kings
- Give Thanks
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
- He Knows My Name
- Oh Lord, You're Beautiful!
- What the Lord Has Done in Me
- I Surrender All
- Mighty To Save
- Could I Be Called a Christian?
- Cry Out to Jesus
- Jesus, Be the Center
- God of Justice
- Love That Will Not Let Me Go
- I Will Offer Up My Life
- When It's All Been Said and Done
- Knowing You, Jesus

What the Lord Has Done in Me

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.
        What the Lord Has Done in Me by Hillsong

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:5)  Whatever good you see in me is what the Lord has done in me.  It's not about me; it's all about Him.

Hosanna to the Lamb that was slain in our place and rose again!  "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"" (John 1:29)  "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"" (Revelation 5:12)

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2)  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)  Amen!  I am free and I can truly live because the Spirit of Christ lives in me.


Previous Songs:
- I Surrender All
- Mighty To Save
- Could I Be Called a Christian?
- Cry Out to Jesus
- Jesus, Be the Center
- God of Justice
- Love That Will Not Let Me Go
- I Will Offer Up My Life
- When It's All Been Said and Done
- Knowing You, Jesus
- In Christ Alone
- Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision

I am participating in the 'From the Heart of Worship' meme run by Growing In Grace Magazine. Worshiping the Lord is one of my favorite, favorite things to do in the whole world!

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:19-20) I love hymns. They are so rich in messages, meanings, & melodies, and deep in thoughts & feelings towards God; they are truly inspiring, and often Biblically-based.

"Hymns breathe the praise of the saints,
The vision of the prophets,
The prayers of the penitent and the spirit of the martyrs.

They bring solace to the sad, assurance to the perplexed,
Faith to the doubter and comfort to the oppressed.

They span the centuries of history and bridge the barriers of denominations.

Study them to be pure in heart;
Sing them to be joyful in spirit,
Store them in the mind to possess a treasury of worship."

~Unknown


I never get tired of listening to (or singing) "Be Thou My Vision." The words were translated from the 8th century Irish hymn by Mary E. Byrne (1880-1931) and versified by Eleanor H. Hull (1860-1935). These words are so meaningful to me that I want to share with everyone.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me save that Thou art:
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'n's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

I like to quietly sing and reflect upon these words (sometimes with tears in my eyes). This hymn means so much to me because it is not only my all-time favorite hymn, but also my heart's desire and my prayer!

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.

By the way, this month on Growing In Grace, my daughter wrote an article on "Eye Exam Month." Eyes...vision...how appropriate :).