Laura Story - Open Hands CD Review and Giveaway

The beauty about worship music is that this is a preview on earth of what we will be spending an eternity doing in heaven. Think of it like a trailer of the wonder things to come, when we spend every moment thanking our God and Savior Jesus for the ultimate sacrifice of restoring what was broken in the Garden of Eden so long ago, a forever, eternal relationship with each other for those that place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The best part is finding some incredible songs that can express exactly what those moments in our life mean and this is Open Hands, the latest CD by Laura Story.

In fact the title track Open Track is a combined effort with Mac Powell (Third Day) which perfectly conveys taking everything we have in life and offering it to Him with open hands, holding nothing back.

Death Was Arrested conveys that loving restoration that happened when Jesus gave His life for ours who place our faith and trust in Him and redemption was possible from our sin. You Came Running is about what happens when we have those trials and storms in our life and feel completely lost in search of someone who can save us! This is one of my personal favorites because all we need to do is call out to Jesus and He comes running to us! Give You Faith conveys that all the world has to offer will never measure up to the faith we can have in Jesus which never fails us, no matter what we are going through. For The Love Of My King is truly a love story between the singer and the One we sing for. It also conveys how much love God has in store for us, one that is unconditional and eternal.

Awake My Soul (A 1000 Tongues) is a collection of all the wonders God offers us from the glories of His majesty and the triumphs of His love and how He is worthy of the songs of a 1000 tongues that sing His praise to Him. Whisper tells us how God calls us to Him, despite our circumstances when we are willing to leave the world behind, if we but seek Him, we will be found and we will be set free in only a way that Jesus can from our sin and bondage. Every Word You Breathe is a personal conversation or prayer with God asking Him to let us hear His voice above all those in the world, to not lean on the things we have known and only in placing our hope in Him.

Majesty is the 9th track on the CD is such a precious song of worship conveying all the qualities of God and how holy and wonderful He is based on His grace and mercy for us. Extraordinary sums up how wonderful a believer's life looks in Christ. Grace Abounds the final track on the CD defines what grace means, that we can come to Jesus broken and battered and He will restore us from all the burdens of the world and set us free. You can definitely feel the heart of Laura Story's walk of faith in this CD and for those looking for something uplifting and one that will speak to you in any circumstance, this is it!

I received Open Hands by Laura Story compliments of Fair Trade Services LLC, Provident Music Distribution and Propeller LLC. It speaks of God's unconditional love and how the Bible is His instruction manual for how much he is trying to restore that relationship between us that is lost, broken and keeping us from experiencing all He has to offer through His grace and mercy and the promises found in His Word. I easily give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to the generosity of Propeller LLC they are offering a giveaway copy of this CD to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart.

2. "Like" Laura Story's Facebook page.

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US mailing address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave me a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of Open Hands by Laura Story. Don't forget to include your email address as well so I know how to contact you if you're the lucky winner of this giveaway. You can even use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will be notifying the winner of the giveaway on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. Enter as many times as you like and remember without an email address, I can't contact you so don't forget to include it.

Laura Story: Open Hands

You can find Laura Story on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest projects and music.

You can pick up a copy of this CD through iTunes. 

“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.

Our God Comes

They say when you are having a really difficult day, when it feels as if the world is against you and your struggling to find peace in your life, listen to some praise and worship music and see if it doesn't change your perspective. It's hard to remain down when you are lifting up songs of worship and praise to God along with all the cares and worries you are dealing with.

The Antioch Movement, which began more than 20 years ago, is dedicated to seeing the local church reproduce the Kingdom of God through prayer, evangelism, and discipleship throughout the United States and around the world. We are a people passionate for Jesus and His purposes in the earth. It is from these values that we worship Jesus with all our hearts and lives. This music is part of the soundtrack of our journey in Our God Comes.

This wonderful CD filled with songs of worship and praise consists of 14 songs and you are definitely bound to find something you love that lifts your mood and your soul. I've often times wished I could have my own CD of praise and worship songs from my own church to help me during long commutes, traffic jams and just rough days with turbulent storms that seem to want to drown me. This music had debuted on Itunes

The worship music and lyrics on OUR GOD COMES expresses the heart cry, prayers and joy of the worship team, songwriters and musicians from Antioch, led by James Mark Gulley. From the opening strains of audience approval, joyous praise and worship floods the listeners’ ears and ageless unchanging truths find a new sound for today! The savvy musical arrangements and gifted song writing flow from “Come” to “Our God Comes”, and the glorious experience is documented from the choruses of “Wonderful Counselor”, “How Much More” and “Savior Forever”. Clear Day Media Groupcreates products to help people see God clearly and impact the world through Christ-centered content. The 72-minute, live recording was produced by James Mark Gulley and assistant Owen Wible, recorded by Randy Adams and mastered at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, CA by Stephen Marcussen. Featuring songwriters James Mark Gulley, Stephen Gulley, Brandon Seibert, Thomas Wilson and Johanna Six, OUR GOD COMES also features worship leaders James Mark Gulley, Stephen Gulley, Johanna Six and Clare Berlinsky.

The full track listing for OUR GOD COMES is as follows: Come God And King Wonderful Counselor God Who Saves How Much More I Will Raise …Response Light Me Up Awaken Us One Hundred Three …Return Savior Forever …Selah Our God Comes

I received Our God Comes compliments of Clear Day Media and B and B Media Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. There is such a variety of amazing music to enhance your soul and spirit that everyone can find something that suits them. I'd rate this CD a 4.5 out of 5 stars and hope that you'll pick this up to add to your Christian music collection.

For more information about Our God Comes, Clear Day Media  or where to pick up a copy of this CD today, please click on the links below:

Our God Comes by Antioch Live

You can find Antioch Community Church on their website.

Jeremy Riddle - Furious - CD Giveaway and Review

Vineyard Worship artist and worship leader Jeremy Riddle has announced the release of his new studio album entitled, Furious. The album is set for release on September 20 via NewDay Distribution. In my opinion, Jeremy sounds like Bono from U2 meets Phil Wickham. The music lyrics and style are very moving, you find yourself loving every single song as it transitions from one to another, and before you know it, you're at the end. So you do what I do, you press play again! It's simply that good! If you're looking for an album that will lift your dry spirit, this one will do it!

Riddle began production on the album nearly a year ago with Dove Award winning producer Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, David Crowder Band) at the helm. Cash’s contribution forms the backbone of the album which also features production from Bobby Hartry, a long time Riddle collaborator. The project follows Prepare The Way: Live, an album recorded in front of a live audience in Corpus Christi, Tex., earlier this year from Vineyard.

Riddle describes Furious saying, “It’s hard to come up with words that depict the magnitude of Christ’s love – the depth and width of it. Furious doesn’t work outside of the context of love; we tend to translate the word as angry, but I see it as a super-powerful force; stronger, deeper, broader than our vocabulary can fully describe."

Four years on the road as a touring worship leader eventually took its toll on Jeremy, so in January 2011, the former jr. high youth pastor came on staff as worship community pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, Calif. Working under pastors Brian and Jenn Johnson, Jeremy facilitates a worship community of over 200 people within the church.

“My wife (Katie) and I have always had a heart to serve the local church and never wanted to do the full-time travel thing for very long, so it felt like a good time to transition into something different,” Jeremy says. “I’ve developed such an appreciation for the fruit that has been sowed from my life – personally and artistically – by being part of a local community.”

Consequently, several of the tracks on Furious are also featured on Be Lifted High, the most recent album from Bethel Church.

“These songs are a reflection of being part of something bigger than just me,” Jeremy says. “Through some significant growth in understanding and living out humility from a very independent place, I’ve shifted into a place where I can’t even claim this record is completely inspired by me. There are so many elements of the album that could never have flowed from me had I not been connected to people walking out life with me.”

My personal favorite that has really spoken to me, was Fall Afresh! It's like water to a very thirsty and parched spirit that will awaken by the end of the song. The lyrics have spoken volumes to me. Another favorite is Furious, the title track to his album. I know that this one will be played a lot on the radio stations. Hands down this CD is a 5 out of 5 stars!

The message Jeremy seems to be getting across on this album is how great God is, and how much he truly does deserve all of our praise and worship! I received this CD, Furious, compliments of Propeller and Jeremy Riddle for my honest review and know you want this one to add to your praise and worship collection. For more information on this CD, the artist, Jeremy Riddle, and even where you can hear a clip of each of the 13 songs on this CD, click on the links below:

Jeremy Riddle - Furious

You can also find Jeremy on Facebook by clicking here.
You can tweet Jeremy Riddle on Twitter by clicking here.

Thanks to the generous folks at Propeller, Vineyard Music and Jeremy Riddle, they are offering a giveaway CD of Furious to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's what you need to do to enter to win!

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

2. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address! Please No P.O. Boxes.

3. I need a way to contact you so please include your email address. You can include it along with your comment and use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols! Without it, I have no way of letting you know you've won. So don't miss out. Leave me a comment and tell me why you'd love to win a copy.

The giveaway will end on September 25th, and I will notify the winner via email at that time.