Featuring all-stars Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, this new seasonal DVD tells the story of Saint Nicholas, the world’s greatest giver, and introduces Nicky the Pepper, the first new VeggieTales character in five years. Bonus features include an original new song by critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Matthew West, “Give This Christmas Away,” performed by West and Grammy Award-winning artist Amy Grant.

“VeggieTales Christmas releases are fan-favorites and Saint Nicholas is sure to become an evergreen title,” said Greg Fritz, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Big Idea. “A national cross-promotion with Operation Christmas Child and extensive radio play of the featured song by Matthew West with Amy Grant will build great awareness of the timely message of giving.”

For the family, here’s a Christmas cookie recipe from VeggieTales and a coloring sheet for the kids to enjoy.

I love VeggieTales, it’s always good to see them continuing to release more videos and family friendly entertainment to the market.

I guess it’s a pretty good problem to have in that I’m getting introduced to so much great music I can’t keep up. The latest album for me to review comes from Sarah MacIntosh and the album “The Waiters, The Watchers, The Listeners, The Keepers & Me”.

Perhaps the longest album title I’ve ever seen, but perhaps it’s a reflection of the depth of good music on this album.

After doing some quick background searching about Sarah I’ve found that she used to be the lead singer for a group called “Chasing Furies”, which you may be familiar. If so, then you’re aware of the great voice that Sarah has to share with us on her own album. I don’t remember ever listening to Chasing Furies, so my experience in hearing Sarah on this album is as a completely new listener.

One of the first thing that hits me as I listen to this album is the crystal clear vocals from Sarah who sings with such an ethereal and angelic voice, it’s really captivating. It’s one of my favorite qualities in a female artist and Sarah delivers with force and emotion on this album.

If you’ve been reading this blog long, you also know that one of my other favorite qualities is the lyrics of songs and how they speak to me. I love listening to songs where the lyrics start feeling like an extension of my own consciousness.

Listening to this album by Sarah, which I’ve been listening to now for quite awhile, her lyrics have morphed themselves into my prayers and praise that I lift up during my daily commutes in the car or while I’m working on my computer.

Amazingly, each song on Sarah’s album connects with me in some way. The 12 songs on this album include:

1. Where You’ll Find Him
2. My Jesus
3. Did You Know
4. More Than Hands
5. Pick Up Your Cross
6. Sunshine
7. Be Glorified
8. Too Much
9. Keep Watch Over Me
10. Stop! Stop!
11. Just Tell Me
12. Father

If you’re curious about her sound, perhaps Sarah’s own words can help you with as these were on her MySpace page:

If you could hear my mother sing you would know how I came to sound like I do. My voice is most definitely hers. The music on the other hand might be described as Radiohead meets Sixpence None The Richer after listening to a bunch of Peter Gabriel.

Other artists that come to mind for me are Tiffany Arbuckle of Plumb, Sarah McLachlan, Jonatha Brooke, Christine Dente of Out of the Grey, Amy Grant, and Susan Ashton.

Here’s a video of her performing

It’s not the best video and audio quality but it gives you an idea. You can also listen to a few of her songs on her MySpace page.

The message today was wrapping up our series on “The Sunday Ticket”, which has been a multi-week series with a football theme. Today’s message was about “Join the Team: Helping Others in Need” and was focused on compassion. Before the message, our worship pastor intro’d a song and talked about how he’d grown blind to some of the needs around him everyday because they’d just become so common place. The Holly McDaniel sang “Carnival”. I’ve heard this song numerous times before on the radio and never really put all the words together but it was really fitting for our message today.

I’ve walked these streets
a virtual stage
it seemed to me
make up on their faces
actors took their
places next to me

I’ve walked these streets
in a carnival
of sights to see
all the cheap thrill seekers
the vendors and the dealers
they crowded around me

have I been blind, have I been lost
inside my self and my own mind
hypnotized, mesmerized
by what my eyes have seen?

I’ve walked these streets
in a spectacle of wealth and poverty
in the diamond markets
the scarlet welcome carpet
that they just rolled out for me

I’ve walked these streets
in the mad house asylum
they can be
where a wild eyed misfit prophet
on a traffic island stopped
and he raved of saving me

have I been blind, have I been lost
inside my self and my own mind
hypnotized, mesmerized
by what my eyes have seen?

have I been wrong
have I been wise
to shut my eyes
and play along
hypnotized
paralyzed
by what my eyes have found
by what my eyes have seen
what they have seen?

have I been blind, have I been lost
have I been wrong, have I been wise
have I been strong

Have I been
hypnotized
mesmerized
by what my eyes have found
in that great street carnival
in that carnival?

Fitting words don’t you think? Could almost have been sung by Amy Grant or Nichole Nordeman and been as fitting as anything else they could have sung for the situation. Our church has also sung “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter, “Desperado” by the Eagles, “500 Miles” by the Proclaimers.

Does your church insert and use “secular” songs in your worship services? What do you think? What songs have been sung that you think were great?

On another note, you should check-out Holly McDaniel’s website, she’s a independent singer that’s really great and has recorded a couple of albums of her own. A great talent.