We could all use a good laugh right now, and Church People is a movie your whole family can LOL to from the comfort of your own home! I shared a review of this movie last March when it was in theaters. Did you get a chance to see it? If not, this is your chance, because it is now on DVD!
It is recurring theme in American churches. Many of us grew up in small churches, sang hymns, sat on wooden pews, read the King James Version, and stood as the ushers brought the plates forward, singing the Doxology. So our reaction - especially those of us who grew up in the 80s, during the coming-of-age of the Christian pop music genre - is to put on a big concert. What can we do to overcome the old traditional ways and bring people in? We have to bring them in and then just give them a morsel of truth while they are here. Bigger is better. More music. More lights. More flashy. Bring in the smoke machines. More, more, more! When does it stop? Forty years later, we are looking at church services becoming rock concerts, and we are wondering, Isn't the Gospel enough?
That's the question youth pastor Guy Sides is asking as PR people rain down beach balls on him on stage and bring a Superman costume for him to try on in the middle of his massive book tour. (The writer in me is wondering how anyone ever got so popular on a book tour!) He is "America's Youth Pastor." And he's ready to give up.
Enter Pastor Skip with his tie-dye t-shirt; Tino with his worship and love songs; Carla, the preacher's missionary daughter, returned home with a heartbreak; Blaise, the overly passionate new convert; the mysterious Mabel; and two Baldwin brothers; and you have a full cast of highly exaggerated church stereotypes who represent real people with real issues who are just trying to share the Good News.
Is the Gospel enough?
Church People is making the list of one of my favorites of the movies I've gotten to review, right up there with Mom's Night Out. If you love good Christian comedy, you will love this movie! It is a great lead-in to the Easter season.
Of course, I have a Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a DVD of Church People from Momentum Influencers. (Note: This giveaway is limited to US winners only.) To enter, just comment on this post or on my Facebook page by Wednesday, February 16, 2022.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing a sample of the product for this re- view. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
I was privileged to review the new movie The Tiger Rising this past week. Starring Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid, this cute coming-of-age story has all the marks of a feel-good pre-teen movie.
[The movie is] based on the New York Times best-selling book by [Newbery Medalist] Kate DiCamillo. When 12-year-old Rob Horton (Christian Convery) discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his home, his imagination runs wild and life begins to change in the most unexpected ways. With the help of a wise and mysterious maid, Willie May (Queen Latifah) and the stubborn new girl in school (Madalen Mills), he navigates through childhood memories, heartache, and wondrous adventures in this heartwarming adaptation.
Christian Convery and Madalen Mills are very talented young actors, holding their own next to the well-known Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid. I hope we will see more of them. Having moved my own kids around quite a lot, being a military family, I felt I could relate to their difficulties adapting to a new area. Of course, a boy finding a tiger in the woods near his home is the stuff adventure tales are made of!
While characters of faith are portrayed positively in the film, the film itself is not necessarily faith-based, and I was disappointed by some uses of the Lord's name in vain, and by some of the speech Dennis Quaid's character used with the young girl. It was somewhat for character development, but I feel that in today's world, our "inspirational" movies should not portray to young girls that men just talk to girls that way and we ignore it. On the plus side, Willie May (Queen Latifah's character) and the boy's mother in the movie are positive role models. In addition, however, without offering any specific spoilers, I have to say I was disappointed with the ending of the movie.
You can see the movie for yourself, available today on DVD, and available to rent on VUDU, ROW8, or Prime Video. I would love to hear your thoughts! See Film Website below for viewing information.
Of course, I'd also love to give away a digital code to one lucky reader to watch the movie for free. Comment here or on my Facebook page by Sunday, February 13, for a chance to win!
Disclosure: Many thanks toMomentum Influencersfor providing this product/product information for review. 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.
Hi, friends! Two years ago I watched and reviewed this fabulous DVD for the first time, and I have recommended it to people so many times since then! So I'm very excited to have the opportunity to review it and give away a DVD again!
*Review first posted August 7, 2017
It is good that there are documentaries about archaeological finds, because I would be far too lazy to ever become one of those archaeologists and painstakingly dig and sift through all that dirt myself, but I am positively fascinated by what they find.
Now, of course, we are getting closer to the beginning of school, and being an educational documentary, this DVD did not get quite the reception from my kids as the TobyMac CD did. Sorry, Patterns of Evidence, TobyMac is tough competition!
Don't let their faces fool you, though, this is a well-done documentary that held our attention while it revealed amazing and fascinating information. The only problem is that it was just, well, you know, educational. Sorry, kids, it's getting to be that time of year again!
Patterns of Evidence Exodus deals with one of the most controversial and fundamental questions of recent decades: Does my faith hold up in the face of mounting scientific evidence, and if not, do I still believe? You and I have both heard the same explanations since we were children: "Well, the Bible is not meant to be a document containing cold, hard facts. What is important is the teachings." I reject that whole-heartedly. It's either true or it's not. If the writers of the Bible made up a bunch of fairy tales and based a religion on them, I wouldn't be following them.
The other explanation that I totally reject is that God did not leave evidence because He wants us to believe based on blind faith. "If you had too much evidence, where would your faith come in?" Right? There is nothing blind about faith. Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." For it to be real faith, there must be substance to it.
Think of it this way. I have faith in my husband, that he will not cheat on me. Why? Because he's my husband? Because if I believe he won't cheat, then he won't cheat? If my husband was openly cheating, my refusing to believe that fact would not make it any less true. In fact, I'd probably be regarded as foolish. The fact is, I believe - no, I know - that my husband is faithful to me for a myriad of reasons that have built the trust over time. He has always been faithful, I know that what he believes requires him to be faithful, I know his character, he has made promises to be faithful and he has never broken his promises to me, and I have no reason to believe he is not being faithful. If any one of those things changed, I would have to re-evaluate and determine whether or not he was still worthy of my trust. But as long as he has my trust, I do not suspect him of being unfaithful when he is not with me, even though I do not see what he is doing every minute of every day. He has my trust. I have faith in him.
Now, should God have to prove Himself to us, being that He is, after all, God? Of course not. Having faith, theoretically, should be enough. God knows, however, that we are human and fallible, and without having evidence of Him, we could have faith in Him but just as easily have faith in other religions, in other gods, and in leprechauns at the ends of rainbows. He gives us scientific and historical evidence not because He has anything to prove, but so that we know Who to believe.
In addition, if God does exist and the stories in the Bible did happen, then by the laws of cause-and-effect, physical evidence should exist. That's just the way He created the world.
The Apostles and members of the early church did not follow Christ by blind faith. In fact, Paul and the other Apostles spent much of their time proving that Jesus was the Messiah that had been prophesied, and that He was physically raised from the dead, in order to defend their faith. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians: "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. . . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." (I Cor 15: 17, 19 NIV)
In Acts 2:22, Peter said, "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know."
In John 15:24, speaking of people who refused to follow Him, Jesus said, "If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin."
I have been raised in the Church and have been a Christian for a long time. I do not plan to let any scientific evidence shake my faith in God. I do, however, believe that God and the Bible will certainly stand up to any amount of questioning, and I think it is important to look at scientific evidence for the benefit of those to whom we witness and for our children. Children hear Bible stories when they are little, and as they grow older, they hear all kinds of "scientific evidence" refuting those stories. No wonder so many leave their faith behind when they go off to college. Want to hear something surprising? The more I study "scientific evidence," the more I find that it supports the Bible rather than refuting it.
As Tim Mahoney says in Patterns of Evidence Exodus, the goal of both science and faith should be to find The Truth. When they both find The Truth, they will be in complete agreement.
In the past I have studied and written about the scientific evidence surrounding the story of Creation and the Flood. Patterns of Evidence Exodus, as the name implies, delves into the archaeological evidence surrounding the Israelites' arrival in Egypt, their rapid multiplication, their slavery by the Egyptians, the Plagues, and ultimately, their Exodus from Egypt and the collapse of Egyptian civilization that ensued, along with their conquests in Canaan. Many scholars say there is no archaeological evidence to support these stories. What is even more shocking to me is that there are so many Christians and Jews who believe that these events did not happen, yet they say it does not matter and that they still have "faith." How can it not matter? What would you say if I told you I was waiting for Prince Charming to come carry me off to his castle in the clouds, even though I believed that the story of Snow White was a fairy tale that never really happened? How can you base a faith on something that you do not believe is true?
Tim Mahoney describes his own journey through his crisis in faith. He was raised as a Christian and believed the Bible to be true, but wondered how he could continue to believe if it was proven not to be true. Would "faith" be enough? Rather than turn a blind eye to the facts, he decided to go to great lengths to investigate to their conclusion. Based on advice he had been given, he decided to present the facts he discovered on both sides of the debate in this documentary, so that the audience could make an educated decision. What he found was astonishing.
Whether you are homeschooling or not, if you want your children to learn how to strengthen their faith by thinking for themselves and evaluating the evidence, or if you want to do so yourself, you need to include Patterns of Evidence Exodus in your curriculum for the upcoming school year. If you do not believe the Bible is true and literal or if you are not sure, this would also be an excellent DVD for you. I highly recommend it.
To get you started, we are having a giveaway for a copy of Patterns of Evidence Exodus! Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. Do you believe the Bible is literally true or that it is just a collection of stories? I will draw for a winner on Thursday, August 31.
About Patterns of Evidence Exodus:For more than 50 years, the vast majority of the world's most prominent archaeologists and historians have proclaimed that there is no hard evidence to support the Exodus story found in the Bible. In fact, they say that the archaeological record is completely opposed to the Bible's account. This view of extreme skepticism has spread from academia to the world. The case against the Exodus appears to be so strong that even some religious leaders are labeling this ancient account as historical fiction. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney begins with the questions, "Is the Bible just a myth, or did the archaeologists get it wrong?" He decides to tackle this issue with a deliberate scientific approach. After examining the details in the biblical text, he journeys across the globe to search for patterns of evidence firsthand. The result is the most in-depth archaeological investigation into the Exodus from Egypt ever captured on film. This scientific documentary's goal is to communicate the TRUTH of the Bible and help equip believers with defending their faith and the Bible.
The DVD features stunning animations and a cast including narrator, Kevin Sorbo (God's Not Dead, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), interviews with leading archaeologists including Israel Finkelstein, Kent Weeks, and David Rohl, and guest appearances by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres. Releases on DVD August 4, 2015 Run Time: 119 minutes Special Features: Cast Profiles & 17 Extra InterviewsDocumentary Rating: NR
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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Last Sunday in church, our minister relayed the true story of a young woman, Ashley Smith, who was held hostage in her apartment for seven hours by a fugitive from the law, Brian Nichols, who had just killed a judge and several other people and was on the run from police. Ashley wasn't a picture of sainthood herself, a young widow with a record of abusing drugs and having been claimed an unfit mother to her young daughter, who was now living with an aunt. During the time she was held hostage, Ashley started reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, which had been pushed on her by someone in her recovery group, and her captor asked her to read it out loud. What followed was a miraculous change in Ashley's life, and a glimmer of hope in Brian's, as well, as he let Ashley go, surrendered himself to the police, and hoped he could someday meet his own son. Ashley's step-mother attends our church.
When we got home, my daughter picked up this DVD and said, "Mom, did you get this movie, Captive?"
"Yes," I said. "Flyby Promotions sent me that to review. We need to watch it."
"Do you know what it's about?" she asked excitedly. "It's about the story the minister was talking about this morning!" Sometimes the timing is amazing!
From what I can tell, the movie has stayed fairly true to the real story. There is a disclaimer at the beginning that it deals with adult content, so be aware of that before watching this with young children. Brian Nichols' original trial was for rape, then he killed 4 people, and then he terrorized Ashley in her apartment for seven hours. There are no graphic scenes in the movie, but the content is for a mature audience. That said, we watched it with all four of our children, ranging from ages 10 to 16. They all enjoyed it and were moved by it. It opened a window for us to talk about things like drug abuse and consequences for one's actions.
This is one of my favorite movies I have seen in a while (sorry, I saw the new Star Wars right before Christmas, so I can't really say it's THE favorite!), and I think the reason is its authenticity. I love a lot of the new Christian movies coming out from places like PureFlix Entertainment (you can see reviews elsewhere on my blog), and I think they are wholesome for my kids to watch. Even so, sometimes the answers in the "Christian" stories come too easily. Person A has Problem A. Person B, while admitting they are not perfect and do not have it all together, really does have things pretty "together" in comparison, and is able to offer the help needed. Person B says the exact right words, Person A has some life-changing event, Person A immediately turns life around and possibly accepts Christ that very night, and they all live happily ever after. That's not even the way it always happened in the Bible. After reading the story of "The Rich Young Ruler" in Matthew 19, I've had students ask, "Did he ever come back to Christ? Did he ever decide to give up his riches for God?" The answer is, we don't know. These are big decisions that most people cannot make quickly. Most of the time, our impact on people's lives cannot be measured in a short period of "I say this, you believe that, you accept Christ, and the problems are gone."
In Captive, we have a story of two lost people, who both have different problems, but who are both struggling with drug addiction and missing a child they are not able to raise. At one point, the captor asks the captive, "If I were the one who killed your husband, could you forgive me?" She says, "I really don't know. But maybe God could." It's very real. It's the way things really could and really did happen - not something we get in very many movies from any worldview. Ashley's life was changed permanently for the better. Was Brian's? Only time can tell.
The production and the acting in the movie were excellent, the main character being played by one of our recent favorite actresses, Kate Mara (Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, Summer Jones/Wonder in Zoom). Brian Nichols is played by Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo (Agent Kallus in Star Wars Rebels and Steven Jacobs in Rise of the Planet of the Apes).
Want to win your own FREE copy of Captive? Just leave a comment below or on my Facebook page with the name of your favorite recent movie. I'll hold the drawing one week from today, on Saturday, January 30.
About the movie:Based on a miraculous story about the power of faith, Captive is an "amazing, inspiring" drama about the spiritual collision of two lost souls, Brian Nichols (Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo), on the run from police and desperate to make contact with his newborn son, takes recently widowed mother Ashley Smith (Kata Mara) hostage in her own apartment. Fearing for her life and desperately hoping to see her daughter again, she turns to Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life for guidance. Ashley and her captor face a crossroads where they discover hope and light in the midst of despair in the moving film that Dick Rolfe, CEO, Dove Foundation hailed as "powerful."
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2016Runtime: 96 minutesRating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements involving violence and substance abuse)
There are over 30 minutes of bonus content on this DVD including Journey Through Darkness: Filming Captive and Faith and The Purpose Driven Life. Also included with this DVD is a Digital HD copy that can be instantly streamed and downloaded.
For more information about the true story, see Today News.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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, 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.
It is good that there are documentaries about archaeological finds, because I would be far too lazy to ever become one of those archaeologists and painstakingly dig and sift through all that dirt myself, but I am positively fascinated by what they find.
Now, of course, we are getting closer to the beginning of school, and being an educational documentary, this DVD did not get quite the reception from my kids as the TobyMac CD did. Sorry, Patterns of Evidence, TobyMac is tough competition!
Don't let their faces fool you, though, this is a well-done documentary that held our attention while it revealed amazing and fascinating information. The only problem is that it was just, well, you know, educational. Sorry, kids, it's getting to be that time of year again!
Patterns of Evidence Exodus deals with one of the most controversial and fundamental questions of recent decades: Does my faith hold up in the face of mounting scientific evidence, and if not, do I still believe? You and I have both heard the same explanations since we were children: "Well, the Bible is not meant to be a document containing cold, hard facts. What is important is the teachings." I reject that whole-heartedly. It's either true or it's not. If the writers of the Bible made up a bunch of fairy tales and based a religion on them, I wouldn't be following them.
The other explanation that I totally reject is that God did not leave evidence because He wants us to believe based on blind faith. "If you had too much evidence, where would your faith come in?" Right? There is nothing blind about faith. Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." For it to be real faith, there must be substance to it.
Think of it this way. I have faith in my husband, that he will not cheat on me. Why? Because he's my husband? Because if I believe he won't cheat, then he won't cheat? If my husband was openly cheating, my refusing to believe that fact would not make it any less true. In fact, I'd probably be regarded as foolish. The fact is, I believe - no, I know - that my husband is faithful to me for a myriad of reasons that have built the trust over time. He has always been faithful, I know that what he believes requires him to be faithful, I know his character, he has made promises to be faithful and he has never broken his promises to me, and I have no reason to believe he is not being faithful. If any one of those things changed, I would have to re-evaluate and determine whether or not he was still worthy of my trust. But as long as he has my trust, I do not suspect him of being unfaithful when he is not with me, even though I do not see what he is doing every minute of every day. He has my trust. I have faith in him.
Now, should God have to prove Himself to us, being that He is, after all, God? Of course not. Having faith, theoretically, should be enough. God knows, however, that we are human and fallible, and without having evidence of Him, we could have faith in Him but just as easily have faith in other religions, in other gods, and in leprechauns at the ends of rainbows. He gives us scientific and historical evidence not because He has anything to prove, but so that we know Who to believe.
In addition, if God does exist and the stories in the Bible did happen, then by the laws of cause-and-effect, physical evidence should exist. That's just the way He created the world.
The Apostles and members of the early church did not follow Christ by blind faith. In fact, Paul and the other Apostles spent much of their time proving that Jesus was the Messiah that had been prophesied, and that He was physically raised from the dead, in order to defend their faith. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians: "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. . . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." (I Cor 15: 17, 19 NIV)
In Acts 2:22, Peter said, "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know."
In John 15:24, speaking of people who refused to follow Him, Jesus said, "If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin."
I have been raised in the Church and have been a Christian for a long time. I do not plan to let any scientific evidence shake my faith in God. I do, however, believe that God and the Bible will certainly stand up to any amount of questioning, and I think it is important to look at scientific evidence for the benefit of those to whom we witness and for our children. Children hear Bible stories when they are little, and as they grow older, they hear all kinds of "scientific evidence" refuting those stories. No wonder so many leave their faith behind when they go off to college. Want to hear something surprising? The more I study "scientific evidence," the more I find that it supports the Bible rather than refuting it.
As Tim Mahoney says in Patterns of Evidence Exodus, the goal of both science and faith should be to find The Truth. When they both find The Truth, they will be in complete agreement.
In the past I have studied and written about the scientific evidence surrounding the story of Creation and the Flood. Patterns of Evidence Exodus, as the name implies, delves into the archaeological evidence surrounding the Israelites' arrival in Egypt, their rapid multiplication, their slavery by the Egyptians, the Plagues, and ultimately, their Exodus from Egypt and the collapse of Egyptian civilization that ensued, along with their conquests in Canaan. Many scholars say there is no archaeological evidence to support these stories. What is even more shocking to me is that there are so many Christians and Jews who believe that these events did not happen, yet they say it does not matter and that they still have "faith." How can it not matter? What would you say if I told you I was waiting for Prince Charming to come carry me off to his castle in the clouds, even though I believed that the story of Snow White was a fairy tale that never really happened? How can you base a faith on something that you do not believe is true?
Tim Mahoney describes his own journey through his crisis in faith. He was raised as a Christian and believed the Bible to be true, but wondered how he could continue to believe if it was proven not to be true. Would "faith" be enough? Rather than turn a blind eye to the facts, he decided to go to great lengths to investigate to their conclusion. Based on advice he had been given, he decided to present the facts he discovered on both sides of the debate in this documentary, so that the audience could make an educated decision. What he found was astonishing.
Whether you are homeschooling or not, if you want your children to learn how to strengthen their faith by thinking for themselves and evaluating the evidence, or if you want to do so yourself, you need to include Patterns of Evidence Exodus in your curriculum for the upcoming school year. If you do not believe the Bible is true and literal or if you are not sure, this would also be an excellent DVD for you. I highly recommend it.
To get you started, we are having a giveaway for a copy of Patterns of Evidence Exodus! Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. Do you believe the Bible is literally true or that it is just a collection of stories? I will draw for a winner next Friday, August 14.
About Patterns of Evidence Exodus:For more than 50 years, the vast majority of the world's most prominent archaeologists and historians have proclaimed that there is no hard evidence to support the Exodus story found in the Bible. In fact, they say that the archaeological record is completely opposed to the Bible's account. This view of extreme skepticism has spread from academia to the world. The case against the Exodus appears to be so strong that even some religious leaders are labeling this ancient account as historical fiction. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney begins with the questions, "Is the Bible just a myth, or did the archaeologists get it wrong?" He decides to tackle this issue with a deliberate scientific approach. After examining the details in the biblical text, he journeys across the globe to search for patterns of evidence firsthand. The result is the most in-depth archaeological investigation into the Exodus from Egypt ever captured on film. This scientific documentary's goal is to communicate the TRUTH of the Bible and help equip believers with defending their faith and the Bible.
The DVD features stunning animations and a cast including narrator, Kevin Sorbo (God's Not Dead, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), interviews with leading archaeologists including Israel Finkelstein, Kent Weeks, and David Rohl, and guest appearances by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres. Releases on DVD August 4, 2015 Run Time: 119 minutes Special Features: Cast Profiles & 17 Extra InterviewsDocumentary Rating: NR
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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Two weeks ago, I reviewed the DVD Old-Fashioned. It was a compelling story of boy-meets-girl with a twist - the boy wants an "old-fashioned" courtship to protect both of them and to prepare for a solid marriage. My children and I very much enjoyed the movie, as you can see in my review here. Since then, I have been reading the accompanying novel, also titled Old-Fashioned. Rene Gutteridge expounded on the screenplay written by Rik Swartzwelder to bring us the written story of equal quality. Since the novel was written after the movie, she stayed pretty true to what had been done in the movie, but in novel form, she was able to offer more detail and information about the thoughts and backgrounds of the characters. I really like the novel, and I think my daughters may read it, but I do not think it will appeal to my teenage son. While my daughters coined this movie a "chick-flick," my teenage son did enjoy watching it, and I like the idea of using it for boys, because it shows an example of a man taking the leadership in keeping the relationship pure. I would like it if there were a book to go along with the movie that he would like and that I could have him read, but I don't know if there is a good way to do that, as he really is probably not going to like any book about dating and relationships, period.
I think the devotional, on the other hand, can be used with boys and girls. OK, OK, I'll admit my son doesn't really want to do a devotional about courtship with Mom, but since I have told him it is a condition of being allowed to date, he is willing to discuss such matters with me! The Old-Fashioned Way is a good 40-day study (every good devotional is 40 days!) on how to put these ideas into practice.
And now that I've completed the second part of the review, we get to the exciting part. Flyby Promotions is giving away the whole set, with the DVD and both books! Comment here or on my Facebook page by Monday, July 6, to enter the drawing!
"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
Looking for a fun summer-weekend-movie-for-the-family? We thoroughly enjoyed reviewing PIRATES CODE: THE ADVENTURES OF MICKEY MATSON! My kids, ages 9-16, boys and girls, were all excited about reviewing this movie. I mean, you've got modern-day pirates, a kid in a top-secret spy agency, and lots of cool gadgets like jet-propelled sneakers. How could it not be awesome?
In this follow up to Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure, Mickey Matson is at it again; this time pitted against the evil Admiral Ironsides and his gang of pirates who are intent on destroying civilization. Their new invention, the Tesla Coil, is a weapon of mass destruction that will send an electromagnetic pulse throughout the world, destroying every electronic device in existence. With the help of a secret organization, Mickey and his best friend Sully embark on a mission to stop the pirates from taking over a submarine and stealing the last part needed to complete their devastating weapon. If Admiral Ironsides succeeds in his plan, civilization will be sent back to the Stone Age. It's a race against time, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
I will admit that when we started the movie, we felt a little lost and wished we'd seen the first Mickey Matson movie. In fact, we decided to go get that one, too, and I can highly recommend them both. So I would recommend that if you are interested in these movies, watch the first one, Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure, and then watch Pirates Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson. That, however, is just a recommendation. It is not necessary to see the first one to understand the second one.
We enjoyed the goofy, inept villains; the interactions between Mickey, his best friend Sully, and their co-spies; and the ever-intense inventor grandfather played by Christopher Lloyd of Back to the Future fame. There are even a few references only those of us who grew up in the 80s would fully appreciate (Great Scott!!) Overall, the movie is similar to the Disney pre-teen/young teen movies in its humor and its plot-line. If your kids like Agent Cody Banks and Spy Kids, they will love this movie. I always wonder where the parents are in these movies and why they are allowing their children to be in such dangerous circumstances, but you take Cody Banks and throw him on a pirate ship, and my kids have the ideal movie!! I like the clean humor, the family values, and the fact that the movie appealed to both boys and girls of various ages. I also like the dynamic of the kid hero and his grandfather working together. There is a cameraderie and respect fostered there that I think is beneficial to kids today.
After the last several movies we've reviewed, my kids are actually starting to look for movies from PureFlix entertainment because they've enjoyed them so much. These are good, family-values movies that are not full of hokey humor and sub-standard acting. Well, no more than any other movie geared toward preteens and teens!
What? Did you just say you sure wished you could WIN a FREE copy of the Pirate's Code DVD? Well, of course you can! Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page telling me your favorite teen adventure movie, and you'll be entered in the drawing to be held next Friday, June 26. :-)
"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
I don't believe that dating trains us to be good husbands or wives, you know? Life partners. It trains us to be good dates. That's it. Trains us to be skilled in the superficial.
- Clay in Old Fashioned
Has chivalry been lost? Can it be reclaimed? What is a modern "courtship"?
I have two teenagers, a boy and a girl, plus two preteens on their way up. DATE is a four-letter word in our house that sends my husband running for his shotgun! In an age where anyone in the movies is a prude if they have reached the age of 18 with their virginity intact, how do I protect my children's purity - and more importantly, train them to protect their own purity - and prepare them for a successful lifelong marriage, should they choose to get married? On the other end of the spectrum, there are parents encouraging their children not to kiss until their wedding. Is that realistic?
Old Fashioned is a movie about a young guy who runs an antique store in a small midwestern town and endeavors to turn his back on his former reckless lifestyle and "do things the old fashioned way." He sets boundaries and fights to keep them against the opposition of practically everyone he knows. Of course, it's a movie, so an incredibly beautiful girl has to move into the apartment upstairs to test his limits, right? How will Clay and Amber navigate these waters? Is it possible to have a good, old-fashioned courtship in a modern world?
I greatly enjoyed this movie. It's a little slow-moving, but it strikes me as being more realistic than a lot of movies that are billed as "Christian romance." The character development and the plot drew me in. The idea that there are still people who want an "old-fashioned" romance is alluring. It was refreshing to me that the guy was the one attempting to protect himself and the girl in the relationship, rather than the old tired plot of the guy pushing and pushing and the girl saying no, no, no. I also liked the emphasis on the stories of people in the movie. I liked the fact that both protagonists in the movie had to "give a little," without compromising convictions. And I liked the fact that while the movie encourages strong convictions, it still comes across as being written for entertainment, not just to "teach a lesson." In short, it was a good movie!
I am looking forward to reviewing the novel and the devotional that accompany the movie:
Rene Gutteridge wrote the novelization of the screenplay by Rik Swartzwelder, who also stars as Clay in the movie.
Like all good modern studies, there is also a 40-day devotional: The Old-Fashioned Way: Reclaiming the Lost Art of Romance.
Taken together, the movie, the novel, and the devotional journal are an excellent way to introduce your teens to the concept of courtship. Explore the old-fashioned way to build a relationship that will last!
A romantic-drama, OLD FASHIONED centers on Clay Walsh, a former frat boy who gives up his reckless carousing and now runs an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. There, he has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance as well as for his devout belief in God. When Amber Hewson, a free-spirited young woman with a restless soul, drifts into the area and rents the apartment above his shop, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to his strong faith and noble ideas, which are new and intriguing to her. And Clay, though he tries to fight and deny it, simply cannot resist being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. Ultimately, Clay must step out from behind his relational theories and Amber must overcome her own fears and deep wounds as the two of them, together, attempt the impossible: an "old-fashioned" and God-honoring courtship in contemporary America.
The Novel: Turning his back on his reckless lifestyle, former frat boy Clay Walsh has settled down to turn an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town....and to purse lofty and outdated theories on love and romance. But when Amber Hewson, a free-spirited woman with a gypsy soul, rents the apartment above his shop, Clay can't help being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. Amber also finds herself surprisingly drawn to Clay, but his ideas about relationships are unusual to say the least, and they bring to light her own deep wounds and fears about love. They say opposites attract, but can Clay and Amber move beyond their differences and their pasts to attempt an "old fashioned" courtship?
The Devotional: Contrary to popular opinion, being "old fashioned" doesn't mean you're dull or unromantic. In fact, a true old fashioned relationship can be more exciting and romantic than anything you've ever experienced! So what does it mean to do things the old fashioned way? Sure, it means opening doors, holding out chairs, and taking things slow. But a true old fashioned romance goes much, much deeper than that. Inspired by the motion picture Old Fashioned, this book will show you how to reclaim the lost art of romance by introducing you to romantic love as God intended it. Regardless of your past mistakes, where you've been, what you've done, or where you are now, you can find and create a love that will last a lifetime! As you work your way through this forty-day journey of inspiring readings and questions for reflection, you'll discover all the unique and amazing benefits of doing things the old fashioned way. And before you know it, you'll be well on your way to creating a love story for the ages.
Stay tuned for my reviews of the novel and the devotional at the end of the month. At the end, there will be a drawing for one person to win the prize pack of all 3!
We recently had the opportunity to review the delightful family movie The Identical, starring Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, and newcomer Blake Rayne. I may have been interested in this movie for different reasons from many people. It is about identical twins separated at birth. One was adopted. Since I was adopted, this story of the adopted twin unraveling his history was fascinating to me.
The music and the storyline are probably of more interest to most people. Everyone is looking for a place and a purpose in life. The Identical tells the story of one man searching for his own identity and purpose, needing redemption and meaning even though he was raised in a good family. It is a great family movie with an original story.
The only thing that confused me was the similarity to the Elvis Presley story. The singer looked like Elvis, sang like Elvis, and discovered his music similarly to Elvis, but the story is not about Elvis at all. In fact, Elvis Presley and the Beatles are mentioned in the film as being other popular musicians of the time period. Upon further research, we found that Blake Rayne was an Elvis impersonator before doing this, his first movie. We also discovered that Elvis did indeed have an identical twin brother - Jesse Garon Presley - who was stillborn 35 minutes before Elvis's birth. Perhaps that inspired this story.
If you are looking for a family-friendly movie for Friday night, pop some popcorn and pop in The Identical DVD. January, being the birth month of Elvis and many other great people (me!), is a great time for this activity! (Elvis and Jesse Presley would have been 80 on January 8.)
Another tidbit from my research that I found interesting, though entirely unimportant, is that Blake Rayne is 40 years old. He looks very young in the movie and pulls off being a teenager and young adult with the 46-year-old Ashley Judd as his mother very well!!
In honor of Elvis's 80th birthday, what is your favorite Elvis song? Leave a comment here or on Facebook by January 19, and one lucky person will win a copy of The Identical DVD!
About the film:Rated PG / Approx. 107 minutes The Identical, starring Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his father’s desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really us. The Identical is a captivating story about a family restored and a life discovered that lifts your soul and warms your heart. The DVD that we’d like to send you contains over 85 minutes of bonus content including “Making The Identical,” Behind the Scenes, and Deleted Scenes!
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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
This month I had the privilege of reviewing the DVD Susie's Hope. This movie, based on a true story, tells the powerful story of Donna Lawrence, who survived a vicious pit-bull attack, and Susie, a part-pit-bull who survived an attack by a human, who found healing in each other. Susie's former master had beaten her, poured lighter fluid on her, and set her on fire. Donna, with the help of her husband and her best friend, sought and achieved stricter punishments for animal abusers in the state of North Carolina. The ensuing law was aptly named "Susie's Law."
For the most part, I enjoyed Susie's Hope. The story is compelling and emotional. The actors did an excellent job of portraying their characters. I liked the way parts of the action were shown through Susie's eyes. Animal lovers are sure to enjoy finding this DVD in their stocking. There were parts I found hard to swallow, and it is hard to say how much they were based on truth and how much was changed for dramatic effect. There were places where it seemed our protagonist was placing the love of animals above her human relationships and her marriage. Thankfully, her husband was a strong and compassionate man, but I had a hard time seeing the marriage take second place as if this behavior was condoned. If this is the way it really happened, I do not say this in judgement of any of the characters. I cannot imagine surviving the kind of attack that Donna Lawrence experienced, and I'm sure the road to healing was not an easy one. I also say this as an avid dog lover myself with two excessively spoiled pooches of my own!
The film is not rated, but I would caution parents to view it first before sharing it with children. I am allowing my children to see it, but the portrayal of the abuse Susie suffered and of Donna's attack - while not overly graphic in the movie - could be disturbing for children. There was no excessive use of bad language or anything inappropriate in the movie, and the message that God gave us dominion over the animals with the expectation that we will be good stewards of what He has given us is a good one for any age.
Of course, you may enter here to win your own copy of the Susie's Hope DVD! Simply leave a comment here or on my Facebook page to enter the drawing, which will be held on Tuesday, December 16. Tell me your favorite pet anecdote, or just say "hi"!
Here is some more information about Susie's Hope:
About the movie: Run time 105 minutes
Based on the true story that successfully passed Susie’s
Law in North Carolina, which seeks stricter punishment for animal
abusers, Susie’s Hope brings to life the inspirational
relationship between pit bull attack survivor Donna
Lawrence and Susie, a pit bull-mix puppy found beaten, burned and left
for dead. Recognizing reflect and abuse were to blame for the tragic
attack that nearly claimed her life 10 months earlier, Donna resumes the
battered animal and accepts her as family.
Together, they learn to heal, love and forgive as thyey lead a historic
effort to seek justice and protection, not only for Susie, but all
animals. Starring Emmanuelle Vaguer (40 Days and 40 Nights), Burgess
Jenkins (Remember The Titans) and Andrea Powell
(Ender’s Game, The Twighlight: Breaking Dawn Saga: Part 2), Susie’s Hope is an incredible story of love, loss and redemption.
Susie
was found nearly dead in Greenfield Park in Greensboro, North Carolina
on August
20, 2009. Just a puppy, Susie had licked the face of her owner’s
newborn baby. Her owner became violent—she was beaten so severely her
jaw was broken. That wasn’t enough, though. She was then set on fire and
left for dead. Incredibly and against all odds Susie
survived. Donna Lawrence adopted her two months later. Susie is now a
trained therapy dog and event won the American Humane Association’s
American Hero Dog this year!
Check out and share Susie’s Hero Dog Award Video here!
This website is a GREAT resource for all things Susie / Susie’s Hope related
Thanks for reading!
"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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible
to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
