Apollo 11 in Theaters NOW

It is no secret that we are rather picky about the movies we watch, especially in theaters, but this one- this one I want to see!

It has now been 50 years since that historic event and you now have the opportunity to see never before shared footage.  How awesome is that?

Want a sneak peak?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6tVRTz_FIg

I mean really, who doesn't get excited about space travel and history?  Yes, we are history nerds in this house and I can just see a book report coming our way.  We are homeschoolers, after all!

While Apollo 11 is in theaters now, I am not sure how long it will last so, quick, get the the movies and let me know what you think!!

Blessings,

Indivisible- A Military Wife's Perspective

Movie theaters are not really my thing.  My family loves them, but me, not so much.  On the other hand, when I can watch a movie, especially one for review, in the comfort of my house, I am usually game.  After I heard about Indivisible being a "military" movie but more about the family and not just a shoot 'em up type movie, I was intrigued.

Indivisible is a faith based movie based on the true life story of Army chaplain Darren Turner and his wife, Heather.  Shortly after basic training, Darren is sent to Iraq to support a unit deployed there and is separated from his wife and three young children. Heather is left behind at home to "support" the spouses there. While the movie does depict the experiences the chaplain has while in Iraq, it is primarily a movie about his relationship with his family prior to and then following his deployment. It is also a movie about a crisis of faith, of questioning God, and fighting for a marriage that has been strained by the separation and stress of a war.

Thoughts-

If you have been around Family Faith and Fridays for any length of time now, you know I am pretty careful about recommending movies.  I know everyone has different tastes and tolerance levels, therefore, I try to give you just the facts and a quick personal thought or two.  Unless a movie is just horrible, I do not ever want to assume what I like or dislike would be how you would feel as well.

That being said, I think Indivisible is a solid movie.  It is well done, has solid acting in it, and is not your typical sappy, faith-based movie.  The scenes are believable and the story is good.  It is based on a real life person, after all.

It was also hard for me to watch at times.  As a military wife who has had a husband deployed several times, it hit pretty close to home.  While I cannot tell you about my husband's experiences, I can tell you about mine.  The loneliness, the fear, and at times, the desperation Heather felt, I have experienced.  The way your heart skips a beat when your doorbell rings at odd times and the heartache of standing by a friend who has lost a spouse has been my reality.  So while the war scenes did not tug at my heart as much (yes, I did close my eyes during one intense part), the scenes back at home gripped my heart.  I can tell you the things you see the wives talk about and think are indeed things many military spouses through the years have thought about and said. 

Because of my perspective as a military wife, it is those scenes that I identified with the most.  But this movie also allowed me to see deployment from a different perspective- through the eyes of a man who is also experiencing the same separation but with different stresses and realities.  It opened my eyes to a whole different side of the husband wife relationship that is affected by war.  It also reminded me that my faith in God has undoubtedly carried me through our deployments.  God has used them to stretch us and grow us and ultimately pull us closer together.  May he get the glory!

Yes, my retired military husband watched the movie with me.  While he enjoyed the movie, he did have several critiques about it to include questionable uniform details as well as military protocol details.  Several times he said, "they would not have done that."  Trust me when I say this is not the first time I have heard that while watching a military movie.  

I would encourage you to go see Indivisible.  But I would also add this disclaimer- those who are sensitive to war issues need to be aware there are a few intense battle scenes, a scene with an injured child, and a death of a squadron member.  I would be concerned for anyone with PTSD to see it.  As a family who has lived just a tiny part of this life, I would be hesitant for my 16 year old son or my 20 year old daughter to watch it.

If you are looking for a faith based movie, minus the fluff, but big in the reality of war and military life, Indivisible will be one you enjoy.

Starring Sarah Drew, Justin Bruening, Jason George, Tia Mowry, and Madeline Carroll, INDIVISIBLE opens in theaters October 26. 


In case you haven't seen the trailer, here you go!

I have two Fandango movie codes to give away to a Family, Faith and Fridays reader.  Just leave me a comment here on the blog and tell me what is the last movie you saw in a theater.  A random winner will be chosen next Monday!

“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.

Finding Noah- Movie Review and Hammock Giveaway

It is probably no secret to you that we are a Bible- believing family.  The whole Bible.  Literally.

While it might be easier to pick and choose what we like and believe only those parts, we do not feel that is what God has called us to do.  So, instead we choose to believe it all, even the parts that are not particularly easy or the parts that we do not fully understand.

7 literal days for creation?  Yes.

Adam and Eve and a serpent? Yes.

A giant named Goliath?  Yes.

Noah and a worldwide flood?  Yes.

Immaculate conception?  Yes.

Jesus?  A BIG yes!

It is all amazing.  And we believe it is all true.  And we wish that somehow we could prove it all to you, and ourselves, without just blind belief.  You know- physical proof.  Like a piece of the ark!

Before you scoff - there are others that are apparently just as intrigued by that possibility as us. Hence the upcoming release of the documentary Finding Noah.

My family and I were blessed to be able to watch a special showing of the film. This Thursday, October 8th in cinemas nationwide, you have the opportunity to see Finding Noah as well.

Did you know that every year for several years past, a large group of explorers, clergy, scientists, and more have traveled to Mount Ararat, in modern-day Turkey, in search of Noah's Ark.  Equipped with much evidence and even more determination, they brave the elements in a militarily unstable area in search of a shred of evidence to prove to the world that the Ark did exist.

What is neat about this film for believers is that they do not go as skeptics.  They believe with their whole beings that the ark is there somewhere.  They go with great faith and determination, year after year, convinced that, one day, they will find physical evidence of its existence. 

The feature-length film follows a group of men from preparation to the end of their quest - to Mt. Ararat.  Narrated by Academy award nominee Gary Sinise, this film will teach you, challenge what you believe, and inspire you.  The first part of the film is full of historical information and introduces the main men you will see in the exploration.  The second half of the film then highlights parts of their expedition, in addition to clips from several previous expeditions.  Shot in never-before filmed locations, the rugged scenery is breathtaking at times!


This film is family friendly and recommended for ages 12 and up.  There is one scene that a hiker is injured in that we had my 8 year old turn his head for, but otherwise he was just as entertained by Finding Noah as the rest of the family.

If the mystery of Noah's Ark is one that intrigues you, I would encourage you to grab some tickets and make Thursday a special family movie night out!

And just for fun - one of our lucky readers is going to win a Royal Blue Grand Trunk Ultralight Travel Hammock.  All you have to do is leave a comment and tell us if you think you could climb a mountain!  A random winner will be chosen next Monday!

"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.”

Blessings,

Dolphin Tale 2- Release and FREE curriculum!

As most of you know, we are not huge movie theater people around here.  Seriously.  My kids go to see a movie about 3 times a year.  If they really get lucky and beg me on a good day! ;)

Dolphin Tale was one of those movies a few years ago.  Dolphin Tale 2 will be one of those this year.  And guess what? The won't even have to beg this time.  'Cause I am nice like that!

In case you haven't heard- Dolphin Tale 2 will be in theaters beginning on Friday, September 12th, in conjunction with Homeschool  Day.  Theaters all across the United States are doing a FREE showing at noon.

Winter's story continues...
It has been several years since young Sawyer Nelson and the dedicated team at the Clearwater Marine Hospital, headed by Dr. Clay Haskett, rescued Winter. With the help of Dr. Cameron McCarthy, who developed a unique prosthetic tail for the injured dolphin, they were able to save her life. Yet their fight is not over. Winter’s surrogate mother, the very elderly dolphin Panama, has passed away, leaving Winter without the only pool mate she has ever known. However, the loss of Panama may have greater repercussions for Winter, who, according to USDA regulations, cannot be housed alone, as dolphins’ social behavior requires them to be paired with other dolphins. Time is running out to find a companion for her before the team at Clearwater loses their beloved Winter to another aquarium.

Guess what else is FREE?

You can access the most amazing curriculum all about dolphins.  Do it!  Even if you are not a  homeschooler, you will not want to miss this great deal.

As a homeschooler, I can tell you not all curriculum is created equally.  Quite honestly, you usually get what you pay for.  That is not the case here.  Trust me on this one.  It was written by the same author that wrote Apologia's Exploring Creation With Marine Biology, a high school course my daughter is currently taking!

The curriculum is divided into 5 lessons, each with a corresponding short video to watch and then a downloadable PDF with various activities.  The videos are fun and engaging and include:

• Get to Know Dolphins- Anatomy and Physical Science- Learn some new vocabulary, and about how long dolphins are and how they sleep.
• A Day in the Life of Dolphins- Learn about how dolphins eat and how and why they communicate.
• Dolphins in the Ocean-Who are their enemies and how many species are there?
• Aquarium Life- Learn why the goal of Clearwater Marine Aquarium is Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release.
• Dolphins and Us- What can you do to prepare yourself to work with dolphins and other marine life?

An answer key is also provided.

After your child watches the video, each anywhere from 2-5 minutes a piece, make sure you take time to do some of the activities.  There is a little there for everyone, from coloring sheets, to games, to stories.  Each activity is marked with a dolphin to indicate activities geared towards elementary aged children or a sea turtle to indicate activities geared towards middle school or high schoolers. We had so much fun with this. What a great way to follow up after watching the movie and would make a fun, rainy day activity for your whole family!

If you are a homeschooler and know anything about Classical Conversations- a quick shout out.  There is a 75 page CC lesson guide you can also download.  In true CC form, it is simply amazing and covers every subject you could think of.  They outdid themselves, I must say.  Even if you do not use CC, use this guide anyway!  It is worth it!

As a part of the kick off promotion for Dolphin Tale 2, one of our readers can win a Dolphin Tale 2 t-shirt and cool sunglasses just like you see here!

Cute kid not included!

 Just enter the rafflecopter below and swim back here next Friday to see if you won!

You can find Dolphin Tale 2-

Website: http://www.homeschoolmovieclub.com/homeschool_day

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dolphintalemovie

Twitter: @dolphintale

Watch and share the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMDymk_gx3A

Blessings,



a Rafflecopter giveaway

M is for the Music Writer

Funny story- This movie review should have been done last week, but due to a change of address snafu, I only just received it and watched it last night.  And yet, my review and giveaway fit so nicely into my Blogging Through the Alphabet, that I had to smile.  Sometimes, things just work themselves out!

Rich Mullins!  Does the name sound familiar?  It did to me, which is one of the reasons I was eager to watch the movie.  I knew he wrote songs for Amy Grant (Doubly Good to You and Sing Your Praise to the Lord) and I knew Awesome God made him pretty famous in the Christian songwriting world.  That is where my knowledge stopped.

Through Ragamuffin, a movie based on the true life of singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, you get to see more of the man behind the talent.  Unfortunately, much of the behind the scenes are pretty tragic.  Much of Rich's childhood was plagued by a rocky relationship with his father.  Scenes of verbal abuse are at times very harsh, hence the PG-13 rating.  While Rich's childhood experiences and love of music drove him to a Bible college, they also drove him to a life of depression that made him, it seems, quite an emotionally charged man.  Rather true or not, the video portrays him as almost a tortured soul and throughout the movie my heart broke for him.  Despite his occasional humor and his obvious love for Jesus, he seemed sad, from childhood to his tragic death at age 41.  Rest assured though, God can use anything and anyone, and that He did with Rich.  He ministered to the poor and needy, living off very little and giving away the rest he made.  He worked with Navajo children on an Indian reservation and sought to live a life free of the temptations that fame can bring.

This is not a feel good movie.  It is a movie about a talented man who made it his life's passion to know and love Jesus and to try to share that knowledge and love with others.  One of the most poignant parts of the movie for me is where Rich sings the simple truth- Jesus Loves Me, to a church audience. A word of caution- This movie is rated PG-13.  There are some intense, emotional scenes throughout as well as drinking and smoking.  The word d**n is used at least 6 times by Rich's father. One of the most interesting things of this film for me is an interview on the bonus features of Dave Mullins, Rich's brother who discusses why they included such things.  I would encourage you to actually watch that part before viewing the movie! You can find Ragamuffin here-

Official website: http://ragamuffinthemovie.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richmullinsfilm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/richmullinsfilm

You can purchase a copy of Ragamuffin at http://ragamuffinthemovie.com/buy/.

•About Rich Mullins:

Singer and songwriter Richard Wayne “Rich” Mullins was best known for his worship song “Awesome God” which has been embraced as modern classics by many Christians. His music has been covered by many artists, including Caedmon’s Call, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, John Tesh, and Hillsong United. Mullins’ musical career formally began with Zion Ministries in the late 1970s, where he wrote music and performed with a band called Zion.  Mullins first solo hit, “Awesome God,” appeared on his third album and brought his music to a wider audience. Rich Mullins was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) on April 29, 2014.

You also have a chance to win a copy of Ragamuffin simply by leaving me a comment telling me what your favorite Rich Mullins song is! A random winner will be drawn on Friday!

Blessings,

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.”

God's Not Dead- Movie Review

What if you had to take a class from a professor who told you that God did not exist?  What if you were told by that professor that you must write "God is Dead" on a piece of paper and then sign that paper and turn it in?  What would you do?

Josh Wheaten, played by Shane Harper, is faced with just that dilemma in the soon-to-be released movie God's Not Dead.  And instead of forsaking his beliefs, he chooses to defend God to his entire college Philosophy class to prove that God is not dead.

Would you?

Could you?

I have said it before, but it bears repeating, I am very hesitant to recommend movies.  We are a quite conservative family.  As in, my girls watched only movies with talking vegetables for many, many years!  (Please do not ask them how long. They may be a little bitter! haha)  But the movie God's Not Dead - well, I am telling you, it is worth seeing!  Thanks to Fly By Productions, my family and I had the privilege of previewing it a few weeks ago.  Yes, that is them, all squeezed on the couch watching on the computer...notice they left a small space for me.

In a carefully woven story involving multiple characters, Josh begins a quest in which he has to prove to his fellow classmates that God is indeed not dead, or fail his class.  Lest there be any room for confusion, Professor Raddison, played by Kevin Sorbo, has no intention of letting Josh pass.  Regardless, with the help of a pastor and some intense research, he takes on the challenge, despite some bumps along the way.

At the risk of being negative, let's face it, some Christian movies out there are just not done well.  I am happy to tell you that this is not one of those movies!  The acting is strong, featuring several faces you will recognize like Dean Cain and David A.R. White.  There are also cameo appearances from the Duck Dynasty folks,

and of course, The News Boys who sing the title song.

I have to tell you, we enjoyed this movie and are excited to see how it does in the mainstream theaters. There are a few intense scenes, one involving domestic abuse and one of an accident, so I would personally advise against allowing young children to watch.  Our 12 year old son was not disturbed by them, but I was a little!  There are a few plot twists that might surprise you and you have to really pay attention as the characters are plenty, but I think you will enjoy this movie.  I know you will enjoy the music.  And it may even help you in defending God when your turn comes.

You will want to check out the trailer to get a glimpse of this movie!

Now go see it - starting March 21st! You can check out the God's Not Dead facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/GodsNotDeadTheMovie

If you are looking for some encouragement and Godly posts, head over to Christian Mommy Blogger!  Her Fellowship Fridays are are an amazing collection of posts that will not disappoint you!

Unstoppable- Movie review and Giveaway

Go ahead and admit it.  You wanted to marry Kirk Cameron when you were younger.  You know you did.  Me too.  As a matter of fact, I was pretty upset with him with he married Chelsea ON the show, never mind when he actually married her in real life. Glad to say that he has been happily married to her for many years and has 6 children.

Anyway... that is not really what this post is about.  ;) Yes, Unstoppable stars the beloved Kirk Cameron, but it is not about him.  It is inspired by him.


Written after a life changing loss of a personal friend, Matthew, Unstoppable explores the age old question- Where is God on the midst of pain and suffering? This hour long commentary, voiced by Kirk himself, flashes back and forth between Kirk talking to the audience from a living room like he is speaking to a friend, and dramatized scenes depicting the parts of the creation story he is discussing.  Personally, I could have done without those dramatized scenes, but the commentary was attention holding.

So did he answer the question he set out to?  This is something I have been thinking about for a few days.  I am not sure he did. Honestly, it is not a question I think can be answered, especially in one hour.  By starting at the beginning with the account of Creation, Kirk contends that to answer the question of where is God on the midst of pain and suffering one must first study and understand the very nature of God.  That I agree with and is what I expected the rest of the video to be about.  It seemed to get off track a little from there.  In between Kirk talking about the gospel, two things happen.

One is a dramatized, voiceless, act of both the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.  These I could have done without.  Call me old fashioned, but I did not need to see what it might have been like in the garden during the fall and I did not need to see Cain killing Able, blood and all.  The second thing that happens is the unfolding story of Kirk's friend Matthew's death.  The first scene shown is Kirk on a plane and then progresses eventually to Matthew's funeral.  The problem I had was that it is not clear at first where it is headed and for the life of me I could not figure out why we were watching Kirk on an airplane.  Call me slow, maybe.  

Anyway, one thing I really did appreciate was the testimony of Matthew's parents at the end.  They are honest in their grief but point the viewers back to God's love.  A sometimes easy thing to say, but much harder to live in the midst of a tragedy.  It is obvious as well the love of Kirk for this precious family and speaks volumes to me of his compassion.  The video of the funeral was taken at the time without Kirk even knowing why he took it.  I also appreciate the fact that a famous actor is unashamedly Christian and intent on spreading his faith to others.  Kirk Cameron is bold and passionate about God and I commend him for that.  

While I was slightly disappointed in Unstoppable as a whole, I would encourage you to watch it to see what you think.  At the very least it can help pave the way for a discussion within your family of what you believe and where YOU think God is in the midst the tragedies on our lives.  On its premier weeknight showing, Unstoppable sold 260,000 tickets!  Wow, that is impressive!

This movie is recommended for ages 12 and up.  I would abide with that due to the heavy subject matter and the scene of Cain killing Abel.  Yes, those are important things to discuss with our children, but I am just not sure younger kids need to SEE them acted out on media.

And, in case you were wondering, I still like Kirk Cameron as an actor, and I have gotten over the fact that he married someone else! ;)

Just so you know, Unstoppable is produced by Liberty University and therefore starts with a few minute "advertisement" for their school.  If that is something you object to, you can fast forward through that part.  Unstoppable is also clearly from a Christian point of view.  It does not really seek to convince you there is a God, but to help you understand where He is when bad things happen.

I am so excited to be able to give one copy of this movie to one of our readers.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

Visit the official website: http://unstoppablethemovie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unstoppablethemovie

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/UnstoppableDVD

Blessings,



a Rafflecopter giveaway

"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.

Cookies and a movie!

Today I want to share with you one of our favorite cookie recipes.  My mother-in-law has been making these since I can remember for the family and WE LOVE them!  Let me warn you, these are not made with healthy "stuff", save the oats.  Sometimes, 'ya just gotta break the rules!  Second warning- do not eat too many at once- there's lots of oats in them and well, they will get your system going.  Just saying!  Otherwise, ENJOY!

Oatmeal Crispies

1 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2  all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 C quick cooking oats
1 C chocolate chips, optional (We never add them!)

Mix and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Would have had pictures, but well, we ate them all too fast!

And then the movie...
Both my girls are off for a few days visiting friends (come home soon, I miss you all!), and I have an extra boy in the house.  Yes, I am outnumbered 4 to 1!  So, not sure what the movie choice tonight is yet, but I am willing to bet it has swords, or lightsabers, or epic battles or guns.  Pray for me!  ;)


Hugs and Happy Friday!