Bird Song

Some favorite, must-read books

Come What May

that has become one of my personal favorite movies.  It was made by  a group of around 40 homeschoolers and a few film professionals called the Advent Film Group. For being their first movie, this was an amazing effort.
     Here's a little snapshot of the plot. The main character is a college student named Caleb.  Caleb is planning on being a lawyer, and wants to transfer to Patrick Henry College for their moot court team. His liberal lawyer mother allows him to transfer to PHC for that year and even promises to pay for the next years on one condtion: that he win the moot court championship. The moot court case, however, is about abortion. Throughout the film, Caleb struggles with doing either what he knows is right, or what would be safe.
     Also woven into the plot is a beautiful example of biblical courtship, presented in a very non-threatening way. I love that it shows courtship for what it really is -- not a legalistic system that keeps you from having fun, but a way of honoring God in your relationships. If the court case doesn't sound appealing to you (Even though it is fascinating), then the movie is worth watching just for this part.
     Come What May is inspiring! It's a vigorous encouragement to everyone, but young people especially, to stand up for truth.
     If you'd like to see a trailer and portions of the movie, click here .  And, if you want to go one step further, you can watch the entire movie on GodTube! If you'd like to watch the whole movie, click here . What else can I say? It can't get much easier. Watch the movie!

     If you have seen/are planning to see Come What May, then let me know. I'd love to hear some other thoughts about it.     

Fireproof!

     As I wrote about last time, my family and I went to see Fireproof, the newest movie made by Sherwood Baptist church. First response: "Wow!" -- then, "Let's watch it again!" Like in their first two movies, (Flywheel and Facing the Giants), the Kendrick brothers have shown their skill at making a movie that touches their viewers' emotions. It's not a huge exaggeration to say that you cry through all 2 hours and 2 minutes of the movie; tears that could come from sorrow, laughter, or pure relief.
     Here's a quick synopsis of the plot: trouble has been heating up in the marriage of firefighter Caleb Holt and his wife Catherine, a public relations director for a local hospital. Things reach a boiling point, and it looks like divorce is inevitable. At the urging of his wise father, however, Caleb reluctantly agrees to try one more thing to save his marriage - the Love Dare. I don't want to reveal too much for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but suffice it to say that the Love Dare impacts not only Caleb Holt's marriage, but also his entire life.
     This movie shows the truth about love and shines like a bright light among today's over-romanced chick flicks. Instead of portraying love as a fluctuating emotion, it shows the Biblical view of love: that love is an unselfish act of the will to earnestly seek the best for another. One of my personal favorite scenes is when Caleb is talking with his father about loving his wife, and he says, "How can you love someone who keeps rejecting you over and over?" This sets the stage for a poignant description of God's love for us; the love that caused Him to give His Son to die for sinners. That is the ultimate demonstration of love.
     I highly recommend Fireproof. It's entertaining and touching, yet thoroughly soaked with truth. This is one movie to support whole-heartedly!


Our top three favorite quotes:
1."TOMATO JUICE?"
2."Thanks for fixing my hand. My ring finger feels much better now."
3. "You can't just follow your heart. You gotta lead your heart."

If you've seen the other movies, then be sure to look for. . . .
~The "Jay Austen Motors" tag on Caleb's truck
~The sign for "The Biscuit Barn" and "Bobby Lee Duke's Lollipop Shop"
~ Bobby Lee Duke himself indulging in a lollipop in the final scene

"Expelled" shows a lot of intelligence

    Intelligent people everywhere should be cheering for the new documentary Expelled. Starring Ben Stein, Expelled probes the battle between Darwinism and Intelligent Design that is raging in our country.
    Mr. Stein interviews advocates for both Darwinism and ID, leading us along in his search for the truth about the supposed debate between them. The conclusion is startling: in reality, there is no actual debate allowed between the conflicting ideas. In the academic/scientific world, Darwinism is not to be questioned, and those who do question it are endangering their careers. The film draws a poignant parallel  as we are shown film clips of the Berlin wall, a symbol of oppression, and hear of the suppression of free speech that is taking place in our own country.
    The most revealing (and the most chilling) part of the documentary to me, personally, was when Darwinism was shown to have influenced Hitler in his desire to "purify" the human race. According to Hitler's perspective, he was simply aiding nature in the normal process of "natural selection" as taught by evolution. Of course, Darwinism was not the only factor that spurred Hitler to act as he did, but it was a necessary one.  Not surprisingly, Darwinism is also linked to the eugenics movement of today. (Think "Planned Parenthood".)
    This documentary is definitely worth seeing and supporting. Well-made and thought- provoking, it would be great for the entire family (though my nine-year-old brother complained that it was "Boring!"). So, leaving the younger opinions aside, I encourage you to go see it. Everyone could use a little more intelligence.