Fruitbearers

One of my favorite Christmas carols is " I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day " (sung by Casting Crowns). I was thrilled for an opportunity to review this movie. I Heard the Bells is a beautiful and inspiring film based on a true story behind the beloved Christmas carol and its author, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who was a well-loved & well-respected American poet. The film covers a three-year period of Longfellow's life from 1860 to 1863. A tragedy shattered his peaceful and picturesque life and family in such a profound way. His unimaginable grief tested his faith in God and took away any motivation to write while he was immensely worried about his son, Charley, who signed up to fight in Civil War. But the sound of bells on Christmas morning reminded Longfellow of their hopeful voices and restored his poetic passion. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and cried pretty much through the second half of the movie. Gorgeous cinematography, authentic period costumes, outstandin

Levi and Jennie Lusko point readers to God's Word for wisdom and guidance in marital relationship, and rightly so--marriage is a precious blessing and gift from God, designed by Him for His glory. The Marriage Devotional is an encouraging and practical guide for couples to make their marriage grow richer, deeper, better, stronger, and funner (yes, it is a real word). Fifty-two devotions are organized into 12 parts. Some devotions are written by Levi; others are written by Jennie; and the rest are written by both of them. It is refreshing to get perspectives from both the husband and the wife, not just one side. Each devotion starts with a Bible verse and ends with a prayer. At the end of each devotion, you will also find some thought-provoking questions for reflection and discussion, or some conversation starters, or some ideas and action steps. There's a blank page for "love notes" at the beginning of each part.  The authors do not shy away from sensitive subjects s

  The Case for Heaven is a new documentary by Mani Sandoval on Pure Flix based on the new book by best-selling author Lee Strobel (former atheist turned Christian apologist), who wrote The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith . We all are curious more or less regarding what happens after we die. One of human's biggest fears in all cultures is death. God originally made humans to live forever with Him in Heaven; that's why deep down we all long for immortality. God " has put eternity into man's heart " (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  The documentary is inspired by true life events and presents many different interviews with people from various backgrounds including Lee Strobel, Leslie Strobel (Lee Strobel's wife), Clay Jones, Dr. Sharon Dirckx, John Burke (author of Imagine Heaven), Francis Chan (author, pastor), the late Evangelist Luis Palau, Pat Palau (Luis Palau's wife), Andrew Palau, Steve Caballero (pro skateboarder), Jon Steingard (former Hawk Nelson singe

I did not know that Kirk Cameron and his wife have homeschooled their six children until I watched his documentary on homeschooling, The Homeschool Awakening . I am familiar with homeschooling since I personally homeschooled all my three children for 20 years from the very beginning to their high school graduation. I enjoyed and agreed with this documentary. Homeschooling has been around for a long time yet there are still misconceptions about it. This documentary addresses those misconceptions (ex: socialization, parent's qualification, quality of education, etc.), the history of education in our nation, the benefits of homeschooling, and the end goal of homeschooling. Homeschooling has many advantages and benefits which include freedom, flexibility, stability, efficiency, learning at an individual's own pace, exploring each child's interests & passions, instilling the knowledge of God and His Word into our children's heart and mind, safe & loving environment

Family Camp is the first feature film from The Skit Guys . It is a fantastic fun-filled family & faith film. Grace Ackerman (Leigh-Allyn Baker) persuaded her busy, workaholic husband, Tommy (Tommy Woodard), to sign their family up for a week away at their church's family camp. When they get to camp, they discover that they have to share a yurt with another family whose leader is Eddie Sanders (Eddie James), a talkative, gregarious chiropractor. The two families compete for the camp trophy while trying to figure out how to save their own struggling marriages and families.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I laughed out loud, and I cried. It's a comedy that contains a valuable lesson about faith, family, parenting, and marriage. In addition, you will enjoy an adventure, beaver, and campfire. Outstanding performance by the cast. Tommy and Eddie (aka the Skit Guys) have really great chemistry since they have been best friends for 30+ years. I love the music in the movie, too, e

I fell in love with the song My Jesus the first time I heard it a while ago. I was excited for the opportunity to watch  Anne Wilson 's debut album launch livestream and review the album ("My Jesus" which released on April 22nd). I was really impressed with this young lady (20 years old) who was sweet, humble, modest, and professional during the interview and throughout the livestream. She sang six of her songs from the album. She is not only a gifted musician but also a gifted songwriter. Anne Wilson is the first female debut artist to reach #1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart. Five years ago, her brother was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 23. It changed the trajectory of her life. God has sustained her through her darkest moment and has guided her to use her gifts to bring messages of hope and faith to others, especially the hurting and the grieving. Her pain and loss made her lyrics real and raw.  The album includes 15 songs as follows: - 1.

I enjoy cooking, watching cooking shows, and trying new foods. And I love romantic movies. Farm to Fork to Love! has all the right ingredients for foodie fans like me. Alice (Meggan Kaiser), a gifted sous chef at NY's top restaurant, accepts an invitation to judge a cooking competition for St. Andrews Children Hospital's fundraiser in KS, despite the discouragement from Bret (Maurice Johnson), her boss and boyfriend. When she arrives in Kansas, she is surprised to discover that one of the judges is Christian (Scot Cooper), her former boyfriend who attended the same cooking school in France. Rekindling the old flame also sparks Alice's dream of running her own restaurant. Christian himself has difficult decisions to make whether to honor his aunt (Patty Lambert)'s wishes or to follow his own dream. Great performances from the cast. The dishes are exquisite. Farm to Fork to Love! is family friendly and filled with fantastic food. I only wish it included all the recipes

Easter is a time of remembering and celebrating Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection. This year, Easter is on April 17th which is approaching soon. Pure Flix has a wide range selection of Easter movies that will help you and your family prepare for the Easter season.  Here are some examples of available Easter films on Pure Flix : - Risen - The Passion of the Christ - The Case for Christ - The Chosen - Penitent Thief I have watched the top three on the list above. The most recent one was Risen . It's the epic Biblical story of Christ's resurrection, as told through a non-believer's eyes. Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a Roman tribune, is assigned by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to find the missing body of Yeshua/Jesus Christ, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem. What Clavius finds changes his life forever. Even after he witnesses Jesus alive with his own eyes, he still struggles with doubt and fear. Jesus understand

  When asked what the greatest commandment is, " Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself .'" (Matthew 22:37-39) Sounds simple enough, right? Besides, obeying the second commandment should flow naturally from obeying the first commandment. If we love God, we will love people. In reality, we still struggle to love people like Jesus...with agape love that is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. We are to love everyone regardless of their racial or economic backgrounds.  Neighborliness is a call-to-action book that challenges readers to actively seek friendship with people who come from different backgrounds, cross dividing lines, and transform their communities. I like the definition of neighborliness given by the author: " Neighborliness is the embodiment of Jesus to those around us; it me

  " The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed ." (Hudson Taylor) Matthew 28:19-20 is not a suggestion but is Christ's command. My family is familiar with this book and Gospel for Asia (GFA). GFA serves in over 20 countries worldwide, focusing on reaching those who have never once heard the Good News of Jesus Christ -- those in the 10/40 window. Glad to see that the book continues to be offered for free . I highly recommend it. It will inspire you and convict you at the same time. Revolution in World Missions is a true story of K.P. Yohannan's journey from India to America...from being a travelling evangelist to being the founder of Gospel for Asia. It all started with his mother's prayers. Through many obstacles and challenges, doubts and discouragement, K.P. and his wife (Gisela) have witnessed God's miracles, power, presence, providence, and faithfulness. My family shares their passion for reaching the unreached w

Inspired by a real boy, Tyson's Run is a heartwarming film about an unathletic teen on the autism spectrum who tries to win the approval of his father, a successful, well-respected high school football coach. When 15-year-old homeschooled Tyson (played by Major Dodson) attends public school for the first time, he meets and befriends Aklilu (played by Barkhad Abdi), a champion marathon runner. Tyson is determined to run his first marathon and prove to his father that he can be a champion. It's a beautiful story of overcoming obstacles and challenges in order to achieve a goal. Tyson's father (played by Rory Cochrane) learns to put his family first. I enjoyed this inspiring film of courage, grit, perseverance, faith, family, and friendship.  Tyson's Run  (rated PG) releases in theaters nationwide on March 11th. You can buy tickets here . • Four-time Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams recorded If You Believe , an original song, just for Tyson’s Run . GIVEAW

I enjoy reading magazines, especially Christian magazines. I was excited to receive a copy of Link2Us's current issue for review.  Link2Us magazine  covers faith, food, fashion, culture, and wellness (spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional). This current issue (winter 2022) is called the Power Issue. It covers real-life superheroes and influencers who have made a difference in other people's lives and in communities. There are wonderful articles on the power of the Holy Spirit, the power in submission/surrender to God, and the power of prayer. This issue also includes great interviews with LeCrae and with Madison Prewett. I enjoyed reading from cover to cover (there are 85 pages in total). So many interesting topics...from books, brain, films, fitness to hats, health, recipes, and more. The magazine is well done; it is filled with relevant and inspiring content as well as beautiful, vibrant color photos. Want a magazine that offers helpful content for better living and whol

  No one can deny that we are living in a social media obsessed world. People are being influenced and are influencing others on social media every day. Influences can be good/positive or can be bad/negative. It is crucial to be prudent about whom we follow.  Who Are You Following? is written by Sadie Robertson Huff, a 24-year-old Christian speaker, author, and social media influencer. The book consists of nine chapters whose titles are questions such as Who Is Influencing You?, What Are You Seeking?, Who Are You Comparing Yourself To?, Why Do You Want to Be Famous?, What Are You Sharing and Why? Whom we are following does influence us, our thoughts & values, and the way we live our lives. And whether we are aware of it or not, we are influencing others around us. I am glad to see that the author ultimately points people to follow Jesus first and foremost and points out that our life's purpose is simply to love God and love people. Sadly, we live in a society that is addicted

My husband and I have been blissfully married for over 30 years. We still have fun flirting with each other; we still feel like newlyweds in some ways (totally crazy in love with each other). I enjoyed reading The Flirtation Experiment and realized that I have already been implementing these same or similar ideas/tips in my marriage. The Flirtation Experiment is written by two Christian women, Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer . The former has been married for 27 years and the latter has been married for five years. The authors share from their own personal experiences of doing the flirtation experiment. The book lists thirty ways of flirting with your husband. Some chapters also include the reactions from the authors' husbands. I appreciate the authors' authenticity and vulnerability. They are not shy away from including awkwardness, insecurities, struggles, and unexpected challenges. Overall, the authors, their husbands, and their marriages benefit from their Flirtati

Church People is a Christian comedy about the absurdity of the commercialized, fame-fueled megachurch phenomenon vs. the simplicity of the gospel message. A youth pastor of a megachurch realizes that his popularity is choking his passion and that creativity can turn into craziness if not careful. Guy Sides (Thor Ramsey) is a beloved youth pastor who has a big heart for evangelism and for reaching kids with the gospel. However, along the way, his speaking tour managed by his money-driven agent (Donald Faison) turns into a circus show and he becomes known as the "Beach Ball Guy". As Guy tries to get back to his youth ministry at Sand Hills Neighborhood Church, he finds himself in conflict with Pastor Skip Finney regarding an outlandish idea for the church's upcoming Good Friday service. Guy and Carla (Erin Cahill), Pastor Skip's daughter, team up to stop Pastor Skip's madness (in spite of his right motives). Is the gospel enough? Or do we need gimmicks? Are Christ&

Redeeming Love is a riveting love story based on the bestselling novel by Francine Rivers, which is a retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer. The setting is the California Gold Rush of 1850. Michael (Tom Lewis), a simple farmer, trusts God to give him a wife and believes Angel is the one. Angel (Abigail Cowen) had a very harsh childhood and was sold into prostitution at a young age. As a young woman still working in the brothel, she is filled with bitterness, distrust, and hatred towards men (since they only use her and abuse her) and herself (because of all the guilt and shame). No matter what Angel does or how many times she leaves Michael, his love for her never wavers.  The movie is well done. Outstanding performance by the cast. Great cinematography. It's a long movie (2 hours and 14 minutes) but it captivated my attention the whole time. I found one particular scene quite disturbing; however, I still enjoyed the movie and appreciated this beautiful story of hope,