Fruitbearers

                              (releases today, March 13th, rated PG) Christian Cinema:   http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4094 About the Movie:   Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest ( John Ratzenberger ), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life. My Thoughts and R...

1. " Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love . ♥ " ~Albert Einstein 2. " ♥ Love doesn't make the world go round,     Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.♥ "   ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning 3. "♥ Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. " ~Peter Ustinov 4. "♥ Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle :)." ~Sam Levenson 5. " In family life, love ♥ is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony. " ~Eva Burrows 6. " The essence of love ♥ is kindness ." ~Robert Louis Stevenson 7. "♥ Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots. :)" ~A Hoosier farmer (p. 253, Everything Romance) 8. "♥ Since...

A Mile in His Shoes is a family-friendly movie (PG) about a young man diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) and how his God-given talent (his amazing throwing ability) helps him and others. It's about overcoming challenges in life. It is based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" (a true story). It's directed by William Dear, the director of "Angels In the Outfield." It stars Dean Cain who plays Arthur Murphy, a baseball coach and Luke Schroder who plays Mickey, the main character. Excellent performances! My family and I enjoyed this movie. It spoke to my heart deeply because one of my kids has symptoms that are similar to Asperger's Syndrome but the doctors diagnosed him with anxiety disorder, instead. My son is very athletic and great with numbers like Mickey. He is also sensitive to noise and crowds like Mickey. When Coach Murphy sees Mickey (a farmer boy) throw apples at a bucket for his pigs, he knows that he has just fo...

2011 was a memorable year for us. We're thankful for all of God's blessings. What a mighty & awesome God we serve! 1. In Jan., we went cross country skiing at Timberline Lodge (admiring Mt. Hood) and Glacier View Snow Park. And in Feb., we went sledding at Bald Peak State Park. 2. In May, our daughter, Alyssa, got inducted into the Steps for Life Hall of Fame since she had raised over $10,000 for the Pregnancy Resource Centers. 3. From July 7th to 10th, we took an all-expense-paid trip to Colorado. I won the Celebrate Life Contest hosted by Focus on the Family the previous year. I posted about our experience here . 4. On July 23rd, Alyssa celebrated her double milestones. She turned 18 and had her high school graduation party. We're so proud of our first homeschool graduate! Eric (my husband/her Daddy) wrote a song for Alyssa, played the piano, and sang to her at the graduation ceremony. Alyssa shared about our Colorado trip and her graduation party on her ...

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SYNOPSIS:   Thomas Kinkade presents  Christmas Lodge : a place where a heart-warming past and loving future meet for one remarkable group of people. During a weekend trip to the mountains, Mary (Erin Karpluk) finds herself at the now- dilapidated lodge where she spent the holidays with her family growing up. She becomes determined to restore the building to its former glory. Inspired by her grandfather and guided by her grandmother in heaven, Mary throws herself into the project, and during the process finds herself drawn to Jack (Michael Shanks), a handsome man who loves the lodge as much as she does. Historically unlucky in love, this chance encounter allows Mary to renew her faith in life and discover her one true love. For an uplifting story about the importance of faith, family and the true holiday spirit, go to the  Christmas Lodge . MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner :)? Christmas Lodge is a clean Christi...

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Jay Loecken grew up on an eighty-acre hobby farm in Minnesota as the youngest of three boys. His upbringing was solid with loving parents who were always encouraging him to try new things. He grew up in a Christian home, but his faith really began to develop during his sophomore year at Northwestern College while living in Dublin, Ireland for the summer and working with Greater Europe Mission. That’s when the Bible began to come to life for him and he began developing his own convictions. Beth Loecken’s upbringing could not have been any more different. She grew up in Kansas City in a Catholic home as the youngest of six children. Her mother battled depression and eventually committed suicide when Beth was only five. Beth’s father retreated into alcoholism, leaving her in a chaotic and unstable environment where she was often abused. After graduating from high school, she moved to New York where she discovered her first true love—Jesus. He offered her a love and...

Take-Out is another simple but cool game from Marina Games . The other game from them that I reviewed is Skunked . I'm very pleased with both of them. Take-Out is a numbered dice game for ages 8+ and for 2 or more players. The box contains 10 red numbered dice, 2 white regular dotted dice, a shaker cup, and instructions. The goal is to remove all the red numbered dice for a score of zero (actually, if you accomplish that, you have had a total "take out" and receive a score of -10). When a player reaches 150 points, he/she is eliminated from the game. The game continues until one player is left and that player is the winner. How to Play (in a nutshell): 1. Roll the 10 red numbered dice. Watch out for blanks; they make the game more challenging. 2. Roll the two white dice. Take out number combinations from the red dice. Repeat by rolling the two white dice again. 3. Avoid getting eliminated. This game is easy to learn, fun to play, and even educational! It will...

This is my catch-up post :). I have been praying but have not had time to blog about it until now. We're in the middle of praying the Scriptures for our sons through the fruit of the Spirit: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL. As you can tell from my blog's title, we're raising our children to be fruitbearers :). Study Questions 1. There comes a time in every child's life, when the sin-nature starts to show its ugly head. For Brooke and her husband, this came accompanied by a difficult, life-altering challenge that made it difficult for them to train their son. Can you relate? Yes. One of our sons has special needs and special challenges. 2. When things don't go as you planned, and life seems to throw you a curve-ball, what is your heart's response? Do you get angry with God? Stop talking to Him? My heart's response was sorrow, grief, and disappointment. I don't get angry with God. I talk to Hi...

I have seen and heard several homeschool moms getting discouraged, burned out, or overwhelmed. I've been there, done that :). I think it's important for us moms (and dads) to encourage one another and learn from one another in our homeschooling journey/adventure! I'd like to share what I've learned... I am still learning and relying on God every single day. I hope what I share here may encourage some. My "top ten tips" are: 1. " Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight ." Proverbs 3:5-6 2. Pray, pray, and pray continually. 3. Instill in your children love for God, passion for His word, and desire to please & serve Him. 4. Focus on building your kids’ character, training their attitudes, and tying heart strings. 5. Lead by example; walk the talk; be real and humble. Give grace and forgiveness (there will be plenty of opportunities to ...

For the past several years, every Father’s Day…we have gone up to Washington to visit my husband’s dad and his wife.  Yesterday, we continued our tradition: our annual Father’s Day cookout at their place.  My husband’s sister and his niece & nephew (his brother’s kids) were there, too.  We had a big feast and had a great time playing badminton and volleyball.  We also enjoyed playing a board game called "Clever Endeavor."  You try to guess from clues what the answer might be.  Sometimes we were clueless even after many clues were given ! We ended our Father’s Day by taking our kids to play miniature golf at Bullwinkles before heading home.  It’s always lots of fun to spend time with our fabulous father/daddy (my dear husband).