I Am

My, dear, dear children. I am watching over you. Today. Tomorrow. For all your days. Know that I see you, and love you. Know that I Am there. Protecting. Providing.

For I Am, that I Am.

Where has the US failed its men?

There's an epidemic in the United States that isn't even passing over Christian men. It's obvious everywhere if you talk to the women. In the place where the blogger works, most are single moms working to support themselves and their children on salaries that are barely above poverty level and often having to take their former spouses back to court time and again to get the financial support they were promised.

Problem is, this epidemic is not confined to nonbelievers. Even Christian men are leaving their wives despite what the church teaches about marriage. They are all moving on to other relationships, new spouses, moving back in with their parents or setting up bachelor pads.

Where is this country failing its men? What has happened to committing to a relationship and staying in it, even when everything goes bad? Or did the men only get married to be with their wives in the good times? How can it be that when times are hard, these men run for the hills rather than standing beside their mate and battling it together? Or have the courts just made it too easy for men to tuck their tails and run?

The Bible instructs men to stay with their wife from their youth, so it can be speculated that this has been a problem for centuries. Do men have some natural instinct to dump on older woman and move on to a younger one?

Unfortunately there are more questions than answers. Perhaps the churches need to stop concentrating on making money to build a larger building and concentrate on teaching men to stay with their wives and children. This would be a far more fruitful use of their time.

Yes, it's good to have divorce recovery groups. Yet, in these groups, folks need to be taught how to weather the storms of life and stay together since many of them do remarry and get divorced a second time.

'Where are you men of courage?' Courageous. Yes, where are these men of courage? I think they all need to take a forty day journey and take the love dare. Fireproof. Maybe then they can battle the giants of fear and defeat in their lives. Facing the Giants. And do the right thing. Flywheel.

(If you don't know the movie references, I highly suggest all four of these Christian films.)



 

Fear and Adoption

Several years ago,  a local church took the verse telling them to care for orphans to heart. They got in contact with the appropriate sources and educated people on the adoption process. Before they even completed the initial training, children in the system began calling their social workers and asking to be placed with these families.

Really makes one wonder why Americans keep saying it is difficult to adopt in the states. There are many children available and who need a home. Yet, many keep going outside the US to find children.

Maybe the real problem is that the social services systems has a stigma against it. Everyone seems to think that the children in foster homes are all 'damaged goods'. Yet, who knows how they could bloom if parents would take them in and love them.

There are too many instances of children who are raised by their own parents, who were loved, and well cared for, yet despite being a biological child, he/she became an unmanageable monster.

Really? And potential parents are afraid of children being cared for by social services?

Movie Review : The Lost Medallion

Billy and Allie are best friends who set off to find the legendary Medallion. They find it by accident, Billy makes a wish, and they find themselves in the past battling the evil Warlord Cobra. Together with new found friends they battle to save the enslaved islanders and set right what once went wrong.

 The Lost Medallion is a wonderful combination of magic, time travel, action and adventure and even a hint of romance. It teaches a valuable lesson in an entertaining way.  Shot in Thailand the scenery is absolutely breath taking. This is a highly recommended family film which will appeal to children of all ages.

Alex Kendrik, actor and director of Fireproof, Flywheel, Facing the Giants and  Courageous, makes an surprise appearance.

Available at Walmart and local Christian stores.

 Out of five stars, this film is a four and half.

Movie Review - No Greater Love

No Greater Love is a wonderful movie about forgiveness and the kindling of love between a married couple who had been apart for ten years. The wife, who had left, reappeared in the life of her husband and son through a church children's camp. Most of the film is about their reconciliation and how they decided to become a couple again, not just for their son's sake, but for theirs as well.

This film shows the power of forgiveness and how following God's will for one's life can cause one to follow a path not expected, yet for the best.

An absolute must see for anyone who enjoyed Fireproof.

Rate it about four stars out of five.

'Why Not Question' : Movie Review - 'The Grace Card'

A horrible accident claims the life child. It is carried around by the family for years. The wife, finally tired of the mess, goes to counseling for help. In the mean time, her husband's partner is a part-time pastor with a family who would love to be n the ministry full-time but their poor church doesn't pay a high enough salary to allow it. Their situations thrown together with a series of robberies, provides a powerful background for the story. This film has strong characters and touching circumstances to reach all audiences. Disappointing is the small part 'the Grace Card' actually plays since it is not even introduced until halfway through the story and then disappears pretty much until the emotional ending. It is well written and few could not identify with any of the characters caught up in their problems and day to day disappointing lives. Still, God's hand in during these dire straights is clearly shown. On a scale from 1, the lowest to 5 the highest, this film earns a 3.5.

'Why Not Question' : Movie Review - 'Change of Plans'

'Change of Plans' features a professional singer with her engineer husband who designs airplanes for the military. They enjoy their lives, have a modern apartment and are making arrangements to advance their careers. Unexpectedly, the wife receives news her best friend has died and she had been named the guardian of the their four multi-racial children. The couple temporarily take custody while the social worker works on finding the youngsters a forever home.

Following the tradition of 'Baby Boom' and 'Rent a Kid', 'Change of Plans' is a wonderful example of how one can plan their life, only to have the unexpected happen and what you thought was important, actually isn't.

Featuring Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis) and Brooke White, the film is filled with heart touching moments and some of the best music yet to be featured in the Walmart films. The plot is somewhat predicable, but the script writer did an excellent job of tossing in some twists, and the fact that Joe Flanigan has children of his own, which he admits in the extras, comes out very clearly in his scenes with the boys.

Grace is said at the dinner scene and of course, there is no missing the Walmart brands in the kitchen.

On a scale of 1 to 5, this film is a 4.