Ring the Bell, a Movie Review & Giveaway

I am so excited to introduce the movie Ring The Bell to you!  I just have a few words to help share my enthusiasm. Matthew West. Stephen Curtis Chapman. Casting Crowns. & Baseball. If you knew me you’d realize my review was now over. Ha.

We are in the thick of Youth League Majors Baseball here in our small tourist town.  And, since I just got my car out of the shop after 7 weeks for a 3 hour job, I can just say – I could identify with this movie.

We had to watch it in two parts, some during lunch and some after baseball practice.  My husband and boys came in and out. I think I may be a great mom’s movie. I LOVED the music and the concert with Casting Crowns. I gigged at Matthew West’s role with the baseball team and enjoyed seeing Stephen Curtis Chapman as the pastor. They did a great job. I paddle on the lake with Re-Creation in my MP3 Player and have been Matthew’s #1 fan since his first drive up Hwy 101 to sing in Coos Bay many years ago.  But beside these major favorites – I just have to share that the movie content was just. so. good.

It was captivating. It is not predictable. The story turns and twists. It doesn’t go where you’d expect, and save for the hint on the cover of the DVD, you don’t really know where it ends. In fact, the end is pretty open, you really don’t know what the main character will do with his experience in this small town.

 

I have the opportunity to give a copy of this DVD away and you are going to want it for sure! Comment here on this blog post for your chance to win!

 

From the Publishers - About Ring the Bell:

Ring The Bell shares the story of a slick, big city sports agent Rob Decker who seems to have it all. But on his latest mission to sign a high school baseball superstar, Rob becomes stranded in a small town where the simplicity of life—and the faith of the people—stand in stark contrast to his own fast-paced, win-at-all-costs mindset. Torn between these two worlds, will Rob have the courage to let faith transform his life? This heartwarming story of redemption is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family.

Ring The Bell features a host of well-known Christian music artists, such as Mark Hall along with his band Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Matthew West, all who play a role in this inspirational drama. Several former and current Major League Baseball all-stars are also featured in the film: ESPN analysts John Kruk and Rick Sutcliffe (a former Cy Young Award winner), along with Ben Zobrist.

This family-friendly movie was produced by Mark Miller, Beach Street Records' founder and Casting Crowns’ producer. Miller, who is also the lead singer and founder of country music group Sawyer Brown, co-wrote the script with Thomas Weber and Weber directed the production. 

Ring the Bell is available on DVD for only $19.99 

DVD Special Features:

The Heart of "Ring the Bell"


Casting Crowns “The Well” Music Video


On Set with Casting Crowns


Famous Faces


A Very Special Movie


Ringing the Bell

The Artists and Music of "Ring The Bell"

 

Website:  http://ringthebellthemovie.com

Watch the Trailer: http://ringthebellthemovie.com

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

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Desperate, Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

 

DesperateHope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

By Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
Published by Thomas Nelson

I do remember. As I sit in my cozy chair, computer on my lap, quiet home, hot coffee and the promise of a day filled with the adventures of my two older boys. I remember.

The early times. When they were younger. When I didn’t know. When everything was new. And a friend came alongside to help me. At first it was my best girl friend, I’d drive to her house, hand her my crying son, or sometimes just park and point to the car seat as I fell onto her couch asleep before I found horizontal.

The Lord has brought me friends and mentors and mentors who became my best friends at each point of my journey. Now, 15 years into being a mom, some days I forget how the very fiber of my life depended on those couch moments. 

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson had a similar relationship.  I already loved Sally, and met Sarah Mae through this book. Through Sally’s writings, she has already been one of my mentors. Through the power and connection of Social Media, I feel closer to her as I see her life on Facebook and send messages.  This book is open and transparent. Each writer a public figure – sharing their shortcomings and victories in mother hood.  I’d say this is targeted to the younger moms -

I would say that, but I couldn’t. As much as this is an encouragement to those new moms, it pulls out a desire, a motherly obligation, to realize I am now at the stage of helping those younger moms. This book may give you a calling to become that mentor they so need. 

I have been a bit hesitant to swap roles, my youngest is 12. I’m not sure how they will turn out and what sort of credentials or right I have to breathe into another’s home and family. However, I don’t have to be a fix it counselor with all of the right advice. I could just be the mom who steps in for an hour to watch the kids while mom naps. Or the mom who plays games with the kids at the park, or the mom who helps a small child with their math home work with a smile on days that their mom is exhausted.

I actually read this book some time ago, joined a FB support group going through the book chapter by chapter and have made changes in my life because of the calling I have felt. I participated in a New To Homeschool gathering at the local Library, Got involved with our weekly mom meet up on Tuesdays and have tried to have an ear open for those moms who need an extra hand around town. I have been praying that my home may be warm and welcoming to anyone who stops by and needs a rest and retreat.

No matter where you are on this journey of motherhood, I urge you to read this book, pray about your role in the community of believers and pre-believers – and take at least a small step at either reaching out and accepting help or lending a comforting ear or helping hand.  I couldn’t help but covet the time that Sarah Mae got to spend with Sally over tea and some flowers.  But then a flood of images of those who have been there for me comforted and took the coveting away and replaced it with thankfulness.

Book Description, From the Publisher:

"I just can't be a mother today."

These words have been whispered to God in quiet desperation by mothers who love their children to the depths of their soul, but who are struggling with how hard motherhood is.

Motherhood turns you inside out. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by how tired you feel; the days go on and on, and you want to be a "good" mom, but you feel like a failure so much of the time. What happened to all your ideals? When did you end up feeling so...lost?

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have been to the edge and back. Desperate is the story of one young mother’s trials and one experienced mentor’s priceless exhortations. Desperate is not a book about despair, nor is it a rule-laden mothering manual. It is a bouquet from a friend who has been there, reminding us that we are not alone. Sarah Mae’s unvarnished account of her own struggles mothering three feisty young children is a lesson in learning patience, loving idiosyncrasies, accepting help, and—most of all—leaning on God.

Each chapter includes a brief Bible study with journal exercises to help you find your own quiet center, and get you back into the fray soul-filled and refreshed. Written with candor, empathy, and faith, Desperate is like coffee with a trusted girlfriend; one who knows how hard being a mother can be, and how to navigate the often turbulent road.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The Winnowing Season, Cindy Woodsmall, a Review

I just finished reading The Winnowing season by Cindy Woodsmall. This is a part 2 of a Trilogy, and I had not read part 1. I knew from Cindy’s other books that this would not be a problem. I think that is why I love her books. Each can stand alone, but when you start reading, it’s like you are catching up with an old friend.

I enjoyed the struggle that the characters went through, and the development of each one. There are enough characters and situations that you don’t feel like you are following one story line. Three main characters each have their own struggle, with a few extra side story lines to help thicken the story. A strong love triangle mixes through this series, and I enjoyed the journey. Outside of that triangle, this story is set in current day following a group of people who want a new fresh start. They are willing to be pilgrims of sorts, travel to Maine, purchase an 80 acre apple orchard, and use each of their skills to restore the orchard, properties, and livestock. Their hope it to start a new area to live in, with a few other families making plans to join them. They meet some fun characters that live in the town, and interact with the English quite  bit. This is more about their moving, hard work in the Orchard, organic farming, and trying to take care of their pasts than a simple Amish home based story. The parents play a limited role, no grandparents are mentioned, Shoe Fly Pie, Root Beer and Creamed Celery are missing along with tables laden with food. There are no weddings, and only a brief mention of fresh bread. This story is about the struggle of people trying to start over, who happen to be Amish. I carried the book with me everywhere for a couple of days in hopes of snagging a few minutes time to read more – until I finished it this morning. If you are in need for a great vacation book or a weekend read, and you enjoy Amish books – this one is delightful.

The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall (Sneak Peek) by WaterBrook Multnomah

Disclaimer: I received a free e-book in exchange for a review. I am participating in a contest by submitting the trailer and first chapter. I enjoy Blogging for Books and am glad to be a reviewer for them.

One Glorious Ambition: Book Review

One Glorious Ambition : The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix, a Novel

Jane Kirkpatrick

FRONTLIST

On Sale Date: April 2, 2013
9781400074310, 1400074312
Paperback / softback / Trade paperback (US)
$14.99 US / $17.99 Can.
Fiction / Historical
Paperback Original

 

 

 

 

By now, as a reader of my reviews, I’m assuming you know that Jane Kirkpatrick is my favorite author. Jane has a way of finding women who have done interesting things, in times that women were expected to sweep out soddies, entertain families, and bring up children.  I have a feeling that Dorothea Dix is personal to her, since her “glorious ambition” pertains to the the mentally ill and Jane worked in this field for many years.

This is definitely not a romantic novel, as Dorothea remains single throughout the book. I know many of you love historical fiction and dislike romance novels.

As a homeschool mom, I really enjoyed this book. We’ve been studying The Art of Argument and the Discovery of Deduction. We have a couple of Homeschool Dads in the Bend area that have successfully run for Oregon seats in government. The Homeschool Testing bill is up again this year and they are asking for testimony.  There is a huge process, in getting laws in place or changed – that require argument on the floor. Dorothea spends many years in Washington DC arguing for her bill to help the mentally insane.

Also going on during this period is the thought of the states and slavery. Abolitionists are also trying to get time before congress to argue their points.  We just finished watching Lincoln – and I could physically see the environment that Dorothea would have had to argue in. I could see her up in the seats trying to be a lady, urging her chosen spokesman to argue her bill through. I could feel her disappointment time after time.

What can one woman do to change thousands of lives in America?  She doesn’t just wait for the Federal Government to change; she gets involved at a local city and state level. This has been my cry for the last few years. Yes, we need to be heard in Washington, but what are you doing in your state to make the spot you live better? Are you supporting your Representatives and Senators at a State level?  She got quite a bit more done targeting local entities.

This was a great read. As usual, following a live person’s life, it is not full of mystery, twists, turns, crying, gnashing of teeth – this is following the life of a real person, through her real life, while she does extraordinary things and makes choices we agree, and sometimes disagree with. You really want to know how she gets on, and you’ll feel compassionate to her losses and gains along the way, and it will leave you wishing you could have helped her.

A perfect weekend read.

From the Publisher:

A compelling women's historical novel based on the life of a woman who refused to be defined by her past, conventional Victorian thinking, or the people around her-and changed the face of mental illness in the 19th century.
Growing up in household full of pain and tragedy, Dorothea Dix thought she was destined for nothing more than teaching and to raising her two younger brothers. She opened her first school for girls when she was fifteen and by twenty-three, was a best-selling author living an orderly and disciplined Boston life. But a visit to a prison to teach Sunday School to women in 1841 launched a new path for Dorothea, one that would turn her personal hardships into great strides for the less fortunate. Dorothea fought for the lives of those with mental illness, the poor and prisoners. Her political savvy, rare amongst women in her time, challenged those who made the rules in the almshouses, debtor prisons and private homes where mentally ill people were often chained and forgotten. Those tragic souls changed Dorothea, too, illuminating the path of peace within her own suffering and bring her "a happiness which goes with you."

A GREAT BOOK CLUB PICK: The themes of mental illness and fighting on behalf of those that can’t fight for themselves will inspire deep discussion.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free as part of BloggingForBooks.Org in exchange for a review.

This is Our Time: Movie Review & Giveaway

 

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We watched This is Our Time as a family on Sunday afternoon. The movie opens as a mixture of Christian friends and siblings are graduating college and walk with them the first year that they are out on their own. To be honest – the story has a pretty slow start. Introducing us to each character. It has a very strong Christian Theme – but with nothing in particular other than wealthy young adults who use the words God and Christ and Pray quite a bit. They want to “Do what God Wants” and are sent on “Missions for God”. They make a choice of whether to pursue God’s Mission or their own financially secure careers. My husband did ask if this was the most boring overly “Christian” movie we had ever watched. I had to think that this quite possibly could be. Even a Veggie Tale Character doesn’t reference the fact that they are Christian this much.

However, we had just finished watching a RedBox movie. In it, we heard so many curse words that mentally, I had to turn it off and I was glad the boys were no where near to hear.  It was expected, since it was centered around the mafia and illegal gambling. I did feel convicted that it is expected for a criminal to use foul language but feels uncomfortable for a Christian to say over and over that they are one.  Something to think about.

About 2/3 of the way through the movie, a shift in the story comes, and from then on out, it picks up steam, emotion and surprises. It really was worth watching the very slow part to get to the end.

Part of the heart of the company putting this on is to encourage young people to go out and work in the mission field. My favorite part is where one of the characters comes to the reality that God cares more about who we are, and who we become, than what we “do” for Him.

We’ve been there with Youth Groups and Church Groups trying to find a movie that would appropriate for the entire gathering. I would recommend this movie. The attire is very modest, the relationships are very healthy, and the twists are normal and not over dramatized. The denomination of the group is unclear – so any denomination who Loves God and Christ and has a mentor in their life will identify. At graduation, I thought the mentor was a priest but he was wearing a staff graduation gown. He is a ‘professor’, they do not use the words pastor or such to describe. I could not find one offensive part that young eyes would not be able to view.

Here is the rundown from the publisher:

About This Is Our Time

The movie tells the interwoven stories of Luke (T.J. Dalrymple) and Alé (Erin Bethea), who marry right after school and move to India to serve as missionaries for Embrace A Village, a ministry that cares for those afflicted with leprosy and their families; aspiring financier Catherine (Kate Cobb), who joins a prestigious financial institution determined to make an impact on corporate America; Ryder (Matthew Florida), who lands an impressive job in social media and can’t wait to use the powerful medium for a greater good; and Ethan (Shawn-Caulin Young,) seemingly the odd man out, who struggles to find his God-given-purpose and feels sidelined by God.

“What they all come to learn is that it never really was their time,” Arnold said. “It always was, always is, God’s time.”

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Comment to enter into a drawing to have a DVD mailed to your home.

Home Run, Freedom is Possible–A Review and Giveaway

 

I quickly answered the request to review Home Run a novelization by Travis Thrasher based on the original movie. This movie follows after similar genres such as Fireproof and Courageous. As those movies were to Marriage and Fatherhood – Home Run is to Addictions and Celebrate Recovery. On the whole, the book is rather predictable, and knowing that “no one is beyond the healing of God” one is pretty sure that the main character Cory Brand will come to his senses.

As far as fiction books go – I really enjoyed this one. The story pulled me in quickly and it was a great weekend afternoon read. The story’s main  line runs through Cory Brand’s anger and recovery. At the beginning of each chapter you get a peek at his childhood and growing up years to see why he developed alcohol addictions and anger.

From a mom’s perspective – I’d question how much of this story would occur in the real world. Many women may read this book or watch the movie thinking it might be as powerful as the first two. However, I am not sure how much this over the top story will leave people identifying with the characters.

So I have to give it two opinions – One – As a Fictional Christian Based story-  it ROCKS. Second – Thinking this would really show me a lot about Celebrate Recovery and how people go through it – I’m not sure that this book will pull people in.

For a disclaimer – to the book and the movie – this guy’s life is really raw. Drinking. Girls. Stories of Incest and Rape. One nighters. Children who are physically and emotionally abused.  I can’t recommend this as a family film to watch with the 10 and under crowd.

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Author: Travis Thrasher
Book - Paperback Trade 
ISBN: 0781408385
ISBN-13: 9780781408387Item #: 125960

From the Publisher: Baseball star Cory Brand knows how to win. But off the field, he's spiraling out of control. Haunted by old wounds and regrets, his future seems as hopeless as his past.
Until one moment-one mistake-changes everything. To save his career, Cory must go back to the town where it all began. His plan is simple: coach the local baseball team, complete a recovery program, and get out as fast as possible. Instead, he runs headfirst into memories he can't escape ... and the love he left behind.
Faced with a second chance he never expected, Cory embarks on a journey of faith, transformation and redemption. And along the way, he discovers a powerful truth: no one is beyond the healing of God. A novel based on the major motion picture starring Vivica A. Fox and Scott Elrod, Home Run is an inspirational story of the hope and freedom God offers each of us.

About the Author

Travis Thrasher is the author of more than a dozen works of fiction, including The Solitary Tales series, Isolation, and Ghostwriter. His writing is known for its honesty, depth, and surprising twists. Thrasher lives with his wife and daughters in Chicago.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

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. Comments will be counted and a random number will be chosen by a third party. I will contact the winner by e-mail. If a e-mail isn’t easily found, a second winner will be drawn. The book will be mailed to the winner within 2 weeks of winning.

Firefly Island

This is a strange little book; strange in a good way. I enjoyed the journey of a congressional staffer changing her life from Washington DC to living by a lake in Texas.  I worked professionally for many years before having kids, and remember some of her journey as my own.  She gets married soon in the book, so there isn’t the book long love romantic story. But it does talk through how two people combine their lives and live out in love, bringing in the love of a child.

One thing that I liked – was the beginning of each chapter. A quote to start them out. We are memorizing a children’s poem by Ogden Nash, so it caught my attention when I saw “To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you’re wrong, admit it; Whenever you’re right, shut up.” Ogden Nash.

“This was my first highlight out of 11 for this book in my Kindle Fire. I love the way she writes, “It wasn’t’ in the tides that the breath of God could be found, I decided, but in the water itself, in the endless rhythm of it, ever present, ever constant, louder amidst the storms of life, softer in the peaceful times. Not a god only moving twice a day like the mythical Tangaroa, but a God moving countless times. Always. Continually A God present in the deepest parts of our lives, sometimes crowded out by all the surface clutter as we stroll along the shore, our minds preoccupied with things that seem important. Then a wave rises higher than the rest, strokes soft and cool over sun warmed skin, and we hear it again, the constant breath of God. We think, How could I not have heard that all along?”

As you can see from above, I just loved it when Mallory ‘thought’ in the book. My other connection with Mallory – was that she turned to blogging to log her adventures. Which, when we moved to Devils Lake – is what we did. Mallory shares, “An amazing thing had happened to me in my first weeks of blogging. Because I was writing about adventures, I started not only  seek them out, but to see them all around me. In seeing the adventure of this place, I’d begun to truly live my life, rather than hiding from it and complaining about it.”  I did find it a bit cheesy that she was the ‘Frontier Woman’ and one of my favorite bloggers is the Pioneer Woman. She’s not really in the Frontier, and it was just a little too close for me, but I quickly got over it.

Bottom line – I really enjoyed this story. The story has many paths. There is never a time reading it where you think you know where it is going and decide to read it out to make sure. I recommend this book for sure.

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2013
At thirty-four, congressional staffer Mallory Hale is about to embark on an adventure completely off the map. After a whirlwind romance, she is hopelessly in love with two men--fortunately, they're related. Daniel Everson and his little boy, Nick, are a package deal, and Mallory suddenly can't imagine her future without them.
Mallory couldn't be more shocked when Daniel asks her to marry him, move to Texas, and form a family with him and motherless Nick. The idea is both thrilling and terrifying.
Mallory takes a leap of faith and begins a sweet, mishap-filled journey into ranch living, Moses Lake society, and a marriage that at times reminds her of the mail-order-bride stories. But despite the wild adventure of her new life, she discovers secrets and questions beneath her rosy new life. Can she find answers on Firefly Island, a little chunk of property just off the lakeshore, where mysterious lights glisten at night?

 

Dislaimer: I received a Kindle Fire Download for free in exchange for an honest review on my blog.