Tuesday, October 9, 2018

~Movie Reviews~


The first time I watched this, it was all new to me. The songs, everything. And I loved it. However, the second time watching I had heard all the songs only like 500 times. While I still really like the songs and the movie, I will say that the second time watching it wasn't as great as the first time. But it's still a good movie. 


Can we also just pause for a moment to appreciate these two?

Guuuys! They're sooo cute together! Like for real, though. 




                               Phillip and Anne were absolutely adorable together, as well.








The Greatest Showman took on some hard topics. Such as racial prejudice, being content with who you are, bullying, and social "class", to name a few. I thought they addressed such topics well, and I was moved by the touching way in which they did it.
Overall, The Greatest Showman was a great movie, and I would highly recommend it. :)


Belle also took on the topic of racial prejudice. I thought it beautifully well done. It is a clean movie overall, except for one very small part in which it is implied that a sleazy "gentleman" has inappropriately taken "liberties" with Belle just because she is colored.
The movie is about a girl who is of mixed race. Her white father seeks her out after her mother dies, and brings her to his childhood home. Belle's father is in the military, so he is never home. This leaves her grandparents the task of raising her along with her white cousin, who is the same age as Belle. Belle and her cousin grow up together as great friends, and go through all the growing pains together. However, as Belle gets older, her family isn't able to shelter her from the harsh racial prejudices and slavery. I won't say much more, as I don't want to spoil the movie. However, I would recommend this movie. 






Forever Strong is a movie about a teenage boy who plays rugby. The boy gets into some trouble and is sent to juvenile detention. While there, he is put on a different rugby team and learns the importance of putting others first and living honorably. 
This is a great movie overall. It does deal with drug abuse, and there are some sad parts, but overall it is a motivational movie. 





The Waltons is a very family-friendly movie series. This series is about a family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the great depression. 


Grandma and Grandpa Walton. (Zebulon and Esther Walton). Grandpa is a lovable, energetic, "stubborn old fool" (as Esther calls him). Everyone comes to him for advice, and he dearly loves his family and the mountain.
Grandma is a spirited Baptist woman who loves her family. She keeps everyone in line. 


John Walton is the son of Zebulon and Esther, and the father of 7 children. He works in the family saw mill in their barn, and does whatever he has to to make sure his family is provided for.
Olivia Walton ("Livy", as John calls her) is the mother of 7 children and a homemaker. She gives wise advice to her children, and wants what is best for her family. 
John jr. (otherwise known as John boy), is the oldest child of the Walton family. He is an aspiring writer and publishes a few of his written works, as well as starting a paper, The Blue Ridge Chronicle. As the oldest child, he sometimes feels like a "mother hen" when he has to constantly be responsible for his younger siblings, but overall John boy is a great older brother and loves his family. In his later years he attends college, moves to New York, and pursues his writing career. 
John Boy wrote for the "Stars and Stripes" magazine, which covered events in World War II.

Jason is the 2nd oldest child of the family. He is sensitive to other's feelings, and loves to play music. He plays many different instruments, and hopes to go to college for music someday. He played in a band, "Bobby Fleet and his band with the beat" and later he worked as a piano player in the "Dew Drop Inn." He joined the National Guard during World War II.

Mary Ellen is the oldest Walton girl. She is a tomboy and loves to play baseball. When she was younger she wanted to do something "exciting", like be a movie star, or travel around the world. When she grows up, however, she becomes a nurse and marries. She never loses her "tomboy" streak though, and in one episode she was playing baseball with her younger siblings while pregnant!



Ben is the middle child of the family. He has a fiery temper to match his red hair, and takes after Grandpa in stubbornness. He cares for his family, however, and his stubbornness is a good thing at times. Ben takes over the mill when he is grown, and his stubbornness and hard work is often what kept the mill going against many odds. He was the first Walton child to marry. He joined the Navy during World War II. 


Erin Walton is the 5th child of the Walton family. She is a "heart-breaker", and goes through a slew of boyfriends until she finally finds her soulmate. She has a caring heart towards those suffering, such as baby animals she may find abandoned, or people who seem to have lost themselves. 


Jim Bob is the second to youngest of the Walton clan. He loves building things and working with mechanical devices. He builds his own car out of pieces he assembled from the junk yard, and becomes a mechanic. Jim Bob also loves airplanes, and joins the air force during World War II. 



Elizabeth is the youngest of the family. As such , she is babied a little by her family. However, she grows up to be a responsible, caring, successful adult. She makes friends easily and dearly loves her family and her animals. 







*dabs away a tear* Okay, guys. This movie has all the deep feels in the world. It is a great movie, however, the movie is about sex trafficking, so I would rate it as pg-13. Don't get me wrong, there are NO explicit parts in the movie. However, the whole theme, and what is implied, and the heavy topics are why I think younger viewers should be advised against watching it until they are a little older. 
The whole movie is about a man who has lost his way and takes a questionable job driving a truck across the Mexican border to the U.S. On the journey, he runs off the road and he checks on his "shipment". He finds, much to his surprise, that the "cargo" are actually two young ladies. From there, he is in a battle against those who take the girls for their evil purposes. 



The movie was made by the Christian band "For King and Country" and based on their song "Priceless." The main character (the man) is Joel Smallbone, one of the two brothers who are the main singers for "For King and Country". 


While this movie is absolutely funny, it does have a lot of language. Also, there is one small part where Ferris and his friend are talking about something inappropriate, but we always fast-forward that part, and it is a very small part. Overall, I guarantee that this movie will make you laugh. However, it does have a lot language in it, so viewer discretion is advised. 




Black Panther is probably my favorite marvel movie. (Although, I haven't seen all the marvel movies, of the ones I have watched, this would have to be my favorite.) I like that this movie can be watched alone as a movie. The other Marvel movies follow a "series"...meaning you have to watch one movie to understand what is going on in the others, and so on.This movie has just the right balance of action, humor, and lil' bit of romance mixed in. It is a great, clean movie and I highly recommend it! :) 
(I won't say any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched it yet.) 



What movies have y'all been watching recently? Have you seen any of the movies that I did reviews on?If you have, what did you think of them?

Monday, October 8, 2018

The September Tag


Ahem. Yes. I know. It is now October. But don't judge me. :-p 

A little while ago, the lovely Faith over at I Like That tagged me for the "Hello September" tag, and I am finally getting to answering it. 
*cracks knuckles* So let's get down to it, shall we.


Windy or rainy autumn?
      Windy. Although some rainy autumn days are okay, I'd much prefer wind. There's just something about the cool breeze wafting by gently, then swiftly, ushering in all the smells of fall, and causing a confetti of brilliant colored leaves to fall to the ground around your feet. 


Do you like chai tea? 
   To be honest, I'm not a big tea person. Every now and then (meaning maybe 4 times a year), I drink tea. So no, probably not. 


Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider? 
    To be fair, I've never really had coffee. *Shocking, I know* But out of the list, I'd have to go with hot chocolate. Also, hot chocolate with peppermint is *hands down* one of THE BEST hot drinks. I mean, it's the perfect balance between a slight taste of peppermint, and that delectable, scrumptious, chocolaty taste. (I love chocolate, in case you couldn't tell. :) )


If you could go to one state in the U.S.A just for the autumn scenery, where would you go? 
   Hmmm. Where I live the leaves turn really pretty colors, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful during the fall. But if I had to choose, I'd probably go somewhere with mountains. Maybe Colorado? Or I don't know how the leaves are in the great plains states, so maybe it would be cool to go there?

Do you like soup in the autumn? If so, what kind is your favorite?
    Yaaas, fam! Soup is my jam during the fall season! Chili and Vegetable soup are my two favorite. I cannot choose between them, try as I might. 


What color of leaves do you like best? 
    Reds, Oranges, or yellows. But I really like finding the deep red leaves that have a hint of an "outline" of black around the edges. 


If your could go to another country just for autumn scenery, where would you go?
    Probably somewhere in Europe. Maybe Germany, England, or Switzerland. 


Sweater or hoodie? 
        Both. However, hoodies are usually more comfy, so I'll have to go with them. 


A hazelnut or apple cinnamon candle?
    apple cinnamon. :)

Cookies, brownies, or both?
     ACK! Family, you're tearing me up here! I can't possibly choose! If someone brought me a plate of either, I would eat them both with an equal amount of joy and savoring. :)


What's your favorite fall activity? (Like a fall photo shoot, knitting, crocheting, baking, reading, etc...)
     Probably reading, but then again I like to take long walks, so maybe that? Oooh, and bonfires. :)

Bonus questions!

Pumpkin or apple pie?
    I'm not big on Pumpkin, so apple. 


Have you ever had a pumpkin spice latte? If not, do you think you would like it/want to try one?
        Nope. Never had one. I don't like pumpkin that much (except for the smell and eating the seeds), so I probably wouldn't. 

Would you rather go on a hayride or do a corn maze?
      Hayrides are loads of fun, but then again a corn maze sounds like a blast as well. So...I'm going to be indecisive and pick both. :-p



*I tag anyone who would like to answer this tag. (Given that September is already over, lol.) :)*


Windy or rainy autumn?
Do you like chai tea? 
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider? 
If you could go to one state in the U.S.A just for the autumn scenery, where would you go? 
Do you like soup in the autumn? If so, what kind is your favorite?
What color of leaves do you like best? 
If your could go to another country just for autumn scenery, where would you go?
Sweater or hoodie? 
A hazelnut or apple cinnamon candle?
Cookies, brownies, or both?
What's your favorite fall activity? (Like a fall photo shoot, knitting, crocheting, baking, reading, etc...)
Bonus questions!
Pumpkin or apple pie?
Have you ever had a pumpkin spice latte? If not, do you think you would like it/want to try one?
Would you rather go on a hayride or do a corn maze?

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Goodbye Summer, and Hello Fall





 Hello, Hello! Long time no see, or should I say...write. 
I really shouldn't be writing and doing this right now, as it is close to 12 at night, but I wanted to let you know that (1.)I hadn't died, and (2.) I know I probably won't post anything unless I do it now.
So you shall get my late-night tired brain. :-p *sorry!*
ahhh! They're so cute! :)
I know it isn't fall...yet. But compared to the almost-100 degree weather that we've had last week compared to the 50-60 degree weather this week, it sure feels like it. 
I can't decide what my favorite season is, although I do really like spring and fall...and summer, and occasionally winter. ;)  (Can you tell I'm indecisive?;) )
But there is just something about fall... The comfy sweaters and fluffy socks can be pulled out,  hot chocolate can be slurped down in a cute mug, scarves and boots can be worn, and there are plenty of pretty leaves to look at and leaf piles to jump in. 
God definitely thought of everything! He knew that we would get tired of one same thing all the time, so he created seasons! What a great creator we have! 



Also, this is totally random, but I found this giff recently, and it made me laugh but also wonder "why is this a thing?" at the same time. So just thought I'd share it to see what y'all think of it. 

Why?????

Also, with the start of fall starts the beginning of another school year.
 I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm actually kind of glad school is starting, because it'll give me a break from working every day...and getting up ridiculously early for said job. Don't get me wrong, I like my job, it's just nice to have a little breather from it for a time. 
Also, the first couple weeks of classes fell on days when it was near 100 outside. 
Some of my brave friends and I decided to work out on some of those days, and by the time that we got to the Rec Center we felt like we had already been through a workout!

Anyways, I hope you all have been doing well! 
I hope to post more often, but I ain't makin' no promises...because it may not happen. :-P

Goodbye for now! :)

~Christina

A pic of me at college getting cagey and thus deciding to sit outside in the sweltering heat instead of inside in the air conditioning. :)

Thursday, June 7, 2018

A Month in Review



Hello, everyone! :)  I'm back after a month!

Yay! :)
Yes, I know. It has been awhile. What have I been doing the past month? Well, my family recently went on vacation for two days several weeks ago. We spent most of the time outside hiking and playing sports...so yeah, I really enjoyed myself. ;)  I've also been reading, hanging out with friends (and my family), planting our garden, picking strawberries and making jelly, watching some movies, going to church events, watching kids, other random things, ...and working. 
This year of work is different from the other years. Other years I worked wait staff, and the shifts were between 2 -4 hrs each. Of course, that depended on how much of a mess people made. Heh. *sarcastic and somewhat annoyed sigh* And usually, when it was 500 middle-schoolers to clean up after, there was a LOT of mess. 
But this year, I'm doing prep-cooking! So that has been...interesting. Especially since I've spent most of my time (tomboy that I was/am) outside than I ever did in the kitchen. 
But the people training me have been very patient, and for that I am extremely grateful! 

The first time I served a group, my boss thought the group was going to eat less... so we didn't prepare as much food. 
Boy were we wrong!
Breakfast that morning was hectic! The other cook and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to prepare and refill the food. We ran out of a lot of it, and my boss had to end up making an unplanned emergency trip to the grocery store!
The ironic thing was-- these people were very petite. The other cook (who has worked at least 15 years cooking) said:
"I've NEVER seen anything like this in my life! Little people like them eating so much!!! It makes me sick!"
To put this in perspective: at lunch that day, the group ate all the cold salads. They ate in one meal what was supposed to last them for 2-3 days! It was ridiculous. 

Thankfully, the other times serving groups have went by much more smoothly and less stressful. Also, the hours are better. Now I work 8-10 hours a day instead of 6 or 3 hrs/day. Yes, the days can get long...but I'm glad to have work! :)

And oh yeah! Freshman year of college is done with!!! :D




~What have I been reading?~


(this is just the 1st book)
Freedom's Holy Light series by Sally Laity & Dianna Crawford

This series is set before, during, and right after the Revolutionary war. I really love this series because they are very well written, Christian, and historically accurate. Also, these books (in my opinion) aren't "cheesy" like some other Christian fiction books tend to be. ;)


Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin

AHHHHH! Guuuuys! *squeals* This book is SOOO good! I'm still working my way through it (again). (The 1st time I got it from the library, I was a little less than 3/4 of the way through, and my well-meaning siblings returned it before I finished it...and then college started so I never finished it.)
But what I've read of it so far is soooo good!
The book is set during the Civil War period, and follows a girl and her life as she navigates through the situations she has to deal with during that time period. 
This is the summary that the book has on the back cover:
" As the Civil War rages, Caroline Fletcher is torn between two worlds. Raised on a Southern plantation where slavery is a way of life, her heart and conscience are awakened to its injustice when she sees the young son of her maid torn from his mother's arms and sold away. As she devotes herself to the abolitionist cause, Caroline's love and respect for the slaves who raised her give impetus to her mission. Then, forced to make some painful decisions, she finds herself separated from her family and the man she loves. Nevertheless, Caroline continues to stand up for what she believes is right, encountering more and more opposition...and the wrong side of the law. In the face of so many dangers, will she have the strength to continue her good fight?"

I love this series! :D

LOTR: The Fellowship of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Yep. I am re-reading these again. And they are still as intriguing as the first time through! 
Man! Tolkien could write!!! :D


And, of course, The Bible. 

Recently, I've been re-reading through different books of the Bible. A verse and section that recently stood out to me was Numbers 9:22-23:
"Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the LORD's command, and they did whatever the LORD told them."

My Bible has little tidbits of  Bible study-feeling sections in the margins. The following is what was at the bottom of the page:
In the Right Spot
The Hebrews traveled and camped as God guided. When you follow God's guidance, you can be confident that you're where God wants you, whether you're moving or staying in one place. instead of praying, "God what do you want me to do next?" You might ask, "God what do you want me to do while I'm right here?" Direction from God is not just for your next big move. He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now.

Recently, I've felt like God is really telling me to be content in the season that I am in. I've been praying whether or not to continue college, and haven't really received a clear answer as of yet. But I think God has really been speaking to me to please Him where I am now. To reach the people I am around right now, instead of constantly trying to look ahead to the future. For example: the job that I was talking about earlier wasn't exactly planned. I had been applying and looking for other jobs, and hadn't heard back from any of them. I  enjoyed where I worked and who I worked with, it just wasn't enough hours and the pay wasn't great either. My employer knew I was looking, and offered me the cooking position that I have now. Now I have double the hours that I had before, a raise, and still get to see people that I worked with!
It may not have been what I had necessarily wanted at the time or had planned, but it was what God knew that I needed, and I'm enjoying it thus far! :)
All that to say, when I read that verse and that tidbit at the bottom, I was like "Whoa! That was exactly what I needed to hear right now!" 
It's so cool when God tells and gives us exactly what we need before we even ask!



~What have I been watching lately?~



Priceless


The Greatest Showman


Belle


The Waltons 


Forever Strong

Yes, I shall try to do movie reviews for them...but for the time being I think this post is probably long enough :). So stay tuned! (Wow, that sounded so cheesy :-p.)

I'd love to hear what you all have been doing this summer! :)

God Bless!



Saturday, May 5, 2018

Chosen

 

Chosen. Loved. Wanted. Cherished. 

Recently, God has really been chasing after me. For so long I've lived like an orphan. Not in the 
sense that I don't have a family, but in the sense as in realizing that God has chosen me.

That He dearly loves me. That I am wanted. That I am cherished. 

I have been going back and forth over whether or not I should write this post...a part of me doesn't want to open up and share those deep, painful places. ( For the sake of privacy, I will not get into too much detail.) Yet, another part of me knows that I am probably not in this alone, and if just one person can come away from reading this closer to God and realizing His deep love for them, that will be enough. 

*Disclaimer: I do have a wonderful, loving family..these are just things I have personally experienced/ the enemy's lies about me personally.* 



Not too long ago I was talking to some friends about the stories we were/are writing. One of them said that usually we put a lot of ourselves into our stories, and as I thought about it I realized that in most of my stories the main character was: 
1.orphaned
2.underwent serious loss
3. rejected
4. a tomboy 
5. a Christian
6. unwanted
This actually disturbed me a little bit when I thought about it. "Surely this doesn't reflect me!" I thought to myself. However, over the next couple weeks God revealed to me that in a way, this was true. My writings were a subconscious letting out of how I felt, because I wouldn't allow myself to feel. When I say that, I don't mean that I never feel or felt anything, what I mean is that in deeper, life-long areas of hurt, they'd been there for so long, and I thought I'd gotten "over it" until later on I realized that the same hurt was hidden down deep inside in the very foundation of me. 

*Now, I don't say this to get sympathy or "throw a pity party for myself". *

This is simply what I realized and what God has revealed to me recently. 



From the very beginning of my life, you could say that I wasn't exactly chosen. 
In fact, by the time that I was four I learned what it meant to be rejected. 
My grandparents were very anti-homeschooling, and thought my parents were "ruining our lives". (Which is ABSOLUTELY totally false. Being homeschooled was one of the biggest blessings in my life!). This resulted in a tense relationship, and making favorites of my other cousin. At the family get-togethers we went to, we had to endure snide comments and be obviously treated as less-than.
It was hard to be an "outsider" in my own family. 
Thankfully, things have gotten better, praise God!

But this one circumstance in my life, and many more in the future, are what impounded in me that I wasn't chosen. I wasn't loved. And I definitely wasn't a bit cherished. 

Since then, there have been many other similar(ish) instances. 
When these instances happened, I tried to make myself believe that I didn't care. But I did. The pain and the hurt was there.
UNWANTED was printed on my heart in big, bold letters.
Scars were broken open and made deeper. 
I started living life as if everyone would abandon me.
I started to withdraw.
To distance myself from those I loved.
To fall into depression.
To believe that I could never be forever loved. 



Listen now, and listen closely. 
This is NOT true. No matter what you or I have been through, no matter what we have done, no matter all the pain and affliction that has been in our lives-- God still loves us. 
He knows.
He cares. 
He has a plan for our lives.
He loves us.
He cherishes us.
He has called us by name.
WE ARE CHOSEN AND LOVED!!!!




Satan will try to use every lie that he possibly can to keep us in bondage. 
To believe that we will never be good enough.
Never be pretty enough.
Never be smart enough.
That we will never be enough.

My dear sisters in Christ, 
Don't listen to the lies!
Block out his little, whiny voice, and instead tune into what God says about you!
Personally, I have believed lies for too long. I have believed the lies that I would never be good enough, never loved, always rejected, never pretty enough, never smart enough, to be really used by God.  Sure, I'd try to do what God wanted me to do, and in fact, since I was very small I've felt called to mission work of some sort...but I never really fully grasped that God loves me just as much as everyone else. 
GOD LOVES YOU JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE! :)


Now, God is gently showing me His great love. He is healing what was broken and replacing what was lost. Sure, there are days that go by when I sometimes don't necessarily feel loved all the time, But love isn't really a feeling... love is laying down your life for others.


God is wooing me back to Him. He is restoring those dreams I thought were dead, breathing new life again, and whispering to me that I am chosen. That nothing can ever separate His love from me. 



Let the words CHOSEN and LOVED sink deeply in and permeate your soul.

I found a quote last year while I was doing my graduation board, and I really love what it says:

"God has a purpose for you pain, a reason for your struggle, and a reward for your faithfulness. Don't give up!" ~Anonymous 

Hang in there, fam! You are chosen and beloved by God!
He is a good, good, Father.
We can run to Him with our broken hearts and problems, and He will heal and deliver us!
He will never give up on you. 
Always love you.
And forever pursue you.