If there is one thing that I don't leave home without, it is my cell phone.  Honestly, I don't leave my room without it.  It goes with me from room to room within my home, around my yard, on many a trip in the vehicle, to church, shopping, and to grandmother's house.  Everywhere! I am incredibly faithful at carrying that light little box around with me. I get a bit panicky if I misplace it. Like most of you, my phone is much more than a phone. It is an internet browser, a dictionary, a complete library of books... most importantly several versions of the Bible and some cherished devotionals, a cinema, my organizational system, and it gives me access to ALL of my electronic files, medical data, financial data, and the list goes on.... and on.... and on.   

The Stray: A True Story is a family-friendly, Dave Approved for All Ages movie showing in select theaters now.  See the trailer and enter to win a family pack of 4 movie tickets.  Enjoy the show!

I love documentaries!  I watch a lot of them.  I can unabashedly say that Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus is at the top of my favorite documentaries list ever.  It is powerful... a filmmakers genuine and honest journey to investigate the controversy surrounding the biblical exodus.  His findings are balanced and fair.

This film was so engrossing that while my husband and I were watching it, my kids (ages 8, 10, and 18) started peeking their heads in to see what we were watching.  It wasn't long at all before they joined us, and they really added to the experience as they asked really good questions throughout (mark one homeschool lesson finished).  As we watched my husband and I kept looking at each other and found ourselves saying things like WOW!  I had no idea!  That's incredible!  Are you kidding me!?!  

Here are a couple of my thoughts as to what makes a documentary great?

• The topic is one that is worthwhile of deep investigation (a question or controversy that is engaging).
• The film's journey is undertaken by an investigative journalist with integrity.
• The documentary takes me somewhere that I cannot go on my own.
• The documentary opens up a subject matter that I may know nothing about and leaves me informed.
• The documentary goes deep.  It takes the needed time to fully investigate the story (in this case, 12-years).
• The filmmaking, editing, narrating, etc. should be excellent.  Clean, sharp, pleasing to the eyes and ears.
• Most importantly... it should keep you ruminating over it long after it is over.  (My husband and I have had so many discussions about this film since we finished it.)

On every point Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus knocks it out of the park - hits the nail on the head - pick your favorite idiom.  Watch the short trailer below and then scroll down to enter my giveaway for one copy of the DVD.  If you don't win the giveaway... don't worry... I also have a discount code for you .

I completely forgot to tell you all in yesterdays post about the fact that you could WIN a free Biblical Hebrew level 1 course.  The same course that Darrell is currently taking.  Nine months of in-depth online learning with an instructor who lives in Israel and with English speaking students from all over the world. Just by entering you get a $100.00 tuition reduction!

It isn't everyday as a blogger that you get tossed an opportunity to review a Biblical Hebrew course.  When the opportunity popped up in my email box I immediately thought of my husband.  He is a pastor with a Bible college education but he has yet to learn either Greek or Hebrew.  I asked him if he would like to take the class and he immediately snatched up the opportunity.

There are many important milestones in a person's life... graduation is one of them.  A big one!  Whether it be from high school or college the graduation right of passage leads our babies off into the relative unknown.  They seem to race off full steam ahead towards an independent life.  Believers, we know it and I know that you have raised your children to understand that there is only one unchanging truth... one compass... Christ.  But do you have as hard a time as I do remembering sometimes?  I can get all twisted and turned around.  And trust me, the "world" will bombard your graduate with false information as Satan desires to snatch them away from the truth of which they have been raised.  As our babies graduate it's time to pull out the parental toolbox and exchange a few of the tools.  One tool that will never change... prayer!  We will get camel's knees from praying that our children will remember who reigns.  Then the question is, what else do you put in your toolbox?

I want to introduce you today to a pregnancy-resource ministry called Embrace Grace.  I hadn't heard of this ministry prior to being contacted to review the ministries Love in a Box pro-love initiative (more on that to follow).  I'm impressed from what I see to be the heart of this ministry.  Learning about this ministry on their 'about us' page my heart soared when I read that "the primary goal of Embrace Grace is to empower churches across the nation to be a safe and non-judging place for the girls to run to when they find out they are pregnant, instead of the last place they are welcomed because of shame and guilt." (emphasis mine).  This is how we have been called by God to respond to these girls, their boyfriends, and their families.

I am pro-life and I applaud the efforts of others to turn people away from the very sad and sinful choice of abortion.  The church needs to do even more in the fight against abortion and to spread the gospel, which is the only true way to change the human heart.  While I really want to support this movie I feel that there are some doctrinal issues that cannot be ignored therefore I cannot recommend this movie.

I had a great experience watching The JESUS Film using Christian Cinema's streaming service.  As an Apple TV owner I was thrilled to discover that Christian Cinema has an Apple TV app, launched in July 2016.  I had crystal clear reception without any delays.  The quality of the video was excellent, the new musical score in Dobly 5.1 surround sound was evident, and the movie was vividly colored.  It was a top-notch viewing experience

Treasure Toons was an unexpected blessing.  Treasure Toon is not cotton candy christianity for kids. You know… cotton candy is sweet, it draws kids in, it tastes great, but it isn’t substantial.  Treasure Toons is substantial!  It is biblical scripture set to music with fun graphics for kids.