Family Friendly Friday (Movie Ed.)

If you’ve been reading my blog very long, you’ve probably figured out I have a love for old movies. I came by this love naturally because my mom started me out watching them at a young age. My parents were very selective of what our family watched and I am extremely thankful for the caution they exercised. It has resulted in a concern over what my own family invites into our living room. As Christians, we should be very concerned over what kind of entertainment we put in front of our children, as well as what kind we allow to fill our own minds. As I explained in a past post, for me, Fridays often meant family movie night. I am still a huge fan of it, but it can be hard to find “movies worth watching.” To that end, many of my Friday posts are just a list of family friendly movies to give you ideas, if you’re stumped on what to watch or (if you are a lover of the silver screen like me,) to reminisce some of the true classics. So whether you’ve just stumbled upon my page in search of a Friday night movie for the family or if you’re simply a kindred spirit who is familiar with Hollywood’s golden era, welcome and enjoy!

Up first…

 The Absent Minded Professor

Fred McMurray is one of my favorite actors. I mean, what’s not to like? Whether he’s portraying a dad to three boys or, as in this particular film, a bachelor that can’t remember his own wedding date, he does so fantastically.

State Fair (1945)

Midways, campgrounds, judging, concerts…I’m in heaven just writing about it. I love this movie with all the fair hoopla. After you watch this one, you find yourself Googling to find the fair nearest you (if you don’t already know that is).

Last but certainly not least…

On Moonlight Bay

Doris Day is another one of those timeless actresses. Paired with Gordon MacRae in this film, they are a vibrant duo. This is a beautiful love story with an ending that will leave you teary-eyed. I have a feeling you’ll also recognize several other characters from this picture such as Leon Ames (you just watched him in The Absent Minded Professor!), Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton anyone?), and Mary Wickes (carrying on her role as the good-natured, humorous housekeeper from White Christmas).

Tradtitional Thursday (Recipe Ed.)

Popovers

                  I love making these, mainly because they are so versatile. They can easily accompany a small casserole dish at a ladies’ luncheon or act as a substitute for cornbread at dinnertime. And the best thing about them is how easy they are to make!

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

3 Tblsp. Mayo

1 cup milk

1 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Spoon into well greased muffin tins (I grease mine with Brummel and Brown yogurt-found in the butter isle-or with coconut oil). Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for about 20 minutes. Yields approximately 1 dozen regular size muffins. That’s it! 

Tough Truth Tuesday - Shine Your Light

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                  I’ve heard it discussed a lot lately. I’ve pondered it myself. How can we make the church stronger? The number of faithful Christians seems to be on a steady decline. We see more and more empty pews on Sunday and classrooms left vacant on Wednesday. It’s discouraging. We want to know why. We want to know how to turn things around. How do we build a strong church? You probably won’t like my answer. I’ll be honest-it steps on my toes as much as yours.

                  The secret to strengthening a congregation is not hiring Superman to be your minister. The secret to strengthening a congregation is not expecting the elders (or deacons for that matter) to do everything. It is not giving away door prizes each Sunday morning. It is not making worship service appealing by offering entertainment.  The secret involves asking ourselves how convicted that man sitting in the pew is. The secret to building a strong congregation is having the member’s hearts devoted to God. Now, if you’re like me, you’re reading this thinking, I’m devoted to God; I’m a New Testament Christian and I am whole-heartedly devoted to serving God, but are you really? I think it would be wise to ask ourselves some tough questions here. If we’re really honest we seek excellence in nearly all aspects of life (i.e. athletics, academics, careers, material possessions). We even set our children up for these same goals and accomplishments. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. The problem arises when we strive for excellence in all areas except the one that truly matters-walking with God.

                  When we become New Testament Christians we undergo a transfer of ownership. God becomes our Master. He reigns over us and we seek to serve Him faithfully. If we faithfully serve Him, others notice it. They notice a difference in us-a light that shines amidst a dark world. Jesus told us to let our lights shine that others might see the Father through our good works (Matt. 5:16).  We want to be lights, but sometimes we let any and everything get in the way of striving to be excellent lights. We allow our lights to grow dim, but Jesus said, “Let your light so SHINE …” Shine. We must be focused on letting our lights shine. We must constantly be praying for opportunities to serve the Lord. We cannot afford to get sidetracked. We cannot afford to be distracted. We cannot allow our lights to dim or go out. The strength of the church depends on it.

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build.

So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

Nehemiah 2:18 KJV

Mention Worthy Monday (Links Ed.)

Christ Is Being Persecuted In Our World - I listened to this podcast recently and I have to admit, I was shocked at some of the information I heard. I guess, like many of my fellow Americans I thought that the horrible things of this nature would be on our national media outlets if they were going on, but remarkably the media has remained silent. So I share this with you to raise your awareness and to encourage you to add our brothers and sisters in Christ enduring this persecution to your prayers.

 Ex-HGTV hosts: 'If our faith costs us a TV show, so be it' - "HGTV’s statement is insufficient. They owe it to their viewers to explain why “Flip It Forward” was canceled. There may very well be another reason why they pulled the plug. But right now, it appears that they caved in to pressure from gay activists. If that’s the case, it would make HGBT not only cowardly, but also bigoted."

 Preschool Graduation Bonus Feature - On a lighter note and in honor of graduation season, I'm directing you to this cute clip of a little guy who took advantage of his mic time...

25 Beloved, Time-Tested Read Alouds for Young Children - "Charlie Tremendous Jones once stated, 'You’re the same today as you’ll be in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read.'" I absolutely love the concept and tips given by this blogger. I am familiar with most of the books she's listed, but a few were new to me. You can bet, they've been added to my to-read list.

15 Plants That Forgot They Are Plants - You just have to see these to believe it.