FishFlix.com ~ Your One-Stop Source for Christian Movies

FishFlix.com offers quality Christian DVDs that you can enjoy watching with your whole family! As a team member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I recently had the opportunity to select a DVD from FishFlix.com and watch it with my family. I chose Faith of Our Fathers for this review.

Faith of Our Fathers DVD

My 15 year old son is very interested in history, and more specifically, the history of wars. Naturally I chose for my review the Faith of Our Fathers DVD because I knew it would be something that he would enjoy watching since it was about fathers who served together in the Vietnam War.

Here's the movie's description from Fishflix.com:

"With the Vietnam War raging in 1969, two young fathers report for duty.  A man of great faith and a doubtful cynic.  About 25 years later, their sons, Wayne and John Paul played by David A.R. White and Kevin Downes, meet as strangers.  Guided by handwritten letters from their fathers from the battlefield, they embark on an unforgettable journey to The Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Along the way, they discover that the devastation of war cannot break the love of two fathers and their sons."

I was interested in watching this movie too because my Dad was a Vietnam veteran. He never talked to me about his experience in the Vietnam War expect for one time in my adult life. He told me his coming home story and I'll never forget it. My Dad suffered from nightmares and PTSD as a result of fighting in the Vietnam War. His sacrifice and service to our country is what makes him my ultimate hero.





The main characters of Faith of Our Fathers are John Paul and Wayne. Their fathers were friends who served and died in the Vietnam War. John Paul finds a letter from his dad as he is going through some of his mom's boxes. Since John Paul doesn't know much about his father, he sets out to find the man mentioned in his father's letters in hopes of learning more about his father. He finds the man's son, Wayne. John Paul is a man of faith, and Wayne is a very angry and cynical man. Together they travel to Washington, DC to visit The Wall. As they make the journey, they read the letters sent home during the war from Wayne's father. It's through these letters that John Paul and Wayne get to know their fathers. They also learn through the letters what faith is all about.

If there are any Duck Dynasty fans out there, Si Robertson has a brief part in this movie! Be ready to laugh and cry while you watch Faith of our Fathers. In case you're wondering, the movie is rated PG-13 for brief war violence.

My Opinion of FishFlix.com

Fishflix.com is an online Christian movie store that has a great variety of movie selections that are safe for your whole family! There's not much available these days on T.V. or in the movie theater for a Christian family. I'm so glad to have FishFlix.com as a resource for family friendly entertainment! If you've never heard of them, I highly recommend heading over to their website and taking a look at all they have to offer! You will not be disappointed! FishFlix.com might even become your one-stop source for Christian movies!

Be sure to follow FishFlix.com on the following social media outlets so you can get their updates:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• YouTube

Read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

25 Fun Fall Activities To Do With Your Family

I love fall and everything that comes with it! The beautiful colors of the changing leaves, the cooler temperatures, homemade soups and chili, pumpkin-flavored coffee and hoodies. There's so much to love about the fall season!

Here's my list of fun fall activities to do with your family. I hope you'll enjoy spending time with your family with these ideas.

Fun Fall Activities To Do With Your Family

1.   Visit a corn maze
2.   Make a leaf pile to play in
3.   Make a bonfire
4.   Make smores
5.   Go on a hayride
6.   Visit a farm
7.   Go to a fall festival
8.   Take a car ride to the mountains to look at all the fall colors
9.   Make caramel corn
10. Visit an apple orchard to pick apples
11. Make an apple pie
12. Cook a big pot of your family's favorite soup
13. Take a fall family photo
14. Visit a pumpkin patch
15. Start a gratitude journal
16. Have a fall picnic
17. Make a thankful tree craft
18. Plant some fall mums
19. Make an apple crisp
20. Take a nature walk
21. Make popcorn and watch a family movie
22. Cook a big pot of chili
23. Build a scarecrow
24. Make snickerdoodles
25. Decorate your house with fall decorations


I've made this list into a FREE printable you can download and use with your family! Simply click on the link below.

25 Fun Fall Activities To Do With Your Family

Free Printable

 

Do you have a fun fall activity you like to do with your family? Please share with us in the comments! Happy Fall y'all! :)

Walking in His Grace, 
Laurie

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool; Me, Coffee, and Jesus
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Missional Women

Finding Joy in Serving Our Families

Today we are reading Proverbs 31:19-22 with the Good Morning Girls. I'm learning so much from the Proverbs 31 woman. This woman teaches us the importance of finding joy in serving our families.

¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.

~Proverbs 31:19-22

The Proverbs 31 woman spins her own thread which she uses to sew her family's clothes. Can you imagine the time this process took? Check out this YouTube video I found that demonstrates spinning thread.

She not only finds joy in serving her family, but she also opens her hand to the poor and reaches out to the needy.

The Proverbs 31 woman is not afraid of the winter months because she has prepared ahead and made warm clothes for her family.

She has made her own bed coverings and beautiful clothing for herself.

I don't know about you, but I've not always found joy in serving my family. It wasn't until I began to study the tireless efforts of the Proverbs 31 woman for the first time 3 years ago that God showed me that I can truly find joy in the everyday tasks I do inside my home for my family.

I find joy by having the right heart attitude and by having a spirit of thankfulness for my family.

Thankfulness for the dirty clothes that my children had fun playing in that need to be washed.

Thankfulness for the 2 loads of dirty dishes that I ran in my dishwasher today that remind me how God has provided food for my family because He has blessed my husband with employment.

When I take the time to stop in the midst of everything I have to do day in and day out and be thankful...that's when I can find joy in serving my family.

Finding joy in serving our families begins within our hearts. How will you find joy in serving your family today?

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

 

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

FishFlix.com Review

FishFlix.com is a great place to find Christian and family movies! As a Christian family, my husband and I are very careful about the movies we allow into our homes. We want to teach our children the importance of guarding our hearts by what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear. When the opportunity came up on the Schoolhouse Review Crew to do a review with FishFlix.com I was very happy to participate! I chose to review Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story in our home.





FishFlix.com has many DVD titles to choose from, including Blue-ray. Movie categories include:

• $5 Christian DVDs
• Apologetics and Creation
• Biblical Movies
• Biography
• Children's Movies
• Christian Comedy
• Christian Documentary
• Christian Family Entertainment
• Christian History
• Christian Living
• Christian Movies on Blue-ray
• Christmas Movies
• Educational
• End Times Prophetic
• Evangelistic Movies
• Family Bargain
• Fox Faith
• Music Videos
• PureFlix Entertainment
• Spanish Christian Movies
• Sports Film
• Wanderlust Films
• When Calls the Heart

When you sign up for their newsletter, you will get a 10% off coupon.

Family Movie Night

Our family watches a lot of G and PG movies since there isn't much on T.V. that is appropriate to watch. We have built up a great movie collection in our house. We had a family movie night to watch Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story. Family movie nights always include popcorn, candy, and lights out so it feels just like we're in the theater!

You can also watch the DVD on your laptop computer or in your car if you it's equipped with a portable DVD player. This faith hero movie would be great entertainment on the road for the kids while traveling on your summer vacation.



I love sharing real life faith hero stories with my son! Of course, I won't tell you all about the story, but I can tell you that also included on the DVD is bonus material such as a 51 minute documentary "The Faith that Sparked the Methodist Movement", the rest of the titles included in the Torchlighters series, a clip from The Voice of the Martyrs, and Study Guides. The teacher guide is 23 pages and the student guide is 25 pages.

These bonus items can only be accessed from your computer. For a Windows computer, double click on "My Computer" and if you have a Macintosh, the disc will appear on your desktop.

Here is a picture of the table of contents for the student study guide.

Student Study Guide for Torchlighter: The John Wesley Story

Language selections for viewing include English and Spanish. Subtitles are also available in English and Spanish. With the subtitles, you have the choice to this feature on or off.

Our kids need to hear these stories of real life faith heroes! Give them real heroes to look up to and imitate such as John Wesley.


You can connect with FishFlix.com on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• YouTube

You can read more TOS Reviews simply by clicking on the image below.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

It's Okay To Say No

Are there times in your life when you feel like you have to do it ALL? As women, we have a lot on our plates, don't we? I don't know about you, but for me it can be very hard sometimes to say no.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as other opportunities have presented themselves to me at this time in my life that I have had to say no to simply because I have come to the realization that I cannot do it all.

I repeat...

I cannot do it all.

Sweet Blessings of My Life

There have been a couple of wonderful things happen in my life this past month.

• I became a grandma on March 13 to a precious baby boy.
• I took on a babysitting job for my Pastor and his wife.

I had the sweet pleasure of helping my daughter during the first two weeks of my grandson's life until she developed a comfortable routine with him. This meant spending the night with her and getting up every 2-3 hours with her when she breastfed. I helped with diaper changes, cleaning the kitchen - anything that my daughter needed. We had lots of great moma/daughter time together at night watching one of our favorite shows, Gilmore Girls, on Netflix. During the daytime, when her husband was home from work, I would go back to my home with my son and husband. I would do my Bible study with Good Morning Girls, my blogging VA responsibilities for the next day, homeschool my son, clean the house if needed (my husband kept up this area so that thankfully it did not overtake me), fix supper, eat with my husband and son, and then head back over to my daughter's house in the evening. It was a precious time as well as an exhausting time.

Also during this time, I began a babysitting job for my Pastor and his wife. So add this to what you already read above in my daily schedule of life. {wink!}

After 2 weeks, as hard as it was for me, I decided it was time to let my daughter venture off on her own at night with her new mommy duties. I felt sure she would be fine and could handle everything without me. But I reassured her I would be there in a moment's notice if she needed me. I encouraged her in how well she had been doing with her sweet baby and the confidence I had in her that she would do fine. I'm thankful to say she did beautifully without me. I'm so proud of her!

It's Okay To Say No

I learned a very valuable lesson during this time that I had to admit to myself and to my daughter. I can't remember the situation, but there was a moment during that 2-week period that I was with her that she was in tears and commented to me, "I don't know how you do it all." I guess the mommy weariness had taken its toll on my precious daughter to bring these words out of her mouth.

Her words shocked me.

This is not the image I want to give my daughter of me. Because the truth is...

I cannot do it all.

I repeat...

I cannot do it all.

I quickly told her the shocking truth about her mother - yes, me - I cannot do it all...

...and I reassured her that she would be able to do what God was calling her to do because His strength would be working through her weaknesses.

My sweet friends, His strength will work through your weaknesses too. He does the same for me.

God has taught me when I am weak, He is strong. I love how Paul reminds us of this beautiful truth in 2 Corinthians 12:9-11:

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses...For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So I will gladly admit to my daughter, and to you, that I cannot do it all. For that's when the power of God rests on me. I want His power in my life, don't you friends! I want His power in my daughter's life too.

When you realize and admit that you cannot do it all something freeing happens. Not only does Christ's power rest on your life, but you become more discerning with your time. You realize that it's okay to say no to some things that beckon for your time.

I know because just last week after much prayer I decided to say no to a temporary job with our local Annual Furniture Market that is happening this week. I worked last Fall as a Registrar, and they wanted me to come back for this Spring Market. I graciously denied their offer because I'm not afraid anymore to say...

I cannot do it all.

How about you? Do you find it hard to say no or have you come to the realization that you cannot do it all and that it's okay to say no to some things?

Walking in His Grace, 
Laurie

Silky Smooth Skin with Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash

The new Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash is a simple and affordable way to pamper your family's skin daily! As a Purex Insider, I'm excited to share my review of the new Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash with you today!

Do you yearn for soft skin?

Is healthy skin for your entire family something you desire from your family body wash?

Infused with Marula Oil, this moisturizing soap is safe for the whole family. Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash will give your entire family soft and healthy skin.

When my package was delivered, my son grabbed the body wash and headed straight to the shower! I told him we would have to share it since we only had this one bottle. (*grin*)

He wanted me to let you know his thoughts: "It is really good and the smell is awesome!"

I couldn't agree with him more! I love the silky smooth feeling of my skin. It really does feel and look healthy. This past winter had left my skin feeling dry, itchy, and flaky. But not anymore thanks to the new Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash! It's nice to have healthy and soft skin again just in time for summer weather.

I'm excited to be able to host a giveaway for one coupon for a FREE bottle of Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash! Enter below by using the Rafflecopter widget.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your Purex Insider, 
Laurie



*Disclaimer: The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

I've Joined the Grandparents Club!

I am so excited to introduce to you our precious grandson, Elijah McCain Talley! Born on Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m. to Jonathan and Sarah Talley. He is perfect!!

I was so blessed to be able to witness my grandson's birth since my daughter and son-in-law wanted me in the birthing room with them - along with Jonathan's mother.

Thanks for all of your prayers for my daughter and Elijah! God answered every prayer that we prayed on their behalf!

They both are doing great! My sweet son-in-law is taking wonderful care of them. I'm getting to help them too by spending some nights with them to assist however they need me which makes this moma and grandma very happy!

Walking in His Grace, 
Laurie

Find Healing for Your Skin with Koru Naturals

I'm excited to bring to you today my review of Koru Naturals! I think this winter has been the roughest ever on my skin. It's been dry and itchy, even to the point of burning. I'll admit I've never been one to apply lotions and such to my skin, but now that {ahh-hum} I'm getting older and after having gone through such a hard time with my skin this winter, I think it's time for me to develop some sort of skin care routine.

This review for Koru Naturals could not have come at a more better time for me! I jumped at the opportunity to participate in a review of their products. I especially wanted to try the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, and was delighted to learn that I would also be receiving the Pure Emu Oil as well. Find healing for your skin with Koru Naturals!

How I Used Koru Naturals

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm has a very thick consistency like all balms do, and at first I was hesitant to dig my fingers into it to get enough on my fingertips to apply to my patchy, dry legs. This didn't last long though once I felt and saw the effects of application. I pressed in further with my fingertips after the first week of applying this skin balm to my thirsty skin. After applying to my legs, I would use what was left on my hands for my elbows, forearms, and hands. Because of Koolpurrie Restoring Balm's thick consistency, I really had to take my time rubbing it into my skin. This was certainly not a problem though and well worth the little bit of extra effort considering the relief I got for my dry, itchy, and burning skin.

Here's a fun fact for you: the Koolpurrie is the Australian Native name for emu.

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm is made with lanolin and emu oil.

I also used this on my 14 year old son's very dry and ashy elbows. They drank in the balm every time! As long as I keep Koolpurrie Restoring Balm applied to his elbows, they stay moisturized and healthy. If I miss a couple of days, they go right back to being dry and ashy. So it's important that I remember to apply it daily.

I loved the Pure Emu Oil as well! I alternated use of the Pure Emu Oil and the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm each day on my legs, arms, and hands. I always applied after the shower, once I finished towel drying. It always felt so good on my dry skin, and my thirsty skin drank in the nourishment. I was pleasantly surprised how the Emu Oil - when applying - soaked in and felt like baby powder softness.

My skin is baby soft now. I will definitely have to keep Koolpurrie Restoring Balm and Pure Emu Oil as my daily skin nourishment routine.

The Pure Emu Oil is considered hypoallergenic, but should only be used on unbroken skin.

Neither of these products from Koru Naturals have an overpowering scent. There is actually very little scent to them at all. This is another plus for me because strong scents flare up my allergies.

My Opinion of Koru Naturals

I can definitely tell a big improvement in the condition of my skin. It is no longer dry or flaky. My skin doesn't burn anymore either because it is so dry. It feels healthy again! Like I said earlier in my review, as long as I keep the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm applied to my son's elbows, they stay moisturized and healthy.

I love that all of the suppliers of Koru Naturals have to certify that they do not use animal testing on any of their products.

And if you're like me and wondering what "Koru" means, it's the Maori name given to the newborn fern frond. It symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace.

I highly recommend trying out the products of Koru Naturals for yourself. Like me, you too can find healing for your skin with Koru Naturals.

You can connect with Koru Naturals on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Pinterest

Do you use any products from Koru Naturals? I'd love to know what you use and how you like it! Just let me know in the comments below!

Read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

The Great Debate of Public School Attendance

The great debate of public school attendance is a hot topic these days among evangelical Christians, so when the opportunity came to do a review for the DVD IndoctriNation as part of the 2015 TOS Review Crew, I immediately requested to be a part of the review. I'm so excited to be back on the Crew and to share with you my first review of this year!

IndoctriNation, produced by Great Commission Films, is a captivating documentary/testimonial film in which Collin Gunn, a Scotland born homeschooling father of seven, is traveling around the United States on a yellow school bus with his family on a quest to understand the origins and social impact of the public education system in the USA. Seeking to answer the question of whether or not our public schools are an educational "neutral zone" or if they are seeking to undermine the influence of the Church and the family unit, Collin shares compelling interviews with teachers and administrators of the various public schools, as well as his interviews with parents and various "whistle-blowers", that he has met during his journey across the United States of America.


This powerful quote is in the opening of this film about public schools in America:

"America's future is being shifted and remolded through our public school system. Tomorrow's borders and leaders are being guided and instructed in today's classrooms. But whose doctrine is being taught?" ~Collin Gunn

Vocabulary.com defines indoctrination as teaching someone to accept a set of beliefs without questioning them. Sadly, this very thing is going on in our public schools across America as our children are being taught daily by pro-choice secularists, evolutionists, atheists, and now the list has grown to even include child molesters. Don't get me wrong, there are still some wonderful school teachers and principals in our public schools, but this review is focusing on the threat that continues to cast a dark shadow over America's public schools that Collin addresses in IndoctriNation.


It's a threat that has sparked a national debate among evangelical Christians all over America. The debatable question that evangelical Christians are asking is this:

"Should we protect our children by withdrawing them from the public schools or should we leave them in the system to try to influence the schools for the better?"

Check out this short clip between two well-known pastors that stand on opposite sides of the debate as well as other shocking scenes from the film about what is going on inside of the pubic schools of America and the indoctrination of the children who attend:

My Opinion of IndoctriNation

I watched this DVD alone because of the content which I didn't consider to be suitable for my son at this time. There is a content warning at the beginning of the DVD. Please be aware of this before you sit down to watch it. If you have younger children, make sure they are not around when you are watching because of some of the subject content that may not be suitable for young ears.

Subject content may not be suitable for young viewers.

If you are a public school parent, I highly recommend the viewing of this DVD to see what's really happening in the public schools of America and with your child's public education. Kids face so many obstacles in the pursuit of their education in a public school - school bullying, school violence, and indoctrination of beliefs that are hidden within the new common core curriculum to name just a few.

If you are a homeschooling parent who is contemplating placing your child back into your local public school, you really must watch this DVD. IndoctriNation will remind you quickly why you made the wise decision to homeschool (see list of reasons I gave to public school parents above). Is homeschooling a sacrifice? Yes! Are there hard days in homeschooling? Absolutely! But you are not alone in your homeschooling journey. After viewing this film, I would also recommend contacting some of your homeschooling friends for support and encouragement. Take a homeschooling break if you need to and just do some learning through real life activities and some field trips. Check out my Homeschool Unit Studies board on Pinterest to get some ideas on unit studies that can be a nice change of pace for your homeschool. Most of all, I would encourage you to pray for yourself, your child, and your homeschool. Go to God's Word and find encouragement and strength for your homeschool journey. Here are twelve encouraging Bible verses for homeschooling moms that I found for my family. I hope they will be a blessing to your homeschooling family too!



IndoctriNation is available in English and Spanish. DVD's in Russian, Chinese, and Korean are in the works at the time of my review.

You can connect with Great Commission Films (IndoctriNation) on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Vimeo
• YouTube

Check out other reviews from Crew members by clicking on the image below.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 

12 Days of Christmas Stories That Will Keep Your Family Focused on Jesus

If you're like me, you look for ways to keep your family's focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. A great way to do this, especially if you have kids, is having an assortment of Christmas books to read to your children in the days leading up to Christmas. Today I'm so excited to share with you my 12 Days of Christmas Stories That Will Keep Your Family Focused on Jesus!

If you're looking to add new titles to your Christmas stories list this year, look no further than these 12 Christmas stories I've found for you that will be a great addition to your home as you seek to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus for your family! He is the reason we celebrate, after all!

12 Days of Christmas Stories 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS




God Gave Us Christmas





J Is for Jesus: The Sweetest Story Ever Told




The Christmas Star




The Nativity Story (Candle Bible for Kids)




The Christmas Story




Christmas in the Manger




The Christmas Story: The Bible Version




The Story of Christmas




A Star for Me




Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale





Itsy Bitsy Christmas: You're Never Too Little for His Love



I hope you enjoy looking through my list of Christmas stories to help keep your family focused on Jesus! Let me know if you'll be adding any of these titles to your family's Christmas stories list!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie