Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Monday, May 3, 2021

Turning to God During Times of Change

A Mom's Quest to Teach logo; floral clipart; Turning to God During Times of Change

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Our household has been going through a lot of changes over the past two years. Originally, what was going to be a brief stay by my mom has turned into a permanent one. We discovered that her health no longer allowed her to live in my childhood home. We are now trying to empty the house and sell it. Add in the crazy events of 2020, my husband losing his job, a refrigerator that took forever to be replaced, and more, and I often find myself questioning why. A lot.

I have been turning to God – trying to walk with Him and hand my problems over to Him. But it is not easy. I like control. I do not like change, and that is what the past two years have been – each and every moment. Nothing but change after change. How can I be a wife, homeschool mom, daughter, and more amidst all this change? I feel my life falling apart. 

In some ways, 2020 was a blessing for our family. It kept my mom home. I did not have to worry about her driving. We did not have to make the decision who would stay home with my mom too often as there was no place to really go as a family. With my husband being home, we were able to help and support each other as a family. But I still question why and what I am going to do each day. 

A Mom's Quest to Teach logo; net background; Turning to God During Times of Change

While relaxing before bedtime one evening, I picked up the Spring 2021 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine and flipped through it to look at the ads. I was looking for a few ideas to spark my inspiration for our next homeschool year. And as I work for The Old Schoolhouse®, I also like to see support the companies that advertise with them. What caught my attention was one article in particular and not an ad. 

I stopped to read "Ten Ways to Homeschool Through Trials" by Kerry Tittle. I found myself struggling to push through all the tasks I must complete, so reading an article that laid out ten points to remember during trials was something I felt would be most helpful. What I didn't realize was that I would be humbled and reminded that there are trials of varying degrees. Kerry Tittle faced a huge change in her life – much more dramatic than that of our own family, but she has given me inspiration. The article reminded me to "count it all joy" and praise God even in the trials. She is right – there is a bigger picture – and, as my husband has reminded me, perhaps He placed my mom in our house for a reason only He understands. 

I hope – I pray – every day that I am strong enough with God's help to live in the midst of trials. I want to demonstrate grace, patience, and love to our children. Sometimes God knows just how to reach us. That evening it was through an excellent article in the Spring 2021 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

We Are Thankful

Text: We Are Thankful; background leaves clip art; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

Even in the midst of stress and turmoil, it is still easy to find things to be thankful for in our lives. The sun continues to rise, and the rain continues to fall. As our son has been studying, the earth continues to rotate, the days pass by—and so do the months and seasons. Sometimes, it is easy to dwell upon the things that are going wrong. I know I often fall into the pessimist camp, looking at the glass as half empty, but during those moments, I remind myself of everything for which I am thankful.

I Am Thankful 

I am thankful for my family. Without my loving husband and three children, I do not think I would be the strong woman of faith that I am today. I have been blessed with a husband who has stood by me through some dark times and helped me see how much God loves me for who I am. My oldest child – my step-son – made me a mom. He has proven to be such a loving older brother to his two younger siblings.

I am thankful for the ability to homeschool. We are blessed with so many wonderful opportunities to educate our children. I am thankful that I am able to create lifelong learners in them. From reading excellent books with them to doing fun projects together, we get to spend our days learning about the world around us.


Text: We Are Thankful; For Family; For Homeschooling; background clip art of hedgehog, leaves, berries; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach


My Children Are Thankful 

Our oldest son shared with me the following: "I am thankful to have been given life by God. I am thankful I was born with food always ready for me to eat, a home I could come home to every day, and clothes appropriate for whatever weather conditions. I am thankful for the loving family I have and the friends that I have made."

Our youngest son is thankful for houses, food, and the Internet. The house provide safety from the rain and food prevents us from starving. He says he is thankful for the Internet so he can play games. 

Our daughter is thankful for her mommy and daddy. She is also thankful for water on the Earth. She is thankful for toys so that she and her brother stay occupied so they don't argue. She said, "I am thankful that God made me so I can play." 

My Husband Is Thankful

My husband is thankful for God's faithfulness, salvation, grace, and mercy; his wife's love and endurance, his family's love and loyalty to each other, and our church family's steadfastness. He has been attending our church's monthly men's breakfasts and comes home thrilled at how God is edifying those attending with sharing of the Word, prayer, and fellowship. Finally, my husband is especially thankful for author Dr. Michael Heiser, whose works (The Unseen Realm, Reversing Hermon, Angels, and Demons) over the last few years have bolstered his faith.

Thankful Last Words  

As I was finishing up this post, our furnace was being cleaned. This was an annual check-up which turned into a bit of a nightmare. We will need to have the entire furnace replaced for quite a heavy penny because there are cracks. So, while it is hard to be remain ever thankful (we have had problems with our refrigerator (in fact, we still need to get it replaced), our dishwasher has been broken for over six years, and we have some plumbing problems that we are living with), I still have faith and hope in our Lord. I am thankful for our family and for all God has given our family. Even with all these problems, they will not be problems forever. For that I am very thankful. 

Friday, September 18, 2020

Memories of My Grandmom

Text: Memories of My Grandmom; background image of vacation items


This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I had the joy of spending many summer days at my maternal grandparents' home. I was an only grandchild, so I often had their undivided attention. My Grandmom would play board games, card games, and help my imagination grow by playing school and store with me. My Grandpop would often let me go on walks with him to the corner store. It was from him that I learned to walk fast as he was tall and a fast walker.

Text: My toy cars lined up; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach; plastic cars lined up on floor with rocks as roadyways
One of the Polaroid photos taken by my Grandmom of my toys. Now I understand why my own children want me to take pictures of their buildings, racetracks, and train set ups. 


Toys and Games 


One of the fun aspects of spending time at my grandparents' house was that I could play with another entire set of toys. They had kept my mom's and uncle's toys, and I was allowed to play with some of them. There was also a huge box of rocks that were collected by my uncle for his geology class at college that created roadways and parking lots for the toy cars. With the cheaper dolls that were purchased from the corner store, I was allowed to experiment with doll hair cuts. I created my own paper dolls using old Sears and J.C. Penny catalogs.
Text: Memories of My Grandmom: Learning new games - happy summer days; clip art of family; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

There was also a great collection of old board games (many of which have modern-day versions) like Go to the Head of the Class, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, and Candyland. And there were a few other games that had missing pieces or rules that allowed my Grandmom and I to create our own rules and new games. Sometimes we even drew these new game boards on the back of the original game boards and used stickers to help create the game.

World of Imagination 


My Grandmom helped inspire my imagination in a number of ways. For this, I am very grateful. She spent many hours helping me set up pretend stores, labeling everyday objects with prices, and then allowing me to use the adding machine with tape as my cash register.  She also spent many days pretending to be my student as I was the teacher. I remember using a blackboard to write assignments and reading books to her. She also let me flip a card table on its side to create a cave using blankets, couch cushions, and pillows to camp out in during thunderstorms – both real and imaginary.

From the Beginning to the End 


At the start of each day, my Grandmom would open the curtains saying, "Let there be light." I never realized how much I could miss that simple phrase that I used to find so silly when I was a kid. After my Grandpop died, she moved a few states away to live with her son, my uncle. As she got older, she changed and often the curtains were not opened in their house at all. In the end, my Grandmom changed from the woman who spoiled me to someone afraid of the outside world and strangers – even of me and my mom at the very end.

As an adult, it is much easier to look back and be grateful for all the happy memories we made together. I am willing to embrace those sad memories more and more as I see changes in my own mom. Time is short, and I pray that everyone has more happy memories with their grandparents than sad ones that lead to gratitude and thankfulness.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Wordless Wednesday: Bowling

A Mom's Quest to Teach Logo; Bowling Ball & Pins clipart from wpclipart.com

Before things drastically changed and entertainment venues were closed, our family joined our church family with an afternoon out bowling. For our youngest two children and I, this was our first trip bowling.

Bowling balls

Bowling fun


bowling alley keyboard

Bowling Alley Fun

Bowling balls

Monday, December 30, 2019

Holidays: New Year's Traditions

confetti background with Holidays: New Year's Traditions

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

How does your family celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?  Do you celebrate the holidays as a family or as a couple? Do you let your children stay up till midnight or do a count down to noon?

My Memories


My memories from childhood include celebrating New Year's Eve at my aunt and uncle's house.  When the clock struck midnight, everyone in the neighborhood would go outside with noisemakers and pots and pans to bang to celebrate the new year.

New Year's Day was often celebrated at my cousin's house.  We exchanged Christmas gifts with them and shared a meal cooked by my cousin.  The Mummer's Day Parade was always on the television in the background.  Have you heard of the Mummers? The Mummers Parade has been a part of New Year's Day traditions in the Philadelphia area for 120 years.

photo by skeeze from Pixabay of three Mummers in pirate costume
image by skeeze from Pixabay


What are the Mummers?


Mummers in Philadelphia belong to one of over 40 different clubs that participate in one of five divisions:


  • The Comic
  • The Fancy
  • The Wench Brigade
  • The String Band
  • The Fancy Brigade
Each brigade has their own specialty in dance, costume, and music that makes them unique and different. They all make their way down Broad Street in Philadelphia to help celebrate the New Year and gain bragging rights if their club wins awards and prizes. After the Fancy Brigades finish their circuit on the parade route, they end up at the Pennsylvania Convention Center where they put on their performance for those who hold tickets (people can watch the entire parade along the route without tickets). 

I prefer watching the String Bands and the Fancy Brigades with their elaborate costumes but after working with someone who was in the comics, I have come to appreciate all the performers. They are made up of a group of diverse people from all around the area with some of the more famous groups being: 
  • Quaker City String Band 
  • Polish American String Band 
  • Broomall String Band


Our Family Traditions


party hat, noise maker, plastic glass with text Holidays: New Year's TraditionsFor several years as a new family, my stepson stayed with his maternal grandmother for New Year's Eve. My husband and I didn't do anything fancy. This was just the best time for our son to celebrate Christmas with his grandmother and maternal family.

With the birth of our youngest son, we shifted when our older son visited his grandmother and we were all together for New Year's Eve. Again...we didn't really do anything fancy or exciting other than watching movies and making noise at midnight.

For the past several years, we have bundled up the kids and gone outside at midnight to celebrate with noisemakers. After a quick trip outside to welcome in the New Year and wish our neighbors (who were also sometimes outside) a Happy New Year, we would return to the warm comfort of our home to watch some of the fireworks on TV.

New Year's Day has been spent watching ice hockey for the past several years ever since the introduction of a special outdoor game. Our favorite team has played in the outdoor game twice and I have even been blessed with being able to attend one of the games (along with the minor league outdoor game and the alumni game also featured that year).

How does your family celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? 



Text: How Will You Celebrate 2020; A Mom's Quest to Teach



Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Holidays – Thanksgiving

pumpkins

Holidays mean so many different things for each individual. Everyone has one or another holiday they prefer over others depending upon which they celebrate in their family. For some, Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. It conjures up images of families gathered around a large table eating dinner, watching (or playing) football, and relaxing with a cup of coffee and a slice of pumpkin pie.


Memories 


Over the course of my life, Thanksgiving has created many varied memories – from traveling three hours to my uncle's on Thanksgiving day itself or spending time with cousins when I was unmarried to enjoying dinner at our own house to spending it with my husband's family. I even have one memory of working during the early hours of Thanksgiving morning at the zoo helping my fellow Education staff care for our reptiles, amphibians, and insects in our education collection. (That is a fun memory I will always cherish.)

turkey clipartFavorite Foods 


For picky eaters, like myself, Thanksgiving dinner may evoke anxiety and fear. For the longest time, my mom (and later I) would bring something for me to eat in case the typical fare was not something I wanted. To this day, I am still not a huge fan of turkey (but I do love mashed potatoes and gravy!).

Over the years, I have discovered more dishes that I enjoy and found that there are even some that I like which my husband (who is considerably less picky than me) does not like. And of course, if you have children, you know how difficult it can be to find something they might enjoy. Or you find one Thanksgiving they eat everything on their plate and the next one you are bringing a can of Chef Boyardee for them for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Family Fun 


When my mom and I joined our cousins, Thanksgiving meant time to spend together in the kitchen and around the dining room table sharing stories and memories. On a few occasions, we might have played a game but mostly we talked and chatted.

As a parent of small children, Thanksgiving has, at times, been less about socializing with adults and more about keeping the kids entertained or at least not breaking anything. For the last two years, our son has entertained us with a game he created – Toss Pal – using paper (or plastic) cups and teams that attempt to toss their cup onto or into the cup in the middle. He was so excited about playing it this year – especially since Dad bought him his own set of special plastic cups.

Thanksgiving crafts and games


The Spirit of Thanksgiving 


With all the food and family fun, it is sometimes easy to overlook that the point of Thanksgiving is giving thanks. Being thankful and showing gratitude for the people in our life is so important on this day and the other 364 days of the year. So let us remember: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 107: 1)

Psalm 107:1


How do you spend Thanksgiving? Is it a quiet meal at home? 
Is it in service to others? 

Looking for more Thanksgiving-related posts? Please check out the following:

corn shaker craft

Handprint Turkey craft

Leaf Turkey

I joined up with Timberdoodle to share this Holiday post!

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Quest to Celebrate Gratefulness

leaves


There are so many ways to help our children be grateful and celebrate that gratefulness not only during the month of November but all year long. Sometimes it is necessary to look beyond the extra things we use and have in our everyday life to see just what we need to have to make our day to day lives successful.

Grateful for Things 


While watching a commercial for an Internet provider, I realized how very grateful I am for the age in which we live. When I tallied up in my head how much I do during the day that requires access to online programs or sites, I was amazed. On a daily basis if I am working on my blog and homeschooling then I need a computer with Internet access, my phone, maybe the television to watch JellyTelly, and sometimes a tablet for teaching with IXL or Matific Galaxy. Then my teen also needs Internet access for his own homeschooling.

Could we homeschool without Internet access? Yes! We have books aplenty, access to our local library, and lots of great print materials. But I am grateful to have my days go more smoothly thanks to access to the Internet.

corn maze

Grateful for People 


pumpkinsThere are times when I need additional help with my blog and with homeschooling. I am very grateful that my husband can find the time to read and edit my blog posts. I have found that my writing is not as strong as it once was. Is this due to aging, my anxiety and depression, or trying to write coherent posts with multiple interruptions? Who knows? But I am grateful my husband edits my blog.

He also steps up the plate when I need help homeschooling. Some times this means helping our six-year-old with a project for Exploring Creation with Astronomy. Other times I need him to step in and help our teen with mathematics or helping with a Chemistry experiment. I am thankful for the opportunity to raise our children together.

I hope that our children will learn to be grateful for things like the Internet and people, especially their father. At the end of the day, we can be happy people if our loved ones are standing by our sides. We have a home, food, clothes, and each other. Most importantly, we have God.

Celebrating Gratefulness 


I joined up with other Timberdoodle bloggers to write about Thanksgiving, gratefulness, and thankfulness this week.

Blog Hop from Timberdoodle


Thursday, June 13, 2019

Building Character in Our Home



Disclaimer: I received this unit study for free from the author in return for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy. Thank you

Bringing up our children to be good Christian citizens who do their best to personify the character of Jesus is very important to my husband and I. Reviewing Volumes 1 and 2 of Character Building for Families by Lee Ann Rubsam from Full Gospel Family Publications has provided us with the ability to start focusing on the character traits we would like to see developed in our family. Each volume focuses on different traits and presents them in a similar manner.

Over the course of over 200 pages, parents can use the manuals as either family devotions or in a homeschool setting. One of the fantastic things about Character Building for Families is the way in which the information is presented. Even though each lesson is labeled by days, it isn't set up by weeks so you can work your way through each character trait and not worry if you don't use it on a set schedule (like Monday-Friday). The twelve topics of Volume 1 are spread out over 165 lessons while the five topics of Volume 2 are spread out over 135 lessons. If you are interested in seeing more, you can view a sample.

Our family only needed the manuals and our copy of the Bible to study the character traits. Each lesson contains one or more references to the Bible and many even incorporate the memorization of Scripture. All of these things help reinforce the importance of each character trait as being rooted in the Bible.

What Characters Traits Will Be Studied?





Volume 1


  • Obedience
  • Orderliness
  • Diligence
  • Loyalty
  • Deference
  • Cheerfulness (Joy)
  • Gentleness (Kindness)
  • Contentment
  • Gratitude
  • Truthfulness
  • Servanthood
  • Hospitality 

Volume 2 

  • Stewardship
  • Teachableness
  • Mercy
  • Patience
  • Desire for Jesus 

Even though Rubsam has listed out the character traits in the order that her family studied them, she reminds us in the opening that families can follow any order that God wants us to follow. 



What We Like 


This is really a character study that can be tailored for one's own family. We can all learn together and improve all of our lives. Even through there are many lessons, they can be taught however they best fit the needs of your family. If your children need more time on a concept, you can extend lessons. Conversely, if your children are older, you may wish to combine lessons. For example, when looking at Contentment in Volume 1, you may not need 17 days because your children may be familiar with the Scriptures discussed or memorization may come easily to them. 

I also find this to be an excellent way to introduce the idea of Scripture memorization to our family. As I was reading through the lessons, I was highlighting the verses referenced and creating images in my Bible app to share with my family. Another way to reinforce the memorization could be copywork. 

I wrote out the shorter Bible quotes on notes to include in the book for easy reference.

These volumes by Rubsam are easy to read, understand, and apply to our family's life. But they still have a deep and powerful message of building important character traits that will help them be good Christian citizens.  


Let's Highlight One Trait from Each Volume 


Volume 1 – Gentleness (Kindness) 


Gentleness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit and very important to display in a family. Being thoughtful of others' feelings and caring for others are important character traits for siblings. Over the course of 14 days, our family reviewed Galatians 5:22-23, the story of the Good Shepherd, how Jesus treated children, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and other stories from the Bible that emphasize gentleness and kindness. 

Each day we were able to review Scripture, discuss the Bible, work on memorization of key Scriptures, and pray for thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and compassion. By spending two weeks on the topic, our family was thoroughly able to examine the character trait. 

The Good Samaritan

Volume 2 – Patience 


Another one of the Fruits of the Spirit is patience or longsuffering. Even though this is a difficult character trait and will require constant practice and revisiting, I think it is an important one to work on with our family. 

The character study states: "God is patient. Can you think of any stories in the Bible that show us God's patience with people?"

This is an excellent opportunity to review the Bible stories that our children already know. Day by day, the character study presents various examples of God's patience including examples from Genesis, Exodus, the Psalms, the Epistles, and more. Each day ends with a reminder to pray and thank God for His help. 

I would recommend these books for families who are desiring to develop character traits that will help them be more like Jesus. 

Do you want to learn more about the author – Lee Ann Rubsam? 


Lee Ann Rubsam homeschooled her children for 25 years, until they reached adulthood. Character Building for Families was originally written for her family. She continues to mentor younger homeschool mothers through social media and writing, including The Character Building for Families Blog.

You can find her at: Character Building for Families


Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Movie Review of Life With Dog – Hope Comes in Many Forms



It is nice to be able to sit down and watch a movie with my husband that is uplifting and entertaining. We recently watched Life With Dog from Mill Creek Entertainment. It is an interesting movie to review because even though it is a story about a man who loses his wife and is left without faith, there are some laugh-out loud moments that help lighten the tension. Personally, I felt the entire movie (106 minutes) held my attention and when I needed to leave the room, we paused it because I did not want to miss a moment.



Description from the back of the DVD we reviewed:


"After losing his wife Alice (Marliu Henner) in a mysterious bike accident, Joe Bigler (Corbin Bernsen) is left alone without Faith to help him grieve. that and the circumstances of Alice's accident leave more questions than answers, and Joe begins a fast descent into the dark abyss of uncertainty. But his salvation arrives when a Dog wanders into his garden and won't leave despite Joe's many attempts to rid him. Without so much as a single bark, "Dog," as Joe has named him, shares His voice; a deep love and comfort that Joe has never experienced before. With Dog's love comes the discovery of God's love, and a Faith that not only helps Joe toward the road to recovery but also the unsolved mystery surrounding his wife's accident, and the ability to finally grieve her passing."


Actors and Actresses 


Corbin Bernsen – Joe Bigler

I was previously only familiar with Corbin Bernsen from his role in baseball movies of the late 1980s and 1990s and his work on a law television show. I was very surprised by Bernsen's acting in the movie. I really felt like he was Joe and was living the sad months after his wife's death.

I really didn't know that Bernsen has acted in and produced about a dozen faith-based films over the past ten years. So it was a very pleasant surprise to see him as the lead in the movie that he also wrote and directed. Not for one minute was the movie overshadowed by my preconceived notions of who Bernsen was based on previous characters he had played. This for me is a big win in recommending a movie because sometimes there are actors who can't get away from previous roles. They are truly typecast but I do not think Bernsen has that to worry about – at least from this viewer.



Marilu Henner – Alice Bigler

Even though I knew who Marliu Henner was prior to watching the movie, I was not overly familiar with her as an actress. I enjoyed the brightness and honesty her character, Alice, brought to the movie as she conversed with Joe. It is almost a shame that the tale takes place after her death so we could not see more of Henner in the movie.

Even though I like movies, I am more a fan of older movies so I was unfamiliar with the other actors  and actresses. For example, Chelsey Crisp plays Zoey, Joe & Alice's daughter, and I don't recall seeing her in any movies but she did a wonderful job of trying to be there for her dad while still giving him the space he may need after her mom died.

Overall, I felt the acting was very good. For example, when Norman is being questioned by Joe, we can feel his anxiety and nervousness in the situation.

Finally, let me mention Dog played by Monty. He arrived at the perfect time in Joe's life. A companion that Joe needed even if he didn't want to admit to it himself. Dog came in through a few bent/broken fence pieces and ingratiated himself right into Joe's broken heart. Dog (Monty) is quite a lovable animal – the perfect animal companion who brings closure to the story.

I love that movies have subtitles! With young children we usually watch movies with
the subtitles on to make sure we don't miss any of the plot. 


Location, Music, and Plot line 


The entire movie is set in and around the home of the Biglers which a development company wants to purchase. This potential buying of the house is integral to the choices that Joe makes during the movie and are part of what gets him in trouble multiple times. He even thinks the development company may be linked to his wife's death.

The background music was perfect for the movie. It did not distract from the plot nor drown out the voices of the actors. There were no numbers with lyrics which is a nice change of pace from most movies.

Throughout the movie Joe speaks with his deceased wife, Alice. The moments are usually to help propel the story along as something big is happening in Joe's life. She isn't actually there and we really don't know if Joe thinks he is physically seeing her, just remembering previous conversations and making up new ones, or we are just seeing a visualization of his imagination.

When rewatching the movie, I see how the very opening scenes provide the viewers with so much information about Joe and his family. From the boxing gloves sitting on the bureau to a photograph of children, I can see in a second viewing a lot of foreshadowing and storytelling told in a mere few minutes.

Potential Spoilers 


Some of the information that was revealed regarding Joe Bigler and his family prior to the death of his wife was very saddening. We learn that his daughter Zoey had a twin brother who died. During the telling of this tale to the Pastor, Joe explains how he turned to God for help for his son but was not heard. His prayers were unanswered a second time when he prayed over his wife's hospital bed.

It was during this meeting with the Pastor, who Joe was seeing because he promised his daughter he would, we learn a lot of information as to why Joe feels the way he does in regards to God and religion. Sadly, I see many who feel this way regarding unanswered prayers and God. I think this makes Joe an even more realistic and believable character.

End Potential Spoilers  



Thoughts 


I admit that at the end of the movie – when the credits started to run – I was upset. I wanted a bit more closure. What happened to Joe? How could they leave the movie like that? Was I supposed to come to my own conclusion whether or not he found faith again? Nope...we did get an ending that appeared on the screen shortly after I voiced my concern to my husband. See why we need to watch till the end of the credits?

One of my favorite parts is the beginning of the movie when we see what Joe and Alice's home looks like after her death and prior to her death. The dirty dishes in the sink, mail piling up, dead flowers in the vase are all signs that I have seen before in the lives of people close to me. I think the difference between the darkness in the house and the light, cheery nature when Alice is shown in the home is a very accurate way to demonstrate how people's lives can change with death.

I also do not know if I feel that the Dog adequately represented "His voice" as implied on the DVD jacket. I know that the Dog taught lessons to Joe throughout the movie – just with a simple look that caused Joe to rethink what he was or was not doing – but I do not think it was overtly sending a message from God. Perhaps that is due to the nature in which Corbin Bernsen chooses to send his messages. In reading a few of Bernsen's interviews, he states he does not want to make 'preachy movies' but instead ones where people are figuring out their connection to God. That is a big part of what Life with Dog is all about – Joe figuring out his connection and relationship with God after the death of his wife.

Would I recommend Life With Dog? Yes, I would recommend it. I do not think young children should watch the movie as there are some scenes where Joe is very upset and angry, punches the wall, and threatens a representative from the development company and a banker. However, I did not have any problem handing the movie to our teen and asking him to watch it. I think it all depends on personal choice and a teen's level of maturity.

I would also recommend watching it a second time about a week or so after the first viewing. I discovered many new things by watching it a second time but still reacted in the same way when Joe is angry and hurting.

And what did my husband think?

As a widower himself, he felt Bernsen's portrayal of a grieving husband was both accurate and heart wrenching. My husband quoted from C.S. Lewis' own reflections in his book, "A Grief Observed," who wrote, "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." Bernsen's acting conjured that sense to my husband and he wondered whether Bernsen even knew of the book or not. Either way, he said the actions of Joe were believable.

If you are interested in picking up your own copy, you can do so starting June 4, 2019 at Walmart. It is also available via other sites including Amazon.



If you would like to learn more about Mill Creek Entertainment, please visit the following:


Available at Walmart June 4, 2019.

If you are curious as to what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about Life With Dog, please visit our review link up.




Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Wordless Wednesday: Easter Egg Hunt



Our children had a great time at our church making crafts, playing games, and hunting for Easter eggs even though everything was moved indoors due to the rainy weather.