Caroline Friday's Blog, page 857

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so thankful that our nation takes a day to honor and thank God for all of His many blessings. Even though this country has its issues and all of us may be struggling with life, we can thank the Lord for family, health, prosperity, favor,  love, friendships, and all of His many blessings! He is so good!!

Movie Review - War Room

The Kendrick brothers’ latest project is a box office triumph for the Christian film industry, where story, acting, and picture quality measure up to the best of Hollywood standards. Known for Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous, Alex and Stephen Kendricks have delivered a true, spiritual Christian story in War Room that delivers on many levels: humor, emotion, great storytelling, quirky characters, good acting, and beautiful sets and lighting that show great improvement in their filmmaking abilities. This movie is aimed more toward the true believer, particularly those who are used to fiery preaching from their local pulpits, complete with finger-pointing toward the devil to leave God’s people alone. There were a few such moments in the film that made me squirm, not because I was uncomfortable with the scene, but because I could visualize the scowls coming from some of my denominational friends and family. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe this movie will go over well with the uber religious crowd. But I believe that probably suits the Kendrick brothers just fine!Starring acting unknowns, Priscilla Shirer (the well known Bible study teacher) and TC Stallings, the story centers around Tony and Elizabeth Jordan, an idyllic, successful married couple, complete with gorgeous dream home, two great jobs and a lovely daughter, Danielle (Alena Pitts). And yet all is not perfect. Tony is a workaholic, Elizabeth is dipping into the family savings account to help an unsavory family member, and Danielle struggles to maneuver the minefield of her parents’ dissension. Her passion for competitive double dutch (jump rope) seems pointless to Tony, and he doesn’t refrain from letting the criticisms fly. While Elizabeth tries her best to mend the hurts, the damage is telling. Immediately, the viewer senses that, unless changes are made, this family is headed for divorce.The tide begins to turn when Miss Clara (played by Karen Abercrombie) comes into Elizabeth’s life. Miss Clara is a brash but loveable, older widow who hires Elizabeth’s real estate firm to sell her family home. At their first meeting, Elizabeth is intrigued, and perhaps a bit envious, with the wonderful memorabilia that fills the house. Miss Clara takes her on a tour of every room, describing memories of husband, children, and faith in God, all evidence of a life fully lived. But there is one room that is more special than the others: an empty closet in the upstairs bedroom with a lone wooden chair and the walls covered in written prayers. This room is what Miss Clara calls her “war room,” a place where she prays fervently for hours on end for her family and friends. Miss Clara challenges Elizabeth to create her own war room for the purpose of praying for Tony and her marriage. At first Elizabeth scoffs, but as problems with her husband escalate, she decides to give it a try. This is where the Kendricks’ tasteful humor comes into play. Smelly feet, morning breath, snacking on potato chips while trying to pray, all provide a bit of levity to the story as Elizabeth struggles with the idea of pouring her heart out to God. Eventually, all clothes and accessories are removed from the master bedroom closet, and Elizabeth gets to the heavy duty of praying for her family. In an especially powerful scene, she heads outside and points her finger to the sky, declaring to the enemy forces that the battle is on. Priscilla Shirer is a real stand out in my opinion, and I hope we see her in more films.*** SPOILER ALERT***As Elizabeth prays in her newly constructed war room, Tony enjoys the perks that come with life as a high profile pharmaceutical rep. High accolades from his boss (played by Alex Kendrick) and cushy relationships with clients have tested his integrity and revealed his flawed character. It seems he has been pilfering drug samples for financial gain, and even toys with having an adulterous affair with a colleague. Temptation is about to claim its victory, when suddenly a bout of nausea overcomes him, hastening his return home. Little does he know, but at that moment, Elizabeth had been waging a war of prayer, pleading with the Lord to strengthen her husband. Just when life seems to be on an uptick, the Johnsons’ world comes crashing down. Tony’s boss discovers the stolen drug samples and demands an explanation. Tony confesses to the crime and offers his resignation, fully expecting criminal charges to follow. But in an act of compassion, his boss declines to prosecute, believing that Tony is a changed man. Unbeknownst to Tony, the prayers have done their job, breaking his prideful spirit so that he can become the man God intended him to be. He finds Elizabeth’s war room and marvels at the written prayers covering the walls, all concerning him and his walk with the Lord. To Elizabeth’s surprise, the prayers have done a work on her as well, making her more gentle, forgiving, and loving toward her man. The evolution from hostile, marital dissension to a mended romance was very well done. More wonderful scenes with Miss Clara are peppered throughout the movie, giving the viewer a true insight of the nature of a powerful prayer warrior who expects AND receives miraculous results. It was a conviction and encouragement to me to never give up or quit, to keep praying for the desires of my heart, and then to keep on praying. And then perhaps pray some more!Watching War Room was like having a good dose of church, but more powerful and persuasive than most bricks and mortar church I have attended. It is a great movie-going experience that should not be missed by any Christian who wants to see changes in Hollywood. It is still in theaters as of this writing, so get out to your local theater and support this fantastic film! 

UGA Women's Rugby 2015

Bill and I watched Anna play two rugby games, back-to-back with no break over the weekend, and she did great! She wasn't winded in the least, which speaks highly of her conditioning workouts!

The team consists of a great group of girls and a wonderful, encouraging coach who pushes just hard enough for Anna to WANT more from the game. Her motivation is admirable and will serve her well in other life endeavors. We are so proud of our daughter!

A beautiful day with blue skies and perfect temperatures. Bill and I have so much fun seeing our kids compete, particularly at the collegiate level. Really is exciting. Go Dawgs!

A House Divided - UK vs UGA

Today we had two of our children's schools go head to head on the collegiate football field - in Athens, the UGA bulldogs hosted the UK wildcats. Georgia won, but Kentucky did get some points on the board. Even though I would've liked to have seen more points, I was glad Mark Richt got a victory - he needed it. I know Rachel forgives me! She was busy celebrating Cameron's birthday, so I think she was oblivious to her team's loss.  

Sadly, FSU didn't prevail against Clemson in Death Valley, BUT...the Tarheels did beat Duke, which always makes me happy!

Athens is such a great college town; we palled around with Alex and Anna and ate some great food, gorged on ice cream, and then took a long, night walk through campus. Just beautiful! We saw the Richard B Russell Special Library where Anna works and the new Terry buildings where Alex spends much of his time. All is good! Go Dawgs!

FSU Parent Weekend 2015 - Marching Chiefs

We're having a great time in beautiful Tallahassee watching FSU beat Syracuse and, of course, watching the Marching Chiefs tear up the field. Since today was Halloween, the entire band turned into zombies for the halftime show and even treated us to the Thriller dance! Great fun.

We even got a seat in the shade and ate tons of great food. Loved watching Chief Osceola astride Renegade with his flaming spear. There isn't a cooler mascot in all of sports imo.

Love FSU! Such a gorgeous campus with old, live oaks dripping in Spanish moss. Such a great place to attend school. Braxton is really blessed! Happy birthday to him on top of it all!

Braxton's Birthday!

We just had a great time celebrating Braxton's 20th in Tallahassee at the delicious Buca diBeppos. Got to meet all of his first year abroad friends - great group of young people. VERY impressed! Happy birthday, Braxton! !  

Movie Review - Leap Year

Leap Year is a delightful romantic comedy, starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, a gorgeous, sultry British actor seen in The Good Wife and Imitation Game. More fairy tale than reality, the movie is filled with Irish charm and funny "fish-out-of water" scenes where a posh American must maneuver the obstacles of a somewhat backward, foreign culture to find her true love.

The story starts out with Adams as a successful New York real estate staging consultant, set on getting a marriage proposal from her stodgy surgeon boyfriend, played by Adam Scott. When he presents her with a pair of diamond earrings instead of an engagement ring, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Influenced by an Irish family tradition where females are allowed to propose marriage on leap year, Adams follows Scott to a medical conference in Dublin with plans to pop the question herself. But as fate would have it, turbulent weather intervenes, diverting her flight to Cardiff, Wales. In a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles moment, she ends up stranded in the small Welsh town of Dingle with only two days to get to Dublin before February 29th arrives.

Sparks fly when she meets up with local pub owner, Goode, who agrees to drive her to Dublin for a fee. As it turns out, he only has ten days to satisfy his creditors or he risks losing everything. The entire film is a race against time where one obstacle after another keeps Adams further away from her potential fiancé and Goode that much closer to bankruptcy.

A note about Matthew Goode: his stunning good looks and witty charm make the movie work. Adams plays the same character we have seen in most of her other films, but Goode is the spice that makes the film funny and memorable. His goofy mannerisms interplayed with handsome smiles and flashes from his crystal blue eyes are a winning combination. I liked his running jokes where he called her Louis Vuitton suitcase "Louie" and made it a habit to refer to Adams as "Bob." Obviously, the sexual attraction is there, but it is never acted upon, other than a gratuitous scene with a non-opaque shower curtain.

As they begin their road trip in a tiny, sputtering car, Goode hits Adams with the awful truth that this leap year tradition is pure nonsense. Basically, he confronts her with the hard reality that she is in love with a man who is avoiding commitment and has no plans to marry, regardless of her belief in Irish folklore. His brash demeanor sets off a motherlode of fireworks that ignites the animosity between the two, leading to a car crash, robbery, bar fight, and a pair of six hundred dollar high heels in a steaming cow pie, all in quick succession.

But as with all well-tooled romcoms, the relationship soon begins its slow turn, like a ship maneuvering the high seas. Tender moments where Adams helps Goode cook a gourmet meal at a little bed and breakfast build the romance, as she begins to witness his talent in the kitchen and he observes her eye for staging a room and making things beautiful. The chemistry builds when they are forced to share a kiss over dinner, which ignites more fire than either of them would care to commit. His abrupt retreat creates some confusion, making Adams wonder if he is truly interested. But the viewer senses Goode is harboring a secret hurt that prevents him from falling in love. While she questions her commitment for Scott, he questions whether he should give romance a chance with this quirky American girl.

** SPOILER ALERT **

Through a bit of gentle needling, Adams gets Goode to spill the beans and share his sad tale; a typical scenario of a lost love who left him for a best friend. It is a simple but necessary scene that proves to Adams that she has now gained his trust. As one would expect, the relationship moves toward a place where futures can take drastic turns, but then, as timing would dictate, they find themselves in Dublin where Scott awaits. To Adams' shock, he proposes in the hotel lobby in front of Goode, compelling her to give a swift answer. Of course, she gives a resounding "yes" but with less enthusiasm than what she had originally planned. Goode is crushed (as is the viewer) and makes a quick retreat back to his Welsh home.

As Adams returns to New York and resumes her opulent life with Scott, she realizes something is missing. The witty banter and fiery sparks she experienced with Goode are missing from her relationship with this dull man who only thinks of money and self. Before long, Adams realizes she has been duped and that she is about to make a terrible mistake. Taking a chance, she returns to Wales to find Goode running a thriving restaurant. Even though leap year has long passed, she makes the bold move and asks him to spend his life with her before a full house of patrons. I won't give away any more, other than to say that things don't turn out as expected-and yet, they do.

This is a wonderful, little date flick that was released in 2010, but has recently come out on Netflix and found an audience. It is rare for its genre, in that it is fairly clean and void of profanity and gratuitous material. A nice bit of entertainment with the spouse or significant other! Watch and enjoy.

Fun at Keeneland - Lexington, KY

Horse racing and all things equine are huge in Kentucky, as Rachel is quickly learning. Here she is with some of her college buds enjoying a Saturday at the track. I think she made 3 dollars! She says it is beautiful and so much fun. Can't wait to visit the next time we make our way back to UK.

UK Parents' Weekend 2015

Bill and I have really fallen in love with the University of Kentucky. We had a great weekend with Rachel and the Ricks family celebrating our kids as they maneuver all the ups and downs of one's freshman year in college. Did some cleaning, vaccuming, dusting, and laundrey (yes), shopped and ate some great meals. Also an exciting (and surprise) football win over EKU in overtime. Go Big Blue! Lastly, a fabulous worship service at Southland Church. Loved it!!

UGA Parents' Weekend 2015

The day started out rainy, but the skies cleared before kick-off. Great win by the bulldawgs and then a nice visit with Anna, our senior in college. God is really blessing her! Always a great time when we visit our girl!