Hal Young's Blog, page 4
April 2, 2019
Movie Review: Apollo 11
I’m a fan of historical films (see my reviews of They Shall Not Grow Old and Darkest Hour). I had read some sharp criticism of last year’s dramatization First Man and didn’t see it, but Melanie and I had a recent “date afternoon” and watched the purely documentary Apollo 11 at a local IMAX theater.
This one gets two thumbs up.
This is a compilation of film and video, much of it from the NASA archives and never broadcast before. The opening sequences show the transfer of the Saturn V from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad, interspersed with still photos of the astronauts as younger men – graduation photos, wedding pictures, family snapshots. These, with the close ups of the three astronauts as they suit up for the mission, really bring home the enormity and the danger of what they were about to do.
As the mission unfolds, the film switches between the capsule, exterior cameras on the spacecraft, and Mission Control. There is palpable tension and then relief on the ground as critical milestones are reached and achieved. Even when you know the successful outcome, the director and editor build the drama and uncertainty (Will they survive? you think) and keep the audience on edge.
Most of the audio is contemporaneous recordings of radio and video – there is almost zero narration, apart from a few short clips from two of the astronauts. Couple that with IMAX’s ability to give a solid rumble and roar that shakes the seats – and the viewer – and you’ve got a ringside experience you probably missed fifty years ago.
“Art” and “Message” apply in documentaries, too
Our standard questions about theme apply to documentaries, too, because the director still decides how to present the facts as a story. What story is being told?
Planning is critical to success. At every major transition, you hear the mission controllers on the ground running through second-by-second checklists and timetables. As far as humanly possible, nothing was left to chance or improvisation – and of course, everything turned out roses at the end. However,
Careful planning gives space for necessary adaptation. When the Lunar Module is approaching landing on the Moon’s surface, pilot Neil Armstrong realized they were about to settle in a crater. For a few very tense seconds – his biometric monitor showed his pulse spiked above 150 – Armstrong had to manually fly the LM past the rim of the crater to a flat spot beyond. Since all the routine tasks were carefully scripted, he had the mental “breathing room” to respond to an unexpected situation.
A successful mission has many people behind the scenes. The three astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were hailed as heroes – and deserved it. Even so, Apollo 11 would not have happened without hundreds or thousands of engineers, technicians, and specialists of all sorts. Even when there is someone in the spotlight, usually you’ll find many, many more serving faithfully in the backstage and wings.
Sometimes there are different understandings of the same event. First Man was criticized for minimizing the American achievement of the lunar mission – and in this film, you hear the carefully worded public statements of President Nixon, Neil Armstrong, and others, emphasizing this was a “giant leap for mankind” – not claiming a triumph of American will and know-how. Yet, you clearly see the U.S. flag and the words “United States” on the Saturn V booster as it passes slowly by the launch tower camera. The flag is planted on the Moon’s surface (and the astronauts salute). When the capsule safely splashes down, Mission Control erupts in cheers and American flags. The final sequence as the credits roll is President Kennedy announcing in a campaign stop that America would put a man on the Moon – “and we will do it first.”
Both stories are true, and you see both the national achievement and the historic milestone for all of humanity.
And the artistic skill? Outstanding. Even the iconic moments, like the first steps on the Moon, are from unfamiliar angles, so there’s a freshness to the images displayed. The director added subtle touches to build drama, like small counters that appear from time to time to show how the speed of the rocket increases during a “burn,” or how the fuel on the Lunar Module is consumed on the way to the surface, or the readout of the astronauts’ pulse rates during exciting moments (they were remarkably calm during liftoff, though the landing was stressful!).
Highly recommended – see it in IMAX if you can!
February 21, 2019
Review: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
With its prequels having resolved their own struggles, and the Netflix show adding little to the world, the series finale How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World seemed to offer little more than one last visit to the picturesque village of Berk and its fantastical, improbable menagerie of dragons. But all is not well in the dragon-riders’ world. Can our young heroes navigate the existential challenges before their tribe, and protect those whom they love? Romance is in the air, but amid turmoil, struggle, trials, and doubt, Hiccup and Toothless and their friends still have a lot to learn about love, leadership, and sacrifice.
SYNOPSIS
Our story opens with our hero Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) leading a utopia—his chieftain father’s village of Berk, now become a brightly-colored safe haven for dragons and Vikings alike. In company with his irrepressible counterpart, the alpha Night Fury dragon Toothless, and a motley array of friends mounted on their own dragons, he leads raids against dragon-trappers and traders to free their dragons and lead them back home to the village of Berk.
All is not well at home, though. Since his father’s death, Hiccup has been thrown into an adult role he’s possibly not quite ready for. He has his mother back, and he’s sure of himself around the dragons, but people are another story. His relationship with Astrid (America Ferrera) is fraught with insecurity and the immaturity of young love, and marriage seems unthinkably distant. With the other young bucks hinting that they’d be better choices for the throne, constant low-grade warfare with the dragon-nappers, and the logistical challenges of a small town full of big Vikings and even bigger dragons… Hiccup has more than enough on his plate.
A nighttime counter-raid by the dragon traders throws town squabbles in sharp relief. Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham) confronts Hiccup and demands he hand over Toothless. The Machiavellian leader of the dragon traders acquired his reputation killing off the ultra-rare Night Furies and declares Hiccup’s beloved dragon to be the last one surviving. With a swift counter-attack, Grimmel is driven off, but not before Berk is shaken and Hiccup’s ancestral hall is in flames.
When the very next day, a mysterious, beautiful female dragon like a white Night Fury is found in the forest outside of town, Toothless is instantly captivated as he tries to win the skittish beauty’s attention. With their safe haven now at risk of raids and Toothless distracted, Hiccup recalls stories of a mysterious place beyond the edge of the world, a legend of a land that the dragons call home. Maybe the best thing for the village and its dragons, hounded by their enemies, would be to abandon their homes and head out into the unknown, in search of this hidden fastness. But their enemies will scarcely let them go so peaceably. The young chief faces tough decisions that will stretch his maturity and wisdom in his quest to save those he loves—human and dragon alike.
CONTENT
The How to Train Your Dragon series has definitely had its share of awkward or inappropriate content in earlier installments. The story is set in a pre-Christian Viking atmosphere, complete with trappings of paganism or animism. This film, however, skips most of the pitfalls, with only a few passing “by Thor” or “by the gods” and a wedding performed by the local crone. A character is encouraged to ‘embrace [your] inner Viking’, but some of these details of life in Berk are scarcely worth emulating—sibling rivalry, girls going off into battle, hygiene and medicine at a caricatured medieval level, and constant insults and hard words thrown about. Thankfully, the homosexual undertones hinted at in the second film and presented openly in the Netflix series are absent in this sequel, and traditional marriage (while joked about) is presented as a worthy goal, an important part of adulthood, and, far from exclusively romance & roses, a matter of serious self-sacrifice and commitment.
THEMES
The first film in the franchise was largely a sweet story about mercy and compassion, but the second had some major missteps in its handling of questions of duty, loyalty & stewardship. This finale to the series shines, however, with an intense and emotionally resonant theme: true love requires laying down one’s own wants and needs for the other. Hiccup grew up largely without his mother, but his father testified of his faithfulness and love for his lost wife. He may struggle to communicate it, but Hiccup loves both Toothless and Astrid, in different ways. Toothless finds romance for the first time, pursuing the Light Fury, and must navigate suddenly split loyalties, between Hiccup, and his love interest. To become adults, and lead their peoples well, both must learn vulnerability and sacrifice–to let others come alongside, but also to put their peoples’ needs & dreams ahead of their own.
FINALE
Despite the existential drama of Berk’s choice and the war against cruel dragonslayers, this sequel is filled with that precious commodity—hope. Accompanied by a soaring, Celtic-influenced soundtrack, the visually stunning film depicts hard choices and desperate scenarios, but ones ultimately conquerable through love, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. This story breaks new ground, but also brings the series to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion, with the soaring adventure and heartwarming good humor that are the hallmarks of the series. Is the mark of a good series that it knows when it’s complete, yet leaves you wanting more? I don’t know, but with clear themes of true heroism and sacrificial love, The Hidden World brings this trilogy in for a graceful landing. Recommended.
Note: Don’t miss the ending and the fun animations in the credits.
Questions for family discussion after the movie below.
John Calvin Young
QUESTIONS FOR FAMILY DISCUSSION (Spoiler Alert!)
Why did Hiccup and the other people from Berk send the dragons away?
They realized that the dragons weren’t safe in the human’s world, that people would keep trying to capture and kill them.
What are the themes in this movie? Remember the theme is not the same thing as the plot or subject. Theme is the message the screenwriter and director are trying to get you to believe.
Then ask: When do you see these themes most clearly in the movie?
There are two major themes in The Hidden World. At first glance, someone might say, “If you love something, let it go,” but a much better, more Biblical way to put it would be this, “Love is putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own. Talking about the difference between those things would be a good conversation for your older children. Watch for this theme when Hiccough says, “All I could think about was creating the world I wanted, I never thought about what you needed.”
The second theme is, “Love is worth the sacrifice.” Look for Stoic’s advice here, “Love means loss, but it’s worth it.” Also, note Hiccough’s encouragement to the Light Fury to go to Toothless’s assistance, “Save him!” and the Light Fury’s rescue of Toothless followed by her return for Hiccough.
In the How to Train a Dragon series, bad guys are easy to identify – they look scary and evil. Similarly, the series would lead us to think that is someone is big and heavily-muscled, they must be stupid. Is this realistic? How do you identify someone evil in the real world?
The Bible tells us that evil often masquerades as good and that bad things can be beautiful. 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” So the only way to tell if someone is evil is to judge by their works, by what they do.
Neither can we judge whether someone is smart or dumb or anything else by the way they look. When the prophet Samuel thought the Lord would choose the next king of Israel by the way one of them appeared, the Lord told him, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
This is a great opportunity to talk to your children about race, too. People have a tendency to judge one another based on easily identified differences, but Acts 17:26 tells us, “He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…” People should be judged by their actions, not their appearance, since we are all made in the image of God. We’re more alike than we are different.
We enjoyed this movie so much more than we expected to. I hope you will, too!
Melanie Young
February 16, 2019
Can We Get Your Vote for Love, Honor, and Virtue?
This is the book we wrote by request – so many of our friends and readers asked for a resource they could trust to help their sons understand sexuality and purity in a Christian worldview.
And now, it’s up for a book award!
Love, Honor, and Virtue has been nominated for the Christian Indie Book Award (formerly the Christian Small Publishers “Book of the Year”). This award is based on votes from publishers, booksellers, readers – anyone interested in promoting books from independent Christian publishers – and we’d love to get your support!
Here’s how you can help:
1. Sign in on the voting page HERE
2. Scroll down to the Relationships/Family category – or CLICK HERE – and find Love, Honor, and Virtue (it’s at the bottom of the category)
3. Click on the button to make your selection, then
4. Scroll to the bottom (or CLICK HERE and scroll a little more) and click to SUBMIT VOTES
But don’t delay – voting ends March 31! We thank you for your support!
Are you looking for a Biblical resource to help your son with the challenges and temptations of being single? Our book Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality is frank, direct, concise – and Scriptural.
In less than a hundred pages, we open up how God created sexuality – how the biology works – the chaos that sin and Satan bring to sex – how to repent and come back to God’s high road – and best of all, how to build a God-honoring relationship with a young woman! Available in print, audiobook, and downloadable formats too – CLICK HERE to find out more!
January 30, 2019
What To Watch For During The Big Game
It’s that time again, our annual preview of commercials rolling out for “the Superb Owl” as someone cleverly said. You know what we mean, the football championship with the jealously trademarked name. Right, that one.
Bloomberg reports that a thirty-second commercial for Sunday’s game has been selling for $5.1 to $5.3 million this year. Though analysts say that’s no change over the $5.24 million price for last year’s game, it’s still 30% higher than just five years ago, and CBS had sold over 90% of their ad space by mid-January.
So what can you expect from the advertisers this year? Here are some highlights both good and bad.
(Note – There are lots of celebrities in these spots and frankly, we don’t keep up with them, so forgive us for not mentioning your favorites who appear!)
PREVIEWS I LIKED
Budweiser – What do you need to know? Clydesdales, a Dalmatian, amber waves of grain.
Honda – A fun, imaginative animation
Norfolk Southern – I admit, I love trains and I like the Toys movies so I was predisposed to like this one.
Pepsi and Kroger – Celebrating Pepsi drinkers in Atlanta (home of Coca-Cola)
Coke = A cartoon in the tradition of Coke’s international let’s-get-together ads. Kind of sweet.
Lexus – Dancing drones flying formations through shopping malls! Cool even if it’s CG.
Snapdragon – “This summer, a dragon is coming …” Epic opening turns apologetic. Funny.
Cartier – A really well-done dream sequence involving a snow leopard, the Great Wall of China, and a Wright Flyer. Sort of Narnia meets Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones.
Colgate Toothpaste – “I’m a close talker …” Office co-worker who has personal space issues but doesn’t care because his toothpaste gives him clean teeth and clean breath. His colleagues respond as you’d expect. Awkward funny.
Skittles – An actor explains to his therapist why he’s uncertain about a Skittles contract – then hings get peculiar.
IKEA – A child’s eye view of a family party. Sort of weird/sweet/funny.
OTHER PREVIEWS
GE – “My mom …” – A young girl talks about all the neat technology her mother uses in her job at GE. My only gripe is that diesel locomotives don’t whistle like steam engines … but anyway.
Michelob Ultra – Robots are more athletic than humans but humans get to drink beer.
Kia – “Celebrities get big checks to be on these ads. Why don’t they spend them to help unknown people?”
Bon and Viv Spiked Seltzer – Two mermaids promoting seltzer water with alcohol. Bare midriffs but the costumes are surprisingly conservative.
PARENTAL GUIDANCE
“Devour” Frozen Foods – “My boyfriend is obsessed with frozen food porn.” This is meant to be funny but the heartbreaking effects of pornography strip all the humor out. It makes light of too many parallels of the true porn lifestyle – deception, obsession, shame, degrading behavior … and a sobbing loved one feeling the effects. Thumbs down.
OLAY – #killerskin. This is played as scenes from a horror movie. “Killer skin” somehow becomes a creepy character who shows up in a stormy night. Young viewers might find it disturbing.
Dollar Shave Club — This is actually pretty funny except for one glaring moment – when the spokesman asks “Are our blades any good? No …” then unveils a large sign which says, “OUR BLADES ARE F**KING GOOD” (and reads it as, “Our blades are f-beeeeep-ing good.”) If you don’t mind your elementary-schooler playing “Wheel of Fortune” with that slogan, then you may not be offended. It was unacceptable to me, and I’m a grown man with a military background.
Amazon Beta Test – There were several celebrity cameos that were amusing, but one with a pair of young women hit the same snag as DSC above – in their amazement, they answer Alexa in unison, “What the ffffffff–.” Not cool.
The Great War brought to startling life
They Shall Not Grow Old – Reviewed by Hal Young
I like historical films, or films which have a historical context. I grew up watching World War II movies with my dad, the way others went to all the Westerns or reveled in the latest science fiction.
So I totally expected to like Peter Jackson’s World War I documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old.
I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I was blown away.
Jackson (the mastermind director behind Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit) was approached in 2015 by the British Imperial War Museum with an open-ended request. They offered him a hundred hours of century-old movie film from the Great War and asked if he could present it “in a fresh and original way” – an assignment so broad Jackson was originally set back a bit.
In a four-year process that not only utilized the museum’s footage but integrated some 600 hours of BBC interviews with WW1 veterans, Jackson and his company produced a documentary unlike any I’ve seen.
We’ve all seen black-and-white footage from the early 20th century. What’s your first impression? Jerky movements, distorted speed, blurred and scratched images. Now imagine the speed corrected, the action smoothed, damage and lighting problems corrected, and best of all, full color.
That’s what Jackson has accomplished. It’s a view of the First World War that is more human, more real, than you can imagine.
In selecting the footage that appears in the film, Jackson and his cohort had to decide on focus – do they try and present a broad documentary of the conflict, or do they zero in on one aspect? They’ve chosen to tell the story of the infantryman’s experience, from recruitment to demobilization. What brought them into the ranks, what was life in the trenches, and what awaited them on their return? While the British soldier is front and center in the film, he stands in for the experience of the American doughboy, the French poilu, and the German foot soldier across the barbed-wire.
If you go to see the film, allow time to watch the director’s featurette at the end. Jackson explains the entire process, and it’s amazing. He describes each step of the production, down to using his own collection of memorabilia to get colors and sound effects right (he even rolled out a vintage artillery piece he owns to get the sounds of loading and moving field guns – this is a serious collector!) Professional lip readers helped them coach voice actors for background chatter. There are lots of “work in progress” and before-and-after comparisons so you can really appreciate the results.
The First World War was both the culmination of diplomatic breakdowns and the precursor for international distress for the remainder of the century. In so many ways it was both inconclusive and unnecessary. Yet ultimately, the story of warfare is not about geopolitics and ideology but individuals – their courage, their suffering, and their sacrifice. They Shall Not Grow Old brings this to light in a truly “fresh and original” way, and it’s well worth the evening’s investment.
January 10, 2019
Gestational Diabetes
Many years ago, I posted this on my first blog. I find myself still linking to it again and again, so I thought it was high time to move it over here.
Gestational diabetes continues to be a big problem among the young moms I know, even though some people don’t think gestational diabetes is real or that we should be concerned about it. They need to read some research. It’s real and it’s dangerous.
I’m not saying it’s not over-diagnosed, or poorly treated when it is, because that’s pretty obvious just listening to the wide variety of often contradictory advice moms are getting. So…
Here’s my take on managing gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy), taken from a long letter I just wrote another mom.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. This is an explanation of what I’ve found works for me. Consult your own medical professional (doctor, midwife, dietitian, nutritionist, whatever).
I have had diagnosed gestational diabetes (GD) with 7 pregnancies, all of which ended in healthy babies. You can do this. I have learned a lot and I’ll try to share it with you if you can stand it long enough – I’ve got a lot to say :-).
The traditional diabetic diet has too many carbohydrates and not enough fat and protein for many pregnant women. They emphasize low fat because a type 2 diabetic generally needs to lose weight, not because it causes problems with your blood sugar! A pregnant mom doesn’t need to lose weight. Therefore, most people with GD need to eat more protein and more fat and less carbs. Let me explain why:
Much of the food we eat is converted by our bodies into glucose – the body’s fuel. The increase in glucose after we eat, causes our pancreas to release insulin, which is the key that opens the door to our cells for glucose to enter so that it can be used for energy. If we go too long without eating, our blood sugar may drop too low. In that case, the liver produces glycogen, which breaks down the fat in our bodies – to glucose – for energy. Sometimes our cells become resistant to insulin – when we are overweight, or we’ve inherited some bad genes, or we’re pregnant. Pregnant moms become slightly resistant to insulin in the last trimester, to raise their blood sugar a little so the baby can pack on some fat. Unfortunately, some of us become too resistant to insulin and our blood sugar becomes too high. That is dangerous for the baby and for us.
Blood sugar that is way too high is damaging to sensitive organs – not good for either. Also, the baby gets used to producing a huge amount of insulin to deal with the high blood sugar. This causes the baby to pack on too much weight (which can cause birth problems). And when the baby is born, suddenly it doesn’t have your high blood sugar to live on and when it produces the high amount of insulin it has become used to, the baby’s blood sugar drops dangerously low. That’s why gestational diabetes is a concern. There are those who deny GD is real or say it is underlying diabetes. For one thing, it isn’t true – my hemoglobin A1c (which tells your blood sugar over the past several months) is always normal at the start of pregnancy. For another thing, your baby is at stake – ignore them! Now, how do you deal with it?
Carbs are for energy. They raise your blood sugar quickly, your insulin responds quickly and hopefully, your body takes in the carbs and your blood sugar drops quickly. Proteins are for building blocks of cells and for some energy. They raise your blood sugar much more slowly. Fats are for long term energy and for brain health, among other things. They raise your blood sugar very slowly indeed. Eating a balance of these things together means your blood sugar doesn’t have huge peaks and valleys. This is called euglycemia (good blood sugar) and is best for the baby. Eating carbs by themselves is a bad idea.
So, carbohydrates are the main thing you need to be concerned about lowering in your diet. I test my blood sugar 5 times a day – before breakfast, two hours after each meal and at bedtime. If the cost of strips is keeping you from testing often, order some about to expire ones from eBay. You’ll be using them right away anyway. If it’s the discomfort, buy thin lancets and prick only the sides of your fingers, never the pad or end.
I have found that while the typical GD diet allows a good many grams of carbs per meal, that I can only eat 30g at a time, or my blood sugar goes too high. Now, I can eat that amount every two hours if I want, and I don’t have a problem, but I can’t eat many carbs at a time at all. It is very important to get enough nutrition during pregnancy, though, so what do I do? I nearly starved to death on the regular diet. Now, I eat as many proteins and fats and low carb veggies as I want, 30g of carbs or less and eat again in two to four hours if I’m hungry and my blood sugar is right. I’ve learned to add more meat and cheese to my sandwich instead of having another sandwich 
November 25, 2018
Three Free Gifts with Purchase!
Welcome friends!
Do you know what we’re thankful for this year? You! We’re grateful you read our blog, listen to our podcast, follow us on social media. We’re grateful the Lord has used us in some of your lives. We are so thankful that you shop on our site. Your purchases keep this ministry going!
We want to bless you in return, so we’re putting practically everything on sale, PLUS…
Flat Rate Priority Mail Shipping for only $10!*
FREE Hero Tales CD with a $20 order! Add volume 1 of our popular Hero Tales from American History to your cart and use the coupon code HeroGift to get it free! (or take $7 off the whole 5-CD set!) Add your selection to the cart first and then the coupon.
FREE Camping Multi-Tool with a $50 order! Add the Multi-Tool to your cart and use the coupon code freetool to get it free! Add the tool to the cart first and then the coupon.
FREE Men of Iron Poster with a $100 order! Add the Men of Iron Poster to your order and use the coupon code freeposter to get it free! Add the poster to the cart first and then the coupon.
You can get all three freebies with your order!
You can get another FREEBIE when you Check out our Gift Guide for Boys!
Be sure to check out, too, our Craft Kits for Teens, including Chain Mail, Wood-Burning, Calligraphy, Sketch Artist, Leather-working, a Chef Kit, and our NEW Basketry kit!
Our classic children’s literature audiobooks are a treat for the whole family. The Pollyanna series is hilarious – and teaches our kids to be more grateful. Captains Courageous and Men of Iron are classic stories about becoming a man that both strongly influenced our boys. The Five Little Peppers series teaches that people are more important than things in a fun way. Hero Tales by Theodore Roosevelt teaches character through American history and has sound effects, too, because history is way more interesting with cannon fire! And The Witness and The Sky Pilot challenge teens to consider how to live out their faith in college, relationships, and real-world evangelism.
Our teens LOVE our training swords! They’re the weight and balance of real swords, but they’re made of super-tough polypropylene so our teens can really go to it, with no risk of splitting each other’s heads open! (New this year, a Japanese katana design!)
We’ve got tons of great gifts! The Come Away Weekend marriage retreat, books for parents and kids both, shirts that allow you to wear your faith. Tons of things you can feel GREAT about giving — and support our ministry, too! Just click “Shop” at the top of the page!
Your friends,
Hal & Melanie
*$10 Flat Rate Shipping excludes Alaska, Hawaii, and international orders.
Our Cyber Monday Sale!
Welcome friends!
Do you know what we’re thankful for this year? You! We’re grateful you read our blog, listen to our podcast, follow us on social media. We’re grateful the Lord has used us in some of your lives. We are so thankful that you shop on our site. Your purchases keep this ministry going!
We want to bless you in return, so we’re putting practically everything on sale, PLUS…
Flat Rate Priority Mail Shipping for only $10!*
FREE AUDIO CD with a $20 order! Add volume 1 of our popular Hero Tales from American History to your cart and use the coupon code HeroGift to get it free! (or take $7 off the whole 5-CD set!) Add your selection to the cart first and then the coupon.
FREE Camping Multi-Tool with a $50 order! Add the Multi-Tool to your cart and use the coupon code freetool to get it free! Add the tool to the cart first and then the coupon.
FREE Men of Iron Poster with a $100 order! Add the Men of Iron Poster to your order and use the coupon code freeposter to get it free! Add the poster to the cart first and then the coupon.
You can get all three freebies with your order!
You can get another FREEBIE when you Check out our Gift Guide for Boys!
Be sure to check out, too, our Craft Kits for Teens, including Chain Mail, Wood-Burning, Calligraphy, Sketch Artist, Leather-working, a Chef Kit, and our NEW Basketry kit!
Our classic children’s literature audiobooks are a treat for the whole family. The Pollyanna series is hilarious – and teaches our kids to be more grateful. Captains Courageous and Men of Iron are classic stories about becoming a man that both strongly influenced our boys. The Five Little Peppers series teaches that people are more important than things in a fun way. Hero Tales by Theodore Roosevelt teaches character through American history and has sound effects, too, because history is way more interesting with cannon fire! And The Witness and The Sky Pilot challenge teens to consider how to live out their faith in college, relationships, and real-world evangelism.
Our teens LOVE our training swords! They’re the weight and balance of real swords, but they’re made of super-tough polypropylene so our teens can really go to it, with no risk of splitting each other’s heads open! (New this year, a Japanese katana design!)
We’ve got tons of great gifts! The Come Away Weekend marriage retreat, books for parents and kids both, shirts that allow you to wear your faith. Tons of things you can feel GREAT about giving — and support our ministry, too! Just click “Shop” at the top of the page!
Your friends,
Hal & Melanie
*$10 Flat Rate Shipping excludes Alaska, Hawaii, and international orders.
November 15, 2018
Three Free Gifts when You Get Character-Building Gifts Here!
We love the holidays and especially Thanksgiving. It’s one of the few holidays that is still easy to keep Christ-centered. That’s why we would rather shop before or after that weekend, so we can enjoy the family time without stress. We thought you might be feeling the same way…
That’s why we want to give you an opportunity to benefit from all our great deals BEFORE the holiday, so you can relax, too!
So…we’ve discounted just about everything and…
The gifts with purchase we offered last year were so popular we decided to do it again!
First, shop for character-building audiobooks, our new subscription box, fun, historical rubberband guns and swords, and exclusive craft kits! Then…
Get a free Thanksgiving Craft Kit with a $20 purchase! Click here and add the kit to your cart, then use the coupon code FREECRAFT to get it free.
Get a free Camping Multi-Tool with a $50 purchase! Click here and add the tool to your cart, then use the coupon code FREETOOL to get it free.
Get a free Men of Iron Inspirational Poster with a $100 purchase! Click here and add the poster to your cart, then use the coupon code FREEPOSTER to get it free.
We’ve literally spent HOURS marking down nearly everything on our site, because we want you to get the best possible prices. We think the things you can find on our site will bless your family!
We’ve got the kind of gifts you can feel good about giving — things that will build your children’s character, inspire their imagination, and give you the tools to make your family life more Christ-centered. That’s right, our newest books are REALLY on sale! Find No Longer Little for parents of 9-13 year olds and Love, Honor, and Virtue for teen guys here.
And everything you spend at our shop helps keep this ministry going! We’re grateful for you. May the Lord bless you as you’ve blessed us.
Your friends,
Hal & Melanie
November 13, 2018
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