Review for "The Christmas Hope"

I remember the first time that my wife Shannon had told me about a TV movie that made her cry every time she watched it. It was called "The Christmas Shoes". Knowing that my wife and I's movie/TV show favorites were similar, I was almost afraid to watch it. I thought that if she cried, out of support for her, I would cry too. :) Well, I finally sat down one night and watched it with her and to my amazement, it was a great movie. More embarassing, I did get teary-eyed! :( There were not too many TV movies that I really enjoyed up until that point, but the story behind the movie was so touching. I remember just after watching it, thinking "Is this movie on DVD?" Much to my surprise it wasn't... yet.

I later did some research on-line and found an email for the film's producer, Beth Grossbard and it was then (in late 2005) that I found out that the sequel, "The Christmas Blessing" was already in the works and would premiere that fall. When I received a screener copy of the film, I was anxious to see where the characters were in the next story. We were again impressed with this story, taking place some years later. When "The Christmas Shoes" came out on DVD the following year, my wife of course was excited. Not only did I pick the DVD up but we had the opportunity to meet the author, Donna VanLiere along with Eddie Carswell and Billy Goodwin (both of the CCM group Newsong) on the Christmas Hope tour in late 2006. While there I learned the story of how the first and subsequent films came to be.

So let's jump ahead to 2009. Beth Grossbard had contacted me again, this time letting me know that the third and final film of the series was going to premiere on Lifetime on December 13, 2009. The excitement of seeing the first two films came back and we were ready to see how the story would come to a close.

"The Christmas Hope" takes place, in my best guess, another ten years beyond the story of "Blessing". This time however, the story focuses on a few new characters; Patricia Addison (portrayed by Madeline Stowe) who works as a social worker, her husband Mark (portrayed by James Remar) and a little girl, Emily (Portrayed by Tori Barban) whose life comes to a screeching hault amidst a tragic accident. While Patricia and Mark are battling each other in marriage, Patricia struggles throughout the film to fully come to grips of the loss of her son, Sean, who was killed in a car accident a few years before. On top of her mental anguish, Patricia agrees to take Emily in until a suitable foster parent can be found. While Mark grows emotionally attached to Emily, Patricia feels that her husband is trying to replace their own child Sean, with the little girl.

It's through the pain and loss where the story comes into full swing and reveals the destiny that these characters share. While the Nathan Andrews character (Portrayed by Ian Ziering) isn't the center point of the third film, I thought it was very cool how the story intertwined these strangers' stories together into a touching and emotional climax.

Is the film good? Yes. Will it make the toughest of men watching shed a tear? Maybe. I was very impressed with this last installment of the "Christmas..." series and I think that both fans of the first two films and the books by VanLiere will enjoy watching this one as well!

Be sure to tune into the Lifetime Movie Network (check your local listings) on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 8PM (EST) to see for yourself.

The Impact of "It Is Well" ...

I can't tell you how many times I have listened to a rendition of the classic hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" and not think of the true heartache and anguish that writer Horation Spafford was going through just prior to writing it.

I was sitting down listening to the rock band Kutless' latest take on the song and it got me really thinking about it. I consider Spafford a modern-era Job. He lost most of posessions in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. But the material posessions that he lost were nothing compared to what he would lose just a few short years later in November of 1873. On board the steamship Ville du Havre, Spafford's wife Anna along with his four daughters Annie, 11; Maggie, 9; Bessie, 5 and Tanetta, 2 met disaster when an iron sailing vessel, Loch Earn collided with the steamship. Of the 313 passenger aboard the Ville du Havre, 226 perished into eternity, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Anna, who was picked up by a passing ship, found unconcious was brought aboard. When Anna arrived in Wales nine days later she sent her husband a telegram that said, "Saved Alone. What shall we do?"

Those words would have haunted me. Spafford immediately picked up to leave for his wife after receiving the telegram. When the ship carrying Spafford to Europe passed by the location of the tragedy, the Captain sent for Horatio to come to his cabin. There, he told him that they were passing by the spot in where his daughters had drowned. What happened next was history. With pen in hand and consolation from the Holy Spirit, Spafford penned this now classic and emotional hymn ...

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

Spafford's story of tragedy and the ability to overcome it could have only been done with the help of God. Just like Job, Spafford had put his full faith in trust in God and that through Christ he would be with his daughter once again.

It still doesn't stop me from getting teary eyed when I think of the tragedy that he went through, which ultimately brought him closer to the Lord. Praise God for stories like this, whose tragedies teach us that even in the toughest and trying of times, we still need to turn to and give ourselves to God and realize that He is still in control no matter what the circumstances be.

"It Is Well With My Soul" is an everlasting reminder of when Jesus says, "I'll never leave nor forsake you." Great reminder, coming from the Savior Himself.

New Flyleaf ...

I have to say that I am truly impressed with Flyleaf's new album, Memento Mori. I wasn't sure what to expect seeing as though this Christian metal band has spent most of it's illustrious career in the mainstream touring with groups like Korn, Disturbed, Seether, Three Days Grace among others.

I was under the impression that with their touring history, there wasn't going to be much of a message to their album. I was wrong. This goes to show you that you should never judge a band by it's press photo.

With each listen, I get more hooked on the album's message.

Some of the tracks that I really liked are in no particular order: "Beautiful Bride", "The Kind", "In The Dark" and "Arise".

Alot of Flyleaf fans ask the question, is this album worth the four year wait? I think so. I think Memento Mori is a tad bit more mellow compared to the self-titled debut, but in no means is it soft. It has plenty of awesome and heavy moments.

Overall, I think November 10th will be a pretty exciting day for fans. The new album will finally be out for all to listen to.

- Jay

The Importance of a Good Church ...

Church has been for the most part a very important part of my life over the past six years. I have to be honest, I have not always made my way into the sanctuary of my home church every Sunday and Wednesday and for that, I am ashamed. It's recently that I have discovered the true place of church in my life - as a pillar of fellowship, support and growth in my faith in Jesus Christ.

I have had candid conversations in the past several weeks with people who have fallen completely away from the church. They feel they have either become wronged by someone, they have felt it is full of hypocrisy or perhaps whether they want to admit it or not, they have become complacent or even lazy about keeping up with it. The third category is where I have found myself from time to time, but after a whoopin from God, I'm right back in the mix.

Let be first say, don't make excuses for not going. If you have given your life to Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, to me there is no excuse to not go. If someone has wronged you, oh well. We're to forgive and forget (Gen. 50:17, Matt 6:15Eph 4:32). You might be saying, "Well this person wronged me, therefore that's a justifiable reason for me not attend church” Humbug! That's not an acceptable excuse in God's eyes. Remember, you can't fool or mock God. (Gal. 6:7)

If it's for reasons that you think people are hypocrites, remember that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and none of us our perfect. If someone walks different than they talk, maybe that could be an opportunity to become stronger in your faith and not let it hinder you personally. Trust me, if all people stopped going to church or even serving God because of hypocrites, there would be no believers. You are going to find those types of people in ANY church you go in. While we're supposed to be the Bride of Christ (Church), we're still human and as human, we have a sinful nature. So if you are looking for perfection, look to Christ, not fellow believers. You'll come up disappointed every time.

For those who are just lazy - like I have been. Once again, there's no excuse. When I sit down and think of the life Christ took me from, the hell that I would avoid through His salvation and the many blessings that He has bestowed upon my family - how could I even contemplate not serving Him in His church? I couldn't. My laziness was no excuse to God whatsoever. Now I can tell you something that helped me was studying God's Word on a regular if not daily basis, a consistent and meaningful prayer life and complete obedience to the will of God.

I have been told by idiots, I mean fellow believers, "You don't need to go to church to be a Christian." You're absolutely right. You don't have to go to church to be saved. But... and this is a big but... How do you grow in your faith without a good church congregation? Church isn't the building. It's the body of believers in Christ that occupy that building. God didn't intend for us as Christians to live a life of faith in solitude. The church is an outreach, a companion, a body of believers that work together as different parts of the body of Christ. I listened to a song recently by a group called Flyleaf. The song is called "Beautiful Bride". This is what one of the verse said ... "If one part's hurt the whole body's sick / If one part mourns we all mourn with Him / Rejoice and we'll sing with You" We need all the parts of the body, unified to do His work. So church attendance is important for the reason of extending the reach of the body out to reach those who are lost, to show them the same saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that you had. We all have to work together for one purpose.

For those of you who say "Keeping up with church is hard sometimes. I have a life to live and I want to be able to have fun." I feel you. We're all human, we all want to do things with our lives, but I can tell you. A life lived for God and Christ is not an easy one. The world is going to hate us for the stand we take Christ. But remember, the world hated Jesus before it hated us. (Mark 13:13, John 15:18). Stand firm in your faith, get involved in your local church and serve God like He intended.

It's not an easy walk, but trust me; you'll be rewarded and blessed for your obedience. If you are not currently in church, I pray that this blog post gets you motivated enough to pray and ask God where He wants you. If you are a member of church already, I would encourage you to get involved again. Rededicate your life to Christ, the One who gave His life so that through Him, you and I could live. For eternity.

Blessings to all who are reading this right now, I have just prayed for you. :)

- Jay

So Much Music, So Little Time ...

In the five years I have ran CMR, I have had many people tell me that they envy the fact that we get to listen to music all the time. I wish that were true. Although we get dozens of pre-release albums each month, I personally rarely have the time to listen to them all. My title says founder and webmaster. Do you know what that means? That means I started the site, but my job as webmaster has me week in and week out piecing together what you see everytime you visit CMR. It's fun for the most part, but can become so redundant at times that I stop and ask myself, "What was I doing again?" :)

On the other hand, when I do get to sit down and listen, I usually completely immerse myself in the worship and basically block out anything around me. Unlike any other things in my life that sometimes encompass me, I find peace listening to some good Christian music. Sometimes I even sing along if I'm in the mood. I guess the Lord knew what He was doing when He put this CMR project in my hands. It's been an interesting, sometimes frustrating journey, but overall it has been a blessing.

I guess the biggest gratification of doing this is the fact that we get to know a lot of the artists we write reviews for. Over the years we have become personal friends with some of the artists that we've covered. I count it a privilage to get to know these people on a personal level. It's then that you realize what they go through each and everyday to bring forth the music that you hear on the radio or on your CD player or iPod everyday. I love to sing. I love to play guitar, but after seeing what these artists go through each day, I would never want to do it full-time. Too much stress. So I am perfectly happy to just be a fan, listening from a distance, still knowing what's on the minds of these talented people.

It's fun when I have the time to just sit back, relax and listen. It's gratifying. It's also fun to see fans reaction to music that's put out there. Sometimes I get excited as if I were the artist, anxious to see what people think. While reviewing music and conducting interviews is fun for the most part, it is still work. We have to work hard to get the material posted that you see each week.

Next time you visit CMR, take a moment and pray for everyone involved that the Lord continues to guide our ministry in the way He wants!

God bless you all in Jesus' name!

- Jay

Kids These Days ...

You know, kids these days just irk me sometimes! We recently attended Night of Joy in Orlando, FL this past September 11th and 12th and just the behavior of some of the youth groups there shocked me! I mean, where is the control here?

I have sat in youth groups before and I have to say I have never heard a youth leader encourage their youth to act like complete and total fools while out in public. The thing that really bugs me is when these kids act like this and other people notice, namely lost folks, saying "Wow, these are Christian kids? Our country is really going to hell in a hand-basket". That bothered me. Alot. I understand the need to have fun when you are a kid, but some of these kids were out of control! While Romans 3:23 certainly applies to teenagers too, they just made believers look bad. Here we are trying to be an examples to the lost, we're out acting like total idiots! If you hadn't noticed, Christians are closely examined by the world and this in my opinion just gives them an excuse to laugh us off!

Just an example -- We were walking around between sets and a group of kids came by screaming at the top of their lungs. Were they screaming "Jesus Loves You!"? No. Were they screaming the lyrics to a song? No. They were just screaming obnoxiously trying to see which one could cast the most attention from passer-bys. What the ... These kids proudly display their loyalty to the church, with their neon colored shirts, but their mouths and behavior... well that's a different story.

And one other thing that bugged me. I am not one to judge, but people should dress with modesty, especially young ladies. I mean, I don't need to see every part of the body that God made... in detail. The Lord designed your body for your future wife/husband to see. Not everyone who walks by you. Ladies, respect yourselves! Guys, pull your pants up! We're not to be conformed to the world, or to dress like the world, or act like the world. We're to be a holy example of Jesus Christ.

Now some may read this and say "Who does this Jay guy think he is telling me this?" Well, if your parents or youth leaders aren't going to tell you, I am not one to dance around words. Be an example of Jesus, not a hindrance to His Holy Name!

These teens are the future of the church. If we, as the adults don't steer them in the right direction, then what foundation have we left them for the future? I partially blame myself for the way these kids act. It's OUR responsibility to be that positive influence in their life, show them the ropes...

Okay, I have rambled on and spoke my mind... hopefully my opinion helps....

- Jay