New Movie | Nothing Is Impossible

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

Nothing Is Impossible is a new Pure Flix movie, streaming into homes October 6th. You’re going to want to pop up a big batch of popcorn, gather your family or some pals, and watch it!

The inspiring, family-friendly film is all about second chances, rising to a challenge, never saying never, the power of God’s love, and opening oneself to His purpose.

Aging high-school janitor, Scott Beck, sends jaws dropping and tongues wagging when he has the audacity to suit up following an NBA team suddenly announcement of open tryouts. I’m not going to give anything else away but suffice to say, he’s out to prove nothing to anyone but himself, but if he were… Oh, and there’s a love interest that may or may not become more than just an interest… (wink)

The Nothing Is Impossible star-studded cast includes: David A.R. White, "God's Not Dead" franchise, "Revelation Road;" Nadia Bjorlin, "Days of Our Lives;" Harry Lennix, "The Blacklist;" Robert Amaya, "War Room;" Steven Bauer, "Scarface;" country recording artist Stella Parton; Mark Christopher Lawrence, "Family Camp;" Vincent De Paul, "Love on the Rock;" Ethan White; former NBA player Marcus Haislip and Leanne Crawford. It was directed by Matt Shapira, "Love on the Rock," and "Finding Love in Quarantine."

If you’re looking for some inspirational media in a world obsessed with delivering anything but, Pure Flix shoots and scores with “Nothing Is Impossible”. We may not all be NBA basketball player material, but we CAN all be cheerleaders!

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
(Free Pure Flix Trial)

Even The Dog Knows | August Book Club

Even before I had my farm animals were a big part of my life. From birth to current day, every chapter of my personal story has had a family pet at the center. They are the other family members whose roles are vastly more impactful and important than we may ever fully realize.

My book club choice for the month of August speaks to that.

“Even The Dog Knows”, by New York Times best-selling author, Jason F. Wright, is about a family who’s been torn apart by grief.

Each member, now distanced, isolated, and lonely… and their dear old pup, who may provide the glue that can bring them together once again. The jacket reads: “A family’s old, beloved dog takes a final road trip to help his people find forgiveness and healing.”

“Meg Gorton finds herself alone and lonely in Florida. Three years earlier, she had packed what she could fit into her sister’s car and asked her estranged husband, Gary, to take care of Moses, their beloved black Labrador. Things between Meg and Gary hadn’t been the same after the loss of their only daughter many years ago. Even after raising their grandson, Troy, it was clear that if Meg wanted a new beginning, she would have to do it alone.

Haunted by the tragedy of his daughter’s death, Gary is stuck in his life in Woodstock, Virginia. He still owns and drives the bus for their hometown minor league baseball team, and he still thinks about the day his wife drove away.

Everything changes when Meg contacts Gary with a request to bring Moses to visit her one last time before the old dog passes on. Gary is reluctant, but Troy thinks it’s an excellent idea. They could even travel together in Gary’s bus. Along the way, Gary takes a detour to visit Troy’s ex-girlfriend, Grace. Gary might not know how to fix things with his wife, but he knows he doesn’t want Troy to make the same mistakes he did.

Although Moses is just a dog, he’s very observant. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out they are going on to see Meg. He knows he’s an old dog and that his time is near, but he also knows his family needs his help.

Even the Dog Knows is a novel that will take readers on a thousand-mile journey to find forgiveness, understanding, healing, and the meaning of true and lasting love.”

At a time when it seems as though every sound bite we come across is simply more depressing news, unplugging and immersing ourselves in feel-good moments are not just important but as necessary as eating healthfully and getting enough sleep.

Give yourself a dose of good medicine this summer. Find a moment, a glass of ice tea, pick up your copy of “Even The Dog Knows,” and travel along with Moses on the journey to unite his people.

ORDER: EVEN THE DOG KNOWS

New Movie | AMERICAN UNDERDOG

Kurt and Brenda Warner’s incredible true story of faith, family, and football has been made for the big screen.

Life made them underdogs. Faith made them champions. From Kingdom Story Company and The Erwin Brothers — the directors of I CAN ONLY IMAGINE — comes AMERICAN UNDERDOG, based on the inspirational true story of Kurt and Brenda Warner.

Undrafted as a quarterback out of college, Kurt found himself stocking shelves in a grocery store to help support Brenda and her two kids, all while trying to hold onto his fading dream of becoming an NFL quarterback. That dream was realized when he was signed by the St. Lousi Rams in 1998.

In the following years, he would become a two-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback. American Underdog, allows you to experience all the highs, lows, victories and defeats Kurt and Brenda shared. It hits theaters on December 25th.

The film sports an MVP cast, starring Zackary Levi, as Kurt, Anna Paquin, as Brenda, Dennis Quaid, as Dick Vermeil, Chance Kelly, as Mike Martz, and Hayden Zaller, as Zack Warner.

I’s a story synonymous with hope, and the knowledge that with hard work, perseverance, faith - and family - our dreams are never out of reach.

Opening in theaters on Christmas Day, it's a football movie, it's a romance movie, it's a movie sure to inspire the dreamer in all of us! Take the family, get a big bucket of popcorn, and get in the game!

Find more information HERE
And watch the trailer HERE

(Oh, and Kurt joins me on LOVE SOMEONE with Delilah, on my December 28th episode!)



Raised In The Kitchen | May Book Club

I looooove cooking for my large crazy crew!

Seems like I’m always in the kitchen with kids underfoot, over foot, beside me, betwixt me, on stools, and perched on a counter. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cooking and eating is more than simple nourishment, it’s a time of togetherness; bonding, talking, laughing, and loving.

That’s what popular cooking blogger and author, Carrian Cheney, and I have in common! But the similarities end there, because I am anything BUT organized and thoughtful about my processes. She, however, is! And it’s our good luck that she has the ability to break things down into easily understandable steps, write it out, and share it with all of us. On her blog, and in her new book, Raised In The Kitchen, my May Book Club pick.

Carrian knows that cooking together as a family is the secret to not only raising children well prepared for adulthood but also to mixing ingredients beyond just the dough for cookies--love, unity, and combined hearts. She is well aware that family and memories are made one recipe at a time.

Raised In The Kitchen is a step-by-step guide that covers food prep to clean-up. It includes ingredient lists and easy-to-follow recipes as well as “dollops of heartwarming family stories, insights, and kid-friendly food activities to keep everyone from the tired and overwhelmed mom to the littlest of picky eaters focused on deliciousness in the kitchen.”

It’s got a whopping 75 recipes from basics (like fried eggs & baked potatoes) to beyond (like steak fajitas and chocolate cake,) with a natural progression as cooking skills are developed. Recipes include tips and tricks in the kitchen to build capabilities and confidence.

“Raised in the Kitchen is a cookbook for parents and kids about much more than learning to love to cook. It's about bringing families together and then one day sending those little hands off to their own kitchens, where they will teach their own children the recipes, laughter, and love that shaped their lives.”

Tips on Salt * Breads * Breakfast
Meat 101 * Side Dishes * Knife Safety 101
Main Dishes * Family Bakeoffs * Desserts

Raised In The Kitchen deserves a place in your cookbook library and will become thumb-worn with use as you and your children or grandchildren bond, and grow, and eat your way through every page!

Get Your Copy of Raised In The Kitchen!

New Movie | YES DAY

Do you have kids at home? I mean AT HOME, like so many do right now, with most schools in the country still using a distance or hybrid model of teaching…

If the answer is YES, you’re probably somewhat familiar with the feeling that you’re always in the position of saying NO! No, you can’t have friends over. No, you can’t eat on the couch. No, No, No! If that sounds and feels and familiar, you’ve got something in common with film parents, Allison and Carlos.

But would you give your kids a “Yes Day” - where THEY get to make the rules for the next 24 hours?

Jennifer Garner, who stars in YES DAY, said she would, has, and will do so again!

A fan of Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s books, she and middle daughter fell in love with the book, Yes Day! many years ago. Her daughter asked for a ‘Yes Day’ for Christmas and this fabulous mom delivered, and has continued the tradition every year since.

They’ve had so much fun with it, Jennifer wanted to bring it to the big screen, and we’re so lucky that she did!

YES DAY releases globally on Netflix today March 12.

It stars Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramírez, Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner and Everly Carganilla, as a family who said YES, kicking off a whirlwind adventure around Los Angeles that brought them closer to each other than ever before.

Say yes to YES DAY and join this fun-loving family on their wild ride! (And then make an effort to say Yes more often. Our kids have had to give up so much lately, they more Yes! in their lives!!)

Two Great Fall Movies | Unbroken & Indivisible

Unbroken: Path to Redemption
In theaters September 14th

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling book Unbroken, and the 2014 film of the same name, Unbroken: Path to Redemption, called a spiritual successor to the first movie, tells the rest of WWII veteran Louis Zamperini's story after his liberation from a Japanese prison camp and return home from World War II.

Unbroken: Path to Redemption takes off where the film Unbroken, left off.  In that, we saw Louis as a bombardier who crash landed in the ocean due to engine failure and floated on a raft for 47 days before becoming a prisoner of war. This is the rest of the story: 

Haunted by his experiences as a Japanese POW, Louis doesn't think of himself as a hero, anything but, actually. In fictional romance, Louis' love for Cynthia, whom he married in 1946, would be the only balm necessary for his wounds, but as reality would have it, their marriage is being held prisoner by Louis' past and his wrathful quest for revenge is driving him deeper into despair, putting the couple on the brink of divorce.   

This is the story of how Cynthia finds a born-again faith in the Lord at a Christian revival crusade led by Billy Graham in 1949. Renewing her commitment to the marriage she had all but given up on, and to Louis. Now, her most fervent prayer is for God to help Louie find the peace and forgiveness he so desperately needs.

Unbroken: Path to Redemption stars Samuel Hunt, as Zamperini, as well as evangelist Will Graham portraying his grandfather. It opens September 14th in theaters everywhere bringing to life the rest of this powerful real-life story of forgiveness, redemption, and amazing grace.

Watch the Trailer & Get Tickets

---

Indivisible
In theaters October 26th

Indivisible

Every marriage faces challenges. The small every day type that come with the reality of two people living in close proximity, ever jostling to give one another the right balance of attention and space. And the large ones that accompany unexpected circumstances - upsets, upheavals, sickness, and the unknown.

INDIVISiBLE is based on the true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his wife Heather who, with a strong, faith-filled marriage, are ready to follow their calling: serving God, family, and country. Idealism is met with the reality of an abrupt and lengthy deployment in Iraq, the horrors of war, of lonliness, of two realities that are so very different from one another.

Darren and Heather have anchored themselves as pillars of strength amongst those who need it the most; the deployed soldiers fighting to stay alive, and the families left behind tensing at every phone call and knock at the door. Who can they cling to when realizing that they too have been deeply wounded by this incomprehensalbe experience?

INDIVISIBLE, is the story of one marriage … one family … under God.
In theaters beginning October 26, starring Sarah Drew, Justin Bruening, Jason George, Tia Mowry, and Madeline Carroll.

Watch the Trailer

Now through September 9th, you can enter my Red Carpet Movie Flyaway Sweepstakes for an opportunity to win a trip for two (2) people to fly to Memphis, Tennessee to watch INDIVISIBLE on October 2, 2018 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Memphis! 

The sweepstakes package includes:

• Round trip coach airfare for TWO people

• Two nights hotel accommodations

• Two tickets to the red carpet movie event

• And a $100 cash gift card!

Memphis is waiting for you!

ENTER NOW

One Heart At A Time | September Book Club

Visit the One Heart At A Time page

Let me tell you about my new book, One Heart At A Time!

At Rosetta Books urging, I began the process of putting my personal journey, referred to by many as "philanthropy," (but something I simply call giving back) down in written format.

It's something I believe we should all be encouraged to do, and what my goal was and is with this book. It's also my belief that giving back is something that we are born understanding. Humans are social creatures and intrinsically know that we need one another to survive. That God-given knowledge is often discouraged however, in deference to "becoming successful" and "getting ahead" and from and early age we become conditioned instead to be ego-centric beings. 

One Heart At A Time is all about my personal philosophy; big change happens by small measures. One. Heart. At. A. Time.

In my book, I'll tell you about my family, my childhood, my upbringing, and my many life experiences - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the down right hilarious - and I'll talk about how this life I've led, and the people in it, have shaped me into the person I am today. 

"If we are going to change the world, one heart at a time, we must make sure we and those closest to us are fully engaged and aware of the beauty of the natural world, fully engaged in real life, real connections, real human and nature interactive experiences. We should be more excited about reality than reality shows...

...What if you took it upon yourself to spend time with a young person, instilling in them something to care about?

...Believe in a young person, and you will change the world for  that person. Teach a young person that talking is better than texting and reality is better than virtual reality - and indeed you will be doing that child and this world a great service."

(pg 181-182)

One Heart At A Time was a true labor of love. Finishing it was a true labor! Continuing to write after I'd lost my Zacky was difficult, to put it in the mildest terms, taking every ounce of effort I could muster. But One Heart, is also a tribute to my son, who has challenged and shaped me from the very moment he was conceived, and will continue to do so until our glorious reunion in the house of Our Father.

We’re going to change the world with love, one person at a time, one heart a time. Take the time in your life to know the person you’re next to, to know your neighbors, to care for your friends, and know what is on their heart.

I hope the book inspires and motivates you to reach inside yourself, through the web of personal experiences, triumphs, and tragedies, and take just one step outside your own reality in order to make a difference in another's life. In doing so you will feel your own weight lifted, and be awed at the domino effect of good and ever expanding love that you've initiated. 

One Heart At A Time will be available on October 12, in paperback, digital, and audio formats.

Please take a moment to visit the One Heart book page, which has more information about the book, its author (me!), endorsements from the likes of Debbie Macomber and Robin Roberts, and pre-order your copy today!

Pre-Order One Heart At A Time

Thank you, my dear friends! I hope you enjoy reading One Heart At A Time and it inspires you to open your heart to the vast possibilities of loving others into better lives!

July Book Club | Portrait of a Sister

Portrait of a Sister

I love to draw, I love to paint, I love to express myself creatively, and I am a person of deep faith and conviction. I can't imagine if the two of these parts of me, two of the things about myself that I identify with the strongest, were in conflict with one another.

Perhaps that's why I chose Portrait of a Sister, by Laura Bradford, for my July book club. In it, our protagonist is faced with just that, a conflict between her God-given gift of artistry, and her faith's doctrine against it. I'd never before considered how one might affect the other and I was immediately drawn to Katie's struggle.

This would be a doozie of a Delilah's Dilemma!

When their mother dies, Amish sisters, Katie and Hannah Beiler, are brought together again. Once upon an innocent time, they were inseparable, but Hannah chose to leave the fold and live the "Englisch" life in New York City while Katie, never questioning her future, stayed with the community in which she was born and raised.

After a lifetime of keeping her art hidden, Katie becomes caught up in Hannah’s “Englisch” life and discover that people admire her talent for drawing portraits, which are forbidden in Amish culture. Why would God give her such a gift if He did not want her to use It? It's not only this question, but developing romantic feelings for someone that is NOT the young Amish man, Abram Zook, she thought she would marry soon, that confuses Katie further. Add to it all, an influential art collector who wants to buy her sketches and you have the perfect recipe for a very muddled cocktail of emotional angst. 

Props to author, Laura Bradford, who beautifully portrays how the quiet war between the heart and head, faith and desire, can tear at our souls.

This book, from Kensington Publishing, is fiction at its finest, with heart and humanity prompting me to turn the page, turn the page, turn the page, until the very end. Grab a blanket, a glass of iced tea, find your favorite shade tree and indulge yourself. I know you'll enjoy it as I did!

Buy Portrait of a Sister