Minions Movie Night July 31, 2015

Hello dear ones! A couple weeks ago my family and I went to see the Minions movie. This is how we had fun. Also, I’ll review the movie. Please come hang out :).

I drew a minion on our chalkboard door to get everyone excited.

 

I bought a Minions coloring book for a dollar. I also found sugar cookies and fruit snacks that are Minion themed. I found the Minion bead kit at Michael’s Craft Store.

 

Chris and Michael made a Minion bookmark.

 

Michael drew a Minion based on a tutorial.

Here are toilet paper roll Minions.

Now my review:

My family and I really loved the Despicable Me movies. Underneath the craziness they were about family and love. They gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. But Minions was a disappointment. There were way too many innuendos. The plot was flat. The Minions couldn’t fill Gru’s shoes as main characters. They are hilarious for shorts, but in my opinion they can’t carry a whole movie. The best part of the movie for me, was the end…when Gru showed up. In conclusion, although there are spots of funny, the smut and lack of a decent plot and strong characters, ruined it for me. This felt way more adult than childlike.

God bless and remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

You can find more ideas here:

The Danger of Idolizing Celebrity Preachers July 24, 2015

“Not many [of you] should become teachers ([a]self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation].”

James 3:1 Amp Version

“God still speaks through rocks and donkeys.” ~Paul Washer (Amen bro!)

I like to watch preaching but I’ve learned the hard way not to idolize preachers…just as I learned not to idolize “experts” in any field. Humans make mistakes. I may go to a doctor to consult about my health but that doesn’t mean that I should trust a doctor blindly. Preachers and pastors have a great calling to guide God’s people, but they are still human, and every follower of Christ has the same Holy Spirit. We all have access to God’s Word. And ultimately when we stand before God in Heaven we will take account for ourselves. “But the preacher said this…” won’t cut it. Do you know Jesus personally? That’s what matters. You won’t get to Heaven riding on someone’s coat tails.

I say this as a fellow student and a fellow traveler in life. We should test the spirits. We should search the scriptures for ourselves.

Paul speaks of the Bereans

“11 Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [[a]concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11 AMP

Now to bring balance, sometimes we won’t like a sermon because it doesn’t tickle our ears and our flesh hates it. We feel conviction and maybe we are fighting it. How do we know the difference? Well, what are we using as our standard? God’s Word in context? or our emotions and experiences? In the end it does not matter what we have experienced, what we feel, or what our culture says….all that matters is what God says. God’s truth will often bring conviction. It will bring the fruit of the Spirit. But if a sermon brings condemnation, pride, fear, or other ungodly attitudes then it is not of the Spirit.

Sometimes preachers give messages in the flesh. Again, they are human. I saw this in my Dad. He was a former drug dealer that turned preacher. I could tell when my Dad was preaching from pride and his flesh. I could also tell when my Dad was humble and it was God’s Spirit speaking through Him. I struggled to listen to his sermons done in pride. But when he spoke with humility, my heart opened.

Things to question when you hear a message

• Does the Bible (in context) support this?
• Does the speaker display Christ-like behavior?
• Does it edify the body of Christ?
• Does it make sense?

I pray that you will be strong in these last days. These are deceptive times. I try to teach Michael to read the Bible himself and not idolize me or his dad. I tell him that we are human and we will fail him at times, but Jesus is the perfect friend. The Heavenly Father is the perfect parent. God’s Word is perfect guidance (read in context). I hope to share helpful info on how to read the Bible, soon. I’m working on it.

I pray that you, dear one, won’t idolize me or any other blogger. We may look put together on the outside but I assure you that every one of us are just as human as you. We struggle with sin just as much. We are desperately hanging on to Jesus to help us through this mess of a world. The thought of someone putting me on a pedestal scares me. I don’t want that.

Anywho, so when you meet teachers, preachers, pastors, and any leaders in the church…remember they are human. They need friends. They need accountability. They need guidance. They need love. They bleed. They cry. They need prayer. Even the ones that are really off theologically. Even the corrupt ones. God’s grace is available to all. Any one can be changed by God if they repent. Don’t idolize them. Please pray for them. They’ve taken on a scary task.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Big Fish Christmas Stories: Games Review December 18, 2014

Hello dear ones! Got some time on your hands this Christmas? Check out these fun Christmas games from Big Fish. Here’s a review for the Christmas Stories series: Nutcracker, Tin Soldier, & A Christmas Carol.

By the way, I’m not getting paid for this (I wish I was…hint hint Big Fish lol). Seriously, I love puzzle/adventure games. These are the best I’ve played in awhile. I just want to share with you.

First off, there is an order to these games that I didn’t realize but thankfully I just so happened to play them in that order. The Nutcracker comes before the Tin Soldier. A Christmas Carol can be played at anytime but there are references to it in the Tin Soldier. So it must’ve come out before.

The graphics are gorgeous and the story lines fun. I would let my 8 year old play these for sure…if I wasn’t so stingy with my computer lol.

A Christmas Carol~ I played this game first. It has an interesting twist. You play Scrooge’s nephew. You come to visit and help him because he’s plagued with nightmares. It turns out the evil side of Scrooge and his devil helpers have ruined Scrooge’s life. You team up with the three ghosts of Christmas and angel Scrooge to change Scrooge’s past, present, and future. I love how Scrooge’s life can be changed. It’s such a neat retelling of the story. There are plenty of puzzles and objects to interact with. You get to see several beautiful Christmasy scenes. The background music will keep you in the Christmas spirit too.

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/25375/christmas-stories-a-christmas-carol-ce/index.html

Nutcracker~ You’re late for the Christmas ball but you make it in time to help the Nutcracker save his princess from the evil Rat King. The game delves into the Rat King’s backstory. I love how they tie other tales into this one. They make it so believable. The music is also a treat. Once again they deliver when it comes to graphics.

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/20319/christmas-stories-nutcracker-ce/index.html

Tin Soldier~ Team up with the Tin Soldier and the Nutcracker to save the Tin Soldier’s beloved from an evil baron who has turned them all into toys. This story ties in to the Nutcracker. Meet Hans Christian Anderson and learn what it’s like to be toy sized! That was my favorite part….shrinking. Great music and graphics. Fun hidden object puzzle games and lots to interact with.

http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/27949/christmas-stories-3-andersens-tin-soldier-ce/index.html

I can’t tell you which was my favorite. I enjoyed all three tremendously. I usually play Nancy Drew games on PC which take several days. It took me a few hours each for these games. I like that they weren’t too time consuming. I could play one after another on a lazy day. They’re addictive like candy!

By the way, I had a membership with Big Fish so I was able to get all these games with credits that had built up. If you play a lot of games it’s better to get a membership because you save bunches. I just cancelled my membership because I may go months without playing a game. I binge play. I’m not very consistent.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the review. If you get a chance to play, please leave me a comment and tell me what you think of the games. And if you have any holiday game suggestions I’d love to hear that too!
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Movie & Toothless Cookie Pops Review July 21, 2014

Hello dear ones! Michael and I saw How to Train Your Dragon 2, a couple of weeks ago. I made these cookie pops inspired by Fiction Food’s blog.

http://www.fiction-food.com/2014/06/toothless-cookie-pops-for-how-to-train.html

I didn’t use jelly beans or lime tootsie rolls though.  I used mint M&M’s for the eyes and chocolate almond bark.  It would’ve been better for me to have used vanilla almond bark because I had to add an insane amount of black dye to get the right color. Brown plus black dye equals purplish. The dye stained Michael’s tongue and fingers.  Chris said they look like Gollum. Anywho, I tried.

Now, onto the movie. It’s been forever since I’ve done a movie review. Let’s see if I remember how.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a great movie in my book. It’s a little intense  for a kid’s movie. I rate it as being more intense than The Lion King, ya know, when Simba see’s his father die. I don’t want to give anything away but there is a wicked twist that’s just wrong. How to Train Your Dragon was never a movie about marshamallow hugs and rainbows in the first place. Still, I didn’t expect the movie to get so intense. I may have teared up a bit.

What I like about the HTTYD movies is how they explore family relationships. In the first movie, we see Hiccup develop a better relationship with his dad. In the second movie, Hiccup meets his mom. My favorite part is when Hiccup’s Mom and Dad get back together. They totally could’ve had Hiccup’s Mom declare her independence and stay in her own little world. Instead she chose to return to her family and that was beautiful. She was willing to love again.

If you have concerns about dating relationships, well Hiccup does share a kiss with Astrid. It’s pretty clear that everyone expects the two to get married. Also, the twin girl, Ruffnut,  has some youthful lust issues. It’s supposed to be funny but it really annoyed me. None of it was a deal breaker for me though. It’s just an opportunity for discussion.

Ultimately, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is about friendship and forgiveness. Sometimes love is hard. Sometimes the people you love the most, hurt you the most. You have a choice. Become bitter or forgive and let love empower you. Hiccup faces several challenges as he journies into manhood. I think he handles them well and overall, is a good role model for boys. Plus, Toothless is just adorable. Enough said, four stars :).

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Multiplied by NEEDTOBREATHE May 29, 2014

Hello dear ones! This song blesses my socks off so I hope you’ll enjoy it too. Email sub. remember to come to my blog to see the video.

Multiplied by NEEDTOBREATHE

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Noah the Movie: The Facts April 1, 2014

What is Noah, the movie really about? I’ve got three resources to help you sort fact from fiction.

Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Some say this is a balanced view on Noah and others call it liberal. It’s a good read none the less.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/film/noah

 

 

I usually check Plugged In before I go see a movie. This review will give you all the details on why the movie is PG-13 so you can make an informed decision.

http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/noah-2014.aspx

 

 

Is the Noah movie taken from the gnostic gospel?  This one will really stir you up. Is the creator referred to in Noah actually the gnostic creator, an evil god who hates the world? An article to ponder with lots of info even if you’ve never heard of gnosticism (something early Christians fought hard against).

http://drbrianmattson.com/journal/2014/3/31/sympathy-for-the-devil

 

Whether the director is an atheist writing about a God he doesn’t know or a gnostic glorifying Satan as the loving spiritual god and Yahweh as evil, this movie has brought about a lot of discussion. I also think it brings a challenge for Christians. Do we know our Bible? Are we pointing others to the true and One God who loves the world so much that He died for it (that blows gnosticism to bits)?  Father God makes it clear in His word that He doesn’t enjoy punishing the wicked. God’s justice was met in the Biblical account of Noah but there is also His grace as He saved Noah and his family. The people on earth were so corrupt that there was no redemption left for their souls. The flood gave us a chance to know God, for humanity to start again. Who knows if humanity would’ve lasted much longer the way it was going. I mean…EVERY thought of man was wicked. They probably would’ve killed each other off. Some suggest that bloodlines were even corrupt as humans mingled with fallen angels (hence the Nephilim). A hybrid blood line would have kept God’s promise of a savior from coming to pass. There are interesting takes on the Biblical account.  But we know from God’s word in whole that God loves humanity and wants to redeem us from the curse brought by sin. He is God. We are not. Bottom line. I can only love the one who gave me breath, who gives me all that’s good, and who died to save me.

Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

I  have my own feelings about the movie but since I haven’t seen it I can only point you to reviews. I don’t want to spend money on something I won’t enjoy and now that I’ve got gnostic themes in my head that’ll probably make it very hard for me to watch. That’s just me. But I believe with any movie that has Biblical themes we should be cautious. We should know our Bible enough to sort the facts. Our theology should be based on God’s word, not media. With that being said, media can be a tool. You can use it to talk to others about topics that normally wouldn’t be discussed…like hey, Noah! You can let it push you to further study  the Bible.  I don’t believe we should use media as a tool for legalism or a way of bashing others. We can speak the truth in love, yes, the controversial truth can be spoken in love. It’s  how we say it and our motivation for saying it.  You tell the truth so it will bring life and healing to others….so it will save others. But truth does often hurt. Grace helps the rough edges.  We all have a choice when it comes to media and culture. Will we let media drive us, whether it pushes us away or draws us in? Or will we use it as a tool, an opportunity?

The missionary who baptized me had a wonderful gift. He could take any conversation, any topic, and use it to talk about God. What a wise skill that is.  Christ is my best friend and God’s truth & love is at the core of everything that matters. Jesus is life. Less of me and more of Him. My opinions, my cultural ideas, my standards for media etc… matter little. What matters is God’s grace and truth. I pray that this post reflects Him.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Media Saturday: Light Amidst Spiritual Darkness October 19, 2013

Dear ones, there are times that my curiosity and sinful nature lead me down dark roads but I know Jesus, the God who made the Universe, can bring light to the darkest places. I’m not here to judge your media choices but rather to share a testimony of how God brought me out of darkness.

This is a continual testimony that I share because even though I am a believer, I am still flesh and I stumble often. God is so faithful to draw me back when I stray.

I’m noticing a steady trend in modern media. It’s dark, depressing, and full of death. It reminds me of my life before I met Christ. As a child I was drawn to dark and melancholy things.  The world was a scary place. Before my Dad became a minister he was a drug dealer and we had interesting characters in our homes. I was very sheltered after my Dad became a minister but before I was very unsheltered. I watched a lot of horror movies and the people I hung around were perverse (I’m talking kids at school….little girls etc).  I was interested in the occult and read a lot of dark things. I was raised in Church but the darkness of the world was bigger than the light.

As a kid I had nightmares every night and I had a few demonic encounters. The scariest was when the blinds in my room started moving up and down on their own after I had watched Ghost Busters. The window was shut, the fan was off, and the vents were closed. There’s no explanation except spiritual.  I will never watch that movie again because of that.  I’m not saying the movies alone opened me up to the demonic. I believe my whole situation and the people I was around did. There was a battle for my soul and I know that Jesus stepped in and saved me from spiraling into more darkness. He heard my cries in the night.

Do I have occasional dealings with darkness, depression, and death as a believer? Yes, I slip and fall. I’ve gotten severely depressed before. But there is a big difference between now and before my conversion. Before I could not escape the darkness. It just got bigger. You see, I tried to cleanse my filthiness by hurting myself…slapping myself…choking myself. Every time I would curse I would slap myself. But I couldn’t atone for my sin. I couldn’t see the light. I just got darker.

I don’t remember this completely because I blocked some of it out but my Mom told me what really happened. As a kid, there was a boyfriend of my mom’s that had mental issues from Vietnam etc…He claimed to be a Christian but he was psychotic and tried to hurt her, He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I only have bits and pieces of this memory. But there was a night that he started yelling and saying that we were all hypocrites and none of us Christians. I was not a Christian at the time but I thought I was because I went to church. My Mom was a Christian though. Anywho, I thought I was in the car crying but I was actually outside with him as he held up my arms and pretended to “crucify” me to show how Jesus died while he yelled at us. All I remember was crying and saying over and over “It’s not true”. I was scared to death of Hell. My whole life was controlled by intense fear.

But when I truly met Jesus, there was a peace. It wasn’t about escaping Hell. It was like meeting this person that I had always thought was far away. All of a sudden He was real and loving and Jesus wanted to take me out of the darkness because He loved me.  I couldn’t get out of the darkness on my own but He could set me free if I just let Him.  I just had to chose Him. I couldn’t do it before because He hadn’t come to me yet. The Holy Spirit has to draw a person and He knows when a person is ready to accept Him.

As a believer, I go to Jesus who is the Light and He chases away the darkness. I can’t do it on my own. I just have to fellowship with the Light. There are times that I stumble. Recently, I let my curiosity and sinful nature draw me to a dark and melancholy tv series.  I thought about saying what it was but I believe it’s wisdom to be vague. I’m not here to be your Holy Spirit.

Anywho, I watched two episodes and felt like I had been spiritually slimed. I literally wanted to vomit. The series twisted the Bible like crazy and was very full of darkness and the demonic.  I regretted watching any of the series and I felt that old familiar feeling of fear and darkness. I know that I don’t want to EVER go back to that darkness. God keeps me so I won’t. Still, I must be careful what media I let into my soul. It is a distraction and a tool of the enemy. I confessed to God, and asked that He would help me to run far away from that type of media anymore. I made a promise to myself and Him that I’d not even take a peek at media that has even a hint of darkness like that.

It was a lesson that the enemy knows my weakness and I should be on guard. I don’t want to open myself up to fear and depression again. The times that I have indulged in these curiosities I’ve opened myself up to oppression. I’ve had weeks of waking up in fear each night…at times screaming. Not everyone is as sensitive to these things but for some reason I always have been.  Because I have seen and experienced such darkness and then on the other hand seen God’s miraculous light just chase it away by one name, Jesus,  I know without a doubt the TRUTH of the gospel of Jesus. I’ve seen Him change people that I didn’t think could be changed. I’ve seen him bring peace to my very messed up and OCD ridden mind.

In  third world countries the spiritual world is very visible in certain areas. Demons are known and worshiped. But I’ve noticed in the U.S.A there is a different kind of spiritual battle. It’s often invisible. We don’t see as many spiritual things here…dark or light. But behind the scenes there is a battle still going on. I see it in the media everyone is drawn too. Have you noticed how the occult is so popular in books and t.v.? It began slowly and has progressed to full blown. Supernatural interest is everywhere.  Spiritual slime…

I’d think that a world in such seemingly chaotic times would want to surround itself with peppy media. But no. Everywhere you turn it’s about death, depression, and darkness. Everyone wants to talk about the Apocalypse..whether by zombies or natural disasters. It’s like people realize that things are getting darker and they have no control over it. The movies are full of that one guy or group that can save us all from the end.  Maybe he’s human or maybe supernatural.

I praise God that we don’t have to rely on a man or monster to save us all. There is one savior for mankind and he’s not a politician.  I praise God that I can’t save myself. I would be the one who trips at the wrong moment or something…sorry Spock, I pushed the wrong button…the Enterprise is going down.  Dwelling on the darkness and imagining how we can magically save the day won’t do us any good.  Worrying ourselves over the news won’t do us any good. Putting all our hope in governments and the kingdoms of men won’t do us any good. One thing I’ve learned from World History is that everybody dies. Man can’t become a god and we can’t live forever.

But I’m telling you that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ transcends this physical life. Now the Bible is clear that one day Jesus will physically return to this earth and make a new Heaven and Earth where He will rule forever in peace. There will be no more death, depression, and darkness. Mankind will be cured of it’s sinful curse.  Until then, I have peace that even if I die I will have God’s light and truth.  I no longer have to walk in darkness.

So I ask God’s help to walk with Him and to run far far away from the darkness that the world swallows up so easily.  The momentary pleasure isn’t worth it. I choose the light and I pray you will too. May Jesus find us all faithful when He returns!

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Media Saturday: The Lone Ranger July 13, 2013

Hello dear ones! Today I’ll be reviewing the new movie called The Lone Ranger, not to be confused with the old t.v. series.

By Pleasure Island Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

What can I say? I regret seeing this movie and I regret taking Michael. The whole time we were telling him to turn his head every other minute. There will be spoilers so be aware. I wish I had read a review first though because many are saying this movie bombed and we could’ve saved our wallet and our minds.

The positive: Ummmm….the actors look good for the parts. The Lone Ranger shows how greed can destroy. There’s a message that progress isn’t as important as people. The Lone Ranger himself has decent morals. We see Tonto’s back story and why he acts crazy. Native Americans are shown more realistically. Tonto is the only bad stero type but we find out later why he acts the way he does (feeding a dead crow on his hat, crumbs etc).

The negative: Violence is an understatement. You see Native Americans and U.S. soldiers killed. One of the villains eats a man’s heart. The villain made the movie feel like a horror flick to me….think Hannibal (which I haven’t seen but I’ve heard about). There are so many racial stereo types it’s not funny and maybe some were true to the times but still they went too far with it. The sexual innuendos were one too many and there are several ladies “of the night” shown. I guess I thought this would be a kid’s movie since it’s Disney. I was excited that Michael would learn who Tonto was and why I go around saying “kimosabi”. But this movie was the furthest from a kid’s movie.

Honestly, the movie should’ve been called “Tonto”. The Lone Ranger had a good heart but he was pretty wimpy most of the time. The way he treated Tonto wasn’t nice at all. There’s some slapstick humor thrown in which didn’t make sense with an action movie. I think that’s a big reason The Lone Ranger missed the mark. One minute it’s a horror flick with a cannibal villain. The next people are being hit in the head with rocks (including the heroine which completely took away any sense of romance for me) and you have a horse that seems to be able to fly. So maybe some of the humor was aimed at the old tv series but if they were going in that direction then they should’ve left out all the smut that made it a very adult movie.

The whore house is seen as something normal. It’s not shown as this awful place for women (like in Les Mis’). It’s shown as being humorous and the madam (female pimp) comes to the rescue at the end while a Calvary officer feels on her fake leg which is a gun.

At the beginning of the movie, we see an elderly Tonto as a live mannequin at a carnival. He tells this little boy dressed as a cowboy about the Lone Ranger. That right there gave the movie a kiddie feeling. Come on son, let’s learn about cowboys and Indians…oh wait…and whores and cannibals. It’ll be fun! *Rolling eyes* At the end of the movie, the kid puts on his mask and seems to really admire The Lone Ranger. Honestly, I have no clue what he found admirable. So the Lone Ranger did a few tricks at the end but for most of the time he was a goofy wimp. The kid should’ve shook Tonto’s hand and the Lone Ranger should’ve been the side kick. Because he was not the strongest character.

I loved Man of Steel. It had a hero kids could look up to and Super Man  just felt like a hero. But the Lone Ranger was too confusing. It’s like the writers ate a comedy sandwich, drank a horror milkshake, and had some action fries…then threw it all up and called it a movie. Sorry but that’s what I got. And that’s how I felt when we left…like I had been vomited on. So I learned my lesson. I will be reading reviews before we go to movies and I won’t assume a Disney flick is safe.  Even as an adult movie…it’s just a mess.

According to my hubby who saw the t.v. series this movie is nothing like it.  The few moral messages were lost in the smut. This movie could’ve been great but it really missed the mark.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

My Family Rocks! Sunday: Les Mis’ Date Night June 9, 2013

In this Post: “Les Miserables” Date Night (ha! the name of the movie, not the quality  of the date lol), Chester’s recovering from getting declawed, VBS, & Michael learns how to play Rummy.

Hello dear ones! Well, it’s been an interesting week. Chester got declawed Monday. More on that later. Let’s start on a happy note. Michael had VBS most of last week so Chris and I had plenty of time alone. One night we rented “Les Miserables” 2012 version aka Les Mis’ (much easier to say). *Note: Date details after movie details ;). We saw the movie in the theater and for the most part loved it except a couple of scenes (namely with the innkeeper and his wife….eww…such perverts). The good thing about DVD is that you can skip through bad scenes. Les Mis’ is definitely not a kids movie. I do like how it tells a story of God’s grace and the end is EPIC. People clapped in the theater. I think I cried.

If you want to know what I’m talking about (you should really watch the movie first), go to Youtube and search “Les Mis do you hear the people sing finale”.

I get chills every time I hear the song. Here’s what Wikipedia says about the book the movie is based on:

Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, focusing on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.^[1]

I haven’t seen any other adaptations but Hugh Jackman was amazing in this movie. He represented God’s grace while Russell Crowe (playing Javert) represented legalism. I think all of the actors and actresses sang really well. Like I said…it was epic.

Lyrics from “Do You Hear the People Sing”

“Enjolras: Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of the people Who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart Echoes the beating of the drums There is a life about to start When tomorrow comes!
Combeferre: Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see?
Courfeyrac: Then join in the fight That will give you the right to be free!”

Read more: LES MISERABLES – DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING LYRICS

The EATS

 So I saw this date night idea on Dating Divas: http://www.thedatingdivas.com/just-the-two-of-us/dinner-and-a-movie-les-miserables/

I didn’t have time to make an invitation etc but I did buy some “French” food.

Menu:

• Soft Cheese from France
• grapes
• roasted duck (pre-made just had to be warmed)
• frog legs
• French Bread
• a box of chocolates

So I found the frog legs at Piggly Wiggly. Chris fried them. He did everything right and they sort of tasted like fried fish. But Chris said it didn’t taste like what he remembered. I had never had frog legs before and I think the very thought of eating a frog made it hard for me to chew. If someone had told me it was fish then I think I could’ve enjoyed it.

I had never had duck before either. I was in a hurry so I got the pre-made stuff (all I could find anyways) at Publix. The orange sauce smelled like Pinesol to me. I think the meat would’ve been just fine had I left the sauce off. So despite disliking the meat, we did fill up on French bread dipped in melted butter with soft cheese spread on top. I wasn’t sure I’d like the cheese but I think I’m addicted now. Chocolates are always right and yes I ate most of them.

Kingdom Chronicles VBS

Michael went to VBS at another Baptist church since they were doing their’s at night. I really liked the theme. Michael learned about the armor of God in a medieval setting. He showed me how to juggle scarves one day. Here’s a pic of the awesome castle set.

Michael learns to play Rummy.

It was such a pleasure to finally be able to teach lil man how to play a “real” card game. “Go Fish” gets boring after awhile. Once he’s mastered Rummy maybe we will go to Mexican Rummy and even Canasta. I was taught card games at an early age and played with both sides of my family. It was such a joy playing Mexican Rummy with my Mom, Granny, Sister, and Aunts.

Canasta was serious at my Dad’s with my Mema and Uncle. It’s such a game of strategy and I think before my Dad became a minister he would gamble with friends. Once Dad got so upset he threw his cards across the table. It’s humorous looking back. The “Way” family never was much for losing. But the “Frye” side (my Mom’s side) always talks trash. I don’t know how many times my Sister and I have threatened each other over cards…though we are sweet as pie any other time. As long as no one takes remarks too seriously then “All is fair in love, war, and _____”(insert any card name in the blank lol). Yes, I taught Michael that phrase. I have to pass down my Daddy’s ummm wisdom. 😉

Winchester  AKA “Chester” gets declawed

I know there is much debate about declawing cats. I’m not opening comments up for that debate. I just wanted to share our personal experience and some of you may be interested in Chester personally since I often talk about our pets on here. They are very much apart of the family.

You may remember that Chester, our black male kitty, has a rage issue and is bipolar. Many things I can put up with….jumping on counters, stealing food, and even scratching the furniture…but scratching my child and then scratching me from my arm to my foot is unacceptable. Chester can be very sweet but he also has an inner tiger/monster. Chris calls him the devil cat. I don’t want any of us to get cat scratch fever and I didn’t want to get rid of Chester. We’ve had him since he was a kitten and I’m pretty sure no one would adopt an aggressive male cat.  So declawing seemed the only option and it wasn’t something we had planned for or budgeted for. We just had to.

Our vet uses laser surgery which is supposed to be more humane and less painful. I think it started that way. You can see from these pics that Chester was doing well. His paws looked fine (compared to pics of other types of declawing). He wasn’t bleeding…no stiches because he was lasered. He was a bit sore but still moving around good.

But then…

He started biting his skin and fur out. Now I think he’s infected or just sore from biting himself. So we had to bring out the cone of shame that he used after he got fixed. We’ve also been helping him to the litter box (now filled with newspaper…loving the smell ugg). Chris washes the kitty’s paws with alcohol and puts Neosporin on the sores. We tried putting sock mittens on his paws so they wouldn’t bleed everywhere and get dirty but he acted like he couldn’t walk with them on. He’s spent all week laying with us on the couch or bed.

The Kitty prefers Chris’ chest as his bed.

I was thinking he was hopeless until just now when he got out of his “socks/mittens” and stole half my cheeseburger off the table.  So we will be contacting the vet probably tomorrow and seeing if they can give the kitty something for pain and check if he has an infection. I hope they don’t charge us since no one said anything about him biting his skin out. We were told that most cats play with their paws right after the laser surgery and are just happy. Mom thinks Chester is searching for his claws…now do I feel guilty.

Good news is that Chester will definitely be with us forever no matter what he does. I am thankful that he can’t attack our face with his claws. I’ll keep you updated on his health. I think the cone of shame will give his paws a chance to heal and hopefully he won’t have the urge to bite them anymore. I really hate having to put that thing on the kitty but it’s for his own good. Meanwhile, Chester is getting lots of treats and affection. In fact, he’s gotten away with a lot too lol.

Oh, please pray for our mouse. Cinderella’s OCD is so bad that she picks herself (reminds me of myself). I found this is common in mice. She overgrooms. Her smell is horrible and that’s weird for a female mouse. She’s so nervous when we hold her that we haven’t in awhile. I put things in her cage for her to play with but she ignores them. At least she plays on her wheel at night. I put medicine on her wounds but she reopens them. I’d give her a new playmate (Snowwhite died) but I’m afraid she’d pick them and the smell would be too unbearable. I’m thinking of getting a baby sock and making her a sweater to keep her from picking her back. I’ll let you know if it works.

Tessa (dog) and Snowball (guinea pig) are just fine. Tessa just needs a Summer shave and the “pig” is sick of carrots and keeps chattering at us. So that’s it for another look into life at the crazy farm.

God bless & remember the High King lives!

~Amber Dover

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Media Saturday: “That’s When I Talk to God” & “The Deadly Device” February 2, 2013

Hello beloved! I hope you’re  weekend is beautiful :). I have two  things to review today. First,  a book called “That’s When I Talk to God”  and the newest Nancy  Drew PC game  “The Deadly Device “. Remember email subscribers to go to my actual blog to see the videos.

#1 That’s When I  Talk to God

I  loved this book about a mother teaching  her daughter to pray. The Mommy  tells the little girl that she  can talk to God anytime not just bedtime  and mealtime. The little  girl discovers all the ways she can talk to  God and all the places/circumstances.  I really think the book helped  Michael because the night after  we read it he prayed and told God that  he hoped God had a good  day. Made my heart leap :).  Here is a great  trailer:

#2  The Deadly Device

I  enjoyed this  Nancy Drew game more than I thought I would. It was  actually neat  to learn about Tesla and electricity.  There were some  really  hard puzzles. There’s even Binary code in this game. Chris had to  help me. I’m so glad he’s a computer dude. Go hubby!  This game  was not  easy and I had to go to the forums at Her Interactive  for help. The  game wasn’t really scary like most of the ND games.  I don’t recommend it  for kids younger than middle school because  it IS a murder mystery. But  there is no cursing and nothing remotely  sexual. Kids and adults alike  will learn some science. If your  kids are learning about electricity  then this may be something  fun to add to their curriculum. I love that  Nancy Drew games teach  while you play. These games are great brain food.

Here’s  the trailer:

God bless & remember  the High King lives! ~Amber Dover