Courage & Kindness (the new Cinderella movie)

    

    "Always be courageous and kind." ~mother to Ella.

   "I forgive you." ~Cinderella to her step-mother.

So, yesterday my friend and I went to see the new Disney Cinderella movie. I'll admit I was a little worried I wouldn't like it. I was't a big fan of Maleficent because I felt it changed to much and I was afraid this movie would do the same.

I was wrong. The movie was VERY close to the original Cinderella movie and it was just wonderful. But that's not what I want to write about. I want to write about Cinderella and the step-mother (I'm not going to use the word evil here even though she did do some pretty nasty things.)

Cinderella was the girl all of us grew up with and loved. Kind and compassionate, and being the perfect example of a gentile spirit. The step-mother was just like we remembered, only a little more determined. So why do I want to write about these two characters and not the love between Cinderella and the prince? Simple. Cinderella and the step-mother are two perfect examples of how people choose to act in tough circumstances.

Let's start with the step-mother. In the movie she tells Cinderella she fell madly in love with her first husband and had two beautiful girls. Then her husband died and she was devastated. She married a second time, Cinderella's father, for the well being of her girls but that husband died too. So now she was left alone, having to provide for her two girls on her own, and she would never get a happily ever after. The step-mother can represent someone who has some major storms in her life and instead of turning to God for help, she becomes a bitter person to the very end.

Now let's discuss Cinderella. She's a young girl who's happy and life is good. Then tragedy strikes and she losses her mother. Instead of becoming bitter she continues to be kind. Her step-sisters talk bad about her but she still shows them compassion, her father dies and her step-mother makes her a servant girl in her own house! I don't know about you, but by this point I would be a very bitter and mean person. Cinderella is still kind, and let's be honest, it takes her great courage to get up every morning and be kind with all that has happened to her. Cinderella can represent someone who has major storms in her life, but she clings to God and still shines for Him!

The one thing that I think really got me in this movie was when Cinderella looks at her step-mother and tells her she forgave her. The step-mother didn't ask for it, Cinderella just gave it freely. Now I'm not saying Cinderella is Jesus, but how many times a day does Jesus look at us and says "I forgive you." when we don't ask for it? 

I believe this movie is amazing and has many lessons that everyone can learn. I love the classic Cinderella, but this one really makes you see why the storms of life can't take your light for God away and how they can't last forever because God won't let them. You need to only cling to Him!

Movie review: Pompeii

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ~Micah 6:8 (NIV)

 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: "Set in 79 A.D., this is the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him." *****

   So my friends and I went for a girls night out on Friday and we went and saw the movie Pompeii. Now to be honest, at first I really did not want to see this movie. I was expecting a lot of cussing, sex scenes, and mutilated killings. I agreed to this though because I just wanted to hang out with the girls and have a good time. Well, I was in for quite a surprise!

   The movie started with soldiers wiping out an entire village. But there wasn't much blood unless it was on the sword and the bodies were not too mutilated. As the movie went on there were plenty of fighting scenes, but they were not too bloody at all! Next, the costumes did not reveal too much on the girls or guys and there were no sex scenes in this movie! Finally, I only heard one cuss word towards the end of the movie!

   The movie kept accurate detail of who the people in the village that got wiped out were, how the gladiators were treated, and how the people of Pompeii died. I actually saw some forms of treatment that I had learned about in Sociology that day. For example, the fact that they would put gladiators who are suppose to fight each other in the same cell so they are forced to somewhat get to know each other.

  Naturally I was curious after the movie ended, so when I got home I did some research. Archeologist have found writings on walls of the destroyed buildings in Pompeii that said "Sodom Gomorrah". So the people of Pompeii saw what happened to them as what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:1-29. Also, the day that Pompeii was destroyed was on the ninth anniversary that emperor Nero destroyed the Jewish temple. From studies we know that Pompeii was a very disturbed community. This is my little history lesson on Pompeii.

  So all in all I give this movie five stars. It was clean and educational. Anyone who enjoys history, a good love story, or just a good movie, I highly recommend going and seeing Pompeii.