Resolved: Freedom and Independence

      "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof:" ~Leviticus 25:10
   Fireworks, picnics, a long weekend, red, white, and blue pride. 
   These are a few things that the people in the United States have come to see the 4th of July as. I am one of those people. To me, 4th of July was about getting to see fireworks and spending the weekend in different states with my best friend. In 2014 I watched the fireworks in Washington D.C. and 2015 I watched them at a concert in Tennessee. This year I was going to watch fireworks in Flordia, but now it's Tennessee.
   Watching fireworks is not the most important thing to me this year, though. The phrase "Let freedom ring" has been in my head for a couple of days, so I started doing some research. 

   Documents, ideas, team work, and a bell all play a part in the reason America gets to celebrate the 4th of July today.

   In 1776 there was a meeting in the Pennsylvania State House to discuss the thirteen colonies freedom from England. A man from Virginia named Richard Henry Lee came up with a resalution and said: "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown,an that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved," (The History of the 4th of July). 

   Richard Henry Lee's words resulted in John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson to write and sign the Decloration of Independence. It took time to write the Decloration of Independence, and to proof read it. Therefore, the Decoration of Independence was not finished until July 4th, 1776. 

   It is said that the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was used to gather the people for the very first public reading of the Decleration of Independence on July 8, 1776. However some historians doubt that the Liberty Bell actually rang when the Decloration of Independence was read because the steeple of the bell was in really bad condition by 1776. It's possible that the Liberty Bell is associated with the reading of the Decleration of Independence because a man named George Lippard wrote a fictional story that told of a man waiting to hear that congress had declared independence so he could ring the bell. This story was published in The Saturday Currier in 1847, (The Liberty Bell).

   Freedom was hard to achieve for the men (and women) who sat out to have religous and other freedoms. Freedom is still hard today because there is always someone who disagrees about how things are being run. So, on this 4th of July take a moment to appreciate all that our forefathers had to go through to get us where we are today, and about all the men and women who are away from home keeping us safe and free. Be thankful for your freedom, don't just enjoy "the show." Thank you to our soldiers! And happy 4th of July everyone!

   "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof:" ~Leviticus 25:10

See you soon Cinderella (Chapter One)

 "She is clothed with strength and dignity;
   she can laugh at the days to come."
        ~Proverbs 31:25 

                                  

Cinderella is one of the most popular Disney Princesses there has been. The story of Cinderella was taken from Charles Perrault and his story Cendrillon (1697). But, Cinderella has been around longer than that. The first written record of Cinderella was in 7 BC! Cinderella has also been in Pentamerone (1634), Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812), and many others. Cinderella is also known in many different countries. She may have a different name in these countries, but her story is the same.
The first Disney movie of Cinderella came out on March 4th, 1950. After Cinderella two more movies followed. Cinderella II: Dreams Come True came out on February 26th, 2002 and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time came out on February 14th, 2008. These are not the only Cinderella movies however. thirty-seven movies have been released with the Cinderella theme, but there are countless movies that might not follow a girl loosing her shoe, but does follow a girl who patiently waits for her freedom to come. The most recent Cinderella movie is Disney's new live-action movie Cinderella (2015).
Plus, let's not forget the Broadway show of Cinderella. Then there are hundreds of books based on Cinderella and her story! I'm reading The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson right now and it is a great book. Then there is the dating book that has started all of my Cinderella research, The Cinderella Rule: A Young Woman's Guide To Happily Ever After by Bethany Jett.
So why am I bringing all of this up again? Because I have realized that my Cinderella posts are going to take longer than I thought. Why have I named this post "See you soon Cinderella"? Because I am going to be writing about a handful of the Cinderella themed movies, The Disney Cinderella movies themselves, and the two books I have listed in this post. All of this started out as a simple idea to share about a Christian dating book and one of the most loving Disney Princesses. But it has turned into a series based on Cinderella and each post is like a chapter in a book that has the best ending. In the ending we will finally get to meet Cinderella.
So before I end this post, here are some fun facts about Cinderella and Disney amusement parks. Cinderella's castle is the main castle at Magic Kingdom and opened on October 1st, 1971 (just 21 years after the movie). Cinderella's castle is the main castle at Tokyo Disneyland and opened on April 15th, 1983 (just 33 years after the movie). Disneyland Paris has a restaurant based off of Cinderella and it is called L'Auberge de Cendrillon. It opened on April 12th, 1992 (42 years after the movie). Magic Kingdom opened a ride on October 1st, 1971 that is Cinderella and Prince Charming's Carrousel. Tokyo Disneyland opened the same ride on April 15h, 1983. Finally, Hon Kong Disneyland opened the same ride on September 12th, 2005.

Other Women of the Bible- part 5

 

Jeroboam's Wife: (1 Kings 14:1-18) Probably worshiped other gods like her husband did. She tried to deceive a Prophet by disguising herself. She received the news that the kingdom would be taken away from her family and that when she went back home her son would die for the evil she and her husband had committed. I believe she was heartbroken about her son and she realized that God was in control. Unfortunately, she had to be completely broken.

The Prophet's Widow: (2 Kings 4:1-7) I don't think she doubted God. I think she knew God sent Elisha right when she needed Him to and her sons were saved!

Naaman's maidservant: (2 Kings 5:2-3) This unnamed girl was a great example of being a light in everyday life! She knew of Elisha and she helped Naaman to head in the right direction to be healed! Everyone can take away the lesson that God can and will use you in everyday life!

Huldah: (2 Kings 22:14-20) There are three important aspects to her character here. She was bold. She didn't sugarcoat God's Word. She offered hope and a sign of renewal. We can learn to be bold when speaking about God from her! (Source: Extraordinary Women of the Bible Lessons to guide Your Life.)

Vashti: (Esther 1:9-22) Vashti was having her own party as her husband had a  party too. She disobeyed the king and got replaced as Queen. I think what a person can lean from her is to think before you speak and seek wise conceal.

Job's Wife: (Job 2:9-10) She didn't build Job up. She actually told Job to curse God so that Job would die! I think she is a great example of what hopelessness looks like.

Job's Daughters: (Job 42:13-15) It was unusual for them to get an inheritance and their names were meant to mean the most beautiful things.

The Daughters of Jerusalem:(Song of Solomon) They symbolized people who work hard. They also symbolize someone who listens to godly advice and know that they are loved by God.

My Proverbs 3 Women of the Bible series and my Other Women of the Bible series will continue into the New Testament and I am really looking forward to studying these women and writing about their legacies! ~Brandi

Other Women of the Bible- part 1

 

Okay, so I've been doing a "Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible" series. I started thinking we could learn something from all of the women in the Bible. So here is another branch in the "Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible" series called "Other Women of the Bible". We will be looking at all the other women who I didn't put as a Proverbs 31 Woman. Some of these women are good role models and others are not, but we can learn something from them all.

Eve: She was first woman. God made her from the dirt and with one of Adam's ribs. She got to enjoy the Garden of Eden and talking to God. She got to see a time when there was nothing but peace in the world. She made a mistake and sinned by eating fruit from a tree God told her not to eat from. As a result, she and Adam had to leave the garden and live a hard life. She knew how perfect the world was before sin and she had to watch the world become a sinful place. Nonetheless, she was a big part of history! (Genesis chapter two.)

 Lot's Disobedient Wife: Lot and his wife traveled with Abraham and Sarah. Lot picked the land of Sodom and Gomorrah to live because it was the best land. But this land was filled with a lot of sin. God spared Lot and his family. But Lot's wife loved the place where she lived, a place filled with sin, so much that she disobeyed God and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's wife loved the world more than God.

Keturah: She was the second wife of Abraham and she had six sons with him. At times Keturah probably felt like she could never be good enough. She did have some big shoes to fill after Sarah. But Abraham loved her too.

Leah: She was Rachel's older sister. She obeyed her father and married Jacob. What was her reward for this? She lived her whole life knowing that her husband loved her younger sister more than her. I can't imagine how that felt! God blessed her though by giving her children. Out of her children came the Israelites line of Priests and the family tree of Jesus Christ.  It's quite obvious God showed Leach how much He loved her!

Rachel: She found her true love in Jacob. But she had to watch as her sister married him first. When she finally married Jacob, she had to split her time with him with her sister for the rest of her life. Then Rachel found out that she could not have children, but her sister could. It had to be hard on Rachel to watch her husband with another woman and seeing her sister's children when she couldn't have any herself. But instead of relying on God she got competitive and caused more fighting with her sister. She played a big role in history and was blessed with two sons of her own.

Bilhah and Zilpah: These two women were the servants of Leah and Rachel. I can not imagine how these women felt when they were giving to Jacob as "wives" just to produce babies! Yes, they were taking care of but it was still probably very hard on them knowing that their children, in the eyes of society, belonged to someone else. I do admire them for willingly doing what Leah and Rachel told them to do and having hearts like a servant. God rewarded them by allowing their children to be a part of Israel's heritage.

Dinah: She was Jacob's daughter. Leah was her mother. Not much is said about her. But the Bible does tell us that she was raped by the prince of the town her family was staying in. The result of this was that her brothers killed all the men in the town. Dinah had to live with what happened to her and probably would not find a husband because of this. I wonder what Dinah was thinking going out by herself. Had she grown up a tomb-boy because of her twelve brothers? Did she think she could take care of herself because, maybe, her brothers had taught her a little self-defense? Ether way, Dinah became a silent victim.

Tamar: She was Judah's daughter-in-law. Her husband sinned and died. Keeping to the law, her brother-in-law married her. But he sins and died. Now Judah did not want to give his other son in marriage for fear of death. But he wouldn't help Tamar by arranging for her to marry someone else. Tamar didn't rely on God and took matters into her own hands and tricked Judah. She kept the family line alive, but we can learn that if God has a plan HE will see it finished. We just need to have faith and not try to fix it ourselves.

Potiphar's Wife: This woman probably had everything money could buy. After all, her husband worked for Pharaoh in a very high position. But maybe she didn't feel loved and cherished. Maybe her marriage was having problems. Potiphar could have been working long hours and not being there for his wife like he should have been. Ether way, what Potiphar's Wife did was not the way to handle things! She found Joseph attractive and she tried to get him to sleep with her. Had she tried this before with other servants? We don't know. But the Bible does tell us that Joesph said no. I believe the lesson we can learn is that no marriage will have a chance of truly being happy without God in the center of it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    "My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold. My wages better than sterling silver." ~Proverbs 8:19 (NIV)

   First of all let me say HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! I hope everyone has had a great day and remembered to wear green! Now have you ever wondered why St. Patrick's day was started? I know I have! So I did a little research and here is what I found out.
  St. Patrick was from Britain and he grew up in a religious family but had no religion of his own. He was taken by Irish pirates when he was sixteen. He was forced to herd sheep for six years and during that time he really started talking to God and growing in a personal relationship with God. One night he fled from his owner and 250 miles away from where he was a salve he found a ship. It took awhile, but he convinced the owner of the ship to let him travel with them.
  They traveled on foot for twenty something days and St. Patrick worked as a preacher in their small group and it is said that all the people with him became Christians. He finally returned to his family in his early twenties and continued to grow in his relationship with God. He later went back to Ireland and was a missionary there in a time where the place was filled with Druids and Pagans. There are legends that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland, because there are no snakes to this day. He used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to people when he was witnessing to them.
  So years later we celebrate St. Patrick's day on the day of St. Patrick's death. No one knows for sure how he died , but of course there are a couple of tales. The Irish also celebrate their heritage on this day (maybe that's why we wear green). Many church's celebrate St. Patrick's day because it is a milestone in Christian history. The main places that celebrate it though are places in Europe.
  So there are my findings about St. Patrick's day.

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.