Courageous (2011) - Official Trailer [HD]

As promised, here is the trailer for the movie 'Courageous.' Gentlemen: I encourage you to go and see it...either by yourself (some soul-searching time!) or...take as many male friends along with you as you can, legally, stuff into your vehicle!



Click here and enter your zip code, in the top left next to "showtimes for...;" click "Go" and look for the nearest theater to go watch this movie.

Hope you enjoy!

Casting Crowns - Courageous [Official Music Video - HD]

Speaking about Mark Hall and Casting Crowns (just below this posting), here is the song that Mark wrote. Mark Hall is not only a very talented songwriter and Lead Singer of his own band BUT...he is an AMAZING Youth Pastor and...wants to impart a very important message to ALL MEN the WORLD over...

I am including an interview where Mark tells about where the song came out of. The Dude is RIGHT ON with his message!



I hope you enjoy! (since I like to include the lyrics - and they're very good and amazing ones, not to be ignored - I will do a separate post for the movie. I'll try to remember to do that, later, tonight! :-D



Lyrics:

We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous

We were warriors on the front lines
Standing, unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away

Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord

We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous

This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall

We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise

We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous

Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God

In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand

In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand

We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous

We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous

Casting Crowns - Mark Hall's Testimony - 1 of 2

These videos are of one of my most favorite singers - Mark Hall - of Casting Crowns (an example of one of his songs is just below this posting). Not only is he one of the BEST singers I have ever heard but...I have also discovered that he is WAY FUNNY!

Sure hope you enjoy! :-D



and...

While You Were Sleeping By Casting Crowns

Merry Christmas, one and ALL! Hoping you'll have a wonderful day with loved ones remembering the Reason for the Season. :-D

O Come, O Come Emmanuel by Selah

Lyrics:

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Kindle Fire (Updated a couple of times)

OK. I'm just about beside myself, tonight: I received (2) monetary gifts, for Christmas, that allowed me to purchase a Kindle Fire, and...I just finished placing the order and...am about to BURST, from excitement, waiting for it!!!! "Why?" you ask? 'Cuz I do a lot of moving around and I'm not terribly fond of lugging my laptop around w/me, and regretting when I haven't; and...I got a taste of what a Smartphone could do, with my Samsung Intercept but...ended up having to back off of my data plan. Fortunately, I am still able to use it, wherever I have access to WIFI so...not a complete loss! I had only been wishing that the screen was bigger and, yeah, sure...wouldn't it be nice to be able to have access to the Kindle books, that I have already accumulated, while waiting somewhere? So...I think that this will be a wonderful alternative to the iPad, allowing me to: 1) access the web; 2) check e-mail; 3) read books on the go; and 4) watch movies and listen to music! COOL! And...the screen is much bigger than my Samsung Intercept so...that's another plus, as well! :-D

UPDATE: I STILL can't believe it: I decided to order it "slow mo," so that I wouldn't see it, until January 3rd, so that I wouldn't have to pay the pesky shipping and...the very next day, I receive an e-mail saying that the thing has shipped and...that it would be here, Friday!!! And...d'ya know what? Before I could even roll out of bed, Friday, it had been DELIVERED!!!!!!!!!

I'm showing MUCH RESTRAINT: I'm holding off opening it...until everyone else opens their Christmas pressies, tonight! This may be the BEST Christmas pressie I have ever gotten! I'll let you know, after I check it out! :-D

Up-to-the-minute update: I don't remember the last time I had this much fun w/a gadget! EVERYTHING IS HERE!! Onboard ONE Mothership! COOL!! :-D OK so...WIFI can be a little slow, at times, but...even with that being a [minor] hindrance to me (I don't play video games er nuttin' where a lot of processing is needed!), I watched an entire Amazon-streamed HD documentary on Steve Jobs (very good; warmly recommended! :-) without even ONE hiccup so...I am HAPPY! :-D And...yes...I can see where some sort of 'G' value would be nice...on some future build...but...I'm pretty impressed with what this thing is capable of doing, for it's price range! And...I don't have to dump a bunch of money into keeping any 3-5G running so...that is also a bonus, at this time in my life! So...if you're looking for a less expensive version of what most people get online for and...let's not forget the Kindle's beginnings...as a dedicated e-reader...the Kindle Fire is wonderful! :-D

If Mary and Joseph Used Facebook

This is such a hoot! Imagine! Pretty imaginative. :0)

What to Get Your Girl for Christmas

With just one weekend left, before Christmas, for gift-buying, it seemed that the time was ripe to offer some suggestions, for those who aren’t terribly fond of this task. There are several factors to consider, before heading out or going online to find that special someone the “perfect” gift:

Budget – First off, don’t break the bank trying to give her something that says that you love and know her; nobody will feel good about such a purchase! See what you, realistically, can afford and are comfortable spending and set that as your limit.

Gift Ideas – Have you got some sort of idea of what your special lady might be wishing for? If not, have you asked her? Does she like to give you a list or…have you tried to figure it out, on your own? The latter is what many girls/women prefer; it “says” that you made an effort to give her something that you know she would be pleased to receive!

Oftentimes, the items she points out, while you’re out on the town, or shares with you, whenever you’re together, would be good indicators of things that she enjoys and will give you plenty of ideas to choose from. Mostly, it is how well you have paid attention, during the times that she has shared, that show her how well you really know her and what she really likes, when it comes to gift-giving; so…make your best efforts to always be listening, attentively, and…take notes.

Surprises or Not – Does your special someone enjoy surprise gifts or does she prefer to have chosen an item, herself? This is quite important because…if the item that you give her, as a surprise, isn’t quite what she had hoped for, it’s almost a guarantee that it won’t be used! It’s difficult to buy the “perfect” gift, if you don’t know her tastes very well. Some of the categories that this might be the case in could be jewelry, perfume, handbags, electronic gadgets, or clothes… just to name a few.

What Type of Gift – Some girls like jewelry and perfume but you’d be surprised to discover how practical your girl might be. Again…it’s a matter of knowing her tastes and how particular she is about gifts. For instance, she may like kitchen gadgets or need some new string bikinis but…don’t let either be a Christmas gift…especially not the latter, at an extended family gathering! Surprise her with one of these types of gifts, that she has been either needing or wanting, some other time of the year; you’ll earn Brownie Points for having remembered and given it, then!

Has it been a hectic year and you, both, could use a break? Why not give her the gift of a mini-vacation, the week between Christmas and New Years when many get the week off. Oftentimes, just a couple of nights away can be enough time. Preparing for Christmas can be a very taxing time and a little rejuvenating alone time, with you, might be the best gift you could ever give her! Take her to a place that she has mentioned wanting to visit. Make sure to check her availability, first, before booking the trip, of course! A casual question of “So…what are we doing, after Christmas?” and “Just curious.” can be a good way to get beyond further questioning and ruining the Christmas surprise!

A Time and a Place – As mentioned, above, getting your girl her favorite string bikini underwear to open in front of an extended family gathering is not an ideal setting, so…choose the best time and place to offer your special gifts. Christmastime is also a time when many like to propose to their girl. As special of a time as it is, be sensitive to the fact that it is a very personal decision and choose a special, private spot that won’t be the kitchen or living room of a family gathering. Choose a setting that becomes the backdrop to one of the most memorable days in both of your lives. There will be time to share the happy news, later…whenever your proposal has been accepted!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season filled with happy memories that you helped create, partly, with your thoughtful, special gift(s)!

Sugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky - Glass Harp LIVE (HD)

AMAZING!! Wondering how long that takes to learn! Hope you enjoy! :-D

Jewel - Down So Long (Video)

Jewel is being talked about, on Eolake's Blog. I've always thought she had a pretty voice and, duh...don't need to tell a dude that she's pretty, etc. There are comments, re: this being a "country" song, below this YouTube link. Really?! Doesn't much sound like it, to me! And...I'll have to admit: even I think seeing a chick playing a guitar is sexy! I tried it, awhile back, but I don't much enjoy my fingertips feeling like they're bleeding at the end of every session! And...I just don't have the patience, nor the reach for it, so...I gave it up! No worries! I still LOVE to watch others make music and...I think Jewel's vid and song, here, are really nice.

Hope you enjoy!

Lyrics:

Sun sets' cross the ocean
I'm a thousand miles from anywhere
My pocketbook and my heart both just got stolen
And the sun acts like she don't even care
The wind blows cold when you reach the top
It feels like someone's face is stuck to the bottom of my shoe
I got a plastic Jesus, a cordless telephone for every corner of my room
Got everybody but you telling me what to do
But I've been down so long
Ooh, it can't be longer still
I've been down so long
that the end must be drawing near
I look to everybody but me to answer my prayers
'Til I saw an angel in a bathroom who said she saw no one worth saving anywhere
And a blind man on the corner said it's simple, like flipping a coin
Don't mater what side it lands on if it's someone else's dime
But I've been down so long
Ooh, it can't be longer still
We've been down so long
That the end must be drawing near
I take a trip, I catch a train, I catch a plane
I got a ticket in my hand
And then a fat man takes my money
And like cattle we all stand
But we've been down so long
Ooh, it can't be longer still
We've been down so long
The end must be . . .
I know the end must be. . .
Oh, I know the end must be drawing near
Oh the end. . .
Oh the end. . .
Oh the end. . .

Baby Bowen Overcomes a Heart Defect

LOVE this WONDERFUL song! It was written for this artist's, Matt Hammitt's, little boy but...it's also about our relationship with God: do we turn our lives over to Him and let Him Lead and Guide us, trusting that He [of course] Knows what's best for us or...are we going to CHOOSE to live our lives as we see fit...NOT knowing the whole picture as intricately as God does! It says, in the Bible, in Psalm 139, verse 16: "Your eyes did see my substance, being yet unformed; and in your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." Isn't that BEAUTIFUL?! We've got Someone Who Created us AND Knows EVERYTHING there is to know about us! So...the DECISION is ALWAYS: "are we going to TRUST and OBEY Christ OR...are we going to go on our own path...which usually ends up creating much greater PAIN than had we gone God's Direction!

I think this song could also be used...to tell someone of your love for them; that you always plan to be with them...no matter what! And...the most beautiful place I could see it being used, of course, would be for a wedding song.

I hope you enjoy!



And...here is the vid that brought on this BEAUTIFUL song! Get out the Kleenex!

Tenth Avenue North - Deck The Halls (Official Music Video)

I just can't stop watching/listening to this vid! I LOVE the "jazzy" of it! So nice to get another version that isn't the "same old!" Mike, the Lead Singer, is so cute (and a real Philosopher, as well! :-) and has a great voice! LOVE this band! Hope you enjoy!



*Here's an older interview of Mike: Too funny, his Cosby impression! Pretty good! :-D

And...here's just a sampling of the wonderful "meditations" that Mike shares:



Often, he writes such profound Tweets, as well!

Casper the bathing pooch! :-D

I just couldn't help myself; this vid just, um, "BEGS" to be posted! lol! Never have I seen a more "compliant" dog bather! :-D Hope it brings a smile to your face, as well! :-D