The NIV Adventure Bible

The NIV Adventure Bible is the #1 best selling Bible for kids. This Bible has reached over 10,000,000 families so far! I know our church kids love the occasional full color pages listing important Scriptures and the colorful “Life in Bible Times” features that show what life was like back when the things in the Bible were happening.

The Bible Guide

In addition to the Bible we now have the NIV Adventure Bible Guide. The Guide is the perfect companion to the Bible.  It gives kids the key details of every book of the Bible at their fingertips. With kid-friendly overviews of Genesis through Revelation and full-color infographics, maps, and images, children will strengthen their faith and gain a deeper understanding of the most important story ever told.

 This immersive reference guide gives clear, crisp insights into the Bible book by book, including:

• key details and events that are clearly laid out, in words kids can easily understand
• colorful infographics that include historical information, significant events and details, and important biblical characters
• callouts with fun facts and key takeaways
• maps that help readers understand where each part of the Bible occurred
• images of artifacts and important places that help bring the Bible to life

I brought both the Bible and the Guide to my class of 3rd- 5th grade girls at church on Wednesday night. They all want their own copy of the guide! They said reading the guide helped them understand more of what was happening in their Bible reading. These girls read the entire New Testament over the 3 years they are in my class and they said they would understand more of what they were reading if they had this Guide. I’m going to see what I can do to make that happen.

You can get a copy of the NIV Adventure Bible Guide here. The Guide and the Bible would make a wonderful Easter gift for the child or grandchild in your life.

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Usually my husband watches all the movies I review with me. I value his input and perspective. Unfortunately, he was not at home the night I had to watch the movie so I was watching solo. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this movie but it sounded interesting so I was excited to watch it. I was intrigued by the true story being portrayed through the movie.

The real life events that THE FIRING SQUAD is based on took place in 2015, not even 10 years ago, but I hadn’t heard about it and you probably haven’t either. The bulk of the movie takes place in a prison camp in Indonesia. The warden of the camp, played by Tupua Ainu’u, is a man full of hate and torment-which he takes out daily as he abuses his inmates physically and verbally. The main character, played by James Barrington, is an inmate who suffers a lot of the abuse. During a stint in solitary confinement he has a lifechanging encounter with God. I don’t want to give away to much of the story because you need to go see it. The film’s tagline says all you need to know, “They faced death. And chose life.”

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

THE FIRING SQUAD is an intense, intriguing, powerful movie. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it even more powerful. As an American, it’s difficult to believe how different the justice system is in other parts of the world. I was gripped by the story and the filmmaking from the beginning. I was drawn in by the acting and by seeing a world I know nothing about. By the end of the movie I was in tears, it touched my heart deeply.

My husband came home about 2/3 of the way through the movie. He walked in and I rudely said, “Shhh” as soon as he walked in. I was so engrossed I didn’t want to pause and get him up to speed or hear about the event he was at, all of that could wait til I saw how the movie ended.

This movie is PG-13 but because of the heavy themes, I don’t know if I would have let my sons see it at that age. Parents, you know your kids best, use your judgement. There is no on camera blood or gore. There is talk about drugs as well as verbal and physical abuse. There are lots of guns as well.

The real theme of this movie is the redemptive power of a relationship with Jesus Christ. God is no respecter of persons, anyone can repent, believe, and live for the great Hope of eternity in heaven.

About THE FIRING SQUAD

The movie opens in theaters August 2, 2024. There are many pre-screenings going on now across the country to help get the word out. You can find out about them here. The movie’s website is full of information, including how you can invest in the film. The makers of the movie have set a goal of reaching 1 Million souls for Jesus through this film. Please share this post with your friends. Make plans to see the movie with the unsaved. God is moving and using this movie to touch hearts of stone, do your part and share it!

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Since we have been longtime fans, we were familiar with the big picture of the Smallbone’s story. In UNSUNG HERO, we learned a lot more about the struggles this family faced, why they left Australia, how hard life in America was when they arrived in Nashville, and how they persevered and clung to God through it all.

About UNSUNG HERO

When David Smallbone’s successful music company collapses, he moves his family from Australia to the United States in search of a brighter future. With nothing more than their six children, their suitcases, and their love of music, David (for KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone) and his pregnant wife Helen (Daisy Betts) set out to rebuild their lives from the ground up. Based on a remarkable true story, a mum’s faith stands against all odds; and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

We both enjoyed the movie very much. It feels honest. You get invested in the well-developed characters. The story of a tightknit family going through hard times yet staying together while relying on God and the church community that surrounds them is an important message in this day of disposable marriages.

I have seen every movie that Joel Smallbone has been in and this is his best acting ever. It’s got to be hard to play your own father. When you take on a character, you learn things about that person, real or fictional. As an actor it can be very difficult to play some you know so well because you might learn things about them you later wished you’d never known.

This movie is not about For King + Country the band, it is the story of the Smallbone family and the beginnings of their sister, Rebecca St James’ award-winning music career.

The movie is rated PG and I don’t think kids under the age of 12 would be very interested but you mom and dad should get your tickets now! The movie hits theaters April 26!!!

The Giveaway

Enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card, US residents only. This giveaway closes at 12:00am on 5-3-24. The winner will be chosen and verified and their information will be sent to the sponsor for fulfillment.

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What is a Monkey Caddy?

The Monkey Caddy is a changing table solution to keep everything within arm’s reach. It quickly and easily attaches to your changing table without any tools. There are multiple compartment configurations to meet each individual family’s needs. There are even hooks, exterior pockets, and a slide out shelf to help you change baby with ease.

Safety is so important when changing baby, they can wriggle away so easily! Having a well organized diaper changing station adds to that safety because everything you could possibly need is right at your fingertips. There is no need to turn around or bend over to grab a diaper, wipe, outfit or anything. Eyes and at least 1 hand can remain on baby at all times, keeping them safe.

As you can see in the video above, the Monkey comes beautifully packaged, making it a perfect gift for a new mom or mom-to be. Installation is simple and you can use the compartments however suits you best. The timing on receiving this item is perfect because Theo is just moving to his own room, instead of being in the bassinet in his parent’s bedroom. In their they just had a changing pad on top of a dresser with a basket full of supplies. Now the changing table in his bedroom is all organized.

I’m sure you are wondering how much the Monkey Caddy costs and where you can get one. The baby diaper caddy is available on their website. The cost is $59.00. They also have a link so you can add it right to your Babylist gift registry and that is super convenient.

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I am a HUGE Christmas movie fan. There are always 10-15 of my favorites on my DVR year round. Since this year’s new Christmas movies started airing in October, I have fallen behind as usual and there are currently 24 brand new, not yet watched, Christmas movies on my DVR. One of the reasons this number is so large, other than my very busy October, is for the last 3 years, we have added the Christmas movies from Great American Family to our must-watch list.

If you haven’t watched Great American Family yet, why not? If you are looking for wholesome, God-honoring movies, Great American Family is the place to be. I know what Great American Family stands for and I don’t have to fear that they will sneak in relationships and concepts that we don’t allow in our home.

About A Christmas for the Ages

Prompted by their youngest granddaughter, four generations celebrate family and what Christmas was like in the 40s, 60s, 90s, and present day.

The movie stars Natasha Bure, Anna Ferguson, Kate Craven, and Cheryl Ladd.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I already had this movie scheduled to record this Sunday night and even though we’ve seen it, I’m still going to record it so I can watch it again and again. A Christmas for the Ages isn’t your typical Christmas Rom-Com, it’s a movie about family, traditions, and love.

In all honesty, watching the opening scene I was nervous. The acting seemed stilted and the dialog seemed odd. Thankfully all that improved greatly as the movie went on. I really wish they had gone back and re-shot the opening scene because I feel some people might stop watching in the first few awkward minutes and miss a great story.

This movie centers around 4 generations of one family and how time changes who they are and what roles they play in the family. This is something we can all relate to, change is inevitable and we want to transition from one season to the next with grace, but that isn’t always easy.

If you love a heartfelt Christmas movie, watch A Christmas for the Ages on Great American Family.

The Giveaway

One US based winner will receive a 3 month subscription to Great American Flix. The winner cannot have won a Pure Flix subscription in the last 6 months. The giveaway ends at 12:00am ET on December 6, 2023. The winner will be verified and their email will be forwarded to the sponsor for fulfillment.

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About Journey to Bethlehem

A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown.

This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told—the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it. See JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM in theaters beginning November 10.

The Cast:

• Mary-Fiona Palomo
• Joseph-Milo Manheim
• Herod-Antonio Banderas
• Antipater-Joel Smallbone
• Gabriel-Lecrae
• Melchior-Omid Djalili
• Gaspar-Rizwan Manji
• Bathazar-Geno Sergers
• Deborah-Moriah
• Rebekah-Stephanie Gil

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I want to start by telling you there is artistic license taken with this movie. The biggest being that, we all know the Wise Men didn’t arrive to see Jesus until He was about 2 years old. In this movie they follow the star to His birth. I’ll be honest, this bugged me. The other biggie was that Antipater (Herod’s son) came to see the baby, to arrest them but what he witnessed changed him. He told them to leave Bethlehem. Again, this is not at all what the Bible says happened.

There are comedic elements woven into this holy story. The wise men bring most of the comedy, which works pretty well. It seemed very odd for Gabriel to bring some comedy, that didn’t sit right with Ron at all.

The music in this film is amazing!! You can listen to it now on Spotify. I loved every second of music, the performances were wonderful! I can’t wait to watch it again so I can experience the music and dancing again.

The casting and acting were top notch. Fiona and Milo were wonderful as Mary and Joseph. The bond between Mary and her sisters was very authentic. The characters of Herod and Antipater had such an interesting relationship, it drew you in and made you feel for the position Antipater was in. The Wise Men were a hoot and added levity to a pretty serious story.

If you love musicals and Christmas, get your tickets now to see JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM in theaters beginning November 10th.

You can download coloring sheets, discussion guides, and more here.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card. This giveaway is open to US based readers only. This giveaway ends at 12:00am ET on 11/14/23. The winner will be verified and submitted to the sponsor who will then be responsible for providing the prize to the winner.

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About Miracle in East Texas

Inspired by one of the most improbable true stories ever, this is the entertaining tale of two aging con men at the dawn of the Great Depression and the biggest oil strike in the history of the world.

Irving Tanner, Jr. (Lou Gossett, Jr.) recounts the 1930 legend. Times are hard when the unluckiest wildcatter in the world, Dad Everett (John Ratzenberger), teams up with Doc Boyd (Kevin Sorbo), a charming snake oil salesman. Together they convince several new widows (Sam Sorbo, Paula Boudreau, and others) to invest in their worthless oil wells.

Then, the unthinkable happens! Now our two Casanovas faced with a challenge: declare another dry hole for a clean escape, or bring the well in like genuine oil men and likely spend the rest of their lives in jail?

Meanwhile, some of their investors are angry and fixing to do something about it. And one of them is truly a “mountain” of a man (Tyler Mane).

What happens next? Doc preaches, the Good Lord teaches, and a judge reaches a surprising conclusion. The mostly true story will make you laugh, shed a tear, and give you pride in the God-blessed American way.

Sorbo Studios

This movie is produced by Sorbo Studios. Miracle in East Texas is directed by Kevin Sorbo. It stars Kevin Sorbo, John Ratzenberger, Lou Gossett Jr., Tyler Mane, Sam Sorbo, and Braeden Sorbo.

Miracle in East Texas is only in theaters THIS WEEKEND October 29-30, 2023 so get your tickets NOW!

Who Should See Miracle in East Texas

If you are a US history buff, homeschool family studying American History, someone who enjoys uplifting entertainment or a lover of movies based on true stories, then this film is for you.

Homeschoolers, you can download free curricula for the movie here. There is also a discussion guide available here.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

You know I am always honest in my reviews…I dozed off several times during this movie. While the underlying message of redemption and God’s provision is there and the acting is good, the story is slow and very repetitive.

The first part of the movie is Dad and Doc pulling the same scam over and over again on different widows, it felt like seeing this twice would have gotten the point across without boring the viewer.

We enjoyed the ending and seeing how God showed up for His people, I’m all for a happy ending-even in an historical piece. It is an important story from American history that needs to be told, one I wasn’t aware of, as a homeschool mom who taught a lot of American history, I enjoyed learning something new!

Make plans to go see this movie this weekend. You will learn some American history and see a story about hope, redemption, forgiveness and God’s provision.

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Birthright Outlaw takes place in 1890 in the Arizona Territory. The story centers around Jeremiah (Lucas Black) and Martha Jacobs (Sarah Drew) and their teenage daughter, Hope (Olivia Sanabia). They live in Last Chance, Arizona where Jeremiah serves as the small town’s pastor. This tight-knit, respectable family face the unimaginable trial of their daughter being kidnapped.

After the kidnapping, Martha shares some secrets she has been keeping from her husband. These secrets point to the life she lived before she met and married Jeremiah. These revelations cause Jeremiah to question everything he ever believed about their relationship. Nevertheless, they must focus on their daughter. With little help from the local sheriff, Jeremiah and Martha set off to try to find and rescue Hope. As they trek through the desert, more of Martha’s story is revealed.

I will not reveal any spoilers of what happens but I will say that this movie is well written and very well acted. It focuses on themes of redemption, God’s unconditional love, leaving a legacy, and new beginnings. It is a faith filled western that makes you wonder what you would do if you were in Jeremiah’s shoes.

Watch Birthright Outlaw exclusively on Pure Flix starting October 13th!

It is a western so there is a large amount of shooting. People are shot, some die. It is all handled well and I feel this movie is acceptable for anyone over age 12 due to the violence.

Birthright Outlaw Great American Pure Flix Giveaway

I am giving away a 3 month trial streaming membership to Great American Pure Flix. This giveaway is open to US residents only who have not won a trial subscription in the last 6 months. The giveaway ends 12:00am 10-21-23. The winner will be notified by the giveaway sponsor.

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“Divine Influencer” is such a timely movie as the world of social media expands at a rapid pace. The
message of this film is a reflection on how easy it is to live for the likes, the shares and the comments
instead of living our lives for God or to serve others.

About Divine Influencer

Olivia, a 29 year old social media influencer, is the social media face of a store. She is all about the likes, shares, and going viral. She accidentally posts a video of her bashing the store owner and a product they carry which causes her to lose her job. She realizes she has no money, no more perks of being an influencer, and no purpose in life. Her parents then throw her another curveball by cutting her off financially (one they should have thrown a few years earlier in my opinion) and Olivia is suddenly, broke and homeless and oh so very lost.

The rest of the film is about Olivia learning who she is and what God created her for. Olivia is not perfect, she makes many mistakes along her way. God’s grace is sufficient and she grows and changes throughout the film.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

We thoroughly enjoyed “Divine Influencer”. The script was well thought out. The acting was top notch. The characters had good chemistry. You could feel the emotions portrayed on the screen.

This isn’t a cheesy Christian movie. Olivia has to work through her issues, they don’t magically disappear. She works hard, initially for the wrong reasons, but it is the first real work she’s ever done. I love a movie when I can watch a character grown, learn, and become more of who God called them to be. That is what “Divine Influencer” is all about. “Divine Influencer” is a movie about humility, the power of prayer and trusting God to show us the direction for our lives.

You can stream “Divine Influencer” on Pure Flix beginning September 15th. Don’t have Pure Flix yet? Enter my giveaway to win a 3 month trial subscription!

Giveaway

You can only watch “Divine Influencer” on Pure Flix. If you don’t have a streaming subscription yet, enter to win a 3 month trial subscription! The giveaway ends at 12:00am on Saturday, September 23, 2023 it is open to US residents only who have not won a trial subscription in the last 6 months.

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As Ron and I watched this film, we were drawn in. The Hiding Place script was written and performed on a stage as a play and directed both for theater and for film. That is a very unique way to do things. The set was simple but very effective. The acting was superb. The story is a difficult one to tell and some of it parallels the times we are living in now, which makes it more relevant.

The Hiding Place Synopsis

In the Netherlands, Corrie Ten Boom and her family risk everything to hide Jewish refugees by the hundreds and ultimately face the consequences when they are discovered.

It’s World War II. Darkness has fallen over Europe, and the boots of the Third Reich echo through the streets. But on a quiet city corner in the Netherlands, some choose to resist. Corrie Ten Boom and her family risk everything to hide Jewish refugees by the hundreds, and they ultimately face the consequences when they are discovered.

The Hiding Place is their story—a story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness in the face of un-thinkable evil.
This powerful cinematic presentation was adapted for the stage by A. S. Peterson, directed for the stage by Matt Logan, and filmed for cinema audiences in Nashville, Tennessee.

Unfortunately I’m not able to embed the movie trailer, but you can click this link to see it. https://youtu.be/rRjdKfnF18o

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

Everyone ages 12+ should go see this film. You can experience the incredible true story of Corrie Ten Boom in this beautiful new global cinema event, coming to theaters on August 3 & 5 only! Find a theater near you and get tickets here. You’ll be moved by the cinematic experience of this unique theatrical show, which highlights the strength of the Jewish & Christian faiths even during great suffering.

The Giveaway

One blessed US reader will receive a $10 Amazon gift card! The giveaway ends at 12:00am on 8-11-23.

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