My Top 6 TV Shows!

1) Justified--My favorite show right now. The fourth season starts this week.  Timothy Olyphant does an incredible job as Marshal Raylan Givens.

2) The Middle--This is a show that the kids and I watch together.  It is hilarious.  In my opinion, it is the funniest family comedy show, maybe ever.  Brick is my favorite, although I love everyone else too.

3) The Good Wife--Julianna Margulies does a wonderful job and the whole show is great.

4) Grey's Anatomy--This has been a favorite of mine for a long time.  This is the last season and every year I describe it as "free therapy".

5) Southland--This is a great cop show.

6) The Office--One of the best comedies ever.  I have re-watched old episodes many times.

2012 Book List!

Since I'd like to start blogging again, I thought I'd start off with my 2012 list.  I re-read quite a few books from my favorite Stephanie Plum series, but overall, still read quite a few books this past year.

2012 Book List!
1) Heart Cries (Prayers of Biblical Women)--Marylou Carney
2) Words Kids Need to Hear--David Staal
3) The Devil Came on Horseback (Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur)--Brian Steidle
4) One for the Money--Janet Evanovich
5) Kisses from Katie--Katie Davis
6) Respectful Kids--Dr. Todd Cartmell
7) Reagan in His Own Voice--Skinner & Anderson
8) Between 2 Worlds: My Life & Captivity in Iran--Roxana Saberi
9) Power, Money & Sex (How success almost ruined my life)--Deion Sanders
10) No Place Safe--Kim Reid
11) Not Lost Forever--Carmina Salcido & Jackson
12) James--Beth Moore
13) Woman, Thou Art Loosed--T.D. Jakes
14) Encourage Me--Charles Swindoll
15) Decision Points--President George W. Bush
16) Calm My Anxious Heart--Linda Dillow
17) Still Growing--Kirk Cameron
18) Mother Theresa--Sam Wellman
19) Bitter Harvest--Ann Rule
20) Two for the Dough--Janet Evanovich
21) Three to get Deadly--Janet Evanovich
22) Four to Score--Janet Evanovich
23) Running for my Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games--Lopez Lomong
24) Jane Austen's Little Advice Book--Michon & Norris
25) A Different Kind of Christmas--Alex Haley
26) Liberty & Tyranny--Mark Levin
27) Terror by Night--Terry Caffey
28) High Five--Janet Evanovich
29) Hot Six--Janet Evanovich
30) Seven Up--Janet Evanovich
31) Hard Eight--Janet Evanovich
32) The Attributes of God--A.W. Tozer
33) The Help--Kathryn Stockett
34) To The Nines--Janet Evanovich
35) Ten Big Ones--Janet Evanovich

If I had to pick a favorite from the year, I would say it would be Kisses from Katie.  She is a young, amazing woman of God who is making a huge difference in Uganda.  I will probably do a post on her, her book, her blog and her ministry.

My other favorites were The Devil Came on Horseback, Between 2 Worlds, Running for My Life and The Help.  I am definitely going to do a post on the book and the movie, The Help.

I am looking forward to reading in 2013.

Previously:
2011 Book List
2010 Book List
2008 Book List

A Movie Review of Lincoln!

Lincoln is a history lovers dream.

The movie is like a docudrama.  It takes 2 1/2 hours to show how the 13th Amendment was passed.  It was fascinating to me how Lincoln worked his charm to persuade 20 Democrat Senators to vote for an amendment that would finally give the slaves their freedom.

Daniel Day-Lewis does an incredible job of portraying Lincoln, there is talk of him getting an academy award for his portrayal, and I definitely think he should.

He showed Lincoln to be the man I always envisioned him as, from all my study and research of him.  He was amazing at using story-telling and jokes to get his message across (reminds me of Reagan).  He was patient in his interactions with his difficult wife (played by Sally Field who was also incredible).  He loved his children, allowing them to come into the Oval Office at almost anytime (to everyone else's dismay).  He carried a heavy burden with all of the loss of life during the war.  Yet, he was up at 3:00 in the morning wanting to pardon deserters.  

Tommy Lee Jones was wonderful as Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican Congressman who had been fighting for the freedom of the slaves for 30 years.

There is some controversy on whether Lincoln would've used the language Spielberg had him use in the movie.  For me, it didn't take anything away from the rest of the content.

I highly recommend it and give it 4 1/2 stars!

Amazing Grace--Revisited!

When Amazing Grace first came out I talked about it several times on here and did a review of it.  Its is my #2 inspirational movie after Braveheart.

In light of Tuesday's election, I needed some inspiration and decided to re-watch it.  It has so many wonderful quotes that I wanted to share some of them.  If you haven't seen this movie, its a must see.  Its the true story of one man who never gave up fighting against an injustice, no matter how many times he was defeated.  And of course, he was eventually victorious!

Amazing Grace Quotes:

Barbara Wilberforce: You still have passion! That matters more!

John Newton: Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly. I'm a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.

William Wilberforce: No matter how loud you shout, you will not drown out the voice of the people! 

William Wilberforce: I want you to remember that smell... remember the Madagascar... remember, God made men equal.

Pitt the Younger: As your Prime Minister, I urge you caution
William Wilberforce: And as my friend?
Pitt the Younger: To hell with caution. 

William Wilberforce: No one of our age has ever taken power.
Pitt the Younger: Which is why we're too young to realize certain things are impossible. Which is why we will do them anyway. 

Richard the Butler: He's an optimist. Bloody incurable.

Pitt the Younger: Do you intend to use your beautiful voice to praise the Lord... or change the world? 

John Newton: [reciting his song] "I once was blind but now I see". Didn't I write that?
William Wilberforce: Yes, you did.
John Newton: Now at last it's true. 

"So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition."--William Wilberforce

Lord Charles Fox: When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more.
[Wilberforce receives a standing ovation from the entire House and the Gallery] 

Related Posts:
Amazing Grace!
Iron Jawed Angels
Freedom

A Review of "Won't Back Down!"

Last night I was given a free pass to see the movie Won't Back Down before its' release on September 28th. It was an AMAZING, inspirational movie based on actual events!

It was a powerful, realistic portrayal of how some schools are failing our kids. I was shocked to see Maggie Gyllenhaal (who is known for being a big liberal), star in a movie that showed how teachers' unions are protecting bad teachers and as a result our kids aren't getting the education they deserve.

It was also a picture of what it means to fight for something you are passionate about, despite the naysayers. I must confess, I'm always a sucker for these type of movies.

I'm not sure why I or the others' at the theater were picked to get the free passes, but you could tell most of the people in the audience loved it. I found myself and others clapping, gasping and crying at certain parts. I highly recommend seeing it when it comes out on September 28th, I give it 5 stars!

The Africa Series!--Part 2--Rwanda!

Hotel Rwanda--Based on the true story during the Rwanda Genocide

After my summer trip to Senegal, I decided that my son and I would do a Unit Study on Africa this year. I wanted to learn about as many African countries as we could, but I especially wanted to learn about 3 countries in particular: Sudan, Darfur has been a focus of mine, Rwanda because of the genocide in 1994 and Somalia because of Black Hawk Down.

After learning of the genocide in 1994, I also learned that like most African countries, Rwanda has a lot of orphans and street kids. Operation World is a book that has statistics on every single country in the world and how you can pray for them.(I use it all the time, and highly recommend it!) According to OW, Rwanda has up to 900,000 orphans.

It is for this reason, that I picked a 12 year old girl named Beatha from Rwanda to sponsor. The group I went with, Food for the Hungry, had several countries in Africa, but I felt led to Rwanda. My kids are helping with their money as well in this sponsorship. So, it has become a family project.

What made me even prouder, was when my 17 year old daughter went to a Christian concert and decided to sponsor a little boy with AIDS from Rwanda all by herself. She is sponsoring him through Compassion.

I am seriously considering and praying about going back to Africa this coming summer. I am looking at a possible Tanzania trip, and I also found a trip to orphanages in Ethiopia and Rwanda that looks awesome, but praying for God to lead me where He wants me to go.

Previously:
The Africa Series!--Part 1--Senegal ABC's!

The Africa Series!--Part 1--Senegal ABC's!

My passion for Africa started awhile ago, and ever since my trip to Senegal, it has exploded. I am in love with all things Africa.

God got a hold of my heart through politics/current events and through home schooling my son. We are now doing a Unit Study on Africa and making our way through each country. I will be posting about that in this series.

My first post is about my trip to Senegal. I meant to post something right away, but life was crazy and I never got around to it. Below is something I came up with for my church presentation and a letter I sent out. I had to change it a little for safety precautions.

Senegal ABC’s
A-African jewelry-I was given and bought to bring home.
B—Babies I got to love on
C—Charms-many villagers still think they need these to protect them from evil spirits.
D—Dakota, who was one of my teammates on the trip.
E—Ethiopia-One of the men on our team was born in Ethiopia, which gave him a special bond with the people we met.
F—French is spoken by some villagers but most spoke tribal languages.
G—Goats, chickens and other animals roamed freely through the villages, fields and roads.
H—Hands—they eat with the right hand only, the left hand is used for other things.
I—Islam—A lot of the people believe in folk Islam which is a mix of Islam and ATR (African Traditional Religion).
J—Joni was the other woman on our team.
K—Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania were the African countries where my Pastor, Dr. Hadaway had gotten his experience in African Missions.
L—Late—I am notorious for having “issues” with time. So, I adapted to “Africa time” quite well.
M—Mosque—I went with Dr. Hadaway to the mosque one day and was swiftly kicked out.
N—No Problem!—Our driver’s favorite phrase in English!
O—Orphans—the street kids broke my heart and made me want to sweep them all up and start my own orphanage.
P—Pop—I am a Coca-Cola addict, so I was shocked/happy to see that most places had Coke available for pretty cheap.
Q—Quickly, left to go to historical Goree Island. It was one of the main hubs where slaves were picked up and taken in the 1800’s.
R—Rhinos on the safari!
S—Safari that we got to go on!
T—Theater—so many of the experiences would remind me of movies/tv—Roots, Locked up Abroad, The Amazing Race.
U—Unbelievable—how stressful shopping was because of how they descended on you like vultures to pressure you into buying things.
V—Van got stuck in the mud numerous times. We were there in the rainy season.
W—Wife—Dr. Hadaway kept joking that I would become someone’s 3rd wife. I thought this was purely comic humor, but we found out it was all too real for the women who live there.
X—X-rated—I saw lots of naked people in the villages.
Y—Yummy—I wasn’t real excited about the tongue and the liver we prepared in the village, but the 1st week we ate at the retreat and that was great food.
Z—Zebras we saw at the Safari.

Previously:
Laura Bush Honored for her Work in Africa to Beat Malaria!
I am Going to Senegal, West Africa!

Laura Bush Honored for her Work in Africa to Beat Malaria!

Amazingly, George W. Bush did more for Africa while he was president, than any other U.S. president to date, and yet one would never know it. In 2006, he held a White House Malaria Summit and announced the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which has led efforts in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to end malaria deaths. I found this description by Tim Goeglein of Bush particularly telling:

In my present role with Focus on the Family, I had to be up in South Africa earlier this year. Everywhere I went, whether for business meetings or ministry meetings, I was amazed at how highly regarded George W. Bush is in Africa. That’s a direct result of his compassionate conservatism and his historic work battling AIDS and malaria there. The President’s PEPFAR initiative against AIDS, and his anti-malarial program, stand among his most significant foreign policy achievements, and yet they’re little known or appreciated now, at least in the United States. I hope they will be recognized over time.

The great thing about this "Africa Story" is that it became a family affair. Laura Bush and the Bush daughters also took it on as a cause while in the White House, and the whole family continues to help the people of Africa.

Laura Bush was honored last night for her efforts to beat malaria. I have fallen in love with Africa since my missions trip this summer, so I find the Bush family's efforts very inspirational. Kudos to Laura Bush!

Related Links:
--Analysis: How George W Bush became an African hero
--First Lady Laura Bush Discusses Her Family’s Dedication to Ending Malaria
--President's Malaria Initiative
--Malaria No More

No Higher Honor!--Condi Rice

Condoleeza Rice has now come out with her 2nd book. The 1st book was about her family, and I got an autographed copy when she came to Kansas City. It was entitled, Extraordinary, Ordinary People.

Rice's latest book is entitled, No Higher Honor and it is about her 8 years in the White House. She shares a lot in her interview with Hannity in the above videos.

Previously:
Lunch with Condoleeza Rice!

The Pacific!--Part 1

A little boy asked me, he said, "Mr. Tatum," he said, "are you a hero of Iwo Jima?" I said, "No, son, I'm only a survivor, we buried all the heroes."--Chuck Tatum

Awhile ago, I watched the mini-series Band of Brothers, which was based on a book written about the fighting in Europe during World War II. A companion mini-series was done entitled The Pacific, which I just finished watching. It was based on stories of men who fought in the Pacific. There is an official website dedicated to the real marines whose lives were portrayed in the series.

Several men wrote books on their experiences, Robert Leckie wrote, Helmet for My Pillow. Eugene Sledge wrote With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. Chuck Tatum wrote many books, one of them being about John Basilone, and one about Iwo Jima entitled, Red Blood Black Sand.

It was amazing, and so well done. It is not for the faint of heart, and not for children. Yet, it gives you, maybe, just a glimpse of the hell that the World War II veterans went through on our behalf. I don't know how we ever thank them enough for what they did. And, to think that when they came back, they were just expected to resume their life in society.

The above video is of one of the real life veterans who was portrayed in the movie. His video touched me the most. I liked a lot about the series, so I will be posting more.

Facebook pages:
Chuck Tatum
R.V. Burgin
Sidney Phillips