Happy 4th of July!

Well, this week we celebrate America's 233rd birthday!
Enjoy the cookouts, picnics, pool parties and fireworks.

Oh yeah, if you've got Old Glory, let her fly!

Happy 4th!!!!!

Rainy Days And Sundays!

Nothing makes a rainy Sunday afternoon more enjoyable than watching a great classic movie. So, I thought I'd give you some suggestions for your next rainy Sunday. Enjoy!

(1.)The Invisible Man (1933)

Claude Rains stars as scientist Jack Griffin , who discovers a serum that causes invisibility. Unfortunately, the serum also causes insanity-- Ouch, I hate when that happens! Truly, one of the most fascinating movies ever made.

By the way, it co-stars Gloria Stuart, the elderly survivor in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic.


(2.) The Adventures Of Robin Hood

Forget Kevin Costner and his really, really bad haircut--Errol Flynn
is Robin Hood! This 1938 classic has it all--action, adventure, comedy and romance! Plus, one of the greatest sword fights, you'll ever see on film.

Flynn is perfect as the cocky but caring Robin. And Olivia deHavilland is wonderfully luminous as the lovely Maid Marion.

An example of the first-rate dialogue is when Robin introduces the rotund Friar Tuck to a very cautious
Will Scarlett--

Robin: "It's alright, he's one of us."
Will: "One of us? He looks like three of us!"

Classic!


(3.) The Third Man

The Third Man is one of the all-time great thrillers.

Unemployed pulp fiction writer, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), arrives in post WWII Vienna to work for his old college friend, Harry Lime (the magnificent Orson Welles).

There's only one slight problem when Holly show up--Harry is deceased--
or is he?

The Third Man is movie-making at it's finest! It's not just a movie, it's literally art! From the askew camera shots and angles, quirky score, snappy dialogue and of course the towering talent of Orson Welles-The Third Man is a cinematic masterpiece!



(4.) King Kong (1933)

When given a choice, always go with the original. This one is so much more satisfying than the 2005 remake.

Even though the special effects may seem quaint by today's standards, this one still packs a wallop! It's still just as mesmerizing now, as it was for your grandparents, when they first saw it.

Plus, Fay Wray practically invented the screen scream!



(5.) City Lights

This 1931 silent romantic comedy was written and directed by motion picture legend Charlie Chaplin.

The plot revolves around Chaplin's tramp character and a poor blind girl, who sells flowers on a street corner. When they first meet, he's instantly smitten. The girl, however, thinks the tramp is a millionaire. He continues to let her think he's a man of great wealth.

Through a series of misadventures, he obtains the money for an operation that restores the girl's sight.

Full of humor, sight gags, and sweetness-- City Lights is rightly revered as one of the greatest films ever made! Oh yeah, it has probably the most emotional ending in motion picture history! You'll cry- I promise!

Thanks, Dad

This Sunday, you'll celebrate the most important man in your life.
So, as that day approaches, I thought you'd enjoy some fun facts about Father's Day, from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Father’s Day: June 21, 2009

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived exactly a century ago, by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.

A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration — June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth.

The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

64.3 million
Estimated number of fathers across the nation.

Thinking of You, Dad

9,003
The number of men’s clothing stores around the country (as of 2006), a good place to buy dad a tie or shirt.

14,012
The number of hardware stores (as of 2006), a place to buy hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers and other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts. Additionally, there were 6,749 home centers across the country in 2006.

23,270
Number of sporting goods stores in 2006. These stores are good places to purchase traditional gifts for dad, such as fishing rods and golf clubs.

78 million
The number of Americans who participated in a barbecue in the last year — it’s probably safe to assume many of these barbecues took place on Father’s Day.

Mr. Mom

140,000
Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2008. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 234,000 children. Among these stay-at-home dads, 54 percent had two or more children, and 52 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

25%
Among the nation’s 11.3 million preschoolers whose mothers are employed, the percentage who are regularly cared for by their father during their mother’s working hours. This amounted to 2.9 million children.

How Many Fathers?

25.8 million
Number of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 2008.

22 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households only).
2 percent lived in someone else’s home.

1.8 million
Number of single fathers in 2008. Currently, among single parents living with their children, 16 percent are men.

8 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18.
About 51 percent were divorced, 25 percent were never married, 19 percent were separated and 5 percent were widowed.
43 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

85%
Among the 30.2 million fathers living with children younger than 18, the percentage who lived with their biological children only. In addition, 11 percent lived with stepchildren, 4 percent with adopted children and fewer than 1 percent with foster children.

Child-Support Payments

31%
Percentage of custodial fathers who were due child support. They numbered 678,000.


$2.4 billion
Amount of child support received by custodial fathers in 2005; they were due $3.3 billion. In contrast, custodial mothers received $22.4 billion of the $34.7 billion in support that was due.

43%
Percentage of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due, not significantly different from the corresponding percentage for custodial mothers. These fathers received an average of $6,210 in child support in 2005, compared with $5,981 for mothers who received full support. (These figures are not statistically different from each other.)

36%
Percentage of custodial fathers with child-support agreements or awards.

72%
Percentage of custodial fathers receiving noncash support, such as gifts or coverage of expenses, on behalf of their children. The corresponding proportion for mothers was 59 percent.

Time with Daddy

53% and 71%
Percentages of children younger than 6 who ate breakfast and dinner, respectively, with their father every day in 2006. The corresponding percentages who ate with their mother were 58 percent and 80 percent. (The percentages of children who ate breakfast with their mother or father, respectively, were not significantly different from each another.)

36%
Percentage of children younger than 6 who had 15 or more outings with their father in the last month, as of 2006.

6
Average times children ages 3 to 5 were read to by their fathers in the past week, as of 2006.

66%
Percentage of children younger than 6 who were praised three or more times a day by their fathers.

UPlifting!!!!

I must admit, that when I walked out of the theater, after seeing Disney Pixar's latest movie UP, I felt..well, oddly strange!

I had just seen a movie that affected me, in a way, few movies have, or probably ever will. It was truly moving!

By now, you know about the rave reviews--and rightfully so!
This is a movie that deals with dreams deferred, loneliness, loss and restoration. It's about how life gets in the way of all our very carefully laid out plans and lofty expectations.

While kids will enjoy the animation and characters, adults will identify with the themes of the movie. However, you'll also be greatly touched and encouraged!

It goes without saying, this is a movie worth checking out.
Trust me on this one--UP--is no downer!

What A Great Weekend!

This weekend, I had the privilege of hosting Operation Ethan,
a benefit concert for 8 year old Ethan Bibb, who was recently diagnosed with brain and spinal cord cancer.

The event was to help his family with the massive medical expenses related to Ethan's illness.

On hand to entertain were Building 429, 33 Miles,
Pocketful of Rocks, plus, Myra Mason & Friends, and Britten Newbill! What a power-packed line-up!

It was another wonderful example, of God's people extending
a hand to those who are truly in need!




Enjoying The Music At "Operation Ethan"





Introducing Myra Mason & Friends






33 Miles Takes The Stage





Michael Farrin Of Pocket Full Of Rocks






Catching Up With Britten Newbill

To Boldly Go...

I must admit, when I first heard there was going to be a new Star Trek movie, I winced. I mean c'mon, why do this to one of the most iconic series in television's rich history?

It's gonna be awful , I thought.

Well, I got to see it the other day--it's terrific! What a dazzling fun ride!

The prequel takes us to the time before Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones and Scotty became crew members on the USS Enterprise. Being a fan of the tv series, it was a blast seeing the characters in their youth!

The writing, acting and special effects are all first rate. So far, the movie has grossed over $190 million and going strong!

There will be sequels--at this point that would be...well, logical.

Relax, It's Summertime!

We unofficially kickoff summer on Memorial Day! With that in mind, hopefully you'll find the below tips handy--have a terrific summer!

Top 8 Tips for No-Stress Summer Fun
By Robin McClure, About.com


1. Plan Ahead for Summer Activities
Summer fun activities and an endless array of sports, dance, activity and academic camps are available in most communities. However, parents need to keep in mind that advance planning is key to getting in, as many of the most popular activities fill up quickly. Check with your city recreation departments, school districts, local attractions and libraries for starters to find out what the offerings are and what costs may be involved. Ask your kids what they really want to do with their time ... both for individual enrichment and as a family. Then don't wait; sign up while you still can!


2. Create A Budget and Stick With It
A big stress for families over the summer months is spending too much money. After all, costs for entertainment, food, travel, and even admissions to local swimming facilities can really add up. Parents should budget their summer fun dollars, and then advise kids (as age appropriate) that there is so much money for activities. Of course, with a little creativity and searching, you might be delighted in how many activities can be enjoyed for free!

3. Don't Overschedule Kids During Summer
Camps and special interest activities are wonderful, but beware of overplanning your kids' days over the summer. If a parent is home, sometimes sleeping in, taking a walk around the block, planning a bike ride or watching a movie together can be more enjoyable then rushing around getting from Point A to Point B and on the "go, go, go" all the time.

4. Consider 'No-Plan' Times
Keep an organized calendar that lets family members easily reference plans (such as swimming lessons or basketball camp). On that same calendar, schedule in some "not-to-be scheduled time." And stick with it. Part of summer's fun is to have cookouts, unstructured reading, etc., and block regular times out on the calendar that are dedicated to family only. Let your kids be bored (they will absolutely find something to do), and take a deep breath and just relax!

5. Set Limits for Neighbor Kid Play
Of course, you want the neighborhood kids to come over and play with your children. Kids can spend hours together having backyard adventures and enjoying either others' friendships. However, be careful to avoid feeling taken advantage of and feeling that you are feeding all the neighbor kids or responsible for their entertainment and overall happiness on a daily basis. Arrange playdates where you alternate whose house kids play at or make other mutually agreeable days where kids can play. Set expectations with your own kids in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.

6. Keep Food Choices Simple and Light
Parents sometimes fall in the trap of too-much takeout and fast food, and overlook the scrumptious and health offerings that come with summer. Load up on sandwich meats, fruits, vegetables, yogurt and healthy snacks and grill outdoors whenever possible. Summer presents a good time to encourage healthy-eating vs. calorie-laden snacks. And, while you're at it, use summer picnics and laid-back fun to encourage the learning of proper eating etiquette and table manners!

7. Keep Safety on Top of List
The lazy, long days are summer create the opportunity to let your guard down. But tot safety must be kept as a high priority at all times. Summer fun means outdoor adventures, swimming, and explorations, which can also mean opportunities for sunburn, heat exhaustion, drowning, Lyme disease, and ozone alerts if you're not careful. Be sure that all elements are considered before heading outdoors or on vacation!

8. Don't Use Just Any Babysitter
Lots of high school and college-age kids are available for babysitting jobs in the summer, but that doesn't mean they are qualified or right for the job. Before you entrust anyone with your kids, be sure to check out references and make sure that a potential babysitter really likes to be with kids and isn't just looking for easy money. Summer days can be long and present opportunities for health and safety concerns if kids aren't supervised and cared for with a loving heart and attentive eye.