My sister and I love Frozen. Okay, maybe we’ve all heard “Let it Go” enough times by now, but there’s something about this sweet story of the love between two sisters that connects with our hearts, and I almost always tear up at the climax when Elsa is hugging Anna-turned-to-ice. Plus, all the little […]
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Of Beautiful, Rowdy Stories (Thank you, Allen Arnold) – and How We Need Them

When I saw The Greatest Showman with my husband and father-in-law the week after Christmas, I sat in the movie theater and cried. It was probably partly the state of my heart right then, and lingering emotion from our own theatrical production of The Promise a few weeks earlier. But the story just captured me […]
Allen Arnold, Storytelling, The Greatest ShowmanMusic that Tells a Story: What Are Your Favorite Soundtracks?

It’s the week before finals at our high school. And it shows–whether in my brain-fried students, two of whom called me completely different names the other day, or in myself, who later the same day stopped at a green light for no apparent reason, yielding my husband’s alarm and taking over the driving after […]
Graduations, Movie Music, Movie SoundtracksOf Hidden Figures, Inaugurations, and Finding Reasons to Hope

My husband and I sat in the movie theater watching Hidden Figures on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year. I loved the movie—so well written, directed, and acted, and such a beautifully inspiring true story. If you haven’t seen this uplifting film of three African-American women, mathematical and computer geniuses working at […]
Hidden FiguresLaden with Happiness and Tears: Sunrise, Sunset in Life and Marriage (and a Few Wedding Photos too!)

In case you didn’t know, I got married about six weeks ago. (See photos!) My beloved and wonderful husband, Anthony, and I have been busy settling, and you may see some changes coming to my website (and name) in the weeks and months to come. But don’t worry, we’ll make sure things don’t get too […]
Fiddler on the Roof, Sunrise Sunset, WeddingsMusic that Tells a Story—and Helps Us Better Tell Ours

The other evening, my parents watched The Legend of Bagger Vance for their “date night” in our living room. “It was a good movie,” my mom told me afterward. “Sounded like it,” I said, “by the music.” It’s funny. I had picked up very little of the storyline from the bits and […]
Stories that Need to Be Told: Selma, #BlackStoriesMatter, and a Truth Commission

Stories. They matter, because God uses them to reflect His truth and reach our hearts. And because He Himself is the most masterful Storywriter of all. I loved some of the comments and insights you readers shared on this topic here last week! But sometimes stories also matter because they need […]
Once Upon a Time and Into the Woods: Why Stories Matter

I watch movies differently than I used to. I’m not as picky about content now, though if I have children someday, I’m sure I’ll carefully and prayerfully monitor what they watch. But lately for myself, while I still pay attention to language and sex and violence red flags, I care more about […]
A Little Fish and a Big God: Finding Nemo and the Prodigal Son

My sister and I just watched Finding Nemo for the, ahem, first time. (I know, I know, it’s a classic, please don’t hate us.) But we really enjoyed it, and last night after we finished it, my sister said to me, “It’s kind of like a Prodigal Son/parallel to Jesus story, you know?” […]
Mighty to Save

Last week, my small group from church watched Prince of Egypt during our regular Bible study time. We’d just finished going through the story of Moses and the Exodus, so it seemed appropriate to take an evening to enjoy it on the big screen. I’d only seen the movie once before, and while it obviously […]