Author Bethel Grove
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Other Books
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact
Picture

Why I Want to Be Like Cinderella

3/20/2015

2 Comments

 
With the release of the new Cinderella movie, I want to take the opportunity to talk about this incredible character and what I love about her. But to illustrate why I love her, I think I need to talk about the arguments that many have used against her. Back in my teen years, I used to love the Cheetah Girls movies. I loved their music and their sisterhood. One of the songs from their first movie was Cinderella, and although I still like parts of it, it does illustrate the flaws that many in today’s culture find in Cinderella’s character.
This song is very much in line with feminist arguments that we can do it all ourselves and don’t need a man. I have a problem with people blaming Cinderella for creating the problem. I don’t see that in her at all. In fact, she is probably one of the strongest heroines Disney has made to date, especially with the way she is portrayed in the new movie. There is so much more to her than her love story or her happily ever after, more than most people realize. As I watch the original movie as well as the new one (I went on opening day!), I have come up with a list of five qualities she has that make me want to be like her.

1)  Her Kind Attitude

In the new film, this is presented as an attribute she learned from her mother. It is true that her kindness is presented as one of her greatest attributes in almost all of the different versions of her story. Some of her critics would present this as one of her greatest weaknesses, because she allowed her stepmother and stepsisters to walk all over her. Although it is true that her kindness was used against her in this way, kindness is not a weakness and should not perceived as such. The desire that her mother placed in her to be kind turned into so much more. It made Cinderella compassion, selfless, and gave her a heart for both people and animals.
Picture
It was important for her to have a selfless heart when she was faced with loving those that were difficult to love. He continued to be kind and selfless, even when she received no kindness in return and when those receiving her kindness did not deserve it. This kindness she had towards all was inspiring to those who knew her, and it should be inspiring to us too.
Picture

2)  Her Courageous Heart

The new film presents this as another tract she learned from her mother. Having courage was also quite crucial to all that Cinderella would face. As if facing the death of both her parents wasn't hard enough, she also had to face losing everything else and being disowned by the rest of her family. That is a lot to have to face at such a young age (she was only nineteen when she went to the ball). These experiences could have been quite negative, but she turned that into courage to face whatever life brought her way. She never faltered or gave into fear. That's pretty amazing and very inspiring to children and adult alike.
Something that stands out to be about Cinderella’s courage is that she was not necessarily bold or brave. These tracts are sometimes made synonymous with courage, but that may not be completely true. She had the courage to stand up for herself but chose not to on many occasions. It reminds of the quote about courage from The Princess Diaries, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear.” In this way, Cinderella almost showed more courage by not standing up to her stepmother, because she overcame her fears and sadness but made the judgment that honoring her parents’ wishes was more important that being right. That’s an important lesson for all of us. 

3)  Her Hopeful Outlook

Cinderella didn't have much to hope for. Her life was bleak and difficult. Her parents were dead and the only other family she had hated and abused her. Her only real friends where animals. They had even resorted to only calling her a terrible nickname. But she still had hope. Even when things looked darkest, she clung to a hope that a better day was to come. Even when she was at her lowest low (after her stepmother and stepsisters damaged her mother’s dress) and she claimed she had no more hope, her fairy godmother said, “If you had lost all hope, I wouldn't be here, yet here I am.” Cinderella had even more hope in her soul than she realized. As Christians, we should have just as much hope, because ours is a Living Hope.
Picture
Although I don’t completely agree with the line of the song “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true,” I do think there is a grain of truth in it. As Christians, we should never assume that God will always fulfill our greatest wishes. That’s just not true. There are some dreams that will probably never be fulfilled in this life. However, I think that what a Christian should do is put their hope and trust in the Lord, not in their dreams. Because once your heart is in line with the Lord, He will give you dreams that are in line with His will. Those are the ones He’s more likely to fulfill. But even if he doesn't He will teach you to be satisfied in His hope, and that is so much better than any dream that can be fulfilled in this life.
Picture

4)  Her Submissive Spirit

The word submission is looked down on negatively in our culture and our world today. They look at characters like Cinderella and say that her desire to submit meant that she had no backbone and could only be rescued by a man. That is absolutely ridiculous! I believe that it is quite the opposite. There is more decision or opinion involved in submission that most people realize. When you begin to see submission in its correct context, you realize that it comes down to a matter of choice.
The word submit is properly defined in the military sense, choosing to put yourself under the authority of your commanding officer. Even if you don’t agree with what they are doing, you keep yourself under that authority because that is what is being asked of you. This is exactly what Cinderella does. Out of respect for her parents, she places herself under her stepmother’s authority, even though she proves to be less that deserving of that authority. Cinderella has to purpose herself to obey, even when it was hard. We should all learn to do likewise.

5)  Her Forgiving Nature

Cinderella truly had every right in the world to hold a grudge against her stepmother and stepsisters. She have every right to be angry and bitter by the world’s standards. But she did not choose that path. She was patient and understanding about the way they treated her. Her kindness, courage, and hope never faltered through all they did to her, even after they abused her, humiliated her, gave her a horrible nickname, and damaged her mother's dress. 

Her kindness, courage, and hope gave her the ability to keep her heart from the bitterness and angry that is so prevalent in those that have been treated in similar ways. This gave her the ability to forgive, even though it wasn't easy. At the end of the new movie, she actually tells her stepmother that she forgives her. That is truly incredible. I don’t know if I could do that. But I think there is something that children and adults alike can learn from it.
Picture
Picture

It's Not About the “Happily Ever After”

Don’t get me wrong, I love happily ever after’s as much as the next girl or Disney fan. But that’s not why I love Cinderella. To me, Cinderella is so much more than a princess or fairy tale character. She is a character that I want to be like in more ways than one. I will never forget how I came to view Cinderella and her character in this way. About January of 2012, my youth minister at the time was doing 30 Day Disney Character Challenge on Facebook (like all those "30 Day Photo Challenge" things that were popular at the time). When he listed his favorite Princess, he said Cinderella and mentioned her attitude and her heart. But there was one other comment he made about her that stuck out to me and remained with me ever since. He said, “Even if she didn't get her happy ending, her story would be worth telling because of the life she led.”
The more I thought about it, the more I agreed. If Cinderella had been stuck as a servant the rest of her life, or had gone to the ball but never tried on the glass slipper because she was locked in the attic, her story would still be worth telling because of the person that she was. She would have a legacy of kindness and courage that would have honored her parents' name, and that probably would have satisfied her. If I end up with half of Cinderella’s kindness, courageous, hopefulness, submissiveness, or her ability to forgive, then I will be better person, even if I don’t have a happily ever after of my own. That is what I want to strive for in my own life.
Picture
When I did the same Disney Character Challenge for myself, I listed Cinderella as the one of two characters I wanted to be the most like (the other one I've save for another post). After saying I wanted a heart like Cinderella, I said, “I hope and pray to have a testimony that not only reflects a good heart, but that also brings glory and honor to my Savior, and I hope that is a story worth telling someday.” I still hoping and praying this will is true of my own life story. Despite what the Cheetah Girls tried to tell us, Cinderella would be a great person to be like (although I hope to do a little better job of making sure my shoes stay on my feet during special occasions! haha). I hope that some of you are able to follow her example.
Picture
2 Comments

Broadway in Review: First Wife Club

3/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Life can been exceptional amusing at times, especially when great things happen to you unexpectedly. That was the exact position I found myself in last Friday, when I was looking around Facebook and stumbled upon this.
Picture
Needless to say, with my love of musicals, I jumped at the opportunity. One minute I’m doing nothing, and the next, I’m planning to go into Chicago for the evening! What an experience that was! I have been to several Broadway shows, but I’ve never had such great seats to a show before. Plus, it’s always fun to go see these plays in groups. I had a good time that night.
Picture
This is how close our seat where! Pretty legit, huh?
However, since I had not even heard of First Wives Club before that day, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew prior to leaving that night is that there had been a movie released in 1996 and that this was its premiere on Broadway, even before it will hit New York. There was a lot of the story that made me uncomfortable, and part of me questions if I would have chosen to see it if I had known more about it. But in the end, I concluded that this is an opportunity for me to learn of those that have these perspectives and to share what I have learned with others, so that’s what I’m going to do.

Since I want to start getting into reviewing entertainment, this experience gives me the opportunity to get into a corner of entertainment that is often left un-reviewed in Christian circles: Broadway musicals. I was quite surprised by this, because there is so much depth to these musicals that we as Christian should be seeking to find. But I guess that many conservatives can also see much that is inappropriate on Broadway and the lifestyles often associated with working in that environment.

In doing reviews, I don’t want to tell you “this is good” or “this is bad and you shouldn’t like if you’re a Christian.” I want to bring to light positive elements and negative elements from the plot in hopes that it will help you discern what is right or wrong. That’s what we should be doing anyway. These are the messages that this play teaches:

Female Friendship is Valuable for Women

These women were tight friends. Anyone could see that right from the beginning. They were the best of friends in college, so much so that on their graduation day, they made a promise to always be there for each other. Unfortunately, their lives and marriages drifted them apart. When one of these four friends, Cynthia, finds out that her husband is leaving her, he jumps to her death off the balcony of her penthouse. Her death brings the other three friends back together, and in some ways, it was like they were never apart. But you quickly discover that they are different people that they used to be in college, and that things haven’t been too much better for these women than they were for Cynthia. By the end of Act I, all of their husbands have divorced them or want to divorce them for younger women and their husbands are also trying to cheat them out of their share in their companies and/or their money. But Brenda, Elise, and Annie come to realize that Cynthia’s death brought them together at the time they needed each other most.
Picture
(L to R) Carmen Cusack as Annie Walker, Christine Sherrill as Elise Acton, and Faith Prince as Brenda Cushman
I think that most women don’t realize how important it is to have girlfriends that have your back, especially after they’re married. Although investing in your family should be a top priority, investing in friendships shouldn’t be very far behind. Our community is meant to extend beyond our family unit, especially during times of trial. With the craziness of life, it can be difficult to invest in past friendships that used to be close if you have lost touch. But if you had those kinds of friendships, chances are that if you reconnected with those friends, you could pick up right where you left off. That what Brenda, Elise, and Annie discover. One of my favorite songs they performed in the show was the 60’s hit “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” which is a great reminder of what loyal friendship looks like.

We are also reminded of the consequences of not keeping up with these kind of friendships in the death of Cynthia. On one hand, since this play was set in the early 90’s, they didn’t have many of the technological advancements that make it easier than ever to keep up friendships over long distances. But I can’t help but wonder if Cynthia would not have ended her life if the girls had been there to help her through her darkest hour. Although good came out of it in the end, I think the girls get the sense that maybe they should have been there for Cynthia before it was too late. Don’t take any relationship for granted, because it’s quite true that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something

Picture
After the last of three marriages falls apart, the girls come together and at first are all upset and depressed, trying to drown their sorrows in drinks and ice cream. But then they all realize that they each have a letter Cynthia mailed to them before she died. They read it together and sense Cynthia’s last wish was a call to action. Before this point, everything in their lives was falling away and they didn't know what to do. But they realize that they shouldn't take it like sitting ducks, but that they should do something about it. That’s when they found “The First Wives Club.” Although I don’t agree with everything they do as a result, I think this call to action is a good point to be made.
Sometimes, we do need a wake up call. We need a push in the right direction, or a reminder of what we know we should have been doing all along. In this case, it was the death of a friend. But it is true that sometimes, we just need a swift kick in the pants! However, there are times especially in the life of a Christian when we need to take the initiative to figure out what the Lord wants us to do and just do it. For someone like me, this is easier said than done. But we should at least be aware that when we know what we should do, we need to do it! 

A Wife Getting Ditched for a Younger Woman is Normal

I was very sad to see the reality of what so many women face in their marriages in this play. I knew that a lot of men become dissatisfied with their sexual lives, but I didn't really think about how many women are faced with a husband that is no longer satisfied with them and chooses instead to find a younger women to fulfill those needs. Whether these men ever realize it or not, they basically tell their wives, “You’re not good enough for me anymore.” Unfortunately, there are many other ways that husbands communicate the same time, even if they don’t know it, and it hurts the women they love more deeply than they ever know. It grieved me to see this played out in this way, and to see the consequences a selfish husband’s actions has on his dejected wife.
Picture
Annie, Elise, and Brenda together read Cynthia's last letter
However, I was also frustrated at how this musical tried to normalize this behavior. They didn’t necessarily condone it, but they didn’t say it was wrong either. It’s just the way that it is and we have to accept it. We are living in a generation that does not know how to be responsible when it comes to their sexual desires. They are continually telling us that we can have our desires fulfilled any way we want and no one can judge you for it.

But there is no way that I can accept that. We need to remember that God has an incredible design for our sexuality, and a huge part of God’s design is fidelity. Even if a husband is dissatisfied sexually, it is wrong to seek out any other source of sexual fulfillment. That’s the way that God sees it, and it’s the way that Christians should see it too

Revenge Is Acceptable When You Have Been Cheated

Picture
Since their husbands all tried to cheat them out of their companies and money, they take matters into their own hands. They spend most of Act II trying to get revenge on their husbands and their mistresses. In the end, they rip the rug out from under their ex-husbands, taking their companies and sending their mistresses away. The play concludes with the founding of the organization “First Wives Club” in memory of Cynthia.

Although summaries I read of the film plot say they realized revenge made them no better than their husbands, I don’t really think they learned that lesson. I think they felt it was their right to have those companies because they had built them up and made their husbands look good in the process. And the fact that their husbands hurt them only gave them a better excuse. They also encouraged and helped each other to this end.
As a Christian, I know that people are going to hurt me in this life, both physically and emotionally. There is no way around it. I have been hurt by people I trusted and probably will be again at some point in my life. However, I also know that I serve a just God that will deliver justice in His time, so that I don’t have to take revenge on those who have hurt me. This is what gives me the ability to forgive, even if they don’t deserve it. The last thing I want to do is take justice into my own hands. I wish Brenda, Elise, and Annie would had known that. 

Other Things I Noticed in First Wives Club

Two other things stood out positively:

-   Brenda was able to reconcile with her husband. I was honestly shocked when this happened, but I was glad that some good came out of these women taking their husbands’ companies. After Morty signs the company away to Brenda, he acknowledges that Brenda was the brains behind the company and what he did was wrong. He forgives and asks him to come home. It was very sweet moment.

-   The music and the production itself was great! The sets were clean and slick, and the music lives up to the quality of Broadway. It was very well done!
Several others things stood out negatively:

- Sexual content – In a play that is centered on divorce and affairs, it would be a natural to assume there is a lot of sexual content. At least three sex scenes inferred by discussion, wardrobe, or body positions. Some of the clothing is inappropriate and sexually explicit. You even see one of the husbands in a thong under an open robe (YUCK!!!). You also find out that one of the mistresses is a minor. Some of the songs have sexual implications. There was so much sexual content, it made me extremely uncomfortable at certain points.

-  Language – There was a good amount of language used in this play. I didn't count everything, but I did count four usages of the F-bomb (mostly by Elise when she’s drunk or mad). One of the songs in the program is titled “Payback’s a B****”
Picture
(L to R) Patrick Richwood as Duane Fergusson, Morgan Weed as Shelley Salem (a mistress), and Sean Murphy Cullen as Morty Cushman (Brenda's Husband)
-  Drinking – Elise struggles with drinking to drown her sorrows.

-  Mocking God's Moral Standards - In the picture shown above is a sculpture of Adam and Eve. Aside from the fact they are in an awkward pose, they are under a tree that has the serpent at the top with an apple in its mouth. What does that mean? I think it was meant to symbolize forbidden love, and it shows that at least the writers where aware that the affairs portrayed in this story were forbidden love. One of the other mistresses (the one who's a minor) is talked about having taking some sort of purity pledge and is made fun of as being "Jesus' girlfriend." She mentions how she didn't plan to fall in love and had ask God to forgive her, but still continued to sleep with Bill.

-  Homosexual Agenda – There are two gay characters in the play that are in-your-face with their sexual preferences. One is Brenda’s interior designer Duane, who makes a statement early that his boyfriend dumped him because he was “too gay.” He is instrumental in parts of the girls’ plot to get their husbands back. The other is Annie’s lesbian daughter Alex, who is instrumental in helping her mom buy out her dad’s business partners. When he gets upset after he finds out, Alex makes the comment, “I’m a lesbian, Dad. A big one.” Her mom gives her a check to participate in a gay pride parade. Early in the play, Annie makes a comment about the world being so much more accepting of lesbians than they used to be. 

(DISCLAIMER: I disagree with homosexuality, but I do not hate or condone hating those who are gay. However, I get frustrated when they try to shove their lifestyle and agenda in our throats as being normality we must accept, which is what I felt like they tried to do in this play)

Gratitude for Friendship

The main thing I will take away from First Wives Club is that friendship is important to move us forward when we need it the most. Although I do not agree with everything they did and I disliked the sexual content of the play, I am reminded of the power of the steadfast friendships I have had in my own life, and of the times that those friends moved me forward when I needed it. I hope that each and every one of you has the opportunity that have those kind of friendships. That’s part of what God’s design for friendship and community is all about.
Picture
Content Ratings
Picture
Sexual Content Rating: 5. Excessive
Picture
Violent Content Rating: 2. Mild
Picture
Language Rating: 4. Heavy
Picture
Negative Content Rating: 3. Medium (Drinking, Deception, Mocking God's Standards)
Picture
Kid-Friendly Rating. If you go to the show, hire a baby sister.
Picture
Teen Rating. Probably better to leave the teens at home too for this one
Picture
Personal Rating. Despite some good points made by the plot and the quality of the production, the excessive sexual content and other content that mocked God's standard made it difficult for me to fully enjoy it.
0 Comments

Romantic Movie Alternatives

3/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Since the release of the Fifty Shades movies, I have found myself increasingly frustrated with the lack of movies that really teach what love really is. Most romantic movies today are either inappropriate, because they concentrate too much on the physical side of love, or they are unrealistic, because they concentrate too much on the emotional side of love. Many are in both camps. And from the perspective of a Christian, I believe that many of these films are an insult to the way that God designed love and romance. But we view them as merely “entertainment” or “romantic comedies.” Now, I’m not saying that we can’t enjoy some of these movies within reason, but they should not be where we learn to define love or where we should find edification for our relationships. It's rare to find movies that do either of these jobs correctly.

To help with this problem, I have come up with a list of five romantic movies that do a much better job of portraying love and relationships as God intended it. Each one has different concepts about love that defy the cultural expectations of what it is meant to be. I don’t want to spoil these movies if you haven’t seen them, but I want to highlight the different aspect of love they emphasize.

Old Fashioned – Love that is Chivalrous

Picture
This is a new movie that was released on Valentine’s Day this year on a limited release. It was one of the best movies I have seen on the subject in a long time. The main quality of love that was emphasized in this movie was one of chivalry. Clay is the epitome of a gentleman. He wants to get to know her and respect her as a person before he falls in love with her. He wants to keep their relationship pure and above reproach. In the process of learning more about each other, Amber also comes to respect him. Everyone labels his ways as “old fashioned,” but maybe these ways are something we should consider bringing back.
Our culture tries to sell us romance that has very little respect or courtesy involved. Love and the fuzzy feelings come first, then you figure out how you relate to each other. This should not be. The respect needs to come first and be part of the foundation on which the relationship is built. If it’s not in the foundation of the relationship, it very difficult to put it in later. Old Fashioned reminds us how to put that into the foundation of a relationship, and is a great movie, especially if you are dating or married. I would recommend it to teens and adults. 

The Song – Love that is Passionate and Forgiving

This movie just came out on DVD. It's about a second generation country singer named Jed King and his wife Rose, but it's really a modern take on the life of King Solomon. This movie took a different approach to this topic than is often taken in Christian films, but it is a reality of the struggles in marriage relationships and in life. (I love the fact that one of the men that instigated this project graduated from Ozark Christian College! Go Kyle Idleman! haha) There are two points made about love in this movie that stand out from the rest.

First, we learn is that love is passionate. This movie shows more implied sex scenes than most Christian films (not in an inappropriate way by any means), but it is a reminder than in marriage, God wants a husband and a wife to have great sex! They emphasize the passion and love that is portrayed in Songs of Solomon, and how beautiful it is between a husband and a wife. 
Picture
However, it should not be the foundation of what the relationship is about. Movies and books like Fifty Shades portray sex as the primary source of character development. How messed up is that? Aside from inappropriate implications, sex isn't the only way we should get to know someone! If your spouse is only there to fulfill a sexual need, then there’s a problem. The Song portrays the consequences of this, but gives hope in the end about how to restore it.

We also learn that love forgives. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, most people know that Solomon messed up big time when it came to relationships. One point in which the film differs from the original story is that Jed and Rose have reconciliation at the end of the movie. I won’t reveal exactly how for those that haven’t seen it, but it is a beautiful picture of the forgiveness that God gave us through His Son. The Song is a great Christian film that I would recommend (although it may not be as appropriate for children).

Fireproof – Love that Endures the Fire

Picture
One of my favorite romantic films of all time, Fireproof is about a fireman (played by Kirk Cameron) close to divorce being challenged by his father to complete the Love Dare, a 40 day challenge written in a book. This film has been instrumental is restoring many marriages, thanks to the ministry of Sherwood pictures. There are so many things that could be gleaned from this movie, even if you aren't married. But I want to focus on one.

According to this movie, real love has the ability to endure trials. In the movie, Caleb Holt learns that you never leave your partner, especially in a fire, and that being fireproof doesn't mean a fire will never come, but that when it does come, you will be able to withstand it. 
Those who are married shouldn't have to divorce because just don’t love each other or they can't get along anymore. During those kinds of trials, they have to purpose themselves to love each other, even if the other one don’t deserve to be loved. That’s what Christ did for us. When we are aware of how much Christ loved us, it compels us to love others in the same way, especially spouses and families. Fireproof is an excellent reminder of this truth and I would recommend this movie to anyone.

Love Comes Softly – Love that Grows Over Time

This is a slightly lesser known movie, but a wonderful story about God bringing beauty out of tragedy. Set in late 19th century, Marty Claridge (played by Katherine Heigl) loses her husband shortly after they arrive at their land out West, just before winter. After the funeral, a widower named Clark Davis offers to shelter her for the winter, if they marry and if she helps teach and take care of his daughter Missy. She hesitantly agrees out of necessity, and they lives in separate quarters. Marty has a difficult time adjusting to life with Clark and Missy, with the strangeness of being married to someone else and the struggles of relating to his daughter. But as the title implies, time proves to change Marty's heart.
Picture
Love Comes Softly teaches its title as the main moral. Despite the popular romances we love in our favorite chick flicks, love develops over time. It does not happen instantly. I personally don’t believe that “love at first sight” really exists in romance. I believe in attraction at first sight, but that is not enough to merit a romance. Love is something that grows over time if you choose to work on it, because its a decision, not a feeling. Sometimes, you might be working on it when you don’t realize it. But it’s something that has to be worked on, not something that you can fall in or out of. It’s a matter a choice. Love Comes Softly is a great example of this and I would recommend it to anyone 

The Swan Princess – Love that Endures a Lifetime

Picture
I might get a few laughs for this one, but I wanted to talk about it for two reasons. First, this is one of the best fairy tales in its portrayal of love to be made to date, in my opinion. Second, it’s an alternative option for kids to learn what love is. In The Swan Princess, Princess Odette is trapped as a swan in an evil spell by the enchanter Rothbart, and hidden at a lake far away. Everyone thinks that Odette is dead, but Prince Derek refuses to give up. Derek and Odette individually vow to remain loyal to each other and to find one another, no matter what it takes. And when they do, it becomes one of the most beautiful love stories ever told.
What I love about this movie is not the happily ever after, but the fact that they declare that their love for each other will endure longer than life itself. That's powerful! The love they have for each other is not conditional on the other’s actions, but on the vow that they made to love each other, no matter what. The feature song of the film, Far Longer Than Forever, is a powerful reminder of the comfort and peace one can find in knowing that the one you love has an enduring loyalty to you and you alone. You can't find that in the fuzzy romance or the physical intimacy of a relationship. That’s what makes The Swan Princess stand out from all other fairy tales. This is a film I would recommend to anyone.

Real Romance

Our culture has sold us so many versions of love that are messed up, we have brought into them. The couples that are so popular from our favorite chick flicks are usually in relationships that are about the fulfillment of personal needs – physical, emotional, spiritual, or a combination. Even if they are “in love,” it is often more about fulfilling the personal need than about the other’s needs. It becomes a love that is very selfish in its nature. To me, it's very disheartening.

The characters in these five movies are different. They are the ones that learned to give up themselves for the one they loved. They all made mistakes to get there, but through their trials and adventures, they learned to love the other as only Christ could through them, and that is so much more beautiful than any romance our culture tries to sell us. As we watch these and other romantic movies, let us do our best to praise those that portray love as God intended it, and discern when love is not portrayed correctly. Hopefully, it will change the way we see everything.

0 Comments
    Picture

    Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.

    The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". 

    To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here:

    Books In Review
    Movies in Review
    Broadway In Review

    Quick Reviews

    ​
    To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here

    Categories

    All
    Alyssa Bethke
    Apologetics
    Beyond Your Wardrobe
    Bible Studies
    Biography
    Bob Goff
    Books I Don't Recommend
    Books In Preview
    Books In Review
    Broadway In Review
    Caleb Kaltenbach
    Carpe Aeternatatum
    Christian Fiction
    Christian Living
    Coming Soon
    Controversial Topics
    Creativity
    C.S. Lewis
    Dannah Gresh
    Devotionals
    Disney In Review
    Dr. Juli Slattery
    EBook Releases
    EBooks In Review
    Entertainment
    Forgiveness
    For Women
    Friendship
    Gary Chapman
    Girl Talk (Teens)
    Girl Talk (Tweens)
    Grieving With Hope
    Holidays In Perspective
    Interviews
    Jackie Hill Perry
    Jefferson Bethke
    Jon Jorgenson
    Katie Davis Majors
    Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal
    Lee Strobel
    Lessons From The Bible
    Lessons Learned
    Levi Lusko
    Lion's Eyes Updates
    Love
    Lysa Terkeurst
    Mark Batterson
    Modesty And Fashion
    Movies In Review
    Music In Review
    My Cloud Of Witnesses
    My Generation
    My YouTube Videos
    Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
    Personal Experiences
    Personal Updates
    Prayer
    Princess Worth Dying For
    Priscilla Shirer
    Purity Movement
    PWDF Updates
    Reading Recommendations
    Relationships/Sexuality
    Running Toward The Roar
    Singleness
    To The End Of Her Days
    Youth Ministry

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    RSS Feed


Picture
​Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and helping other Christian authors launch their books. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
​Learn more

Bethel's Books

Redeeming the Beast
Beyond Your Wardrobe

Are You Ready to Be Baptized?
​
Are You Ready to Take Communion?

Other Books

Lion Eyes Reviews

Book Reviews
Musical Reviews
Movie Reviews
Quick Reviews

Let's Stay Connected!

Author Bethel Grove
Simple Youth Ministry
Teen Girl Youth Ministry
     

    Join Bethel's Inner Circle

    ​Are you interested in following Bethel's journey as an author, book launcher, and teen girl ministry advocate? Then sign up to join her inner circle today to get email updates on her latest projects and ministry journey. 
    As a thank you, she will send you the exclusive short eBook "Why This Millennial Isn't Leaving the Church" for free.
Submit
© 2022 PRINCESS WORTH DYING FOR MINISTRIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
    • Are You Ready to Take Communion
    • Other Books
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Quick Reviews
    • Rating Systems
    • Review Requests
    • What is a Book Launcher?
  • Simple Youth Ministry
    • SYM Home
    • SYM Resources
  • Teen Girl Youth Ministry
    • TGYM Home
    • TGYM Resources
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Self-Publishing Coach
    • Beta Reading Services
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Programs and Affiliates
  • Contact