Free Movies!!

I happened to drive past Family Video Store this weekend and noticed a sign that said "Rent Free Videos Today - 30th Anniversary!"

OF COURSE I stopped. :) What I found inside was pretty fun! Now through November 17th (next Monday) you can rent two of the 2/$1 movies absolutely free. Two rentals per family per visit. Apparently this has been going on for almost a month but I just found out about it. If you have some extra time this week, stop by your local Family Video Store and grab some free movies. Sure, they're not the new releases, but they're still free!

(The information inside the store indicated that this was going on nationwide, but if you want to be on the safe side call your local Family Video Store to be sure!)

UPDATE: It turns out "Family Video Store" is not so family-oriented after all. I emailed this to someone who politely informed me that Family Video Store sells porn. I Googled this to see if ALL Family Videos sell porn or just select branches. What I found was that, unless it conflicts with state law (usually prohibiting it in select areas such as within 500 feet of a church or school), it is a rarity to find a store that does not sell it.

What?! I have never seen a "back room" at OUR store, but then again...I guess I've never looked either. I am so discouraged. I guess that's why their movies are so cheap. I do not plan to buy movies from them again. Does anyone know if the other major movie rental stores sell porn?

....and to think we've been buying from them for years....

"The problems associated with rampant pornography in today's society are well documented. Among other things, porn usage can ruin a marriage, distort a man's view of women into mere objects of lust, or porn can lead to inappropriate and destructive actions....Porn use is so common among sex crimes perpetrators that some state's law enforcement agencies are now considering tracking its connection in the lives of suspects and convicted felons." (Indiana Family Voice, November 2004)

If this information bothers you as much as it does me, I encourage you to check out your Family Video Store. If they are selling porn, write to your store's manager and inform him/her that you will be taking your business elsewhere for this very reason. Some people think boycotts are pointless and that they never get anything accomplished. This is NOT TRUE, as was learned by the community in Frankfort, IN, who successfully shut down the selling of porn at both Family Video and Movie Gallery (a well-known porn seller) a few years ago.

"We know that such successes will not shut off the supply of smut in these towns, but if one divorce is prevented, one rape is stopped, or one child is protected, all our efforts will have been worthwhile." (Indiana Family Voice, November 2004)

Money Monday . . . Christmas with Cash

Maybe you would like to try to pay for your Christmas presents with cash this year. January and February are cold and dreary as it is so who needs credit card bills for unpaid Christmas presents haunting them well into the New Year. I just thought I would list some ideas on how to get started shopping for Christmas with cash if you are just now thinking about it.

First of all - K-mart is now the only store that offers lay-a-way. It is a great cash option for those who haven't put money away already this year.

Start making your list now of the people you have to buy for and set a budget for each person. Use the internet to compare prices before going to the store. Or buy online - Amazon, Ebates and many other websites usually have shipping specials.

Buy a few presents a week. You still have 5 1/2 weeks until Christmas - you have time.

Another idea is to try to make as many gifts as possible. Order gifts through Shutterfly or other photo websites and personalize coffee mugs or other things with pictures of the grandchildren - most grandparents will love it!

Also, don't forget to teach your children the TRUE meaning of the season. It is not about gifts as we well know.

As a child I remember baking and decorating Christmas cookies and making gingerbread houses far more than any gift that I ever got.

What about you - do you have ideas for having an all cash Christmas?

An Announcement!

Gretchen is a self-proclaimed bad announcer, so I'm doing this for her. Head on over to her blog and check out her latest news!

Foto Friday!

I think this thing - this choosing just one photo thing - is getting harder and harder every week. This last week I had a session with two adorable cousins (both toddlers) as well as a newborn session. In addition to that, I had some extra time (well okay, I made some extra time) to play with my (somewhat) new lens. So....lots of great pictures and tons of fun! I'm just going to pick one and urge you to go check out the rest of my photography blog. :)

Old Navy Sale - Saturday

Old Navy is having a sale Saturday and you can get hats and scarves for $1. Check out more details here.

Thankful Thursday

This is from Chuck Colson’s Daily Breakpoint column.

The Day After
Pray for Our President and Our Nation

November 5, 2008

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, whether you’re recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

And the new President will surely need our prayers because he and his administration face huge, serious challenges to the health of our nation and to peace in the world—challenges that, in my opinion, neither he nor any government on earth will have the power to overcome without divine aid.

How has America come to this point? Why is our economy on the brink of disaster? Why is our culture so utterly depraved?

I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. “I recall,” he said, “hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia : Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.”

Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we are in. We have forgotten God.

We have also forgotten that American democracy—indeed Western Civilization itself—is the product of the Judeo-Christian understanding of God and humanity. Without that revelation that man is created in the image of God, our founders never would have recognized the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, as I and others like Rodney Stark have argued, modern science and education, liberal democracy, capitalism flourished in Western civilization precisely because of the Judeo-Christian worldview.

The attacks on Christianity these days are only going to intensify in the months ahead. But we must press on all the more to make a winsome witness. Those who would banish Christianity from American life are risking the very survival of American society.

Friends have asked me whether this economic crisis is God’s judgment upon us. I don’t know.

As I’ve re-read the Old Testament prophets recently, I couldn’t help but notice the recurring theme: The people of God turned away from Him and worshipped false idols. The result was always disaster.

Is God responsible for credit markets collapsing around the world? No. We’re responsible. Because instead of worshiping God, we’ve worshipped false idols of the marketplace, credit card companies and cheap mortgages. We’ve put our own appetites over our duties to God and neighbor.

So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers. No time to wail or moan over our retirement plans. This is a time to repent, to pray more, to give more. It’s a time for Christians to lead, encourage, and minister to a faltering country in a faltering economy.

This is a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship. Enough cheap grace.

So pray for the new President and his administration. But most of all, my brothers and sisters, this is a time to love our neighbors and to hunger for God and His righteousness.

Wacky Wednesday . . . Obama Won

Need I say more? No really though I think this election was less about an African-American man winning and more about the un-energized Republicans. We didn't have a good candidate that was truly Conservative. We were demoralized and therefore it set up a perfect storm for Obama to come in and sweet talk the country about hope and change. Honestly, while I was hopeful and optimistic, I am shocked McCain scored as many votes as he did. I saw this quote on my friend's Facebook - I am just glad that God is still in control no matter who is in the White House. Lets not forget that!

For more entertainment you can check out my post, "Shining City on a Hill".
-G-money

An Apology

I feel I must apologize for my previous entry entitled "Why I'm Voting Democrat". While the entry did portray my exact feelings on many political issues, the tone and sarcasm was offensive to some. As a few of you (my readers) mentioned, and as I'm sure I've mentioned on several occasion, it's true that I am a Christian. I do desire to live fully for the Lord and I think I did you a disservice by posting that entry. I do not, in any way, want to distort your view of how a Christian should act and if I did, I'm very sorry. One (or two) of you suggested that if I want to post something political, I do so without all the sarcasm involved. So here is my revised version.

Why I'm Voting Republican

I'm voting Republican because I don't care what the crowd does.

I'm voting Republican because I know I can raise my children better than the government.

I'm voting Republican because Americans should have the right to choose whether their children are home-schooled, private-schooled, or public-schooled.

I'm voting Republican because Americans should have the right to choose whether or not their children are vaccinated.

I'm voting Republican because people who come to our country need to learn how to live in our country without government aid. If they want to live here so badly, they need to learn English and get a job. We have all done it and it's only fair that they should too.

I'm voting Republican because people who work hard SHOULD get to keep their money. And people who refuse to work don't deserve it.

I'm voting Republican because all this "change" can absolutely IN NO WAY coincide with tax cuts.

I'm voting Republican because the national government should stay out of our state rights. Many people don't realize the major difference between the two parties. Democrats are all for "big government", meaning the national government should control everything. Republicans understand that our country was founded with the purpose of states rights - the idea that states should decide their own rules and that, if you don't like the rules where you live, you can move to a different state.

I'm voting Republican because it's not the government's job to plan for MY retirement. I work, I save, and I spend that money - MY money - when I'm older.

I'm voting Republican because there's absolutely NO reason that we shouldn't be drilling for oil here in America.

I'm voting Republican because the sanctity of life is FAR more important that all the other issues. Roe v. Wade NEEDS to be overturned.

I'm voting Republican to preserve our Constitution. Our founders meant exactly what they said when they wrote the Constitution and we do not need to "interpret" what they must have meant.

I'm voting Republican because it's an individual's right to bear arms.

I'm voting Republican because saving PEOPLE is more important than saving NATURE.

I'm voting Republican because it is MY responsibility as a parent to teach my children about sex - not yours and DEFINITELY not the school's.

I'm voting Republican because government healthcare simply DOES NOT WORK. Besides that it shouldn't be the government's responsibility, it's a hefty tax hike to provide all that care to U.S. citizens, it will NOT lower premiums if insurance companies are required to accept you regardless of pre-existing conditions, and you will not see the doctors you want to see when you want to see them. Just take a look at the socialist countries of the world and you'll see what I mean.

I'm voting Republican because the sanctity of marriage MUST be upheld. God has clearly stated in His Word that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.

I'm voting Republican because the war in Iraq needs to be finished...the right way. Americans need to quit whining about it. There is no draft, which means that EVERYONE who is over there is over there BY THEIR OWN CHOICE. Iraq is gaining freedom and learning how to function independently. But just as you don't leave a child who is learning to crawl up the stairs alone by himself lest he fall, similarly we cannot simply pull our troops out and let the nation of Iraq fall.

I'm voting Republican because Barack Obama's agenda is scary.

I'm voting Republican because "spreading the wealth around" only means one thing: SOCIALISM.

I'm voting Republican because my conscience tells me to.

Today's the Day - VOTE (and lots of freebies!)

I found this on Biblical Womanhood's site and it really was very good. Please watch it. Your vote does matter!



After you vote, check out all the free things to get:

•Coffee. Starbucks expects to hand out "hundreds of thousands" of free 12-ounce drip coffees (valued at about $1.75 each), says spokeswoman Jenny McCabe. "If everyone who votes comes in for a free cup of coffee, we'll have some lines," she says.

•Doughnuts. Some 85 of Krispy Kreme's 231 locations in the U.S. will hand out star-shaped, red-white-and-blue sprinkled doughnuts "while supplies last," says spokesperson Dana Hughens. The chain will give out about 200,000 doughnuts valued at 99 cents each. "People are definitely talking about the brand as a result of this," she says. Call your local Krispy Kreme to find out if they are participating.

•Ice cream. Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in each time zone, Ben & Jerry's ice cream shops will hand out single-scoop ice cream cones (a $3.40 value). "What better way to encourage people to be politically active than to give away free ice cream?" asks spokeswoman Liz Brenna.

•Sandwiches. In a local market promotion, several hundred of the nation's 1,400 Chick-fil-A stores will hand out $2.70 chicken sandwiches to adults who show proof that they voted, says spokesman Jerry Johnston.

Information found here.

Take a Break

I am not sure if this will work, but take a break and enjoy this hilarious video!

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