“As a mom we are concerned for our children. The trials and difficulties they go through as they grow into caring parents pull at our hearts.” —Mary VanPelt

Heaven Is for Real is the fourth Bible-based/faith-based film this year to reach blockbuster status (the previous three were Son of God, Noah, and God’s Not Dead). The success of these films indicates that there is a huge evangelical Christian audience out there looking for films that will support their faith, promoting a belief in Jesus, God, or heaven. Of the four films, only Noah was not endorsed by evangelical leaders, but its high-profile actors, awesome special effects, and violent action scenes ensured a large mainstream audience.Todd’s crisis of faith is the film’s biggest strength, and Kinnear, who is perfectly […]

“I never could have imagined the wholly demanding and self-sacrificial nature of it all. Nothing about my body was mine anymore. Nothing about my time was mine. My days and my nights were his.”

Topic RecordsIt is a treat to hear these traditional tunes preserved with such care.

It helps to recall or rethink your overall goals and vision for your life. Try to look at the bigger picture than an immediate decision in front of you.;;

Writer’s note: When Michelle Sinclair went on maternity leave we temporarily lost our blockbuster/sci fi/superhero stalwart. Michelle used to have the slot the week before me and my hunch is that she would have written about Captain America: Winter Soldier last week. So I’m channeling my inner Michelle this week on the latest Marvel Comic movie, and latest in the Avengers series.Walt Disney Company’s movie strategy these days is to scoop up well-known brands and release a movie from one of these entities every quarter. The company paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm, another $4 billion for the Marvel Cinematic Universe […]

A t-shirt memorial to 201 victims of gun violence in Philadelphia last year. (MCC photo/Agnes Chen)

Names matter. They mark us as shaped by particular people who chose them or carried them down. In the end, though, there’s probably no wrong choice. What matters is living out our values in daily life, by any name. A colleague who recently became engaged asked my thoughts about last names. I’ve received such questions for as long as I can remember. Sometimes the asker notes my hyphenated last name, which is on my birth certificate, as a reason for being curious about my thoughts. In starting a new family and household, it’s worth considering carefully how to best honor […]

While it is important to do your best, at times we should accept just being “good enough.”;;