Spoiler-free review for Brave

Psalm 11

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

¹ I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
    “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
² The wicked are stringing their bows
    and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
    at those whose hearts are right.
³ The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
    What can the righteous do?”

⁴ But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
    the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
    examining every person on earth.
⁵ The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
    He hates those who love violence.
⁶ He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
    punishing them with scorching winds.
⁷ For the righteous Lord loves justice.
    The virtuous will see his face.

This is what I read the night before I saw the movie Brave, a Scottish Fairy tale about a Princess whose mother wants her to get married as is tradition in Scotland, home to waterfalls and rich forests and lore.  Beautiful animation by the way.  And inspiring Scottish accents.  But Merida isn't ready.  She's only about fifteen, I'd guess (dangerously).  And she doesn't want to get married.  PERIOD.  But what she is good at is archery and that is what she hopes to use to keep her hands out of men's.  In other words, to keep from getting married.  She is as good as Robin Hood at the bow.  But she's really not supposed to play in the game for her own hand in marriage.  Getting into trouble for struggling to keep out of marriage because she's not ready, Merida runs away to the woods to be alone for a time.  This is when she follows the wisps - small blue spirit-thingies - ... for who knows what may happen, or Who may help her keep from getting married.  Things get bad to worse, and someone or someones may die.  There's an evil bear on the loose who kills easily and won't be killed easily.  But there is also a good bear and three black cubs that help out in this story, but be ready for a surprise.  And don't critique the movie because of the surprise plot twist. It helps the tear jerks near the end.  Don't worry, there's a happy ending!  Don't keep that in mind though as you watch the movie and the end may have a bigger effect on you.  

Listen for the beautiful soundtrack Brave has to offer.  I think I may want to buy it.

Beautiful and inspiring and scary at times, if you like fairy tales, you will like this ROMANCE FREE fairy tale.  There isn't a Prince.  But there just might be a sequel coming.  I wouldn't blame them.  I wouldn't half mind actually, because I just want to go back to Scotland.  Accents, forests, waterfalls, MIST.  
Also, if you like the Wingfeather saga, you will like this movie.

Some things that were in the trailers weren't in the movie.  They changed the story a lot over seven years.  From lots of snow scenes to a few snow scenes, there was a scene on a snowy mountain where Fergus, Merida's dad was on a black horse that may or may not have been Angus(Merida's horse) in the trailer, but it wasn't in the movie, or maybe I should have watched all the rest of the credits to see if there was a special scene at the end.

The first scene in the forest was SO inspiring (made me want to write my book), and the short film before the movie was good too, so if you go to see Brave, Get there Early, Not Late.  If you do you may miss the best.  Oh and in the trailers they played the trailer for the Hobbit so if you want to see that on a BIG screen bigger than You, get to Brave early and get the full experience.  The movie Brave does have good morals in it - get along with others, and - know that a good parent cares for their children, and that there are consequences when children stray.

But younger children may have nightmares after seeing the movie so... you may want to take more mature children to the movie.  They'll probably understand it better anyway, and won't be as much of a distraction to other people who are watching it.

I felt like I had been spoiled because I had watched all the trailers and stuff, but really I hadn't been spoiled too much and got surprised.  I want to see the movie at least two more times in the theaters.

Anyway, comment down below and tell me your thoughts on the movie(even if you haven't seen it).

God bless you!

Everything Made New

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

 Revelations 21:1-4

My sister is home again, and it is so odd, it feels like it was a dream that she was ever gone.  And she hasn't changed over the twelve days being gone in our dream land, England, Scotland, and Ireland.  But she ever so wants to go back there again, and take us with her.  And I'd love to once my books are finished.

Our church Youth group, which has been called the Edge for ten years, was shut down for a month.  There had been holes in the walls, lights that didn't work, and furniture that had holes in it so white cotton had been picked out of it and stuffed back in by the teens during small groups.

Today was the day we came back.  I was welcomed in by fellow teens, and I slowed my pace so that I could look around.  Everything was clean.  Black paint shone on the walls with a little shine.  Some of the steps to the second floor which had previously been gray, were now light blue.  One wall was red, most else black.  Things were rearranged, so differently.  Then I went into the auditorium.  They had a new fog machine, for there was fog everywhere.  I smiled.  We went to the front and began singing to God with the music of clean guitars and shining metal drums and keyboards, and young singers my age and older.  Something felt new.  It was as if our purpose was renewed.  The Lord's house was mended.  We felt even more reason to thank our maker.  It was dark, but only so that the lights could shine on us and warm us and help us know the contrast between the two.

I want God to make me new, continually.  He has already done so when I accepted His Son, but I want Him to make me new, with peace and joy and love like a rushing river, a bubbly fountain, and a raging ocean.  That living water flows in my spirit's veins.  I hope you are inspired by this to be new yourself, not to change your personality; nay, but to change how you act, to be more like Christ, His love, His Joy, his peace.  We are called to be peacemakers and yes it will be hard but it will be good when we do make peace.

We are called to love one another even if they are our enemies.  Don't villains love other villains who are nice to them?  And also, we are called to use the Joy of the Lord as our strength, to encourage one another and make them laugh, for laughter is good for us.

God encourage you and give you strength. :)

I wish it would rain again.  Well, you never know what may happen.  Perhaps it may snow as I have been wishing for ever since winter left us.

God bless you.  :D