Tag: for families

Thanksgiving Recap | 2022

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Hey, everyone! My name is Princess Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, which depending on where you live, may or may not have been yesterday! It recently dawned on me that I hadn’t even posted any Thanksgiving-themed posts on my blog, this year. And since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (after Christmas and my birthday) that’s going to change today.

I decided to write a Thanksgiving recap by listing what I did to spend Thanksgiving of 2022. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Said a Thanksgiving prayer. Like we do every night and everyday before we leave the house, me and Goodmommy said a prayer thanking God for some of the things that we are thankful for during Thanksgiving afternoon. And I just have to say that the weather was absolutely perfect.

2. Celebrated Goodmommy’s birthday. Yes. Yes Goodmommy’s birthday is on Thanksgiving, which is like one of the best birthday’s ever (after Christmas, that is.) The only place we went to yesterday was my family’s house, but the day before I bought her two pairs of tennis shoes along with some Happy Birthday balloons. Goodmommy really appreciated all of her gifts, and I was so grateful to be able to make her b-day the best one yet!

3. Caught up with family. Like every major holiday of the year, I spent Thanksgiving at my great-grandmother’s house. And while I see Bigma all the time, it had been about a year since I’d seen my little cousins. I probably could have taken so many more photos, but being around family makes your devices a lot less important. But honestly, I think that’s just how the day was supposed to go.

4. Eat some soul food (and dessert). While Goodmommy had made some chicken and veggie soup the night before Thanksgiving–which smelled and tasted SO GOOD–I didn’t end up actually eating some until Thanksgiving night. At Bigma’s house, I had a plate of mac and cheese, yellow rice, and a couple of Bigma’s meatballs (which are that one thing that I make sure to have every holiday; they’re the best.) I topped off my meal with a piece of vanilla cake, and I ended up having a second slice about an hour later. There was also some apple pie, but I loved the cake so much that I forgot to have a slice. Although I don’t usually eat that type of food (only on special occasions) I had a great time eating my favorite soul foods.

5. Watched a party game. Some of my family members enjoyed the evening with a game called The Upside Down Challenge. It’s where you have to wear these funny glasses that turn your view upside down (so peoples’ heads are facing downwards) and you have to try to do simple tasks with them on. Some examples were drawing a star or crushing a cup with your foot. As the ambivert I am, I preffered to just sit down and watch. But I enjoyed seeing my family members have a fun time.

6. Recounted my blessings. At the end of the day, Thanksgiving stays true to its name. Yesterday was a time for me to thank God for his sacrifice on the cross, and everything that He has blessed me with. And if you ask me, that was one of the highlights of the entire day.

I hope you all enjoyed seeing how I spent this year’s Thanksgiving, and I pray that you all had one that was just as wonderful! And please don’t forget to begin putting up your Christmas decorations–now that Thanksgiving Day of 2022 is over, the Christmas season has arrived. Please let me know in the comments, what was your favorite part of this Thanksgiving? I would love to hear from you!

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless you all, and I’ll see you next time! Peace in! And don’t forget that truly, everyday is Thanksgiving! ♡

Book Review #4: Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

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BOOK INFORMATION

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Middle Grade (MG), roughly for kids between 10 to 14 years old

Pages: 352

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

SYNOPSIS

Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.

And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can’t wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn’t placed in one of the five covens. She’s a Spare!

Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn’t work! They’re stuck as Witchlings―and will lose their magic.

Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they’ll gain their full powers. If they fail… Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.

But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…

MY TAKEAWAYS

The purchase of this middle grade novel during a long-awaited visit to my favorite book store (see that post HERE) was very impulsive and based on three factors; I loved the cover art, I loved the synopsis, and I saw the stellar reviews. But it was a quick decision that I’m very grateful I made.

I honestly loved Witchlings a lot more than I expected to. A story filled with important lessons, tons of funny moments to keep readers laughing, and wholesome, well-developed characters, I think many more bookworms of all ages will find this a very rewarding read.

While I loved so much about this book, I have to admit that after the character introduction and Seven, Thorn, and Valley (the Spare coven) were assigned with their impossible task, the plot was a little uneventful and flat for a while–maybe the first 100 pages or so. Even so, I really wanted to keep going to see if the plot would enfold. And I wasn’t disappointed, as the fantasy adventure soon got off the ground.

There are a few epic magic duels, but I like how the author kept them family appropriate and fairly brief—even while using them to keep the novel action-packed and exciting.

After Seven and Valley–who was once her bully–decided to put their differences aside and work together, the entire story seemed to take flight through its many surprises, cliffhangers, and plot twists that kept me at the edge of my seat. Literally though, I was unable to put it down towards the end and read the final 150 pages—if not a little more—in one sitting. At this point in the journey I really came to an understanding of the meaning of each noted character and event–everything begins to click to create an impactful (yet heartfelt) ending.

The amount of character development among each of the main characters was a really great element of the story. As Seven’s bond with Thorn and Valley gets stronger, she seems to drift away from her former best friend Poppy, who stopped talking to her since she got into House Hyacinth, the coven of Seven’s dreams. It really proved that we can form the strongest bonds with the most unlikely (or different) people, and other times, friends go onto different paths. And that’s okay! If and when that happens, we should move on in love.

Me and the characters alike learned the importance of selflessness, never giving up (even through fear), facing intolerance head-on, forgiving and learning to love those who have hurt you, speaking up when you see someone you love being mistreated, and to cherish every moment as if its your last. I would agree that the protagonist, her friends, and her family serve as great role models to kids.

As my conclusion, Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega is a humorous, exciting, and magical adventure that kids and adults alike can enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am praying that a sequel will come out in the next couple years. If you are a fan of the show The Owl House, the Harry Potter series or other teen prodigy magic-filled adventures, this one is for you.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5, 5 being the best of the best)

Recommended Age: for readers 10 or 11+

Thank you so much for reading, my fellow bookish friends! God bless you all, and peace in! ♡

5 Ways to Make the Most of This Easter Sunday

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Hey, y’all–Happy Thursday! Good Friday is tomorrow, and Easter is literally just a few hops away. April 17th is when we celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when He died on the cross, rose 3 days later, and now lives to this day. Not to mention the cheerful colors, quality time with family, and delicious candy–especially the chocolate. 😋

Do you need some tips on how to make to make the most of this Easter? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

1. Attend a Church Service

Before you do anything Easter related, Jesus should come first, as what He did for us is the main reason why we celebrate this holiday in the first place. There’s no way to celebrate Easter like learning the Word of God and His declaration of love that will last forever more. Even if you can’t attend church physically, there are many services that will be streamed to allow you and your family to celebrate the reason for the season at home.

2. Customize Easter Eggs with Family

Come on, now–some of the best parts of holidays are the fun, classic traditions. And decorating Easter eggs is one example of many. What I love about Easter egg activities is that you can execute them in so many ways; a backyard Easter egg hunt, an egg decorating competition, Easter egg relay races. In other words, the possibilities are endless!

3. Bake a Festive Cake

Even if you aren’t the type of person who’s in the kitchen every week, Easter is the perfect opportunity to get your hands into a baked treat for your family. You can even crank up the fun by baking with some of your family members. Besides, when you bake a cake, you also get to make it look pretty…and then eat it with the ones you love. Family time and a slice of cake? Count me in!

4. Watch Movies to Celebrate the Reason for the Season

In order to understand the reason why we celebrate Easter, a good way to spend Easter Sunday could be to have a movie marathon of some faith-filled movies about Jesus’ life and resurrection. And some classic feel-good movies won’t hurt either. “The Star” “Hop” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” are just a few of many great options.

Recommended Post: 5 Faith-Filled Movies Every Christian Needs to See

5. Send ‘Happy Easter!’ Cards

One of my favorite ways to celebrate any of the main holidays (New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) is to send cards to spread the love. A card with a message as simple as something like “Happy Easter” or “Thinking of you on Easter” can surely put a smile on someone’s face. You can even send the card virtually! A big part of Easter is spreading the love of God to others who are in our hearts and in our community. One card can certainly help our strive to do so!

I absolutely love Easter, so I thoroughly had fun with sharing some ways to make this Easter Sunday the best one yet. In all things, remember to be thankful for what Jesus did for us, spread God’s love, and have lots of fun, overall! Easter is a celebration that we can all pitch into. So let’s make the most of it!

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everybody! See you later! ✨

5 Faith-Filled Movies that Every Christian Teen Needs to See

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At times, it can be a little difficult to find a genuinely good movie as a Christian teen, or even a Christian, in general. As followers of Christ, we want something that will teach us life lessons about God’s glory, grace and faithfulness, all while giving us characters that allow us to see parts of ourselves, experiences that we may have faced or be facing, and a plot line that keeps us on the edge of our seats

Watching movies that can teach us about the Lord are always worth a watch, but there are many films that attempt to do so, only to produce a boring result. Yes, we are Christians. And that being said, we still want to see impactful movies that replenish our want to know more about our Heavenly Father.

That’s exactly why I will be listing 5 faith-filled movies that every Christian teenager (and family) needs to watch. Make sure you grab those tissues, because some tearjerkers are present.

5. Summer Snow (2014)

Summer Snow is about a little girl named Halle, along with her newly-single father, her older teenage brother , and her older sister who was recently engaged to be married–all of which are adjusting to life without their mother and wife, a woman of faith who recently passed due to cancer. This is easily one of the best Christian movies that I’ve ever watched. The acting in this film is incredible, and the theme about faith in God develops steadily throughout the whole film. Everything in this movie makes it a must-watch for viewers of all ages.

4. Facing the Giants (2006)

Quite a few years have passed by since I’ve watched this one, but I do remember really liking it and appreciating the message about how through our faith, God can help us face the giants; the struggles that we may face. The protagonist is a high school football coach who uses his faith to battle the giants in his personal life and that of his students.

Not to mention that it is directed by the Kendrick Brothers, who make some of the most amazing films for believers. Me and Goodmommy–my grandmother and guardian– have a place in our hearts for a number of their movies, including “War Room” “Fireproof” “Courageous” and another that I will be listing later on. Facing the Giants is a sweet and heartfelt movie with a thought-provoking lesson that can last a lifetime.

3. Raising Izzie (2012)

First off, let me say that I am loving the diversity of this film–movies about adopting orphaned children, especially children of a different race, tend to catch my attention. A little girl named Izzie and her older sister, Gerty, are adopted by a couple who can’t conceive. When the wife, who is also Gerty’s teacher, learns about their situation, she convinces her husband to adopt the two girls, only for the loving new mother to enter a coma.

This movie is very realistic with some of the characters who are struggling with faith and others who have an undying faith in God. The whole story is extremely family-oriented with a strong example of sisterly bonds and an entertaining plot to keep you at the edge of your seats.

2. Miracles from Heaven (2016)

Oh my Jesus! Let. Me. Tell. You. This movie deserve 1,000 awards, because it is everything that you could want in a Christian film. The little girl is named Anna, who has recently contracted a seemingly incurable disorder that prevents her from properly digesting food. After surviving a head-down fall inside a tree, Anna retells the story of how she took a visit to heaven. Her family is soon shocked to see that she is suddenly showing signs of healing from her condition. This whole movie will make even the strongest people cry, both with sadness and joy with its theme that God is a miracle worker. And the best part…it’s a true story.

1. Overcomer (2019)

I watched Overcomer with Goodmommy just weeks after it was released for my birthday…and we both absolutely loved it. Recently, we rewatched the movie, and our opinions still stand. Like I recently stated about another movie on this list, one of my favorite elements of this film is the diversity and amount of representation. It is centered around Hannah Scott, a 15-year-old girl with asthma who is an aspiring runner. Highschool basketball coach and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, soon begin to train Hannah for the biggest race of her life.

This has got to be my favorite movie by the Kendrick Brothers; it’s almost as if they get better and better during each release. The acting is spot-on, with a performance that is bound to make you emotional. Hannah is a wonderful lead and example for teens and kids of all ages with her love for the Lord as she evolves throughout the movie. Overcomer has converted non-believers to Christianity, and I can’t deny that it’s a movie that everyone should see. Believe me when I tell you that you won’t regret it.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this list of Christian movies for all teens and families. Sharing my faith with others is always a blessing, and watching movies centered around Christianity is one way to grow our relationship with the Lord. These films are definitely top-tier, and I pray that they fill your heart with a growing faith and love for God.

Question of the Day: Have you ever watched any of these films? If not, do you have any family-friendly Christian movie recommendations for me?

Thank you so much for reading! Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! Always remember that God is love! ❤️