Tag: teenage Christian girl

Movie Review: Hope Lives (2022)

Q'Zion2 Comments

Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

Ecclesiastes 9:4 ~ New International Version (NIV)
Title: Hope Lives
Rated: PG
Director: Anthony Hackett
Release Date: 2022
Runtime: 1hr 53 min
Official Movie Description
An inspiring drama that shows the triumphs and pains of a group of high school students who are victims of bullying, and how one man can make a difference.

This Mother’s Day, me and my grandmother (who is more like my mother) checked PureFlix–a Christian film streaming channel–to see if they had added any intriguing movies for us to watch. We stumbled upon Hope Lives, a new movie that was just recently released. Although I was a little unsure of what to expect from the movie, it easily became one of the best films that I’ve ever watched.

The protagonist–who is played by the wonderful director, Anthony Hackett–lost his daughter as a result of bullying, which was revealed in the opening scene of the film. Dramatic start, I know. But hey; it is a drama, after all.

While Mr. Ryan is heartbroken due to what happened, I admire how he uses his experience for good by volunteering to form a club with high school students to discuss ways to stop bullying. The fact that the movie went so in-depth into the topic –without being violent or derogatory–was super refreshing to witness.

Each of the students that Mr. Ryan counsels experiences bullying in a different form, but we really get to know each of their stories and struggles, making every main character likeable and relatable over a really short period of time.

It really stood out to me that every highlighted victim of bullying eventually learned how to stand up for themselves in a way that didn’t include violence or inappropriate language; I think that it shows the people of today’s world that while you shouldn’t sit there and allow people to mistreat you, it is more effective to stand up for yourself without punching back (neither verbally, nor physically).

As the club members begin to build friendships with one another, the film begins to dive into other important topics such as body image, self confidence, and showing yourself respect just as much as you would expect it from others. The acting feels real (another great element of the movie) and I think that makes the smallest of moments that much more powerful and memorable.

Hope Lives (2022) is the utter definition of an emotional roller coaster. While there were many wholesome, funny moments, I also found myself frozen in shock and nearly in tears, at some points. It’s honestly amazing how this film is extremely family friendly and fun to watch, yet there are a lot of powerful moments that will likely sit with any viewer, regardless of age.

Every moment that I spent watching this film was a moment well spent. I thank God for letting me watch it in full with Goodmommy on her special day.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10 out of 10 stars)

Recommended Age: All Ages 10+

In closing, I would recommend this movie to absolutely ANYONE who is 10 years of age and older. It is powerful, inspirational, and a film that I believe everyone can get something special out of. This was a fantastic watch for both me and Goodmommy, and I would definitely watch it again, in the future.

Thank you so much for stopping at my corner of the Internet. God bless you all, and I will see you next time! Peace in! ✨

Does anybody remember these … ?

Q'ZionLeave a comment

This afternoon, I was doing nothing but watching TV, eating a snack, and talking to my Goodmommy and betta fish. Considering that I had no school work to do–aside from short study sessions for my up-and-coming up FSA tests–I decided to do something productive with a simple art project. And I already had an idea for what I wanted to make: an origami chatterbox.

Now, for those of you who are unaware of what a chatterbox actually is, I will explain: it’s a really fun game that you make out of folded paper. In the folds, you create little messages under different tabs, which range from number 1-8. Although chatterbox is my preferred name, they are also dubbed as fortune tellers, cootie catchers, whirlybirds, and more.

When I attended in-person public school from kindergarten to third grade, I used to see kids making these ALL THE TIME. I always found them super fascinating to look at, but I never learned how to make one–at least, if I did learn, I don’t recall LOL. That being said, today seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a few paper chatterboxes of my own. After a quick search through Google, I was able to find a simple tutorial on YouTube, and I got right to work!

Even though it took me two attempts to actually get the instructions, once I was able to complete one, I was on a roll. Chatterboxes are extremely fun to make considering that the instructions are simple, and they don’t require a large load of supplies. All that I used to make one was a piece of paper, Posca paint pens in four colors, and a pen.

My favorite part of the whole process is probably the decoration aspect. Either that, or adding quirky messages to each of the tabs. Adding the color to the game brings it all together, and makes it look more interesting compared to a bare piece of folded paper.

Each one of my 3 products has a different design. One has dots with inspirational messages, the second has flowers with icebreaker questions, and the third one has an 8 Ball design with short answers to simple questions that the player can ask.

It was a lot of fun to find a way to make each chatterbox unique in its own way–the more comfortable I got with making these, the more details I put into each one that I made.

This is a project that allowed me to incorporate a lot of creativity without being to demanding. Plus, it serves as a great game that I can play with my family and friends when we have some spare time on our hands. In the end, all three of my chatterboxes look super cute: I might even make a few more, after awhile.

Although I didn’t know what to expect before I started this art project, I must say that now I am a little obsessed LOL. Maybe it’s because I’m that type of person who really likes to fidget with things–I almost always have to be touching something. That’s why little trinkets like this are super satisfying to me. Not to mention the fact that they’re super fun to make!

Depending on the response that I get on this post, I may even make some more for you all, in the future.

LET’S CHAT~Have you ever heard of or seen a chatterbox? And if you have, have you ever made one?

Have a beautiful, blossoming, and blessed day, everybody! May God bless you all, and I’ll see you next time! ✨