Smuggled Identity, Short Film

Some of you are familiar with my brother's YouTube channel,

and are aware that they make short skits and films.

If not, you can read this post as well as this one, to get in the know.

 

I remind you of them because today I am excited to announce the release 

of our latest project and short film,

Smuggled Identity

 

 

 

Filmed this past spring, I was excited to have my first major, speaking role in this project!

Not only that, but I was brought on board with script writing and editing.

I'm pretty proud of the little work, comparatively, that I was able to contribute.

It was a lot of fun, and helped me better understand the world of filming

that these boys have set their sites on.

 

To date, this is the biggest undertaking they have tackled!

In total, it took about six days of filming, only two of which I was part of,

and countless hours of editing!

 

All around, we really enjoyed making this film!

My brothers were able to work out the fight choreography with friends, 

throw each other around the house, and in general just enjoy playing heroes and villains.

For me, it was fun to explore the emotions of being a bad guy.

I tried to take it seriously, and really put some effort into my performance.

 

What do you think?

Would Loki be proud?!

 I hope you enjoy!

It's Not About You: Single on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day.

I'm going to be honest and straightforward in this post.

This subject has been nagging at me for a few weeks now,

and I just can't keep quiet about it.

I want to address how single women are handling Valentine's Day.

Let me start by saying...

Valentine's Day is not about you.

Did you know that Valentine's Day was established in remembrance

of a man who was executed for his beliefs?

He wrote sweet notes to those he cared about because he knew he was going to die.

This man was willing to die for something he believed in,

but today this fact gets glazed over with chocolate and roses.

Something else different in the approach to modern Valentine's is that

single women everywhere use this day to bemoan their relationship status.

If we don't have that special someone,
we tend to congregate in groups and celebrate our friends instead.

Sure we have a good time.

But you know what? We all sit at the table as hypocrites.

 We try to pretend this is good enough, that we are happy to be with our friends,

when really, it is all a great big facade we use to drown out our woe-is-me pity party.

I've celebrated a few Valentine's with girlfriends, and genuinely had a good time!
But this year something shifted and I saw things differently.

Imagine your best friends are getting married,

but instead of letting them have their day, you and and your girlfriends

decide to have your own party because none of you are getting married.

Do you see how petty, childish and self centered that sounds?

"I just wish I had someone to give me flowers and take me out."

Let's be honest with each other, what we are really saying is,
"I wish I had someone to celebrate me."

Women have made Valentine's Day all about them!

It is all about your man celebrating you and showing you just how special you are.

Not only is that selfish, it sounds dangerously akin to idolatry.

Valentine's Day is not about you.

Did you know that you have chosen to be single?

Yes.

Your singleness is a choice.

You may look at is from the perspective that the right guy just hasn't come along.

 But pay attention to a set of words in that sentence...right guy.

This implies that there has been a wrong guy.

This implies at one point you made a choice...'I don't want him, he isn't right.'

At that moment you chose to be single.

Singleness is not something that is thrust upon you, it isn't a disease... it is a choice.

If you were given the chance to go with someone on a trip, but decided not to,
then spent the rest of your time bemoaning the fact that you weren't going on a trip somewhere,
wouldn't that seem a little foolish and fickle?

As silly as that may sound in the that context,
that is how many single women approach Valentine's Day.

There are plenty of fellas out there who would snatch you up,
you could probably pick one up at Wal-Mart!

While they may not be what you want, you are still making that choice to be single.

If you have a hard time with being single on Valentine's Day,

I would challenge you to scrutinize yourself.

Just because you are single doesn't mean you have no purpose...

it doesn't mean you can't live a life of joy and meaning now...

and it doesn't mean you are an incomplete person.

If you are an incomplete person without a relationship,

then that is your own shortcoming, and you need to work through

some issues because no relationship is ever going to complete you.

Another point I would like to make.

Stop for a moment and look around.
You live in a point of history that is truly amazing.

If one stops to listen to what the men of God and prophets are saying,
it doesn't take a theologian to know we are living in extraordinary times.

And those times are growing short.

Jesus is coming back...and it may be very soon.

The world has grown cold,

and we are in the winter seasons of the world's time.
Things are shifting, changes coming that may
forever alter the comfortable world we live in.

Yet we focus so much on temporal things.

Yes, we all long for companionship, myself included!
But I'm convinced God knows our needs (Matt. 6:8)
and He longs to meet them. (Is. 30:18; Phil. 4:19).
If we know this to be true, we can likewise be assured that
if we haven't been given a significant other,
it must be that God does not see that as our most pressing need.


~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Hairspray and Terrorists!

Have you ever wondered what my voice sounds like?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but your aren't going to find out today.

Because the voice you get to hear in this latest ShootIt video

is my best 'news anchor' voice, and frankly, I don't think it sounds a thing like me...*coughs*

Anyway,

if you are having a case of the Mondays, watch this video!

I just love the skit in this episode, I laughed so hard.

AND...the cute guy who does the Fun Fact sequence?

That is my amazing photographer brother responsible for all my Refashion Runway pics!

By the way,

just thought you might be interested in knowing that,

according to these tests, White Rain hair spray was the most flammable while Aussie was the least. 

This made me happy, since I love Aussie products!

 

Thanks for watching, tune in later this week for more goings on at Gladness of Heart!

From the Bogus News Network, signing off, this is Blair Loudly. ;)

Day #7: Encouragement!

 Encouragement.

That comes in many different forms,

but for me personally, I have found that the right words (and a hug) can make all the difference.

So today I'll keep it simple and share with you a few of my favorite

encouraging words brought you by Pinterest.

You can view my entire board of encouraging and thought provoking words here.

 

 

 

 

 

 Oh, and that hug I mentioned?

Here it is.

You're welcome.

Even better, watch this video about the Free Hug Campaign,

it made me smile SO big!!

 Seriously, watch this heart warming video!

And finally....

 

Go forth into your day with vorfreude!

~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Day #5: Review of Star of Bethlehem DVD

Isn't it funny how your plans change?

I say that, because originally I wasn't going to do today's prompt
from the Blog Everyday in February Challenge- I had intended to share
a refashion with you.
Well, my last refashion was kind of a flop and my plans got changed
this past weekend so I didn't have the time I needed to get to the sewing machine.

But then on Sunday my family watched the movie I am about to share with you,
and it moved me so much that I decided to share it with you!

The movie I'm talking about is Star of Bethlehem and actually it is a documentary.
I am sometimes afraid to use the word documentary because,
while good, it often makes one think boring.
And that is far from the case with this one!
It is so well done that you never get bored,
it draws you in and keeps you interested the entire time.
Here is the general description of the film.


 "For centuries, skeptics and seekers alike have pondered the star of Bethlehem. 
The Bible describes unusual or even impossible astronomical events at Christ's birth. 
Was it a miracle or mere myth? 
This compelling DVD - from producer Stephen McEveety ("The Passion of the Christ") - examines Scripture, ancient writings, indisputable astronomical facts and more. 
Learn nine specific features of the star recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, 
how it established a date for Jesus' birth and death . . . and its significance for you today!"

We were first introduced to the Star of Bethlehem the Christmas season of 2012, I believe.

But just this week I viewed it for a second time and was again amazed.

I remember being shocked by the amazing presentation and in tears the first time I saw it.

This second time I was again amazed and in awe of the intricacy of the plans of God.

You can watch the film, in what I believe to be its entirety,
at this Youtube link. Or just watch the one I embedded below.

Even though you can watch the film online, I highly recommend owning your own copy,

especially since there is an interesting and significant clip in the bonus features that is not in the film.

You can purchase the DVD here.

You can also visit the official website http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ to learn more.

 It is mind boggling to me that God put all of these events into place before

He even created the heavens and the earth.

It made me stop and think about my life.

Why in the world should I worry about my life,

what I should be doing, where I should go?!

Who is man?

God orchestrated this great celestial poem and dance of the heavens

long before man even had the tools and where-with-all to be able to see it!

We think we are so great and important.

That our lives are of utmost importance and it would be terrible if we wasted it.

But we are so very small. And He is so very, very vast.

What is my life in the whole expanse of history?

If God can so perfectly execute the exact events, and details

prophesied about His son in scripture and cause situation

and circumstance to correlate, even including the variable of mankind in the mix,

and still accomplish it all to the precise minute, place and time;

why should I worry that I'm where I need to be?

It made me see how silly my worries are, and how in charge

and in control God really is!

I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

If you champion science over the Bible,

 you will see that both can coexist and indeed one supports the other;

If you don't believe that Jesus was the Son of God,

I challenge you to make that statement after having watched this piece.

And if you are a believer, your faith and the borders of your image of God
will explode and be greatly expanded!

~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Sooooo,
a little something happened back in November, that I kinda forgot to share with you.
Yeah, well...I made it onto the big screen!
Ok, maybe not really.
But my brothers did wrangle me into playing a role for their show on YouTube called ShootIt.

My three oldest brothers (all younger than me, but they are the oldest boys...make sense? Ok.)

are aspiring film makers, they have made several shorts,

entered a few contests, and one of their commercials even won first place.

They are still small, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Well, in this video you get to see me in rare form...seriously,
keep in mind I was acting, this is very out of character for me!
Or at least out of character when it comes to what I let the public see. :)
 So please, don't judge me based on my performance here...
truth be told I'm a bit embarrassed and nervous to share it with you,
but, you know, you gotta support the boys and I've put it off long enough already!

So really,

this whole post could be summed up quite fittingly...The Things We Do For Family!

Enjoy, or just...err...don't disown me! Haha!

Monday Melodies: Granuaile's Dance

Happy Monday all!

Can you believe this is the last Monday of July?

Wow, how time flies!

Today I'm going to share with you not only a be-a-u-tiful song,

but also the must see live performance by Mairead Nesbitt of Celtic Women.

I just love to watch her flit and float across the stage,

so caught up in her performance and love of the music!

She gives movement to the music, and soul to the notes.

This is the way real music is meant to be played!

I hope you enjoy it.

Oh....

and feel free to dance!

~Me~

Granuaile's Dance

Smile Friend and Do A Little Jive

So,

did you know this week was Make a Friend Smile week?!

How fun!

I found out just in time to share a smile with you!

Here is a video I found a long time ago, and just restumbled upon today.

It was so good I wanted to share it with you!

I mean come on, dancing (one of my favorite things!) and cute babies (another favorite thing!)?!

Don't think it gets much better.

So here is lookin' at you kid!

I hope it makes you smile!

~Me~

Two Year Old Dancin' the Jive



Blimey Cow Film Contest Top 10, We made it!

Yay!

We are excited around here.

For a few years now, my brothers have been interested in filming,

and have produced several short videos and entered contests as well.

Their most recent endeavour was an entry into

The Blimey Cow 72 Hour Film Festival Contest

and yesterday we, were so pleased to find out that their video

placed 7th among their Top 10 video, out of a total of 230 entries!!

Whoo hoo!!

If you have never heard of Blimey Cow or Messy Mondays,

you MUST visit their Youtube channel.

They put out weekly videos, that will make you laugh and think at the same time.

Here is the announcement video of the Top Ten,

which includes links to the videos mentioned.

My brothers' video is Final Burn, have a look!



Have a great day y'all!

~Me~

A Liter of Light

Oh my goodness!

I just came across this video today while doing some Pinterest surfing

(not sure how I stumbled upon this one exactly...it was one of those bunny trails.)

I have not heard of seen of this being done before, but what a greatly brilliant discovery!

A cheap way to generate light from recycled bottles and liquids we all have

around the house!

Granted this wouldn't be quite so easy to incorporate here in the US

considering our house structures and the huge roofs we have,

BUT,

this is still a very useful thing to know in the event of economic changes

or

an outreach a church group could do while on a missions trip!

Anyway....

My mind was illuminated with this video,

Enjoy!

~Me~



Waka Waka Dance

This song couldn't wait until next Monday, I wanted to share it with you now!

My good friend (the one I did the Henna with) shared this song with me

last week and I have been listening to it lots since.

It has a great beat and it is fun to watch

some of the African style dancing.

BUT...

I took it a 'step' further than that and found some dance videos

so I can could do my own dancing!

I found lots of dance routines and tutorials to this song,

but I am sharing the ones I thought had the best moves and video quality.

Zumba dance moves!

This one was a little bit harder to follow the moves,

but I love the beginning steps and motion and

the waka waka part is more like the official

music video.

This one has some interesting moves too.

I think this may be my new exercise routine!

So get warmed up and

d*a*n*c*e!

~Me~

Kirby Everyday

Did your mommy teach you to share when you were a child?

Yeah. Mine too. :)

Today I found something I wanted to share with you!


KirbyEveryDay Weekly Videos

"A day in the life of an after school program intern, condensed to four minutes," is the description on these videos. It is a hilarious blog-type video, play by play of her day. So far she has only posted five videos, but each one is a comedy gem! I love her humour style and the randomness of these vids! Nuff said, watch it!

Here is the link to her youtube channel page!