This may be one of my favorites for the season . . . for one . . . Rob Lowe. For another . . . the wilds of Africa. Kristin Davis gives a solid, believably performance. And, did I mention, Rob Lowe? Holiday in the Wild (you can watch the preview by clicking on the […]
Christmas Movie Review: The Christmas Contract (2018)
A Christmas movie set in the bayou . . . proof that even in warmer weather one can experience a sparkly and wonderful holiday. In The Christmas Contract, we have the quintessential “I need a date for Christmas so my family doesn’t think I’m a failure” scenerio. But that’s where the “oh, yeah, that” ends. […]
Christmas Movie Review: The Noel Diary (2022)
What is Christmas without 1) a Richard Paul Evans novel, and 2) a Richard Paul Evans movie. Throw in Justin Hartley, some snow, a dog named Ava (close!), the lovely Bonnie Bedelia, the beautiful Barrett Doss, and a search for truth . . . and you have a great film. I had seen this movie […]
Christmas Movie Review: A Christmas in Vermont
A Christmas in Vermont released in 2016 as a TV movie. It enjoys some big-name actors: Chevy Chase (in a Scrooge-type role), Howard Hesseman (absolutely adorable with a cute puppy), and Morgan Fairchild–who seemed a little pumped up with collagen. Brief overview: A city executive (Abigail Hawk) is sent to a small town in Vermont […]
Christmas Movies (October 1, 2025)
Something strange happened to me last month. I started watching Christmas movies, which I typically do not watch . . . or like . . . or tolerate (unless, of course, we’re talking The Santa Clause with Tim Allen or White Christmas with Bing and Danny and Rosemary and Vera-Ellen, or (of course) It’s a […]
The Story Behind the Picture: A Boat on the Galilee
We began our day, on that first morning of my second trip to Israel–the one in which Miriam, a Jewish woman, and I, a Christian woman, would “walk the land together”–with a hearty meal. The night before we’d stayed at wonderful hotel, Nof Ginosar, along the Sea of Galilee, then woke to enjoy one of […]
A Vacation in Plains, Georgia
When I was a teenager, my father worked for Former President Jimmy Carter. Or, as he was at that time, Governor Carter. I never actually met him, but my father, who was (at that time) an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, spoke highly of him as a person. Not so much as a […]
The Mystery of Barbara B (reprised)
I met Barbara B. when we were twelve years old and both attended the same church camp. You know the kind. Set out in the middle of the woods. Unpainted plank cabins with row upon row of cots separated by tiny end tables stretch from screened walls of windows to screened walls of windows. These […]