A Christmas Prayer

A young girl, Caroline (Madeleine Cox), who is being raised by her widowed, Dad, Wes (Christopher Russell), has unshakable faith.  After losing her mom a few years ago, she trusts in Jesus, and by the request of her teacher, creates a list of Christmas prayers for others.  She prays for her mailman, who needs the funds to travel to see his daughter, a widow whose husband always brought her poinsettias and a schoolmate who is in need of a new coat and boots.  This unselfish child also prayed that her father would be happy, as he's lost his spirit when his wife passed.  

Natalie (Shae Robins) is an illustrator, who has been looking for some new Christmas inspiration.  She stumbles upon Caroline and her dad, literally, as she walked by them with her over-sized purse and accidentally knocked over their cups.  Natalie immediately begins to help clean up and apologized.  She noticed a paper that had dropped during the cleanup, which contained Caroline's prayer list.  Without knowing this list would become the inspiration Natalie decided to help make this little girl's prayers come true.  

Natalie, collected the funds needed for the mailman's plane ticket, secretly dropped off poinsettia plants to the window and bought new clothing for her schoolmate, wrapped it up and dropped it off at school to be given to the girl anonymously.  With these actions, she began writing and created a child's book about an angel who helps answer prayers.

Throughout the movie, happenstance brings Natalie, Caroline and her father together.  Natalie invites Caroline and Wes to her home to bake cookies; while there, Wes comes across Caroline's list.  Wes is upset as he feels Natalie may have been using his daughter for her own self-serving promotion and immediately leaves with his daughter.

Caroline, being the faith-filled child she is, tells her dad that she had known all along that Natalie was responsible for all of her prayers being answered, but that she knows that Jesus uses others to answer prayers.  

This faith-filled story will keep you inspired throughout the movie.  

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

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"The Man Who Saved Christmas"

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Based on the true story of A.C. Gilbert, a toy maker, during WWI.    

A.C. Gilbert (Jason Alexander), a toy maker, who is determined to continue making toys during WWI after the Government summoned him to use his factory for the war effort.  He lobbies the Government to allow toys to continue to be made.  His appeal to them was that children need to have hope and to play with things that will enhance their learning abilities.  BTW, A.C. Gilbert is the inventor of the Erector Set.

From what I understand,a number of the details in the movie are not accurate, but the gist of the story is what makes this movie more than just another Christmas flick.  It's about hope.  

The hope referred to in this movie emerges from the period of WWI; however, hope embraces all generations, especially at Christmastime. Hope brings us happiness.  

Just as back in WWI in 1918, we, as parents and grandparents, have an obligation to encourage our children and grandchildren to thrive and learn with hope, which is expectation, and with faith, which is trust.  

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see"

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Erector Set

Chemistry Set

The Auto Biography of A.C. Gilbert

The Man Who Saved Christmas

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IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE - 1947

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A drifter named Aloysius "Mac" McKeever (Victor Moore) skillfully has watched the comings and goings of a very rich business man named Mike O'Connor (Charles Ruggles).  Mac knows when Mr. O'Connor is living in his Northern residence and when he "snow birds" down South.  So Mac makes himself comfortable by staying in Mr. O'Connor's empty residences during the times of the year he is away.  

While Mac is staying at Mr. O'Connor's luxurious home in New York City, he meets a Veteran, Jim Bullock (Don DeFore), who has recently been evicted from a building owned by Mr. O'Conner.  Mac invites  him to stay with him, unbeknownst to Jim that Mac is staying there under false pretenses.  

One evening, someone enters the home and proceeds upstairs to a bedroom.  The unknown visitor happens to be the daughter of Mr. O'Connor, Trudy O'Connor, (Gail Storm), who has left school against her father's wishes.  She is startled when she realizes two men are in the house and are trying to stop her from what they think is stealing a fur coat.  

Mac and Jim question her, however she catches on very quickly that Mac is a drifter taking advantage of her family's home being empty for the winter.  She decides to keep her identity a secret and play along and tells them that she was desperate for something to wear because she was going on an interview.  Mac takes pity on her and asks her to stay.  She does, and it doesn't hurt that she also has an attraction for the veteran, Jim.  

This pretense starts snowballing, as Mr. O'Connor returns to NYC to find his daughter.  When he arrives home, she greets him immediately and somehow convinces him to play along.  She is upset with her father because he does not agree with her action of leaving school, as she wants to follow her own passion.  To add more "fuel to the fire", she contacts her mother, Mary O'Connor (Ann Harding) who is the estranged wife of Mike O'Connor.  Trudy knows her mother will take her side.  

At this point in the story, we have Mac, Jim, Trudy, Mike O'Connor and his estranged wife, Mary, all living and pretending in the same house.  The plot thickens as more people are invited to live in the house due to no available housing.  

This is an amusing, warm and heartfelt movie, as everyone begins to realize that Mac, the drifter, is full of wisdom and true kindness.  As time goes on each person learns a valuable life lesson that no amount of money that Mike O'Connor has could possibly have had the same wonderful impact on their lives.  

Proverbs 3:13 NIV

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for they are more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 

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Holiday Affair - 1949

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Connie Ennis, (Janet Leigh) who is a widowed, single mom, works as a "Comparison Shopper".   During a busy shopping day during the holidays, she approaches sales clerk, Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum) asking for a specific train set with no other questions and has the exact amount of money needed to pay for it.  Steve already suspects she is a "Comparison Shopper", but writes up the order and gives Connie the Train.

Steve was sure he was correct and wanted to turn her in; however, after she told him she was a widow and had a son, he felt guilty to do that to a single mother.  However, his supervisor notices what has happened and Steve loses his job, but buys the train for Connie's son, Timmy.

This begins a relationship between, Steve, Connie and Timmy, but Connie has a steady boyfriend that she was never really sure she loved.  He has been asking her to marry him and she never seems to be enthusiastic about the subject.  Steve, of course, is handsome, exciting and Timmy likes him.  (Timmy isn't comfortable with Connie's steady).  This creates a bit of an uncomfortable situation when the two happen to be at Connie's apartment together.    You know who "will get the girl".

This is an unusual story line, as physical Comparison Shoppers are almost a lost art, as most of us use the tools off of the internet.   It's a great movie, true to the period of the 1940s, from the hand-written sales slips to the seamed stockings.  

I watch it every year, just like I make sure to see all of my favorite Christmas Movies; however, this one along with a few others are from the 1940s; i.e., Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life and It Happened on 5th Avenue.   I find the era intriguing.  

Isaiah 40:31

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint"

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"Miracle on 34th Street" ....faith from an old 1947 classic.

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Children imagine Christmas as a magical time, and everyone seems to be just that little bit happier and kinder. The Christmas Cards, the traditional foods, the lights and decorations   make everything cozier. Holiday movies were enjoyed long before there was the Hallmark Channel; I still watch them. One in particular had a life lesson that sometimes we all need to be reminded of:

“Faith Is Believing When Common Sense Tells You Not To”

This was said to little Suzie Walker, a girl who was losing faith, by her Mother, Doris in “Miracle on 34th Street” – 1947 with Maureen O’Hara, John Payne and Natalie Wood.

We can’t always explain how things happen out of the blue, when we least expect it and after we resigned ourselves to giving up, but sometimes they do. Faith is believing when there is no tangible evidence; it’s what keeps you hoping. Logic doesn’t always have its way.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

"Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

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"Holiday Inn" ....a classic from 1942

An old Holiday Classic set in the coziest farmhouse covered in snow. In the distance you can hear sounds of jingle bells from the horse-drawn sleigh.

Jim, (Bing Crosby) a down-to-earth entertainer, turns an old farmhouse into an Inn that’s opened Holidays only.

Linda, (Margorie Reynolds), is a struggling entertainer just looking for a chance. She runs into a notable Agent at the florist shop she works in. She shrewdly convinces the Agent that it’s too late on Christmas Eve for his delivery, but she would be happy to make the delivery for a personal favor. The manager, to appease her, gives her Jim’s card telling her it’s a friend of his who is opening an Inn in Connecticut. The Agent also gives her a ticket to the show he’s having that evening.

That night when Linda arrives at the show she is seated at the band’s table where she meets Jim,. Jim was there to watch his friends’ performances before he leaves for Connecticut. There Linda and Jim both pretend to be more successful than they really are.

The following day, Linda who is thrilled at any chance of performing takes the train out to Connecticut on a snowy Christmas day When she arrives at “Holiday Inn, she runs into the owner, Jim. They both realize they were overstating their achievements when they met the night before at Ted’s, (Fred Astaire) and Lila’s, (Virginia Dale) show. They laugh together and Linda agrees that she doesn’t care if Jim pays her off in eggs, just give her a chance.

The Inn becomes a success, and Jim and Linda are very content and also are becoming very close. Until one New Year’s Eve when Ted gets a “Dear John” letter from Lila. Ted suddenly has no dancing partner, is feeling low and decides to go visit his old pal, Jim, in Connecticut. The competition then begins for the affections of Linda by Jim and Ted.

This is a movie of great dancing performances as it takes you through the year’s holidays as they are celebrated at the Holiday Inn. The best of course are the Christmas Holidays. The performances with Fred Astaire by both Virginia Dale and Marjorie Reynolds are outstanding! I especially love the Valentine’s Day performance.

Give this old flick another look. The farmhouse alone is enough to want to make you curl up with a nice warm cocoa, while watching twinkling lights and listening to Carrols.

Did you know that the Holiday Inn Hotel Chain is named from this 1942 classic?

1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NIV)

"But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that"

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