Monday, November 5, 2012

The Heart of Christmas



If you are like me, seeing Christmas decorations going up before Halloween is as scary as some of the decorations they sell for Halloween.  That part of Christmas I don't much care for.  The hype, the rush, the materialism and the pressure some people feel during the holiday season, is just well...... frightening.  It makes me almost sad that Halloween has become the precursor to the season leading up to Christ birth.  I am always amazed how soon it all seems to take place and how we overlap them. Well all except Nordstrom who will not be putting up Christmas til the day after Thanksgiving.  Good for them.  It makes me stop and think about what are we saying, what are we teaching and what is the meaning of it all really?  What is the preparation we have in our hearts to receive the message, the meaning and the reality of Christ's birth?  Would you be ready mentally, physically and spiritually if catastrophe hit your household?
It is also not everyday I get asked to review a movie.  Allied Integrative Marketing discovered me through this incredible web of social media and asked if I would watch and review, post and critique this movie called The Heart of Christmas.  Now, I am no critic nor do I pretend to be, so I thought this would be a fun thing to do.  Will this movie win an academy award?  Probably not, yet the message that transcends throughout the movie is award winning.
The story is about a family who learns their son has cancer and must undergo treatments, some very experimental treatments and long stays at St. Jude's Hospital for Children.  It is a story about cancer yes, but more importantly it portrays what the caregivers must go through when someone they love has cancer.  I can relate to this as I have undergone breast cancer treatments for the past year.  It gave me a greater appreciation for the loved ones, friends and support people who have prayed for me, brought me gifts, and kept my family fed while I was unable to even get out of bed.  The long exhausting hours the child and his family in the movie goes through, equals and reminds me of the suffering Christ went through for us.  The movie teaches us that living every moment you have with one another is so important today when none of us are guaranteed our next breathe.  It is a really good movie for families, sad in its content, but shows how one family comes together as their life seems to be crumbling apart.  Coming from the mother's perspective mostly, the movie shares what a mother can and will do for her child no matter the cost of money, time or effort.  The Heart of Christmas is about community and how people come together to join forces to help someone in need.  This movie sifts out the materialism we sometimes associate ourselves with at Christmas, and brings us back to the Joy that is within each of us.  The Joy of the Lord is our strength, our help in time of need, our fortress and stronghold, and our first love.  That joy that comes from within that shares God's heart when He shared Jesus with us.  The Heart of Christmas is a lovely film dedicated to share Christ with others which really is God's heart desire every day.
This movie helped me see that Christ's birth is at the heart of Christmas and I need to be celebrating His birth everyday.
To buy your DVD  click here  
To download digital format  click here 

1 comment:

  1. This is a great movie- I really enjoyed it! Although, I am a huge Matthew West fan, that may explain why I really, really liked it. Great music with a great message.

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