Reagan Movie Review

This short review was written by Isabel Bryant

Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan

I recently went to see the movie Reagan, and it was phenomenal. Dennis Quaid stars as Reagan and he does such a wonderful job portraying him. There will be some spoiler’s so maybe do not read this until after you see the film. I tried to leave out some things to keep it a surprise!

Also, the entire audience got up and clapped after the movie, and it was truly an amazing and empowering thing to see.

There are many things I want to note about this movie, so let’s dive in!

The Media

You may be saying to yourself, “I did not even know this movie was in theaters.”

You can blame the media for that. They have been censoring it. Facebook has even admitted to censoring the trailer and advertisements for this movie! They even shut down the official page of the movie twice! (You will never convince me the media is not biased)

If you don’t believe me, click here!

With the media censoring everything, it is hard to know about this movie!

If you are just now hearing about it, I will link the trailer here!

Facts about Ronald Reagan

I never knew much about Ronald Reagan, but I learned a lot. Here were some really neat facts I learned throughout the movie!

1. His nickname was Dutch

2. He was married twice

3. He had a child die young

4. He was an actor

5. He got Alzheimer's disease and eventually died from it

6. Reagan ran for office many times, starting with Governor of California

7. In the election of 1980, the entire USA almost went red

8. Reagan was a Lifeguard in his younger years

9. America was closer to a nuclear war with Russia than people may realize!

10. He was a Democrat until he ran for political office and switched to a Republican

11. Reagan loved horses

You may have knew these facts already, but I did not, It was really neat to learn all of these.

The Election Map Results of 1980!

The Plot (SPOILERS)

The movie began by showing you how “Dutch” grew up, but his story was being told by Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent. Viktor is telling the story of Reagan to an aspiring younger agent. The movie shows how Reagan rose to fame from his movies, and how he became the President of the Screen Actors Guild. He had a heart for politics and was trying to speak out on political issues any time he could. Many people around him did not appreciate this, remember this is Hollywood. After his first wife divorced him, his acting career began to slowly die. He later met Nancy Reagan, who was a sweet and supportive woman, and they were soon married. Something I did not know was Reagan was a Democrat, before running for Governor of California. Reagan saw the agenda of the Communist and wanted to put a stop to it. Communist thinking and ideas were beginning to be pushed in America subtly by the Democrats.

When asked why he left his party, he responded, “I did not leave them, they left me.”

Reagan ran for Governor of California as a Republican Candidate and he won. He soon decided he wanted to run for President. In 1968, Reagan ran for the Presidential race, and lost to Nixon. However, he did not give up. Reagan ran again in 1980 and won. I am sure you all know this but there was an assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan. He was shot by John Hinckley Jr. One of the assassin's bullets ricocheted off of Reagan’s car, and hit him under the left armpit. His Secret Service immediately jumped into action and some of them were also wounded in the process.

After the first term, Reagan decided to run again for President in 1984 and won a second term. Being known for his wits and his kind personality America grew to love him. He was one of the greatest President’s in American history and was known for his Berlin Wall Speech.

Reagan lived out the rest of his days at home with his wife in California. Sadly, he contacted Alzheimer's disease and eventually passed away from it.

The movie really tore at my heart strings and was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Dennis Quaid did an amazing job portraying him in the film.

Similarities Today?

After watching this movie, I was in shock. Back then, Communism was beginning to be slowly pushed in America, and that was something Reagan noticed. While he fought for peace, he was well aware of the communist’s agenda. How does this apply today?

Look at Communist countries like China, do you see God being the center in any of their schools, families, and even churches? They are told what to even preach at church. Everything is censored.

The Communist counties, begin to take their citizen’s rights away slowly, until they have nothing. America has taken God out of schools, and the traditional family values are no longer encouraged. Another example was during COVID. The government tried to force us all to get a vaccine during COVID, and some jobs were firing people rejected taking it. People were not allowed to leave their homes either.

The Democrats want to take away our right to bear arms, while those in power get to keep them. In Communist countries, they take away everyone’s way to defend themselves and only those in power are allowed to have them. If you need an example, Kamala Harris has said that we need gun control, but she said at the debate she is a gun owner. How is that fair at all?

Don’t believe me?

Watch this video:

This is literally happening today in America. Sounds like it is getting to be more of a socialist country.

Next is the assassination attempt on Trump, Trump has had not one attempt but two assassination attempts against him. The question is, will people wake up like they did in 1980 and vote red…or will they harden their hearts to God.

It is commonly understood that the Republican party most aligns with the Word of God, wouldn’t it be such an amazing thing to see if almost all the states turned red this election?

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to say that this movie is a must see. You can wait for it to come out on DVD, if you want to save some money. However, I am unsure if it will be added to Prime Video or streaming services since the leftist agenda tries so hard to censor anything leaning more to the right side. (Again, more Communist tactics being implemented into America today.)

I learned so much from this movie and I see so many similarities to today’s time. It really breaks my heart to see that America has strayed away from God. We used to be, “one nation under God” now people do not even believe in God anymore.

If you are free this weekend, find a movie theater near you and watch Reagan! Again, you need to check because only select theaters are playing this!

If you end up going, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

ALSO, fun fact.. Dennis Quaid is voting for Trump.

After The Debate:

This post is to see where everyone’s head is. The Presidential debate was yesterday. We did a poll that closed yesterday to see who you all would vote for. It was a fun experiment. The results were shared last night before the debate. I want you ladies to know that this next poll is again, something interactive to add to these blog posts. Many ladies loved the poll and wanted to do another. If you have comments on the debate, feel free to leave them below in the website comment section!

Did your vote change after watching the debate? If so, why? Why are you voting for the candidate you selected?

There is no requirement to participate in this poll, it is a neat experiment for the ladies within the CCW group. There will not be an option of neither. I posted on that last Friday and believe wholeheartedly in voting. Please pray for America and our future. Again, if you want to leave a comment regarding the debate, feel free to leave one below!

The Results…

These are the results from the poll done last Friday! No names are written down and it is just the results! Please be kind, even if others voted for someone you do not agree with!

Some ladies wanted to see the polling numbers. Please keep in mind, the numbers are still steadily coming in and I am closing the poll tonight at 8:00PM. I am posting a new poll tomorrow so be on the lookout. Trump definitely won, as we are a conservative page and group so we knew that was going to happen. However, it was still interesting to see the results! Be on the lookout for the new poll tomorrow!

Trump Vs. Kamala Poll

This was the poll done on Friday. The poll had over 680 responses and they are still steadily coming in!

The Numbers:

TRUMP- 663

KAMALA-23

INDEPENDENT-17

*this data is still steadily coming in so it is still changing. Closing the poll tonight at 8PM.

Trump or Kamala?

As election month nears, I wanted to cover this topic as I feel it is important.

Fill out this poll if you’d like! Your name is not listed, and it is just for the purposes of this post.

I want to preface this post by saying that I am not having you do this poll to see who is with what party. I cannot see the names of anyone, only the results. It is just something fun to add to engage everyone on this post, but I do urge you to consider who you are voting for and make sure they align with the Word of God as much as possible.

Why Your Voice Matters

by Isabel Bryant

While I understand politics can be a dirty game, this has been on my heart and I wanted to share. 

As election month nears, there is much anxiety between both parties. We do not know what the future holds for us, and the next four years could be a rough four years. There are wars going on all around us, prices are skyrocketing, and it seems impossible for younger people to get ahead at all financially. In the media, you hear so many different opinions, you cannot even trust the news to give you an unbiased report. The world is a mess, and we are clearly a country under judgment. I say this because, all you have to do is look around everywhere you go. There is a lack of respect for the Lord, and even less people now have a true relationship with Him. A lot of Christians have been silent and it is time to speak now more than ever.

The passage below is from Romans 1:21-32 (NIV). Our pastor actually went over this passage on Wednesday with us all and it truly defines America today.

If you take the time to read it, it sounds exactly like the world we currently live in. It is a dark and wicked time. Sin is praised and worshiped on the daily. Read it, and compare it to modern day America… does it seem similar?

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Romans 1:21-32 (NIV)

After reading that passage, my heart was stirred. America used to be known for their love for the Lord... what happened? Now days when people look at America, sometimes I think they do see that we are gossips, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful, disobedient to our parents (a lot of people do not even have both parents today), no understanding, no fidelity, no love, and no mercy. Americans have strayed far from the Lord.

Americans have turned their hearts away from the Lord and you can see it everywhere. Millions of babies are brutally murdered every year, people no longer know their own gender, there is a massive homeless crisis, broken homes, more violence, and it is only getting worse. People worship the god of selfishness. Sin is all around us and is running rampant in our country that was founded in Christ. It is truly a disheartening thing to see, and something has to change.

You may be wondering why I did not give the option to pick neither candidate above, and I did that for a reason. Lately, I have heard the term so much this year, “I will not be voting in this election because I do not like either candidate.” While you are one hundred percent entitled to do that, I ask you to reconsider. As Christian Conservatives, we are the voice for those precious innocent babies that are being brutally murdered every year. We are the voice for our children getting the education they need, without the world perverting it. We are the voice for so many others who do not have one. Being a Conservative in today’s time is not easy. The goal from the left is to silence us and if we choose not to vote, they have already won and accomplished their goal. We see this everywhere, especially on social media and this is why CCW was created in the first place. Christian Conservative Women no longer have a voice without being shut down, ripped apart, mocked, and made to feel as if they are nothing. They are told that they are insane for wanting to have a home, take care of their children, and cook their husband’s warm meals.

While I agree, both parties are not perfect and all have their flaws, we do need to look to Scripture. We have the opportunity to change things, so why would we sit back and do nothing?

Many people say, “I am on God’s side.” While this is the side most Christian’s desire to be on, the Lord does want us to speak for those who cannot. If Christians remain silent, things will only get worse. Poverty will increase, the violence will increase, and more babies will continue to be murdered. I want to reference this passage from Proverbs.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8-9

Scripture says for us to, “Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.” We have a job ladies. Christians have been silent for far too long.

While I get that politics are messy, we need to get past our own selfish desires. There will always be something about a candidate we do not like. If you are looking for a perfect candidate, you will be looking forever… because there is not going to be one. These are flawed people and they are humans just like us. They make mistakes on a daily basis and say things they should not say. How often do we do this as well?

While the Lord should be the one we look to and lean on, we do need to do our civic duty and give a voice to those who cannot speak. We have a chance to make a change, and while it may take a while for it to set in place... it needs to start now. While this country is under judgment, the Lord CAN heal this broken place. He can heal those who are confused, hurt, or empty. This verse is from 2 Chronicles 7:14 and it is so fitting.

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Voting is up to you, and I cannot make you do anything you do not want to do. However, voting is something women fought so hard for and we have the blessing to vote here in America. While the candidate choices may not be everything you hoped and dreamed they would, do not be silent. Let your voice be heard. Be a light in this dark place, and pray for those running the country. Pray they would lean on Christ and accept the gift of salvation.

If you are questioning whether or not you should vote in this election, I ask you to pray on it from now until November. May the Lord guide you and lead you in whatever decision you make.

Isabel Bryant

What if I’m Not a “Trad” Wife?

This post is written by Audrey Durden.

I LOVE what the trad wife trend has brought us. Western women need to know that not only is it okay to want more traditional values, but it’s achievable to live in the world we do today and also hold fast to Biblical principles for marriage and family. I am a HUGE fan of slow and conscious living, making sure there is purpose and intentionality behind the way you spend your time and who you place yourself around. I feel that a large pro of the trad wife movement is bringing this type of deliberate living back to the forefront of our minds and society at large.

A drawback I see coming from the trad trend is the pressure it puts on women to have a curated, aesthetic life. These influencers who are dominating our FY Pages have a beautiful home that is flawlessly maintained, their sourdough always has the most thorough design with the perfect amount of flour spilling onto their lovely butcher block clock countertop. This portrayal is a very singular and restrictive view in its demonstration of what a traditional life looks like. 

While this beautiful aesthetic is very attractive to some people, it might not be attainable (or even wanted) by the majority of couples and families. If you are anything like me, milking a goat at 7 am just isn't something you enjoy doing every day (goat milking is a skill I have, thanks to growing up in the country, and is not an experience I enjoy). Maybe baking is not one of your passions, or growing your own produce is your dream but not something feasible for you, that's alright. This and any other reason do not exclude me or any other woman from being a traditional wife. Though it might make me less popular if I posted about my “trad’ wife life on social media if none of my content was about baking or cows, haha!

Another possibility is that your husband has no desire to live on a farm. I have an experience where an acquaintance wanted a specific lifestyle that her husband wasn't on board with, so this is not attainable for her in the capacity she wanted. Even if this “trad” wife life is a dream you have, it's likely not possible to uproot your life, purchase and possibly renovate a farmhouse, acquire farm animals, homeschool your children, and make a decent living as a farmer. As an added reason that this lifestyle is not something we all need to have, some of us are called to do mission work where we are, not where we could be. 

Maybe you or your husband have a great community with good jobs that provide well and it isn't realistic for you to stay at home full time. That is the circumstance for so many in this economy. We know God can use any and every situation for the furtherance of His kingdom. We are called to be a light right where we are! You and/or your husband can reach people with the Gospel in your current roles/jobs (as mine does with his job). We have to remember that our lives have been graciously given to us by our Savior, who can use us every day in the capacity we have add to the citizens of heaven. 

Remember “trad” stands for traditional. When we adhere to the Biblical standards for our marriage and family, we are being a trad wife. It's so much less about the aesthetics and so much more about following the Biblical outline we see in scripture and allowing God to work in our lives however He sees fit! Maybe that is through your 9-5, raising your children in the Word, being a dependable friend, through your platform on social media, working on your farm, or simply through a conversation at the grocery store. Our lives, no matter the aesthetic, can mirror God’s love every day. 

Smile at the beautiful dresses, gorgeous make-from-scratch meals, and all those cute farm animals, and be thankful that we serve a God who does not care about trends.

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

This question has been asked so many times in our Facebook group. With Halloween coming up, I figured this would be a good topic to discuss! Why do we glorify a holiday set aside for evil? Many ladies have different opinions on this. In this post, I will break down the history of Halloween, what it was intended for, and how we can honor the Lord on a holiday like Halloween. Reality is, you ladies have to decide for yourself what is best for your families. I personally believe Halloween is another conviction based topic-meaning that it can be different for everyone. However, in this post I will only be providing you all with information, and you ladies are free to do with it what you will! Spend time in prayer about it and see what you feel the Lord is leading you to do on this specifically.

The History

Halloween was previously known as the pagan Festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-win) put on by the Celtic tribe. Samhain means “summer's end” and was a festival held at the end of summer welcoming the end of harvest. The Celtic people were tribes of an Indo-European descent. They believed there was one day a year where the spirit realm met with the material world which was typically at the end of the harvest time. Meaning, they believed spirits would rise from their graves and be able to walk amongst the living and this was caused by Samhain-lord of spirits and evil.

On the day where the spirit realms met ours, the Celts would dress up as evil spirits and light a huge bonfire. The Celtic tribe joined the Druid Priests during the festival (Druids were Celtic Priests, teachers, or even Judges) to light a community fire and dance around in scary costumes in hopes to ward off evil. The Celtic tribe would sacrifice cattle on this day to appease Samhain. Samhain was lord of spirits and Celtics believed he would send evil spirits to attack them. This is why they would dress themselves as spirits in hopes of being mistaken as an evil spirit themselves. They would dress as some of their own monsters mentioned in Celtic mythology such as a headless woman with a pig, a shape-shifting monster, and even headless men on horses. You can read this HERE.

After a few centuries, the Samhain holiday continued and these pagan traditions eventually melded with Christianity. Pope Boniface dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary and that is where All Saints Day originated and was originally celebrated on May 13, 609. Two centuries on, Pope Gregory the III decided to change the date of All Saints Day to November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd as an alternative and instead tried to make Samhain a Christian holiday.

 Christianity was gaining much popularity and Samhain was a pagan festival that did not mesh well with Christianity. While Pope Gregory’s attempt to weed out the pagan worship was strong… he did not succeed. All Hallows Eve began to be celebrated on October 31 and the Samhain practices along with it. These traditions continued throughout Europe and were brought over along with Irish immigrants as they made their way to America. This is a broad overview of how Halloween came to modern America.

The Halloween traditions we know today like pumpkin carving come from pagan roots.

Pumpkin carving originates from a myth involving a man named Stingy Jack and the Devil. This myth originated in Ireland and Scotland. In short, Jack and the Devil were having drinks and Stingy Jack would not pay for his own. He convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin so Jack could pay for his drink. Jack instead took the coin and placed it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the devil from changing back into his original form. In summary, after Jack dies, the devil will not allow him into hell. The devil banished him to wander the earth forever and gave him one burning coal to light the way. Jack placed this in a carved out turnip. In the same way that the Celtic tribes built fires and dressed up to ward off evil sprits. Jack O’ lanterns were thought to posses the power to ward off evil sprits.

You can read more on this HERE.

Another connection: 

Wicca is rising in America and has very similar practices as the Samhain Festival. Wicca is practiced by witches and it is gaining popularity in America more today. There are many similarities between Wicca and the Samhain pagan rituals.

Our pastor always says, “There is nothing new under the sun.” He is 100% correct. These pagan religious practices and beliefs are still with us today. Everything seems to make its way back around one way or another. 

Another fun fact, have you ever seen people wear shirts that say “Happy Reformation Day” on Halloween? 

This is the day that Martin Luther decided to nail on the Wittenberg church door his well known 95 Theses. This was a protest against the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. Luther posted his complaints on or around October 31st. Many Christians celebrate reformation day as an alternative to celebrating Halloween.

You can read more about Luther HERE.

SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN? 

Celebrating Halloween is something you will have to decide for yourself. Personally, I do not celebrate Halloween. I do not purchase decorations or participate in dressing up. I also do not participate in going to haunted houses or anything of the sort. 

As Christians, we should not want to participate in pagan religious activities. We should focus on honoring Christ and glorifying Him through our actions.

“when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

— Ephesians 4:21-24 (NIV)

When we participate in pagan traditions like dressing up for Halloween we are sometimes unwittingly apart of something that is idolatrous. Is dressing up as a demonic figure helping you grow closer to the Lord? What if it is your child? 

We should want to protect our children from evil. By allowing your child to go trick or treating, we are normalizing pagan traditions.

I remember as a child going and walking past people on the sidewalk with my little candy bag. Dressed as a little princess and strutting my stuff, I only cared about the candy I was about to get. However, I remember being terrified of the people walking past me with the horrendous masks on and fake murder weapons. After all, I thought it was something fun, so why did everyone try to scare me or look as if they wanted to hurt me? As a child, it made no sense. The more my parents grew in their walk with the Lord the less we participated in the “Trick or Treat”. They had certain convictions on Halloween, and I am thankful. 

Children are innocent and just enjoy the idea of getting to play dress up and getting loads of candy. Girls love to be a princess for day and boys love to be a superhero. When things begin to involve our children more, we need to be even more careful. Maybe as a compromise…just let them dress up whenever they want to at home and even participate with them! Get them some candy every so often as another compromise. 

CAN CHRISTIANS STILL HONOR THE LORD ON HALLOWEEN?

Churches will get the congregation together to help in fall festivals every year and have fun games for the children to play. Many Christians wonder if participating in these types of events, is supporting the pagan holiday.

I believe there is a difference. These games usually always have Scripture involved in some shape of form. Trunk or Treat is another option churches will do. Rather than having a bunch of random trunks decorated with no meaning, my old church does Drive Through the Bible. Each trunk has a Bible scene and makes it entertaining for the kids and even the parents sometimes. It is another way to present the Gospel to people who may not have ever heard it. 

God can take anything Satan meant for evil and turn it into something good. Halloween is a great day to witness and share the Gospel to a lot of lost souls. While you don’t have to dress up as something scary, you can still canvas your neighborhood.

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

— Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

Ideas of Compromise: 

• Giving kids Gospel Tracts with the candy

• Giving people little booklets on the origin of Halloween (HERE)

• Canvassing your neighborhood and trying to build relationships and talk to people about the Gospel

• Suggest your church do something like Drive Through the Bible

CONCLUSION:

While this is again, a conviction based topic… It is important to know the origin of holidays and why we celebrate them. Knowing the facts of something is huge. If you are struggling with celebrating Halloween or letting your child participate, pray on it some more. Read up on the history and do a deep dive into it. Refer to Scripture and if you do not have any convictions about it, then celebrate it. However, if you do have convictions… then maybe take a step back and look at some of the areas to compromise in. With all that being said, can you have fall items like leaves, pumpkins, and cute decorations? ABSOLUTELY! Autumn is a season, and that is different than decorating your home glorifying pagan traditions.

Isabel

Sources : 

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/celts-history-culture-religion.html#:~:text=What%20race%20were%20the%20Celts,only%20populated%20the%20British%20Isles.

• https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain

• https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/

• https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins

• https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/the-connection-between-halloween-reformation-day.html

• https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2013/10/29/a-biblical-look-at-halloween/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw28W2BhC7ARIsAPerrcKz2RO9oOX-4H5lwUq5RRi6teI52KtAqmGPeXd_n4-nMNTd_zdvKFMaAs7kEALw_wcB

• https://www.irishamericanmom.com/what-is-a-celtic-druid/

Quotes Sources:

• https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain

• https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204&version=NIV

• www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/the-connection-between-halloween-reformation-day.html.

• https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2050&version=NLT