A Model Girl

Little Kristie loved standing in front of her mom’s full length mirror. It was a time to marvel at who she was and dream about the young lady she would one day become. Glancing down, she smiled at her shiny new black shoes she received on Christmas Day. It warmed her heart knowing her mother had picked them out while on a trip to Paris. The shoes made her feel like a European fashion model.

Carefully brushing the long curls from her eyes, Kristie looked up at the barrette in her hair. It was the one she and her mom picked out during a trip to the mall for a special girls only weekend. She took in a deep breath and sighed. Kristie felt so special having a dad who encouraged girl time and supported it with special funds for souvenirs and presents.

Kristie’s pink dress was one present bought at a small boutique after a movie and ice cream cone. The store had caught her mother’s eye and they had to extend their weekend by a few extra hours, which dad welcomed since his football game had started. Timing was everything, Kristie thought, as she fluffed her skirt that framed her beautiful long legs.

Her soul welled up with joy at the idea of being a successful model traveling to Paris regularly. She knew her slender legs were perfectly shaped like her mother’s. But she needed time to prepare herself emotionally, as modeling was very hard work filled with exhausting hours. She paused as she glanced up and down once again in the mirror, soaking in every detail of who she was.

Kristie adored those few minutes in front of the mirror after every trip to the cemetery visiting her mother. It brought her hope and made her feel beautiful, just like her mom. Kristie’s face soon reflected a touch of elegance as she gently caressed her cheek and pondered how her mother loved deeply and playfully. It made her long to be a mother as well some day.

Unfortunately, the time had come for her to face reality. She glanced down at her thin waist where her dad’s strong hands held her up right in front of the mirror. Kristie knew he was tiring and didn’t want to over extend the blessing he gave her. With a gentle nod, her dad turned her around and placed her back in her wheel chair.

“Thank you daddy,” smiled Kristie.

“You’re welcome princess,” responded her dad.

Her father took hold of the wheel chair and they headed into the family room to play a game of checkers. Sunday afternoons were always filled with time for family, even before the car accident that took Kristie’s mom and left her paralyzed from the ribs down. It was also a time for Kristie to reflect on how wonderful her life was, especially with a dad who knew and understood her need to be the lady of the house.

In Kristie’s mind timing was everything and she was confident that one day she would meet her prince because her dad cared and helped her prepare emotionally every week for her future.

The Christmas Hope

The house was filled with the joy of Christmas, as everyone moved in and out of the kitchen. Those in their forties seemed to take over the major traffic patterns, while setting the table and filling the oven with yet another dish. Anyone under the age of twenty-two was bundled and sent out to the backyard with sleds and saucers until the meal was ready.

The Christmas Eve dinner preparation was more important this year with the passing of Grandma Kreger. She was the key focal point that continually brought the family together, hoping every year that the bond of love would be birthed within each soul. She longed for her kids to embrace the true meaning of Christmas, but busy schedules and unfulfilled dreams delayed the miracle.

The dog getting underfoot and yelping made Grandpa Kreger realize it was time to meander out and watch the grandkids from the back porch steps. He couldn’t remember such commotion in his home before. It was as if his loving wife Sarah had gifted him with peace each year by organizing the chaos away from his presence.

Grandpa Kreger put on his vintage flannel coat and covered it with the space age jacket his kids gave him the year before. He lit his cherry wood pipe and headed outside.

The snowflakes were lightly drifting down, covering the ground with a light dusting. The freshly fallen snow reflected the luminous moon breaking through the clouds. It was brighter than the old barn light Grandpa Kreger used on the midnight sledding runs during his earlier years. He sat down on the porch steps and watched as each grandchild slid down the hill into the neighbor’s yard.

The cold crisp air turned each grandchild’s breath into a cloud of smoke similar to the small puffs coming from Grandpa Kreger’s pipe. The memorable aroma of a spicy well-worn leather scent rose with each puff. A couple of the younger grandkids watched closely and exhaled with a wreath of clouds encompassing their heads. While each requested that he quit smoking over the years, they knew the smell to be that of their grandpa.

Sharing the hope of Christmas with each grandchild seemed to be Sarah’s job every year, but Grandpa Kreger longed to give it a try. He called a couple of the kids over to him and fidgeted around attempting to figure out where to start.

Caileigh, a curious eight year-old, broke the silence while pointing at a bright star, “Grandpa, can you tell me the story of the shepherd’s star?”

“I’ve never been able to share stories like your grandmother, but I will tell you that the bright star you are pointing to isn’t a star at all.”

“What is it then, Grandpa?” asked Caileigh.

“It’s the planet Mars,” chuckled Grandpa Kreger. “Did you know that when I was a young guy back on Christmas Eve in 1968, we had three astronauts orbiting the moon?”

“What were they doing?” asked Caileigh.

“As they experienced the lunar sunrise on what was their Christmas morning, the crew of the Apollo 8 space mission took turns reading from the book of Genesis over the radio for everyone on earth to hear.”

“Was it the Christmas story, Grandpa?”

“No sweetie, it was the story about how God created the heaven and the earth.”

“I wonder what it would be like reading the Bible in space,” marveled little Jeffrey.

“I’m sure it would bring you the same hope as down here on earth,” affirmed Grandpa Kreger. “Speaking of hope, the space program was started to help bring hope to our country during a time when people could barely afford to live.”

“Did it work,” asked Jeffrey.

“It did,” said Grandpa Kreger. “In fact, it created so much hope that the space program documented over 1,400 inventions that made our lives easier.”

“Like what,” asserted Caileigh.

“Like all the equipment that allowed Grandma to spend the last three years with us,” exclaimed Grandpa Kreger. “Even this jacket that’s keeping me warm came from the space program.”

Jeffrey boldly placed his hand on Grandpa Kreger’s shoulder and insisted, “We should go into space and bring hope to the poor people losing their jobs and houses today.”

Caileigh added, “Yeah, and we could read from the Bible for the entire world to hear on HDTV and the Internet.”

“I’m sorry to say that hope is seldom welcome these days,” Grandpa Kreger’s voice cracked. “I’m afraid you kids will have to find new unique ways to share hope with others.”

“Oh, don’t worry Grandpa,” affirmed Jeffrey. “I’ll just share the magic words that Grandma told me always brings hope to the one listening.”

“Really, what words are those?” inquired Grandpa Kreger.

“Merry Christmas!” shouted Jeffrey.

Review: Upside

Provident Films will release the DVD of Upside on October 5, 2010, produced by Spyplane Films. The movie easily rises into the top ten of faith and family films released this year. The powerful performance by the lead actors pulled me into the story and kept my interest until the end – Their chemistry worked.

Here’s a snapshot of the story:

The day college recruiters show up to his lacrosse game, Soli White (Randall Bentley, Heroes) sustains a head injury that turns his vision upside down. During his reclamation process he comes across Wren (Leah Sims), a blind coed that helps him to see life from the inside out.

In search to develop his new inner voice, Soli realizes how many people have been trying to control his life. When he starts to feel overwhelmed by the numerous perspectives, he digs deep inside to determine what he truly believes and learns that no matter how life gets a person down, there is always an upside.

Bentley’s performance was spot on, as he molded the character with his outstanding performance. While I would have preferred that writer Kenneth Horstmann dive a little deeper into Soli’s inner passion, Bentley kept my focus on what his character might do next.

Sims’ character drove the sub-plot with her excellent performance. Using cute quips and subtle diplomacy, Wren gracefully led Soli to consider things within, which he’d never seen before. Sims will soon rise to the top and we can look forward to seeing her in more lead roles in the future. 

Upside is definitely in the top ten of faith and family films released this year and for those that support wholesome films, it will make a great addition to their library. Just the high concept of Soli’s vision being turned upside down was enough to energize the first act of the film. However, for those who appreciate evangelistic messages, the story does well, as the gospel is worked into the third act.

I received this DVD free from Provident Films as part of their marketing program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”