Archives for February 2015

Sophie’s Favorite Attraction – Splash Mountain!

February 25, 2015 by Sophie E.

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail. Enjoy the ride as we share Disney attractions reviews from our kids.

The 52' Drop from the top of Splash Mountain! — The 52′ Drop from the top of Splash Mountain!

Hello Disney Fans!!! Today, I’m writing about my favorite attraction: Splash Mountain!!! Would you believe that for a long time, I was utterly, terrified of that drop? If you’ve been with us in an earlier time, then you know that story. If this is the first post you’ve read, kick back and let me type a story for you.

It was in the trip of 2012. My parents and I were with a friend who loved Splash Mountain. One thing lead to another, and somehow, they convinced me to go and ride with them. It was the scariest thing for me! I was so paranoid that we would actually go into the briar patch! About half way through “the laughing place,” Daddy’s hat fell down and touched me. I. WAS. SO. SCARED!!! I thought it was an oversized queen bee about to sting me or something! I was screaming like bloody murder! The funniest part was when we were going up to the top. My mom was next to me, and she said that I was holding on so tightly, I was cutting off circulation. As we were going down the drop, I prepared for a lot of thorns. But, we didn’t go into the briar patch. I was like “AHHHHH!!!…. oh.” I saw that we went through a small tunnel. I was actually going under the briar patch! So now that i’m not afraid of the briars, I really like the ride, as you can tell from this picture of a group of us going on Splash Mountain (I’m in the pink Minnie Ears in the front on the right).

Getting ready to ride Splash Mountain again!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Mommy to All Girls.

Here is the map of our Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop – My Dreams of Disney – Sophie’s Favorite Attraction – Splash Mountain!
2nd Stop – Mommy to All Girls – The Kolb Girls Review Disney Attractions
3rd Stop – For the Love of Disney – Top 5 Disney Rides for Kids… outside of Fantasyland!
4th Stop – Sparks of Magic – Magic Kids Talk: Favorite Disney Attractions
Final Stop – Dad for Disney – Kid Sized Review: Toy Story Midway Mania

Which of Disney’s FAB FIVE Are You?

February 23, 2015 by Lee Beatens

Each of Disney’s characters has a distinct personality and qualities unique to themselves. Now you could waste your time taking an Internet Buzz Quiz to find out which Disney character you are most like… or… you could waste your time reading this post. I recommend the latter.

In this post I will summarize the primary reasons why you might like to be either Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, or Pluto. Then, rather than having some randomizer program pick a character for you, you will have the information you need to make your own informed choice. Well, at least a choice. So here we go!

MICKEY MOUSE

Mickey is a little guy in a big world. He’s spent his fair share of time being picked on and laughed at, but despite that, he always comes out on top. He’s a natural leader with the charisma to draw almost anyone to his side. From humble beginnings as a steamboat Pilot to rising to become the world’s most well-known corporate Icon, Mickey’s done almost everything in-between.

And how about that love life? A one-woman man who’s earned the love and respect of one of the world’s sweetest females! And although he hasn’t been able to seal the deal with a proposal, you’ve gotta admire his stick-to-itivness!

And let’s face it, if your obituary could start with “It all started with… YOU!” how could you not choose to be Mickey Mouse?

MINNIE MOUSE

Minnie is one of the world’s first independent women. She has had many suitors over the years, but has decided to remain single. She has made it on her own in a variety of occupations, owning some of the most desirable real estate along the way. And when it comes to personality, who has more kindness, compassion, and love than our polka-dot Queen?

Although a modern woman, Minnie has made no secret of her love for that one special someone, but is content to wait until the time is right to press for committment.

Do you have a song written about you? Minnie does! And it’s a chart topper to remember. So if you choose to be Minnie Mouse, the song can be about ‘Yoo Hoo’ too!

GOOFY

What can we say about the Goof? He’s a fun-loving free spirit with no clue that he’s a fun-loving free spirit. In fact, he hasn’t got a clue… about anything. But that’s OK! Goofy knows the world owes him a living but has the class to never show up to pick up the pay check. He’s too busy being loyal, helpful, and the best friend anyone could ever hope for.

Goofy isn’t overly good with the ladies. Always a gentleman but never a boyfriend, Goofy is just satisfied to show respect and to lend a helping hand. How this guy ever ended up with a son will forever remain one of life’s little mysteries, right up there with the Bermuda Triangle and spam.

So far you may not think that Goofy is a contender for your vote. But imagine going through life without a care, with nothing bothering you, and being regarded as loveable by millions. Are you sure you don’t want to be Goofy?

DONALD DUCK

Certainly the most explosive personality on our list, Donald certainly knows how to blow off a little steam! And just steam in general. And steam in excess. Not one to hide how he feels, everyone around him always know exactly where he stands on the issues. There are no shades of gray for Donald, everything is just plain black.

His long-time and long-suffering girlfriend Daisy Duck knows the other side of Donald, though. Behind the bluster and blasting lies a heart of gold that motivates him to go above and beyond for his friends. A more loyal friend to have at your side one could not ask for, even if he would be cowering behind you instead.

Donald has stepped up and taken care of his three young nephews for years, and that has to be a big factor in making him a contender for your vote!

PLUTO

Sometimes it’s a dog’s life, and no one knows that better than Pluto. Starting out as a nameless mutt and finally finding a home with Mickey Mouse himself, this canny canine has defined loyalty for us all! From protecting his master from danger to saving kittens from certain death, this pooch has proven his prestigious pedigree.

Unfortunately ladies, Pluto has been known to play the field as the original Playa of the animal kingdom. Seen with many different partners, usually with more than just a few pups around, Pluto may have a problem with monogamy. But on the upside, he likes big families!

CHOICE TIME

Time to choose! Now that you know the pros and cons of each character, which one would you like to be?

Mickey Mouse: The little guy living big?
Minnie Mouse: The independent success?
Goofy: The oblivious free-spirit?
Donald Duck: The explosive heart of gold?
Pluto: The loyal playa?

Please take a moment to share your choice in the comment section. And if you have just a moment more, please let us know why!

Psst! I chose Goofy!

Prayers for the Week – The Cross

February 22, 2015 by Mike Ellis

The Cross is perhaps the most important symbol of Christianity. The Cross, such a simple structure, is the point of our salvation. Our lives, as sinful, as hurtful as they are, take on a new meaning when we believe in our hearts these wonderful facts:

God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to save us.
Jesus taught all of us how to live, and what is truly important.
Jesus died for us so that we might be saved from our sin.
Lastly, Jesus was resurrected, and, in being resurrected, conquered death.

It is a simple thing to believe, but it is also something that we have convinced is not as simple as that. We have taught ourselves, or allowed ourselves to be taught, that it isn’t that simple. We have allowed ourselves to believe that it isn’t God’s Gift to us, that we must earn our salvation. That is not true or possible. Salvation comes in believing that God sent His Son to die for our sins, and that Jesus died, and was resurrected from that death. When we believe that and put our trust and faith in Jesus, we are saved. After we are saved, if we have truly been saved, then our actions, our words, our deeds, will evolve over time, and we will act more like Jesus would have us act. This is because when we are saved, God sends the Holy Spirit to us, and we are indwelt with the Spirit of God.

My friends, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when you read these prayer requests, you are praying to God on behalf of these requests. When you give God Praise for the good things that happen in our lives, you are thanking God for giving us those good things. Thank you for choosing each day to read these and pray and praise with us. If we can pray for you, please leave us a comment, and we will add it to our prayer post and pray for you. Now, please pray with us this week. Thank you!

Prayer Requests and Praises…

Prayers please for Decatur, Alabama police officer Josh Driggers and his family. Here is the press release:Press ReleaseOn February 4, 2015, Decatur Police Officer Josh Driggers went to his
doctor after experiencing persistent headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Medical
tests were conducted and it was revealed that Josh had a tumor on his brain.
After initially scheduling Josh for immediate surgery in Huntsville, his
physicians reconsidered and referred him to Duke University Medical Center.
Josh and his family will leave for Durham, North Carolina on Wednesday.
His surgery has been scheduled for Friday.Josh has been with the Decatur Police Department for almost five years
and is married with two young children. In addition to his work as a patrol
officer, Josh serves on the department’s Honor Guard. His condition came on
suddenly, with very little warning. In addition to his concern about his
condition, Josh is dealing with the financial impact it will have on his family.
An account has been set up at Redstone Federal Credit Union under Joshua
Driggers Love Offering.
We ask that everyone remember Josh and his family and keep them in
your prayers as they go through this difficult time. We will provide updates
on Josh’s condition as we receive them.
Earlier this month, we had this prayer request on behalf of my friend Jodi:My friend Jodi has a prayer request for us. Here is what she wrote:Can you please add my friend Laura to your prayer list this week? Her brother Todd, to whom she’s always been extremely close, has been fighting cancer. They learned yesterday it has spread to his brain. He has been sent home with hospice care. Todd is Laura’s son’s favorite uncle, and this is very hard on him too (Sam, age 9). Thank you!Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, we hear daily of struggles that people are going through with that horrific disease — cancer. We really are at a loss to understand how these things invade the lives of Your people, but we also know that You have a plan for all of us. We take heart in Your Words from the book of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So we know that, despite the disease that Todd is fighting, we know that his life has a purpose, and it is a purpose that You have written for him. Please be with Todd, with his sister Laura, with her son Sam, and with all of their family. Please give Todd the Peace, the Strength, the Comfort, the Love that he needs. Please be with all of them and enfold them in Your Loving embrace so that they would know You are with them. Also, Lord, if it is Your Will, Lord, we pray for healing for Todd. Show us Your Power, Your Glory, and show us that all the medicine in the world means nothing when compared to what You can do. We ask all of these things in the wonderful name of Your Son Jesus with Thanksgiving. Amen
Unfortunately, I learned from Jodi that Todd passed away. Please continue to pray for his family, for his sister Laura, and especially for her son Sam, who is missing his Uncle right now. Please pray that God will be with them all in the days, weeks, and months to come. Thank you.
Please pray for my Mom — her breast cancer surgery is on Wednesday the 25th. Please pray for her, for her medical team, and for God’s Healing Touch on her.
My wife Cindy and I would like to give Praise to God for the news that our daughter Sophie received! We learned that she was accepted for her school of choice for the fall! She will be going to Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, and will be studying Simulation & Game Development! Cindy and I are very excited for Sophie, and we give God Praise for this great news for Sophie.
Please pray for all of those that are participating in the season of Lent. I have made a commitment to track all of my food on Weight Watchers — this is disciplining me. Cindy has given up all soda during Lent, and others are doing their own Lenten sacrifices. Please pray for all of us to be closer to God and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us during this season.
Date: February 20: Prayers urgently needed

Here is an urgent prayer request for all of us!!
She asked that it be forwarded ASAP to as many people possible:

Dear Friend: Just a few minutes ago, I received the following text message on my phone, from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI), We spoke briefly on the phone, and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all our contacts.
We lost the city of Queragosh. It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Kurdish Forces, and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!!!.

Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of people of northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians in this area.

May I plead with you not to ignore this email? Do not forward it before you have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible.
Send it to friends and Christians you know. Send it to your prayer group. Send it to your pastors. Any one you can think of. We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.

In His Service,
Beverly Bassett
beverly@fbcmilton.org or prayerwarriorfbc@aol.com

First Baptist Church
6797 Caroline Street
Milton, FL 32570
My friend Shannan has a prayer request. We have no details, but we know that God knows all, so please pray for Shannan and for God’s Will in her life.

Now, please pray with me the words that Jesus taught His Disciples to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever.

Prayers for the Week – Eternal Life

February 15, 2015 by Mike Ellis

²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one.” ~ John 10:28-30 (ESV)

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s Prayers for the Week post. More and more often, we hear of tragic events that are happening in the world, and it’s important to me at times like this that we refocus and remember what our Lord said as recorded in the Book of John.

We are approaching the two year anniversary of when we started our prayer posts, and during that time, we have seen the tragedy that comes with the loss of a loved one. Ofttimes, that loss is of a child. I think that this is why I was led to John this week — that, despite the loss, if we acknowledge that Jesus is our Savior, and that He died for our sins, and was resurrected, if we believe that, then we will have eternal life when we die, regardless of when that is. If you are not sure how to be saved, please check out this post. Now, please take a moment and read our prayer requests and praises.

Prayer Requests & Praises…

My friend Jeff needs some prayers, please. Here is what he wrote on Facebook:Everyone please say a prayer for my Mamaw Davis this morning. She fell and broke her hip this morning and is currently headed into surgery. She’s 94 years old, but a very strong woman. Much stronger than I ever will be. There is always a risk involved of course, but she needs all of your prayers to pull through this.Please pray for his Mamaw’s healing as she goes through this. Thanks everyone!
My friend Natalie has a prayer request. Here is what she wrote:I am asking all my friends to remember my cousin when you pray. This is going to be a very hard surgery with a VERY long recovery. I plan to love her through it all and be by her side for the surgery. So, whisper a prayer for her family as well. She has been blessed with an amazing husband that loves her to the moon and back. She also has a 10 year old little girl that deserves to have a healthy mommy.The context of that prayer is her cousin, who wrote this on Facebook:
With a bitersweet feeling I want to share a somewhat thankful yet somewhat scared announcement! Most of my closet friends and family know that I’ve battled severe debilitating bouts of pancreatitis that have escalated to the point of worrying whether I’m going to make it or not while still clinging to the faith My Lord and Savior holds me in the palm of his hands. … For those who are not familiar with pancreatitis it many cases it is not linked with alcohol abuse or chemical exposures, more times than known until so severe and investigated deeply pancreatitis is found to be genetically inherited. I found out just recently after extensive testing by a team of specialist that is the case with me also discovered that I as well have a pancreas birth defect that in itself puts my body in a struggle that keeps me very sick and that combined w the genetics is more than one can imagine to handle. … With years of high labs, near fatal lapses and close calls w the knowledge of the reasons and where it developed from they were able to determine my risk for pancreatic cancer is not only a risk but most definite. With all that being said a date has been set for my TP/AIT to remove my pancreas and to transplant the cells that will keep me alive. So within the next couple of months I will be having this surgery although very extensive and very scary, I am at peace that this will lengthen my time on earth. … I hope to be a voice of inspiration to some and to share my battle so that those who feel without hope may find some. Prayers are asked in advance for the days to come for me and my family and thanked for most indefinitely from the bottom of my heart…. Warmly, Tyra
Please pray for her healing, and for all of their strength, comfort, love, support, and most importantly, peace. Thanks everyone!
The Brackbill family in Pennsylvania is in need of your prayers. They have recently learned that their daughter, Tori, has Infantile Krabbe’s Disease. The average life expectancy is 2 years, and there is no cure. Please pray boldly for a cure, for healing for Tori, for God to perform a miracle and show all of us that He is in charge, and that He can do anything!Most of all, though, pray for God’s Peace, Comfort, Strength, and Love to descend upon all of them. Thank you. If you want to read their post, click here.
Lastly, we give praise to You, God, for all that You do for us. We know that we are not worthy of any of the blessings that You have given us, but we thank you for them anyway. Our prayer, Lord, is that You would lead us, guide us, to be the type of servants that You would have us be.

Now, please pray with us the prayer that Jesus taught His Disciples to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Magical Blogorail: Most Romantic Disney Restaurants

February 11, 2015 by Lee Beatens

Welcome to the next stop on Magical Blogorail Green . Today we are discussing the most romantic Disney restaurants.

I’m not the most romantic guy in the world, Walt Disney World included, because I’m not really the tuxedo type. Expensive restaurants with microscopic food portions just don’t do it for me! Fortunately, they don’t do it for my wife either, which makes us a perfect fit.

So what we look for in a romantic setting is something that harkens back to a simpler time with loads of nostalgia and fun. So which restaurant in all of Walt Disney World would fit such a description? Let me narrow it down for you: Which restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios would fit such a description? Well, let me show you…

Sci Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant

(picture from official website)

Sci-fi. Bad movie trailers. Sitting in a fake car. Good food. Yup. This has romantic written all over it! Oh, and great mood lighting:

So keep in mind, if you are so inclined, you can sit in the back seat. Hint, hint. Just keep the intimate moments to a PG level, please. People are trying to eat. And speaking of eating, why not take a look at the excellent menu. I recommend the burgers, both regular and gluten-free. My wife tells me that as far as gluten-free goes, the burgers served here are far and away among the best in all of WDW.

The entertainment is also fun (but admittedly, not very romantic):

How did he know we were kissing in the back seat???

Here’s how Disney describes the overall experience: “Watch campy clips as you picnic under the stars in a classic car-shaped booth or table. It’s always nighttime at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, and there’s always something savory—and spooky—headed your way: attacking aliens, marauding mummies, rampaging robots and more! Enter the Hollywood-style soundstage as a classic car hop guides you to your very own automo-booth or table. Kitschy vintage memorabilia, the illuminated tail lights of your fellow drive-in diners and a sky full of twinkling stars set the mood as you place your order. Road-ready picnic tables are located at the back of the theater, where there’s even an old-fashioned, drive-in-style concession stand!“

Again, this might not be everyone’s idea of a romantic evening, but it is for us! Oh, and be sure to take a picture with your sweetheart in the car parked outside:

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.

Here is the map of our Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop – Disney Mamas – Top 3 Spots for Romantic Dining at WDW

2nd Stop – Rolling with the Magic – Remy

3rd Stop – Cool Nouns by Lee Beatens – (you are here)

4th Stop – My Dreams of Disney – Cinderella’s Royal Table

Final Stop – Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere – Palo

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