September already...where did the summer go? When last I wrote a newsletter Memorial Day had not even arrived and now it is past Labor Day (no more white shoes!) and the High Holy Days are quickly approaching. I have spent the last 3 months with filming, canning, visiting my mom, and every other general thing in life. In between filming I canned over 3 dozen rotel-style tomatoes(qts and pints mix), 8 or so pints of plum jelly, 2 dozen pints sweet pickles, 10 or so quarts of pears, and 8 or so dill pickles (which no one likes). I say in-between filming because during June, July, and August we lost count of our filming days.
In June we had two of my nieces and nephews, James and Sarah, fly down to film with us for a week. At the same time, two complete strangers drove up from Texas to do the camera work. Yeah. I know. I could hear my mama in my head warning me of strangers. Cameron and Taylor turned out to be great young men that were invaluable that week. They fit right in and it was bittersweet to see them go home. The children had an awesome time being fully immersed in filming for about 6 days straight.
In June we had two of my nieces and nephews, James and Sarah, fly down to film with us for a week. At the same time, two complete strangers drove up from Texas to do the camera work. Yeah. I know. I could hear my mama in my head warning me of strangers. Cameron and Taylor turned out to be great young men that were invaluable that week. They fit right in and it was bittersweet to see them go home. The children had an awesome time being fully immersed in filming for about 6 days straight.
Things got a little goofy that last night together
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Getting our cousins from the airport
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Christopher and Jonathan asleep after our 4 guests left from the 6 days of continuous filming
Of course, filming didn’t end in August. After several filming days already this month we still have one scene left to secure all the footage needed to complete episodes 1-5. However, this does not include the filming for the explanation/bible study videos that we put up following each episode. Plus, Christopher spends most of his spare time preparing behind the scenes videos or previews for upcoming episodes. Our computer rarely gets a break! I am thankful that I followed the LORD’s prompting over the last 3 years and his senior year schedule turned out to be so light.
Christopher and Jonathan wrote each episodes with deliberate confusion in order to challenge viewers to think about what they watch. The Scriptures warn us to guard our hearts diligently (Proverbs 4:23). Psalm 101 is a pledge of integrity. Verse three states “No base thing will I set before my eyes. Twisted behavior I hate...”. Our children want to cause people to really use their heads when viewing media. Their desire is, through this web-series, to encourage viewers to look and listen to what is being said. In our world, the media is an influential force. Many things sound good but, in truth, are not. The Messiah, Yeshua, warned us in Matthew 24 that many would come in His name and lead people astray.
Christopher and Jonathan wrote each episodes with deliberate confusion in order to challenge viewers to think about what they watch. The Scriptures warn us to guard our hearts diligently (Proverbs 4:23). Psalm 101 is a pledge of integrity. Verse three states “No base thing will I set before my eyes. Twisted behavior I hate...”. Our children want to cause people to really use their heads when viewing media. Their desire is, through this web-series, to encourage viewers to look and listen to what is being said. In our world, the media is an influential force. Many things sound good but, in truth, are not. The Messiah, Yeshua, warned us in Matthew 24 that many would come in His name and lead people astray.
Psalm 101
1 I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
8 Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.
1 I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
8 Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.
On the second Tuesday of each month we release a youtube video explaining the biblical truths and hidden messages of the previous episode. So far, we’ve been dishearten to see the ratio between the episodes views and the explanation views. It is obvious that the “entertaining” portion of the series is attracting more people than the bible studies. And sadly, we’ve only had one person question us on the t-shirts that both Typical Christian wears and the children wear in the explanation videos. It is heart wrenching to see that many do not seem to find it odd that the LORD seems to be portrayed as a puppet master or that the “h” in the word “his” is not capitalized.
Notice the shirt design
Prayer Requests
*Please pray that as the writing and filming of the bible studies progresses our family will be able to discern what the LORD wants accomplished.
*Pray we will find the ways needed to reach people with the Truth.
*Also, please be in prayer for Christopher and Jonathan as they find the time to complete the scripts for episodes 6-12.
*Pray for us to be able to begin filming for those episodes (needed to begin airing in Jan 2015) in October or November. Now that summer is over, we have to juggle filming with schoolwork for not only ourselves, but our other actors as well.
*Pray for us to find a suitable place to create a news station set to finish the series up (that doesn’t require rent from us!) The one we were using became unavailable when the owners moved to a new building.
*Be in prayer for Gideon. He had to have 4 teeth pulled 2 weeks ago with 2 more left. These are impacted and will have to be removed at the oral surgeon's office.
*Pray we will find the ways needed to reach people with the Truth.
*Also, please be in prayer for Christopher and Jonathan as they find the time to complete the scripts for episodes 6-12.
*Pray for us to be able to begin filming for those episodes (needed to begin airing in Jan 2015) in October or November. Now that summer is over, we have to juggle filming with schoolwork for not only ourselves, but our other actors as well.
*Pray for us to find a suitable place to create a news station set to finish the series up (that doesn’t require rent from us!) The one we were using became unavailable when the owners moved to a new building.
*Be in prayer for Gideon. He had to have 4 teeth pulled 2 weeks ago with 2 more left. These are impacted and will have to be removed at the oral surgeon's office.
Thank you for all you do for our family. This ministry is not one of great wealth and monetary reward. However, as I watch talents and spiritual growth blossom in my children, as well as others, I am strengthened for the task ahead.
We love you all.
Hopefully, I will get out a newsletter on time next month and can have some of the information about the High Holy Days’ celebrations that our congregation will be observing. You can check more out about The Branch at our new website: graftedin.net If you are in the Cleveland, TN area, we would love to have you join us sometime. You can find our meeting times on the website above. In between newsletters, you can keep up with the project and our family through the following links:
Susan has several blog posts about costuming and filming here
You can find all the Literal videos (a new one each Tuesday) here
We love you all.
Hopefully, I will get out a newsletter on time next month and can have some of the information about the High Holy Days’ celebrations that our congregation will be observing. You can check more out about The Branch at our new website: graftedin.net If you are in the Cleveland, TN area, we would love to have you join us sometime. You can find our meeting times on the website above. In between newsletters, you can keep up with the project and our family through the following links:
Susan has several blog posts about costuming and filming here
You can find all the Literal videos (a new one each Tuesday) here
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