Saturday, Nov. 21

Lord, let us never be afraid to speak openly with You and to willingly pour out our hearts and desires. Amen.

The premiere of the feature film “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” again brings to reel-life the love story of  Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend Edward.

Beliefnet.com has a new posting offering Claudia Mair Burney’s perspective on the spirituality one can find in the popular tale of teen love and angst.

“I’m also a junkie for the Twilight Saga’s completely unrealistic love story. “Who acts like that?”, I ask myself, but I keep coming back. Deep down inside I knew who acted that way. Edward’s inhumanly perfect love and Bella’s passionate attachment to him echoed —don’t laugh—the sacred romance between God and me,” Burney wrote.

Check it out at “Spiritual Lessons of Twilight.”  

Saturday, Beliefnet.com will feature a movie review of the new film by Movie Mom Nell Minow.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Friday, Nov. 20

We surrender all that we have to You and Your will, dear Lord. Amen.

Lord, show us how to share with others the great love You have for us. Amen.

In our times of weakness, O Lord, we look to You alone as the source of our strength.

Tuesday, Nov. 17

We trust You with our lives, dear Lord, believing that You are able to meet all our needs. Amen.

The leaders of Sherwood Pictures, the makers of the popular Christian-themed film “Fireproof,” announced the name and premise of their next film, their fourth, on Sunday.

The movie is to be called “Courageous” and will focus on fatherhood, the leaders said.

Sherwood Pictures is an outreach ministry of Sherwood Church in Albany, Ga. The church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Michael Catt (at right) , along with the church’s executive pastor the Rev. Jim McBride and ministers Stephen and Alex Kendrick, made the announcement.

I’ve talked to Catt before for a column about the church’s movie-making role, and spoke to Stephen Kendrick about “The Love Dare” book from “Fireproof” for a story. All seemed to be very passionate about the church’s venture into the arena of making movies with strong Christian content.

 A news release was sent out about the recent annoucement.  Alex Kendrick, the release said, briefly outlining the plot Sunday: ”Four fathers who are all in law enforcement — who protect and serve together — go through a terrible tragedy,” he said. “They begin looking at their role as fathers . . . and they begin challenging one another to fulfill God’s intention for fathers.”

Catt said the single-word title echoes God’s call for men to “rise with courage” in their homes and as leaders”  at a time when numerous marriages end in divorce and more than one-third of all children live away from their biological fathers.

“The statistics on fatherless children are devastating,” McBride said. “And because the family is the building block of society, one important place to rebuild families is through fathers who stay and lead and love.”

“God led us,” co-writer and producer Stephen Kendrick said. ”We believe God is calling men to rise up with strength and with leadership in their homes, with their families and with their children.”

All four leaders of Sherwood Pictures are husbands and fathers. Pastor Catt has two children; Pastor McBride has four; Stephen Kendrick has four; and Alex Kendrick has six.

Principle filming of  “Courageous” is to begin in March 2010 in Albany. Like the previous three Sherwood films, the movie will be marketed by Provident Films.

For more information about the new movie, visit www.CourageoustheMovie.com.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Lord, we desire to be more loving and merciful. Let us look to You as the ultimate example of these qualities. Amen.