Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
Even though The Founder came out in 2016, I watched it for the first time in March.* It focuses on Ray Kroc—the man who (sort of) founded McDonald’s. I won’t get into the nitty gritty details about why he is (and isn’t) the one who truly founded this fast food chain. But I will highlight what I liked and didn’t like about the movie. Hopefully, this post will give you enough information to decide whether or not to add it to your watchlist.
If you listen to Christian music (especially on Christian radio stations), you’ve probably heard “Lift Me Up” by Blessing Offor. This new song is super catchy. Frankly, however, that’s one reason I felt the need to write about it. Glossing over the words is easy to do because the tune is so good, but the words are what sink into our hearts, minds, and souls. In this post, I’m going to specifically focus on the chorus because there’s so much to tackle there. Get ready for a hot take, friends.
Although I don’t know very much about Ben Rector or his music, I’m familiar with his song “Brand New.” Yes, I realize this song is about a decade old, but I think the lyrics are worth analyzing. Truth be told, it's not simply a lighthearted song about feeling young and falling in love.
Sarah Reeves has some songs I like and some songs I dislike, but I think “The Right One” is her best song. I really appreciate the candid advice she shares in it about not settling. Honestly, the fact that she got divorced in 2021 and remarried in 2024 (per Wikipedia) makes me wonder if she wrote it because she didn’t pick the right guy the first time. Maybe she doesn’t want other people to make the same mistake she did. All I know for sure is “The Right One” has the right message.
I’ve evaluated a few of Shawn Mendes’ songs—"Stiches" and "Treat You Better" and "There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back"—in prior posts. I’m not a big fan of those three songs because the lyrics are, well, somewhat questionable. But I don’t hate all of Shawn’s songs. In fact, we’re going to evaluate one today that has a great message.
Even though I wasn’t alive during the 1960s and 1970s, I feel like I have a decent grasp on them because I’ve watched Jesus Revolution. It’s an excellent Christian movie—better than most Christian movies I’ve seen over the years. Whether you were alive during the real Jesus Revolution or not, I think you’ll enjoy the movie version of this time period.
I like mysteries—specifically movies with mysteries. I’ve enjoyed many Hallmark mysteries over the years, but finding non-Hallmark mysteries without content issues is hard. That’s why I was so pleased when I learned about The Thursday Murder Club. Although it’s not a Hallmark mystery, it sounded like a good movie overall. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Riley Clemmons has been on the Christian music scene for several years. One of my favorite things about her music is the raw honesty of her lyrics, and “Healing” has this raw honesty. In my opinion, this song is underrated—but that’s why I’m sharing it with you. Overall, it’s a worthwhile addition to your playlist.
“Thank God” and “The Good Ones” are a couple songs by Gabby Barrett that I really like. However, I’m not a fan of “I Hope.” The song’s lyrics—and Gabby’s tone while she sings them—reek of bitterness and contempt. Ironically, “I Hope” isn’t very hopeful at all.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 