Top 10 Classic Romantic Movies

Here’s my list of my 10 favorite classics when it comes to romantic movies. By classic, I mean pre-1970. I couldn’t keep the list to 10, so at the end, I have 5 honorable mentions.

10. Miracle In the Rain (1956)

Directed by Rudolf Mate

Starring: Jane Wyman, Van Johnson

This obscure film nobody’s heard of is guaranteed to put a lump in your throat.

9. Sabrina (1954)

Directed by Billy Wilder

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn

One of my many favorite Humphrey Bogart movies. This one has an ugly duckling turning into a swan theme. There’s a later version with Harrison Ford, but this is the best version.

8. Gigi (1958)

Directed by Vincent Minelli

Starring: Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan

Touching story of a romance of a girl whose been raised to be a mistress.

7. Notorious (1946)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman

Technically this isn’t a love story, but the passion between the two main characters explodes on the screen.

6. The African Queen (1951)

Directed by John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn

Two unlikely people fall in love during World War 1. The acting can’t get any better than this.

5. West Side Story (1961)

Directed by Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer

The original is almost always better than any remake. Make sure you have tissues handy for this modern take of Romeo and Juliet.

4. Casablanca (1942)

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman

This movie, which many rate as their number one favorite, is brilliant in its simple triangle love story in the middle of political upheaval and war.

3. To Have and Have Not (1945)

Directed by Howard Hawks

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Becall

This was the first movie Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall starred in together, and it can’t be beat. It was based on a novel by Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner wrote the screenplay. so considering the writers and the actors, how could it not be awesome.

2. The Sound of Music (1965)

Directed by Robert Wise

Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer

One of my all time favorite movies set during the Nazi regime in Austria. This movie was based on a true story.

1. An Affair To Remember (1957)

Directed by Leo McCarey

Starring: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr

This is my all time favorite classic love story. It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it. One thing that explodes on the scene is the chemistry between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Honorable Mentions:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Starring: Gene Tieny, Rex Harrison

It Happened One Night (1934)

Starring: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert

Test Pilot (1938)

Starring: Clark Gable, Myra Loy, Spencer Tracy

Made For Each Other (1939)

Starring: Jimmy Stewart, Carole Lombard

My Fair Lady (1964)

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison

8 Romantic Novels to Read for Valentine’s Day

I’m an Amazon Associate, so if you buy using the links provided, it will help me out.

Finding Her Family’s Love

Kayla Kensington

Kendra visits the small town of Shallow Stream thrilled to meet her late husband’s family for the first time. To her shock, her grieving mother-in-law accuses Kendra of being a gold digger and rejects her. Will Pierce, her late husband’s cousin, offer her the love and family she seeks, or will the relationship create new heartbreak?

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Alice’s Notions

Tamera Lynn Kraft

In this quaint mountain town, things aren’t always what they seem. 

World War II widow Alice Brighton returns to the safety of her home town to open a fabric shop. Between her mysterious landlord, her German immigrant employee, her neighbors who are acting strange, and a dreamboat security expert who is trying to romance her, Alice doesn’t know who she can trust.

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On Cue

Bettie Boswell

Ginny’s musical may save the local museum, but restoring her trust in men is another matter. When theater professor Scott finds himself coerced to direct her musical, they must work through humorous misunderstandings and a couple of pet disasters, until they finally discover that forgiveness and trust produce perfect harmony.

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Lost in the Storm

Tamera Lynn Kraft

Leading up to the turbulent Battles for the city of Chattanooga, will Lavena and Cage find the courage to love and forgive, or will they be swept away by their past mistakes that don’t want to stay buried?

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they’re willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.

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Red Sky Over America

Tamera Lynn Kraft

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they’re willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts.

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A Match (NOT) Made in Heaven

Michelle L. Levigne

What’s a good church-going girl to do when everything seems to go from wrong to weird, and the crazy old lady who insists on helping her find true love doesn’t know the meaning of “No!” or “Not ever!”?

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Resurrection of Hope

Tamera Lynn Kraft

She thought he was her knight in shining armor, but will a marriage of convenience prove her wrong?

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For Sale: Wedding Dress, Never Used

Michelle L. Levigne

Real love didn’t come back into her life until AFTER she decided to finally sell the dress, and let go of that particular dream. 

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

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5 Steps to a Loving Marriage

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Do you ever feel unloved by your spouse? Does your spouse ever complain that you don’t make him feel loved? Many times, we try to show love, but we don’t show it in a way our spouses accept.

This happens because we don’t understand the differences in love languages. When we try to love our spouse using our love language, but our loved one has a different love language, miscommunication can happen. That’s why it is important to understand love languages.

Here are the five main love languages.

Words of Affirmation: You feel loved when your spouse affirms you with his words. If your spouse has this love language, tell him, “I appreciate how you’re always cooking healthy meals for me.” Write her notes like, “I just wanted to let you know how blessed I am to have you in my life.” Point out specific things about your spouse instead of just using vain flattery. Instead of saying, “You look nice,” say, “The color you’re wearing really makes the color in your eyes pop.” Someone with this love language will feel especially hurt and unloved if he or she is constantly criticized.

Acts of Service: You feel loved when your spouse does things for you. Some examples of this might be to get up early with your spouse to make him breakfast or doing a household chore he would normally have to do. Someone with this love language will feel unloved if you are constantly telling him or her how great he or she is, but you never do anything for your spouse. In this case, actions speak louder than words.

Receiving Gifts: You feel loved when your spouse gives you gifts. If your spouse has this love language, it doesn’t mean you have to break your budget to give him gifts, but put thought into what small gift you can give. If you give this person money for his birthday, instead of taking time to think of the perfect gift, he will feel unloved.

Quality Time: You feel loved when your spouse gives you his undivided attention. The spouse with this love language will want you to spend quality time with him or her. Take bike rides and walks together. Spend an evening alone just talking. Do something together you both enjoy. Your spouse with this love language will be hurt if you go out to dinner but spend the whole evening on the phone with your boss instead of listening to her.

Affection or Physical Touch: You feel loved your spouse touches you appropriately. This isn’t just about six. In fact, a spouse with this love language will feel hurt if the only time you touch her is during sex. Although sexual expression is important this spouse, so is holding hands, hugging, cuddling, and playing with her hair.

5 Steps to Show Love to Your Spouse in the Right Way:

Now that you know a little about love languages, your challenge for today is to do these four steps to enhance your marriage.

Step One: Take this test online at this link to find out what your love language is.

Step Two: Ask your spouse what your love language is. He might know better than any test.

Step Three: Find out your spouse love language if you don’t know what it is. If he or she willing to take the test, have them do so. If not, spend some time paying attention to when your spouse feels loved and when he doesn’t.

Step Four: Because it is more important to give than to receive, plan to do something special for your loved ones using their love language.

Step Five: Plan to show your spouse love in his or her love language at least once a week. After some time, it will become second nature.

7 Ways You Can Be a Hero in Your Own Adventure

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

When I was young, I loved to read anything I could get my hands on, but my favorite types of stories were adventures where an ordinary young person was thrust on a quest of epic proportions. These stories resonant with us for a reason. We all want to think our lives count for something, no matter how insignificant they may seem. We all want to live a life of purpose that is somehow bigger than anything we can see.

We may not realize it, but God has written an epic adventure for each of our lives. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He has plans and purposes for us to give us a hope and a future. If we cooperate with His plans, God will use each of us in ways we never dreamed. Here are seven ways your life is like an adventure novel.

You are not insignificant to God. No matter where you are, or how life has treated you, God knows your name, and He knows where you live. He put you there for a purpose to fulfill your destiny. The Bible, the greatest adventure story of them all, is filled with seemingly insignificant people who do great things for God. David, Gideon, and many of the disciples make that list. Hebrews 11, the heroes of the faith chapter, doesn’t even name some of the heroes it who it says the world was not worthy of.

A Quest Has Obstacles. We’d all love to have more adventure in our lives provided we don’t have to go through any pain or face any obstacles, but every adventure story has insurmountable obstacles the hero must overcome. We have obstacles to face as well. Whenever we read adventure novels, we know the main characters will overcome those obstacles even though we can’t figure out how. When we face obstacles, we have a promise from God that He has overcome the world.

The hero is pure in heart. The hero in an adventure story will make mistakes, He’ll get discouraged. He’ll make wrong turns. But he won’t give up because he has a heart to do right and make a difference. To be the hero of God’s adventure, you also need a pure heart, a heart after God. God called King David a man after His own heart. David wasn’t perfect. He committed grievous sins. But he was also quick to repent because he wanted a pure heart.

A hero is loyal. Every quest has a hero who is loyal to both his friends and to the quest. He won’t give up on either. We need that kind of loyalty to God and to the quest He has sent us on if we are to fulfill what He’s called us to do. So many give up on God or on the adventure He’s called them to because things get hard.No matter how hard things get, remember that God is writing your story. Don’t give up.

A hero puts others above himself. In adventure novels, a hero is self-sacrificing. He pours out his life for others and is even willing to die for them. As Christians in God’s adventure story, we should also be willing to place others before ourselves.

Our happy ending isn’t here on Earth. Adventure novels always have happy endings. Even if the hero dies in the end, he always fulfills his quest. It doesn’t seem to work out that way in real life, but this isn’t all there is. Our quest isn’t over when we die. Our happy ending is in eternity when we will live forever in the presence of God.

My One New Year’s Resolution for 2022

Although I am setting goals for the New Year, I’ve only made one resolution. I made this resolution after reading Psalm 16:5-11 in The Passion Translation of the Bible. The Passion Translation is a paraphrase, but the meaning came alive to me after reading this Psalm.

Psalm 16:5-11 TPT

5) Yahweh, you alone are my inheritance. You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. You hold my destiny and its timing in your hands.

6) Your pleasant path[d] leads me to pleasant places. I’m overwhelmed by the privileges that come with following you!

7) The way you counsel me makes me praise you more, for your whispers in the night give me wisdom, showing me what to do next.

8) Because I set you, Yahweh, always close to me, my confidence will never be weakened, for I experience your wraparound presence every moment.

9) My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory! Even my body will rest confident and secure.

10) For you will not abandon me to the realm of death, nor will you allow your Faithful One to experience corruption.

11) Because of you, I know the path of life, as I taste the fullness of joy in your presence. At your right side I experience divine pleasures forevermore!

I resolve in 2022 to enjoy God to the fullest, and through His Joy, to enjoy the life He has given me.

I pray you receive the same fullness of joy in His presence in 2022!

Have a Joyful 2022!

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 ESV

Every year, I ask God for a Word for the year. In 2021, the word was “Get Ready”. Considering all the challenges 2021 held, it was a timely word. Sometimes, I struggle to receive the word God wants to give me because so many things distract me. Other times, God gives me the word fairly quickly. I’ve never experienced a word like I did this time. The word God gave me was like a neon sign. Everywhere I looked, I saw the word. Every sermon I listened to and almost every song I heard had the word. It was even written as notes in Christmas cards I received.

The word I received is JOY. 2022 will be a year of JOY. I speak JOY over each of you.

I am looking forward to 2022 in a new way knowing the LORD will fill us to overflowing with His Joy. That doesn’t mean there won’t be trials, but God will overwhelm us with supernatural joy through the trials.

I’ll be posting about joy from time to time on my blog and social media. I’m also considering having a Zoom Bible study about joy. More on that later. In the meantime, chew on Psalm 16:11 for awhile, and allow God to fill you with His Joy.

5 Awesome Christian Books Released in 2021

Here is my top 10 list for books released in 2021.These books are in no particular order. I am an Amazon Associate, so if you decide to buy any of these, I’d love it if you click on the link embedded in the title and cover art. The link is connected to the paperback. If you’d like to use my associate link for the eBook or audiobook, please contact me at tkrafty @ tameralynnkraft . net.

A Shadow on the Snow

A Rae Riley Mystery

by JPC Allen

This Young Adult cozy mystery by a debut author is sure to satisfy your yearning for a good book. Available in print, eBook and audiobook.

Kiss of Peace

by Diane Virginia

This Bible Study is not for the faint of heart. It show how SONG OF SOLOMON was meant as a allegory for the passionate relationship between us and our LORD.

The Chase

US Marshalls Book 2

by Lisa Harris

If you love heart throbbing suspense, than be sure to read this romantic suspense, but don’t expect to be able to put it down. THE ESCAPE, book 1 should be read first.

Night Fall

The Quantico Files Book 1

by Nancy Mehl

Another great romantic suspense you won’t be able to set down.

Dead Fall

The Quantico Files Book 2

by Nancy Mehl

If you love book 1 of this series, you’ll be ecstatic over book 2.

Merry Christmas!

10 Reasons I’m Joyful at Christmas

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

There is a trend among Christians to try to make people feel guilty for being joyful at Christmas time. Some even say that we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas, but I refuse to allow their naysaying to rob me of my joy. Here are 10 reason to feel joyful at Christmas without feeling the slightest bit of guilt for it.

10. We can be joyful even when things aren’t great. The Bible says we should count it all joy. In other words, even if we are going through a hard time because of a death in the family or because of hard times, we can still be joyful. The word count could probably be better translated command. We can command ourselves to be joyful. What if it’s is someone else who is going through a hard time? This is often an excuse for not being joyful at Christmas. After all, look at all the terrible things happening in people’s lives. I have a suggestion for you. Are you in the right frame of mind to help someone else when you are in a place of joy or a place of depression. I would suggest we are better equipped in a place of joy.

James 1:2-3 ESV “Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

9. We owe it to those around us to be joyful. Have you ever been around somebody who suck the joy of living out of everyone around him. Joy is contagious, but so is depression. That means if you decide not to be joyful, you affect everyone around you, and if you decide you will be joyful, it will also affect your friends and family. Refuse to allow someone’s bad mood to affect you. Instead be the one who heals those who don’t have joy.

Proverbs 17:22 ESV “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

8. Joy makes us healthy. If it’s true that stress and depression cause us harm physically, it’s also true that a joyful heart with make you healthy. That is why Proverbs 17:22 calls a joyful heart good medicine. Medical professionals have proven laughter is beneficial to our overall health. You can read more about it at this link.

7. Joy will give you spiritual and emotional strength. We receive fullness of joy in the presence of God, and His joy will give us the strength we need to do all the things that stress us out during the day.

Psalm 16:11 ESV “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

6. Who Want to Be a Scrooge? I sure don’t, but some Christians act like that’s exactly what they want. They claim they can’t celebrate Christmas because it’s too commercial and most people don’t celebrate it with the right motives. Who told you you can’t be joyful because other people have the wrong motives? That’s silly. Think about some of the people in the past who wanted to kill other people’s joy at Christmas: Scrooge and the Grinch. Do you really want to be like them? You may say they are mythical characters, and that is true, but they represent those who are like them.

The first man who wanted to destroy the joy of Christmas tried to kill Christ. His name was Herod, and he was not a joyful person. Herod killed his wife, two of his sons, and his wife’s extended family because he thought they were trying to usurp his authority as king. Talk about an unhappy person. He tried to kill Christ and Christmas by ordering all the male children of Bethlehem two years and under to be slaughtered.

Matthew 2:16 ESV  “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.”

5. The angels were joyful at Chist’s birth. They sang and proclaimed how Christ’s birth brought great joy to the Earth. Truthfully, we don’t really know what day Christ was born, and there is controversy about how December 25th was chosen. I don’t care. I know Christ was born, and I don’t know when. So unless someone comes to me with a definitive answer about what day Christ was born, I’m going to celebrate His birth on December 25th with as much exuberance and joy as the angels did.

Luke 2:10-14 ESV “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,’Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'”

4. The shepherds were filled with joy. Everyone was happy when Christ was born, even lowly shepherds. If they can be happy even with smelly sheep, I will be happy with the privileged awesome life God has given me.

Luke 2:20.ESV “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

3. I’m happy because of presents. They don’t have to be expensive presents. They can be homemade. The thing is I love to receive presents, and I love to give presents because it reminds me of the joy the Wise Men felt when they saw Jesus and gave Him gifts. They were so joyful they worshipped Him. Our praise and worship comes from the joy we feel about Christ who is God’s gift to us.

Matthew 2:10-11 ESV “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

2. I’m filled with joy when I hear Christmas hymns. Have you ever listened to the words of those hymns. They are songs of worship, and everyone sings them at Christmas – even heathens. What a great time to worship the Lord with songs.

Isaiah 12:6 ESV “Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

1. I am joyful because Christ is my salvation. If Christ had not been born, He would have not died for my sins, not would He have raised from the dead defeating sin and death on my behalf. I am beyond joyful because Christmas lead to Easter.

1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

20% Off All Mt Zion Ridge Press Christian Books

Mt Zion Ridge Press is having a 20% off sale on all books for Day 12 of their 12 Days of Christmas Sale at this link!

This includes these great titles by Tamera Lynn Kraft.