BEYOND THE SUN -- A Modern-Day Tale of Hope and Courage Featuring Pope Francis is the Perfect Movie to Watch with Your Family + Enter to #Win a Trip to Italy or a $50 Target GC #Giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with promotional product in exchange for sharing my personal thought and promoting this new movie release.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Upcoming Children’s Adventure Movie Features A Special Appearance By Pope Francis And Sponsors An Exciting Contest To Italy

The new movie, BEYOND THE SUN, a modern-day tale of hope, faith and courage based on stories from the Bible, which features Pope Francis, had me thinking about a recent family day trip we took the girls on.  The family-friendly movie chronicles the adventures of four young friends in search of God.  We were on a search for a lighthouse we could visit, but in the end the journey led us to talk about our faith and how God is always with us.  It is funny how a childhood or family adventure could be so special and be a learning experience.  

Here is more about our day at the Old Lighthouse Museum in Stonington, CT, followed by more about the new Beyond the Sun movie, which you can purchase starting on May 15th.  And, be sure to read on after the movie information to learn how you can enter for a chance to win a $50 Target gift card, to pick up supplies to help you plan a fun summer adventure with your family. :-)

----

Recently, my girls became interested in lighthouses and wanted to go exploring lighthouses here in CT.  Unfortunately, many of the lighthouses are either out in the water, or you can't get close enough on land to them or tour them.  After much research and calling around, we found a lighthouse in Stonington, CT that has a museum and lighthouse you can climb the stairs to the top and look out.  I was so excited to bring the girls and create a fun memory with them. Usually it is hard for me to keep secrets, but I was able to keep this one and didn't tell the girls where we were going a couple weekends ago.  They thought we were just going to ride bikes, or visit a museum...but, they were in for something fun. :-)

To make it more of a surprise, we parked down the street from the lighthouse and visited the nearby beach first.  

The girls looked at me crazy as it was still a little cold out and no one was swimming.  They wondered what they were doing there.  

Then, I told them to turn around and look around.  When they did, they saw the lighthouse nearby and were so excited.  

They asked if this was a lighthouse they could get up close to and take photos for their scrapbooks.  I played dumb and said "I am not, let's go explore."  As we walked towards the lighthouse the girls' eyes lit up and they had big smiles on their faces.  

They were shocked when I opened the museum door and walked in and told them to follow.  My youngest thought we were getting some sort of VIP treatment, or would be yelled at when we walked in, so she was hesitant at first to follow.  But, then the girls joined my husband and I inside and we were greeted by the lighthouse attendant who talked about the lighthouse and set the girls up with a fun historical scavenger hunt to do inside based on things that were in the museum on display.  

Not only were the girls inside a lighthouse -- Bella kept telling us to pinch her as she couldn't believe it was real -- but, the girls were learning all about this and the other lighthouses in CT, RI, MA and NH.  We all learned so much by doing the scavenger hunt, and the girls got a little prize at the end...but, the best part of the whole experience was being able to walk up the spiral staircase and climb the ladder up into the lighthouse.  

The view was amazing -- you look out and if the sky is clear you can see three states.  

At first, Bella, who like me is afraid of heights, was scared to climb the short ladder to reach the top of the tower.  But, I told her that if she does it, I would do it.  So, we both put our fears aside and climbed to the top of the tower where my husband and other daughter was, and were so happy we pushed ourselves, as the view was spectacular.  Even though Bella and I didn't stay up there long, I was able to grab a few photos, before heading back down the ladder and 29 circular steps back into the museum.  

After our trip to the top of the tower, I surprised the girls with a picnic lunch on the grassy grounds of the lighthouse.  

We got to watch boats go by, and there were even a few local rowing teams practicing on the water, so the girls got to watch them, too.  We really had a great time at the Old Lighthouse Museum in Stonington, and can't wait to go back.

As I look back at our trip to the Lighthouse Museum, I can't help but remember the girls talking at lunch after about how the lighthouse was a "Beacon of Hope" for people.  I asked them what they meant and they said the light that lit up the water at night time and during bad weather, was a reminder to those that God is always with us, and directing us down the right path.  They said ships and boats follow the light and this helps guide them to the next steps on their journey or path in life.  Without the light or GOD helping to guide their journal they could lose hope, and we all need hop in our lives, as hope is what keeps us moving.  I couldn't believe I was hearing my 6.5 and 7.5 correlating the lighthouse to faith, and how important they saw the lighthouse.  This conversation we had a lunch made the trip to the lighthouse even more memorable and one I will treasure for years to come.

----

More about the movie:

"A heartwarming family film is releasing this week.  Distributed by AMBI Distribution, BEYOND THE SUN, is a modern day tale of hope, faith and courage based on stories from the Bible. This delightful family movie chronicles the adventures of four young friends in search of God.

The film features a very rare special appearance by Pope Francis.  In support of the film, AMBI Media Group is holding a special contest where one lucky winner will win an Exclusive Private Tour of the Vatican and Front Row Tickets to an Audience with The Pope For Four! 

For anyone who has ever wanted to visit Italy and The Vatican, this is your chance!  For additional details about the contest and to enter, please go to:

www.freetriptorome.com.

BEYOND THE SUN will be available for purchase across multiple platforms including iTunes, Amazon, and TUGG on May 15th."

--GIVEAWAY--

As promised, here is a fun giveaway, where one lucky Inspired by Savannah reader has a chance to win a $50 gift card to Target.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with promotional product in exchange for sharing my personal thought and promoting this new movie release.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.