It's a Wonderful Life Trivia Quiz!

 

If you’re like me, you’ve probably watched the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life at least 139 times (or maybe it just seems like that many). It’s definitely a favorite at our house. I mean, who can resist rooting for the underdog, George Bailey, and his lovely wife, Mary, as they struggle against Mr. Potter’s evil schemes?

 

So just for fun, I created a little It’s a Wonderful Life trivia quiz for you. Test your knowledge and see where you rate. Are you an IWL Aficionado, Fan, or Flunky?

 

Here we go: (Answers appear at the bottom of the post – no peeking!)

 

1. What famous actor was considered for the part of Mr. Potter?

a. Edward Arnold

b. Vincent Price

c. Humphrey Bogart

d. Spencer Tracy

2. According to the telegram Mr. Gower receives, Bedford Falls is in what state?

          a. Iowa

          b. Pennsylvania

          c. New York

          d. Ohio

3. Which animal appeared in every Frank Capra movie?

          a. Sassy the Squirrel

          b. Jimmy the Raven

          c. Willy the Westie

          d. Lucky the Basset Hound

4. True or False: For the scene that required Donna Reed to throw a rock and hit a window in the old Granville House, Frank Capra hired a marksman to shoot out the window on cue.

          a. True

          b. False

5. Where was the school dance scene shot?

          a. The RKO studio lot

          b. Hollywood YMCA

          c. Beverly Hills High School

          d. Los Angeles YWCA

6. What is the last name of the angel sent to help George Bailey?

          a. Milford

          b. Wingley

          c. Oddbody

          d. Jones

7. How many children do George and Mary Bailey have?

          a. 5

          b. 4

          c. 3

          d. 6

8. What are the three gifts Mary Bailey gives to the Martini family when they move into their new home?

          a. bread, salt and wine

          b. a wreath, a loaf of bread and a goat

          c. wine, bread and butter

          d. a pie, a loaf of bread and wine

9. What song plays in most of Clarence’s scenes?

          a. O Holy Night

          b. Angels We Have Heard on High

          c. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

          d. O Little Town of Bethlehem

10. What was the name of the police officer in the town?

          a. Bob

          b. Ernie

          c. Joe

          d. Bert

 

Results (Answers Are Below):

8-10 Correct Answers: Congratulations! You have achieved the expert status of IWL Aficionado! Your friends will be amazed at your knowledge of useless movie trivia and your mother will be oh so proud!

5-7 Correct Answers: Not too shabby. You’re definitely an IWL Fan. Watch the movie a few more times this Christmas season to achieve expert status by next year.

4 or less Correct Answers: Wow. Really? Where were you when everyone else was watching the movie? Don’t worry. It’s not too late. Go out and buy your own DVD copy and watch at least once a day, and you’ll improve your score considerably.

 

Answers: 1. b, Vincent Price; 2. c, New York; 3. b, Jimmy the Raven; 4. a, True, but she didn't need him because the rock she threw really broke the window; 5. c, Beverly Hills High School; 6. c, Oddbody; 7. b, 4; 8. a, bread, salt and wine; 9. c, Twinkle, Twinkle; 10. d, Bert

Feel free to share this quiz with your friends on Facebook or Twitter! And remember, as Clarence once said: "No man is a failure who has friends." Merry Christmas to all!



Once-in-a-lifetime Day

12-12-12… By now you’ve probably read a zillion Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, news articles, and more about today’s date. 

The last repetitive date we’ll ever see. A once-in-a-lifetime day. 

I wonder how many weddings took place today? How many babies were born on this day, 12-12-12? What an exceptional date to mark a new beginning.

We celebrate another once-in-a-lifetime event this month as well. The miraculous day God himself traveled through time and space to become one of us, veiled in human flesh. 

Do you realize he gazed up at the same moon we see in our sky over 2,000 years later? 

He who spoke the stars into existence observed them as a boy, mesmerized by their beauty?

He felt the warmth of the sun on his face, swam in the salty sea, played tag with his friends and did everything that we once did as children. 

He cried the same tears that we do, he yelped in pain when he pounded his thumb with a hammer, and he savored a favorite meal made by his mother. 

Emmanuel. God with us. 

This is surely cause to rejoice this Christmas and every Christmas. Every day of the year, for that matter.

He knows us, deeply. Because he was – he is – one of us. 

He took on our skin so he would forever know what it felt like to be dust. 

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14

He remembers.

This Christmas, let’s find joy in this simple fact: He remembers. And he has compassion.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

Five Minute Friday: Wonder

Time for another Five Minute Friday! Every Friday hundreds of writers join in this five minute writing exercise at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog, Tales from a Gypsy Mama.

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa-Jo posts on her blog. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

So here's my attempt at this week's Five Minute Friday. This week's word is...

Wonder...

You see it in the faces of little children as they gaze up at glimmering Christmas lights, reflecting like a sky full of stars in their eyes.

Wonder.

That same wonder led three wise men on a journey across treacherous desert terrain to a lowly stable where they gazed at another Light. A Light in the form of a tiny squirming bundle of new flesh, pink baby toes and perfectly formed baby fingers.

The Word became flesh.

Emmanuel. God with us.

I wonder how Mary felt the first time she looked into His face and knew in her heart He was the Savior of the world. How could she contain her awe? How could she keep the knowledge deep within her soul; how could she restrain herself from shouting to the world, “My son is God in the flesh! Do you hear me? He has come to save you!”

Instead she treasured everything in her heart, savoring the gems of truth delivered to her by the very angels of heaven. 

Jesus, give me eyes of wonder this Christmas. Help me to treasure You above everything, to gaze in awe at Your beauty and to remember Your sacrifice. You are THE gift of Christmas, and You deserve all my praise!

No Strings Attached

Two year olds are well known for their outbursts and tantrums, but they're also among the most loving little creatures on the face of the planet (besides puppies and kittens, of course). Recently, my husband and I experienced a hilarious and heartwarming scenario involving one of these precious "terrible twos."

During a Christmas concert at a local university, a cherub-faced two-year-old girl decided that the stranger sitting in the row in front of her needed some love. In a spontaneous moment of unspeakable joy, she leaned up, grabbed the man around the neck with both of her chubby arms, and pressed her face against his. For at least 20 seconds. Maybe that doesn't sound like a long time, but count slowly to 20 and imagine yourself as the recipient of this hug. It will either bring a smile or a grimace to your face. Either way, this 20 second bear hug was one of the sweetest expressions of pure, innocent love I've seen in a very long time.

That hug got me thinking. What if I treated strangers in the same way? I'd probably be locked up for a very long time. But metaphorically speaking... what if I treated those I meet every day with the same enthusiastic, no-strings-attached love? What if every Christian did the same? Needless to say, the world would be a very different place. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

Father, help me to love others this Christmas season, not with strings attached, but with the same love You show to Your children. Thank you for the most indescribable gift of all time -- Your amazing love, wrapped in swaddling clothes, sent to a world in desperate need of You.