🎁 Giving Levels and Thank-You Gifts

🎬✨Hey Everyone!  My name is TJ Dukes, a filmmaker from southern Delaware. Together with my wife, Rachel, we operate a little production company called Dukes Films. This Christmas season, we are bringing to life My Manger, a faith-focused short film about a man whose faith, and business, have faded since the loss of his wife. When a young author from his past brings a simple children’s story about a lamb and a manger, it awakens memories that guide him to surrender his grief to God and find healing, just in time for Christmas.

This film is meant to share hope and comfort in Christ with anyone who has suffered a loss. Last Christmas was different - still wonderful - but harder without Mom. She was always a Christmas superstar, making sure everyone in the family felt special; wrapping tons of gifts for all the kids and grandkids, cooking non-stop, and yet somehow... always smiling. I'll never forget trying to decipher her short-hand lettering on each of my gifts (which she would write to remind her of what was inside), her peanut-butter pinwheels in repurposed Christmas tins, or that look - especially that look - that lit up her face when her entire family gathered together on Christmas Eve. I remember the Christmas morning, as a kid, when she comforted me through a pretty nasty episode of the flu. And the first Christmas that she held our firstborn child, Natalee.

Last Christmas was my first without her. As my father, my sisters, and I, along with our families, sat together at Christmas, there were tears of missing her presence, but there was also an overwhelming peace that we all shared, knowing that Mom belonged to the Lord and was enjoying the peace, joy, and communion with Christ. That peace along with the memories we cherish are why last Christmas was still a cheerful time with family - her family, that she and my Dad taught to love and trust in the Lord.

📙 Romans 11:36: For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. God created ALL things: you, me, and even grief and sorrow. But he also has the power and authority to redeem and restore.

This fall, Rachel and I at Dukes Films are producing our first narrative film, exploring the journey of surrendering all to Christ, to whom everything ultimately belongs.

🎥🎄My Manger is a story of hope, redemption, and the quiet ways God can speak through the smallest gifts. We want this film to inspire viewers of all ages to trust God with their hearts, even in moments of sorrow.

Your support will help us:

• Secure authentic locations that give the story its warm, nostalgic feel
• Provide professional equipment and production resources
• Compensate our dedicated cast and crew
• Complete post-production with professional editing, music, and distribution

Every donation brings us closer to sharing this story of faith and surrender with the world. Join us in making My Manger a reality, and be part of a project that reminds everyone: God can use even the smallest gifts to draw us near to Him.

Give. Share. Pray. Help us bring this story to life.

Your support isn't just funding; it’s pushing us past doubt and into the light of possibility. Your contribution covers website development, book publishing costs (yes - we had to write a children's book for this film), production software, equipment rentals—every dollar helps turn pages from reality to magic on screen! 🌟📘🎬

So here’s my heartfelt ask: Let’s make this film together. Support us in making a difference one frame at a time, helping us create stories of comfort and hope. 🙏✨

Thanks for listening, thanks for believing—because sometimes all you need is faith in others to make great things happen! 💖🎥

(P.S. Remember: Sharing helps too. Can we count on you to spread the word? ) 🙏✨