Did You Hear a Who?

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal

"If you can't see it, hear it or feel it....it doesn't exist!," said Sour Kangaroo to Horton, and anyone else who would listen.

As I sat in the movie theater watching Horton Hears A Who with my three boys, I was struck by the amount of discussion material packed into this movie!  In case you haven't read the book or seen the movie, here is a quick summary (spoiler alert).

Horton, an energetic elephant, hears a noise from a speck of dust that is travelling through the air.  That speck holds the entire world of the Whos.  Horton has to get that speck of dust to a safe place - otherwise, all of the Whos will perish.  However, Sour Kangaroo does not believe there is any world on that speck of dust and since she is the official boss of the forest, she attempts to convince everyone that Horton is wrong.  She hires an evil vulture, Vlad, to get rid of the speck.  When Vlad is unsuccessful, Kangaroo organizes a mob who ties up Horton and threatens to put the speck in a boiling vat of oil.  All Horton has to do is to deny the existence of the world on the speck and all will be alright.  In the end, the speck is saved and, in a shocking turn of events, Horton forgives Sour Kangaroo and befriends her.

There were so many things to talk about with my kids after we saw this movie!

Knowing God Exists
We started by talking about Kangeroo's thought that "If you can't see it, hear it, or feel it...it doesn't exist."  I asked my boys if they thought that was true.  We discussed how many people think the same of God - that because you can't see Him or hear Him, He must not exist.  We talked about how we know God exists - and how we see Him, hear Him, and feel Him.  We see Him in His provision for our family.  We hear Him when a Scripture speaks directly to our pain or convicts us.  We feel Him when we have unexplainable peace in the middle of the dark times.  It was wonderful to hear my young boys realize that they do hear God, they do see His hand, and they do feel Him.

Renounce Your Faith
Later we moved into a discussion about the end of the movie when all Horton has to do is say the world of the Whos does not exist and all will be alright.  There will come a time, and it may be in the time of our children's lives, where we are asked to renounce God or lose our lives.  Those times are quickly on the horizon.  But my children and I talked about times they are asked to reject God in their actions.  It is hard when you are asked by friends to do something you shouldn't.  It's very difficult to say "That's not right.  I can't participate in that because God would not be pleased."

I love this passage from 2 Timothy 3:12-15:  "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

We need to encourage our kids to be strong in their faith, just like Horton was strong in his conviction and was willing to face a vat of oil for the truth.

Forgive!
The last lesson from the movie is an important one.  Sour Kangaroo was so mean to Horton!  She was cruel in her words and her actions and she almost killed Horton's Whoville friends.  But Horton forgave her; he invited her in as his friend.  What a witness that was to my kids!  We talked about the way that Christ forgives us and how we are to carry out that same forgiveness to our friends and to our siblings.  A great verse for the family to memorize is Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

I didn't expect to go to the movies that day and walk away with deep theological conversation ideas for my kids.  But it was a beautiful time of encouragement and one we speak of often.  What a beautiful illustration of some of life's toughest lessons.  Have you seen great movies that lead to amazing conversations with your kids?  Leave some ideas in the comments below or interact with us on our Facebook page!

Who's #1?

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal

Do you worship idols?  When we think of the word idol, we often think of a little Buddha or a golden calf or maybe our mind goes to something more lighthearted like the origin of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.  But let's get real for a moment....are there any idols in your life?

I think we can all agree that money and success can easily become idols in one's life.  But even good things, gifts God has given us, can become idols too; our family, achievements, romance can all become more important to us than God is.

Here I am about to get real with you...I've recently been convicted that in my own life peace and joy are idols.  Peace and joy?!  Aren't those God-given gifts?!  Yes, they are, but they had become the driving force in my life - those qualities had become more important to me than God himself!   So when a time of trial hit my life this last year, where peace and joy were not found in my circumstances, I was lost, because God was not #1.  When my peace and joy were absent, it felt like God was absent too.  He certainly wasn't, but because He was not sitting on the throne of my heart, I had to dig through the muck and mire to see that His hand had been there all along.

May I recommend the book Gods at War:Defeating The Idols That Battle For Your Heart by Kyle Idleman to you?  It is an eye opening book that challenges us to evaluate what might be taking the highest priority in our lives.  Idleman says "The problem is that the instant something takes the place of God, the moment it becomes an end in itself rather than something to lay at God's throne, it  becomes an idol."

The author describes our sin life like a tree.  The trunk is the idolatry we hold tightly to and the branches are the sins that manifest from that idolatry.  He states "...anything that becomes the purpose or driving force of your life probably points back to idolatry of some kind."  It's a challenging book - no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, it will force you to evaluate what may be standing in the way of a deeper relationship with our Almighty God.

Because of all of the challenges of the last year, my husband and I decided  to renew our vows last month.  Our first wedding was huge - 250 people - invite everybody - pack the church out.  This time it was simply us, our children, and our moms.  In the quietness of the chapel, we stood before God and reaffirmed our commitment to each other.  This time, we wrote our own vows and kept them a secret from each other.  What surprised us was that we both echoed the same sentiment...we can not do this on our own - we cannot have a successful marriage in our own strength, nor can our marriage be our #1 priority.

I wrote:  "Most importantly, I promise to run after Jesus with all of my being, knowing it's only
through His power that I can be the wife and mother you need me to be."

Brent wrote:  "I promise to live first for the Lord Jesus Christ seeking Him first and then you, loving you and you alone, through the love that He has shown me, by the power and enablement of the Spirit..."

Together, we are slowly getting it.  God must be sitting on the throne of our hearts and lives to find any success or joy or peace.  I love the song "Jesus at the Center" written by Israel Houghton.  It says exactly what  my heart sings now..."Nothing else matters.  Nothing in this world will do.  Jesus you're the center.  Everything revolves around you."  I wanted to share this song with you and found this precious 4 year old singing with her church choir.  As you listen to the song, pray that God would overthrow any idols you hold dear.  Life is so much more complete with Jesus at the center of it all.

Olympic Lessons Learned

What is it about the Olympics that draws us in and compels us to set our DVRs? Why do we hear the
Olympic theme song and well up with pride for our country and athletes? I don’t think it is the events themselves. In fact, I would venture to guess that most of us have watched little if any ice skating, speed skating, slope style, luge, or curling over the last 2 years. Yet, if you are like our family, the Olympics have become our “go to” show during dinner and in the evenings.

I am struck by the number of life lessons that can be learned in just one evening of Olympic competition. Every evening seems to be filled with stories of sportsmanship, patriotism, teamwork, and discipline.  In a day and age where most of the programs on television are inappropriate for my young children, I love that they can rally behind an event that in my opinion stands for something special. I know that with each Olympics comes some controversy, but there is the opportunity to stand together to cheer on our fellow man. The commercials alone are enough to bring you to tears and well up with pride at the stories of determination and perseverance. 

My girls are getting to see the agony of defeat and the sweet thrill of victory. They are getting to see that sometimes, things aren’t fair. People can work all of their lives chasing a dream that never comes true. They can also spend their lives chasing a dream that is finally realized despite all of the obstacles in their way.  We find ourselves routing for the underdog, crying for the heartbroken, cringing at the crashes, and cheering for the victors. 

And yes, lessons can still be learned from the athletes that don’t display the levels of sportsmanship we would hope to see. 

 

The Blame Gamers – those who try to point the finger and blame the weather, the slope, the other competitors, or anything else they can to help navigate the disappointment. 

The Entitled – those who think they deserve it more than everyone else and aren’t happy with any medal but the gold. 

The Havic Hopefuls – those who secretly (or openly) hope that the other team will fall, get hurt, or make a mistake that will give them the advantage. 

God created each of these athletes with amazing abilities. Whether they are using their gifts for God’s glory or their own, we are reminded that God has called each of us as believers to run the race to receive the prize. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Timothy 2:5
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.

I know I will never win an Olympic medal, but I am fully confident that my prize will be far greater! I may never stand on the podium in front of millions of people and hear the National Anthem play, but I look forward to that amazing day when I will sing with the angels in the presence of my KING!