Why the Heck are PG13 Movies Marketed to Little Kids?
Am I the only one sick of movies with content rated for teenagers being pushed on my little children?
The other day my family went to McD’s and ordered a round of Happy Meals for the kids (ages 2, 4, and 6) and what was in them…..little blue men! Look, I saw Avatar and it rocked, but my 4 year old ain't going there. I know our society has its problems, but the only thing I find more annoying are pants for toddlers with “HOTTIE” plastered across the backside. Call me old fashioned, but last time I checked “Adult Language, Adult Situations, and Violence” were not exactly the best things for our little sponges to absorb!
Question: Why are movies with content rated for teenagers marketed to the 4-7 age demographic?
Answer: Because it works!
Who’s To Blame?
The capitalists...right? We need social reform….let’s get some government regulation here. Wrong!
I love capitalism….no buts, I just love it. I’d better, I’m an entrepreneur. Capitalism isn’t the problem here. Our failing family values are the problem!
Free enterprise doesn’t create problems in a society; it only mirrors the problems that already exist. If we didn’t buy those stupid toddler pants no one would produce them. If we didn’t take our little kids to PG13 movies they wouldn’t market to them. The dregs of free market are only the symptom….the breakdown of the family is the disease.
A Return to Traditional Family Values is Needed!
Have you ever sat down and watched Andy Griffith with your kids? If not, you’d be amazed. You’ll actually like it…..I promise! How about reading Little House on the Prairie? There are tons of wholesome family activities and they don’t have to be circa 1960.
We learned as children that we are what we eat. The same is true of anything we consume, whether it’s a Double Whopper with Cheese, less than uplifting music, or pornography. The more we surround ourselves and our families with virtuous things the more uplifted and inspired we will be. I've recently asked myself:
What am I feeding My Children?
What kind of example am I setting?
Let’s all take the time to assess how we are doing as parents. Let’s have the courage to make the changes necessary to insure our children have the rock solid foundation they need to withstand the storms they will face in today’s world. The family is the most fundamental unit of society. Our community, country, and world can only be as strong as its families.
But I’d like to hear from you. Does the whole PG13 thing bother you? What challenges or frustrations do you face as a parent?
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Who’s Your Head Coach in the Game of Life?
Yep, we've got it all figured out!
Have you ever had a phenomenal coach? You know, the type that you never forget; that inspired you to do more than you thought possible and taught lessons you remember to this day? What made them great? I’ve been blessed to have many wonderful coaches and they all had the same things in common: they cared, they were great teachers, and they set high expectations. So if life is a big game, who’s your head coach?
Who better to coach us through life than Jesus Christ?
The best coaches are the most dedicated. They spend hours upon hours in preparation for the team; pouring over books and film, attending coaches clinics, etc. They want the best for the team as well as each individual player. They care, and they are willing to sacrifice their time and energy for the benefit of the team. Christ cares so much for us He sacrificed His life! Not for His own glory, not for ‘coach of the year’, but for the glory of His Father in Heaven and for our benefit. Rest assured…..He cares about you.
When I reflect on the things I learned in athletics, for the life of me I can’t recall being taught any actual sports skills. No drills, technique, or any of that. I learned those things, I just can’t remember them being taught to me. All I can seem to remember being taught are life lessons…..hard work, dedication, sacrifice, brotherhood. It seems that the greatest coaches are life coaches. They are teachers of principles that transcend any single sports season or phase of life. I’m here to tell you that there is no better teacher of life lessons than Jesus Christ. His teachings are as applicable today as they were 2,000 years ago, and I would submit that we need them more today than ever. I liked a line in the new movie ‘Avatar’, “You can’t fill a cup that’s already full.” Let’s allow ourselves to be taught by Him.
In high school football I remember running “the hills”. Man I thought I would die! Back in the woods behind the school was a huge hill. Several times a week the coach would take us back there and we would all line up single file at the bottom. Upon the coaches word “go” our objective was to catch up with and pass the runner ahead of us. We would run our hardest all the way to the top, trot back down, and repeat (there was wailing and gnashing of teeth!). What stands out to me after all this time isn’t the pain, but it was how hard we were pushed. No one resented the coach; we knew it was for our own benefit. In retrospect, I appreciate the demand placed upon me. It made me a better football player and a better person. The same holds true in life. I have a major problem with the popular notion that Jesus does not demand anything of us. That it’s alright to worship Him with our lips and not our heart. I would submit that He demands everything of us……in fact not everything we have, but our entire selves as C.S. Lewis puts it. He knows, and deep down we know as well, that this is the only way we will be the best “player” we can be.
The Danger of being our Own Head Coach
Sometimes I like to think I have it all figured out. Strangely enough, this seems to always happen right before I do something really stupid! I’m beginning to think that maybe there’s some sort of connection here. I mean really, let’s look at this for a second from a football perspective. How effectively could the quarterback coach the entire team while still in the game? Better yet, let’s say he played both ways, offense and defense, and still had to coach the entire team. Granted, some people would do a lot better job than others, but doesn’t that sound like a recipe for failure? You say, ‘but in life I’m not responsible for an entire team, I’m only responsible for myself and I can manage myself’. But that’s not the point. The point is that we can’t see everything while were in the game. The defense if blitzing, the offense has called an audible, and we miss all that because we can only see what right in front of our faces. We have Lombardy standing on the sidelines waving his hands screaming "let me help, let me help!", but we dig in and call another play.
We have the opportunity to be lead by the perfect Head Coach! All we have to do is admit that we need Him and hand over the whistle. It’s my testimony that he will transform as much of us as we are willing to give Him into things of beauty….into Heavenly Super Bowl Champs.
What say you?
Parkinson’s Law and the Christian Life.
Why are the last five minutes of a work-out always the hardest, whether it takes 30 minutes or 60 minutes? Why is it that the last day of work before vacation is always the most productive? Why is it that when we really, really have to go to the bathroom, we always make it just in the nick of time? The answer: Parkinson’s Law.
Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand so as to fill the time available for its completion.
In light of my highly intellectual questions above, it’s obvious that I believe this principle doesn’t just apply to work; but to anything and everything we do. It seems as though it’s human nature to alter the way we see our lives based on the amount of time we have to live it. Whether it’s our daily tasks broken into small segments, or the totality of our life to include all of our days here on earth, we tend to live our lives based on our perception of time. This is pretty neat stuff, but how does this principle apply to living a Christian life? To answer this I would ask another question, please give thoughtful consideration to your response:
As a Christian, how would you have lived your life differently today if you knew you were about to die?
I’m sure the majority of us would make some changes. I mean, we’re about to meet the Bride Groom right?....need to make sure our lamps are trimmed and all that. If you can respond that you live every day like it’s your last, congratulations because you’re one-up on most of us. But I’m inclined to think that this is not the way it should be. We should live every day as though it were our last. We should not sacrifice the things that matter most to the things that matter least, as Covey puts it. Not that this has anything to do with our salvation, which can’t be earned, but it has everything to do with utilizing our potential to glorify God.
Again, the law states that work will expand to fill the time available for its completion. From a Christian perspective I would define the “available time” as the duration of our mortal life. I would say that “work” is the use of our talents to seek and accomplish the will of our Heavenly Father. If all this is correct and my “time” is about up, and I haven’t been doing right, I’m about to do some scramblin’…..right?
How about some real life application? Here are some other questions along the same lines. If today was your last day on earth:
How differently would you have prayed today?
How differently would you have treated your family today?
How differently would you have served others today?
How differently would you have witnessed to others today?
How different would your relationship with the Savior be right now?
Let’s not live our lives based on our perception of time. Life’s too short as it is, the last thing we need to do is rationalize away our highest priorities because they are not urgent. Things that are the will of our Heavenly Father need not be procrastinated. If something needs doing, let us as Christians do it. It's my testimony that we will find true joy and happiness in fulfilling the measure of our creation now, in this very moment. The longer we wait the harder it becomes.
The Christian Family Vacation: A True Test of Faith!
Family vacations are great, but for Christian families they can be tough! I don’t mean the the tough where kids and parents are hot, tired, and hungry; I mean they are full of tough distractions that make us lose focus on the most important thing in our lives: our relationship with the Lord. We just returned home from visiting Mickey Mouse. We had a blast and cherished every moment; but it’s given me an opportunity to reflect on how my family responds to a setting where everyone pretty much gets what they want. I’ve concluded that as cool as vacations are, they present a constant battle to stay on track and keep our gospel priorities in order. Right about now you’re probably saying “man, I’m glad that dude’s not my dad!” Good point….who wants to get a bunch of flack about what they do on vacation? I sure don’t, but I’m coming to realize that vacations have the potential to bring out the best and worst in a family…..and to the extent a family keeps the Lord in the center of its activities, it will have truly fulfilling experiences that bring real happiness. It’s tough to stay on track, but to help keep our Christian values in focus I’ve outlined some challenges that my family faces when we go on vacation.
Here are three challenges that Christian families face when on vacation:
1.) Alert: Potential Greed Breeding Environment!
Vacations provide a unique setting were we get more of what we want than normal. Better food, more relaxation, cool activities, and most importantly, little or no discomfort. I have found that giving anyone what they want long enough without the proper gospel perspective leads to selfish tendencies….especially with children. I know after a few days of vacation I have the keep my inner caveman in check. This is human nature….the bad thing is if you’re a Christian you believe that our human nature is all screwed up!
Solution: Find someone to serve….period. Neglect yourself and serve someone else. If you see this behavior in your children help them to do the same with your help. You’ll find that removing the focus from you or them vaporizes this kind of thinking….especially on vacation!
2.) It's Pseudo-happiness: Don’t be Hoodwinked!
Doesn’t the Good Book say something about turning to the world for happiness? I think…..I’m not sure…..yeah, it’s pretty much the underlying theme of all scripture. Even though we know this, it’s easy to fall victim to this way of thinking. We want to give our families the best. The best places to stay, the best food to eat, and the best experiences. We want to create an atmosphere for our family that brings us closer together. The problem is that we may begin to think that a certain place or activity is required for this to happen, and when the stars don’t align we become disenchanted…..or even worse, frustrated! We’ve all been there right?
Solution: Remember what brings true peace and joy beyond anything this world has to offer: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! And the ultimate experience is to share in this relationship with one’s family. And if it so happens that your vacation plans actually work out, how cool would that be then!
3.) Beware of the Vacation “junk food” Diet!
We all know that three staples of a good gospel diet are church, prayer, and scripture study. My family normally does a great job at these, but when vacation rolls around we find ourselves gravitating toward an unhealthy “junk food” gospel diet of seriously slacking off! It’s tough man…..Mickey’s standing there beckoning you and your children…..”Come, come”, he says. “You must hurry to my gates…there’s no time to waste. Forget everything else and come!” So we go. We get home late. And we do it again the next day, and the next thing you know…..spiritual flabbiness! Don’t justify it, you know it’s just down-right wrong.
Solution: Go in with a plan and stick to it! Find a place to attend church in advance. Set a goal to say prayers and read scriptures every day no matter what!
Family Vacations rock! But the notion that it is an escape from daily life shouldn’t carry over into our walk with the Lord. Remaining strong during family vacations will stand as a testimony to our children of our faith and will only lead to more fulfilling family experiences. What a blessing to live in a time and place where most of us have the opportunity to go and share such experiences together. Let’s do our best to insure that a vacation from work is not a vacation from the Lord.
Stop, Look, and Love
Today were blessed to hear of a treasured experience that author Marcus Sheridan had within the sacred walls of his home. Thanks for sharing Marc!
"In today’s fast paced world we seem to be always on the go, it can sometimes be too easy to stop and appreciate the little things. Unfortunately though, it’s the little things in life that can often bring us the most joy. I was reminded of this recently, and so if you’ll allow me to indulge over the next few paragraphs, I’ll hopefully express my thoughts clearly on a very special recent personal experience.
On a typical day, I will leave the house before my wife and children have woken up. I’m the type of guy who doesn’t need long to get ready. About 3 minutes to shower and another 5 to get dressed, and I’m ready to go. And that’s how my personality is. I typically walk fast, talk fast, eat fast and think fast. Sometimes this character trait is nice to have, and other times it can cause me to miss out on the beauty found within my surroundings.
As I mentioned about my mornings, I usually walk quickly around the house and I’m gone before anyone knows it. But one recent morning, as I was putting my belt on, I happened to be standing at the door, for what reason I’m not quite sure, of Danielle’s room, my 6 year old daughter. This particular morning Danielle appeared to be on the brink of waking up. In fact, she brought a grin to my face as she proceeded to stroke her long brown hair as well as rub the palm of her hand against her nose as her eyes remained closed. It was rather amusing to watch as she continued this hair stroke/nose rub over the course of the next couple minutes. Next I did what I normally don’t do in the mornings: I sat down at the edge of her bed and took a moment to watch and enjoy. Is there any greater beauty than one’s own child? I’d venture to say ‘no’. As I watched her from my seated position I couldn’t help but to stroke her hair a few times and give her a kiss on the forehead. Her eyes slowly opened and I was pleased to receive a welcoming and peaceful smile. I then told her I was going to work, she said she would miss me, and then I kissed her goodbye.
After leaving her room, I finished getting quickly ready and walked to the side house door where I put on my shoes, opened the door to leave, walked out into the fresh morning air, and slowly closed the door. But before I could get it completely shut, I heard running footsteps coming through the house. To my surprise, it was Danielle, and with an unforgettable smile and her arms reached forward, she reached up and leapt into my embrace. She then squeezed my neck hard a few times, gave me one of those big ‘kid’ kisses, and said, “Dad, I love you.”
Joy rushed into my heart as I could feel the sincerity that can only be felt from a child in their own words. Although I didn’t want to let go, the work day was beckoning, and so again we said our goodbyes and parted ways. I couldn’t help but grin ear to ear as I entered my truck and started to pull out the driveway. But when I was half-way down the drive, I felt prompted to look back at the house. As my head turned around, there again stood Danielle, now watching intently now from her bedroom window as her father was leaving for the day. She wasn’t able to see me from positioning of the truck, but if she had, she would have witnessed tears pour down a grown-man’s face as he contemplated the joys of parenthood and the innocence of children.
In such choice, simple moments of happiness I have always been left with a desire to be a better person, husband, and father. And although I might fall terribly short at times, I know that such experiences are often missed in this fast-paced world simply because we might forget to stop, look, and love."
God Bless……….
Marcus Sheridan
Wow, thanks for sharing that inspiring story Marcus!
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How to Break out of A BAD MOOD in less than 10 seconds…..guaranteed!
Hi there grumpy! Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Someone do a number in your corn flakes? I know the feeling….and the worst part I seldom know why I feel that way. One thing that I do know is that I despise being in a bad mood. Lucky for you (and me), there’s a quick solution.
Let’s think about this for a second. What kinds of things do we normally think or say when we’re in a bad mood? I don' know abou you but I’m the most impatient and irritable when focused on myself. I’m worried about my problems and the things that I want. This is not a percentage of the time, but every single time I’m in a bad mood it’s because of a selfish way of thinking. So what’s the 10 second solution?
Here’s how to Bust the Bad Mood Dude!
Step One:
Forget yourself….period. You don’t exist. If you don’t exist, neither do your nagging problems or whatever else you found an excuse to gripe about.
Step Two:
Find someone to serve. Do it now! Find your spouse and start a spontaneous back massage. Call a friend and tell them how much you appreciate them. Do something kind for a complete stranger. The possibilities are endless!
Upon doing this you will find that as soon as your focus is off yourself, you simply start to feel better. But then you need to shift the focus elsewhere, and where better than another person. The self imposed negative energy is converted to outward positive energy. ‘Won’t our problems still be there waiting for us?’ you may ask. Sure, if you really had any problems to start with. Let’s be honest, when we’re in a bad mood we find things to be negative about….right? It all boils down to this point: regardless of our circumstances, we chose our attitude and our behavior. The problem is that sometimes we get bogged down and have a hard time choosing to be positive, and that’s when focusing our energy on serving others will help us snap out of it. If you do have significant problems in your life then this service paradigm is exponentially more important to you because it will bring a greater feeling of peace when you most need it. In fact, it’s my opinion that serving others can do far more than cure us of a bad mood….although that’s a start. When seeking to serve others, we are serving our God. Jesus taught “what you have done unto the least of these my brethren, you have done unto me.”, and it’s my testimony this work brings us closer to God and gives us an increase of joy in this life. But what do you think? Your comments are always welcome and feel free to subscribe at the bottom of the page. Take care and until next time, God bless.
