Family Time

It's Wednesday and I'm really working at taking the whole day off (so sometimes I might not post on Wed). Anyhow, just got back from taking the boys out to the new theater where they have $1 movies in the morning during the summer. We saw Shark Tale.

I hadn't seen it before and after our series on God in Film, I look at it differently. Here's a few of the lessons I saw in it.

You don't have to be "successful" to be important. In the movie, a fish is tired of being a "nobody" and wants to do something great so he can be a "somebody." My kids don't and won't care if I'm a great pastor who's considered successful. I'm important to them as a Dad, as their mentor/teacher, and as the spiritual leader of our home. People get so caught up in succeeding at work that a lot of them fail at home. I'm not going to be one of those people.

You don't have to be like everyone else, or even your family, wants you to be. There's this shark in the movie who's a vegetarian and isn't really accepted by his Dad or brother. I've spoken with a lot of people who are still trying to live up to the dreams and expectations that their parents had for them and they find themselves constantly disappointed because they'll never be good enough. Parents, we have a lot of power over our kids future. Speak truth into it, but also speak life. Let your kids be themselves, don't try to make them be you. And don't turn them into something they're not - the second they leave home you'll be left wondering why they're so different.

Check the facts, don't buy the lie. The fish in the movie tells a huge lie that he killed a shark and people (fish) just believe him. Especially in America I think we have a mob mentality. Whatever the masses are doing, are wearing, are watching or think is cool, we just join in. We're a bunch of bandwagoneers. Just check your inbox and see how many "I know this is true" emails you have from well-meaning individuals who didn't bother to check the facts. If they had, they'd know you don't get paid for forwarding emails, good luck won't come if you do, and there's no little kid still trying to receive the most get well cards.

So any of you learned any lessons from the movies lately?