Prayer feels weird for a lot of us for a lot of different reasons. But prayer is powerful, and the awkwardness of it or the struggle you feel in finding time to do it ought not to stop us. When we pray, we are calling down heaven into our present circumstances. We are calling on the God who created all things to exercise his power among us. The question isn’t so much Read more
Disney’s Encanto is a movie for all the performers. All the achievers. All the perfectionists. And in this weary-worn world full of anxiety to perform, achieve, and perfect, we all need a message. A message about rest and about where our identity lies. Because isn’t that why we’re all tired? We’re trying to perfect an image of ourselves that is unsustainable. We are attempting to create our own self-worth. The worth of ourselves only ever came from Read more
Though I normally write about Disney and the gospel, this one makes it worth deviating from the norm. Disney-produced or not, this Jon Favreau-directed film became a Christmastime classic in my house almost twenty years ago. Since it’s considered newer to the repertoire of classic must-see Christmas movies, it’s hard to believe it’s been around that long. Along with so many others, the joy-filled, child-like antics of Buddy, the beloved giant green and yellow elf, will probably be featured on our screen sometimes after the turkey dinner on Thursday and before the tryptophan coma kicks in.
But…have you ever thought of it as a messenger of the gospel?!
You know the story. Starring Will Farrell as the main character, the movie, Elf depicts Read more
It’s All Saints Day. I’ve always felt a little under-educated about what this day means and its origins within the Christian tradition. I know there is a somewhat complicated history between the Jewish festivals featured in the Bible and the holidays that came along thereafter, which are still celebrated around much of the modern world today. All Saints Day falls the day after Halloween. It’s a day when many are turning their interests from a holiday that focuses on the human experience of fear to a season that celebrates the One who came to rescue us from all fear.
In light of the gospel, what do we do with the antihero trend in Hollywood? As the lines of good versus evil get muddied, should we be appalled, confused, or cheer them on?
The other day, I got roped into being a fill-in character during my youngest daughter’s pretend play session with the neighbor girl. Since the two 6-year-olds both decided to be mermaids and I was the only other living and breathing thing within earshot, I was cast as both the mermaid-killer and the mermaid-healer. I was both the bad guy and the good guy all in one.
First of all, can I just stop and ask the fellow parents out there, Why the inverse relationship between age and ability to engage in imaginative play? I wish I weren’t the norm here, but man is it hard! That aside, I was a mixture of confused and amused in managing these stark contrasts: just as quickly as I was able to muster up some intensely malicious motives for the bad guy, my six-year-old boss ladies had me switching hats to bring on the gentleness and goodness required of me for the rescue. Read more
Disney’s Coco offers us a parable for Jesus’s most challenging words in all the Bible. Set in the vibrant town of Santa Cecilia, Mexico during its annual Day of the Dead rituals, a young Miguel wrestles with his family heritage that stands in direct opposition to the ache burning in his soul to pursue becoming a musician.
Miguel’s story begins like the plot arcs of so many other Disney characters—Merida in Brave, Rapunzel in Tangled, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Moana in the movie with her namesake, and more recently, Luca in Luca. Essentially, the main character comes of age by acknowledging their own Read more
101 Dalmatians Shares the Gospel Message in So Many Ways
We know the classic plot arc of good versus evil—all good stories rely on it. Often, however, something even deeper resounds in a story that catches our hearts. Maybe you haven’t been able to put a name on it, but it’s the gospel.
This week, we dig deeper into the classic Disney movie “101 Dalmatians” so you can watch it while you wait for “Cruella” to be released without the Premier Access fee on Disney Plus. (That doesn’t happen until after summer’s practically over.)
So, settle in and get comfy as we find the larger good vs. evil “story of all stories” inside this animated classic I remember from my own childhood.
SLOW is a four-letter word in our society. Like, one of those four-letter words. For some people, they may need to put asterisks and dollar signs in place of some of the letters because it is a BAD word. We don’t like slow. It is the opposite of progress. It is a sign of the weak. It means Read more
ALL IS GRACE. That was my theme phrase for the new year, and this week I needed a reminder to keep going. The transition from May to June is a test of a mom’s true understanding and implementation of grace. May feels like falling off the wheel, losing steam, survival mode, and good intentions gone to the wayside. June feels like a fresh start, a new kind of chaos, a breath of fresh air, summer fun.
If I’m being honest, a big regret I have is Read more
This is how the story begins. The narrator sets the scene. It sounds severely and sorely familiar.
I’m queued in. I know this story. The one where the people live harmoniously with their God, and the people live in peace with each other.
But it doesn’t last. There’s a disruption. There’s a force that is opposite—that is not. It is the antithesis to all of this peace and harmony, and this force, whatever it is, is set on destruction. The force, in this case called Read more
