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
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
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
I thought my life was going to dramatically change this year. My youngest was heading off to kindergarten, and I was going to have 35 hours of uninterrupted single-minded brain activity a week where once I had zero. With all this newfound brain space (plus the reinstallation of my personal bubble), I was envisioning doing all the things I hadn’t done with my life over the last decade and dedicating that time and space to something other than wiping noses, pulling teeth, coordinating playdates, and warding off the World War III of sibling rivalry.
My self-diagnosed adult Read more
“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That he should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.”
-“How Deep the Father’s Love For Us” lyrics, Stuart Townend
Finding Nemo is one of my personal favs in the world of Disney. Not only is it a menagerie of God’s creation of aquatic life set off the coast of Oceana and a beautifully animated tale about a school of fish riding a magic school bus (insert an enthusiastic stingray in place of the red-headed, eccentrically dressed nut), but it’s a larger-than-life adventure of a clownfish in search of his lost son. Beneath the cuteness of the story is Read more
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
-Hebrews 13:8
Do you have a bear or stuffie that you sleep with every night? Chances are, that stuffie brings you a lot of comfort, doesn’t he? No matter what is going on in life, or whatever fear you may have, you know that your beloved stuffed turtle or unicorn or favorite fuzzy blanket is right there with you through all the hard things.
For my son, that special lovey is a little white, beanbag-stuffed bear. He used to be more fluffy, but Mr. Bear has been well-loved. Older than he once was, there’s a kind of cuteness in the way he slumps over, and we have to be Read more
A Disney Frozen-themed devotional for kids
“…We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory…”
-Romans 5:1-2 (MSG)
Have you ever set your sights on something you wanted to accomplish, and circumstances outside your control prevented you from achieving your goal? People sometimes call that a closed door. On a more positive note, there is the familiar phrase, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” Though it might sound like Read more
Plus, what is a frozen heart?
Did you know that physical temperature can be used to describe the way a person interacts with others? For example, have you ever heard someone describe another person as “cold?” Maybe you’ve even heard the phrase, “She gave me the cold shoulder.” It’s a common way to describe an individual who isn’t thinking about another person’s feelings. Oppositely, warmth is often used to describe someone who is using their heart in their thinking process, allowing them to consider others’ feelings, not just their own.
Stop and think: Have you ever Read more
