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This podcast can be subscribed to in iTunes or via this link.
The latest in the wave of "sequels to popular children's movies" is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. As with most of these sequels, it is more of the same from the first movie. If you enjoyed the first, you will probably enjoy the second. If you disliked the first, then you probably shouldn't bother. This adventure finds our four animal friends - Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria - trying to survive in the wild despite being raised in a zoo. Sound familiar? That's because it's basically the same plot as the first movie, only it takes place on the mainland of Africa rather than Madagascar.
The movie as a whole is a good one, and continues the main theme of friendship and self-discovery that the first movie began. All the favorite characters from the first movie return, including the scene-stealing penguins, and some great new characters have been added as well, including a bad guy brilliantly voiced by Alec Baldwin. While the main theme and heart of the movie is positive, there are some things that parents should be aware of before deciding whether or not to pack the car and head to the theater. I am listing out some of the low points and high points for you below, in hopes that it will help you make an informed decision for your family.
Spoiler Alert: In order to list these high points and low points, I am going to be providing some details of the plot of the movie. If you wish to be surprised, or do not want to know what is going to happen in the movie, I do not [KEEP READING]
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Listen to this episode here or Download it.
This podcast can be subscribed to in iTunes or via this link.
Listen to this episode here or Download it.
This podcast can be subscribed to in iTunes or via this link.
He is Mighty to Save.
I intend to post a more detailed play-by-play about the Fall Retreat but for now, I must limit my detail a) due to the sheer joy we are all experiencing here at Camp Buckner and I don't want to miss any of it b) my internet connection could disappear at any moment.
And so...
Several students came to know the Lord tonight. It was a powerful evening that began with the typical TeenRock mayhem and hi jinx followed by worship led by Austin Jones and his band, followed by profound truth spoken through Scot Pollok.
The point of this post though is not to summarize the evening (sermons will be available on the podcast). My desire in posting right now is to share with you something that I witnessed tonight that I have never seen in my entire time in ministry.
Scot closed in prayer and Courrier (Austin's band) played one of their songs, "Rescuer," followed by "The Stand." I walked to the back of the room to see every hand raised in worship.
Here's where it starts getting crazy. First of all, the band was BARELY audible over the voices of the students, and this was a compact room with a huge sound system. As the second song came to a close, we opened up the time for students to "deal." Very un-awkward. Very permissive.
Students began gravitating towards leaders (un-coaxed) and leaders began leading students to different parts of the room and even outside in the fields. The band kept playing.
As the [KEEP READING]
Disney's High School Musical movie series has been a huge commercial success. The first two made-for-TV movies were so successful that Disney just released a third film in theaters: High School Musical 3: Senior Year. This movie chronicles our high school crew as they sing and dance their way through senior year, making plans for their next steps in life and determining what will happen to the relationships they have formed. The overall message of the film seems to be the same as that of the original - that uniqueness is a virtue, not a vice. At the home of the Wildcats, stereotypes are destroyed. A basketball star can also be a chef. A student who gets good grades can also be a breakdancer. And the main star of the series, Troy, is the captain of the state championship basketball team and the lead in the school's musical productions - and he is respected for both.
Overall, this is a positive message to give our children. Most high school environments consist of cliques. Most students are pigeonholed as one type of person. You are either a jock, or a bookworm, or a skateboarder, and you are expected to stick to your kind. I think that this aspect of the High School Musical series can have a very positive impact on our children.
In addition, High School Musical 3 has extremely little objectionable content, especially when compared to most of the films produced today. There is no foul language, and no violent content. As far as sexual content goes, [KEEP READING]
After participating in the Vision Series with the rest of the church, we are back to studying virtues each month. This month we are studying the virtue of gratitude. This virtue is unique because gratitude is not a characteristic that God displays because He does not have a need to. He does not need anything and has never received anything from anyone so he has no need to express gratitude. But He does expect us to have gratitude, in fact, God inspires gratitude in us. We want the kids to see that gratitude is a proper response to God. He has done so much for us and paid such a price for us, how can we not be grateful? The challenges that face us in teaching this are great. Children are naturally ego centric in their development and think in terms of themselves and what they want often without appreciating the sacrifice what was made to fulfill their desires. Secondly, our society tells them it is about you and having it your way. "You are entitled to be treated this way, so you do not have to be thankful." And lastly, when we think about all that we want, it is hard to be thankful for we already have and in today's culture, the newest, biggest, most fun toy is always out there making us think we need it. We hope that this month, this curriculum will help your child step back and see what the Lord has given them and really begin to instill a deeper since of gratitude.
Here is how we are defining [KEEP READING]
In grade school, for the month of November we are studying the virtue of gratitude – remembering how much God has done for you and letting others know you see how they have helped. As we talk about being thankful for how God has provided for them and used others to help them, I want to encourage the kids to do something to help others.
We have decided to provide them an opportunity to give to the children of the Dominican Republic. We are partnering with Makarios, a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educational development. Makarios is committed to a child's spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual growth, to provide hope for a better future. With the help of the families of The Austin Stone, we can help meet the basic needs of some of these children as well as bless them during the Christmas season.
How to participate
Right now Makarios has 50 girls and 65 boys in their education program all between the ages of 3 and 8 and we thought we could partner with Makarios by sending them gifts. Below is a list of items that Makarios has requested for the kids. They asked that we stick to the list so that we can have equal gifts for all the kids and that the gifts fit within a gallon size Ziploc bag. Also, please include $5 that will go towards a special Christmas party for the kiddos. Write the age of the child that the items are for on the outside of the bag. At the end of the month, we will be sending these supplies to the children [KEEP READING]
My favorite memories as a child revolve around holidays we celebrated as a family. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, the Fourth of July, and yes, Halloween – all of these were celebrated with gusto in the Murchison household. And Halloween was one of my favorites. What’s not to like for a kid? You get to dress up and use your imagination, go to parties and festivals at school, and of course, eat mountains and mountains of candy.
As I grew up, though, I started hearing that my love for this holiday was wrong. In fact, it was not only wrong, it was “un-Christian,” which is a hard adjective to go against. And as a Bible-believing-Southern-Baptist-youth-group-attending student, I decided to swear off the holiday once and for all. No more costumes, no more trick-or-treating, no more parties, and no more fun on October 31.
Then I “grew up” and became a Minister to Children, and saw the joy the children in our ministry would have telling me about their costumes, and looking forward to their parties and trick-or-treating… and I started to wonder. Killing the joy of the kids who were celebrating Halloween seemed wrong, but I also couldn’t keep quiet if I truly believed they were participating in a holiday that was contrary to the cause of Christianity.
So, with the encouragement and help of a few friends, I decided to take a closer look at this holiday we celebrate on October 31, and find out why so many evangelical Christians are diametrically opposed to this holiday. This was not [KEEP READING]
First of all, each virtue we study is a characteristic of God. We want to teach your child how God demonstrates each virtue and thus teach them about His character. Our goal in this is that they would not only know about God but really begin to be able to put their trust in who He is. Secondly, we want the kids to understand that apart from a relationship with Christ, they cannot have these virtues beyond a surface level. As they learn about each virtue, we do not want to teach them good behavior, we want to show them their need for Christ. As hard as they try to do these things and not mess up, they cannot. Only through a relationship with Christ where He is transforming them can they really start becoming more like God and demonstrate His character. Lastly, we want the kids to see that as they become more and more like Christ, He can use them to impact people around them and to be agents of change wherever He has them. We want them to see the impact that this virtue has on other people. Our team works hard to communicate this, because if not well taught, this curriculum can just lend itself to a performance or works-based religion. Our prayer is that as your [KEEP READING]
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There's a saying going around TeenRock. "It's not the Fall RETREAT...it's the Fall OFFENSIVE."
What are we saying?
"Will the messages be offensive?"
"Will my child be offended?"
"Will Colt McCoy's firm grasp of the Spread Offense be the determining factor in UT's quest for the National Championship?"
Do not be alarmed. Be encouraged.
The subtle change in vernacular stems from a core value that has developed in TeenRock over the course of our church's recent Vision Series. Seeking the welfare of the city and being FOR the city, requires ACTION on our parts. It is not accomplished by being defensive about what we believe, but being active and involved in our city, initiating change, consistently working for its good.
Tony Evans once likened the role of a church to a football game. He said,
"Like a huddle at a football game, 65,000 people don't come to watch eleven men bend over. They don't mind a few seconds of private conversations. But what they want to know is what difference does the huddle make? Having huddled can you now score? What are you gonna do about eleven men on the other side of the ball daring you to go public with your private conversation? They want to know what are the implications of your private gathering. When the church gathers on Sunday, we call private plays. Those are not for the world at large. But when the benediction is given and we break huddle, people should see some first downs...or cultural [KEEP READING]
So I have done it. I gave in and purchased a Webkinz, for research purposes of course. A few months ago I decided to figure out what the craze was behind all these stuffed animals I saw all the kids carrying. So I went to the store and "adopted" (purchased) my own Webkinz. He is a chocolate lab named Heisman. I have spent many (too many) hours playing with Webkinz, exploring all the possibilities, playing the games, building the rooms, and even checking out the chatting options. I can see why kids LOVE these things. It is all the fun of the Sims, Beanie Babies, and Tamagatchi toys rolled into one. If you are not familiar with this new craze or have not yet entered the Webkinz World, Webkinz are small stuffed animals of all kinds. Each animal has a code that you use to log your animal in online. Once you log your animal in, you "adopt it" and get to choose the gender and the name of your animal. Then you have free access on the web to take care of your Webkinz for a year. After the year is up, you have to renew your Webkinz to continue to play with it. After spending some time online, here are some of positives and negatives that I see in this Webkinz World.
First, Webkinz is a relatively inexpensive game for kids. For around 15 bucks you get a stuffed animal and a game you can play for hours and hours!
Secondly, Webkinz is a very fun way to teach some responsibility. It allows kids to feel some of the weight of caring for something else and the time it takes [KEEP READING]