"Horton hears a WHO?"
This week:
From Julie's Keyboard
Practicing unconditional forgiveness is not an option. It's a requirement. Without operating with a readiness to forgive, we will quench the very Life of God within us. It may be easy sometimes to verbally forgive an instance and yet carry a tormenting little seed of thought about it that, if not dealt with, will create a serious hindrance in our walk with the Lord.
God is looking for our willing sacrifice and our giving over to Him every thing that is not of faith. We should learn to hand it over to Him whether we feel like it or not, such things as all of our justified hurts, doubts, fears, pride, troubling memories, insecurities, negative thoughts and emotions - in essence, everything He shows us.
When we came to God, He didn't say "I'll forgive you if you first meet these certain critieria I've set forth." No. He said come and freely receive. He let us come just as we were. Nothing had to be done (by us) beforehand. Sounds unconditional, doesn't it?
Can we forgive with that type of forgiveness? Apparently we can or He would not have told us so. Apparently we must, if we are to be eternally forgiven ourselves.
We may feel that some things take a lot more grace for us than others to forgive. That's probably true, but the fact is there is enough grace for whatever we may need.
It doesn't mean we'll not notice a transgression. It doesn't mean we'll not be hurt by a transgression and have to encounter emotions of great magnitude along with it. However, His grace is sufficient to help us act in accordance with His plan and purpose to walk in a selfless, forgiving nature. This is something we could never do within our own strength, but by His Spirit within we must.
Many a believer has testified to the fact that at some point in their Christian life, God has shown them an area within where they have not fully released some irritating matter to Him. After having their eyes enlightened by the exposure of the root cause of the emotion, they may at once get the release needed by giving it over to God.
After all, it's a wise prayer to offer forth. He gave it to us as part of the Prayer Jesus taught His disciples. "...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
He told us "...freely ye have received,freely give."
Have a blessed week,
Happy Easter,
A few days ago we took our little one to see the new movie based on a Dr. Seuss classic, “Horton Hears a Who!” It was a wonderful little movie, gave us some good laughs. But as we traveled through the movie I began to notice a subtle underlining theme aimed at the very core of what my family and I hold very dear to our hearts.
Fisher Ames ,framer of the First Amendment, stated, “Our liberty depends on our education, our laws, and habits . . . it is founded on morals and religion, whose authority reigns in the heart, and on the influence all these produce on public opinion before that opinion governs rulers.” - - - - (Fisher Ames, An Oration on the Sublime Virtues of General George Washington (Boston: Young & Minns, 1800), p. 23.)
I’ll get back to Horton in a minute, right now I want to mention a few news worthy items. You may remember a California state court of appeals ruled lately that it is unconstitutional for parents t0 have the right to home school their children. Apparently they believe that right belongs to the state and that the state can and will do a better job in educating OUR children than we can.
Well some of us will say, “Well, I don’t live in California, I live way over in the Bible belt, they do things different out there.” Well let me say, I live way over here in Tennessee and our State Representatives introduced a bill that had it’s aim on extending the strong arm of the State into more control of Home School testing and controlling the curriculum used by parents in home school families.
To bring this even closer to home, I’ll refer to a neighboring high school not more than 20 miles from my own home. A mother who removed her child from school to enroll in a church based home school program was told by the school superintendent, she did not have the right to do such and would be facing truancy laws.
Now, what does Horton have to do with all this? We’ll, I’m sure it was just by accident, but the only evil or I should say misguided character in the theme was a home school Mom. Horton, voiced by Jim Carrey, had discovered something new and revealing. His attempts to enlighten his community to this new discovery was met with great opposition by this home school Mom. This Home school Mom was blinded by her closed mindedness and determination to hold on to her traditional views.
She was determined to protect her son from the influence of society and was continually sending her son to his room. He was not allowed to explore things for himself. In the end, the home school Mom finds out she was wrong and accepts the enlightenment of this new discovery. Through her misguided efforts she supposedly almost mislead the whole community into a terrible mistake and misjudgment of Horton. Home school Moms are all judgmental as we all know.
The movie was great, it was done with outstanding quality, but I left there feeling my very value system had been attacked. I am left to wonder how much longer we will have our freedoms to do what we as parents think is best for our children. How long before the State usurps these rights either by the courts or subtle legislation?
It has become apparent there is a real threat to these parental rights. O’ for the wisdom of our founders, how I pray we can somehow find our way back to this nation’s great foundation. O’ let us long for the wisdom of our founders!
Noah Webster long ago warned, “The education of youth should be watched with the most scrupulous attention. . . . It is much easier to introduce and establish an effectual system . . . than to correct by penal statutes the ill effects of a bad system. . . . The education of youth . . . lays the foundations on which both law and gospel rest for success.”
Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence stated, “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”
Robert Winthrop, Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives stated, “Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.”
Compare this in contrast to today’s conventional wisdom:
The National Educational Association educators have passed resolutions calling for schools to encourage:
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people
While the National Educational Association supports these issues, it also opposes many, including:
• Competency testing of teachers
Recent international testing found that American elementary students performed above average, junior high students at average, and high school students below average. This sequence of results prompted one observer to remark: "The longer US students stay in school, the less they seem to know."
According to current studies, after twelve years of school, only a meager 26 percent of students have enough preparation in civics to make informed choices at the polls. Imagine! American education currently is producing only one in four students capable of informed voting!
Furthermore, only 9 percent can name two ways that society benefits from the active participation of its citizens. And while 80 percent of students can name the winner of "American Idol," only half know the political affiliation of their own state governor; and less than 10 percent can name both of their US Senators. Our educational system simply no longer produces civically prepared, well-informed citizens.
70 percent of fourth-graders thought that Illinois, Texas, and California were part of the original 13 colonies; and 60 percent had no idea why the Pilgrims came to America. And when students were asked to identify "Memorial Day," the most common answer was, "The day when the pools open." Recent testimony before a congressional hearing correctly concluded: "We are raising a generation of people who are historically illiterate."
May God bless each of you,
David
"No man is born either naturally or suernaturally with character, he has to make character. Nor are we born with habits; we have to form habits on the basis of the new life God has put into us.
From Julie's Keyboard
The Power of Forgiveness
What if every time we went to God asking for forgiveness, we knew we would be reminded over and over by Him about what we did. What if He said, "You know you did so and so and it's going to be a long time before I can get over it and forget what you did in opposition to My Word."? Sounds silly doesn't it? But in all reality isn't this what we do when we hold on to emotions and thoughts caused by some transgression commited against us by someone?
What if every time we went to God asking for forgiveness, we knew we would be reminded over and over by Him about what we did. What if He said, "You know you did so and so and it's going to be a long time before I can get over it and forget what you did in opposition to My Word."? Sounds silly doesn't it? But in all reality isn't this what we do when we hold on to emotions and thoughts caused by some transgression commited against us by someone?
Practicing unconditional forgiveness is not an option. It's a requirement. Without operating with a readiness to forgive, we will quench the very Life of God within us. It may be easy sometimes to verbally forgive an instance and yet carry a tormenting little seed of thought about it that, if not dealt with, will create a serious hindrance in our walk with the Lord.
God is looking for our willing sacrifice and our giving over to Him every thing that is not of faith. We should learn to hand it over to Him whether we feel like it or not, such things as all of our justified hurts, doubts, fears, pride, troubling memories, insecurities, negative thoughts and emotions - in essence, everything He shows us.
When we came to God, He didn't say "I'll forgive you if you first meet these certain critieria I've set forth." No. He said come and freely receive. He let us come just as we were. Nothing had to be done (by us) beforehand. Sounds unconditional, doesn't it?
Can we forgive with that type of forgiveness? Apparently we can or He would not have told us so. Apparently we must, if we are to be eternally forgiven ourselves.
We may feel that some things take a lot more grace for us than others to forgive. That's probably true, but the fact is there is enough grace for whatever we may need.
It doesn't mean we'll not notice a transgression. It doesn't mean we'll not be hurt by a transgression and have to encounter emotions of great magnitude along with it. However, His grace is sufficient to help us act in accordance with His plan and purpose to walk in a selfless, forgiving nature. This is something we could never do within our own strength, but by His Spirit within we must.
Many a believer has testified to the fact that at some point in their Christian life, God has shown them an area within where they have not fully released some irritating matter to Him. After having their eyes enlightened by the exposure of the root cause of the emotion, they may at once get the release needed by giving it over to God.
After all, it's a wise prayer to offer forth. He gave it to us as part of the Prayer Jesus taught His disciples. "...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
He told us "...freely ye have received,freely give."
Have a blessed week,
Happy Easter,
Julie
Matthew 18:21-22 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? til seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
Mark11:25-26 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 18:21-22 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? til seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
Mark11:25-26 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
________________________
"Horton hears a WHO?"
A few days ago we took our little one to see the new movie based on a Dr. Seuss classic, “Horton Hears a Who!” It was a wonderful little movie, gave us some good laughs. But as we traveled through the movie I began to notice a subtle underlining theme aimed at the very core of what my family and I hold very dear to our hearts.
Fisher Ames ,framer of the First Amendment, stated, “Our liberty depends on our education, our laws, and habits . . . it is founded on morals and religion, whose authority reigns in the heart, and on the influence all these produce on public opinion before that opinion governs rulers.” - - - - (Fisher Ames, An Oration on the Sublime Virtues of General George Washington (Boston: Young & Minns, 1800), p. 23.)
I’ll get back to Horton in a minute, right now I want to mention a few news worthy items. You may remember a California state court of appeals ruled lately that it is unconstitutional for parents t0 have the right to home school their children. Apparently they believe that right belongs to the state and that the state can and will do a better job in educating OUR children than we can.
Well some of us will say, “Well, I don’t live in California, I live way over in the Bible belt, they do things different out there.” Well let me say, I live way over here in Tennessee and our State Representatives introduced a bill that had it’s aim on extending the strong arm of the State into more control of Home School testing and controlling the curriculum used by parents in home school families.
To bring this even closer to home, I’ll refer to a neighboring high school not more than 20 miles from my own home. A mother who removed her child from school to enroll in a church based home school program was told by the school superintendent, she did not have the right to do such and would be facing truancy laws.
Now, what does Horton have to do with all this? We’ll, I’m sure it was just by accident, but the only evil or I should say misguided character in the theme was a home school Mom. Horton, voiced by Jim Carrey, had discovered something new and revealing. His attempts to enlighten his community to this new discovery was met with great opposition by this home school Mom. This Home school Mom was blinded by her closed mindedness and determination to hold on to her traditional views.
She was determined to protect her son from the influence of society and was continually sending her son to his room. He was not allowed to explore things for himself. In the end, the home school Mom finds out she was wrong and accepts the enlightenment of this new discovery. Through her misguided efforts she supposedly almost mislead the whole community into a terrible mistake and misjudgment of Horton. Home school Moms are all judgmental as we all know.
The movie was great, it was done with outstanding quality, but I left there feeling my very value system had been attacked. I am left to wonder how much longer we will have our freedoms to do what we as parents think is best for our children. How long before the State usurps these rights either by the courts or subtle legislation?
It has become apparent there is a real threat to these parental rights. O’ for the wisdom of our founders, how I pray we can somehow find our way back to this nation’s great foundation. O’ let us long for the wisdom of our founders!
Noah Webster long ago warned, “The education of youth should be watched with the most scrupulous attention. . . . It is much easier to introduce and establish an effectual system . . . than to correct by penal statutes the ill effects of a bad system. . . . The education of youth . . . lays the foundations on which both law and gospel rest for success.”
Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence stated, “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”
Robert Winthrop, Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives stated, “Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.”
Compare this in contrast to today’s conventional wisdom:
The National Educational Association educators have passed resolutions calling for schools to encourage:
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people
• Globalism and nuclear disarmament
• The United Nations and the International Court of Justice
• School-based health clinics that promote abortion
• National healthcare, population control, and Earth Day • Multi-culturalism and diversity education
• Pre-K-12 AIDS programs (yes, pre-K: AIDS education for three and four-year-olds!)
While the National Educational Association supports these issues, it also opposes many, including:
• Competency testing of teachers
• Standardized testing to evaluate students, teachers, or schools
• Educational choice or competition in education
• Homeschooling
• "Homophobia" (the belief that homosexuality is wrong or that marriage should be between a man and a woman)
• A moment of silence to open the school day
Recent international testing found that American elementary students performed above average, junior high students at average, and high school students below average. This sequence of results prompted one observer to remark: "The longer US students stay in school, the less they seem to know."
According to current studies, after twelve years of school, only a meager 26 percent of students have enough preparation in civics to make informed choices at the polls. Imagine! American education currently is producing only one in four students capable of informed voting!
Furthermore, only 9 percent can name two ways that society benefits from the active participation of its citizens. And while 80 percent of students can name the winner of "American Idol," only half know the political affiliation of their own state governor; and less than 10 percent can name both of their US Senators. Our educational system simply no longer produces civically prepared, well-informed citizens.
70 percent of fourth-graders thought that Illinois, Texas, and California were part of the original 13 colonies; and 60 percent had no idea why the Pilgrims came to America. And when students were asked to identify "Memorial Day," the most common answer was, "The day when the pools open." Recent testimony before a congressional hearing correctly concluded: "We are raising a generation of people who are historically illiterate."
May God bless each of you,
David
_________________________
Oswald Chambers:
Oswald Chambers:
"No man is born either naturally or suernaturally with character, he has to make character. Nor are we born with habits; we have to form habits on the basis of the new life God has put into us.
We are not meant to be illuminated versions, but the common stuff of ordinary life exhibiting the marvel of the grace of God.
Drudgery is the touchstone of character. The great hindrance in spiritual life is that we will look for big things to do. "Jesus took a towel . . . and began to wash the disciples' feet."
There are times when there is no illumination and not thrill, but just the daily round, the common task. Routine is God's way of saving us between our times of inspiration. Do not expect God always to give you His thrilling minutes, but learn to live in the domain of drudgery by the power of God." - - - - Oswald Chambers. Written between the years 1911 & 1917. My Upmost for His Highest.
posted by David and Julie | 6:37 PM
2 Comments:
Such a poignant review of this children's film. Thank you.
I'm hardly surprised that Hollywood would take a lovely child's book and corrupt it. I've posted on my blog with a link so that others might read your review before adding this little gem to children's video collection.
Blessings,
Lea
Julie, I can feel the darts piecing my heart after reading your post about Unconditional Forgiveness ~ a subject I have not so successfully dealt with these past weeks. Thanks for this reminder.
Blessings,
Lea
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home