Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?posts tagged fathers
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One area of prayer that I know I need to grow in is prayer for the nation, or more broadly, prayer for our culture. I’m a U.S. citizen, but through the Internet I can easily read the blogs of writers in the UK, Africa, Australia, anywhere in the world. And likewise, I can be influenced by thought and materials from anywhere. It’s a given — -almost a cliché — -that we live in a global culture, but it behooves me to consider this influence and extend my prayer to cover all the peoples and nations that can and do impact my life.
Through the kind of confluence that the Holy Spirit is so good at creating, this need for broader prayer was brought into sharp focus this morning. Let’s see if I can bring together the various threads and make it into a whole…
The Wild: fathers and sons
I took Isaac and Anna to see The Wild this afternoon and really enjoyed it. It has a number of similarities to Madagascar, but I think The Wild is better. I’ll leave reviews to the professionals; what I want to comment on are the father/son relationships presented in the movie. (I should note, too, that my comments will probably contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the film and don’t want any surprises ruined, then read another post.)
The story focuses on the lion Samson, the pride of the New York Zoo, and his son Ryan. Samson regales Ryan with stories of his fearlessness back in the wild and is teaching him to roar; unfortunately, Ryan can’t pull it off, producing only loud meows. Feeling like a failure compared to his father’s immense reputation, Ryan heads off to find “the wild.” Too late, he changes his mind, and Samson follows to rescue him. As Samson and his friends pursue Ryan, we discover that Samson’s not as fearless as he appears, and we learn that he has a secret. At a crucial point in the story, Samson, reunited with his son, tells Ryan that he never lived in the wild, and that he failed to roar when he most needed to as a cub. In the flashback, we see Samson separated from his father, and we see the disappointment of the father as well….
Reflections on a Christ-centered, grace-filled life. Writer and teacher Dan Butcher's blog takes an eclectic approach to faith.
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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