Once there was a mother. She had two daughters. She loved them very much.
They were as different as night and day...
But one thing they shared was a bedroom and it was a royal mess!
This caused their mother many deep sighs when she would venture bravely into their domain.
Their mother recalled a favorite story when these two were little...
Their mother wondered what she could do to motivate her daughters to live more neatly and how to encourage them to use drawers and hangers for intended purposes.
She considered charts. She considered fines. She considered threats like taking away phone.
She considered dropping the matter, after all when there is so many bigger tragedies and trouble in life a messy room seems rather insignificant. But than she did what all concerned mothers would do. She asked her friends if they've ever had similar issues,and if they did what did they do about it? She wrote a blog post about it; and she felt a lot better.
Sometimes sitting down as a family and watching a movie together can feel like a gift, and sometimes that movie can be the gift. Recently we watched the movie THE ULTIMATE GIFT. It is a profound and stirring movie.It has all of what I consider important elements of a great movie, wise wit and humor, cute actors,good music and beautiful scenery,( it does have a couple frightening scenes for young children,my two youngest chose not to watch these.) but most importantly it delivers something to take away with you, to hide in your heart and learn from....
My children are at the age where it can be increasingly difficult to find a movie we all enjoy, that is appropriate, and worth our time. I don't believe things just happen, so I know God's hand was in even such a simple thing as leading me into the store that I usually don't go in and searching through a bargain bin and finding this movie. I just love when something as entertaining; but thought provoking, as a movie can hit home and hopefully say things to my children that can influence their teenage perception of life and beyond. That is certainly what I took from this movie, and as my children grow and find themselves in a world driven and obsessed by greed and self... I hope that the seeds that have been planted in their hearts in various ways; some by the mere power of a movie they watched at home on a windy, Saturday evening , will somehow shape and mold them into being instruments of gratitude and grace far beyond themselves.
"The school will teach children how to read, but the environment of the home must teach them WHAT to read. The school can teach them how to think, but the home must teach them WHAT to believe." ~ Charles A. Wells
( also true for movies I think.)
side note...' I can't believe this movie has been out since 2006, and I don't think I have ever heard of it!!! - actually I can believe it..., movies aren't really something I stay on top of. :) now I would like to read the book as it has been my experience that the books tend to be better, I have a hard time believing that in this case, but I will find out! Do you have a favorite movie?? and why?
