Archive for January, 2010
Who Would Benefit from a Family-iD?
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We love seeing each family come alive to their God-given multi-generational purpose, and attending or hosting a Family-iD workshop shows your commitment to those you lead, and the gift of family we all have! Who would benefit from a Family-iD?
SINGLES: What if it was a concise, easily understood document to help potential people in your future to clearly see what you feel is important in your family relationships? What if you had some way of knowing for certain whether a given person might be the right one for you? Wouldn’t it be great to have your values clearly in place so there couldn’t be misunderstanding about your expectations for your future marriage relationships or family life?
SINGLE PARENTS: What if you could simplify the ways you guide and discipline your children? Wouldn’t it be super to know what kind of spouse would actually fit with your family’s goals and values? What if you could be assured that your children would be very likely to adopt your Christian values and practices? Wouldn’t you like to feel confident that you are a great parent and “doing it right?”
COUPLES WITH OR DESIRING CHILDREN: What if you could minimize conflict in your marriage and especially bickering among your children? What if you could create a family identity so powerful your children would run to it, adopt it, and pass it on to their kids? Wouldn’t you love to clarify the “rules of the house” so everyone gets fair treatment?
BLENDED FAMILIES: What if you had a way to get all your kids on the same page? What if your older children understood their indescribable influence in the lives of the younger siblings and decided to be a positive team captain cheering for their success? What if your conflicts could be minimized and you actually saw the diverse personalities working together as a team?
GRANDPARENTS: What if you could assist your children in carrying out their family vision? Or maybe be a part of creating a family constitution? (Wow—how great would that be?) How would you feel about casting your family shadow at least 100 years into the future? What if you could help your children find clear and godly direction for their lives in this very confusing time?
Discover God’s Multi-Generational Purpose for Your Family! Register for any of the Family-iD Workshops scheduled or Host your own at www.Family-iD.com
The Pixar Principle: Part 3
Posted by: | CommentsMovies will always be about adventure, about self-discovery, about mystery, about the “human condition.” The Pixar Principle represents how “Hollywood” can have a profound impact on family relationships and values, and even tho animated, appeal broadly to kids and adults alike. In this final blog post on The Pixar Principle, we look at even more lessons we’ve learned from Pixar movies….
At its heart Wall-E is about a lonely robot who finds a mate.
In The Incredibles, a father longs for adventure and respect, and in the process neglects his wife and children. Only when he thinks he has lost them does he realize his folly. ”I’ve been a lousy father–blind to what I have, so obsessed with being undervalued that I undervalued all of you,” he admits to his family after discovering they are alive. “You are my greatest adventure. And I almost missed it.”
Last year’s Pixar film, Up, was probably its strongest statement yet on the value of relationships. It begins with an extended and emotional sequence about a married couple going through life together. In one sense it is depressing: Carl and Ellie long for adventure, and then for children, but their hopes and dreams are crushed by infertility, by financial challenges, and finally by Ellie’s death. Yet at the same time it celebrates marriage: Their love for each other brings deep joy to their lives.
As the story progresses, Carl clings to memories of Ellie by clinging to their house, even as the neighborhood gives way to modern high-rise buildings. He finally leaves on the trip to South America that he and Ellie dreamed about, only to discover a stowaway in a young boy named Russell. And by the end of the film Carl realizes that real adventure is found in his relationships. As his final note from Ellie says, “Thanks for the adventure–now go have a new one!”
You can tell that the filmmakers at Pixar have families of their own, because their experience is reflected in their stories. In the final post on The Pixar Principle, we’ll look at a few more Pixar movies and how they bring home the point of family and relationships as the greatest adventure of our lives.
Finally, Leave your comments about how your family has been the greatest adventure in your life.
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Special thanks to FamilyLife for the original blog posts on this subject.
The Pixar Principle: Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsMovies will always be about adventure, about self-discovery, about mystery, about the “human condition.” The Pixar Principle represents how “Hollywood” can have a profound impact on family relationships and values, and even tho animated, appeal broadly to kids and adults alike. More lessons we’ve learned from Pixar movies….
Just watch the overprotective father in Finding Nemo, so afraid to lose his son that he keeps him from experiencing life.
Cars is the story of a conceited race car who learns that he needs the help of others to succeed–and in the process even realizes that true success is different from what he thought.
Or consider the heartbreaking sequence “When Somebody Loved Me” in Toy Story 2, about a girl growing into adolescence and forgetting about her favorite toy. You can feel the ache of parents who can’t believe their children have grown up so quickly.
I’m glad that the folks at Pixar have their priorities clear… The heart of life is our relationships with family and friends.
No amount of adventures we experience alone is worth even one adventure we have with those we love. Leave a comment and tell us about your greatest adventure with those you love.
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Special thanks to FamilyLife for the original blog posts on the subject.
