by Emily Howsden | Nov 19, 2018
It’s that time of year again. A lot of people wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but in case you didn’t know, Thanksgiving is this week. You’ve still got time, but I’m just saying, get started before it’s too late!
That’s right, I’m talking about Christmas cards. Last year, my husband and I skipped Christmas cards. But because this year is our son’s first Christmas, you better believe we’re sending out ALL the Christmas cards.
This brings up a very important topic of discussion…it’s near and dear to my heart. I’m talking about grammar. More specifically, Christmas card grammar.
After I sent him the proof of our Christmas card, my husband asked if it should read, “The Howsdens’,” with an “s” followed by an apostrophe. So that is what brings me here today, to help people spread Christmas cheer with proper grammar.
You almost never need to use an “s” apostrophe when it comes to signing a family Christmas card. It should either be “The Howsden Family” or “The Howsdens.” An “s” apostrophe suggests that there is possession of something. If you were to say “The Howsdens Christmas card,” you would be correct. But simply leaving it at “The Howsdens’” is wrong.
Put simply, use an apostrophe “s” to show ownership or possession of something. That goes for singular nouns. It’s another story when you are talking about a noun that ends in an s. For example, my son’s name is Silas. If I were to invite you to his birthday party, I would invite you to Silas’ birthday party.
Believe me, this was a topic of discussion when we were picking his name before he was born…
If your last name ends with “s,” and to write that you possess something, it should be “s” apostrophe. Jesus’ birthday, for example. Get it? Clear as mud?
Each year I see grammar mistakes on Christmas cards, and it’s sad. However, don’t miss this, as big of a grammar enthusiast as I am, it doesn’t matter.
That might seem contradictory since I just spent so much time explaining the proper way to use an apostrophe, but I mean it. What is most important this holiday season is not being correct, but being present and being like Jesus.
I could let improper grammar ruin my day, and even ruin my opinion about somebody, but I have a choice to do otherwise. The same goes for you. You have the choice to choose grace and peace rather than choosing to be right this holiday season.
I know the annoying or difficult conversations will come up with a cousin or family member you don’t often see. That’s just how the holidays are. However, if you’ll choose peace and be meek enough to let it go without embarrassing whomever has done you, or the grammar universe, wrong, you will be able to call yourself faultless and blameless. Phil. 2:14-16 says,
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”
Instead of engaging in an argument, pray for that person. Don’t pray for them because they have a different political opinion. Don’t just pray for them because they downright annoy you, and most certainly don’t pray for them because they can’t use proper grammar on their Christmas card.
Instead, pray that they would see Jesus’ love for them this holiday season. The holidays can be hard for a myriad of reasons. Be kind and love others, regardless of their grammar and shortcomings.
by Chris Doyle | Nov 16, 2018
Greetings,
It’s a special time for me. On Monday, Nov. 19 I will turn 50. In honor of this occasion, this week’s Doyle’s Half Dozen will be six memorable birthdays.
- OU/Texas Tech football controversy and Indiana-Detroit “Malice in the Palace”
When I was putting this DHD list together, I thought both of these incidents happened the same year. However, I was a year off.
Being the sports nut that I am, I constantly recall historical athletic events. Both of these debacles happened on my birthday. In 2005, OU was playing at Texas Tech, and I remember being so bummed when the game ended that I did not want to do anything for my birthday. The OU Daily featured an article that listed this game among the “three worst calls” in OU football history.
In 2004, I remember watching highlights of what has been considered “the worst night in NBA history.” What resulted from the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game on Nov. 19 is now known as the “Malice in the Palace.”
Both of these disappointing and disastrous events happened on my birthday.
- Going to see ‘Sound of Music’ at the Continental Theater
I don’t exactly remember what age I was, but sometime in the late ‘70s, my mom let me have a sleepover birthday party with some friends. She was great about it, but one thing she planned for us boys to do that night was go to the Continental Theater to see a showing of The Sound of Music.
I remember not being all that thrilled about it beforehand. However, if you ever went to the historical Continental Theater, which used to be located near the Founders Tower near May and Northwest Expressway, it was of the old design of having one screen in an enormous setting with the formal curtains that rolled back to show a huge screen.
That was my first time to see The Sound of Music. It’s shown almost twice a year now on primetime TV, so it doesn’t seem like a major deal now. At the time, having a bunch of friends over to spend the night was the prioritized interest in my young mind. But watching one of the greatest movies of all time in a historic theater has become a fond memory.
- My 19th birthday at college
In 1987, I spent my first birthday away from family. It was the middle of my first semester attending Liberty University. Though I missed being with family, I had a close-knit group of friends who made that night significant.
It was a Thursday night, and my friends Brian Sharp and Jimmy Jackson asked me to go to the Deli on campus with them. It was a surprise party. I don’t remember how many were there, but it was a decent-sized group. Most of them I knew well, but some were not in my circle of acquaintances. The reason why is Brian and Jimmy were a part of throwing a combo-party for me and Scott Crosby.
At first I thought it was odd that I shared a party with someone else. However, as time went on, Scott and I became close friends, and we still keep in touch. He was a groomsman at my wedding, and I went to visit him a few years ago, as he currently lives in Roanoke, Va.
- My 49th birthday at work
Last year’s birthday was memorable because of the cake I got at work.
As you can see in the photo, I was asked to pose with my cake, but the humorous part happened just before. I picked up the cake and almost lost it to the floor. I thought it was more stable on that black platter, but it started to slip when I raised it. Though you can’t see, on the other side of the cake near my left hand is a large thumb print in the base of the icing.
My co-workers still laugh about what almost could have been a disaster.
- My 40th birthday
My awesome wife goes all out when it comes to parties and celebrations. Karen did a lot of work planning a surprise party for me when I turned 40. I knew I was meeting my family at Johnnies on Britton near May, but what I didn’t know is much more than my family were crammed in to the back dining area. Management was getting nervous.
It seemed like Karen invited the whole universe. I could not believe how many people showed up. And I don’t think Karen expected all that many either. Another significant element to that party was about eight pregnant women were there in that uncomfortable setting of a packed room. I think one left soon after I arrived.
No doubt, that night was quite memorable, and I appreciate Karen going to all that hard work to make it happen.
- My 50th birthday
I don’t know if this is arrogant of me, but I’m already expecting my 50th birthday to be memorable. Karen is already working on setting up for a party for me (I’m not expecting any surprises).
The reason why I believe it will be memorable is by reflecting of how I got to my 50th year of life. God has blessed me in abundance.
I was trying to find a Bible verse significant for the moment. Since my birthday is 11/19, and I’m turning 50, I looked up Psalm 119:50:
“This is my comfort in my affliction: Your promise has given me life.”
In my affliction or failures or weaknesses that I have experienced through my years, it is true that God is the reason for my life. He is the blessed Controller of all things, including all that I have experienced. And that gives me great comfort.
by Michael Foust | Nov 16, 2018
The comedy Instant Family (PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of a couple who take in a teenage girl and her two younger siblings and see their lives transformed overnight.
Pete and Ellie are a work-centric couple who have voluntarily chosen not to have children, even though everyone around them does.
But they’re starting to doubt their decision.
It all started when Peter made a joke about adoption, and Ellie followed by researching “foster care” on the web. Soon, they were staring at Internet pictures of cute children who need a loving home. That led them to attending an orientation, which led them to fostering three children in their home, which led them to facing a difficult question: Should they adopt the trio of kids and make the adoption permanent?
The comedy Instant Family (PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of a couple who take in a teenage girl and her two younger siblings and see their lives transformed overnight. It was inspired by a true story and stars Mark Wahlberg (Transformers series) as Pete, Rose Byrne (Peter Rabbit) as Ellie, Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) as a social worker named Karen, and Tig Notaro (Dog Days) as another social worker, Sharon.
The movie mixes humor and drama to discuss a serious subject – foster care – in a way that works well on the big screen. An estimated half a million children and youth are stuck in the foster care system at any one moment, looking for a permanent home.
Instant Family was inspired by events in the life of writer/director Sean Anders, who along with his wife adopted three siblings from foster care about seven years ago. He was surprised by the misconceptions about foster care and thought that a film could help families better understand the subject. A comedy rather than a drama, he believed, would make it easier to showcase the hills and valleys of foster families.
I laughed a lot and cried some, too, while watching Instant Family. But it’s not a family-friendly movie in the traditional use of the phrase.
Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key: none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. In a scene played for laughs, Pete and Ellie beat up a man who was dating their teen daughter.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal/moderate. Pete learns that his teen daughter has been taking nude selfies on a smartphone. She dresses immodestly in one scene and is sent back to her room to change. The film includes a couple of jokes about sex.
Coarse Language
Moderate/extreme. About 70 coarse words: s–t (18), a– (10), OMG (10), h–l (7), d–k (6), p-ss (5), d–n (2), misuse of “Jesus” (2), misuse of “God” (2), GD (2), JC (1), f-word (1), b–ch (3), p—y (1).
Other Positive Elements
Pete and Ellie may not view themselves as the model foster care parents, but they are. They display the courage, patience and unconditional love that is needed to foster and adopt. We also see them pray at the table before eating.
Other Stuff You Might Want To Know
A male gay couple is part of the orientation and then parental support group that Pete and Ellie attend. The couple is secondary in the plot but still plays an important role. A Christian couple is part of both groups, too.
Life Lessons
Instant Family provides multiple positive lessons related to adoption and foster care. Among them: lessons on selflessness, courage, patience, determination and perseverance. The movie, though, doesn’t sugarcoat the foster care process. We see the teen girl rebel, the awkward boy have accident after accident, and the young girl throw temper tantrums. We also see the family have challenges that are unique to adoptive families.
Worldview
Adoption is a picture of the Gospel (Rom. 8:15). Scripture depicts God adopting us as children of wrath (Eph. 2:3-5) and transforming us into children of God (Eph. 1:5). In earthly adoption, a child is given a new name and a new home, and is often saved from a horrible situation, too.
Instant Family portrays that image through the actions of Pete and Ellie, even if it is couched in PG-13 content.
The movie also succeeds in helping us have compassion for all three parties: the birth mom, the children and the adoptive parents. At times, you’re not sure which situation would be best for the kids.
Not surprisingly, Instant Family also depicts all parenting structures – a mom and a dad, a gay couple, and a single parent – as being equally beneficial for a child. Scripture (Gen. 1:28, Gen. 2:24, Matt. 19:4-6), nature and common sense tell us otherwise. Ideally, children need a mother and father.
Discussion Questions
- Why didn’t Pete and Ellie already have children? What caused them to change their mind?
- Do you think the movie offers a balanced portrayal of the difficulties of adoption?
- What do you think the answer is to alieving the problem of 500,000 children and youth in foster care?
- How can you personally make a difference in foster care? (By adopting? Volunteering? Giving? Praying? Encouraging?)
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual material, language and some drug references.
by Michael Foust | Nov 16, 2018
The movie Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13) opens this weekend in what is the second film in a scheduled five-part series. They’re all written by J.K. Rowling and are considered a prequel to her popular Harry Potter book and movie series.
Newt Scamander is an awkward-but-brilliant good wizard living in a country – the United States – where there are two classes of people: the magical and the non-magical.
They’ve lived in peace for more than century, but times are changing. That’s because an evil wizard named Grindelwald has escaped from prison with the goal of leading an uprising among the magical people and ruling over the non-magical people. His ultimate goal, though, involves eliminating them.
For the timid Scamander, such news is alarming.
“The time is coming,” his brother tells him, “when everyone” will have to pick a side.
Scamander eventually agrees to help stop Grindelwald, but will it be enough?
The movie Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13) opens this weekend, starring Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) as Newt Scamander, Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean series) as Grindelwald, and Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Hugo) as Albus Dumbledore.
It is the second film in what is scheduled to be a five-part Fantastic Beast film series. They’re written by J.K. Rowling and are considered a prequel to her popular Harry Potter book and movie series.
I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film. But this second film is among the most confusing and poorly developed big-name films I’ve seen. The movie’s supposed main story – Grindelwald against the world – takes a backseat. In its place is a series of scenes and angles without obvious connection. There’s a romance angle, a circus angle, a wizarding school angle and an adoption angle. Additionally, there are too many characters, and they’re introduced with little explanation of their role. Unless you are a Harry Potter expert – or unless Rowling is sitting in the next seat explaining everything – you’ll likely be lost.
Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key: none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate. Grindelwald is an eerie-looking guy who uses magic to escape from captivity. He kills a few people (mostly off camera). Later, we see him and his companions in a house, making non-magical people disappear. A toddler is among his victims. Magical beasts make several appearances, although the scariest one (which looks like a dragon) can be easily tamed. We see a woman morph into a snake. A person falls dead. We see a lady on the floor dead. A bug-like creature is pulled from someone’s eye. The movie ends with a magic-filled battle between Grindelwald and others.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. A man and woman kiss in public. A couple of women wear low-cut dresses. We also see a marble female nude statue.
Rowling and the director were quoted in media reports as saying Grindelwald and Dumbledore are gay. This film, though, doesn’t depict that in any obvious way.
Coarse Language
Minimal. H–l (2). Also one “geez.”
Other Stuff You Might Want To Know
A character tries to find his birth mom.
Life Lessons
Unlike other people, Newt is a humble person who chases after the good. As his friend says, “You don’t seek power or popularity.” There are multiple lessons within this pretend world’s division between magical and non-magic people. Among them: a lesson on not judging people based on their appearance and a lesson on loving people despite your differences (A magical woman plans on marrying a non-magical man — something that is against the law).
Worldview
Fantastic Beasts 2 is a world with “good” magic and “bad” magic. Scripture, though, doesn’t make such divisions. In the Bible, it’s just “magic” – and it’s bad.
Still, it’s worth considering: Why are movies about magic and the supernatural realm so prevalent and popular? Perhaps it’s because humans are naturally intrigued by supernatural things – that is, by non-material things that exist on the other side of death. The irony, of course, is that such a world does exist and that it’s more spectacular than anything our movie-going friends will witness on the big screen. It’s a world of angels and demons and an all-powerful God. And it’s detailed in the pages of the Bible. That’s a conversation worth having with your Harry Potter-loving neighbors, no matter your opinion on the popular franchise. They’re enamored with a fake supernatural world. But we know the God of a very real supernatural world – a God who loves them.
Discussion Questions
- Did you watch and like the Harry Potter series? Why or why not?
- What is your view of magic in movies? When, if ever, is it OK?
- Are there situations in our world similar to the divisions between the magical and non-magical people? Explain.
Entertainment rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action.
by Caleb Moore | Nov 15, 2018
Just recently my father and I spent the day doing some work at my church. He was willing to help on one condition; he wanted to choose the music we listened to while working.
I didn’t mind because the music my dad prefers is very similar to the music I enjoy. Blaring through the loud speaker was his regular playlist of classic oldies from the 1960s. I know the words to almost all of those songs because it was all I heard growing up.
Compared to music today, the lyrics are incredibly positive. Most of them are about the desire for peace and love and for people to come together as one. There was a voice of optimism in the music of that era, which seems strange since we know it was also a time of great civil unrest.
War was everywhere, and everybody had to pick a side. Politics was also an atmosphere of vicious rhetoric. The country was divided but music was a voice of hope.
I told my dad that I wouldn’t be surprised if we would soon experience the 1960s part two. Once again, we are living in a time of great division and civil unrest. Politics has divided the country, and the levels of tension and anger are extremely high. But anger is not a sustainable emotion. Hatred always leads to destruction either of yourself or those around you.
As divided as everything seems, the world is actually getting better. Statistically speaking, there is less war than we have ever seen. Poverty and famine are at the lowest levels in recorded history. Literacy and the rights of woman and children have increased all over the world. People now live longer and healthier lives than ever before. In spite of all the facts, only 6 percent of Americans think the world is actually getting better. But as Christians, we should have an optimistic outlook on the future.
Jesus said that His Kingdom would be like a little bit of yeast the spread throughout the flour. This yeast changed the flour entirely, and the Kingdom of God is changing things. All authority has been given to God, and He is at work. Christianity continues to grow around the world and is by far the largest freely chosen religion in the world.
In the same way that music was a voice of hope during the Vietnam era, may we be the voice of hope and peace during these contentious times. Instead of joining in with the rantings of an angry world, remember what Jesus said in the gospel of John. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
by Amy Spear | Nov 14, 2018
Growing up, my dad would often fill my car up with gas. It was his way of saying he loved me and thinking of me. On those cold winter days, I would hop in the car, dreading the necessary stop at the gas pump, just to find out I had a full tank of gas! Thanks Dad, you’re the best!
When I first married, I thought my husband should do the same thing, after all that’s what my daddy did! It wasn’t until I almost ran out of gas several times that I realized I needed to fill up my own gas tank.
We bring our own expectations into our marriages in a million different ways.
Who should take out the trash? Who does the laundry? Who pays the bills? Who does the dishes? Who gives the kids a bath? Who fills up the car and so forth.
We think how our family operated was the “norm,” and every family should operate the same way.
Looking for a church family is similar. We bring our own expectations and way of doing things along with us. My old church did things this way; we had this program; we sat in these chairs; we took the Lord’s Supper this way and on this day; my bible teacher taught out of this book; the pastor spoke with gusto and conviction with this kind of tone, and on and on it goes.
Having the honor of traveling and speaking at different churches, I get to see the heartbeat of each church – how they interact, how they include outsiders, what they value, how they organize events, what their needs are at the moment, how history has shaped who they are, how their “family” operates. Each church is unique and beautiful, having their own strengths and weaknesses.
God reminds me how much He loves His Church and how we can learn from each other and love each other despite our differences. Being willing to listen, learn and grow from each other is such a valuable thing – God loves the humble (Psalms 49:4).
It has been a privilege to see the Bride of Christ with a new perspective – not just see things done the way my family does them but how Christ is honored in new and unique ways. It is a beautiful reminder that Christ uses each one of us right where we are at, with the gifts and talents we each possess.
Maybe you find yourself looking for a new church home like me and my family (as we have recently moved). It can be a daunting task no doubt! But take courage my friend! God has a place for you in His family. It may look different than your old church; there will be new relationships formed, new expectations and new ways of doing things, but one thing is for certain: He has a place for each one of us!
Being a part of a church family is invaluable! Therefore, do not grow weary in looking for a church that loves His word, gives to the poor, follows hard after Christ and His example on the cross and preaches the Truth. All other things are secondary.
My husband may not fill up my car with gasoline but he does a million things every day to show me how much he loves me. Thanks baby, you’re the best!
