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3 Tips for Picking Family-Friendly Movies

Who Could Use 3 Tips for Picking Family-Friendly Movies?

3 tips for picking family-friendly movies

Have you ever picked the wrong movie to watch?

That would be me.

Recently, I rented a remake of a popular older movie from our local streaming service. Spoiler Alert – remakes are never better than the original.

When it first came out, the reviews said it was well-cast and the soundtrack was good.

Against my better judgment, I didn’t take the time to check out the movie’s content first.

Big mistake.

From the opening scene to the next 10 minutes (that was all I could stand), I was hit with very strong sexual content.

If those scenes had been left out of the movie, it wouldn’t have made a difference to the message of the movie at all.

So why was it included? The original didn’t need it – why now?

No thanks, Hollywood. I don’t want what you’re trying to sell.

With that in mind, here are 3 tips for picking family-friendly films.

I’ve mentioned the movieguide.org website before. It’s not only good for parents, but really anyone who likes to go to movies or rent them at home.

You simply search for a movie by name.

The website will detail for you what the content of the movie is as well as some important topics like any use of foul language, political agendas, sex scenes, and spiritual references if any.

Parents especially – you would be wise to check a movie review site like Movieguide, before letting your child see a movie.

3 Tips for Picking Family-Friendly Movies: Protecting Children

Parental guidance recommended

If you don’t teach your kid Godly values, most of the material coming out of Hollywood, song lyrics from the music industry, and numerous other forms of media (and sadly some school districts) will expose them to the opposite.

It’s a fact – we live in a rapidly falling world. 

Besides movieguide.org, there are a couple of other websites that are helpful for finding family-friendly movies.

PluggedIn.com

Kids-In-Mind.com

All easy to remember.

I will definitely be more discerning in the future.

When it comes to choosing movies that your kids are allowed to see, please take the time to check the content first.

Protecting children from inappropriate content will not get you any fans in the entertainment industry or, the “anything goes” political agenda, but what’s more important?

Children deserve a safe upbringing where their innocence is preserved for as long as possible.

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Foul Language In Movie Trailers

Is Foul Language in Movie Trailers Really Necessary?

Foul language in movie trailers

After some thought, I decided to take a little turn from my regularly planned blog post and issue a word of caution to parents instead.

If you decide to take your kids to a movie at a theater – even if it’s a Christian movie – just know that there is the “possibility” that the trailers that are shown before your movie starts may contain expletives.

Granted, it has been awhile since I’ve been to an actual theater. That is by choice. Most of the movie themes that Hollywood puts out these days are anything but family-friendly.

A few days ago my husband and I went to see a Christian-themed movie at a local theater.

We thought the previews would have been more carefully selected since this was a Christian movie.

In a word, “nope.”

We were shocked to hear two expletives in one of the trailers – an “S-Bomb” and a “GD” – which clearly is an offense to God.

How did that even happen?

Well, ideally, it wasn’t supposed to.

On the simplest level, studios and theater owners try to pair trailers with the audience who’d presumably go see their associated film. –  https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-trailers.htm

Foul Language in Movie Theaters – It’s Ok to Speak Out

The more I thought about it – the more I was sickened by it, and so I did officially complain to the theater.

All this to say – if, as a Christian parent, you want to take your family to see a movie now, you should probably be prepared for a teachable moment when some of these things happen.

I’ve been told I’m fighting a losing battle.

Maybe so, but it pressed upon my heart and I’m glad I said something. 

On another note, here is a link to a Christian movie review site.

This link provides reviews of the actual content in movies today.

MovieGuide.Org

If there’s violence, language, or anything anti-God in a movie – you can find out about it beforehand so you can make an informed parental decision.

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Dylan Ris “Coming Attractions: Who Picks the Movie Trailers We See?” 9 February 2023. HowStuffWorks.com <https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-trailers.htm> 26 February 2023

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Eyes on Him Not Them

Keep Your Eyes On Him Not Them

Have you ever heard the expression, “Keep your eyes on Him, not them”?

That means us, Church!

Let’s face it: It’s hard.

fear-mongering

It’s very difficult at times to not get caught up in the bad news and fear-mongering coming from the mainstream media, or the rampant immorality and harmful content in the entertainment world.

There’s more.

protect the innocence of children

Even in school systems across the country, there are radical programs – all of which affect the next generation.

The downward spiral of family values is heartbreaking.

Lord, please make it stop.

How can any person, any school system, any agenda, think it’s okay to steal the innocence of children?

We can’t be alright with a world that encourages these things which ultimately represents hostility towards God and His design for the human race.

Thankfully, brave and concerned parents are speaking out against this.

There’s no quick fix.

The devil fights hard.

We’ve got to be ready. 

How about a New Year’s resolution to pray more than ever before?

We need to pray to Jesus.

Not to His mother Mary nor any saint, nor any religious leader for that matter who takes our eyes off of our only Triune God who deserves our prayer and worship.

eyes on Him not them

We must keep our eyes on Him and His promises.

Whatever happens, we can’t let these upsetting changes “take over” our lives and stall us in our mission to keep praying for others, and help reach the lost for Christ.

There are many issues dividing our communities right now: abortion, gender identity, human sexuality, racial tensions, religious liberty, and education, among others. But the gospel offers a light to our path! The scriptures are full of good news about our inherent value as humans, from our mother’s womb all the way to natural death. And about how God has uniquely made men and women. And there’s good news about His design for marriage as a reflection of Christ and the church. We need to share it! As citizens, we need to be advocates for sound policy. But as we do so, we should always seek to be as bold and truthful as Jesus, and we should also always seek to be as loving in our approach. – Dobson Policy Center.

Are we ready?

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– Quotation from Dobson Policy Center. “An Important Resolution for 2022.”. January 6, 2022., para. 6. Accessed 10 January 10, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.drjamesdobson.org/news/important-resolution-2022

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God Help Us Endure

God Help Us Endure The Sufferings To Come

The news out of Afghanistan is, in a word, devastating.

Are you as outraged as everyone else?

Thirteen U.S. soldiers, both men and women, killed in the line of duty.

There’s more.

Stranded Americans and allies face potential death and persecution.

God help us endure

Could the videos of those poor people pleading for rescue from that airport get any more heart-wrenching?

There’s so much to say about our nation’s failure in this, but that’s not the purpose of this blog.

Thanks be to God, there are glimpses of good news.

This from Samaritan’s Purse. . . 

And this from name withheld . . .  ↓

Closer to home, this past Sunday, gulf coast communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were ravaged by Hurricane Ida.

Power outages, high winds, and massive flooding caused extensive damage – all on the 16th anniversary of a devastating storm from the past, Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Ida 2021

Hurricane Ida   August 29, 2021

In recent weeks, you may remember that a 7.2 earthquake shook Haiti to the core, bringing down buildings and leaving many already poor residents, homeless.

Tropical storm Grace hit shortly after, adding more death and destruction. The video of those poor families hunkering down under tarps while a tropical storm barreled down on them was very difficult to watch.

Haiti earthquake

Haiti Earthquake August 14, 2021

Tragedies are breaking out all over, here in America, and overseas – at a shockingly rapid pace.

Did you ever think that you would see this in your lifetime?

Please PRAY for our nation and for the whole world.

God help us endure the sufferings to come.

Our Lifeline

Brothers and sisters in Christ  – thankfully, we know that this world of increasing suffering and persecution is not our final home.

Our Savior, at an unknown time, will rescue us from this fallen world.

Hold on to that blessed promise!

We must endure until then.

Going forward, it will be hard and it will be heartbreaking at times.

The Bible tells us to expect it.

I don’t want to see any more suffering either, but I know God has a plan.

His plan is so perfect that it could only be designed by the Maker of Heavens and earth Himself.

We will be with Him and there will be no more suffering.

Amen!

We are citizens bound for heaven, a paradise of never-ending joy and happiness.

Are You Ready?

Who is ready for the Lord to come back?

Count me in.

But God.

Only He knows the time, or the hour of Jesus’ return. We just know that it will be “some day.”

Until then, keep your eye on the prize.

Encourage each other. We will all need encouragement in the coming days, months, and maybe years ahead.

Focus on the One who gave you life and the One who wants you there with Him in the end.

“Some day” we’ll have Jesus and delight in His kingdom of endless hallelujahs.

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1Hurricane Ida 2021 photo, courtesy of NASA (website) NOAA (Satellite), public domain, 29 August, 2021, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Accessed and retrieved August 30, 2021.

2Haiti earthquake photo, courtesy of the ECHO/European Commission, CC BY<a  4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Accessed and retrieved August 30, 2021.

3Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Family-Friendly Movie Reviews

Hi everyone!

 

How can you tell if the popular movie that your child wants to go see is family-friendly?

family friendly movies

 

If you’ve read some of my past blog posts, then you know I have a heart for the next generation.

Sadly, your kiddos see a lot of offensive content on movie screens, television, and social media that’s enough to make anyone cringe.

As Christians, how can it not upset us? If you click that link, you may be surprised just how graphic some of the messages are. The fact that it happened in a school is even more frustrating.

A Plea To Parents

I’ve talked with parents before who said they’ve taken their kids to a movie and ended up regretting it later. The violence/sexual content took the unsuspecting parents by surprise.

Please scrutinize the type of content your kids are watching.

Recently, I came across a helpful website for parents that I wanted to share, just in case you haven’t heard about it yet.

If you’re looking for family-friendly movie reviews, then you may want to check into “movieguide.org.” The reviewers examine current movies from a Christian perspective and offer parents a heads-up about any potential issues.

More Help At Your Finger Click

Another invaluable website, this one I’ve written about before, is called kids-in-mind.com.

Famliy-friendly movie reviews

If it were me, I’d keep those two website links handy, both on my computer and in my phone.

You never know when a last-minute plea will come in: “Please Mom, can I go with a friend to the movies? Pleeeeez!”

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