Monster Cruise

The day started out early again, dropping Madison off for art camp at the Quinlan Arts Center.  Daddy was off to work shortly after that, and we were already off and running on another busy day.  But once we all got home later on, it was time for another vacation!

After art camp today, we decided to go on a cruise.  Yes, of course not really - we went to see "Hotel Transylvania 3," where all the monsters decide to go on a cruise together.  The Legacy, the boat you see above, is an amazing design for a cruise ship, isn't it?  Obviously it's probably not terribly practical.  But it looks fantastic!

As for the movie, the three of us enjoyed it quite a bit!  At first, I thought it odd that this came out during the summer rather than in October, but the fact that the characters are on a vacation together brings it all together.  This would be the perfect movie to be playing during the Halloween on the High Seas cruise, even if it isn't a Disney movie.  It was a fun movie, and we're big fans of the director anyway.  Everything is stylized and just about every shot is worth hitting the pause button, and putting a frame around it.

This was our favorite movie since the first one, and Madison actually said she liked this one better than the first one.  We'll probably watch all three this October.

We got home, and got back to work:  we're making a wishing machine!  We'll post pictures when done, but the the idea is to create a wishing machine similar to the one used in "The Greatest Showman."  Mommy is taking over the project, and it's turning out really well - it should be done this time tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Daddy was finishing up the actual message related to "The Greatest Showman," and it's something I can probably share here below.  It turned out well!

We prayed tonight, and read another chapter from "The Vile Village."  This Sunday, all the kids are excited about this "The Greatest Showman" message.  Here's a sneak peek at it now:

“The Greatest Showman”

CUE SLIDE:  “BIG TOP”

HOST:  “Hello, and welcome back to the Greatest Show!  Today we’ll be looking at a movie that’s all about the circus, and the very beginnings of one of the greatest circuses of all time.  Who here has seen ‘The Greatest Showman?’”

CUE SLIDE: “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN”

HOST:  “It’s a musical with incredible songs and an amazing story, one that brings to the movies the life of PT Barnum.  As we look back, we can see that perhaps this man was really … the greatest showman.”

CLIP ONE:  Start with the clip of Barnum as an adult - opening scene of movie which leads to scene of him as a boy looking at his own reflection.

CUE SLIDE: “LOOKING IN THE MIRROR”

HOST:  “Trust me. Someday you’ll be there.  You may have a million dreams inside your head about all the wonderful things you can do with your life.  God’s plan for you is filled with hope, peace, and happiness.  You’ll have grown into something bigger, greater, and even more wonderful than you are now!  And you’ll be able to stop and look back on what you used to be right now.  You’ll look back and see all you’ve come from, what you made it through, and how God brought you this far and has blessed you so much.”

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST SHOWMAN TITLE SCREEN”

HOST:  “You can make it.  It ispossible, and what might help you today are these three points we’re about to share from“The Greatest Showman.”  PT Barnum had to discover these, and if he were around today, no doubt he’d be sharing them with you now.”

HOST:  “The first is a major theme from the movie, something we see early in his life, before the fame and fortune come calling.  It’s something you’ll hear his wife say share with him.  Despite losing his job, they still have all that they need right there on the rooftop.”

CLIP TWO:  On the rooftop with the wishing machine.  

CUE SLIDE:  “ROOFTOPS”

HOST:  “If you had a wishing machine, what would you wish for?  Happiness?  Ballet shoes?  To marry Santa Clause?  Some wish for great and mighty dreams while others are content with small blessings that arrive daily.  We all have dreams and hopes.  And God has the same hopes and dreams for you as well.  In fact, there’s your first point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT ONE: HE IS THE GREATEST SHOW”

HOST:  “He is the Greatest Show. Everything you ever want, and everything you ever need… is right in front of you.  Our Heavenly Father is the greatest show of love and power on earth.  And He’s promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He’s with us always, full of love, and wonderful thoughts and dreams for our lives.  Our Bibles tell us this.”

CUE SLIDE:  MATTHEW 6:33

HOST:  “But put God’s kingdom first. Do what He wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you.”

CUE SLIDE:  “ROOFTOP”

HOST:  “Our Bibles tell us to seek Him first, and then everything else will be added to you.  God is everything, and without Him, we are nothing.  We’ll never feel joy and peace and contentment without Him. Simply put, all the shine of a thousand spotlights will never be enough without God in your life.”

CUE SLIDE:  “PT BARNUM”

HOST:  “PT Barnum hears this from his wife, but to begin with, he doesn’t listen close enough. He wants to show the world a thing or two, and he’s got a plan to do it.  After hearing a good idea from his daughters, he realizes he’s going to need some help making his greatest show a success.  His first destination is to visit some people he believes the people will love - they just don’t know it yet.”

CLIP THREE:  Barnum visits Tom Thumb, followed by visit to Lettie Lutz (the bearded lady)

CUE SLIDE:  LETTY LUTZ

HOST:  “In real life, Barnum met a girl named Annie Jones, who actually had a beard.  She was born with a condition that gave her facial hair, and sure enough, it was pretty unusual to see.  She was created this way.  Before we start judging who is ugly and who is not, we need to be like Barnum was in this scene, and see the beauty in all of God’s creation.” 

CUE SLIDE: TOM THUMB

HOST:  “Similarly Tom Thumb was born quite unusual.  He may have thought of himself as too small, and odd to be anything more than a joke. And you may think of yourself that way too.  You may hear voices – some of them real – saying that you won’t amount to much. But that’s not what God sees. When God sees you, He sees a general. That’s your second point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT TWO:  HE SEES A GENERAL”

HOST:  “He sees a general.  They won’t laugh at you - they’ll salute!  You are who you’re meant to be.  Don’t believe that lie that you need to hide your face, afraid to step outside.   You are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.  You are more than conquerors! Listen to this scripture from 1 Timothy.”

CUE SLIDE:  “1 TIMOTHY 4:12”

HOST:  “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure.”

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST SHOWMAN TITLE SCREEN”

HOST:  “Don’t let anyonelook down on you. Movies, videos, television, songs, magazines, people at school…  they all have an opinion of what you should act like.  They all tell you what you should belike.  And if you’re not what they want you to be, then perhaps you may feel odd, as if you’re some sort of circus freak.” 

HOST:  “But there’s only One who’s opinion matters most, and He is the One who designed you the way you are, to do the amazing things that you will be doing.  God is the one in charge, and He wants to use you to bring His message of joy to the spotlight.  You’re nota freak show.  You are warriors, reaching for the sun.  Look out, ‘cause here you come!”

CUE SLIDE:  “BARNUM and SHOW”

HOST:  “Barnum had assembled his team, and he finds success after success. And it is never enough.  And there’s the problem.  His focus is not on what he has, on how much God has blessed him with.  And because he loses focus, he starts losing elsewhere too.  He’s leaving his family to go off on new adventure after new adventure, forgetting all about what is most important.”

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST SHOWMAN TITLE SCREEN”

HOST: “Talk about getting off track.  In our Bibles, there is a similar story.  A brother left his family to go off an experience more and more and more.  It was never enough for him. He did all kinds of things he knew he shouldn’t, and in the end, he paid a price:  he used up his money, and wound up eating food …with pigs!  He used to have it all, and now… he had nothing.”

HOST:  “Barnum ran into similar problems when he kept focusing on wanting more and more.  He lost it all.  You see, when you lose focus on God, you lose focus everywhere else too.  And that’s when you start to lose it all.  But perhaps that’s not the worst thing that could happen.”

HOST:  “Because when we lose all our stuff, we’re left with the very One who matters most.  And if we have Him, we have everything we ever need.  Fortunately, the Prodigal Son in our Bible story knew to do one thing, and that’s our final point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT THREE:  “COME BACK HOME”

HOST:  “Come back home.  When we forget who we are and lose focus on what matters most, we chase the wrong things.  That brother eating with the pigs?  Jesus told us in the Bible that he made the right decision.  Listen to what he said.”

CUE SLIDE:  “LUKE 15:18 NIRV”

HOST:  “I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you.”

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST SHOWMAN TITLE SCREEN”

HOST:  “Like the Prodigal Son in the Bible – and even PT Barnum – make a vow that from now on, you will come back home to Him.  Let a promise in you start, like an anthem in your heart:  ‘From now on!’”

HOST:  “The wonderful thing about God is that He’s so full of love that it’s impossible for us to ever understand.  The brother eating with the pigs?  Our Heavenly Father was waiting there with open arms.  And right now, He’s right there in front of you, waiting for you with open arms.  He can take us, wherever we are… and lift us out of the rubble.  Yes, even in the rubble, things can turn around very quickly, as you’ll see in this clip here.”

CLIP FOUR:  Barnum and the cast at the pile of rubble, leading to the scene of Barnum at end with his family.

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST SHOWMAN TITLE SCREEN”

HOST:  “You have everything you ever want, everything you ever need.  He has a million dreams for you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Don’t lose focus on Him, and you’ll never have to wish for happiness.  Because it's here right in front of you.  With Him, your life will be the Greatest Show.”

HOST:  “Let us pray.”