Until last night, I was probably one of the few people my age that had never read nor watched, Where the Red Fern Grows. I had heard of it, but I guess with all my moving around as a child, I skipped it somehow in school and never got around to it personally as an adult. Well, last night, we downloaded it off of youtube for Family Movie Night. ('74 version) It is not our normal practice to watch programs with the kids without previewing first (we also REALLY like to read books first!), but we had heard good things, so we plunged forward. This movie should have come with a BIG warning that it was going to set us all in tears! We are all a little emotionally sensitive right now with preparing to move again, but even without that factor, this movie is a heart squeezer. I do; however, still recommend it. It has brought up so many areas of discussion...the largest one being the subject of Integrity. We have discussed this "word" before as a family because it is in our Family Purpose Statement. (click here to read more) Several times throughout the movie, the main character, Billy, is faced with "choices" of whether to do the "right thing" or not. I think that one of the best scenes in the movie is the first time the dogs, Little Ann and Old Dan, have "treed a coon". The tree is way too large for a young boy to chop down. Billy ends up tiring and falling asleep. His parents find him the next morning resting under the tree. They tell him to give up and go home. The mother even asks him if "she is going to have to whip him on top of everything else". His response is that he will have to take the entire punishment due him because he promised the dogs that if they would do the work to track and tree a raccoon, he would retrieve it. What a great example of integrity. 
The promise was only made to dogs...not people. The tree was too big for a man...not to mention a young boy. Maybe if someone helped him, he could follow through with his promise. The excuses and reasons against keeping his word could go on and on, but the movie didn't let it go that way. Your word is your word no matter to whom or to what it is given. The dad simply gives the boy gloves and a bigger ax. The mom gives him water and some food. Then they leave him to do what he said he would do. Amazing! How often do I try to back track when what I said I would do gets too hard or maybe it is not working out like I wanted it to work? How often do I "let my kids off the hook" trying to "make things easier on them"? Our integrity is calculated in those moments in our lives when the actions we take and the words we say will be recorded and seen by no one. Proverbs, of course, has many verses that instruct us how to walk in wisdom and integrity. Proverbs 19:1 says, "Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool." Proverbs goes on to say in 20:7 "The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him." Wow, what a challenge as a parent! How am I walking - even when I think no one is looking or listening? Are my children blessed because I am walking with integrity? I know my children are still young, but one thing that I have learned is that they ARE listening and looking even when I think they are not. Am I setting the example of integrity that I want them to follow? One of our favorite books is Dr. Seuss's book, The Cat in the Hat. For some reason, no matter what waiting room we were put in for our pediatrician in the States, The Cat in the Hat was the book available for us to read. The end of the book asks a very simple but important question that will test where a child is in the area of integrity. If you remember, the children in the book allowed the cat to come in to their house, break things, play with things and make a royal mess! However, the cat was able to magically mend, put everything to rights and leave the house before the mother returned. Upon her return, the mother asks, "Did you have any fun? Tell me. What did you do?" The book goes on to ask the last questions directly to the reader: "And Sally and I did not know what to say. Should we tell her the things that went on there that day? Should we tell her about it? Now, what should we do? Well....what would you do if your mother asked you?" My children's responses have been very telling over the years...A reflection of me...A reflection of their hearts...A reflection of an area that cannot be overlooked in the growing and nurturing of mighty men and women of God.Looking for teachable moments, AT
In winter, I like to feel a cold breeze on my face and the crunch of snow under my feet. In fall, I like the smell of the air and the beautiful rusty orange colors. In summer, I want the sun in my face and sand in my toes. In spring, there is nothing better than having my hands in the dirt. Well, actually, truth be told, I don't really like to get dirty. I REALLY like flowers and flower beds, but I am not that good at keeping them up. My thumb is most certanily NOT green. I do like to mow grass, but I don't think that the city would appreciate me "borrowing" company equipment. Matt; however, really does love to work in the dirt. His new hobby is tinkering with potted plants. 
