Tez Brooks's Blog: TezBrooks.com, page 18

Surviving Father’s Day Dread

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and although it's a holiday that celebrates the wonder and beauty of mothers, you can't help but envy the honor and attention they get, knowing in about 30 days you're probably going to experience something quite different.

SINGLE PARENTING: Making Assumptions On Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is upon us. If you’re a single parent, are you making assumptions about spending time with your kid? Have you discussed it with your ex and your child? During the first few years following our divorce, my ex-wife and I were awarded joint custody. We lived close by so everything worked out well. […]

7 Sarcastic Things Yoda Would Say About Helicopter Parenting

I had the opportunity to interview Yoda from Star Wars, asking him advice on parenting as research for my newest book. I asked him why he thinks so few Jedi warriors can be found these days. Of course, he quickly replied, “Children I do not have, but advice for parents I have plenty.” He gave me these 10 […]

Is it Wrong to Brag About Your Middle Schooler?

I’m not a big fan of bragging about my kids. My parents had some close friends when I was growing up and all they talked about was how amazing their kids were. It was annoying.  As a parent now, what I do want to make sure I do is encourage my kids, without prideful statements. As […]

Blogger, Beth Lueders talks about the gift of a father’s hug. http://ow.l

The gift of a father’s hug. http://ow.ly/ybCN30jt5UT 

MOVIE REVIEW: “I Can Only Imagine”

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I love MercyMe so when Christine and I had the privilege of previewing this film several months ago, we jumped at the chance.

The movie, I Can Only Imagine (in theaters now) tells the story behind the 2001 hit song by Mercy Me.

I have to say, the Erwin brothers (Directors for Mom’s Night Out, Woodlawn and October Baby) have done it again. It’s the emotionally-charged life story, so far, of the MercyMe’s frontman, Bart Millard, and how he came to eventually write the tune about heaven.

The film opens in 1985, when the young care-free Bart Millard lives on a farm with his parents in Texas. But we quickly see his dad Arthur is not a nice guy. He does some pretty rotten things that hurt Bart and tick us off too. Like always, Hollywood veteran, Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, Frequency, The Parent Trap and Soul Surfer) shines in this film.

Bart goes to church camp and becomes a Christian, where he meets Shannon a girl who obviously likes him. Although Bart return home spiritually renewed, he finds his mother has left. No way! So this is what she was planning all along…for Bart to be gone when she packed up and abandoned the family?

Left with his abusive father, the young dreamer continues trying to earn his father’s approval by joining the high school football team. But during a game, when an accident breaks both of Bart’s legs, he’s told he can never play again.

So much for pleasing Dad.

In the months that follow, Bart discovers he can sing. Who knew? And… he likes to write songs.

Eventually, Bart forms a band, MercyMe. But when he returns home one day to confront his father, he finds a different man there. That’s all I can say without spoilers.

For a main character that we’re supposed to love, Bart (played by newcomer J. Michael Finley) has a lot of faults and he’s a little pushy (prideful?) about his talent. But I’ve always heard your protagonist should be flawed if viewers are to like him…so there you go. Many characters model patience and grace toward Bart, especially his girlfriend (whom he dumps) and his band’s manager.

I love the spiritual content of this film. Faith, fear and eventually forgiveness intertwine as we follow Bart’s journey to overcome the deep damage caused by his mom and dad.

We see Bart with a Bible, singing in church, practicing forgiveness, helping the less fortunate (a.k.a. his dad) and other signs of fruit.

While obviously a Christian film, I Can Only Imagine is rated PG, so parents will want to be careful if your kids are sensitive to some of the following images:

Bart’s parents have a fight and we hear screams and breaking glass off camera.
His dad stands outside his room holding a belt.
His father throws things when angry, breaking windows and dishes, even breaking plate over Bart’s head. There is blood.
He throws a gallon of milk at Bart’s head another time.
You’ll hear the crunch of bones when Bart breaks his legs and the Xray might be graphic to some viewers.
Also, Bart’s dad is ill at one point and screams while clutching his stomach.

 

But that aside, there’s no sex, no alcohol, drugs or cussing. Still, I Can Only Imagine is about pain and redemption, brokenness and forgiveness. I think they portray this beautifully and realistically.

All of us have broken places inside in need of redemption. I liked it. Fans of MercyMe will love it. You just might want to add this one to your collection.

 

Can Movies Spark Spiritual Conversations with Your Kids?

A new blog post from Jesus Film Project written by Tez 

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Are We Raising a Nation of Wimps?

Are We Raising a Nation of Wimps? http://ow.ly/dUa030iEgZh

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Sunset is Quickly Approaching

[image error]My daughter is entering high school this fall. Oh my goodness, what did I just type? I feel like she was just born a few months ago and I holding her in one arm.

Single parents, have you ever said “I have plenty of time”?

 

I’m not so sure we do. Time flies by so fast and before you know it, it’s dusk.

I’m not sure about you, but I don’t often realize how fast the “second half” of our kids’ time with us passes. The first nine years goes by so slow. It seems to take forever as we watch them learn to walk, start talking, get out of diapers, go to school, ride a bike, etc..

It just seems natural the next 9 years will be drawn out too. Wrong!

Those second nine, they progress three times faster. When we hit their ninth birthday, we’re 75% done, people. Everything accelerates.

So what factors contribute to this?:

_____We get busier as parents and our careers often cause us to spend less time at home

_____Other people start influencing our kids. Things like friends, TV and music, teachers…all accelerate their exposure and learning.

_____Younger siblings demand our time, so the older kids get less of us.

_____For single parents, as the kids get older they often decide to spend more time with one parent and so the other parent loses time and influence.

____Part-time jobs for our teens pull them farther from us.

____(Fill in another 20 reasons).

Ephesians 5:16 encourages us to make good use of our time on Earth. The opportunity to be influential in our child’s life doesn’t last as long as we think.

Sunset is quickly approaching. I want to seize the day and invest in our kids aggressively before the sun sets and they are no longer under our roof. Non-custodial parents have even less time.

What are some ways you influence your kids? Share some ideas with us so we can redeem the time we’ve already lost.

There’s Life After Divorce

I was divorced 7 years with two kids, when I met this incredible woman, Christine, at church. Today we are celebrating 16 years of marriage. I can’t imagine being happier. Guys, be encouraged and laugh a little by reading my hope-filled journey in “The Single Dad Detour” now available on Amazon for under $9.00!

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