Hi friends - I hope you had a great Christmas. My kids and I did - they each received a new scooter, and decided to try them out in our house. Only, as they were “scootering” I was thinking ahead to the time when they would be “motoring.” That’s because of a recent article in the New York Times on the dangers of teen driving that left me laying awake at night. Do we trust our kids too much is really the question. I argue that the answer is “yes!”

My Column

Happy New Year.

Betsy

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Hi Friends - I hope you get a chance to tune in to today’s show, “Breast Cancer Facts and Fiction.” Producer Lynne and I talk to Dr. Virginia Kaklamani from Northwestern Medical Center.

She focuses on genetic predispositions to breast cancer. And she shared this interesting nugget: if you have a close family member who has or had breast cancer, consider getting genetic testing done. If you are a woman and you have the BRAC I or II gene, you have an 80 percent lifetime chance of getting breast cancer.

But you know what? Knowledge is power, and get ready to learn something from this show. It takes a parent to stay healthy!

Yes, guys, we’ll be focusing on men’s health in upcoming programing. This one is for the moms - AND the men who love them. I hope you’ll tune in to the podcast or listen or go to nationalreview.com after the show.

And of course Lynne and I hope you have a happy - and HEALTHY - new year!

Betsy

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Hi Friends - I hope you are all getting ready for a very Merry Christmas!

I decided to post early a column that I wrote for the Chicago Daily Observer.  It will appear there tomorrow.  (www.CDOBS.com)  I hope you enjoy it.  I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite Christmas movies, too!

By Betsy Hart

I have a few Christmas traditions that are strictly followed.   A live tree;   I “hide” candy in plain site, say on the roof of the gingerbread house, and see how long it takes for my kids to find it; and from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day, we only watch Christmas movies, and we watch lots of them.  That’s probably our most significant tradition of all.

A brief point of disclaimer:   though I’m an evangelical, and while I think the move from calling “Christmas” to “the holidays” is as silly and unnecessary as the next person, I’ve long more or less followed the Puritans and I’ve not really thought of Christmas as a religious holiday anyway.  (Actually, for a host of reasons many early puritan communities actually forbade its celebration altogether but that’s another column.)

That’s a long way of saying I love having secular fun during the season.  And there’s not a whole lot that says “fun” to me more than great Christmas movies.  Or, even not so “great” Christmas movies, if they evoke a memory or a mood that is part of Christmas.  So, with just a weekend or so remaining before Christmas, I thought I’d share with my readers some top picks if you haven’t seen them already, or if you have but have just forgotten:

There are two movies “make” Christmas for me.  They are sort of opposites, really.  One is wholesome, adorable, just spirit lifting from the beginning.  The other is cynical, completely hilarious, and full of ridiculous slapstick. 

From the opening scenes of both of them, it’s like a physical switch goes off in my brain, and I am automatically happy.  It’s truly a Pavlovian reaction. 

The first film is “Elf” with Will Farrell.   Happy, kind, sweet, so very funny.  A human “elf,” Buddy, ends up in New York City and without realizing what’s happening, Buddy the elf gets the best of those Manhattanites.  There’s also a wonderful scene featuring my favorite Christmastime song, “Baby it’s Cold Outside.”  

Then there’s the opposite of “Elf,” really:  “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase.  (Interesting that both stars come out of a Saturday Night Live history.)  The story of the Griswalds and their crazy Christmas, with the destruction and goofy family relationships in play has brought me unending smiles.  Every year when I put up my lights, I think of myself as Clark. “Christmas Vacation”  It’s a “do not miss.” (Note:  it has some bad language and brief sexual suggestion.  If you watch it with your kids, “pre” view it so you can avoid those brief scenes with them!)

 A couple of great ones are “Scrooge,” and “The Muppets Christmas Carol” (the latter of which is hilarious and it includes strong religious references), the former of which I remember from being a kid and my mother sending my brothers and me out of the house on Christmas Eve so Santa could get organized.  

Then there are the old fashioned “feel goods” of It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and of course, Miracle on 34^th street, and only the original with that adorable little Natalie Wood will do.

 Even my oldest children still love the animated holiday classics “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,”  “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and “Frosty the Snowman,”  the Grinch and Charlie Brown (in which the gospel is actually read on stage, if you remember.)  We watch them all.

 New films like The Santa Claus and Polar Express are on the list, but they are the ones we get to after everything else.

 Here’s one which doesn’t make my Christmas roster:  The huge hit, Home Alone.  Why?   Well, the whole premise is the adults are idiots and the kid is the smarty pants. (He’s left behind over Christmas while his family is in France and he has to ward off intruders himself.)   Never mind that in this film the adults ARE idiots – the premise bothers me.  So that’s off the list.

 And here’s a new entry.  Last year we started a new tradition – watching the New Line Cinema film from last year, “The Nativity Story” on Christmas Eve.    It’s an accurate telling of the story of the birth of Christ and where it “fills in” it does so in a way that makes sense given what we know of the time.  

 And Christ is clearly portrayed as the Son of God, the Savior.  (An amazing feat for Today’s Hollywood.)

 I guess there’s a part of me that is holding on to that religious celebration of the holiday after all.

Merry Christmas!

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Hi friends - The lead-up to Christmas is my favorite time of year! I decided to have a little extra fun with this week’s column. Enjoy!

My Column

And Merry Christmas.

Bets

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Hi friends - I hope you tune in today! I’ll be talking with Daniel Darling, author of “Teen People of the Bible.” In his new book he looks at the teenagers and very young adults of Biblical times, and examines their profiles of both courage - and cowardice. That’s at 2:00 central time on AM1160 WYLL or streaming at www.wyll.com or podcast later here or on NationalReview.com

It’s Christmas time, so of course we are concerned with matters of faith. But for us parents, that needs to be a consuming passion throughout the year, not just at Christmas. (In fact, in some ways I think Christmas gets in the way of faith, but that’s a separate show!) Anyway, I found it interesting that Darling points out that most children and teens raised in faith will fall away from their faith in college. He argues one reason for this is that that too many Christian parents - and churches - “dumb Christianity down.” I think he makes some great points.

But first, we’ll talk with David Staal who directs the Promiseland Children’s Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church. The folks there have recently developed a core curricula for even the youngest children to teach them the fundamentals of Christian doctrine consistent with their ages and intellectual development. But David agrees that the most important Christian teacher a child will ever have is his own mom or dad. So find out just what those first principles are and how to make sure your kids are rightly absorbing them.

Then from 3-5 PM Central time, I’ll be guest hosting the Sandy Rios Show live. Dan Darling will continue the discussion with me there, and we’ll have lots of other great guests too. You can listen in at AM1160 Chicago, or live on WYLL.com. Since we don’t have time for call-ins on my show (I know, I know, I wish we did!) feel free to call into Sandy’s show today.

And please have a VERY Merry Christmas!

Betsy

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Hi friends - well it may be Christmas time, but I know a lot of people who wont be able to relax until those college acceptance letters come in the “right” way in the next several days. If you are in that position, or you will be next year or in 10 years, you will want to see this from TIME magazine. You will definitely be able to relax and enjoy your Christmas time a little more!

TIME and college - don’t worry so much!

Happy parenting.

Betsy Hart

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Hello Visitors –

There was a problem most of yesterday that kept you from posting comments or viewing old posts. That’s now resolved, so post away. Again, sorry for the inconvenience!

–the Blog Administrator

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Hi friends - PETA this week went after the “Trollsen Twins” in a big way for wearing fur. I saw other animal rights activists protesting outside stores in Chicago last week. Why attack people for making the choice to stay warm? If the animals rights activists really cared for animals - the be advocating FOR the American fur industry. Here’s why:

My Column

Have a great week.

Betsy

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Hi friends - be sure to listen to the radio show today at 2:00 pm central on AM1160/WYLL Chicago, streaming at wyll.com, or after the show podcast here and on NationalReview.com.

Today I talk with Kate O’Beirne, of National Review magazine and a former member of the President’s Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed forces about whether women and war should go together. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to know that we both agree they shouldn’t. If you’ve been following the debate here on the blog, you’ll especially want to tune into the show. Thanks for listening, and have a great day—Betsy

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The new movie is simply lovely family fare. Does Hollywood get that?

Here’s a review I wrote for the Chicago Daily Observer.

Fairy Tales and Hollywood

Happy Parenting!

P.S. - for all the folks writing to me about the women in combat column, you’ll be interested to know that on this week’s radio show I interview Kate O’Beirne of National Review Magazine, and a former member of the President’s Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces, about that very issue. That’s Thursday at 2:00, central time, on AM1160 Chicago, streaming at wyll.com, or podcast here after the show and on NationalReview.com

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