Hal Young's Blog
August 6, 2025
A Fantastic Movie!
Our expectations were pretty low going in. Marvel’s recent offerings have been increasingly disappointing and I dreaded seeing what they might have done to some of my favorite characters. The Fantastic Four helped me get through college. I struggled a lot with my health those years and got discouraged regularly. My regular pick-me-up was a stop at the Weenie Stand No. 2 for two hotdogs with mustard, chili, onions, and slaw followed by picking up the latest Fantastic Four comic book. I would sit in my little car, enjoying the best hot dogs in Virginia and reading about the scientific exploits (hey, I was a science major) and evil-fighting adventures of the Four.
This movie hit the right note from the very first scene. It opened with a glimpse into the private life of Susan and Richard Reed, at first impatient with each other, then getting the best news ever – after two years of infertility, they have a baby on the way! It’s a touching scene with all the feels, but this film is only getting started. With themes of sacrifice and redemption and the clearest pro-life and pro-family message we’ve ever seen in a Marvel movie, or practically any movie, this one wowed us.
In case you don’t know the back story, Richard Reed led a scientific mission to outer space, accompanied by Susan Storm, later to become his wife, Johnny Storm, her younger brother, and Ben Grimm, Richard’s former college roommate, now a pilot. A cosmic storm changed their DNA and their future, giving them superpowers that they use for good. This film opens some time after this, when the Fantastic Four are well-established as leaders and scientists at the Future Foundation.
The movie has a delightful retro-futuristic vibe set in the late 60s or early 70s. It’s really fun, with their robot H.E.R.B.I.E. feeling a bit like Rosie, the Jetson’s robotic maid. In contrast to other Fantastic Four movies, the characters clearly love one another, being willing to sacrifice themselves for the others, but exhibiting that casual affection you see in the best families.
They need every bit of that love and strength to face the biggest threat they’ve ever faced. The Silver Surfer heralds the coming of Galactus, the eater of worlds, to the Earth. The Fantastic Four are mankind’s only hope and they set off to confront the monster. The Fantastic Four use science, courage, love, and an unwavering commitment to their values to save our civilization.
Along the way, there are some astounding pro-life and pro-family scenes. When Reed can’t stop worrying about whether their baby is okay despite his and his wife’s altered DNA, Susan uses her invisibility selectively to allow him to see their son, active and healthy, inside her womb. The baby is always referred to as “him,” their son, or Franklin, constantly reminding us of his humanity. Later, the baby is the impetus for the clear message that every life matters.
My daughters and I were thrilled with the portrayal of Susan Storm. Too often, the girl-power message is that women are only strong and valuable as much as they act like men. Susan Storm shows true womanly strength and courage. In the birth scene, she is not out-of-control or helpless, but strong. (Don’t worry – it is completely discreet!) And in the final crisis, her mother’s love for her child gives her the strength to do what it takes to protect him. It was lovely to see a strong woman who was unabashedly a woman and a mother!
SPOILER ALERT – don’t read further if you don’t like spoilers! (click here to jump past)
When the Fantastic Four confront Galactus, the monster determines that he wants the baby Franklin as his successor and will spare the Earth if they give him the child. The family flees, pursued by the Silver Surfer, and Susan goes into labor! The baby is born as they finally escape pursuit.
On their return to Earth, Reed tells the world that the price Galactus asked to spare the Earth was too high – his son. As you might imagine, this led to tremendous unrest and anger. Susan confronts it head on, saying, “I will not sacrifice my child for this world. But, I will not sacrifice this world for my child. We will fight it together as a family.” Situational ethics would tell us to sacrifice the baby, for all those people, but Christian ethics tells us that only the willing can sacrifice themselves. Sacrificing a baby to appease a false God is an abomination. The Fantastic Fours stay and fight rather than either sacrifice the child or flee to save themselves; this is a theme we can applaud.
In the final battle against Galactus, we see the themes of sacrifice and redemption come to fulfillment. Susan’s superhuman strength is driven by her love for her child. Every character is driven to the very limit to save the others and their planet. Johnny determines to give his life to end the danger, but the Silver Surfer, who had given herself to the devourer to save her own planet but then served as his scout, leading to the destruction of other planets, completes the arc of her redemption by giving herself in Johnny’s place.
Highly Recommended!The Fantastic Four is worth seeing in theaters! There’s very little content to be concerned about here; there’s a mention of “billions of years”, you see Darwin’s Origin of Species in one of the two bonus scenes, and there are a few mentions of Johnny being attracted to the “sexy” Surfer. Little ones might be frightened by some of the intense scenes, but there is no bloodly violence and nothing explicit at all. Science fiction, like fantasy, lets us explore ideas without the limitations of the real world. How nice when that results in good, healthy themes and a downright good time! Recommended!.
April 11, 2024
Here’s How to Download Your Freebies
We’re so happy you’ve become a part of our community. Here is how to access your downloads:
Download our Preschool Pack from this page!
Download our High School Resource Pack from this page!
Download our Middle School Pack from this page!
See you around,
Hal & Melanie
March 11, 2024
Lessons from a Small-town Wedding
The gospel of John tells the story of Jesus’ first public miracle, when He changed water into wine at a wedding in the village of Cana. (John 2:1-11) It wasn’t even very public at that; He didn’t reveal His power at the Temple in Jerusalem, or in the halls of Roman government in Caesarea, but in a small town in the hills of Galilee. Even in that limited circle, it was only noticed by a few – His mother, Mary, who came to Him when the feast ran out of wine; His disciples, who saw the miracle “and believed in Him“; and the servants involved with the waterpots. Even the wedding director and the bridegroom were clueless.
The whole story is just eleven verses long. Even in such a short narrative, there are several significant – and encouraging – lessons you can take away. The first and most obvious, of course, is that Jesus demonstrated His authority over the created world, completely changing the nature of a liquid without so much as lifting a finger or raising His voice. It’s a great example of the incredible power of the Son of God. There is nothing in the created universe too great for His command!
[It’s also interesting that when Jesus made water into wine, it wasn’t just acceptably decent wine – it was outstanding in quality (John 2:9-10). His works are better than ours!]
But there are other thoughts which come to mind. For one thing, Jesus showed His approval of marriage. It is, after all, a creation ordinance, something which God established before the fall of man. When God created marriage, there was no sin in the world, and neither nation nor denomination – it is a blessing for all people (Genesis 2:18-24). Lifelong singleness is not a spiritual ideal, but a special calling (Matthew 19:11). Jesus not only attended the wedding, He blessed the celebration of it!
Jesus also showed that He is concerned with the issues that concern us – even small issues. Running short on refreshments at the wedding was an embarrassment, not an emergency, yet Jesus reached into the situation and removed the trouble, without a flourish or announcement. He glorified Himself in the process! (John 2:11) We don’t to be shy about praying over a lost kitten, mislaid car keys, or a simple hope for a closer parking space in the rain. We can pray about cancer, or about the common cold. Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:8, emphasis added)
Finally, we can see that Jesus is present in our joys as well as our trials. When He promises “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” we naturally remember He is “a very present help in trouble.” (Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 46:1) But we should also remember that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” (James 1:17), and when He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” that means in joys as well as sorrows (Matthew 28:30). Jesus did not make a public show at the wedding, but He was present and an important guest, even when unrecognized – just as He is present in all our lives as believers, when we remember and when we don’t!
Hal recently taught through this passage at our church. Click here to listen!
February 28, 2024
Temptation – And How to Fight It
Our church is studying the life of Christ right now, and we just looked at His time in the wilderness facing temptation. Although He had divine power, He faced temptation like a common man would have to, without resorting to miracles to solve His problems.
The English pastor Charles Spurgeon observed, “God has one Son without sin, but no sons without temptation.” If Jesus Himself suffered temptation but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15), then the fact we suffer temptation is a problem but not a failure – as long as we resist!
And we have an additional problem which Jesus did not – we have a fallen, sinful nature. It’s our natural inclination to break the rules. James warns us that “each one is tempted when he drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14) Jesus was tempted from the outside; we have that, but we also have our own rebellious hearts to deal with.
So what should we do when we feel the urge to cut corners, break rules, run from God, and jump into sin?
We taught our children a five-step strategy – which works for adults, too.
(By the way, if you are that trusted authority for someone else, you are following the command, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) Just remember you are trying to bear their burden, not add to it. Don’t interrogate and judge, just listen and offer encouragement and prayer!)
We tell our kids that these five – holding up fingers to represent them – can be rolled into a fist to knock away temptation. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) That’s encouraging!
And take heart – our Savior understands our struggle. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin … in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 4:15, 2:18)
Previous: Recognizing when temptations arise
February 12, 2024
Temptation – The Error-Likely Situation
When I worked for the power company, I was told to be on guard against “error-likely situations.” When crews were called to deal with power outages, often it was late at night, in bad weather and unfamiliar locations, with everyone tired and under stress. Any of these conditions made it more likely for someone to slip up and make a costly – or even fatal – mistake. We were trained to recognize those situations and watch our step!
When Jesus was in the wilderness and tempted by the devil, He dealt with situations that we face as well. The Bible tells us that He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) We can learn a lot by noticing how He was tempted, and how He responded and avoided sin Himself.
Temptation often comes in the middle of spiritual progress. Jesus was just setting out on His public ministry when He was confronted by the prince of darkness himself! (Matthew 4:1) Sometimes when we are on a spiritual or emotional high, temptation sneaks into the party. It may be when we or our child first comes to faith, or we celebrate a family member’s wedding, or welcome a new baby into the household. Our adversary is always on the prowl, and we should always be watchful against him (1 Peter 5:8) – even in the joy of the moment.
Our physical condition may open us to temptation. Jesus was fasting in the desert when the tempter came to Him; no surprise, “He was hungry.” (Matthew 4:2) No doubt He was fatigued and weakened by His fast, too, when Satan came after Him. When we are tired, hungry, uncomfortable, or ill, we can easily become irritable, short-tempered, and selfish.
Our personal pride is a weak spot in our armor. The devil taunted Jesus to try and provoke Him. “If You are the Son of God,” he says twice, as if to say, “then prove it!” (Matthew 4:3-7) We teach our little boys not to give in to dares like this, but we parents can face the same thing – it’s just more subtle when we see it. If we start worrying about social approval, we need to be wary – reputation is important, but not if it leads us to sin.
Sin may be presented as a reasonable, rational decision. Satan tempted Jesus to use His divine power to create bread for Himself; after all, He was hungry – what could be more reasonable? (Matthew 4:3) We might have the temptation to steal a little something from our employer “just to even the score” – “they’re a big company, they’ll never miss it” – or lie to a family member to avoid embarrassment – it will avoid hurt feelings. A “reasonable excuse” quickly becomes a rationalization. But sin is still sin, even if well intended; “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:1-2)
We can be tempted to grab for something now which God promises for later. The Bible tells us that “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15) When Satan offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory,” Jesus knew the devil was only offering what the Father had already promised; the devil’s price was for the Savior to sin. (Luke 4:5-7) God promises many blessings to us, but on His terms and His timetable. If we are tempted to take shortcuts and grasp for the gift before God gives it, we may jump straight into the tempter’s trap!
Jesus has experienced temptation just like we face, and He understands! “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Are you looking for resources to help you teach your teenage son to recognize and fight sexual temptation? Check out our book for guys, Love, Honor, and Virtue – it’s a great reference for parents and an encouragement for teens!
For more on the temptation of Christ, click here to listen to Hal’s message at our church …
January 1, 2024
Keeping a Journal – Why, and How!
One of the surprising discoveries of our family life has been the usefulness of keeping a journal or diary — at least one per family.
I tried keeping a diary when I was a kid, with limited success. My English teacher in high school introduced us to “journalling” for literary practice — an idea I didn’t really catch up with until blogging came around. Go looking for a “diary” in the store, and you’re likely to end up in the Lisa Frank section, full of rainbows and dewy-eyed unicorns, and not much to grab a boy’s heart.
But keeping a diary or journal has a long and honored history. One of our family’s treasures is a hand-written ledger kept by my great-great-great-grandfather to chronicle the goings-on at his South Carolina farm. It’s simple, not more than a line or two a day, but we read about the rhythms of planting, harvesting, plowing and ditching; about the seasonal floods and the Really Big One they had; about the texts of sermons and the days of sickness and celebrations with family.
the first Day of March 1851
Still Ditching in gum Swamp and halling cotton seed to Sumt. droping them 12 heeps to load 20 roas 25 steps plowing for corn in swamp all well
” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” “
2 to Day was the Sabbath and I went to hear the Rev. Mr. Tally preach and he gave a fine discours all well
” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” “
3 Still cleaning up gum Swamp and making the bridges about the ditches and the Dam or road finished the swamp Tapping for corn Still halling cotton seed in Sumter 3 waggons all well
It was mostly trivia then, but it’s priceless now … which hints that the journal we keep today may become a treasure to our grandchildren, too.
Several years ago I started two journals of my own. One was when I realized that most of my reading was newspapers and magazines; I decided I wanted to read something of spiritual value and something of professional value every month. I started a list of what I was reading, and it was a great help to improving my intellectual life!
The second was a practical matter — I had to keep track of daily activities so I could write weekly or monthly reports for my job. Like the reading list, it was a daily check for me — what had I done with my time for the day? Was it profitably spent, or was the time mislaid or wasted somehow? And it made sure nothing escaped mention when it was time for reports — or annual reviews.
Now, at the end of the year, my journal (which has morphed into more of a traditional diary) is the baseline for our family’s annual review. How have we spent our year? What has God done for us? What have we attempted for God? And what do we simply want to remember, both hard times and good times?
Maybe you already have a family historian. Maybe it’s time to find one! Or maybe everybody might put down a few thoughts once a day or once a week even, just to keep your memories fresh. Here are a few ideas:
Use whatever form works for you. I’ve kept my journal in a planning notebook and now, on my computer in an ever-longer Word file. Blank books are easy to find, too. Just remember you probably want to save this when you’re done, so you want something more permanent than legal pads. Library Thing — I learned about this website from a local pastor. It’s basically a cataloging program – you can index your whole library, or keep a record of books in a series you collect, or maintain a list of what you’ve been reading, like I do. The app is totally free and there’s no limit to how much you catalog. It’s linked to several other sites so it’s easy to find the title, edition, and even the cover image of the book you’re holding – and it will scan bar codes, too. Google Calendar — We began using this a couple of years ago when our different schedules — homeschooling activities, family businesses, church and employer and all — started running into each other. It’s a simple tool with some great features for planning ahead. BUT … you can use it as a time sheet or log, to record what you’ve done. And even if you use it the traditional, “what’s up next week?” way, you can look back at the end of the month and see what happened (or at least, what you planned to be doing!).The Reagan Diaries for inspiration — If you liked President Reagan, you’ll enjoy this thick volume, lightly edited by Douglas Brinkley. Even if you don’t like The Gipper, take a look at the book in the library or a bookstore (or Google Books even). For his eight years in the White House, Reagan managed to find time to write at least a few sentences every day; the only exception was while recovering from a bullet wound! This is both encouraging and convicting, Whenever I feel lazy about my journal, I ask myself if I’m really busier than the president — then I find time to write! (It’s also a good reminder that an effective journal doesn’t need to be a collection of page-long essays with moody photographs or hand-drawn illustrations — not if the grand design gets in the way of actually doing it.)Keeping a journal is a great way to capture a lot of life that you’ll forget by the end of the year. It will help you truly appreciate how God works in your life. You’ll be able to point your children to God’s faithfulness and protection day after day. And just by the way, when you get to December and your tax-figuring spouse looks up from a receipt and say, “What were we doing in Salisbury on June 17th?”, you’ll be able to tell – and that may have a very tangible value of its own, right now!
In Christ,
Hal
Our podcast talks about starting the new year with more Christ-centered focus – CLICK HERE to listen!
November 23, 2023
Welcome to our Retro Sale!
Although it is too late to ship for Christmas delivery, we are going to honor these holiday sales for a few more days! Plus, you could get them a Craftsman Crate subscription — complete with a card to download and print to announce your gift!
Here are some great deals on gifts you can feel great about giving, and best of all, they’ll be happy when they open those boxes! Check it out…
RETRO Sale – Our Training Swords and Knives are the lowest prices they’ve been since we introduced them in 2015! Yes, you read that right, prices lower than 2015! Don’t miss them!
Get $6 off EVERY individual past Craftsman Crate with the coupon code PASTCRATEDEAL – we’ve never done that before!
Or, save $23 on Craftsman Crate subscriptions of 3 months or longer with the coupon code HOLIDAYCRATE23 — that’s a deal!
With FREE SHIPPING on ALL Craftsman Crate!
Use the coupon code AudioDL50 for 50% off the downloadable versions and use the coupon code AudioCD20 for 20% off the CD versions of all the audiobooks we publish!
Here are more great deals!
ALL our amazing rubberband guns that shoot 12 rubberbands without reloading are 10-15% off! (And so are wooden swords!)
ALL of our incredibly durable training and practice swords and knives are 15-40% off! These are some SERIOUSLY great deals!
Our Character-Building Audiobook Library allows you to get all this literature, the books our adult sons say influenced them, at half price… You can teach history and give your kids something to aim for while you’re in the van!
Craftsman Crate, the subscription box that builds your skills, is exploding and your 10% off applies! We’ll even ship with it wrapped up this month so our cool box doesn’t give away the surprise!
We have absolutely LOVED our craftsman crate subscription! We have gotten a year’s worth of boxes and continue to be impressed. They are well thought out, easy to follow, and my son now has his own collection of real tools and art supplies. We highly recommend these. – Subscriber-posted Review
Past Craftsman Crates — We’ve just uploaded several brand new crates for individual purchase, but supplies are limited! These make fantastic Christmas gifts and they contain EVERYTHING they need, open and go! Keep them busy during the break!
Thank you for supporting our ministry! It really does make all the difference. If you’d rather just contribute instead of shop, you can head over here to do that (and we’ll love you for it, too!).
Your friends,
Hal & Melanie
Welcome to our Sale!
It’s been a rollercoaster lately around here. First, we find out our big cargo trailer we use to take our books and resources to conferences had been stolen out of the secure storage facility where we park it.
Then we found out there was security video.
Then we found out it was unusable.
It’s been frustrating. We lost not only the trailer, which has to be replaced before conference season, but a lot more, including new merchandise we’ve already had to replace! You know what, though? God is still good and Christmas is still coming! It’s time to turn our thoughts to SALE TIME!
Here are some great deals on gifts you can feel great about giving, and best of all, they’ll be happy when they open those boxes! Check it out…
This weekend only, get FREE SHIPPING and ADDITIONAL 10% off our great sale prices when you spend $100 or more with the coupon code THANKS2023 !
Or get an additional 10% off a smaller order with TENFORFRIENDS !
Here is what you can use it on:
ALL our amazing rubberband guns that shoot 12 rubberbands without reloading are 10-15% off! (And so are wooden swords!)
ALL of our incredibly durable training and practice swords and knives are 15-35% off! These are some SERIOUSLY great deals!
Our Character-Building Audiobook Library allows you to get all this literature, the books our adult sons say influenced them, at half price… You can teach history and give your kids something to aim for while you’re in the van!
Craftsman Crate, the subscription box that builds your skills, is exploding and your 10% off applies! We’ll even ship with it wrapped up this month so our cool box doesn’t give away the surprise!
We have absolutely LOVED our craftsman crate subscription! We have gotten a year’s worth of boxes and continue to be impressed. They are well thought out, easy to follow, and my son now has his own collection of real tools and art supplies. We highly recommend these. – Subscriber-posted Review
Past Craftsman Crates — We’ve just uploaded several brand new crates for individual purchase, but supplies are limited! These make fantastic Christmas gifts and they contain EVERYTHING they need, open and go! Keep them busy during the break!
Thank you for supporting our ministry! It really does make all the difference. If you’d rather just contribute instead of shop, you can head over here to do that (and we’ll love you for it, too!).
Your friends,
Hal & Melanie
February 14, 2023
My Son Cries All the Time!
So, when a boy starts crying, put your arm around him and comfort him. Love on his tender heart. But, when he’s not losing it, talk to him about self-control and give him practical ways to take control of his emotions:Praying and asking for helpTaking 3 deep breathsGoing for a walkExercisingReciting Bible versesTaking a showerSplashing cool water in your own faceThinking of 5 good things about a situation (even ridiculous ones!)Because, ultimately, a man will need one day to control his emotions to be able to handle being a husband and father and worker. Now, he’s got a long time before then, though!The passionate kids can become world changers when they learn to harness that passion in productive directions. They are hard to raise, but they can become awesome adults.Want more? Listen to our podcast, “Help! My Son Cries about Every Little Thing.”
Your friends,Hal & Melanie
February 21, 2022
Paper Making Help
Sometimes it’s hard to picture what we’re describing in the instructions, so here’s a little help!
Here’s how you dip the deckle and mold into the pulp slurry:
Swish the deckle and mold in the pulp slurry:
Lift the deckle and mold out of the pulp slurry, gently swishing it back and forth:
Let the water drain out of the deckle and mold:
Open the deckle and place a couching sheet over the new sheet:
Use a dry sponge to remove water from the new sheet while it is still in the mold – so you can remove it from the mold:
Once the new sheet is free from the mold, place a screen on top and continue to remove water with the dry sponge:
After you’ve used the press board to remove water and bond the fibers, then carefully remove the couch sheet and screen and allow the new sheet to dry:
Here are some of the first sheets of paper that we created when we were developing this crate. This one is still drying:
This was our first sheet, which we had a little trouble removing from the mold. This one is white with dried foliage added:
A later sheet came off the mold more easily. This sheet used purple construction paper for color and dried foliage for visual interest:
We would love to see the paper you create!
All images copyright 2022 by The Great Waters Company and may not be reproduced or stored in any fashion without express written permission.
