#this damn demon has legitimately stolen my heart

[pumpkin-patch-cat]

Hexxa would just immediately reply with "I'm yours."

Period. No strings attached.

😩

[hamliet]

Disney Princesses as Strong Women: Moana’s Maturity

That one Disney princess movie with no romance at all that is also a damn good movie (sorry, Brave).

As per my requisite disclaimer, there is absolutely room for legitimate criticism of Moana, and this is not going to invalidate any valid criticism of the film or of Moana herself, but rather offer a different perspective on her film and specifically on Moana as a character.

As a film, Moana looks incredible, has really cool themes, adheres quite strongly to classical epic conventions, and it’s hard not to see the climate change portrayed in the film (”the darkness”) as a metaphor for climate change in our current day society. But what knits the entire film together is a strong emphasis on empathy, on a mature understanding of what causes people to do the things they do, and consequently no one is truly evil besides the shiny crab who’s basically Satan anyways so. 

The film sets up Moana and Maui as foils from the very beginning. It’s noted that the heart of Te Fiti gives Te Fiti the powers to create life and share it with the world. However, Maui steals the heart and is completely unaware of the impact of his own actions. Moana’s introduction is her as a baby helping a turtle get back to the water, and after this, the ocean chooses her. It’s a nice twist on the “chosen one” trope--Moana’s own choices are the reason she’s chosen- and it plays into the themes of our own actions having consequences far beyond what we can see. The Butterfly effect, if you will.  

When Moana finally finds Maui and insists he board her boat to return the heart of Te Fiti, he refuses to listen to her, and assumes she wants an autograph, talking over her and refusing to empathize. When the ocean helps Moana confront Maui on her boat anyways, she realizes quite quickly that he’s actually afraid of the heart of Te Fiti. She teases him, but this is also a way of showing that Moana is able to put herself in people’s shoes and understand where they’re coming from. They fight off the pirate coconuts (who are totally not representatives of society who eventually lead to their own downfall with their greed and stupidity), and Moana realizes another way to appeal to Maui: his desire to be a hero. 

She then journeys to the underworld/realm of monsters with Maui and helps him get his hook back, and confronts the crab/Satan-creature who also is a foil to Maui in that both of them are thieves... but Maui is not as cruel or as unable to live with humanity as is the crab.

It would be easy to write Maui off as a selfish, greedy person with a giant ego, but the story doesn’t let let us do that. Moana is truly interested in a story in showing that Maui’s ego is a sign of great insecurity and pain. Maui offers a bitter comment that the ocean has never helped him get his hook back, “but sure, it’s not wrong about you; you're the chosen one.” Instead of labeling this as pure bitterness, the story decides to explore why he would feel abandoned and doesn’t write him off as a bad person vs. a good person in Moana. 

When he’s bitter and demands “What, you gonna give me a speech tell me I can beat Te Ka because I'm Maui?” she responds by revealing her own pain: “I don’t know what I'm doing, but my island is dying... I want to help [you] but I can't if you won't let me!” And that’s the point: it’s up to Maui to make the choice to open up, or to clam up in his own ego. 

Maui tells his backstory of being cast away by his parents, who threw him away into the sea, and then he was found by the gods. As Moana realizes, Maui didn’t steal the heart of Te Fiti for greedy lulz, but “you took the heart for the [gods]. You did everything for them so they'd love you.” And as Maui states "it was never enough.” 

The story doesn’t tell Maui to just get over himself either; it allows him his pain, which is quite a mature perspective for a children's movie especially. Moana tells him that “the ocean found you worthy of being saved... but the gods aren’t the ones who make you Maui; you are.” Again, it’s the emphasis on choices determining destiny. 

But they fail, his hook is damaged, and Maui says something cruel to Moana: "without my hook I am nothing,” and he continues to tell her "I'm not killing myself so you can prove you're something you're not." He leaves, because pain doesn’t heal overnight, and the film doesn’t portray him as a coward even while it frames his actions as wrong--we understand they come from pain. But he does return when he is needed. 

There’s also a sharp contrast between Maui’s past and Moana’s: for all of Moana’s favor by the ocean, she also has a pretty good relationship with her parents, though it’s realistically not perfect. Again, Moana as a film doesn’t dive into “good parent/bad parent” and shows us how even the best parents are very very human. 

Moana’s father ignores the growing darkness even when it’s starting to impact their fishing and coconut harvesting (again tying into the film’s message that you can’t ignore things, because actions have far reaching consequences, and isolation isn’t going to protect you cough cough climate change). He believes that "as long as we stay in our very safe island, we'll be fine.” But this comes from a place of pain as well, not ignorance nor inexplicable bitterness. As Moana’s mother tells her, “he was you.” He wanted to leave the island, but his brother died when they went beyond the reef. 

However, her father also has to learn that his experience is not Moana’s, and she is not him. And Moana concludes, “I don’t know how to make it past the reef, but I know who does!” Even though her father isn’t willing to help her in the end, her mother and grandmother give her their blessing, and her father understands he has to let her go. Empathy. 

So basically, empathy plays a major role in healing Moana’s conflicts with Maui and with her father, and of course play a role in defeating the enemy--and a role in her relationship with the ocean and her grandmother as well. When Maui leaves, her grandmother’s spirit appears and tells her she can choose to go home if she wants.

But Moana realizes she doesn’t want to. It’s her choice. And she swims down to rescue the heart of Te Fiti once more, and notably there’s no sign of the ocean helping her get the heart this time; it’s all her. 

The film sets it up so that you think, as Moana and Maui do, that they have to defeat or at the very least, get past, the lava demon Te Ka. Except that turns out not to be the case. 

Moana realizes Te Ka is Te Fiti. After having her heart ripped away, she has suffered enough to be transformed into some kind of raging monster--but she is not a monster. 

Moana offers the heart back to Te Ka, singing “they have stolen the heart from inside you/but this does not define you/this is not who you are/you know who you are.” Which is a message that’s powerful for villains everywhere.

It’s up to Te Ka to remember that she is Te Fiti. And she does. 

Empathy is key. Moana is a great film with a powerful message; the end. 

It’s also a classical epic and I really wanted to talk about that briefly because that’s literally the first lesson I ever taught as a teacher (well, epics, Moana didn’t exist yet) so I’m sorry but I’m tacking this on. 

Moana is a chief’s daughter, so she meets the important lineage requirement. The setting is vast and a journey; they do visit the underworld aka the realm of monsters/shiny crab. There’s superhuman courage, there’s supernatural intervention (thanks ocean), there’s a muse, and it even repeats stock phrases (”I am Moana of Motinui. You will board my boat...)

It’s a great movie.

Anyways, this concludes my series on Disney Princesses! Until Frozen 2, that is. Which yes I will analyze. But I might analyze other Disney heroines too, like Nala from The Lion King and Jane from Tarzan. I just might take a slight breather first. 

Snow White’s Self-Esteem

Cinderella’s Courage and Compassion

Aurora’s Autonomy

Ariel’s Adventurous Spirit

Belle’s Bravery (and Boundaries)

Jasmine’s Justice

Pocahontas’s Power the Choose Her Path

Esmeralda’s Empathy

Meg’s Mistakes

Mulan’s Masks

Tiana’s Tenacity

Rapunzel’s Radiance

Anna’s Allegiance and Elsa’s Empowerment

[truthandlove]

Who WINS in the End?

The Earth is the Lord's (Creator God who makes Covenants with men of faith: Yahweh Elohim) and ALL the fullness thereof. Ambitious men, full of pride, are deceived by satan that they can OWN and RULE over a chunk of Earth and amass money to get power and status in their invented hierarchies. They do awful things and hurt others in their ambition to secure hold onto power - their FAKE, temporary power from Satan, and not the true power from Creator God.

Silly rulers, your short lives are soon over, though you are trying to hijack death too, and live forever via the dark technology of the fallen Watchers. You cannot OWN what God made unless God gives it to you. And it is NOT the silly kings of this earth, and their coming and goings that matter.

Jesus tells us that the MEEK shall inherit this Earth. Meekness is keeping your power under CONTROL, so that the only expression of power is a loving and life-enhancing expression. All power and dominion is rightfully handed to Jesus the Christ by Father God, and he shares this inheritance with His family - His brothers and sisters of loving faith in Father God.

The Lamb on the Throne trumps the "beasts" of the Earth, those rebellious nations, thrashing about in ignorance and wallowing in the dark wisdom from below. Christ shall judge and rule in Righteousness, decisively overpowering them with His ROD OF IRON.

Those who try to LAY CLAIM to rule, are only legitimate IF the Creator authorizes it. Thus a bunch of demons and evil, greedy humans all AGREEING that THEY own and rule, is utterly illegitimate!!!

Thus understand that it is through your SONSHIP / DAUGHTERSHIP of the Most High God, that you SURPASS and OVERCOME their babylonian false structures. You come OUT of Babylon and INTO the Kingdom of God. Thus you trump their fake systems and structures of evil rulership, through FAMILY BLOODLINE CONNECTION via the Blood of Jesus IN you by faith. You rule; not them. Take your power, your authority, your POSITION in the Kingdom of God - and EXTEND that Kingdom to everything around you - FROM Heaven TO Earth - through YOU - through God's SONS and DAUGHTERS. You have the right and the power for FATHER ANCIENT OF DAYS promised a perpetual and indestructible "throne of David" on the Earth - the man who shared God's heart of Love, Joy, Connection, his heart of worship. And so it is that BY FAITH IN MESSIAH YOU OVERCOME THE DARK SYSTEMS OF THE BABYLONIAN WORLD.

The would-be rulers of babylonian-styled hierarchies of secret deceptive knowledge/power/control try to HIJACK the rightful authority form God. How ridiculous? They deceive only themselves and God scorns them! (Psalm 2)

1 John 3:9 "Whoever is BORN OF GOD does not commit sin; for his seed (sonship) remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not OF this world" (John 18:36 of this physical realm) because it is not OF satan and babylon. Jesus' Kingdom is OVER this world, not OF it. His is the Kingdom from ABOVE. ("I AM from Above." John 8:23) It is OVER the world. The King of Kings, bestows and extends Kingdom Authority to sons and daughters of faith - making them priests and kings of the Most High God (El Elyon). The emperors of this world do not have what a child of God has -- Eternal LIFE and an eternal glorious inheritance in God's glorious family of love.

1 John 5:1-15 (Complete Jewish Bible translation) Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah has God as his father, and everyone who loves the Father loves his offspring too (fellow believers who are fellow sons of God).

Here is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God, we also do what he commands. For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome, (God's instructions lead to freedom at every level) because everything which has God as its Father OVERCOMES the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust/faith. Who does overcome the world? The person who believes that Yeshua is the Son of God!

He is the one who came by means of water and blood, Yeshua the Messiah — not with water only, but with the water AND the blood. And the Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is The Truth. There are three witnesses — the Spirit, the water and the blood — and these three are in agreement. If we accept human witness, God’s witness is STRONGER (it overrules), because it is the witness which God has given about his Son.

Those who keep trusting (faith is ongoing, active and alive in responsiveness) in the Son of God have this witness in them. Those who do not keep trusting God have made him out to be a liar, because they have not trusted in the witness which God has given about his Son. And this is the witness/testimony: God has given us Eternal Life, and this life is IN His Son.

Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life.

I have written you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life — you who keep trusting in the person and power of the Son of God.

This is the confidence we have in hHs presence: if we ask anything that accords with His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — then we know that we have what we have asked from Him. (access to divine power -- beyond fathoming by the rulers of this world system) ~~~~ So do you understand saints? We RULE OVER every so-called president and king and queen that only PRETEND to have authority and power inside a babylonian hierarchical structure. Silly creatures, they try so hard to STAMP their likeness on buildings, monuments, on money and so forth! Trying to lay claim to what God made?!?!?! The resources of this planet?!?! Don't Horde the resrouces God made! Instead, GIVE THEM AWAY FREELY to the benefit of all.

Come OUT of that fake system of darkness and oppression!!!!! Get out of Babylon. Our authority comes from CHRIST - the Messiah who came from above, (John 8:23) to lift us back to the original authority OVER creation He intended Adam to exercise! We have access to true DOMINION. We Rule OVER (overcome) THROUGH JESUS who won the victory, our destiny stolen, now won BACK through the LIFEBLOOD of Jesus, elevating us above the angels (including and especially over and above the fallen angels and above lucifer) to RULERSHIP == a rulership not like these fake leaders; a rulership based in and on the THRONE OF GOD HIMSELF. A connection based on being in God's FAMILY as forever adopted and chosen!!! A throne built on JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Isaiah 33:5, Psalm 89:14)

Let every criminal QUAKE in the presence of the very least in the Kingdom of God! A janitor in heaven is OVER all the ungodly earthly emperors that ever were! So it is and shall be manifest, hallelujah Amen in Jesus' Name.

We are the Kings and Lords over the earth - not to gloat and be selfish, but to SERVE EACH OTHER IN LOVE and to STEWARD THE CREATION back into wholeness, beauty, and glory. (this restoration of all things is called "Tikkun" in Judaism) We do this because we REFLECT the heart of Father God, having His very own Begotten Son's blood IN us, UNITING us in heart, in vision, in purpose in an eternal Kingdom of Divine Love and Grace. We are ONE WITH GOD -- and all because of what Christ Jesus did FOR us and AS us in the whole message of the Gospel. Brothers, we shall JUDGE these fallen angels who have deceived the nations! these serpents who tricked Adam/Eve into giving up their intended birthright! Let those serpents be damned and forever accursed; but let the righteous rejoice in our Salvation - our Messiah!

We don't live and rule to merely indulge ourselves and lord it over others as the heathen do. (Galatians 5:13) We rule to extend goodness into this realm materially. We rule to reflect God's heart. We rule to demonstrate inside time and space with love looks like! We rule to extend redemption, justice, glory. We rule to eradicate every hint of evil, bring all creation into full submission to the Ancient of Days that FILLS the cosmos with light and love supreme, even as wise rulership emanates from His Throne. Let the wicked tremble and melt into nothingness! True rulership is INDISTINGUISHABLE from loving service, for it seeks to BUILD UP and let God's purposes blossom and manifest in beautiful fullness!

Thus we are NO MORE VICTIMS, but OVERCOMERS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. Thus we EMBRACE wholeheartedly God's loving authority (1) filling us and overflowing us (2) extending out through us to every person and thing around us, (3) expanding God's Kingdom taking territory in this material realm BACK for God's Kingdom - the structures in which everyone is loved, everyone is restored, everyone is blessed, everyone is rich, everyone has lavish abundance, everyone is honored and understood and welcomed - the place where every heart of faith that responds to God, where they BELONG and flourish. Satan the deceiver and liar has tried desperately to get us to FORGET who we actually are and what our destiny truly is! God has an overarching PLAN in creating humanity! God's agenda wins! God is sovereign! WE overcome because Jesus overcame and won the Keys of Sin/Death/Hell. Jesus SHARES HIS VICTORY with us; He is our savior, king, hero! The Bible tells this story again and again!

Let the reader understand in the light of Psalm 89: 1 I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. 2 For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” 3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, 4 I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.” 5 The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, 7 A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? 8 O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. 10 You Yourself crushed Rahab (the sea monster) like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and ALL IT CONTAINS, You have founded them. 12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name. 13 You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You. 15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. 1 6In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. 17 For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted. 18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel. 19Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20“I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, 21With whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. 22“The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23“But I shall crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him. 24“My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn (kingdom authority) will be exalted. 25“I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers. 26“He will cry to Me, ‘You are my FATHER, My God, and the ROCK OF MY SALVATION.’ 27 “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. 28 “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. 29 “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven. 30“If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, 31 If they violate My statutes And do not keep My commandments, 32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod And their iniquity with stripes. 33 “But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. 34 “My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. 35 “Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 “His descendants shall endure FOREVER And his THRONE as the sun before Me. 37 “It shall be established FOREVER like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.”

We overcome and rule; we who are in and of the Lamb on the Throne - 10/25/2017