7th Heaven (1996-2006)

Last yr. during my sabbatical, I found 7th Heaven while randomly searching for something to watch. The re-runs are showing on Ch. 52 from 6-8PM, Mon. to Fri and before it was cancelled this spring, it was showing on Ch. 13 from 8-10PM. It's about the life of "the Camdens, a Christian family living in California, face the challenges of trying to live a moral life in a confusing world." I've been watching it for 10 months and I'm still watching it (right after my sabbatical, I had to record it but now I only watch it while I telecommute). There's so much to learn from this show. It's not like other shows (90210 or Melrose Place) that the Spelling Company made where after couple of yrs. the ppl started sleeping around with all their friends or neighbors and someone getting crazy and trying to kill someone. It's also not like what you might think where everything is modeled to look so perfect. It's more of a real life show where you can see the struggles each of the family members go thru. Some of the things you can relate to and others you can learn from.

To name a few episodes that hit me:

• Matt, the oldest son, marrying a Jewish girl (inter-religion marriage). The show showed the struggles betw. the two families, Protestant and Jewish. It showed the process how they resolve their differences. And you learn what's the difference betw. the two religions, aside from one believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the other doesn't.
• Simon, the 2nd son, is a smart kid w/good grades. One day while driving his family home, he killed a little boy riding on a bike. The show showed the struggle (guilt and pain) he and the ppl around him has to go thru. Even tho it was an accident, but it was a life changing experience for a high school Junior. Even tho he's a Pastor's kid, it doesn't make what he did any easier to get thru.
• Ruthie, the youngest daughter, rebels from her parents after turning into a teenager just like anyone of us did. Her problems and identity searching are something that each of us went thru and can relate to.
• Mary, the oldest daughter or ppl know her by Jessica Biel), is a smart girl w/good grades and a basketball scholarship but one day decided to do something crazy w/her teammates (trashed their school gym as a joke). After that, everyone at school turned on them and she lost her scholarship. Suddenly, her life is no longer so perfect and she loss sense of direction w/her life. The show shows how she goes thru ups and downs to find a sense of her life.
• The Camdens opened their home to several different guests, including a homeless and ex. boy of Mary (also in real life to Jessica Biel), Robbie, and a kid who's dad left him w/the Aunt while fighting in Iraq, Martin. They were treated like one of their own kids and soon became part of the family.

During the 10 yrs. of the show, you get to grow up with each of them and see how they go thru life just like you and I. The struggles and life decisions are just as real as each of us, Christians* or non-Christians. The key is that they have God as the center of their life and family. Being a Christian doesn't mean our life will be any easier or we're better person. It means that we have someone to guide us thru life and can go to 24x7 with all our ups and downs, and when we're too weak to fight back from temptations. You might not like this show as much as me, but it really helped me thru a lot of major ups and downs last and this yr. in my personal life.

Throw in couple bonues: Ashlee Simpson, Haylie Duff, Bo Derek

* Note: Some of my Catholic friends believe that Christians are referred to Protestant believers but it's really not. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Christianity emerged in the first century C.E. as a movement among Jews (and their Gentile associates and converts) who believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah; the very name of 'Christian' refers to the Greek word for 'Messiah' (χριστος Khristos).