Spend your snow days buried under a blanket re-watching your favorite movies? Don't know how to justify the waste of homework time? Never fear, embedded in the following five classic movies are some great truths about life you can't learn from a textbook... You just have to look for them.

1. "The Princess Bride"

It's a bit depressing, but it's true. You already know the "for everything you gain you lose something" principle: a college degree means homework, a dog means walks outside in the snow at all hours, owning a car means buying gas. But these are just normal inconveniences. In our fallen world death, sickness, and other tragedies happen. True, good can come out of pain and loss means we were blessed enough to have something to lose, but that doesn't stop the pain. If we live long enough, we will experience pain. Expect it and know you aren't alone when it comes. Don't buy into the lie that a life pleasing to God is devoid of pain or hardship because the opposite is true. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" -2 Timothy 3:12. Often, those who desire to live godly the most suffer the most.

2. "Star Wars: Episode V"

There are, or will be, those who do not realize that what you're busy doing is in their best interest: like saving everyone from certain destruction, for example. All they are focused on at the moment is the fact that they're hurt and you don't seem to be concerned with fixing them. Likely they don't have all the information you do. Maybe they haven't realized there's a bigger problem yet. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but don't neglect compassion for these people. After all, they're hurting; arrogantly deciding you have more important things to do than helping them undermines your other actions. On the other hand, when you find yourself "standing here in pieces" while others seem to be "having delusions of grandeur," take a moment to consider the fact there might be more pressing issues at hand.

3. "Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1"

What is right and what is easy is rarely the same thing. Having personal integrity and standing up for what is right are two of the hardest things to do. The choice between right and easy must be made continuously, in a million different situations, and in each one we must be brave enough and strong enough to choose the right thing, no matter how hard it is.

4. "Captain America: The First Avenger"

There are times when I ask myself what makes me so special, why should I even try to achieve a particular goal? Most of the time, the answer is nothing makes me particularly special. There are many people much smarter, more talented, and better looking than I am. The difference comes in trying. Many times we defeat ourselves when we don't try. What made Captain America special? His character. But before his character could stand out, he had to be persistent in trying to join the army. Then, he had to agree to be in the running for the special program. He didn't just say "They don't want me," sit at home all day, and have the government knock on his door and offer to turn him into a super-soldier. In the end, what made Steve Rodgers special was the fact that he tried.

5. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

We cannot control the times we were born into, our family, or where we were born. We also cannot change the decisions of world leaders that have lead us to our present state, or the battles between right and wrong we find on our hands. But we can, and must, decide what we do with the time, strength, and resources given to us. Even if we do not use them, it is a choice. We cannot make the decision for others of what they should do with their time, but we must make it for ourselves. It's that simple and that hard, but it's the decision our lives ultimately hinge on.

Now that you are thinking about some of the lessons taught in our generation's favorite movies, perhaps you now have justification for your movie marathon this past weekend. If nothing else, hopefully you're thinking about the lessons you've found encouraging, challenging, or motivating in your life--motivating enough to start your homework at least, since our snow days are ending.