Unfortunately, every review I’ve read online for Eclipse was written by a woman, and when it comes to the The Twilight Saga, it somehow seems that women have completely lost their minds. I saw the movie on a Monday morning, almost a week after its unconventional early-in-the-week release. The theater was packed with women of all ages, some escorted by very patient significant others, and of course a few die hard movie fans like myself.
The women seemed to take no heed to the “don’t add your own soundtrack” warning after the previews. They giggled constantly, cheered when characters were shirtless, awed when they kissed, and the young lady sitting next to me interjected some cat-calling language that I’m sure would bring a lawsuit if directed to her from some construction workers. Surprise, surprise, there is a double standard.
A day before I saw this movie, I witnessed a heated Facebook “argument” over who was going to marry which character. It took a great deal of restraint to keep from jumping in the middle of it and posting a reminder that these people are not real.
Females are reacting to this movie like they are combining heroine and ecstasy, atomizing it, and pumping it though theater ventilation systems. Here is why. Every image and conversation is specifically designed to cater to an unachievable fantasy of what women perceive romance to be. It makes no sense to a logical male mind. For example: A coming threat is leering on the horizon. Conversations are frantic about “preparing” and “training” and “getting ready”. Cut to Edward and Bella lounging in the middle of an idyllic field of flowers having a casual conversation. This happened multiple times. Girls see it as romantic. Guys see it as the illogical nonsense it is.
The one bright spot in the film was support of marriage. Edward’s dedication to abstinence from sex before marriage is a positive. Even in the face of Bella’s constant bombardment pushing for sex, Edward stays constant to his moral commitment. His explanation, however, was a little weak, citing an old-fashioned “that’s how it was” reasoning. Bella ridicules him calling it an “ancient” standard and pushes for a “sex now” mentality. For those of us that work with youth, this sounds too familiar. It appears that Edward is winning this battle so far in the series, much to the chagrin of the fairer sex seated around me. Also, a conversation between Bella and Charlie about whether the institution of marriage has any value comes through with a positive but unlikely “yes” from Charlie, even though he is an unmarried divorcée. Hurray, Charlie!
My advice to women: Don’t get your hopes up. These people aren’t real. No one will treat you like that. Fantasy and reality clash. Men will protect you, but they have physical limitations with no super-human strength, impossible speed, or telepathy, and we can’t change ourselves into extra large wolves. We can’t read minds. Don’t expect it.
My advice to men: See this movie with your girl. She will hold you tight during it and be very affectionate afterwards. Go directly to a sporting goods store and buy a pair of boxing gloves and a 100lb bag – because she will ignore the last paragraph and you will eventually need a safe way to vent your frustration.
Pic of the Month
You know the economy is bad when people are growing their own hats
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sunday, August 23, 2009
My new friend
I have a new friend. I obsess over her. She’s the first thing I think about in the morning. She’s the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I constantly think of her good qualities. I crave communication with her. Everything fun I think about, I think “would she enjoy doing that with me?” She inspires me to be better in everything I do.
I felt like that about someone else once. When my relationship with Jesus was new, I obsessed over him. He was the first thing I thought about in the morning. He was the last thing I thought about before going to sleep. I constantly thought of His good qualities. I couldn’t get enough conversation with him. Everything fun I thought about, I thought “would he enjoy doing that with me?” He inspired me to be better in everything I did.
What happened? Did He change? Did He become less amazing? … less inspiring? … less fun? No, and it took a new interest to show me that.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Unique Situation?
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (NLT)
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.
When we are in a bad spot, it's not uncommon for us to think that our situation is unique. We feel that no one has ever been through anything this bad before, that we are being exclusively persecuted.
Solomon said that there is nothing new. I'm sure he wrestled with a flaky cell phone battery when he was on the side of the road with a flat, right? Probably not. But the notion of being stranded without communication was certainly not new. Even though every situation has not been exactly duplicated, the concepts are not new. Relationships, difficulty with taskmasters (bosses), a lack of resources when they are needed are all models on which there are millions of variations.
The Bible's ability to deal with these concepts makes it a timeless book. When you go through a tough situation, the Bible has a solution to the concept of the problem that can be extended to your specific situation. Search for it!
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.
When we are in a bad spot, it's not uncommon for us to think that our situation is unique. We feel that no one has ever been through anything this bad before, that we are being exclusively persecuted.
Solomon said that there is nothing new. I'm sure he wrestled with a flaky cell phone battery when he was on the side of the road with a flat, right? Probably not. But the notion of being stranded without communication was certainly not new. Even though every situation has not been exactly duplicated, the concepts are not new. Relationships, difficulty with taskmasters (bosses), a lack of resources when they are needed are all models on which there are millions of variations.
The Bible's ability to deal with these concepts makes it a timeless book. When you go through a tough situation, the Bible has a solution to the concept of the problem that can be extended to your specific situation. Search for it!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
What a Mess!
Rom 8:28-29 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Is your life a mess? Are things not lining up for you the way you planned? Everything is going wrong. Nothing is going right. Plans have fallen flat. In your life, chaos and destruction reign. The worst part is that no one seems to care.
Does this sound familiar? You aren’t the first to feel like this. What’s the solution? The answer can be found in a tapestry. A what? A tapestry. A tapestry is a heavy woven cloth with a rich design. Many are absolutely beautiful. They are like intricate paintings in vibrant varicolored thread. Some have delicate designs that are evidence of true artistry. Some are like portraits. Others have bold panoramic views depicting heroes defeating their foes. Their designs are as varied as the artisans who created them and the materials they used. As diverse as these magnificent works are, they all have one thing in common. From the back, they look like a mess.
That’s right. From the back a tapestry is a mangled chaotic muddle of thread. There are knots and frays and loose ends. The color combinations can be nauseating and seem to have absolutely no coordination. It looks unorganized, unplanned, and unappealing. From the back, a tapestry looks like a rainbow threw up in a cement mixer. If advertised from the back, no one would buy a tapestry.
But that’s not how tapestries are made to be viewed.
Your life is a work of art like a tapestry. Right now it may look like a terrible, unplanned, disorganized mess, but there is a plan. You’re life is being woven together with artistry by a master artisan. He sees your problems. He knows your concerns. Best of all, He cares for you and loves you deeply. He is making sure that every thread of your life is placed exactly right, so your life will be a magnificent work of art, unique and unmatched in value.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Is your life a mess? Are things not lining up for you the way you planned? Everything is going wrong. Nothing is going right. Plans have fallen flat. In your life, chaos and destruction reign. The worst part is that no one seems to care.
Does this sound familiar? You aren’t the first to feel like this. What’s the solution? The answer can be found in a tapestry. A what? A tapestry. A tapestry is a heavy woven cloth with a rich design. Many are absolutely beautiful. They are like intricate paintings in vibrant varicolored thread. Some have delicate designs that are evidence of true artistry. Some are like portraits. Others have bold panoramic views depicting heroes defeating their foes. Their designs are as varied as the artisans who created them and the materials they used. As diverse as these magnificent works are, they all have one thing in common. From the back, they look like a mess.
That’s right. From the back a tapestry is a mangled chaotic muddle of thread. There are knots and frays and loose ends. The color combinations can be nauseating and seem to have absolutely no coordination. It looks unorganized, unplanned, and unappealing. From the back, a tapestry looks like a rainbow threw up in a cement mixer. If advertised from the back, no one would buy a tapestry.
But that’s not how tapestries are made to be viewed.
Your life is a work of art like a tapestry. Right now it may look like a terrible, unplanned, disorganized mess, but there is a plan. You’re life is being woven together with artistry by a master artisan. He sees your problems. He knows your concerns. Best of all, He cares for you and loves you deeply. He is making sure that every thread of your life is placed exactly right, so your life will be a magnificent work of art, unique and unmatched in value.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Murphy's Law
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Sometimes life stinks. Things don’t go our way. Murphy ’s Law engages and it seems that anything that can go wrong does. Why does God allow such things? If He is such a benevolent God, why does anything have to go wrong?
First, let’s get some perspective. We must admit that in order for things to make a turn for the worst, things must not have been as bad before the turn. In order to get the perspective that something is “going wrong” it must have been “going right” for a while. What do you know? Things haven’t always been bad.
Second, let’s look at a caterpillar. It lives its life in relative comfort munching on leaves and other caterpillar delicacies, then one day spins a cocoon and takes a super-long cat(erpillar)-nap. Then one day it awakes. It feels trapped and needs out. It feels abandoned by God. It struggles and struggles. It goes through the worst situation it has ever faced in its entire life. Then it finally breaks free – as a beautiful butterfly. It is no longer confined to munching on the plant it was munching on before, but now has freedom to go anywhere. It has the power of flight. It is much more beautiful. In short, its life is vastly improved.
Do you know what happens if someone helps the butterfly by cutting it out of the cocoon – even at the right time, when it is breaking free? It dies. The struggle is an essential part of the process. It is required for the butterfly to have the ability to survive as a butterfly.
Your life is the same. Look back on some of the hard times in your life. Now look at character values those situations gave you: patience, strength, endurance, etc. The hard times in life are the times we grow the most. Although you may not know the purpose, God has a plan behind it. Trust Him.
When life sucks raw eggs and everything seems down, remember these three things: 1) It hasn’t always been bad, 2) hard times produce the most growth and are necessary to build you into the person you need to be and 3) God is working out a plan for you that gives you hope and a future.
Monday, July 27, 2009
God forgets; People don't
Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the Lord.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
God's forgiveness is complete. He not only forgives us for the wrong we've done, but He chooses to not even remember them. In His eyes, you are perfectly clean, just like His son.
Our memories, however, stay in tact when we've been hurt. Even if forgiveness has been given you still remember the offense. This is by design.
Since God is omnipotent (all powerful), we really have no power to bring any harm to Him. We can disappoint Him and grieve Him, but we can't hurt him. However, humans do a great job of hurting each other. Even after you forgive someone, they can hurt you again and again. For this reason, God allows us to remember the offense. We have been given this gift so that we don't continually put ourselves in compromising situations that will allow us to repeatedly get hurt from the same injuries. In short, this is a gift of learning.
By learning from our mistakes and knowing who we can trust, it minimizes the chance that we will allow the same person to hurt us in the same way again. Unfortunately, there is a down side to this remembering. It also makes trust a commodity that is difficult to regain. If you are hurt, you are more likely to be cautious to guard yourself from being hurt again. Forgiveness is irrelevant at this point. Self-preservation requires that some trust be withdrawn and reliability be proven before it is restored.
When someone doesn't trust you because of something you've done in the past, remember that you need to show yourself reliable and trustworthy in order to regain their faith in you. New memories must be built to override the old memories. Trust must be built...slowly...and steadily...with care to be trustworthy in the smallest of details.
I hope this encourages you.
I love you for free!
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the Lord.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
God's forgiveness is complete. He not only forgives us for the wrong we've done, but He chooses to not even remember them. In His eyes, you are perfectly clean, just like His son.
Our memories, however, stay in tact when we've been hurt. Even if forgiveness has been given you still remember the offense. This is by design.
Since God is omnipotent (all powerful), we really have no power to bring any harm to Him. We can disappoint Him and grieve Him, but we can't hurt him. However, humans do a great job of hurting each other. Even after you forgive someone, they can hurt you again and again. For this reason, God allows us to remember the offense. We have been given this gift so that we don't continually put ourselves in compromising situations that will allow us to repeatedly get hurt from the same injuries. In short, this is a gift of learning.
By learning from our mistakes and knowing who we can trust, it minimizes the chance that we will allow the same person to hurt us in the same way again. Unfortunately, there is a down side to this remembering. It also makes trust a commodity that is difficult to regain. If you are hurt, you are more likely to be cautious to guard yourself from being hurt again. Forgiveness is irrelevant at this point. Self-preservation requires that some trust be withdrawn and reliability be proven before it is restored.
When someone doesn't trust you because of something you've done in the past, remember that you need to show yourself reliable and trustworthy in order to regain their faith in you. New memories must be built to override the old memories. Trust must be built...slowly...and steadily...with care to be trustworthy in the smallest of details.
I hope this encourages you.
I love you for free!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sold Out
Rom 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
What does God want? If He already has everything what does He want? He wants you.
In order for Him to have you voluntarily, He first had to save you from destruction. He did this by Jesus’ sacrifice. If that hasn’t happened yet, that is the first step. Here's a quick breakdown: Like everyone else, you've screwed up. (Romans 3:23) The penalty for being imperfect is permanent separation from God - the source of life and everything good. Separation from life is death, so we're talking about a permanent, spiritual death. (Romans 6:23) God loved you enough that He sent His son, Jesus to die in your place and take that penalty. (Romans 5:8) He offers this substitution as a completely free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Secondly, He wants you to voluntarily sacrifice yourself. There’s that word again – sacrifice. Jesus set the example. You follow. He wants you – all of you - all your hopes, all your dreams, all your focus, energy, strength, thoughts, intentions. Romans 12:1 says to offer yourself – your entire being – as a living sacrifice. Often we hold something back. It’s time to sell out. You need to have nothing left. You need to go all in. You need to give Him a blank check. You need to give Him all of it. Use whatever analogy you want. You need to give it all. Even giving Him everything, you can’t outgive what He’s given you.
That sounds risky doesn’t it? Romans 8:32-33 says that He has our best interest in mind. He doesn’t treat you as a throw-away. He holds you as valuable. He treasures you. You can trust Him. He’s already sacrificed his Son. He doesn’t want that to be a waste.
Rom 8:32-33 (NIV)
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
According to Barna polls only 1 in 10 Christians live a fulfilled life. That’s because 90% stop after receiving salvation. They’ve never offered themselves. They made God savior, but never made Him Lord. They never put Him in charge. Until that happens, fulfillment is automatically limited. They try to follow Christ, but hold on to something else. Living with two masters can’t please either and makes the servant miserable. You will serve someone. Choosing a single, benevolent master with your best interest at heart just makes sense. Some translations say that this is your “reasonable” act of service.
Sell Out!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
What does God want? If He already has everything what does He want? He wants you.
In order for Him to have you voluntarily, He first had to save you from destruction. He did this by Jesus’ sacrifice. If that hasn’t happened yet, that is the first step. Here's a quick breakdown: Like everyone else, you've screwed up. (Romans 3:23) The penalty for being imperfect is permanent separation from God - the source of life and everything good. Separation from life is death, so we're talking about a permanent, spiritual death. (Romans 6:23) God loved you enough that He sent His son, Jesus to die in your place and take that penalty. (Romans 5:8) He offers this substitution as a completely free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Secondly, He wants you to voluntarily sacrifice yourself. There’s that word again – sacrifice. Jesus set the example. You follow. He wants you – all of you - all your hopes, all your dreams, all your focus, energy, strength, thoughts, intentions. Romans 12:1 says to offer yourself – your entire being – as a living sacrifice. Often we hold something back. It’s time to sell out. You need to have nothing left. You need to go all in. You need to give Him a blank check. You need to give Him all of it. Use whatever analogy you want. You need to give it all. Even giving Him everything, you can’t outgive what He’s given you.
That sounds risky doesn’t it? Romans 8:32-33 says that He has our best interest in mind. He doesn’t treat you as a throw-away. He holds you as valuable. He treasures you. You can trust Him. He’s already sacrificed his Son. He doesn’t want that to be a waste.
Rom 8:32-33 (NIV)
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
According to Barna polls only 1 in 10 Christians live a fulfilled life. That’s because 90% stop after receiving salvation. They’ve never offered themselves. They made God savior, but never made Him Lord. They never put Him in charge. Until that happens, fulfillment is automatically limited. They try to follow Christ, but hold on to something else. Living with two masters can’t please either and makes the servant miserable. You will serve someone. Choosing a single, benevolent master with your best interest at heart just makes sense. Some translations say that this is your “reasonable” act of service.
Sell Out!
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