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Time After Time...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about time. It passes so fast, sometimes without us…We look to the right, then the left and realize that another minute has gone by, another day has gone by, another year has gone; another moment has passed right in front of us, without even a blink…

I’ve had to learn in recent months to stop, take a breath, look around me and stand in wonder of the blessings in my life; my husband of almost eight years, who makes me happy in so many ways…my three sisters, which bring joy and laughter like no one else…my ‘married-into’ family, who I couldn’t ask for a better family to become a part of…and my best friends…you know who you are…which I wouldn’t be the same without you…

We run so fast, move so fast that we forget to stop and take a breather…stop and gaze upon a vast blue sky, or stare at ominous clouds that beckon our attention…

So, for me, I’d like to say that I am going to take more time and enjoy those blessings…those things that ‘time’ sometimes, strips away from us…

LIFE is like a box of chocolates...

Maybe LIFE is like a box of chocolates! You really never know what you’re going to get…

I think though…that’s the beauty of LIFE…that’s the beauty of another day!

Just a thought for the day...

Meant for Greatness?

Are we all meant for greatness? If you think about infamous people from the Bible: Moses, Noah; they were destined to do what they did. They didn’t ask for it, but they were chosen and they said ‘yes’ to what God had for them.

I’m a big film watcher. I get a LOT out of watching what directors and actors put on the Big Screen. Much like music, I believe there is a message...whatever that message may be, good or bad.

I recently watched an AWESOME film called Amazing Grace. It is about William Wilberforce, (24 August 1759–29 July 1833) the man who ended the British Free Slave Trade. He stood by this cause for the majority of his life, through his younger years, and finally, saw it abolished after 20 years of fighting for it. He never un-wavered, never gave in, and most importantly, never gave up.

God found him, chose him, and he answered. Just like Moses and Noah, he chose to walk in the destiny that God had laid out for him.

After watching this film, it got me thinking…are we ALL destined for greatness? Perhaps it’s not on the scale of William Wilberforce, but what if it was? What if God had the same idea for each of us? I think in our culture today, it seems so unfeasible to make a difference…just ONE person? But really...why not? We all are here for SOME reason...so why not let that reason be to CHANGE the world?

Lessons from the 80's...

Have you ever seen The Breakfast Club? It follows five teens during a day of detention. They each come into the day not understanding each other, but by the end of it, learn that they really are alike in many of the ways they believed they were different.

“Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us, as you want to see us...In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal...Does that answer your question?”

Hmmm...what if we all saw ourselves as the very thing we think we're not? Then perhaps, just maybe, we might be able to walk in someone else's shoes...the shoes that maybe we never thought we'd wear???

The Golden Controversy?

So perhaps you’ve heard of the new film, ‘The Golden Compass’; it’s based on the novel written by Philip Pullman. Some scholars and religious leaders alike indicate this film promotes an anti-religion agenda.

I’ve only done a little reading about the film and the controversy it’s causing. Therefore, I’m not one to judge what it represents or what it does NOT represent. I suppose we all have to make a judgment of our own.

An article I recently read, from CNN.com, provides some insight about the film, the author of the controversial book, and some of the contentious content from the film adaptation.

CLICK HERE to read the FULL article.

Some of the basic points of the article include the fact that some religious organizations are unhappy with "The Golden Compass" because of its apparent ‘message’. The article also reveals more about the author, who is accused of "anti-God beliefs". The piece also takes account of other organizations that are supportive of the film, including one Catholic group.

Another interesting article about the film, from the Chicago Sun Times gives some insight on one of the film’s stars, Nicole Kidman, but also discloses more information about the debate surrounding the release of the film.

In a recent interview with the Sun-Times, Philip Pullman, the author of The Golden Compass, responded to criticisms, stating: "I don't think that these people who criticize me, who accuse me of being evil, have actually read the books. An honest reading of the novels would have to accept that the values they celebrate are love, kindness, compassion, tolerance and open-mindedness; the values criticized are cruelty, cold-heartedness, intolerance and so on. I think the morality of the books is absolutely secure."

CLICK HERE to read the FULL article.

So, the question is, is this film, is this book really promoting atheism among children? Again, I’ve never read the books nor have I viewed the film, but I do think there is a statement being made by both. A statement of good and evil…personally, I believe this film promotes beliefs and sentiments, that for me, personally, I do NOT believe in. However, in recent readings, I understand Pullman’s take on ‘religion’. Many do things in the name of ‘religion’, whatever ‘religion’ that may be, that are good and bad. They kill, they harm, they steal; and for what? These are very questions that ANY person, whether they are ‘religious’ or not, ask themselves…

In NO WAY am I promoting this film. To be honest, I’m probably far from that. However, with all the controversy that is lingering about it, I wanted to learn more about if for myself; why Pullman wrote the book in the first place, and the book’s draw of a film producer to make it into a movie.

So maybe you don’t agree with this film; maybe you will boycott it like many. But remember, you are the voice of reason when it comes to YOU, your children, if you have them. If anything, this film will shake up beliefs, not for the sake of shaking up beliefs, but because perhaps, they need to be shaken up a bit...

(A little about the film can be found by CLICKING HERE. It tells the story of the main character and more about the plot itself.)

CRASH...

Have you ever seen the movie Crash? It’s one of those films that shake your senses, your beliefs, and really makes you stop and think about who you really are…

“Its’ the sense of touch, life, any real city you walk in, you brush past people, you bump into people…they bump into you…In L.A. no one sees anyone; we’re always behind this metal and glass; I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just to feel something…”

It causes you to question your understanding of those who are different than you, those who are NOT like you, not like me…it perhaps, reinforces stereotypes, but also defies them, which I think, is the point…

"Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other." We collide because we need to…sometimes, those collisions bring out the best in us, while other times, they bring out the worst. They cause us to think about not only ourselves, but also those around us, moving just as fast as we are…

…We all want someone to love us; we all want someone to care enough to stop and take a moment and meet us where we’re at…

It's a 'crash' that perhaps we all need from time to time...

Unbreakable...

Sometimes I wonder about the very nature of why we exist. We often underestimate the power that we have over ourselves, and ultimately over each other. It’s a rather unique phenomenon; how we limit ourselves…perhaps that’s what we are taught? In America, we have extreme expectations…overpowering expectations…it’s quite unbelievable, the limitations we place on each other and mostly, ourselves.

The unbelievable…perhaps it’s not so implausible to achieve the very thing that you thought you never could…BECOME UNBREAKABLE…and start to DREAM again…NEVER underestimate the power of YOU…

...Thankful...

During this time of ‘Thanksgiving’, I’m reminded of how much I have; how much I have been blessed to receive.

I know this is so simple, but so many times we focus on the things we DON’T have, that we forget about the things that we’ve been incredibly blessed to be given.

So, again, as simple as it may sound, take a break from the chaos around you, and be thankful for LIFE…

A Success ...

"Try not to be a man of success, but rather a man of value." ~Albert Einstein

Been thinking a lot about success lately…how does one measure the success of another? Is it in the job or position they hold? Is it in the material possessions that they have? Is it the designer clothes that they wear?

I’d like to think that success is so much more than those things…it’s not about the things we have, the things we consume…it’s about the moments in LIFE that somehow, make LIFE livable…and without them, LIFE wouldn’t be complete.

I don’t know what those moments are for you, but for me it’s meeting my husband, marrying him and beginning a life together…it’s spending time with my sisters, whom I cherish more than anything…it's the time spent with my mom and dad, which without them, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today…and perhaps, another moment will emerge in the future, of raising a child to become whatever it is they are born dreaming about…

I believe success isn’t in the material things, but the moments that breathe LIFE into us…

Constant...

Sometimes things can be so complicated. You think, you ponder, you wonder and wish…it gets so overwhelming at times…

It’s just not as easy as it seems…LIFE, just isn’t as easy and ROSY as sometimes people portray. I don’t know why feeling like this is relevant, I just know that sometimes, LIFE is LIFE, no matter how you look at it.

Jesus is amazing however…in those moments when you are in a rut, it’s comforting to know that He is right there with you, right by your side, going through the wondering, pondering, and wishing, that sometimes is a constant. I suppose that’s the amazing part about it. Jesus is the ONE constant that WE ALL can count on, even if our thoughts and LIFE consume us...

A Thought...

I’ve often thought that being a servant takes more than just DOING something for someone else. It’s about the attitude that you have when doing it…

Just a thought for today….