I went out to dinner and a movie with friends tonight. I was at home by 10 p.m.
The roommate went to a wine bar with friends and her night started at 10 p.m.
Gotta love old age, I’m well rested.
Facing the Giants [2006] September 30, 2006
Tonight we went to see a movie made by a church in Albany, GA.
Facing the Giants is about a losing football coach down on his luck at a Christian school. His house is falling apart. He doesn’t make enough money to have a decent car or even really afford the fertility treatments he and his wife need to get pregnant. Oh yea, life is that bad, but wait, then he overhears that some of the parents want to railroad him right out of his position. His assistant coach is even in on it. He feels like a failure and just wants to give up.
Just in time he receives an encouraging word from a local man that regularly prays through the school. So he decides to devote his team, life and dreams to God, deciding to praise him no matter what happens. This inspires him to give his team a new philosophy - it’s not about winning, they need to play their best and give honor to God. Of course then everything turns around, the team starts winning, he is given a new car, revival breaks out, people are saved and they win the state championship. Oh yea, then his wife gets pregnant and all is well.
- Is the acting cheesy and awkward? - yes
- Does the music obviously manipulate your emotions? - yes
- Is it shot like a Lifetime Network movie or some other B cable station? - yes
- Does it feel like a Jesus after school special? - yes
- Is it wholly predictable? - yes
- Did I like it? - I have to admit I did.
I know some will poo-poo the simplicity and overly preachy nature of this movie, but there are lots of truths conveyed. I was moved by some very dramatic moments and I cheered for them during their state championship like I was one of the hometown crowd. It’s about the moments of life when we feel overwhelmed, underappreciated, stacked against and inadequate. Where do we go? What do we do? Some turn to vices, others turn to their own power and some turn to God.
This film is an uplifting movie about the power of not giving up, facing your fears, recognizing your own limits and realizing when you need to tap into the supernatural power only offered in one source. The overarching message of the movie is to realize that nothing is impossible with God, and they make that very clear.
You can’t go to this movie expecting it to be Hoosiers, Field of Dreams or The Natural. Instead it is the very big dream of one church accomplished with the help of their entire community. Those people give their heart and soul to promote it and it is getting screen time in a major US market, that is something right there. The film itself is an underdog just like the team in the movie. I applaud their passion and effort.
Christian movies have come a long way from the doomsday horrors of the 80s like Thief in the Night. Though most of the people in our showing were middle-aged and already Christians. The teenagers at the theatre were trying to sneak into Jackass 2.
What will the results of this movie be? Honestly, I have no idea, but nothing is impossible with God.
Meredith vs Carrie September 29, 2006
I love Grey’s Anatomy, there is no question it is one of the best written, acted, directed and produced shows on television.
But this McDreamy/Meredith/Finn storyline is killing me.
The whole dating game she’s playing is just silly. Are they fighting for Meredith or are they just competing with each other? Is this like the last two bachelors in the race, they don’t want the girl they just want to win.
Just pick already Meredith. In fact I’m beginning to see parallel’s to Sex and the City when Carrie had to chose between Big and Aidan. She chose wrong, she picked Big and suffered years of heartbreak. Here is hoping that Meredith chooses better.
Sandpaper People September 29, 2006
UGH!! If this person sends me one more email to tell me what to do I’m going to scream. I am not going to go into the details of the particular ways she is tormenting, bugging, disturbing and irritating me, but I cringe everytime I see her name in my inbox or hear her voice. I can feel my body tense and I immediately get a bad attitude.
I am a quick judge of people and most of the time I’m right. My first impression of her was that she was defensive, self-centered, territorial, stubborn, and competitive. In the past I tried to be nice to her, but it didn’t work, it was an act I couldn’t keep up. As a result, my true heart was revealed in a way that wasn’t pleasant for anyone.
I am now forced to interact with her more often, so it can’t be buried and forgotten. I can’t pretend like she’s not there. I have to ask myself, why do I react so violently to her? At first I thought it was because she was the complete opposite of who I am in personality, temperament and experience. Then I thought it was because she reminded me of someone else I had to fight to have a relationship with.
Then something new hit me, some of the areas I’m responding to in her are the same that I dislike about me. Ooh, ouch. Since I can’t run or hide I am pushed to deal with them head on. I hate that. But it is making me stronger because I am forced to confront, something else I don’t like. I have to confront her with what I feel are injustices. I have to confront myself with what I am reacting to her in her. I can’t be passive aggressive with this one because in the end, I am being asked to love her anyway.
I’m realizing that the unlovable people in our lives are for our benefit not theirs. I doubt she spends any time thinking about me, she just reacts to what I do. I do not genuinely love her right now, but I’m trying. It is difficult. I don’t like it and most times I don’t want to.
My prayer is that God will fill my heart with love for her. I want my default response with her to be one of genuine care and concern. We don’t need to be best friends but I know that when that happens it means I have changed. I will see in her what God sees. I guess that first starts with a decision to love her, see her differently and then hopefully the feelings will follow.
In the mean time, Lord Jesus have mercy on me.
Dream of Travel - A New One September 25, 2006
I have travel dreams all the time. They usually involve missing a flight, being unable to get to the airport, losing luggage, or I’m not sure what flight to take. Well last night the dream changed.
I dreamed that I was at the airport, sitting at my gate waiting for the flight to board. I was distracted by someone that kept talking to me but I knew my plane was about ready to leave. WHI-HOO!! I’m making progress in my dreams if no where else. I’ll take it!!
Ablaze September 25, 2006
My brother was recently appointed the pastor of young adults at his church in Ohio. He has been diligently planning all summer for their first service yesterday. I heard it went really well.
Thank goodness they exorcized all the drama in practice. The fog machine the worship band was trying out set off the fire alarms releasing the fire doors, starting the strobe lights and calling the fire department. I think its hilarious that the name of their group is Ablaze and they started their new service with the fire department.
I’m sure it’s much funnier for me than it was for him.
My Techie Grandma September 24, 2006
I got a voicemail from my grandma today. Now it isn’t unusual to hear from her. She has an uncanny ability to know when I need extra love. But her reason to call was because she needed my help. Her message was:
Hello sugarbear, I’m trying to work on my web site and I can’t figure out what an "earl" is, so call me. Now only call me if you have time and you want to. You don’t have to, I know you’re busy, so if you can’t I understand, but I need your help, so call me. I love you.
It took me a sec to figure out what an"earl" is. Then it hit me, she was referring to the URL. But hey, you gotta give props to the woman for having a web site. I’ve already blogged about how she is an accomplished artist, now she is in an online community to sell it. I love her tenacity at 75 to learn how to create a web site.
I also love all her caveats for not calling. I didn’t get her message until tonight and it was too late to call Indiana but she’s already called my mother wondering why I haven’t called her yet. I think this is akin to her wanting to take me to dinner and I could pick anywhere I wanted to go as long as it was Applebees.
Back to the 80s September 24, 2006
Imagine 15,000 thirtysomethings (and up) singing their lungs out to ABC, The Psychadelic Furs and The Human League. Oh yea!! It was 80’s night at the Hollywood Bowl.
Some even donned their leg warmers, teased their hair larger than life and were proud to wear light green eye shadow once again. It was fantastic. Don’t think the guys were left out, there were more mullet wigs than you could shake your jelly shoes at. With Jane Weidlin, of the Go-Gos, as our host we were rockin’. It was too bad that the bowl’s kareoke machine broke but it didn’t matter we had a fantastic time.
I have to say my favorite was singing and shakin’ my groove thing to Human League’s Don’t You Want Me Baby. There needs to be more opportunities in life where you can jump around and shout until you’re hoarse.
New Fall Lineup September 23, 2006
Ok, who watched tv this week, I did. Some of it as good and some of it was disappointing.
We’ll start with the good:
1. Men in Trees (Friday, ABC) - Starring Anne Heche as Marin Frist a relationship expert who finds out that her fiance is cheating on her. Concluding she knows nothing about men she decides to stay in Elmo, Alaska, where the man to woman ratio is 10-to-1, to write her next book, about men. This is a hip Northern Exposure. The townspeople are still eccentric but this time they dress out of a LLBean catalog Instead of the thrift store. Afterall, this show was developed by a headwriter and executive producer of Sex in the City. I like it. It’s funny.
2. Six Degrees (Thursday, ABC) - Six New Yorkers realize how closely we’re all connected and the impact we have on each other. Laura is a grieving mother who lost her reporter husband in Iraq. She hires Mae, who is running from a mysterious past, to be her nanny. Mae was arrested last night for indecent exposure while out with friends and her public defender, Carlos, gets a crush on her and decides to find her. During his search Carlos meets Damian who is trying to escape his criminal brother’s shadow to become someone else. While at the nail salon Laura meets Whitney, a successful ad exec who is about to get engaged to her cheating boyfriend. Whitney searching for a photographer finds Steven, who has lost his career due to a drug problem. This should be an interesting ride.
The Maybe:
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Monday, NBC)- A behind the scenes look at a weekly variety series. This show stars Amanda Peet, Matt Perry, D.L. Hughley, and Bradley Whitford. I was a little disappointed by the pilot. I thought it would be faster paced with wittier dialogue. I thought it was going to be funny. I’ll give it one more week to see if it gels a little more and picks up the pace.
4. Rachel Ray Show - (Daily, CBS) I had to tivo this one since it’s on at 9 a.m. The queen of the Food Network moves to primetime morning backed by Oprah. This is a fast-paced show about entertaining and food, I think. Rachel, though charming, talks a mile a minute. I hope she finds her groove, it could be good. I don’t feel the need to tivo it though. I’m just sad that she isn’t doing her shows on the Food Network anymore. That is sad.
The bad:
5. The Megan Mullaly Show - In her first post- WIll & Grace effort Megan Mullaly is trying to be a talk show host. My question is, why? Why in the world do we need another talk show? I couldn’t get used to her real voice and the show itself was cheesy. She’s just a celebrity inviting on her friends. I don’t see what distinguishes her from any another other daytime talk shows. I think Ellen has already corned the market she’s tackling and Ellen does it with flair and class. So Ellen stays on the tivo list and I’m going to try and forget that I saw this one.
Other shows I’m happy are back:
1. Grey’s Anatomy - So glad this is back! We’ll finally figures out what happens with Meredity, Derek and Finn. I just hope it doesn’t turn into an annoying triangle.
2. How I met Your Mother - This is my guilty pleasure show. It’s a little dumb, but its cute and occassionally funny. Besides how can you pass up a grown-up Doogie Howser. You can’t.
3. Gilmore Girls - The first season without series creator and head writer Amy Palladino. I think this show has jumped the shark but I can’t stop watching it. I just can’t. I love the fast-talking-sarcastic duo that is Lorelai and Rory. I think I’m going to name my first daughter Lorelai.
Single Conclusion September 23, 2006
I’ve been posting all week about the purpose and benefits of being single. It started as a joke I don’t know if I ever actually intended to follow through on my declaration that I’d post everyday on some aspect of being single. But I did and now at the end of the week I realize I’ve been on a journey of embracing the truth and calling of my life as it is right now, not the version I created in my head.
