on Star Trek: Into Darkness

  I actually really enjoy writing movie reviews. I must admit that these reviews are most my opinion, and some will read this review and say, "I full heartily agree." While others will more than likely say, "This guy is a nut." That's kind of what you get when you write something and put it on the Internet. Anyway, I do think it is important for us as the body of Christ to look at films, music, books, and other areas of media and understand exactly the message we are being sent.

  As I dive into this review, I must first admit that in reviewing movies I sometimes can seem vague or as if I left something out. This is done intentionally, so I don't spoil the movie for you especially if you haven't seen it yet. The second installment of this Star Trek series came out on May 17, it stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana. The film stars out in a very exciting way as Captain Kirk (Pine) and Dr. McCoy are running from a band of savages on a remote planet. Meanwhile, Mr. Spock (Quinto) is tasked with trying to stop a volcano from erupting and wiping out the entire race. The movie continues on a tour-de-force journey as the crew of the USS Enterprise is seeking justice for a man who has committed several crimes that hit close to home. They follow this man (you'll have to watch the movie to see who he is and what's he done) to the edge of the Klingon planet: Cronos. Looking to take him out, Kirk is convinced otherwise by Spock who convinces him that this man should stand trial. After the man surrenders to the crew of the Enterprise that's when things get really interesting. The crew quickly realizes that they'll need his help in getting him back to earth to stand trial, and they are shocked to discover just who this man is and what he has on board their ship. It is a thrilling race to the end, and movie goers will be on the edge of their seat.

 One of the best moments in the movie is the transformation of Captain Kirk throughout the movie. Early he is described by Captain Pike as someone who is arrogant, brash, and listens to no one. By the movie's end and throughout certain events in the movie the viewer can see that Kirk has truly transformed into a more humble, thoughtful, and mature captain. This is a great lesson for viewers of all ages to see and learn from. The viewer also gets to see first hand just how powerful evil when it is unleashed can be. It is a powerfully gripping film, with good action scenes a little bit of language, but no major sexual scenes. There is a brief shot of a young woman in her underwear, though. The movie is rated PG-13 mainly for violence and disturbing images. I wouldn't recommend it for any young children, but it is a very entertaining film for both Star Trek fans and those who wouldn't label themselves a fan. If you didn't see the first film you can come watch this film without being lost. In terms of family friendliness I give it 3 stars out of five. In terms of quality of movie, I think it's a good film and I give it 3.5 stars out of five.

On the Family Part 2

  Jesus tells us something very troubling in Luke 14, He tells His followers that whoever doesn't hate their mother and father cannot be his disciple. The troubling thought from all of this is Jesus telling us that we need to hate our parents to be a disciple? Do we need to despise and reject those who are closest to us? Well, let's I will say this is one of the most complicated and difficult things that Jesus said to His disciples. However, I will say this in life we often rank/prioritize what we believe to be most important in our lives. Some of us do this consciously other of us do this rather unconsciously. But, regardless how we prioritize the things and people in our lives happens pretty much all the same way. Where we spend our time, our money, who we talk about, what we think about, and where we place our hopes and dreams will show people what we view as most important.

  I don't think there is one clear cut answer as to what Jesus is trying to communicate with us in these verses in Luke 14. It is tough to try and reason out what Jesus meant, what the purpose was behind his words, etc., and I think we often over step our bounds when we do so. One thing for sure the tone of the statement does fit nicely with similar tones Jesus had throughout the gospels. This statement makes us feel uncomfortable, it causes us to squirm, a little bit, and I think that was done intentionally. One of the biggest injustices I think we have done in our modern times is that we have cast and displayed Jesus as a mild person where everyone feels uncomfortable around. The Jesus in the gospels is much, much different. Jesus in the gospels challenges us, drives us to places where we feel uncomfortable, and that's done intentionally so we can grow and prosper.

  But, I want to leave you with thinking about the family. I don't think Jesus was telling us to hate our father and mother. However, I do think what Jesus was telling us is that nothing should come above serving Him and the Kingdom. Nothing. Period. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what we do as a family, as individuals, in our careers, and in ourselves, that we often lose sight of what's most important: nothing in our lives should be greater than Jesus. Now, I will say I do see the family as a huge blessing and a blessing that is a gift from God. I don't think that this gift should be taken lightly. I want you to be left with this: love your family, cherish your family, if the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma have taught us anything is that we aren't promised tomorrow so make the most of today. But, Jesus should always be at His rightful place in your life and that is at the very top. We have one more post on the family stay tuned.

The American Dream

   The American Dream is something that many, many people today are striving to achieve. The idea of the American Dreams is based in the Declaration of Independence, which states that all people should have the opportunity to pursue: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In 1931 James Truslow Adams stated the American Dream is, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." I will say this: I really like Adams' definition. I think that there is nothing wrong with us trying for and desiring to have a full, rich life. But, the important part is to understand where our fulfillment and happiness comes from. I think we often make the mistake that we believe our happiness and contentment are found in a new car, a promotion at work, the next award, being popular, being famous, being rich, or even being in a relationship.

  At the end of Matthew 6, Jesus offers some very comforting words to those who feel worried, downtrodden, fearful, or those who need a little extra dose of encouragement. Jesus tells his followers that if God cares about the birds of the sky and the lillies of the field and if God provides for them how much more will God provide for us? We are the prize of all creation! Let me be perfectly honest, the American Dream is great, but please be very careful. It is so easy to get caught up in making much of yourself, your abilities, your gifts, and what you bring to the table that it is so easy to forget to honor the person who gave you all of those abilities.

  I think looking at Jesus' example is very pertinent in regards to our perspective on the American Dream. The danger in pursuing the dream is that way too often get consumed with making much of themselves. We want people to notice us. We desire to be recognized and praised, and the list can go on and on. That's how almost all of us are wired we thrive on being noticed, being praised, and being made much of. However, the example Jesus gives us is one that is much, much different. In Mark 8 Jesus tells his disciples that whoever desires to find his life will lose, and it is only those who desire to lose their lives will find their life. Near the end of his earthly ministry Jesus was about to endure the Cross, the shame, the torture, and the humiliation for us, and in John 13 the night he was betrayed he doesn't spend the hours leading up to his arrest fishing for compliments, asking his disciples to serve him, rather he bends town with a towel and a basin and washes their feet. Jesus serves them, and he makes much of them rather than himself. 

  The American Dream can be good, but it is dangerous. Because so many people including good Christian men and women can easily fall prey to the danger of the dream: making much of themselves. Let us strive to be the best we can be, but let our ultimate goal our ultimate reality be to make much of Jesus Christ and the people all around us. I think at the end of it all, we'll be much happier and content when realize our worth is not in our possessions or accolades and our goal is to make little of ourselves and much of Jesus.

Parental Guidance

  The 2012 Christmas-release, smash-hit comedy Parental Guidance, stars acclaimed actors Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, and Marissa Tomei. The comedy begins with minor league baseball announcer, Artie Decker, (Crystal) loses his job, because he is no longer hip, current, and he doesn't have a Facebook account. Artie takes the loss the hard, but his sadness is short lived as his daughter Alice Simmons gives him a call and informs him and his wife Diane (Midler) that she and her husband Phil (Tom Everett Scott) need to leave town on business. Alice asks Diane and Artie to watch the kids for a few days and to her surprise they agree!

  Hilarity ensues as two very different styles of parenting collide as Artie and Diane come to learn that Phil and Alice never tell their kids no, allow their kids to play baseball where no score is kept and no one is out or safe ever, and feed their kids such "delectable" treats as tofu dogs and eggless egg salad. Despite, all of that Diane and Artie are determined to make their week with their grand kids, who they rarely see, a major success. Alice and Phil aren't so sure about it, and Alice even delays her plane flight just to make sure that Artie and Diane don't mess things up too badly. Well, needless to say it is one crazy week as everyone learns a great lesson with a few laughs along the way. The movie was definitely one that warmed and touched my heart as Artie and Diane became reconnected to their grandkids.

  As far as family friendly goes. The movie scored a 4.2 out of five stars. There were moments of somewhat crude comedy (nothing vulgar or offensive). But, the message of the movie is very good for anyone to learn and see. I myself would personally recommend the movie. Billy Crystal is hilarious as usual. Bette Midler provides a warm/stabilizing presence. And of course the grand kids are absolutely hilarious and adorable all at the same time. Definitely recommend this movie for family movie night, maybe not if your kids are five or under though.

The Boston Marathon Bombing Part 1

  It's been not quite two weeks since the entire nation was shocked by what happened at the Boston Marathon. Many questions, concerns, and worries came to many people after seeing the horrific actions that men did in setting off bombs at the marathon. The effects were devastating for many people, injured several, and even cost a few people their lives.

  During tragic moments that touch both the nation or just our individual lives, many people are stuck asking the question why? As they ask this poignant question many people turn and ask God why did this happen? Well, to be perfectly blunt there are no very good reasons why two men would set off bombs at the Boston Marathon and kill some people and injure many other people they didn't know. However, in spite of all the pain, heartache, and turmoil these young men caused, we can be sure of a few things. That's what this blog post is here and designed to do: give us the things and areas we can be 100% sure about in this awful situation.

1) God is still in control and still cares. This sentence may be very difficult for people to grasp, especially those who were directly affected by the events in Boston last week. But, one of the truths in our Christian faith is that God cares deeply for everything that happens to us. When those bombs went off and poor Martin Richard went to his eternal home, I guarantee that God shed not one but several tears because earth lost somebody very special. The Bible tells us in Psalms that God cares for us deeply that he fashioned and created us in our mother's womb and that even the hairs on our head are numbered! That's how well God knows us. In the New Testament we're assured in the Gospel of Matthew that if God cares and clothes the birds of the sky and the lillies of the field how much more will he care for and take care of us! It is easy to point the finger and say God doesn't care in the midst of an awful tragedy, but I think from personal testimony, the word of God, and just everyone that was saved from being harmed or killed by the bomb one can say that God does care.

  So, one can see that God does care about what happens to everyone! That leaves us with another very pressing question: can God do anything about it? Is he powerful enough to stop human beings from hurting each other? Well, to put it nice and simply the answer to that question is yes and no. God is powerful enough to part a sea, raise someone from the dead, cure leprosy, cause the lame to walk, and the dumb to speak. So, I don't think he lacks anything in the power department. But, one thing we have to remember throughout all of this and we'll look at this in part two, is that awful things that happen in our world today: Newtown, CT shootings, bombing at the Boston Marathon, etc. are done by human beings who had the choice not to sin, but decided against that choice. Could God have stopped them? Absolutely, God could have, why God didn't stop the bombing? I can't say for sure. But, one thing I do know without a shadow of a doubt is that God cares deeply, is crying with the victims families, and God still is in control of our entire existence. Part 2 is coming soon.

Satisfaction

   Satisfaction is one of the biggest drivers in all of our decision making. After high school a lot of us go to college and some beyond, because we believe education will open up a door to a job that we enjoy doing and find satisfaction and fulfillment in doing. We spend time with people and develop relationships and friendships with people and even sometimes we'll have romantic relationships with people because we desire satisfaction and fulfillment. Those feelings are normal/common feelings for every human being, however the problem most of us run into from time to time is that we seek satisfaction in all the wrong places.

  I will say that this blog post serves one purpose: to remind all of us that true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone. I'm not saying that you can't find joy and fulfillment in your achievements, your education, or even your hard earned money, but I want you to understand that all of those things are temporary. For one day money will be spent, certificates and degrees will be forgotten, and we will soon have retired or been replaced where we work. So, to find satisfaction in areas of personal achievement will produce a very roller coaster emotional existence in your spiritual walk. When things are going great, you'll more than likely praise God, or worse yet, you'll take the credit. When things are down, and the future looks bleak the sad reality is that a lot of people blame God for the bed they made. So, what I'm trying to encourage you in this blog post, is to not look to your achievements for your sense of satisfaction or identity. Understand that as a human being you will make mistakes, say things you shouldn't have said, and you will make poor decisions, but you will also make good decisions and experience success and joy. But, at the end of the day, the question I want to leave you with are you going to find lasting satisfaction in your achievements, your abilities, or even in something destructive? Or will you find satisfaction in knowing and loving the true, risen Savior of your soul and the entire world? The choice is entirely yours to make, but your decision does and will have real consequences either way. To finally illustrate how true satisfaction can be found in Jesus Christ alone, I want to share a quote from MVP, Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be … I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.” (Taken from http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/tom-brady-super-bowl-rings-and-ecclesiastes/) This is a man who has it all, but still he's not satisfied. The choice is yours to make today.

Holy Week

  One of the biggest weeks in our entire Christian existence is right now as we embark on Holy Week. The week of the Last Supper, arrest, betrayal, Cross, and ultimately Jesus triumphantly rises from the dead, but this week can easily lose its meaning and we can become very calloused toward Holy week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. This entry is designed to allow us to not lose focus and passion during this incredible, life-changing experience. Let's dive a little deeper and rediscover what is going on during Holy Week.
  One of the things that most astonishes me about Holy Week is that Jesus was never shy about His death and resurrection. When He was arrested in the Garden not one time did Jesus yell, "Surprise! Oh wow! I didn't see this one coming." In fact, almost the exact opposite occurs. Christ almost from the beginning of his ministry tells his disciples that the time is coming when He will suffer and die. When that time did come all of His disciples left the scene. What this shows us is something very interesting. The disciples by abandoning Jesus after His arrest, trial, punishment, and eventually crucifixion had non-verbally communicated that Jesus had failed. Jesus hadn't delivered them the way they expected, in fact on Good Friday the disciples believed that Jesus had done the exact opposite, He had failed, because instead of delivering them. He was being crucified on a Cross. To give the disciples credit, and I don't think we do this enough. They didn't fully know the end of the story. The disciples weren't aware that death would not have the last word. It wasn't until they Jesus that things changed for them.  So, I hope we understand that living on this of history, we do have the privilege of seeing that Jesus though killed on Friday does come back on Sunday. I hope we remember that the first Good Friday was anything but good for those who followed Jesus.
  Holy Week shows us many things. It really does. It shows us that death is not as strong as life, and it shows us just how fickle human beings can be. But, one of the main things that Holy Week shows us is how God feels about us. If God just liked (likes) us Holy week would have never happened. If God just loves us, then Holy Week would have never happened. God is 100%, over the top, madly in LOVE with us! God has told us that in His word, communicated it through the teachings of Jesus, but the Cross and the Resurrection show it so clearly how God feels about you. God loves you so MUCH, because that should have been you in Jesus' place. So, whenever you're down or feeling a little blue, look back to the events of Holy Week and understand that God is 100% crazy about you.