I just watched Episode III with my dad and sisters. This is the second time this week. I'm a nerd about Star Wars. I can name most of the ships, planets, and characters, especially in the original three. Which I have practically memorized, wearing out the copies I had on VHS before getting them on DVD.
It's interesting the differences between the original three and the latest additions to the story. Obviously the graphics are much better and the lightsaber fights are way faster and better choreographed. Aside from the obvious, I noticed two other big things that have changed.
The next most obvious thing that has changed is Yoda. He's way cuter, more expressive, and one bad little green blur with a lightsaber. No one can even try to stop him when he's in action. The way he talks is different too. It really got on my nerves the way he says everything backwards, "Good relations with the Wookies I have." Maybe he's always talked like that, I guess he's had a bigger role recently. Yoda has also always talked like a Buddhist, but it's way more obvious now. This is especially true of this final episode, "You must learn to let go of all that you care about." Interesting thought, what is life without caring?
The other thing that has changed is the view of good and evil. It's interesting, in the original three good is a purer shade of white and evil is black. In the new ones they are much more confused; coming out as dark grey and light grey. The dark side is obviously bad but the light side also makes a lot of mistakes, leaving Anakin confused and easy prey for Lord Sidious. I guess real life is like that though, hind-sight is 20/20 so by the time Luke Skywalker arrives on the scene everybody knows who is the oppressor and who isn't.
I hope I don't sound negative. I'm not trying to be. Over all I liked the movie. It was sad watching Anakin fall though.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
singles' retreat
I just got back from Immanuel Fellowship's first singles' retreat. It was a great 24 hours. We started yesterday with an awesome time of worship. I've kinda had a hard week. At first I felt like I couldn't come into God's presence and worried that I would waste the weekend like that. I was cool how God brought me into His presence anyway.
This morning I went for a run before breakfast. After breakfast we had a time set aside to go out-side and seek God. I was pretty distracted, but focused enough to hear God speak to me about a fear I've been struggling with.
During the first session we talked about the fear of God, like in Psalm 111:10. We talked about this for a pretty long time, about what it is and for a long time about what it isn't. This part really stuck out to me more than the rest. It's an interesting balance being both a friend and servant of God.
Later we had another time to just be with God, followed by another session. Then it was over; it was really short. God spoke so much to me this weekend, way too much to begin to write here. I hope I can hold on to it all.
This morning I went for a run before breakfast. After breakfast we had a time set aside to go out-side and seek God. I was pretty distracted, but focused enough to hear God speak to me about a fear I've been struggling with.
During the first session we talked about the fear of God, like in Psalm 111:10. We talked about this for a pretty long time, about what it is and for a long time about what it isn't. This part really stuck out to me more than the rest. It's an interesting balance being both a friend and servant of God.
Later we had another time to just be with God, followed by another session. Then it was over; it was really short. God spoke so much to me this weekend, way too much to begin to write here. I hope I can hold on to it all.
Friday, May 27, 2005
never wasted
I'm reading a book about Amy Carmichael. It contains a lot of her quotes along with things which had encouraged her but hadn't been written by her. In some places the author is not clear who wrote what, so I'm not sure who wrote this:
Sometimes I worry that I'm going to waste what God has entrusted me with, especially the things listed in this quote. Yet if I'm fully His and doing my best to listen and live in His will then maybe this is one of the burdens Jesus desires that I lay at His feet. Really, no matter how good I am I can't prevent waste; I'm only human. Once I heard Judy, Isaac's mom, say, "Nothing laid at the feet of Jesus is ever wasted." God help me lay my life and efforts to serve You at Your feet. Help me trust You to keep all of it.
God never wastes His servants' pain.
God never wastes His servants' time.
God never wastes His servants' toil.
God never wastes His servants' gifts.
Sometimes I worry that I'm going to waste what God has entrusted me with, especially the things listed in this quote. Yet if I'm fully His and doing my best to listen and live in His will then maybe this is one of the burdens Jesus desires that I lay at His feet. Really, no matter how good I am I can't prevent waste; I'm only human. Once I heard Judy, Isaac's mom, say, "Nothing laid at the feet of Jesus is ever wasted." God help me lay my life and efforts to serve You at Your feet. Help me trust You to keep all of it.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
a ring
Today I put on a ring. While I was in Annecy God made me a promise. It is actually something He's promised me before, several times. I seem to have an amazing ability to forget this particular promise. So while I was in Annecy and God was reminding me again He asked me to put on a ring so that I could have something tangible to help me remember. I looked all over in Annecy and in Chamonix with no luck. Every thing was either gaudy or big and manly or really expensive. I was super frustrated when we left Chamonix and I was still without this ring I felt like I was supposed to buy. Later God assured me that He would get me a ring to remember. Interesting, I thought and kinda forgot about it.
Well this week I was spring cleaning my room, digging every last possession out of every last little cranny and mercilessly throwing stuff out. (My room is very small and lacks the space for sentimental clutter.) I found a ring in a little jewelry box in the bottom of my trunk. I have no idea where it originally came from. Actually, I'm not sure if I ever remember owning it. However it came to be there, it's perfect. I'm glad I didn't find anything in France.
Kinda funny, most people wear rings religiously to signify a promise they made to God. (Like a purity ring.) It's cool that God is also willing to make us promises. It's a little overwhelming that someone as important as God would make me a promise. I guess God's not too worried about His image or looking weak because He's close to things so small as individual people. Amazing how well He knows what I'll do before I do it. Wearing this little band of metal has really helped me remember what God has spoken to me. As to what that promise is...well, that's between God and I. ;)
Well this week I was spring cleaning my room, digging every last possession out of every last little cranny and mercilessly throwing stuff out. (My room is very small and lacks the space for sentimental clutter.) I found a ring in a little jewelry box in the bottom of my trunk. I have no idea where it originally came from. Actually, I'm not sure if I ever remember owning it. However it came to be there, it's perfect. I'm glad I didn't find anything in France.
Kinda funny, most people wear rings religiously to signify a promise they made to God. (Like a purity ring.) It's cool that God is also willing to make us promises. It's a little overwhelming that someone as important as God would make me a promise. I guess God's not too worried about His image or looking weak because He's close to things so small as individual people. Amazing how well He knows what I'll do before I do it. Wearing this little band of metal has really helped me remember what God has spoken to me. As to what that promise is...well, that's between God and I. ;)
Monday, May 23, 2005
what's your worldview?
This one was very interesting, thanks Isaac. I don't really know what cultural creative means though...
You scored as Cultural Creative.
Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.
You scored as Cultural Creative.
Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.
What is Your World View? (corrected...again) created with QuizFarm.com |
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
last day
So since my last post I've been to Chomonix, Marseille, and Taizé. Chomonix was a short visit, we ate lunch and prayed there for a little while, then moved on to Marseille on the Mediterranean coast. It has a very different feel culturally from the places we've been so far. A little more laid-back I guess.
We spent two nights in Marseille. We prayed over the city, and took a boat out to the island where the book, The Count of Monte Christo took place. While most of us where there Isaac went to a neighboring island and spent an hour being attacked by vicious, man-eating sea-gulls. In the process he lost his cell phone. So when the rest of us finally joined him on the island we had to help him retrace his steps looking for it. However, being the good friends that we are, we willingly followed him into perilous territory after laughing hysterically at his ordeal. We also took pictures of him first; he was kind of messy. He, he...I'm still laughing. I would be more sympathetic if it wasn't so incredibly hilarious. Anyway, we followed Isaac into the gulls' territory and they took a lot of dives at us and screamed a lot, but with six of us they were far less emboldened than they had been with only one. We eventually found the phone by calling it continually with Mike's phone till someone who had found it answered it. (How the person found a phone abandoned in such a dangerous place none of us ever found out.) So this story ends happily. : D
After Marseille we went to Taizé (and I left all the gifts I had bought my family behind in the hotel...brilliant). I think this was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I really liked the feel of community the place had, no sense that you're trying to break into somebody's established clique, everybody's willing to let you be their friend. It's super easy to talk to people there for the most part. However, people there are from all over the world, especially Europe. There was a German holiday during our weekend there so a lot of people were from Germany. I only know toe things in German: hello and something else impractical and maybe slightly inappropriate, definitely not a way to introduce yourself. :s I really liked being there and feeling lost in a group of people speaking seven different languages. Usually though people used English as a common language. The services were pretty cool. There were very simple worship songs sung in fifteen different languages, with no real visible worship leader. The worship times always had a long period of silence (which for a room of two thousand people was very impressively silent), this was a good time to focus as they were usually towards the beginning of the worship. They would also read a verse about Jesus between songs in many different languages. I was sorry I only got to be there for a day. Someday it would be really cool to go for a whole week.
Today we're back in Paris, in a suburb called Saint Germaine, and we leave tomorrow. Wow, this trip seemed really short. I'll miss you France.
We spent two nights in Marseille. We prayed over the city, and took a boat out to the island where the book, The Count of Monte Christo took place. While most of us where there Isaac went to a neighboring island and spent an hour being attacked by vicious, man-eating sea-gulls. In the process he lost his cell phone. So when the rest of us finally joined him on the island we had to help him retrace his steps looking for it. However, being the good friends that we are, we willingly followed him into perilous territory after laughing hysterically at his ordeal. We also took pictures of him first; he was kind of messy. He, he...I'm still laughing. I would be more sympathetic if it wasn't so incredibly hilarious. Anyway, we followed Isaac into the gulls' territory and they took a lot of dives at us and screamed a lot, but with six of us they were far less emboldened than they had been with only one. We eventually found the phone by calling it continually with Mike's phone till someone who had found it answered it. (How the person found a phone abandoned in such a dangerous place none of us ever found out.) So this story ends happily. : D
After Marseille we went to Taizé (and I left all the gifts I had bought my family behind in the hotel...brilliant). I think this was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I really liked the feel of community the place had, no sense that you're trying to break into somebody's established clique, everybody's willing to let you be their friend. It's super easy to talk to people there for the most part. However, people there are from all over the world, especially Europe. There was a German holiday during our weekend there so a lot of people were from Germany. I only know toe things in German: hello and something else impractical and maybe slightly inappropriate, definitely not a way to introduce yourself. :s I really liked being there and feeling lost in a group of people speaking seven different languages. Usually though people used English as a common language. The services were pretty cool. There were very simple worship songs sung in fifteen different languages, with no real visible worship leader. The worship times always had a long period of silence (which for a room of two thousand people was very impressively silent), this was a good time to focus as they were usually towards the beginning of the worship. They would also read a verse about Jesus between songs in many different languages. I was sorry I only got to be there for a day. Someday it would be really cool to go for a whole week.
Today we're back in Paris, in a suburb called Saint Germaine, and we leave tomorrow. Wow, this trip seemed really short. I'll miss you France.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
annecy
We've left Paris and are now in a town called Annecy. It is the cutest place I've ever been in my life. I think this is my favorite place so far. It looks just like a perfect little fairy-tail storybook picture with all these little canals running through the old part of town. It's known as the Vince of France for a reason.
Since Annecy is a mountain town, we all felt like we could relate better to the people there. We spent yesterday and part of the day before exploring and asking God if this is where He wants us to plant a church. We really felt like God said no, not here now. So we are moving on, today we're heading for Marseille, and stopping by Chomonix for lunch.
...Sorry about there links this computer doesn't let me see the pictures, so I don't know how they look.
Since Annecy is a mountain town, we all felt like we could relate better to the people there. We spent yesterday and part of the day before exploring and asking God if this is where He wants us to plant a church. We really felt like God said no, not here now. So we are moving on, today we're heading for Marseille, and stopping by Chomonix for lunch.
...Sorry about there links this computer doesn't let me see the pictures, so I don't know how they look.
Monday, May 09, 2005
prayer walking
Today we prayer walked down the center of Paris. We started at the Bastille and went to the Arche du Triumph. It was kinda anti-climatic. I've been on prayer walks before where I definitely felt something happen. This time I didn't, but it was very tiring like many of the other prayer walks I've been on. Kinda funny how they always drain you. Anyway even though I didn't get the privilege of actually seeing or feeling the results of my prayers I know God will remember all that we prayed today and be faithful to answer at the right time.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
je suis arrivé
This is my third day in Paris, and it is every bit as lovely as it is in all the movies and travel adds. This is especially true of the Latin Quarter where I am staying. I think it might have looked about the same at the turn of the century - except the cars were a little different back then. ;)
Yesterday we spent some time just praying and asking God to guide us. We also listened for Him to give any impressions about France, the people, or what out next move should be. We've allowed enough flexibility for God to lead us or change our plans. We also went to the largest Christian bookstore in France, which was about the size of a small bookstore in the States. Things are more space efficent here, still it was smaller than I expected.
Today we did some exploring further out in the city. We met a Pakistani immagrant and had an interesting conversation with him. Five of the people in our group of six speak English, Spanish, and French at varying levels; the sixth person is learning Spanish and already knows English. The Pakistani man also spoke some of all three of these languages so we ended up switching back and fourth quite a lot.
Yesterday we spent some time just praying and asking God to guide us. We also listened for Him to give any impressions about France, the people, or what out next move should be. We've allowed enough flexibility for God to lead us or change our plans. We also went to the largest Christian bookstore in France, which was about the size of a small bookstore in the States. Things are more space efficent here, still it was smaller than I expected.
Today we did some exploring further out in the city. We met a Pakistani immagrant and had an interesting conversation with him. Five of the people in our group of six speak English, Spanish, and French at varying levels; the sixth person is learning Spanish and already knows English. The Pakistani man also spoke some of all three of these languages so we ended up switching back and fourth quite a lot.
Monday, May 02, 2005
leaving today
Later today I'm leaving for France! I leave for the Denver airport at 10:00 this morning. It's a church trip, I'm going with Marie, Isaac, Isaac's dad Mike, Andy, and Jillian. Just six of us are going, we'll be more mobile that way. We're really praying for God to lead us and show us where He would maybe have us plant a church someday. I'll try to post more in France than I did in Mexico.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
agent orange
I just read this article. I'm really disappointed with our government. Maybe "disappointed" is too weak a word. What hypocrisy! We go into Iraq looking for chemical weapons, among other things and make such a big deal about how wrong it is. Yet we have not made restitution for what we did in Vietnam on the basis that what we did wasn't illegal at the time. Just because it wasn't illegal doesn't make it okay! What kind of horrible logic is that? If we're going to act like we're the world's police we had better get it together and be consistent.
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