Where are you going?
Month: September 2012
Dance, Run, Frisbee, Work, Repeat.
Danced my feet off again Friday night. Among them Hustle, Rhumba, Waltz, and a fun Tango! They say the Tango must be earned. They’re right =)
Then I ran 4 miles in a delicious light rain yesterday morning, took a long nap, and enjoyed a beautiful wedding. Today’s sermon was great; I got to sit next to my friends and their baby daughter, and ultimate frisbee in the rain was delightful.
Home at my parents’ for Indian food tonight. Trying to mentally gear up for a very busy week at work. Tomorrow tickets go on sale to the public, a rotary club meets in our building on Tuesday, and the first Board meeting of the season is on Thursday.
My heart is weary and troubled, but trusting my wise God. I could always trust better and more completely, and would appreciate your prayers.
Excerpts from “Meaning at the Movies” by Grant Horner
“The Lord God has created almost innumerable elements of this world for us to experience, and he has also given us minds sensitive to his fingerprints, which are everywhere visible throughout his creation (Romans 1:19-20). Making man in his own image, as a being who is intelligent, emotional, creative, and capable of perception, memory, imagination, and anticipation shows a particular aspect of God’s will for us: he wants us to experience things. He wants us to think, to feel, to create, to enjoy, to remember, imagine, and hope. He wants us to do all these things within the boundaries of his care, his holiness, and his will (1 Corinthians 10:23-33). His goal is not simply for us to have experiences, but to choose experiences and to respond to experiences in such a way that we grow more and more obedient to him (Philippians 4:8). He desires for us to desire to live lives that please and glorify him, and thus to edify ourselves and each other—which will in turn bring us the pleasure of obedience. Obedience to God is the greatest pleasure there is. He wants us to make right choices by acknowledging his rule in our hearts and his will for our lives.
So what do Christians “do” with movies? Should we act the same about movies as those who do not know the God of the universe?
Like everything else in human life, a radically different approach to film is necessary for believers. Non-Christians will generally have as primary motivations for film-watching entertainment, pleasure, vicarious living, an event to share with friends or loved ones, and so forth. For the believer, every moment is is an important decision; some of these decisions will please God, and others will please only ourselves. We need to increasingly choose the former over the latter. Our primary goal should be to please God; and if God is what he claims to be, then the same decisions will result in our pleasure as well as his. Every scrap of our experience needs to be rooted in a consciousness of the presence of God. We do not move through one existential moment to another, seeking meaning only in ourselves. Those who love God are eternal beings, and every decision makes a mark on eternity.” pg. 59
“Some Christians fear all art and creativity, but without biblical warrant. We should avoid sin, not beauty and thoughtfulness, design and craft; we must resist evil, not every form of pleasure or enjoyment. Contrary to what some Christians think, there is not a bizarre kind of virtue in ugliness! How many churches have you been in that were tacky, ugly, or featured some lowbrow aesthetic? Or made every attempt to eliminate anything that might engage the sense, which God made? God does not expect or desire that you leave anything at the church door but your rebellion. He wants your mind, your body, your personality, your emotions, and yes—your aesthetic capability.
…
A basic thesis of this book is that for effective interpretation and discernment, the viewer must be able to decode a film’s worldview—it’s controlling philosophical position. Film, like all art, is open to varying interpretation. It is an untenable argument to claim that any film or other work of art has only one single valid level and range of meaning. Experiencing art is clearly a subjective event, and the very process of interpretation, which for the Christian should involve worldview analysis and discernment, is an opportunity for the Christian to exercise God-honoring discernment.” pg.60-61
This book was written by my college professor and family friend, Grant Horner. I highly recommend it, particularly to young people, their parents, and people my age!
Elizabeth Squared
God has provided a roommate! In mid-December, Lord willing, I will move into another apartment with my friend Elizabeth Knight!
Elizabeth is in culinary school and works as a Pastry Chef’s Assistant at the Little Rock Country Club. She is very sweet and caring, has a little dog I can cuddle, and she might even teach me how to cook! Not sure what I have to offer her, but the Lord knows…
Please pray for us as we look for an affordable, safe, suitable place.
She’s the one on the far left =)
A Stratagem
Marathon training has begun!! During training for the 2012 race, I did nothing additional to the running itself. This time my goal is not only a better race time, but to take better advantage of the whole effort through healthier food choices, smaller portions and supplemental workouts.
So far it’s working: in two weeks my average pace has gone down by a minute per mile, and I’ve lost 6lbs. I’m super excited about 3/3/2013!
Even if you’ve thought you could never run a marathon, you probably can. Start with something small and build up to it, it’s possible! 🙂
What is dark in me, illumine 