Dear John and Time

Anyone familiar with my utmost respect for the military (go Quantico!)  and my penchant for war movies and a good, clean love story knows that I wanted to be at the opening of Dear John - and I was.

It was a cold and rainy night on Friday, but I pressed my way to the movie theater thinking that no one with any sense would be out tonight. I considered the wisdom, or lack thereof, of my own activity planning...was it really that important to see the movie on opening day? I went anyway. Got a good park. Took my time getting to the theater. Got inside, strolled to the counter, asked for two tickets and was told that they had just sold out. 


Seriously?


The next showing was in an hour - but I was told to stay close because they would likely sell that one out too. Really? Why don't folks stay home? And, why is everyone wanting to see this movie? Could it be that the previews have been all over the TV and its author, Nicholas Sparks was at Fort Bragg with a pre-release showing? Yeah. I guess so. Good way to build demand. 

Anyway, I had read the book and enjoyed it - well, except for the ending. So, I just knew the movie would go beyond my expectations. Why, oh why did I read the book? The movie was different. Not in a bad way, but since the book's version was so fresh in my mind, I knew when things were different - which lead me to compare versions. 


The movie's ending changed too. Which, ultimately was good. But still.  I was struck by my expectation. I was struck by my involvement with fictional characters. And I was struck by my commitment to see this movie which at the end of the day, will do nothing, to further my growth with Christ. 


Sometimes, it takes something like this to help us evaluate what we decide to spend our time doing. Funny enough, time was the problem in the movie. Too much time apart - too much time spent living different lives. 


So now, I'm focusing on how I spend my time. What about you? Are you spending your time doing wise things? Is there anything you'd like to improve in any area? 

Thin Places - Mary's Memoir

Breezing through the pages of Mary’s memoir, I am struck by two things: the rawness and vulnerability of her words and the pace at which she tells the story. I am conflicted in my feelings as I turn the pages - eyeballs glued; heart aching. 

I am upset regarding the things which she has endured; things that no child - no, scratch that - things that no human being should ever have to endure. It breaks my heart to read the effects of the humanistic depravity unleashed on her as a child. She was so innocent. So pure. So unregarded for her wonder; except for maybe with Jim - I think... Nevertheless, she deserved to experience unconditional love from the time of her conception. But, that's not what happened. 

I am grateful for the thin places she has experienced. And I’m encouraged that she is a survivor. So many would have given up - like she tried to do - like I’ve tried to do - but God. He pulled us through. I believe He has done this so that we can see how He can, even in destitute times and situations, resurrect a broken and shambled life and make it productive and beautiful for His Kingdom. 

I respect Mary’s courage in sharing her soul’s journey with us all. And I believe that reading and then sharing this novel with others will aid them in their healing process. Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone; that others have been through what you are going through and they have come out on the other side victorious. 

To Mary DeMuth, an author for whom the desire to help heal the hurting, thought it not robbery to spill her heart out over these pages, that others may be blessed and healed, God Bless you. 

A Worthy Workout

The thing about North Carolina snow is that it is rarely ever just snow. It's always mixed with something. My driveway would be evidence. I should have taken a picture.

The weathermen called for snow and sleet. We got both. In fact, I got 5 inches of snow but laid upon that was sleet - and then more snow. I went to shovel the driveway, as if I was really going somewhere - ha! Not! But I used the shoveling as an opportunity for exercise. It didn't take long to work up a sweat and a rhythm. Me and my handy shovel were moving snow and breaking up ice. Ice broke apart in pieces that I could pick up and hold - their jagged edges covered my chest. These were big chunks of ice - about 16 X 12 inches across and 3 inches thick. Made me feel really good to be able to break up the chunks like that. But I have to give most of the credit to my handy shovel.

The workout felt good - the reward felt even better. A clean driveway. I got tired of seeing all that snow from my window. I have to imagine that you feel that way too when you have finished a task that you exerted a lot of energy on. We sit back and applaud ourselves for a job well done. We can see where we started and where we ended. The progress makes us smile.

Our Christian journey should be much the same. We will all have to deal with something. And in most cases, that something will be mixed with something else. That's just the way it is. And as we make progress in clearing away the sin from our lives, we should be able to pull some chunks of that old life up and chuck it far away from us. We allow the SON to penetrate the hole we've left when the sin was plucked away and our lives become better. Before long, we can look back and recall each shovel, each scrape and each victory. It's a workout, but it's worth it.

The Freedom of Resolution

I knew that Thomas J was going to die, but I bought the DVD and watched it anyway. And then I cried and cried when Thomas J died. It was ugly. 

Don’t pick at me. If you watched “My Girl” then you know what I mean. To see those big eyes of Vada - when she goes up to Thomas J at the funeral - or when she reads the poem at the end - ah, heart-wrenching...

You just can’t help but let the tears roll... 

Why deny them the freedom to flow down your checks? Better to cry than to let ‘em get all congested and backed up like a traffic jam in your tear ducts. 

I think it’s a good thing to be in touch with your feelings. Whether it be from a good and sincere movie, a moving commercial or something real that happens in everyday life. It’s cleansing to live emotionally clutter-free. 

So keep that in mind the next time that you are tempted to trap your emotions on the inside. The pressure will undoubtedly build up and you will find yourself exploding over something that does not merit that kind of reaction. People will look at you like you are crazy - and if you’re prone to emotion-stacking before you blow up, then folks will think you really are crazy. 

Why go through all that when it’s much much easier just to be candid in the first place. So, if you want to cry, cry. If you don’t understand, ask. If you are confused, get clarification. But whatever you do, get a resolution. 

My Friends Have New Blogs

Two of my friends have started blogs. If you think back to the time when you first started your blog, you may remember a time of excitement and wonder and expectation. And then as your followers and comments grew, you felt yet again another level of excitement. People stopped doing what they do to read a word from you. Humbling. 


So, with this in mind, I want you to take a moment from reading this blog entry and check out these new blogs and encourage their respective authors. Will you do that? Will you give a "virtual hug" and "welcome to the neighborhood" to my friends Kristie and Gretchyn?


Kristie's blog is "I am Convinced." She is a warm, giggly and friendly servant of the Lord Jesus and she is also hands down, the best chocolate-chip cookie maker in the world - and she used to make them especially for me. Notice the "used to." Don't slight her for that. I'm fat now so I don't need any batches of cookies floating my way. But to show you her true dedication, she has mailed homebaked cookies to me before. Now, isn't that amazing? You should go see her blog just because she's good to me like that! She's a faithful friend, wonderful mother and wife and also a fantastic kitchen scholar. Trust me. Everything she makes is beautiful. Hopefully, one day, she'll post some articles about the way she cooks and how she makes everything look like it came out of the pages of a magazine. 


I haven't know Gretchyn as long - maybe a little under a year, but we are sisters in Christ. So, time does not matter. We'll be singing and praising the Lord together when we get to Heaven. Gretchyn's blog is "GQ Too."  She is a faithful and compassionate servant of the Lord Jesus. When I last looked, she was on her second post and she wrote about her children and the little ways they can encourage you when you least expect it. I personally can't wait to see what she'll post about as time goes on. I know she visits with the elderly and they have all types of stories. Maybe she'll share a few.


So, please stop by these blogs and show these wonderful ladies some bloggy love! You won't regret the time you'll invest.