NO ENDORSEMENTS! I'm so sick of hearing that someone else has decided who I should vote for. I'll make up my own mind, thank you. It really doesn't work. When I read that Ann Coulter was endorsing Romney it was an an immediate turn-off. I don't care who Ah-nold thinks is the best candidate. The Kennedys need to realize that the country no longer hangs on their every word. And how about a rule that says spouses fall under the same gag order as the candidate?
NO DROPPING OUT! If you're in the race you stay in the race until it's over. No behind the scenes deals that vie for the former candidates supporters. Learn a lesson from the Olympics. You do your best, you cross the finish line, you don't quit just because you think (or know) you don't have a chance. It says something about your character. Who wants a quitter for President? (that's if you decide to run again the next time as so many also-rans do.)
Dee
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
And What Does God Desire of You?
I am a Christian...A genuine Bible toting, believe what she reads, waiting expectantly for the imminent return of Jesus, kind of Christian. The kind that gets made the butt of jokes on TV sitcoms and treated with practiced disdain by much of the media. But I have embraced this life long enough to have developed some fairly tough body armor and for the most part their efforts have lost their sting many moons ago.
I have spoken to a lot of young Christians. (Young in their years of faith; not in their chronological years.) So many take the "Be all you can be." approach to faith and literally try to serve everywhere, be at every church service, evangelize, pray, etc. On the other hand, there are the reclusive ones, who devote themselves to reading and studying the word, only emerging out of their "cave" for Sunday service.
Eventually, both types become disenchanted. The little worker bee has neglected his relationship with the Father and Son-the very reason for all his, or her's "doing." The hermit suffers from a lack of fellowship with other believers and feels lonely and dejected, because he, or she, failed to understand that no one can stand alone with God in the Body of Christ. We were designed to be connected to each other and reach out to the world.
I have counseled both types of believers. They need balance. Knowing the Word of God is without argument critical to our well being, as is prayer and loving God body, mind and spirit; but I think the rest of it is where most of us get tripped up. How can we love our neighbor, as ourself and not wear ourselves out?
As always, the Word of God provides us with the quintessential answer:
Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God.
Do you do justice? Do you treat each individual, who crosses your path with the fairness, or 'rightness" of the Father. It is in the ordinary that we are tested. Did you go back with that 25 cents too much that the grocery checker gave you? Do you delight in seeing a coworker get chewed out for something they didn't do wrong, just because two days ago something they did do was overlooked. Would you let a friend get away with making racist remarks in front you?
Do you love kindness? An act of kindness can bring light to a darkened heart. It could be as simple as picking up a dropped piece of paper, or letting that person go before you in the checkout line. It could be huge! You could help build a house, adopt a child, work on a disaster scene. The point is that it is your act of kindness, the one ordained for you by God for that particular moment in time. There is a deep love of God and man that grows in your heart when living a life of kindness. It brings a kiss of sweetness and meaning to both the giver and the receiver.
How do you know what's just, or what should be your act of kindness? You know because you have learned to "walk humbly with your God. You have learned to listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit, you've have learned not to over talk the Father with you own thoughts and desires. The kind of humility, of which I write, is born of knowing God and recognizing His utter and complete perfection and your radical imperfection without His grace. This contrast of the Divine and human produces a holy humility in the believer.
And when you walk in that holy humility, you walk with God. You do justice. You love kindness.
You begin to live the Great Commandments:
"AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'
The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
"D"
I have spoken to a lot of young Christians. (Young in their years of faith; not in their chronological years.) So many take the "Be all you can be." approach to faith and literally try to serve everywhere, be at every church service, evangelize, pray, etc. On the other hand, there are the reclusive ones, who devote themselves to reading and studying the word, only emerging out of their "cave" for Sunday service.
Eventually, both types become disenchanted. The little worker bee has neglected his relationship with the Father and Son-the very reason for all his, or her's "doing." The hermit suffers from a lack of fellowship with other believers and feels lonely and dejected, because he, or she, failed to understand that no one can stand alone with God in the Body of Christ. We were designed to be connected to each other and reach out to the world.
I have counseled both types of believers. They need balance. Knowing the Word of God is without argument critical to our well being, as is prayer and loving God body, mind and spirit; but I think the rest of it is where most of us get tripped up. How can we love our neighbor, as ourself and not wear ourselves out?
As always, the Word of God provides us with the quintessential answer:
Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God.
Do you do justice? Do you treat each individual, who crosses your path with the fairness, or 'rightness" of the Father. It is in the ordinary that we are tested. Did you go back with that 25 cents too much that the grocery checker gave you? Do you delight in seeing a coworker get chewed out for something they didn't do wrong, just because two days ago something they did do was overlooked. Would you let a friend get away with making racist remarks in front you?
Do you love kindness? An act of kindness can bring light to a darkened heart. It could be as simple as picking up a dropped piece of paper, or letting that person go before you in the checkout line. It could be huge! You could help build a house, adopt a child, work on a disaster scene. The point is that it is your act of kindness, the one ordained for you by God for that particular moment in time. There is a deep love of God and man that grows in your heart when living a life of kindness. It brings a kiss of sweetness and meaning to both the giver and the receiver.
How do you know what's just, or what should be your act of kindness? You know because you have learned to "walk humbly with your God. You have learned to listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit, you've have learned not to over talk the Father with you own thoughts and desires. The kind of humility, of which I write, is born of knowing God and recognizing His utter and complete perfection and your radical imperfection without His grace. This contrast of the Divine and human produces a holy humility in the believer.
And when you walk in that holy humility, you walk with God. You do justice. You love kindness.
You begin to live the Great Commandments:
"AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'
The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
"D"
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Political Debates
I am proud to say that I have not watched a single debate. Oh, being a news junkie, I haven't been able to completely avoid the sound bites that the media deems relevant but I try to pay as little attention as possible. I am just not interested in the posturing and preening that goes on during these free ad campaigns.
This is my idea of how to run the presidential campaigns:
As soon as a candidate announces their intention to run for the office of president they are put under a gag order. Each candidate has one spokesperson who will present their voting record to the American public for their perusal. No debates, no sound bites, no flip-flopping - just the facts, ma'am. Oh, and no tears. (Sorry, Hillary)
Dee
This is my idea of how to run the presidential campaigns:
As soon as a candidate announces their intention to run for the office of president they are put under a gag order. Each candidate has one spokesperson who will present their voting record to the American public for their perusal. No debates, no sound bites, no flip-flopping - just the facts, ma'am. Oh, and no tears. (Sorry, Hillary)
Dee
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
There Are A Hundred Ways to Ruin An Adaptation
Seeing it on the Sunday night PBS schedule, left me simultaneously fearful and hopeful. Masterpiece Theater was presenting an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I was fearful, because I had already seen the first half sometime this past fall and found myself irritated at the number of important early scenes not included in this production. I was hopeful, because I believed that it still might be salvageable. Many years ago, I would have been in raptures, hungry to see one of my favorite novels brought alive., but the years and a procession of lackluster, butchered and irritating productions have left me scarred and jaded.
I won’t bore you with my blow-to-blow assessment of each adaptation that I’ve seen. Suffice it to say that I have never seen one title sliced and diced so many different ways. Can’t anyone just follow the plot? I’m not saying you have to film every word, but you can’t cut away chapters and substitute cinematography and music. The results are awful. The only possibly worse move is to miscast Edward Rochester or Jane Eyre. For instance, the casting of Rochester with William Hurt in the 1996 movie release bordered on the ridiculous.
In the end, the version presented by Masterpiece Theater, faired no better then the others. There are strong Christian themes running through Jane Eyre that were ignored, watered down, or presented on a sort of New Age metaphysical level. What an injustice to a masterpiece! This book is all about truth, grace, sacrifice, sin, atonement and redemption.
Truth be told, there are a hundred ways to ruin an adaptation. But do they have to try to use them all on poor Jane Eyre?
I’ve been told that there exists an A & E production from their early days that is very good. Unfortunately I have had no access to it so far, but a girl can dream..
"D"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)