Relocating and Trusting...Mostly

As many of you already know, my family is in the middle of planning a relocation from California to Tennessee.  It’s a huge undertaking.  I’m completely unfamiliar with moving much less moving across the country!  But this is a God driven thing, I’m sure of it!  I have no idea, through rational thought, why we are ending up in Nashville!  Why two California “kids”, who have lived their whole lives no further than a 45 minute drive to the Pacific Ocean, are contemplating living in not just the Bible Belt-- but the Buckle of the Bible Belt!

This journey started months back, when I felt an urging to look at moving somewhere outside of California.  The reasons were many, but to list a few, they would be: high state income tax (almost 9%), ridiculously high cost of living compared to most other places in the country, crowding in schools (even costly-private institutions), lack of state funding to receive any sort of therapeutic services for our special needs son, and a state government that is way out of alignment with the direction in which my husband and I feel is correct.  Add that to the apparent public disdain of anyone upholding a Christian worldview in an attempt to be inclusive, at whatever cost, to the New Age movement.  

But even given all of that, California is our home.  It is familiar and in all it’s wackiness it is a place that we’ve learned to live in.  Until now.  For some reason God has put this sense of urgency in my husband and I.  And uncharacteristically, we are moving a pace that is uncomfortably fast.  

We did a lot of research.  Coming up with a laundry list of needs for each member of our family, we came up with four possible cities / suburbs.  We were down to Denver (Colorado Springs area) and Nashville (Franklin / Brentwood).  I was sure that Denver would be the winner.  It was out West--more of a comfort thing.  The weather was a little severe for us wimpy Californians, but the culture was more like what we were used to.  I love Denver!  It's clean and big and the blue skies go on forever.  Nashville is home to many of my friends as well as Christian media, which is the area I'm working in.  But Nashville?  The South?  Could we ever assimilate?  Dave would never like it!

As in many life altering decisions that have God at the helm, the outcome is one that only makes sense when looking through eyes of faith and trusting in Him.  In the weeks that have followed this decision, Dave has met with his new office manager, gone out and surveyed the area, and fallen in love with the pace and people of Nashville.  Something I never expected to happen!

Even knowing that God is in control, which is a statement that can seem quite trite when  one is not truly walking down a path with an unknown destination.  It can be pretty scary!  Then add to that fear the sense of rationalization.  We’ve had many early mornings over the past month where we look at each other and simply say, “What the heck are we doing?”  But in most of those instances we are able to take it back to God and are then met with a reassuring feeling that we are where He wants us to be. Which, for right now, is in a state of physical upheaval;  A season of change.  

They say change is good.  They also say building character hurts! Who are THEY, anyway??!!

Interestingly, my life verse, which I wrote about on my What’s in the Bible blog a few weeks ago, is Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

This journey is both exciting and yeah, a little frightening.  But knowing that Jesus is the lead project manager for this move, gives me peace!

Vampires, Peter Pan and Christianity...Oh my!

Over the weekend I took my youngest son to the costume shop to pick up his Peter Pan Halloween costume.  This year we’re doing the harvest festival at church, which includes dinner, a dress up party and ends with trunk or treat.  We have always allowed our kids to trick or treat with their friends, either at the church or in our housing tract.  Dressing up for Halloween is just a tradition my husband and I grew up with. We do not glorify Satan nor do we partake in any pagan rituals, unless of course a little over-indulgence in candy can be misconstrued as a pagan ritual.  We do have friends who choose to not partake in anything to do with Halloween, and we respect their choice, as they respect ours.  We, however, always have our porch light on and a big bowl of candy ready to hand out.  The good kind of candy, by the way-- chocolate! (wink, wink).

As we walked into the costume store, I asked a young boy who worked there where the Peter Pan costumes were located.  “Aisle 3”, I was told.

We made our way down the costume aisle, passing up Obi Wan, Spiderman, and a Ghostbusters costume, complete with proton-pack.  Joey then spotted what he thought looked like a much cooler costume than Peter Pan.  “Mom, can I be Dracula, instead?”  

Dracula?  “Um...well... why would he want to be Dracula?”, I thought to myself.  I can’t even remember him seeing a vampire movie!  Have I been too liberal with his TV viewing??  Think quickly, mama! 

This vampire issue made me think about the week I just had in my professional life.

Besides writing for this blog, I write and am on the marketing team for the “What’s In the Bible” brand, and I do assorted contracted marketing work with other Christian media companies, as things come up.  I also administrate a Facebook Fan page, titled “Christian Movies”.  The company I was last working with promoted independent Christian film projects.  That company has recently been dissolved.  I was given the option to run this this Facebook page, solely as a ministry, since it didn’t any longer tie into a specific business.  I chose to accept the admin role and I have tried to continue on with the same mission, adding to it a promotional aspect of all Christian media.  This page allows us to highlight specific projects, artists, post production notices, as well as facilitating interesting discussions with the fans.  

Last week I was contacted by a friend who runs a marketing / production company in Hollywood.  She needed an established director for a film project that was ready to seek funding, and it was projected to have a $45M budget.  For an independent film, those numbers are BIG!  She knew I had filmmaker friends who may have had enough experience under their belts to run with this new project. They had a well known distributor on board, and in this industry, everything is needed “yesterday”...so there was a time element I was working under.

There were two hitches about this project,  (1)  It was a secular film AND (2) it was going to have a vampire in it.  

  

The screenwriter and the producer of this project are both Christians.  But this is not in the Christian film genre, per se.  Redemptive storyline?  Hmmmm...I guess that’s possible. Vampires for the most part play the antagonists, and are the evil which in the end usually loses the battle against the righteous.  

But how did the FANS of the site react? Well... as you can expect, it was a hot bed of controversy.  The filmmakers jumped on board and were grateful for the networking opportunity.  Some fans could see that fact, and weren’t turned off by the genre, either.  However, some fans chose to leave the FB site altogether, but not before telling me that, "I had probably never been saved", "Didn’t know God’s Word" and one person actually cast demons out of me before pulling her “fan” status. Seriously, I was exorcised online! 

Let’s just say, I’ve had better weeks.

While I’m not into vampire movies, or anything in the horror genre for that matter, there are people out there (and I’m specifically NOT referring to teenage girls or the Twilight series in this example) who enjoy a vampire flick for sheer entertainment.  Most people don’t necessarily watch scary movies with an intent to see a story beyond that of senseless terror which causes a few momentary rushes of adrenaline.  Much like that of a roller coaster.

The point is this:  Should Christians partake in horror movies?  In my opinion, yes... and, no.  

In it’s truest form, horror is neutral, just as fantasy or drama, are neutral. The writer is dealing in “types” and “devices” that make his story fall into a specific genre.  Personally, I find that a lot of present day horror movies simply range from the absurdly stupid to the senseless and gory.  Many times the best advice would be to not waste your time or money on these projects.  Man can truly corrupt any good story, as we have seen countless times on the big screen, in all genres.  But as for the power to corrupt our souls...that one I’m not so sure about.

True horror represents good as good and evil as evil.  However, in all fairness, there are some projects which are considered to be false horror, which blur the lines within the story, glorifying evil.  Those projects, I would advise people to tread into cautiously.

True horror shows the absolute ugliness of evil. It can show how the most pious even fall victim to the slippery slope of evil. In story there must be an arc, otherwise the story falls flat.  There must be an antagonist or an antagonistic situation.  In true horror evil is always portrayed as the villain.  It is never put on a throne and glorified. It reminds us that justice should prevail over injustice and courage over cowardice. Good always trumps evil! It also forces us to confront that sense of humanistic, chaotic thinking and behavior.  Ultimately, it reminds us that we need God. We need His salvation. In this aspect, even this genre can have a redemptive message.  

On the other hand we don’t want to enter into horror films flippantly. Whether natural or supernatural in theme, I believe demons exist as much as I believe angels exist.  I believe that there is evil around us, and that we must be discerning--even prayerful before we watch anything that addresses evil, directly.  We must never fall victim to the thought process, “this is just a movie”, because that is the time that the enemy can confuse and blur our thinking. Perhaps even enticing some to delve further into occult-ish devices. For some, a little is too much.  They must abstain from this genre of horror, and that’s ok.  For others, this genre presents no more spiritual challenge than any other genre.  It’s my belief that we must allow each Christian, wherever his walk of faith may be, to allow God’s grace and the Spirit’s conviction to guide his decisions on all matters.

But what does the Bible say specifically about vampires?  Well, I looked, and I couldn’t find anything specific to vampires. Probably because vampires are mythical creatures,  found on the other end of the make-believe rainbow from the unicorn or leprechaun.   

But the Bible does speak of evil.

Evil is found to be represented specifically in three books of the Bible; Job, Habakkuk, the Revelation, and part of the Psalms. 

The most relevant Biblical reference that I came across, which discussed our responsibility to stay aware that our actions and decisions could make a brother stumble was from 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 (The Message):

 8-9But fortunately God doesn't grade us on our diet. We're neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can't stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track. 10For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn't there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, someone who looks up to you as knowledgeable and mature, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong. 11-13Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn't you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn't really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn't worth it at the cost of even one of these "weak ones." So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there's any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.”

There are people who can watch a scary movie about vampires, zombies, or Michael and Jason and are simply not affected by it.  There are others who when viewing anything within the horror or fantasy genre, are tempted to delve further into stuff that really is off limits for people of faith.  Things of the occult, psychics, Ouija boards, seances, etc.  These things are spoken about specifically in Scripture, and we are told to NOT partake.  If you are someone who knows that a horror movie would make you stumble, don’t watch it.  If you are WITH someone who you know would stumble after watching a horror movie-- you must take up Paul’s example in 1Corinthians, and abstain, as well.

Getting back to the Dracula costume, we decided that since my son’s faith is still maturing and things CAN easily become blurred, we opted for the Peter Pan costume, instead.  He was fine with it, and it gave us a chance to discuss what evil really is about.  I’m not sure he understands it, and in a way, I’m really glad that evil is a topic that is a little foreign to him.  At 8, he should be surrounded by joy, and all that’s good!

Besides for us, Halloween is all about the candy!  

A New VeggieTales coming this weekend-- It's a Meaningful Life!

Have you ever wondered... What if?

What if my life had taken a different direction? What if I had made different choices? Where would I be, today? Happier? More fulfilled? Would my life have had a clearer meaning or more purpose?

I admit this is a strange way to begin a movie review. Especially since I’m reviewing the newest VeggieTales’ episode, IT’S A MEANINGFUL LIFE. But when you sit with your kids and watch this particular Christmas-themed episode, you’ll understand exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a pre-school show that just might get the moms and dads thinking along the lines of, What if?... And then, using God’s Word, perhaps answer those very soul-searching questions.

Now, on with the show!

It’s a Meaningful Life, starts sometime in the past. Stewart (Larry the Cucumber) aka: The Green Machine, was playing the biggest football game of his life! His whole future was riding on his performance in last the few seconds of this game! But, instead of leaving the field as a hero, he left the field injured. Someone else, by pure coincidence, became the hero that day. That one moment in time changed Stewart’s life-plan, forever!

Move ahead to present day; Stewart is married to the lovely Donna (Petunia Rhubarb). They have been blessed with a beautiful family and live in a modest home located in the same town in which they grew up, Rockwell. Stewart, who once dreamed of leaving Rockwell, for his own fame and fortune, has instead settled into this life and taken over his father’s toy train manufacturing business.

While Stewart’s life seems happy enough, there is a piece of his heart that lacks true contentment. One of the most poignant moments in the movie, is the prayer that Stewart prays, as he feels his life no longer has meaning. “God, why did I end up like this...I was going to do something... special...instead I’ve ruined everything...”

He literally embarks on an incredible journey, hopping on the “What If Express”, which enables him to see a glimpse of what his life would be like IF that football game had ended the way he had always hoped.

Stewart learns that his life is part of God’s plan, and his life has greatly impacted the lives of so many others!Especially his own wife and children! He learns that God’s plan for our lives is truly the perfect plan...and that our lives are, indeed, meaningful when we follow that plan.

Finally, he learns contentment.

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for good and not disaster; plans to give you a future filled with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Maybe it’s my age. Hmmm...where DID my 30’s go, anyway? Maybe it’s the fact that I have asked those very same “What if”questions a lot more frequently over the last few years. Whatever it is, I highly recommend this episode for the entire family!! This is one DVD that you’re definitely going to want to enjoy with the kids!

VeggieTales', It’s a Meaningful Life is such a well made, well written and beautifully produced show. Yeah, I’m a fan, and you probably wouldn’t expect me to say anything too negative-- but I was truly blessed by the theme in this particular story! Director, Brian Roberts, did a fab job in the driver's seat of this episode!

The music in this show is great! Kudos once again to Kurt Heineke for the score, and Mike Nawrocki and Mark Steele who once again knocked it out of the park with their great lyrics! Oh, and Moms, you’re going to crack up at the Silly Song, Goodnight Junior.  Although, my personal favorite is the song, Precious Girl.  Losing my dad last year, this song brought me back to the times when I was a little girl and relied on my own dad to make whatever problem I was dealing with, go away.  There's just a special bond between little girls and their daddy's.  Great song!

Once again, the people at Big Idea have joined forces with one of Christian entertainment’s top names! This time, Steven Curtis Chapman. His beautifully written song, Meant To Be, which plays over the credits, will have you tearing up as you think about how very special to God your own precious children are, and how He has a master plan already in place for each of their lives!

This Christmas season, Big Idea has also partnered with the Steven Curtis Chapman Foundation, Show Hope. This organization has a heart and a mission to care for orphans around the world. They help fund adoptions and even provide life-saving medical care when needed. A truly amazing organization, which YOU can help over this Christmas season! For more information, go to www.showhope.org

It's a Meaningful Life releases this Saturday, October 2 at all Christian retailers; and this coming Tuesday, October 5 to all general retailers. You can also just stay at your computer and simply order this episode right here. Be sure to check out some wonderful specials Big Idea has going on especially for the Christmas season! Don’t forget to also check out some of the newly released CD’s, which the kids will love to listen to on those longer car trips to grandma's!

I’ll be posting my EXCLUSIVE interview with the show's director and my good friend, Brian Roberts, on Monday, October 4. He'll tell us more about the making of this episode, and give us a great insight into the overall development process in making these wonderful shows . Plus, he answers some very intriguing questions about our favorite Veggies, Bob and Larry!  I'll be giving away a copy of this newest VeggieTale's to one lucky person who comments on Brian's interview! You definitely won’t want to miss it!

Excuses, Excuses...But I'm Back Now!

Slacker!!  Me, I mean! That's just the only word that comes to mind about my lack of blogging these past couple weeks!  I'm sorry for dropping the ball on this.

A lot has happened, and I wanted to fill you in on some of the exciting news.

First, school has started.  We are off and running, and after about three weeks of trying to get things into sync, I think we finally have our groove down.  David is attending Biola Star for most of his core curriculum, once a week--and then follows a syllabus the remainder of the time.  He is also taking two electives at the Jr. high, four days a week.  All I have to do is get him from point A to point B on time!  It's good to have him so self sufficient this year!

Joe is in 2nd grade and we are plowing through our curriculum!  He's also taking a couple of electives this year, so I find myself in the car A LOT more than last year!  In fact, I have a much busier schedule this year, by far!  But---it's all working out, thankfully.

I'm so happy to announce that I've been brought on to work with Phil Vischer's marketing /web site team for his new children's series, WHAT'S IN THE BIBLE?   I'm loving it!!!  I get to blog on their site twice a week and get paid for it!  Nice!!  So, you can probably guess where most of my 'good' writing has been applied these past few weeks!

Hoping to get back on track with this blog, I will be reviewing the newest VeggieTales' episode, IT'S A MEANINGFUL LIFE, and interviewing the director of that particular show, Brian Roberts.  As with my other Veggie reviews, I will also be facilitating a DVD give-a-way on this site!! So--stay tuned!!

I'd love to shamelessly plug the WHAT'S IN THE BIBLE site, and while you're over there, check out the blog posts.  I write my portion of the blog every Tuesday and every other Thursday.  I'm hoping to develop a stronger interactive community over there, so stop by and comment.  Also, the web site is going through some major changes that will coincide with the launch of the new curriculum packages!  You're going to LOVE this site and the entire series, as well!  I promise!

Talk to you guys again--soon!!

Marriage is What Brings Us Together...Today!

Unconditional love is, by definition,  to love someone regardless of the loved one's qualities or actions.


As parents we can all probably relate to this type of love. When the doctor places that newborn baby in your arms, the feeling of unconditional love envelopes each of us.  Thankfully, because that same creature who we love so very much will in fact challenge that love many times over the course of a lifetime.  But, yes...it's there. That love that says, "I will love you completely-- no matter what."


My challenge is to apply that same idea of love to my marriage.  Do I love my husband unconditionally?  Is this what God asks of us?  --Because guarding my heart is pretty important-- and what if I get hurt? And sometimes he really bugs me! Realizing I, too, can be a little difficult... I bet he has just as much trouble loving me, unconditionally. Probably.  Ha!  Likely!


First we have to look at how God created marriage. Was it to create children, enhance society or was there something deeper in His plan?  The example given to us in Ephesians 5, is very much in sync with that of the Trinity.  "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31, 32)


Jesus leaves the Father-- Secures His Bride through his sacrifice-- The church (Bride) now belongs to Him.  


Marriage could then be called the "earthly" relationship which allows us to better understand the mysteries and truths of God's unconditional love towards us. Perhaps a revelation of His love (agape) but in a way, which we can hopefully understand a little better.  If we are saved by grace, I would assume that God's grace and His unconditional love sort of dovetail into each other.  


That's huge.  


"I love you--no matter what." Realizing it would have been a lot easier if parental love rather than marriage would have been the example. I've heard it said that God, while in love with us, isn't AS interested in our comfort, as He is our character.  So, easy or not, that is the walk He has asked us to make, together in marriage, with Him as our example.


My focus is to devote myself to my marriage; to my husband.  Maybe in a way which I haven't thought about since the kids came along.  I need to prayerfully look at my actions, words and thoughts towards him as truly love giving, rather than focusing on what he's doing, or not doing FOR me.  


I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to dwell on his faults as a basis for me to withhold my love, shelter my heart from possible hurt, or love him conditionally based on the past hurts or failures.  In return, I can hope that he will also love me, unconditionally, in spite of my many faults and failures.  


Realizing that God's plan is so diametrically opposite to the philosophies taught by the New Age worldview, I must gird myself in His truth and example, and once again come to the place where His Word resides in my heart.  “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).




Here is a passage that was read at our wedding, and probably yours, too. Today I am reading these words with a new perspective:

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant,does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own,is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. 1Cor. 13: 4-7

Funerals Are Odd Things...

Funerals are odd things.

I never know how to act at a funeral.  Is somber the right attitude? If so, how somber? Should I smile or would that look too out of place?  "It's good to see you..."  is a phrase that we all have said at such a rather inappropriate time.  What we really mean to say is, "It IS good to see YOU... it just stinks that it has to be HERE!

Life goes on, right?  When you are the one going through the personal loss, it seems amazing that the earth doesn't somehow open up and swallow you, in your grief.  But in reality-- Life DOES go on. Laughter occurs, even in the middle of utter sadness. Memories are shared that make you both tragically sad and yet exuberantly happy!

My own mortality is ironically measured in the aging faces of the cousins with which I shared so much of my youth.  Those wonderful memories; the Christmas Eve dinners that would find the older generation busy in the kitchen making homemade tamales and beans, as the cousins played tag in the backyard. Those lovely, warm Fourth of July nights that would include cumbias and salsa dancing under the flickering lights of the patio.  The many, many dollar-dances and Chicken-dances that we have enjoyed at each other's weddings. The intense laughter! All those great memories...

Now, life just seems so much more...serious.  We cousins are together, still, but much less frequently.  It seems as though we are now taking turns burying our parents. Surreal. How did time go by so quickly?!

Such strange emotions all at once.  Funerals are odd things.

CAUTION: Prayer Can Be Difficult...

Confession time: Sometimes I am just so self-absorbed!  My barometer of empathy rests on what it is I have personally gone through...and you know what?  That is shameful!

I'm currently following three friends on the Caring Bridge site.  If you are unfamiliar with that web site; it's a site where people who are dealing with life-threatening or life-altering diseases and medical conditions can set up a home page.  Friends can follow their daily/weekly progress in a blog-esque sort of write up that is done by either the patient or a family member.  There is also a personalized guestbook where friends can respond to the blog, add notes of encouragement,  or any other written sentimentality that they wish.

Caring Bridge is a great innovation for communication between those who would otherwise not know the day-to-day happenings or be able to communicate as effectively with a friend /loved one who is facing huge physical and emotional challenges while going through difficult curative treatments or palliative care.  It gives us a means to love out loud and show support.

This morning I signed into Caring Bridge and saw the names of the three people I am currently following.  One with stage III Cancer, and two with Traumatic Head Injuries.   I caught myself internally stepping back for a moment.  The very scope of what these friends are facing has sort of brushed by me.  I feel a sense of empathy.  I'm ashamed to admit that I sometimes tune in to their painful, fearful, faithful and hopeful pages with a thought that sort of sounds like, "There but by the grace of God go I..."  Geesh!  How selfish!!  From where does true empathy come?  Must we HAVE to encounter the pain to understand it?  -- YES! I believe we must.

Now, I'm not suggesting that I want Cancer...or that I desire to know what it is like to see the motionless body of my child lying in a bed; knowing that he is physically alive in all ways, but that after one year his brain is still trying to heal ENOUGH to allow him to acknowledge anything.  But until I can prayerfully place myself into the uncomfortable shoes of these friends-- I can not show empathy.  I can not take on their needs, and in intercession, bring them to the Throne of God.

I must connect with the pain.  And in doing so-- feel the pain.  Take on the pain.  Embrace the pain.  Through the pain, will come the abandonment of human strength and the beginning of our reliability on the strength of God.  It is a brokenness that we, as prayer partners, need to feel to adequately pray for the person we have chosen (or have been asked) to pray for.  All other prayer, while good, is not personal.  It is general.

Throughout the last few years I have come to think of prayer--true prayer--to be a workout!  When we take a person's needs to the Father, perhaps we SHOULD be exhausted afterward.  I think I finally realize why.  Maybe it's because, for just a moment,  we are able to put on that empathetic cloak of pain; illness; hopelessness; fear; or despair in order to stand in the gap for them, in prayer.  It's uncomfortable.  It's something that at times I can't get off quickly enough.  It just hurts!  It is in those moments we can truly see what our dear friends and family are going through-- and it reminds us that they can not take off that pain.  It is theirs for an entire season!--And only God knows how long that season will last.

I encourage all of us, as the Body of Christ, to take prayer seriously.  Not to make the statement, "I'll pray for you" just a rhetorical Christian response...but rather a promise to take action.

Step into the gap.