drama

My Oscar Acceptance Speech (Just in Case)

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I wanted to let all of you know that I’m in a good place. In fact, I truly feel like I’m in a better place spiritually, mentally, and physically than I’ve been in for a long time. And I have you to thank for it.

I won’t be like the actual Oscar winners and name names, but I will thank you and hope you recognize yourself in this list.

Thank you for praying for me faithfully and consistently. There are times when I truly felt like I was carried by those prayers and times when your prayers and your faith in and for me sustained me when I didn’t have the prayers to pray or the faith to believe for myself.

Thank you for your spoken words of encouragement and all your texts and posts on my wall and facebook messages that always seemed to come at just the right moment when I needed to hear those words. God spoke mightily to me through you.

Thank you for meeting with me for coffee and conversation. Those times meant more to me than you knew because I know you cared enough about me to take time out of your busy schedule to spend time with me.

Thank you even if you said you wanted to meet for coffee and conversation but were unable to follow through. I know you meant well and I am flattered and honored that you even considered meeting with me.

Thank you for putting up with my occasional moments of insanity and weirdness and those times when I was overly needy or obnoxious. The fact that you stuck around when you could have bolted means the world to me.

Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your community groups and Sunday School classes. Thank you for rooting for me and helping me believe in myself. Thank you for being amazing examples of Christ for me to learn from.

I know there’s so much I probably left out that I should have included. But with my ADD, I’m doing good to remember all of this.

Just know that I am eternally grateful to know each and every one of you and I pray that God blesses you as much as you have blessed me and that he brings you as much joy as you have brought to my life– which is way more than I deserved or could ever hope to contain. I’m so very grateful to have you play a part in the story of my life that God is still writing for me.

Thank you.

2013: The New Adventure

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we_bought_a_zoo_p

“It’s not about where an adventure ends, because that’s not what an adventure is about” (from We Bought a Zoo).

I think a lot of us are glad to see the end of 2012. For some, 2012 was painful and said. For me, it was a year that saw some challenges, had its really good moments, but it’s now over and I’m ready for a new adventure.

I take that back. It’s not a new adventure. It’s a continuation in the unfolding adventure of what God has for me next. It’s a new chapter in the book that God is writing. The one where I’m the main character (and I hope that if Hollywood adapts the book about me into a movie, they get Matt Damon or John Cusack to play me. That would be awesome.

But I digress.

I say one of the best moments in 2012 for me was seeing Sixpence None the Richer in concert at the Franklin Theatre and hearing them play “Kiss Me” live. That was a highlight moment that is definitely in my top 10. The worst moment was getting hit by that car, even though it didn’t hurt me nearly as bad as it probably should have. It shook me up.

But even that turned out for the good. I have never been more thankful to be alive and grateful for the good things in my life, like family and friends. I’ve let go of some negative thinking in light of almost seeing my life flash before my eyes.

So bring it, 2013. I’m ready. I have an open mind and an open heart and open hands. I have no expectations this year other than this: I fully expect God to be present in my life and bring the people and places and circumstances and situations into my life that will make me more like Jesus. Like I read earlier today, God wants my faithfulness more than he wants my success.

2013’s gonna be a great year.

 

 

Vintage Music Picks

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As I’ve probably mentioned before, I have extremely eclectic musical tastes, with everything from Glenn Miller to Metallica in my collection. Lately, my music has taken an indie/alternative turn, but I still like my sappy 80’s power ballads from time to time (and I am not ashamed of that, either).

That said, I have some recommendations if you’re into vintage, i.e. pre-1950’s music.

http://www.amazon.com/Popular-Recordings-Glenn-Miller/dp/B000002WDC/ref=sr_1_12?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348971870&sr=1-12&keywords=glenn+miller

If you love circa-World War II big band music, this is the holy grail. I wish they had a more recent and remastered version of this music, but the songs are fantastic.

http://www.amazon.com/Blanton-Webster-Band-Duke-Ellington/dp/B000003EO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348971992&sr=1-1&keywords=duke+ellington+blanton+webster

Another fantastic collection of big band music from one of the all-time legends of jazz music in Duke Ellington. You really can’t go wrong here.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Columbia-Years-1943-52-4-CD/dp/B000007QCN/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348972098&sr=1-2&keywords=frank+sinatra+box+set+columbia

This represents one of the greatest crooners of all time, Frank Sinatra, in what I consider to be his best period, musically speaking. His voice is velvety-smooth and the songs really stand the test of time.

http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Andrews-Sisters-Greatest/dp/B00005UL6B/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348972172&sr=1-4&keywords=the+andrews+sisters

This is an import collection of The Andrews Sisters, and in my humble opinion, sounds amazing for songs that were recorded primarily in the 40’s.

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Johnson-Complete-Recordings/dp/B000002757/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1348972246&sr=1-1&keywords=robert+johnson+the+complete+recordings

This collection of bluesman Robert Johnson’s recordings is essential if you are even remotely interested in blues music at all. Just incredible musicianship and very soulful and moving songs.

That’s all I have for now, but there will probably be more recommendations to come in the future. I welcome your picks, as I am always looking to add to the variety of my vast musical collection.

 

 

Getting Ready for the Big Premiere (My Nerd Blog)

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I’m beyond excited about the December 14 premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I plan to be there for the midnight showing and yes,  I will probably pay the extra $5 to see the 3D version.

I’ve loved The Hobbit book as long as I can remember and I’ve read it every year for at least 12 or 13 years running. Which is good and bad. It’s good because I know the story so well. It’s bad because I know the story so well and I’ll be able to tell every time the film deviates from the book even just a little. Yeah, I’m kind of a nerd that way.

In anticipation of the first of a trilogy based on the book, I pulled out my DVD of the old animated version done by Rankin-Bass, the same duo who brought you such Christmas classics and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. It’s not the best animation and some of the voices for the characters are over the top. Yes, it’s cheesy circa 1977. But I love it.

It gets pretty close to the book, or at least as close as 78 minutes will allow. I can certainly relate to ol’ Bilbo Baggins, who gets roped into an adventure where he’s in way over his head, but manages to come out all right in the end.

If you do happen to catch this on DVD or on TV one night, you might recognized the voice of the narrator/Gandalf the Grey as none other than legendary director John Huston. That has nothing to do with the new movie or anything else, but I thought it was cool.

If you want to continue the amazingly fun and cheesy adventure, check out the animated versions of The Lord of the Rings and Return of the King. I’m including a link to amazon.com so you can purchase these for your own collection and be as nerdy as me!

http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Orson-Bean/dp/B00005MP59/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1348547516&sr=1-2&keywords=the+hobbit

http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Animated-Remastered-Deluxe/dp/B0033090D2/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1348547516&sr=1-5&keywords=the+hobbit

http://www.amazon.com/The-Return-King-Orson-Bean/dp/B00005MP5D/ref=pd_cp_mov_1

Life as a Story

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I really love a good movie or a good song or a good book. There’s nothing better to me than a story well told, whether it’s in a 3 1/2 minute song or a 3 1/2 hour movie or a 300-page novel.

I like to think that’s because I myself am a character in a story. Not just any story. The Story of all stories, authored by the very God who made the world and everything in it.

The Story isn’t about me, though I tend to forget that from time to time. I get so caught up in my little drama and my own problems that I forget who the story is really about (and has always been about).

The Story has always and will always be about Jesus. He’s the great Hero who shows up when things are at their bleakest and when people are at their lowest and rescues us.

I take great comfort in knowing that my Story has a happy ending because I’ve already read the last page. No, I don’t know how I will die (though according to a facebook app, I will die in a rollerblading accident when I’m in my 90’s). I do know that Jesus comes back in the end and sets everything right again. And I get to be a part of that.

I love how C.S. Lewis puts it. All of history is just the title page and preface, but Heaven will be the actual story that never ends and keeps getting better from chapter to chapter. Heaven’s not an end, but the real beginning after a false start.

That’s why I love a good story. I always have, from when I was little up till now. So did Jesus during His earthly ministry. His way of communicating truth was through telling stories.

I hope that you and I can not only live our stories well, but learn to tell them to others and help other people find their own stories in the context of God’s great Story.

 

 

20 Seconds

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“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

I love that line from the movie We Bought a Zoo. And how very true it is. 20 seconds of courage and bravery could very well change you life (and possibly someone else’s). It could start a chain reaction that could affect way more than just two lives.

Imagine you had 20 seconds of insane, embarrasing courage. What could you do? What could you say to someone? Maybe something like:

“Hey, do you ever think much about spiritual things? You do? Let me tell you about my own spiritual journey to finding peace.”

“I saw you sitting by yourself. Do you mind if I join you?’

“I’m sorry. I was completely in the wrong. Will you forgive me?”

“I know I haven’t had much time for you lately, but I want to make time. How about meeting up for coffee this week?”

“You may think no one sees what you do or cares, but I notice. I see. I believe God has His hand on you and is doing great things in and through you. Take heart.”

You can say these and so many other things in 20 seconds.

Who knows? It may work. It also may blow up in your face. But to me, failure is better than not trying and always wondering what would have happened if you did.

I know. I live with too many “what if”s already.

You may not do something crazy like buying a zoo (like the main character in the above movie did), but you can take one very small step of courage right now.

I really truly believe that if you do, something great will come of it.