A Blog of Thinking Allowed

In spite of having audio difficulties the first hour and half of the movie Fireproof (was that a/c hum through the speaker the devil’s feeble attempt to ruin it?) I did enjoy the movie. 

Almost expecting the typical half baked, half done attempts at movie making I experienced such as with the first Left Behind movie, I was pleasantly surprised with this finished product.  Using only a half million for the whole movie, this was a cut above some of the more “professionally made” movies I’ve seen this last summer (Nights in Rodanthe comes to recent memory.)

I am more than pleased, actually.  The actors were good.  Some were really good.  I appreciated how they didn’t pick all perfect model looking walk-ons either.   The music was good too. Often in cheap movies, well, the music just doesn’t fit, you know?  But the only issue I found was a few times where the scene totally changed and the music didn’t fade very well. Otherwise, the music didn’t detract and was noticeably an attraction for the movie scene.

Fireproof is based on a fireman who’s marriage has burned to the ground, so to speak.  It’s also a term that Christian’s have occasionally used to denote being heaven-bound, and not hell-bound (and the lake of fire condemnation.)  The plot is believeable, and real.  The tears look real too.  As you will hear me say often, a good movie will have certain elements, one being taking you through the realm of emotions.  This one does that.  I even found myself so engrossed at times I had to pull myself away and tell myself it’s just a movie!

Bravo!  Finally, a flick I  feel comfortable approving for even some picky movie goers. Whether Christian or not, if your marriage is on the embers or beginning to die down, give this one a try.

Hope and optimism: are they the same?  I recently was asked this and my initial, brief, response was that optimism is something anyone can have,  regardless of belief, whereas hope holds a spiritual atmosphere.  The conversation isn’t over, but now that I have had time to ponder the initial question of whether hope and optimism are the same, I’m still unsure if they are or  not.

Optimism, by it’s very definition is a doctrine that this world is the best possible world, with an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome. Thanks to Merriam-Webster for that definition.   Hope, on the other hand, is to cherish a desire with anticipation, to desire with expectation of obtainment, to expect with confidence.(Ibid.)  At least those are the standard definitions.

Faith is what gives us the idea that whether things work out as we hope, it will work out for the best in God’s ways. We hope for the best, we hope that what we are asking for is God’s will, we hope the result will be what we want, that we will be happy with the end product, situation.

Perhaps I would do better to try and compare faith and optimism. Compare. Because it is faith that gives us that belief that everything is in God’s hands and that allows us to do our best and know that regardless of the outcome, it will be God’s will for our own best.  That sounds much like optimism.

Optimism just doesn’t give me the same sense of spirituality like hope -and faith- do.  It might be a state of positive expectation that one falls into after faith has done her work.  I don’t think so.  I think optimism gives more of an air that things just work out okay, because that’s what I expect, whether God has anything to do with it or not.

Optimism is good, don’t take me wrongly.  But as I said anyone can be optimistic.  And indeed believers may very well give that air of all things work out okay (Romans 8:28  All things work together for good to them who love God to them who are the called according to His Word.)  But what a believer needs to display is a deeper sense of optimism, that surety of faith, truly believing that God is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Have the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and know that nothing is impossible with God.

How does that play out?  Well, for one, you understand that the current state of affairs is nothing new to God. He’s known all along that these things will happen. When he created this earth, He gave us enough for all time.  He didn’t “forget” that the population would grow so large; nor did He have an “oops” moment where he didn’t plan for the increase in technology or the need for plenty of natural resources.   He’s told us in His Word  to not fear, not be anxious. It’s all part of His plan.

As I have said before, if I can trust God for my salvation, to keep me from hell and allow me into heaven (which I do trust Him for) then I can certainly trust Him that He knows the troubles on earth today, and exactly where we are in this thing called “life.”  Now, that’s not just optimism, that’s hope exhibited by faith.

Well,  I wasn’t sure when I went to the theater just which movie I would see, but this one played at the best time for me especially since I was already there!  I’m not sure if I had seen more of the clips previously that this would have been my choice.

It’s a chick flick mainly, but has some good parts for the guys.  It begins like a typical divorcee’s issues but doesn’t end like anyone expected, nor wanted.  At least that’s what I felt, and also from the response of the rest of the audience.  I’ve always said  that what makes a good movie is one that takes you through the emotions. This one does, for that matter.

Regarding the directing, who needed it with Richard Gere and Diane Lane?  It was really good in the acting realm.  It was the special effects that bummed me.  Anyone who’s been through a bad storm would also be disappointed.  The “hurricane”  came on way too suddenly, and after a few really good scenes of them anchoring the shutters, the shutters were banging against the windows anyway.  Not possible for the way they were anchored.  Then, the house seems to be coming off it’s stilts (it’s on the shore) and a large hutch falls over, all nice for effects except, the house doesn’t move and nothing else is dishelveled.

I suppose some of it is due to the poor editing.  The scene where she goes to the bottom of the house for the generator…well,  why did they show that?  The aftermath is confusing too. Not just with the house itself, but with all the debris around it.  Wait!  It’s a solitary house on the shore… no other houses for quite a ways, yet there is debris all over.  From where?  Oh sigh.  Guess I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t from Florida?

Anyway, if you’re ready for a really good -and sad- movie, needing to dream a little, laugh a little and  to cry or just feel sorry for your lonely self, this is the one to see.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

just as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesian chapter 4 verse 32 of the New King James Version

I’m really saddened by Oprah Winfrey’s decision to follow the New Age movement.  

She follows the path of two other women who as young ladies, vowed -as she had- to follow Christ: Shirley McClain, and  J Z Knight.  Oprah’s most recent avenue of promoting this “new age” cult is her online book studies “A New Earth., Are you ready to be awakened.”  Her other promotion,  “A Course  of Miracles” is equally dangerous reading.  Though there are a few Scripture verses used, (incorrectly and out of context) her website declares that (this online course) is not for or against any religion. What I and other follower’s of Christ say is: on the whole, this book (including the text, workbook, and teacher’s guide) is blasphemy!

 Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth,  writes of words of faith from any religious figure, “To a large extent, therefore, their deeper meaning is no longer recognized and their transformative power lost.”  Tolle also writes, ” there is no need to go elsewhere for the truth.”   (oprah.com)

I urge all Christians to not only stop following Oprah in everything she promotes, but also to write her and tell her you are not going to watch her any more.  She has left the faith. For those of you who are confused in your faith, I urge you not to study these books, as there is just so much “wrong” with them,  and using common Christian terms incorrectly is just one of them. You might think and even feel that these books have your answer, but you will be farther from the real Truth than you already are.

The “New Age Movement” is anything but new.  It’s just new to America being based in ancient eastern religions.

Followers of the “A Course of Miracles” book decide they are God.  They use the very phrase of God’s name: I am that I am with reference to themselves!  The Bible book of Matthew, chapter 24 verses 4 and 5 give Christ’s words: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”   In chapter 7 and verse 23 and 24 also of Matthew, Christ words are:  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in they name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity.”

Cult expert Russ Wise states, according to the author of Miracles: “In 1965 a Jewish atheistic psychologist from Columbia University began to channel messages from a spirit she believed to be Jesus. She ultimately produced, or she says Jesus revealed to her, well over a thousand pages of revelation during the next seven years.”   ((http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/thcourse.html)

  Marianne Williamson quotes and warns about The Course of Miracles thusly:  According to The Course, sickness, hate, pain, fear, guilt, and sin are all illusions.… “The only way to dispel illusions is to withdraw all investment from them, and they will have no life for you because you will have put them out of your mind.” And,  “The Course sums it up this way, “There is no life outside of Heaven. Where God created life, there life must be. In any state apart from Heaven life is illusion.” There you have it! It is perfectly clear–murder, rape, and other forms of evil do not exist because they do not come from “love.” Try explaining to a mother who has lost a son or daughter that their loss is the result of an illusion.

She continues: “The integration of psychology and spirituality becomes a lure that pulls them deeper into the web of deception and ultimately suffocates them. The biblical teaching of original sin is dismissed for the more palatable “original goodness.” ((http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/thcourse.html)

Dr Jack Van Impe succinctly lists the false beliefs this way:

“They say there is no such thing as sin.

They say there is no need for the cross, atonement.

They say that Jesus is just a word symbol.”

That is enough for any Christian to steer clear of such cultist promotion of satan’s  push, and Oprah Winfrey’s compliance, to draw so many away from Christ and the Truth, and I strongly plead that you steer clear also.

This week’s verse to memorize:

II Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,

that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

I met a homeless woman recently.  I blogged about it.  She made me ponder, once again, the plight of the homeless in the area.  South Florida is abundant with homeless men, women, families.   This last week, after hearing  a religious program about the slave trade in the States, and then watching a few programs about hungry children, and also the homeless in the USA, I wanted to do more than throw money at the problem.  I think I may have even asked God to show me to a family that was down and out, or a homeless one, and then show me what to do.

A little more background to the story today: This week I determined to remove as much plastic from my home as possible.  I always had issues with it, and once I removed the microwave from the house, much of the plastic use stopped too.  But then the warnings about possible cancer connections to plastics came and I figured that was enough!  (I always suspected something from our environment was increasing cancer.  The nitrites in the packaged meats are a part of the problem, being that labs use nitrites in lab rats because it grows the tumors the fastest, so they can use the drugs on them…)  A plastics connection makes huge sense to me.  I have issues with petroleum-based products due to an allergy.  Ridding my home is just logical.  Anyway, I digressed.

There’s a home product store going out of business locally, and I planned on shopping there for my replacements of glass, wood, and metal.  I ended up at Goodwill, where I found some good glass products like measuring cup and plates, drinking glass.  Then, in spite of my intent to go to the liquidation, I ended up at Target.   Guess who was sitting outside on that store?  The homeless woman!

I greeted her, stopped to talk.  I asked her if she remembered me, that I gave her the meal ticket for the restaurant. Yes, she had the meatloaf and it was really good she said.  She smiled.  I realize why she had something soft to eat: she has no teeth to speak of.  I asked where she lives…she looked around and said she generally stays in this area.  Yeah, ok, I nodded and said that I would look for her more often.

Now, to follow up and see how well I can respond to God’s answer to my request. : ) I’ll keep you informed.

Is there such a thing?  A “small” miracle?  Just what is a miracle anyway?  To me, a miracle is anything that works out due to unexpected, unusual, and/or humanly impossible means or methods. 

My small miracle?  Due to a recent encounter with fire ants, my feet and ankles are quite bitten and causing some suffering.  I’m sure the effect would be worse if I had full feeling in them, but then, if I had that I wouldn’t be suffering from so many bites; I would have stopped them at the first one, not the first one felt.

I decided a hot, epsom salt bath would help.  There I was, enjoying the bath and healing nature of the epsom salts, when I accidently rubbed body wash into my eye.  I sloshed water up onto my face (eyes closed of course) until the sense of soapiness was gone.  When I tried to open my eyes, I remembered the water had epsom salt in it, felt the burning, and closed my eyes again.   So I sat, and decided what I needed, as I put my hands out to the sides in a “what shall I do” fashion. “What I need, God, is a wash cloth,” I thought.  At that very moment I felt a cloth in my left hand.  What???  I opened the good eye and saw my dog standing there, with cloth in mouth putting it into my outstretched hand!   He hasn’t been taught that, and I didn’t say anything audibly, only to God,  about what I needed.   I don’t even know where he found it.

Of course, God and animals -and man before the fall- all spoke with each other I believe.  Just because man fell out of fellowship and quit talking with God doesn’t mean God quit talking with His animals?!

I dried my face and opened both eyes.  Good ole Caleb laid there on the rug, patiently waiting for me.  Maybe some of you wouldn’t consider that a miracle at all.  I have had much greater happen to me in my life.  I believe that you need to acknowledge and thank God for even the small things before He trusts you with the larger.  For me,  this was one nifty little miracle. : )

God made

Adam bit

Noah arked

Abraham split

Joseph ruled

Jacob fooled

Bush talked

Moses balked

Pharaoh plagued

People walked

Sea divided

Tablets guided

Promise landed

Saul Freaked

David peeked

Prophets warned

Jesus born

God walked

Love talked

Anger crucified

Hope died

Love rose

Spirit flamed

Word spread

God remained

If you read my blog from yesterday, you will see where I received a free meal.  Today, I dutifully helped my mother with her grocery shopping, as the Commandment “Honor your mother…” tells us to.  I had to wait for her to arrive by bus, as she uses a motorized wheelchair.  She had never used an ATM before, and at 88 she now needed to, so I met her to show her how.  While waiting the half hour (as it turns out) for her bus, I stood in the a/c section by the door.  One of the shoppers, a man, looked at me, grabbed his bags from the cart, and left.  The next thing I knew, a store employee who was collecting carts, picked up a paid-for Boar’s Head sandwich from the cart and put it into my hands saying something about having left it there.  ‘OH!” I exclaimed, looking around for the man, long since gone.   God gave me a free supper yesterday. Then today, to prove it was Him, He gave me another free supper tonight.  God’s miracles are all around us, even when we aren’t looking for them.