Another "Christmas" Movie... You Must See

In addition to the aforesaid Christmas with a Capital C (see post dated 11-30-10), there is another movie also meriting the gaze of your pupils. A movie that strikes at the chord of moral uplift by inciting our imaginations to truth and what really matters. Like all C.S. Lewis masterpieces, it uses great fantasy to speak to deep reality. The movie is, of course, the much-hyped Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Voyage has received good press -- so far it has a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes -- and appears poised to reinvigorate the series with a portrayal consistent to Lewis and Biblical theology. Check out a good review from World magazine.



If you really want to see a film of the next book, The Silver Chair, you must support this movie.

Christmas Movie Time

Ah, what wonder and magic the Christmas season calls forth. And with aforesaid magic comes the delight of Christmas movies. This upcoming season brings one to the fore that I think is especially worth the price of admission (or DVD purchase).

The film is Christmas with a Capital C. It has some big names, a beautiful setting, and an uncommon plot. It truly needs our support if its relevant message is to be heard. Unfortunately, I don't believe it's coming out in theaters except selectively. But it will be available on DVD. Your church can organize a cinematic viewing, though, by contacting its distributor, Pure Flix Entertainment. Here is a sneak-peek to whet the appetite for good ole Christmas fun. And to bring us back to the reason and source for all that fun.

Essential Reads vol. 2

It's been a little more than a year since my inaugural Essential Reads post. Since that time I have run across more books to put into my repertoire of reads essential. Without further ado, the second volume of Essential Reads.

• When struggling with doubt -- Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
• When struggling with severe doubt -- Open My Eyes, Lord by Gary Oates
• Before helping the poor -- When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
• When learning to pray -- any George Müller biography
• Before complaining -- Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
• Before doing anything else -- Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand
• Before going to Hell -- 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese

These are all powerful books. Be sure to read them before it's too late.

Afghanistan Christian: Sayed Mossa

Yesterday was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. In light of that, I want to shed what little light this blog can shed on one such man "of whom the world [is] not worthy" (Hebrews 11).

The man's name is Sayed Mossa, and he has a wife and six kids. Read more of his story from the article by World magazine writer Mindy Belz. Mossa is 45 and his oldest child is just 8. One of his children is disabled and Mossa himself is an amputee with a prosthetic limb.

He has been able to sneak out a letter via someone who visited him. In the letter he appeals to his Christian family around the world and President Barack Obama for assistance. In his own words he has been imprisoned "due to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, saviour of the world." He also describes being sexually assaulted and physically abused.

Presumably, being a Christian in Afghanistan, especially one as bold as this, putting his name out there, is no small, trivial thing. With Afghanistan being at the center of a great deal of media and political attention, his case could be a sparkplug for big change and his own cries for help could very well be heeded.

If you feel so moved, apprise your Congressmen, the President, the State Department, and/or the Red Cross -- whom Mr. Mossa used to work for -- of this bold man's plight. Pray for him. He is doing a great thing. Thanks be to God.

Disgusting

There was news today about a woman who has left her McDonald's hamburger and fries out in the open for six months. Six months! And behold, there is not one indication of mold or decay. Absolutely petrifying if you ask me -- figuratively and literally, as the burger and fries have quite literally petrified it seems.

As the article from Yahoo! goes on to say, McDonald's vehemently denies the claim that there is funny business in their food. They say that their hamburger patty is "100% USDA-inspected ground beef" and that their buns are made with "common government-approved ingredients designed to assure food quality and safety."

Phew! Well, that's good. Now I know what to do next time I cook too many burgers tailgating at the season opener. I'll just save 'em for the playoffs!

Or maybe in trying to cover their bases, McDonald's has inadvertently revealed the true culprit. What exactly does the USDA approve? And what are the "government-approved ingredients"? And why do they use the word "designed" in regard to those ingredients?

Hmmm.

America: A Christian Nation? Part III

Happy Constitution Day! Today is the 223rd anniversary of the miraculous day when our nation's most sacred document and final authority was completed.

George Washington, who presided over the Constitutional Convention, declared that its completion was "little short of a miracle." It is the very foundation of the greatest country the world has ever known. Its import cannot be understated.

In light of the absolute magnificence of the United States Constitution, it would be fitting to remember the man nicknamed "The Father of the U.S. Constitution." It should also be added that this same man introduced the first 10 amendments to it, now known as the Bill of Rights. It could be argued that this man, perhaps more than any other, is responsible for the greatness of this country. Would it not stand to reason that this man's beliefs influenced his impact on our country?

I have sometimes thought there could be no stronger testimony in favor of Religion or against temporal Enjoyments even the most rational and manly than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare their unsatisfactoriness by becoming fervent Advocates in the cause of Christ, & I wish you may give in your Evidence in this way. Such instances have seldom occurred, therefore they would be more striking and would be instead of a "Cloud of Witnesses." -- James Madison

-- Letter to William Bradford (September 1773), quoted in The Lustre of Our Country : The American Experience of Religious Freedom (2000) by John Thomas Noonan, p. 66

America: A Christian Nation? Part II

In a recent periodical, someone wrote a letter to the editor expressing discontent that this certain periodical had a section highlighting Christian fiction. They wrote, "This is not a Christian nation; it is a multifaith one..."

In response to that comment, I wrote to the editor myself. What follows is an excerpt:

To paraphrase the late Harvard professor Dr. Samuel Huntington, the U.S. is at
its core a nation of Christian principles; we are not a generic melting pot, but
a tomato soup with its blend of different spices and croutons while still
retaining its overall tomato base.

Huntington was not what you would call a Christian thinker. He was, so I'm told, a liberal Harvard professor who just happened to see the facts rather clearly. Another notable figure from the more liberal side of things, President Woodrow Wilson, also said something curiously remarkable about our nation:

America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the Holy Scriptures.

When those held in admiration by those who claim we are not a Christian nation, say that we are, in fact, a Christian nation, it makes one think.

A Marvel of Creation

Yesterday, the famed British physicist Stephen Hawking made news when it was revealed that his new book, due later this month, stated that God was unnecessary for creation of the cosmos.

This wouldn't have been so interesting normally. But it was made all the more ironic as I was just recently introduced to one of the most fascinating things I have ever seen in support of an intelligent design.

Behold the Japanese honeybee. The Japanese honeybee has a predator: the incredibly ferocious Japanese hornet. The Japanese hornet wreaks havoc on European honeybee colonies. Japanese honeybees, on the other hand, have a very unique defense. You must watch it.




Now, I know this may not be an absolutely-fail-safe proof, but how in the world could that amazing collective ability have evolved? How could natural selection have chosen the bees that just happened to randomly learn that collectively they could defeat this predator. It's not as if their unique quality is some physical trait shared by each individual. Their unique quality is only expressed in and as a community. It's as if every single individual in that original primeval community had to evolve at about the same time in the same way, so they could all function in one unit to defend themselves. Otherwise, this predator would have seemingly made them extinct. It's as if this collective trait was something learned and passed down from generation to generation, which would only speak to their genius and the genius of their designer.

And then there's the temperatures. It's quite extraordinary that this honeybee has a maximum threshold of 118⁰ and, oh-so-perfectly, their dreaded predator has a maximum threshold of 116⁰, and they can somehow generate enough heat to just barely kill their predator while not killing themselves. The whole thing just smells of divinity's touch.

America: A Christian Nation? Part I

With Independence Day having just passed and with Constitution Day on the near horizon (September 17th), now is a proper time to reflect on something important: our country's heritage. So much talk has been made of the idea that this country is not a Christian nation. The roots of our country have significant ramifications for our present-day attitudes and mindset for the future. Regardless of whether you think it is Christian or not, the question is a crucial one. Now, as for the answer, let's examine that. Ultimately, history and the evidence, as in most every case, will be the deciding judges.

This was brought to my attention just recently and I was amazed. A constitution is a very important, defining document for any entity. It would stand to reason that a constitution says a lot about a government's beliefs and goals. What would it mean if every individual government comprising a larger federation had in each of their constitutions a reference to God? Would that federation be considered a nation under God? What about recognition of God in the preambles of all those constitutions? Well, without further ado, we have before us the preambles of all fifty state constitutions. Without fail all of them acknowledge the authority of one figure: God.

Click here for all fifty state constitution preambles; the relevant article is on pages 4-5.

Expert Parenting Wisdom

Alright, having been a dad (ex utero) for roughly five months, I now feel confident enough to offer some advice to any other parents or parents-to-be. I trust any readers will find my wisdom self-evident.

Aolani, consider this one blog dedicated to / resultant from you, however you would like to look at it.

In a list, because today's reader (and writer) loves lists:

1. Consider it a definite positive answer to prayer when God says, "No," to your request for twins -- especially when it is your first pregnancy.
2. Babies don't do fasting. Try as I might, and as noble as it is, Aolani just can't grasp the merit of skipping a meal. She can't even handle the concept of slightly postponing a meal. We'll try again when she's six. Months.
3. A new parent's best friend is a dish of leftovers. Ahhh, yes, after a hard, stressful day of work, chores, and baby-rearing, there is nothing quite like the relief when you remember that you don't have to cook tonight. Dinner is just one oven-warm-up away.
4. Pray in Jesus's name for your babies and trust that in the unseen realm powerful things are happening. You may not see results for a long time. You may not see results ever. But trust that somewhere in a non-visible way, the Spirit is rocking your baby's world. Visualize Him coming and bestowing grace and power and mercy to your baby.
5. Your newborn receives a lot of communication through touch. Massage and gently rub your baby in calm, smooth strokes. This relaxes babies, lets them know that they are loved, helps them with digestion, and might even relax the parent.
6. Never cook while wearing the baby in a sling. The food doesn't taste good for some reason.
7. Most importantly, make sure to never, ever, ever forget the diaper bag when going out in the car for extended periods of time.

Have a Multicultural July 4th!

Oh, what a blessed, uh… happy, holid-- I mean, occasion, we have in store this weekend.

This 4^th of July, as we celebrate our polite, but flawed, country's independence from Great Br-- well, a country that was mean to us -- let us remember to give the hol-- oh, there I go again -- the day proper, globally-minded justice. This hol-- for crying out loud, I did it again -- This day, really just like every other day, is a day to respect all those other countries that have so generously provided our country with citizens. In showing respect be sure to wave any flag you like, just so long as you don't wave any flags of historically imperialistic nations. And especially don't wave the Stars and Stripes as it might offend some.

When you pause to remember all the men and women who have given us independence and freedom, don't forget those who gave us the opportunity to fight for freedom by standing for their own beliefs -- be those beliefs in totalitarianism, Communism, terrorism, really any belief, because they're all equal and acceptable. Actually, when you pause to remember independence, do a subsequent pause to mourn the fact that we are so independent when the world needs to be united and more dependent on each other.

While you're at it, be sure to shush anyone who says anything patriotic. It's better if you and your friends don't use the word "patriotic" at all, or "patriot," "patriotism," etc. Words more suited for this global occasion are "muli-culti," "international," "bilateral," things like that. Come to think of it, be extra careful not to wear anything red, white, or blue. Choose more polite colors like green, yellow, or purple. That'll make everyone feel more comfortable. Especially green.

When thinking about the greatness of this country, DON'T. It really isn't that exceptional. It's parochial to think such. Our country and its heritage are just like everybody else's. Everyone has their own way of government and who are we to judge. Words like "pluralism" and "coexist" are good ones to use here. Definitely don't bring up George W. Bush. Instead, focus on such great and universally renowned figures as Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, or Yasser Arafat.

Above all else, you must not, under any circumstance, give reference to God, or this country being under God, on the 4^th of July. It would help to shun any notion you've ever heard or read about this country being a Christian nation. Most people take great offense to anything Christ-related. Therefore, try to keep these people from learning about or reading quotes from George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander de Tocqueville, Ronald Reagan -- the list is rather extensive. Even Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin or Woodrow Wilson aren't exactly safe. So be very careful. It's best to make the occasion as secular as possible.

Well, with those simple tidbits, you and your neighbors should have a wonderful hol -- sorry -- occasion! Enjoy the 4^th of Ju -- well, on second thought, calling it July would offend any anti-Roman friends of yours. Enjoy the 4^th Day of the 7^th Month!

Aolani, You Have Not Been Forgotten

I have been thinking really hard over the last few months since Aolani was born, trying to rack my mind for some amazing insight from parenthood. That is why I have not written anything about Aolani or being dad to a precious little girl. I kept getting ideas for other blogs, but I kept telling myself, "No, a blog about Aolani must be the first thing I write after her birth." However, in the end, I just ended up stressing myself out trying to come up with something grandiose and poignant. I could not think of anything witty or funny. I could not give Aolani her due for how great a little baby she is. Meanwhile, more blog ideas just kept passing me up.

Finally, I just had to give up. But, needless to say, Aolani, you are something special. So special, in fact, that nothing could be written to adequately sum up your arrival. When you get older and read this one day, you will know that you were more than words -- that, and quite a hand-full to take care of, which is also why writing blogs has been hard to do. But all babies are hand-fulls, so don't take it to heart.

Not to worry, a blog about Aolani is forthcoming. It will not be a Tolkienian tome of a masterpiece, but it will be about Aolani. Hopefully, it will make her feel special.

Of Spiritual Drinking Age

Today, I turn the much-anticipated age of 21 years... spiritually. Today, I am old enough to drink of the wine of the Spirit. For it was on this day, back in 1989, on a very bright, sunny, warm Bellevue, Washington, early afternoon on an old, worn wooden bench that I asked the Alpha and Omega, the Author of Eternity, the Savior of the World, into my heart. What a glorious day!

Oh, I can only wonder from what turmoil the indwelling Spirit of God averted me. How utterly thankful I am that I always had a peace that surpassed understanding and never left me unfulfilled, even on bad days and in dark times. I've never really known emptiness. Or true, God-forsaken despair.

It has been quite a journey since that providential day. The Holy Spirit and I have been through highs (absolutely extraordinary highs) and lows (deep, deep lows). There were also periods of stagnation. And times of simple rest. He was always there keeping my faith alive. He still pushes me with great purpose and pulls me with unfathomable promises.

He is a good God. He is gracious. He did not have to save me.

The Year in Review (NFL Style)

The 2009 NFL season has just landed. Whew! For one, I'm glad it's over. I think Snickers got the idea for its popular commercial from my aging Seachickens. But enough of the sour grapes, let's look at the picks and see how it all turned out. Just in case you need a refresher of what the original picks were, here you go. Now to the observations:

1. First, my pre-season picks turned out to be rather prescient, especially after they seemed so ill-begotten at the midpoint of the season. Tennessee roared back after starting 0-6 and finished a respectable 8-8, making my 11-5 prognostication not look so preposterous. Denver imploded after going 6-0 to finish 8-8, making my 4-12 also understandable.
2. Spot-on predictions: Oakland, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, New England, Minnesota and Detroit.
3. Way-off-base forecasts: Seattle, Green Bay, New Orleans, Dallas, the New York Jets and, in a way, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
4. I got three out of the eight division winners correct: Minnesota, Indianapolis and San Diego.
5. I got six of the eight division losers correct: Cleveland, Jacksonville, Buffalo, St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Washington.
6. My playoff predictions were mostly sorry. I had six out of the twelve playoff teams right. No Wild-Card winners right, even though San Diego did advance to the Divisional round. Three of the eight Divisonal round teams correct. But from then on, I was as knowledgeable as one of these people.
7. If we want to bring in my mid-season audible, there were some interesting things to note from those picks: both hosts of the conference championships were correct as were both Super Bowl contenders. I faltered in picking Indy over Naw'lens, though.

All in all, it was a fun year. Not for my picks. Not for the Seahawks. But, hey, my fantasy team finished second as a #7 seed. And there's always next year (especially since my 'Hawks totally revamped management and have two, count 'em, two, high draft picks--Yipee!). Now we'll have to see who wins the Tim "I Generate Revenue w/o Even Playing" Tebow Sweepstakes.

On Pre-Birth Fatherhood

I’ve been trying hard to really soak in and meditate on the gravity of having a little child, my offspring—someone to raise as a human being. I’ve felt a little disappointed in how inadequately I’ve been soaking and meditating. I just haven’t felt like I’ve made that satisfying contemplative connection you get when you ponder something for a long time and begin to grasp something deep and powerful. At any rate, I’ve wanted to devote more focus and energy to the expectation of my sweet Aolani.

There was, however, one moment when I was filled (to my liking) with the kind of focus and love for my daughter that I was seeking. It was the moment I realized that I could lose her. You don’t realize how much you have until you lose it, as the old adage goes. (Don’t be alarmed, Aolani is fine. Everything is normal, thanks be to God.)

The moment really struck when Aidan had a bad sinus infection. We thought we might have to resort to medication—medication that could affect Aolani adversely. The thoughts of what might happen to my little girl, even if it was minute, were disconcerting. Then my thoughts went from there to what if my little girl died, be it from medication or whatever. Suddenly, every little moment I had with her in the womb instantly became more precious. Every moment I dreamed of having with her out of the womb became more highly-anticipated.

I told myself cooking for her would now be memorable, because you never know when her last meal from daddy might be. Watching her move underneath her mommy's belly became weighty and significant. My mind raced to the future where Aolani and I could talk about movies, life or God. Those moments might disappear. Nothing could be taken for granted now. Second to a wife, a child is the most treasured earthly gift God can bestow. Everything had to be appreciated to the best of my ability. I had to live in the moment.

Nothing is guaranteed. Neither she nor I will be here forever. This is, I suppose, one of the curses of living in America. We consume ourselves with things while living comfortably, all the while neglecting the preciousness of life. Third-world denizens don't really suffer from that malady. I need forgiveness for lack of gratitude.

Avatar Reality Check

The biggest grossing film of all-time deserves some air time on this blog. Avatar has made an impact culturally-speaking and for that it merits discussion. I just saw it this past week -- not very with it, am I? -- and was quite awed. The technology was certainly impressive, from the 3-D experience to the computer graphics of a new world. I knew it was good when I was tempted to get the man in front of me to sit down, only to realize that it was a man in the movie who was in my way. This happened several times!

I was also struck with the imagination it took to think up such a world and story. It was definitely captivating. You think Writer and Director James Cameron has a knack for that? The concept of being an avatar, living in something else's body, and then falling in love with something like that outer shell, is interesting. The idea of a people richly in tune with its planet and plant-life will also appeal to horticulturists as my mother-in-law can attest.

But alas, that is where the originality and brilliance of the story stops. To me, the anti-George Bush, anti-Iraq War, anti-military, anti-oil company, anti-interventionist message of the film was just too much. And boy, did they hammer it home. Pandora the planet and the Nav'i were clearly symbolic for Iraq and the Iraqi people. They even used the line, "shock and awe," when referring to the military tactics planned against the Nav'i. Talk about subtle.

I truly don't believe that the vast majority of American soldiers are unsympathetic, trigger-happy meatheads bent on destroying cultures and ethnic groups over a natural resource as the film might have us believe.

Greed does exist in corporate America, a lot of it, but I don't believe that oil company executives are senseless, idiotic, singularly-driven people without souls. The line from the executive Selfridge, "Oh just keep going, they'll move out of the way," as he eats his doughnut and almost bulldozes Nav'i people, was pretty far-fetched. I find it hard to believe the executives of ExxonMobil or Shell, most of who probably have families they care about, would act like that.

The Iraq War has been difficult and very costly on many levels. But I don't believe it was waged foolhardily or for a resource. I don't believe George Bush had in mind to disrupt the Iraqi environment, infrastructure and way of life just because Iraqis were sitting on something valuable to the bottom-line of stockholders, as Avatar would have us infer.

Gao Zhisheng

Attention needs to be drawn to something. There are cases like this all over the world, and I dare not say this one is more important than any other, but this one seems especially imperative for this world in this time. For one thing, the person in this case has undergone unimaginable, absolutely unimaginable, torture for quite some time. For another reason, he is a high-profile case with lots of attention already, and drawing more attention to his plight will hopefully bring awareness to the plight of millions more.

The man is Gao Zhisheng. He is a human rights lawyer from China. He was once an ardent communist, but since surrendering his life to Jesus he has taken up the cause of defending the persecuted, Christians and others, in his native China. The communist Chinese government hates this. But through a series of events he has shone light on their oppression on an international scale and is now a high-priority target of their enmity. To read of these events and to get an idea for the unimaginable torture go to www.freegao.com (please watch the five-minute video).

One year ago, February 4, 2009, Gao was abducted and his whereabouts have since been a mystery. There were rumors that he had perished. Needless to say, his family is devastated in ways I can't begin to grasp. His daughter is even under medical watch in a New York hospital. They desperately need help. Despite the devastating rumors, ChinaAid recently released this statement:

"ChinaAid believes that based on the minister's comments and other inside
reports, Gao Zhisheng is still alive, but suffering incredible torture. We will
not give up on Gao until he is guaranteed his basic human rights with dignity
before the law."

There is still hope! And there is a lot that normal people can do. Please, go to www.freegao.com and learn of the ways to get involved. Involvement does not require much of anything. It could just be signing the petition to be sent to Chinese authorities, calling your U.S. Representative or whatever you choose to do. You can even call the Chinese Embassy. Most of all Gao simply needs prayer.

"Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the
mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily." - Hebrews 13:3

For some reason, and I just can't explain it, but, there is something powerful when the Body of Christ acts as one body and has compassion on its suffering members.