That's Right I Own the Mavs!

Yeah bet you didn't know that I own the Mavricks!  

So it has come to my attention that I look like the owner of the Mavs.  Now those of you that know me, can you guess wether or not this picture posted is one of me dancing, or is it Mark?  Its uncanny isn't it?

Do I look like Mark Cuban or am I actually Mark Cuban...you'll never know!

Movie Review

So this past Sunday I had the wonderful joy of seeing "The Day the Earth Stood Still", staring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. It seemed like it was a big budget movie not as big as Al Gore's waist line but still from his playbook. Now where to begin...

First, I am a big fan of "the world is going to end" movies. They are always fun for me. With that said, this wasn't your run of the mill apocalypse movie. They had the very (and I mean very) tired theme of the (spoiler alert) 'earth is in trouble because of man and his abuse'. I mean com'on! How many times can we see "An Inconvenient Rehash"...er well you get the point.

Second, as usual Keanu is the same as he is in every movie. He talks like a guy taking bong hits between cuts. No offense to the guy, he is successful and there have been a few movies I've liked him in, well ok two, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and The Matrix, but that is beside the point. Can he at least try and sound like an intelligent extraterrestrial?

Third, Jennifer Connelly. I do not know what has happened to her but I swear she has man hands now, and I just can't deal with that. I'm not sure why I was so distracted by her paws but I just kept thinking, "wow are those iron worker's hands?" Something about those meat hooks just seemed too unfeminine. Sorry Jennifer but talk to your agent and remember, no hands in close up shots!

Forth, the story. Way too unbelievable. I mean really an intergalactic confederacy of planets that are determined to save our planet but not those who live on it? I know, I know, it is supposed to be deep "if the planet dies you die, if you die the planet lives" ppptttffhh! Whatever! I don't even know how to respond to such drivel.

So one way to make the movie better would be not to make it at all...just come up with some better themes Hollywood, please. I'm tired of spending my money on these crazy, hair brained, save the planet from the humans movies.

Up-Coming Anniversery

As many of you know abortion has been legal since 1973, but do you know the exact date? It was January 22 of that fateful year. It was then that abortion was considered a 'fundamental legal right' by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now I'm no activist but since we're coming up on the 36th year since abortion has been legalized I thought we should talk about it.

I've contemplated a few points to throw out there for discussion, the problem is no one who disagrees will probably ever read this blog, so there won't be much 'discussion', but here is goes anyway.

First, why is abortion viewed as a modern event? Abortion has been going on for thousands, that's right thousands of years, yet people act as if it were a modern issue. In writings of the early church fathers they wrote that women were not to have abortions! This was almost 2000 years ago, and the church was dealing with abortion. So why do people view this as new?

Second, where did the 'rape', 'incest', and 'life of the mother' arguments come from? I'm serious about this one. My understanding, and I may need to be corrected, is that abortion could always be prescribed by a doctor (obviously before Roe v. Wade you don't need a prescription now). So what changed on 1.22.73 was abortion on demand not abortion in general.

Third, why isn't Ms. Roe's confession that she lied about being raped lead authorities to reopen the case and retry it? The case was built upon that lie, and if the foundation is broken then perhaps the whole case is!

Fourth, why did one (uh-huh one!) woman change an entire nation of laws? I really do not understand why one person can upset the entire applecart. Especially with the aforementioned points. And if one woman's lie could enact law, what about having the testimony of abortion survivors overturn the standing law today?

Fifth, why is murder considered a fundamental right? For the life of me I will never understand why man (I mean mankind) loves to oppress people. We do not seem happy unless we have our boot on somebody's face! Is it because this is an act of rebellion that destroys what Jesus has created? Why is murder a right?

So those are my thoughts and questions for now. I doubt this will get anybody else fired up. But hey I'm fired up so I guess that's what counts!

Virtue Without Rules!

I've been studying Romans with the high school group and currently I'm in chapter 3. It is amazing to see and understand this revelation, that God has provided righteousness apart from keeping the law! That is why I titled this post 'Virtue Without Rules'.

Verse 21 states, "Now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested." This righteousness is God's alone, but God does not keep it to himself! He has given it to his people. It is refreshing to be reminded that I was given what I could not earn. No amount of keeping the law could have made me right with God. Not to mention I didn't really keep the law very well anyway!

I was just studying and decided I would post some of these thoughts as I will be teaching them this upcoming Sunday.

Amazing...righteousness without law...

Don't Waste Your Acid Reflux

Yeah I know I stole that line from John Piper. But hey it fits.

So, as some of you know, and now all of you know, I've been having acid reflux. I have hated every minute of it. It is painful, sleep hindering, food altering, joy inhibiting, and all around stupid!

But some good has been coming from this little experience. I have seen growth from this form of suffering. Now nobody likes to suffer, even the Bible tells us that, but it does produce good that can not be learned any other way. As Mark Twain said, "A man learns a lesson carrying a cat by the tail, and some will learn it no other way."

With that said I am learning things about compassion through this time. While I do not like what I'm going through I would not trade it away if I could, because that would mean losing what I have gained.

Now I open it up to you who have faced trials. Would you trade those trials in? What have they produced?

Oh Poop!

Ok so I'm back after two years of not writing. I got sucked back in by reading my own blogs, how's that for self-center?

So, here we go.

I don't really have anything to say at this time. I'm just seeing if anyone will even read this thing. Let me ask a question;

I'm not sure if any of you have seen Piper's website and his upcoming conf. There is an interesting video about language. If you've seen it please comment, let me know what you guys are thinking.

The reason why I ask is because I've been thinking a lot about how I talk. Not that I curse like a sailor but I'm wondering if 'bad' words are good to use at times. Just a thought, and you know me I like to stir things up.

'Tis Been A While

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. I've been thinking of not writing any more. But rather than being like old Jeff Graves I'll try and keep it up.

So...on to some movie lines.

"Get your skagg and let's roll."