Say Cheese

The Bourne Ultimatum

This is the second of five films that impacted me in 2007.

Typically, I usually run from my past. Bourne runs towards it. Granted he did get shot in the back, acquired amnesia, and had no idea who he was.

The thing I liked about this movie is that, in the end, becoming an assassin was his choice. Bourne was hoping someone turned him into this killing machine by force. No, it was by choice, and because of his choice, it has led him to a life of running. Who hasn't made bad choices where the consequences follow them?

I also love the action sequences, editing, and camera work. How awesome was the Waterloo station scene?

The Bourne Ultimatum was a great film and deserves a second viewing.

Teaching Ryan to Pray

It's amazing how fast Ryan learns. I see his eyes absorb everything that surrounds him and I am in awe of what God can do with life. It's been said to me many times that you can never start to early when teaching Ryan about Christ and how to live like Him. One thing that we've been doing is praying before meals. Right before we eat, we let Ryan grab our first finger, bow our heads, and pray thanking God for our food. We have been doing that enough now where Ryan instinctively reaches out to grab our fingers to pray. He squeezes our fingers, watching us pray and when we say "amen", Ryan nods his head and says "eeh" (which for him is amen:).

How cool is that? I hope that Ryan can imitate more good things like that. You never feel like a perfect parent, but I can always keep trying.

La Haine

La Haine (hate)

I have been thinking a lot about the movies this past year that have really impacted me. About eight years ago I used to email out a top ten list of movies you, "had to see," and it was a fun thing to do. I feel that over these eight years my tastes have changed, my awareness of the world has increased, and I'm affected by deeper, more meaningful things. So, over the next few posts, I want to give you five movies that truly impacted me this year. These movies range from strong stances against violence to the true nature of justice.

The first of these films is La Haine (Hate).

Abdel, a hoodlum of the french ghetto, is victim of police brutality in 1995. Upon news coverage of this, a riot ensues outside of the police station leaving many injured, many arrested, and a cop's missing gun found by Abdel's friend Vinz. Vinz vowes that if Abdel dies, he will kill the responsible cop.

Most of the film follow Vinz (a jew) and the distanting of his friends Said (an arab), and Hubert (a black boxer). Vinz's possession of the gun creates a sense of power, control, and a false sense of respect. After Abdel dies, Vinz seeks to kill any cop. While en route to the police station, Vinz's friends get pushed around by some skinheads and Vinz breaks up the fight at gunpoint, takes the skinhead leader in a warehouse ready to kill him. Allowing the last bit of morality to take over, he lets the skinhead go, realizes the gun is poison, and gives it up to his friend. As they head home, the hoodlums from the previous fight hold Vinz up at gunpoint, where the gunman taunts and humiliates him, and accidently fires the gun, killing Vinz.

I have always been afraid to own a gun. I feel living one's life with a gun as one's arsenal can eventually end one's life. This movie captured that feeling better than any other I've seen. It also captured the non-stop cycle of hate. We have all hurt someone and we have all been hurt, but how we choose to react defines us. We can repay hate with hate, or we can repay hate with good. I believe the film asks, "How will we repay?

A real new year's resolution

Happy new year everyone. It's been a crazy few weeks between Christmas and New Years yet we all managed to survive. I hope your 2008 got off to an amazing start.

I know it's cliche to have new years resolutions (however, I don't know anyone who does them anymore). However, I've decided to have a real new years resolution. I'm going to try to be less inappropriate this year (and years to come). No, seriously, I am. Here's why.

If you know me at all, you know that I like to make jokes about heavy drinking or drinking in inappropriate places. To me, it's been funny to imagine someone getting loaded in Sunday school or doing shots at a Mormon temple. I don't think it's right mind you, I'm just entertained by the thought. Anyhow, through a series of situations my joking about drinking has not been well received. I took this as Jesus telling me to knock it off.

Message received.

I was really convicted to be more of a stand up guy and not always go for the cheap, low brow humor I so richly indulge in. So, I want to be less inappropriate. I am trying not to mention any drinking jokes in public, I'm trying think before I open my mouth, and encourage those who, if I would have just shut my mouth, could have shared something with me that was meaningful.

Can I get an amen?