I know, I'm jaded. I need much grace. I also need to hear truth spoken in love. Both are needed.
Pastor Jojo is being called elsewhere to shepherd. His farewell message was on Sunday. He preached the Gospel, straight-up. It was refreshing. I miss that. Wish there were more people in my life right now that do so, just like old times.
being that Earth Day is this Thursday, I thought this was slightly fitting (to inform you)...
Filmmaker Andrew Stanton says his latest film isn't about the environment or obesity. It's about relationships | Megan Basham
With its first feature-length film in 1995, Toy Story, Pixar changed the face of children's entertainment in Hollywood. Its innovative 3-D computer animation not only looked different, it told stories with a depth and humor that appealed to adults almost as much as kids.
As the second animator hired by the studio, Andrew Stanton has been a constant force in shaping the creative direction of the studio's productions. He has done so to amazing success. Finding Nemo, which Stanton wrote and directed, stands as the highest-grossing G-rated film of all time. Of the top 10 films in that category, Stanton, now vice-president of Pixar's creative division, was writer, director, or producer on five.
With his latest film, WALL•E, about to hit theaters, the Christian filmmaker sat down with WORLD...
WORLD: How does WALL•E represent your singular vision?
STANTON: Well, what really interested me was the idea of the most human thing in the universe being a machine because it has more interest in finding out what the point of living is than actual people. The greatest commandment Christ gives us is to love, but that's not always our priority. So I came up with this premise that could demonstrate what I was trying to say—that irrational love defeats the world's programming. You've got these two robots that are trying to go above their basest directives, literally their programming, to experience love.
With the human characters I wanted to show that our programming is the routines and habits that distract us to the point that we're not really making connections to the people next to us. We're not engaging in relationships, which are the point of living—relationship with God and relationship with other people.
WORLD: The depiction of humanity is pretty stark in this movie.
STANTON: Well, when I started outlining humanity in the story, I asked myself: What if everything you needed to survive—health care, food—was taken care of and you had nothing but a perpetual vacation to fill your time? What if the result of all that convenience was that all your relationships became indirect—nobody's reaching out to each other? A lot of people have suggested that I was making a comment on obesity. But that wasn't it, I was trying to make humanity big babies because there was no reason for them to grow up anymore.
WORLD: Now that you mention people misconstruing your intentions, how do you feel about reports that WALL•E is an environmental movie?
STANTON: People made this connection that I never saw coming with the environmental movement, and that's not what I was trying to do. I was just using the circumstances of people abandoning the Earth because it's filled with garbage as a way to tell my story.
I always knew that I wanted WALL•E to be digging through trash for two reasons: One, I wanted him to be the lowest on the totem pole. It's a janitorial job; it's the saddest, lowest status amongst his kind; and it just makes him that much more of a lonely guy. Two, trash is really visual. Even the littlest kid understands when there's stuff in the way and it needs to be picked up, so I didn't need to spend time explaining his job. And then I just reverse-engineered from there, "OK, if there's trash everywhere, how did it get there?"
(excerpted from WALL•E world, enhanced fonts added, June 28, 2008 © 2010 WORLD Magazine)
* Unfortunately, the site may require you to pay for the article in order to read the rest, so you can check out The Little Robot That Could from ChristianityToday instead.
I had no idea Andrew Stanton was a believer. In the article above, he pointed to Christ. He used WALL-E as an example of how serving & loving go hand-in-hand. I like how he says in the other article, "So that was the perfect goal for the loneliest robot on earth, to learn the greatest commandment, to learn to love...The theme that I was trying to tap into was that irrational love defeats life's programming—that it takes a random act of loving kindness to kick us out of our routines and habit."
Hillsong United/ Brooke Fraser - Desert Song [Video w/Lyrics]
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames
[Chorus:]
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
[Bridge:]
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
if you told me 2 years ago that after college I would, out of my own volition, purchase textbooks to study for my own leisure and benefit, I'd most likely give you an incredulous look and then literally LOLed.
like my many friends who have ventured into the "real world" (full-time) before I did, I now know that they weren't kidding about missing school after graduating (actually, I guess it'd only be fair to say I haven't even fully arrived yet, since I have Fridays off, ha ha).
it was so strange: yesterday, I was full of glee and quite excited to find the textbook I ordered at my doorstep. what a strange development indeed.
So "Life in Letters" didn't work out. Trying something new this time. Maybe this time, it'll be different. Project: One
it's not about me, it's all about Him. Rejoice! Rejoice! Jesus is Risen! He's risen indeed!
this video makes me 
. ♥ this show! 
. there really should be more McGeek's in this world. 
Attended the premiere of 1040 Friday night. Finally, a movie like this! It was no coincidence that I was just reading ch.7 of Francis Chan's Crazy Love earlier in the day. God is amazing! Lord, let us not walk away unchanged.
It was also pretty neat to meet Jaeson Ma. He's an amazing man, but that's because he has an amazing God. Lord willing, it'll be neat to collaborate with him in the near future.
you know that feeling you get when someone verbalizes exactly how you feel without you saying anything at all (or at least, you saying something, but just not very clearly)? I haven't had the feeling in the longest time --the feeling of being understood.
it was a rainy Saturday afternoon. after a fun-filled "curious" morning (thanks to Tim Burton & Johnny Depp) and birthday dim sum meal + fosselman's treat , there was the car ride back home (some of the best fellowship I've had was during car trips). we were talking about friendships and time. I can't even remember the concise sentence that was put together by my good friend. what I do remember is the outcome: the very real, very personal reminder of how well the Lord knows every thought, every heartbeat, every pain, and every smile of mine...even when I'm feeling quite lost. I'm so blessed; my dearest friends are those that draw me nearer to the very One who created friendship. thank you, friend, for being one of those friends and thank you, Friend, for the reminder of who You are & all that You are.
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me...You understand my thought from afar...And are intimately acquainted with all my ways...Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me..." Ps. 139:1-6
- God speaks to people during their normal day-to-day activities. Distance is not an obstacle.
- Learn how to recognize the voice of God.
- Live properly under authority. It is more important to live properly under authority, than to live under proper authority.
- Lay hold of Eli's instruction to Samuel (1 Sam. 3:9b).
- Learning to hear God's voice will help us love God and love others more effectively.
Hosanna! (from Ian, 2-24 Branch, study on John 12:12-19)
"Picture a Super Bowl game, and (believe it or not) the Vikings are three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are on their own 35 and have no more time outs. There are two seconds remaining on the clock. The Vikings' fans are going wild. The Steelers line up, fake a pass to the receivers on the left sideline, and run a wide sweep around the right end, and the quarterback breaks into the open and heads down the right sideline—40 - 45 - 50 - 45. The only hope for the Vikings is Willie Teal, the safety, cutting a diagonal across the field. And out of the Vikings' grandstand come two kinds of hosannas, the old kind and the new kind. One part of the crowd is yelling: "Catch him! Catch him, Willie!" (That's the old hosanna: Hoshiya na!" - It used to mean, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help.) The other part of the crowd is yelling, "You got him! You got him, Willie!" (That's the new hosanna: The cry for help, hoshiya na, was answered almost before it came out of the psalmist's mouth. Gradually, it came to mean, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!", a shout of hope and exultation.) The word moved from plea to praise; from cry to confidence." (Piper, John 1983)
couldn't take out my dslr in time. was too busy holding onto kira.
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