I just want eveyone to know that I started a new blog a few months ago but didn't get around to updating it on here. The new address is:

www.xanga.com/thedubbs

Hope you all enjoy the new site! I've loved it!

Have you joined the squadron??

"Joyous" is not a word we get to use to describe our movies much nowadays. We can say "exciting." "Thrilling." "Entertaining." And these things are all great things. Spiderman 2 was a wonderful film that was all of those things. It entertained me. It thrilled me. It was exciting.

But experiencing pure joy in the cinema is a rarity. I'm talking the kind of joy that makes you giggle not because something's funny but because it makes you feel like a 10-year old kid again, transported back to those magic days when the world was in jeopardy by dastardly villains and dashing heroes and plucky damsels had to save the day. When you didn't question things that couldn't really happen and when your heroes didn't worry about psychology or feelings but simply rushed in to save the day.

Having bashed it earlier this week for having previews that appeared "corny," let me say that Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow is the most thrillingly joyous time I've had at the movies since seeing Return of the King last year. It is easily the most entertaining film of the year and captures that feeling that I got when I finally saw the original Star Wars trilogy (not the sucky new ones) or Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen. It's not perfect, not artsy, not deep. But then again, it is perfect because it's so darn. . . fun. Really, how can you not like a movie that starts with robots rampaging a 1930s New York that only existed in our imaginations, moves on to include world domination, British fighter squadrons led by a one-eyed Angelina Jolie, an island with prehistoric mutants, and ends with a joke that is legitimately funny because it's in the context of the movie!?

Now, Sky Captain is not Raiders of the Lost Ark, only because that film had the genius of Steven Spielberg and the reckless heroism of Harrison Ford as Indy. But I feel the best compliment I can pay would be to say that the only way Sky Captain could have been more entertaining would have been to have Spielberg himself behind the camera. As it is, it already feels like director Kerry Conran is the child that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas never had, as he integrates old movie nostalgia with the incredible special effects and a genuine talent for storytelling. The fact that he hails from only an hour away from where I live is so much the better. And this is his first movie?? I can't WAIT to see what he has up his sleeves!

First off, the look of this film is so pitch perfect. Honestly, had it not starred today's movie stars and had such great effects I would have been tricked into believing this was an actual serial from the 1940s. It's not just the sepia toned look. The editing, the hard boiled dialouge, the acting style that is miles away from Method. . . it's perfect. I was reminded of the old Superman cartoons my Papaw used to show me, which were obviously the inspirations for the film's New York scene. But other scenes. . . are they lying by telling me this was computer generated? Simply put, it's amazing to behold. The raid on New York city, the "ark," Franky's flying squadron. . . this is the movie I dreamt about as a kid and loved just as much today.

As perfect as the direction was, this film lived or died on the actors. Actors not of the right caliber who didn't understand the style of the film could have made it cheesy or groan-inducing. Instead, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow seem to be channeling spirits of stars long past. Law is an actor I admire simply because he really can take on any role. His Sky Captain is the hero from the 40s who jumps recklessly into danger, trades barbs quickly, and doesn't think about his life for a moment. Gwyneth Paltrow's Polly Perkins is wonderful. Plucky, witty, mischevious. Finally, a movie where the heroine is not a damsel in distress or just eye candy. When Paltrow gets a good role, she is pure magic, and this film is perfect for her. Angelina Jolie only logs about 15 minutes of screen time, but she's much better here than she was in the awful Tomb Raider films.

But I'm taking this too seriously now. Sky Captain is pure Saturday matinee fun that you won't even regret paying full price for on Friday night. I giggled throughout it and there was a big smile on my face as the plot jumped from one point to another. There was applause in our theatre when it was done and I joined right in. I plan on seeing it again, and think taking my grandfather would be the perfect gesture.

This movie is the rare film that is uncynical and totally intent on just being fun. There's been so much talk about a fourth Indiana Jones movie, but I'm ready to say screw it. Spielberg's doing the best work of his career in the new directions he takes, Harrison Ford is getting old, and George Lucas is a shell of the man he once was. Forget Indy. Bring on a new Sky Captain film!

C-Dubbs

You're fired. . . wait. . . WHO'S fired!??

Man, I love "The Apprentice." Trump's catchphrases, the nutty black chick who's just. . . um. . . nutty, Carolyn's reactions to everything said in the boardroom. But I especially love it for surprises like tonight's when "The Braford" gave up his immunity as a "show of support for his team" (another name for trying to suck up to Trump and show off his pride) and it cost him continuation of the game. What a stupid decision, as The Donald told The Bradford (now aka The Unemployed) over and over again. Great show :)

Brad thought his plan was a good one. After all, be willing to take one for the team when he really was doing pretty well would have curryed some favor with them and The Donald, in his mind. But his plan backfired and The Donald uttered those magic words, "you're fired" to him and sent him packing. . . something he neglected to do before going to the boardroom in the first place.

Isn't that how life goes? We make our plans, confident that they will be pulled off and foolproof and lead to our success. And we are so sure of the future that we hinge everything on our plans and schemes. And then the rug gets pulled out from us and we find our plans shattered and our dreams thrown to the wind. If I had gone by the plans I had for myself I would be married with kids by now, a Pulitzer-winning journalist, living in a nice house in Chicago. But, as everyone knows, that didn't happen.

We are legitimately surprised by the changes and about-faces that can occur in life and I think that's to be expected. But one thing I noticed I tend to do is get mad at God and think He's not playing fair, not following the rules. . . .as if God could break the rules. . . He MADE the rules!! But we wonder why God is taking what we consider to be cheap shots. But it's not like we weren't warned.

Coincidentally with Bradford's foolishness, tonight I also studied Proverbs 16 (which also contains some verses about pride going before a fall, but that's another story). But at three different points in the chapter, verses popped out and struck my heart like bullets.

"The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:1

"A Man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs His steps." Proverbs 16:9

"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:33

The illusion of control. We're told we live in a world where we can accomplish anything we set our mind to. That we can take control of our destiny. But that's not the truth. Our schemes are just that. . . schemes. They may or may not come true. We can find ourselves living life just like we thought we would or finding different detours around the way into a future we never even considered. One's not better than the other. It's simply the route that God wants us to take.

We can get mad about that. What if I want to get married and God doesn't have that in store? What if I'm stuck at the same job forever? What if I never make more money than I make right now? If I get mad about that, what does it say about the things I value? If I'm supposed to prize God about all and be living for His glory, what does it say about my faith if I get mad that the path to glorifying God doesn't involve making Chris rich, famous, and . . . um. . . un-single?

The other things in life--job, relationships, money, things--are all nice things. But they're not the main things in life. They're the icing on the cake that we may or may not get. It's not our place to get upset over the path that God has planned for us. Because if we are really prizing Him above anything and our ultimate destination is His glory, then why should it matter to us the route we take?

So what do we do? Thankfully, Proverbs 16 didn't leave me hanging. It gave me an answer right there:

"Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established." Proverbs 16:3

C-Dubbs

MIDWEEK RAMBLINGS. . .

So, it's the end of the day on Wednesday. The work week is over halfway done. Two more days and the weekend will be here. It's been an alright week. Work has been busy, but that's to be expected. I haven't done too much. It was payday today. Same old, same old. . .

I really need to get cracking with my packing (corny rhyme intended). We get our keys to the new apartment tomorrow and I don't have one single thing boxed up. Not that I have a lot to move. The major things that I need to box up are my DVDs, books, and games. Clothes I can move over slowly. Silverware and kitchen stuff we'll probably have to do in shifts next week. But it's getting closer. It will be nice to be in the new place. . .

Really thankful that God has given me the strength to get through work with a good attitude these past few days. I've been trying to pray right when I wake up and it seems to be helping. I've been in a better attitude at work and have been less tired when I get home (although I still take a nap). . .

Tonight was the first night of my Bible Doctrines class at church. I'm looking forward to it. It will be nice to get an organized look at what our church believes and hopefully be challenged on the issues I'm trying to grasp. . .

Weekend's coming up with no real big plans. Friday night I'll hopefully be going out with Erin for coffee to talk about some things. Saturday night we're going to take Charles out for his birthday. Sunday is church. Simple things. I'd like to catch a movie. I have a free pass to AMC theatres that I want to use, so maybe I'll do that. I still haven't seen Hero, which I've heard nothing but raves about. I'd also like to see Cellular, but I don't think my pass would be good for that since it's so new. Sky Captain is a possibility, but despite the rave reviews I'm hearing for it, it still looks a tad corny. I like the idea behind it--I'm a big fan for Raiders of the Lost Ark-type nostalgia and the idea of so much computer work is intriguing--but it looks silly and although the effects sound impressive, everything looks very blurry in the previews. But the cast is intriguing. . .

Oh yeah, and pack. I should definitely pack this weekend.

Alright, that's 'bout it. Time for bed.

C-Dubbs

Tuesday Night Thoughts. . .

Psalm 8:4-5:

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For you have made him a little lower than that angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You know, it's pretty easy to get down on ourselves and think we have so much going against us. We don't look good enough. We don't have enough money. We don't have the job we want. We're single. Our apartment is too small. Our debt is too large. And we get in a funk where we begin to think that life is just not as good as it could be, that we are surrounded by problems on every side and somehow God is simply loading problems on us.

We have some nerve, don't we?

After all, what are we? We like to think we're main players in the story of our lives. But what are our lives? We're here for, what, 70 years? Think about history. For thousands of years, billions have lived and died. Some are remembered as great people. Others have been forgotten. And it's easy to look at that and think we're just one more person lost in a sea of billions. And to ordinary people, we may be. And for some reason, we've believed the lie that it's those people whose opinion of us counts. Even when we're out of high school, we still live with this sheep mentality that the crowd is always right and we live to impress others when, in reality, we will be forgotten by most people.

And yet we rarely stop and consider the fact that we are looked down upon and cared for personally by the One who does matter. The one who crafted the earth and keeps everything in motion. He looks not just through the sea of billions of people who live today, but through the billions who have ever lived and will ever live. He searches through creation, through every organism, microorganism, galaxy, and cosmo and still intervenes in our puny little lives.

God doesn't just make sure we keep breathing. He directs our paths each day. He leads us closer to Him. The Bible says He dances over His children! He rejoices in doing good for those who love Him! He hears every prayer we whisper, whether it's for the cancer invading our lives or for our need for a few extra bucks or a date on Friday night. When I stop and consider so much in the universe and every person who has ever lived, I'm speechless at the thought that God still lovingly and joyfully guides me every day.

This song talks about that:

Who Am I
by Casting Crowns

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt

Who am I?
That the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am.. I am Yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
and watch me rise again

Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am... I am Yours

I am Yours.I am Yours
Whom shall I fear?Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours,I am Yours.


C-Dubbs, Out!

Monday

Like many people, Monday morning came today like a piano crashing on Wile E. Coyote. After a relaxing weekend, how depressing it was to hear my alarm go off at 6:30 and know I had to be at work in an hour to start a five-day week of being yelled at. I laid in bed for a moment, knowing I had to get up but not wanting to face the day. There was a part of me thaat wanted to say "to heck with the consequences," throw the covers over my head and sleep the day away. I did not want to face the day.

But then I stopped and prayed. I asked God for strength. I asked him to give me a reason to get out of bed. And that's when I heard the old song that we sang in Sunday School as children going through my head, right from the Psalms.

"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

I'd be lying if I said that my attitude did an about face right that second. But that sentence reverberated through my brain as I showered, dressed, brushed my teeth and hair and prepared my coffee. Whatever I thought about the day, whatever problems it held, this day was from God. He could have chosen to end all existence overnight. He could have chosen to take me Home in my sleep. But He didn't. He woke me up. He made sure that I was awake to face the day because He had a specific will in it. Even if His will for the day was that I just learned to appreciate His planning, this day was prepared by Him for His glory.

That thought led me over to Isaiah 6 later today. In Isaiah 6:5, the prophet sees the angels around the throne proclaiming,

Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The Earth is filled with His glory.

And I began thinking about that. So often, I wake up and dread the day. I drive to work expecting the worst. I can't wait until I get back home and can get to bed. I want the circumstances to go my way and I want to be able to have a smile on my face 24 hours (yeah, even while I sleep.)

But we all know that the days don't go like that. We're lucky to make it to lunch without being frustrated with people. When we leave work, there are days when we feel like we've escaped by the skin of our teeth. And we can go home and say "it was a bad day."

I know that it's somewhat a matter of semantics (and I'm always up for some antics), but I wonder how trite and arrogant and selfish it us of us to announce that "it's been a bad day."

After all, doesn't everything good come from God? And aren't we told to rejoice in the day the Lord has made? Isn't the Earth filled with God's glory? Aren't we commanded to take joy even n our trials?

And yet, we don't. I don't. Why? Because I'm selfish. I think the world revolves around me getting what I want. I'm not happy unless I have everything I think I need. But life isn't about me. This isn't some story starring Chris. This is the tale God is weaving and He is the master plotter, knowing what He needs to do. And my prayer for me is that when I wake up in the morning and face those rough days that I'll be able to counter them with the wonderful promise of 2 Corinthians 4:17,

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Can't wait 'til tomorrow.

C-Dubbs

Is This Really Post 200??

Wow, what a cool little anniversary to hit. 200 posts. Alrighty.

So, today I went and saw Napolean Dynamite. This has been the "sleeper" word-of-mouth hit of the summer. Erin thought I'd get such a kick out of it that she paid my way.

Thank goodness I didn't have to spend one red cent.

I'm not adverse to stupid humor at all. I hold Dumb and Dumber in high esteem and even have been known to laugh uproariously at portions of Dude, Where's My Car? And I can see why others might find Napolean Dynamite funny. But I didn't at all. I felt the characters were all so unlikeable and one-dimensional that I couldn't care for them at all. I didn't like Napolean; the entire movie I wanted that magic ticket from The Last Action Hero so I could go onscreen and de-pants him. The problem with it is that it wants us simply to laugh at his hero. He's a depressed, angry kid who doesn't really have a genuine emotion at all. The other problem is that everyone around him is just as unlikable. There is not a single person for us to relate to. At least with Dude Where's My Car we can laugh because those two stoners are so over the top stupid but kind of sweet. In Dumb and Dumber, Harry and Lloyd exist in our normal world and so we have a point of reference. Here, everyone is just as inane as the hero and the hero is the type of person you would go out of your way to avoid. Ugh. Not my cup of tea.

But, on the plus side, I got a new book tonight at Borders. A few weeks ago Aaron Lawless had recommended John Piper's book The Pleasures of God to me. Although I was just getting back into Desiring God, I decided to pick it up and start this one because a new book is always great to delve into. I've only gotten through the introduction, but I've spent much of the night just chewing on that. Piper spends most of the introduction focusing on a quote from 1677 and author Henry Scougal.

"The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love."

In other words, as Piper quotes:

He who loveth mean and sordid things doth thereby become base and vile; but a noble and well-placed affection doth advance and improve the spirit unto a conformity with the perfections which it loves.

So that got me thinking. Obviously, the greatest thing that I could love would be God. That shouldn't be a surprise. In Matthew 22:37 we're commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And I'm sure that it's easy enough to say I love God. Most Christians spout that out without a second thought. But as I went on my walk tonight I began to meditate on that.

If I truly loved God with everything I am, than wouldn't I be a better type of person? If all that I prized was God, then wouldn't my actions follow? If that's not the case, and I constantly find myself ashamed of my actions and words, then maybe I don't love God as much as I thought I did or should. So I asked myself two questions to gauge how well I'm thinking of God as the most valuable thing in my life.

First, if I love something, it's going to be something that brings me joy. After all, we're told in Psalms 1 that the blessed man's delight is in the law of the Lord. We're told to rejoice in the Lord. The word "gospel" simply means "good news," and good news should make us joyful. So am I deriving my joy from God and all that He offers?

Sadly, I look at my life and I see so many areas where I'm doing just the opposite and turning to sin for a moment of happiness. It feels so good and justifable to make a snide comment about a customer, to just "vent" in traffic, to just entertain those illicit thoughts for a moment or so. But of course, like any sin, those drive me to me knees after I feel empty and rotten. So I look and see that there are far too many areas where I am not delighting in the Lord, which shows just how much I need to depend on Him to increase my love for Him.

After all, if I love something or someone, shouldn't it bring me joy? After all, I love my friends. My friends make me happy and I take immense joy in being with them. I love movies and I have moments of joy and reflection when I see a good film. In and of themselves, those things aren't bad. But why do I turn to those things for joy when times get tough instead of running straight for God's word or bowing my knees in prayer? Shouldn't He be my refuge instead of people who will fail me and films which will disappoint me.

Going back to Psalm 1 also helped me with my second point that I was meditating on. Because it says the blessed man's "delight is in the law of the Lord and on this law he meditates day and night." I don't think it means that he loves the law because he meditates on it day and night, because obligation rarely produces love. But, like a man will want to be with his love day after day, this man returns to the Word day and night because He loves it so much.

So where are my thoughts? Far too often my thoughts at work are on the clock and the relaxation awaiting me after a hard day. My thoughts are on what I'll do for entertainment or how I'll spend money or how I'll get out of my job. Far too often my thoughts are on my worries and stresses... the very things that I'm seeking to avoid become idols as they rob my thoughts of time that could be spend meditating on God's Word. Yes, I do my devotions and yes I have my time in prayer. But day and night? There's a long way to go.

And so I realize that my love for God is so much weaker than I want. I'm so thankful His love for me is infinitely stronger. I'm so thankful that His love and His patience will help me grow and mature and love Him more. Because on my own, I would be lost.

C-Dubbs

In lieu of a nap...

I'm actually going to the movies with Erin and some friends in about an hour, so I figured that I'd skip the traditional Sunday nap today, although it breaks my heart to do so. We're going to see Napolean Dynamite, which I have to confess I'm not too thrilled about. But Erin really liked it and is paying my way, so I guess it's all good. I just figured I'd spend some time before that catching up with my blog. Don't worry; unlike yesterday, this will be short.

So yesterday ended up being an alright day. I spent most of the afternoon just lounging around the apartment, doing laundry, taking a nap, and watching TV. At night I went to a service at Erin's church that was pretty good. It's nice to be able to go to some of those small, informal worship services. Sometimes I get more out of those than a Sunday at church, simply because you're given more of a chance to open up in a more intimate setting. Afterward, Erin and Christina and I went to Bennigan's for dinner, which was nice because Bennigan's is becoming an endangered species around here. The two that were close to me have closed down awhile back.

After that, it was still pretty early for a Saturday, so I went back to my apartment and watched When Harry Met Sally. . . Although I'm a 25 year old guy, I have to admit that the right love story can really affect me, and this is one of the classics. The story is so close to where I've been so many times in life, that it pulls all the right strings when I watch it. I identify so much with Billy Crystal's character, who views dating relationships as a way simply to fill the lonely void in his life without truly opening up and afraid to confess to his one true love. A great, funny, moving film.

Today was church. Pastor Bob talked about the different aspects our church has and it really got me thinking about how I can use my gifts more in the church. I'm starting to pray about that and hoping I will get more involved. This Wednesday night I start taking a Bible Doctrines course that I'm looking forward to. Should be interesting.

After church I grabbed some Taco Bell and took it back to my apartment. Did my devotions and then read some more of Desiring God, by John Piper. I read the book about a year ago and was so encouraged by it that I've made a commitment to myself to read it at least once a year. This time I'm moving very slow through it. I read some more of his views on Worship, and the idea of worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. It's so amazing to realize that that is exactly what God has called us to in life. Worship is what we are supposed to be doing with our lives. It's our response to the greatness of God! How amazing to be called to a life of that!

Well, I gotta grab a shower and clean out my car before I leave. Write later!

C-Dubbs