Eternal Sunshine

Last night I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for what felt like the first time. I had seen it once before, but for some reason didn't remember it being quite so spectacular!

I love the premise: A couple trying to forget one another and a business able to make that 'fresh break' a reality. Jim Carrey plays a low-shouldered loner who begins to realize you have to take the bad with the good in life and love. For the first time in his life he decides to stand up for what he really wants (though, technically, he does all this while lying in the comfort of his own bed). It's a bit of a complicated story. You'll have to watch it for yourself.

I really liked it. I'll wanna watch it a couple more times. All the characters are interesting. The directors style is refreshingly unique. A point is present, but not shoved down your throat. Real good stuff.

Rating: 9.5
Status: Must Tell Others

Charming One

Band: The Waiting

Album: Blue Belly Sky

Verse 1

The sweat is falling from my brow

Under the heavy heat of day

Survey the situation now

Dream of a garden far away

I saw you red and ripe and wrong

So snug and deadly in that tree

Your sweet attraction was so strong

The taste of death delicious to me

When I listened to the tempter

Who seemed colorful and wise

I was driven from perfection

And now I realize

I Should have left you there

To glisten in the sun

You were a charming one

Verse 2

There you were coming up the street

The very image of desire

You whispered sinister and sweet

A voice of innocense and fire

So I followed the deceiver

Too blind to discern

But deception was a teacher

And a brutal way to learn

I Should have turned

myself around and run

You were a charming one

Verse 3

I saw you shamed upon a cross

Wounded and naked on that tree

You counted everything a loss

Gave every bit of it to me

So when all the other suitors come

So cleverly disguised

They'll find me clinging to Your arm

And gazing in the eyes

That hold a passion

That could never be undone

You are the charming one

Sleepless

Band: The Waiting
Album: Wonderfully Made

Another night and sleep escapes me
Cling to my pillow like a bride
I pass the time closing corners of my mind
I have something there to hide

Oh Sin, Oh Sin
It leaves me here without
And hollowed out within
Oh Sin, Oh Sin
Like a fool to his folly
I keep coming back again

And His children are all sleepless
Inventing their excuses why
We play the game dividing up the blame
Against our Father's Own Reply

Repeat Chorus

And it leaves you far from home
It's a bright and burning fire
that leaves you cold as stone
It makes you everybody's friend
And leaves you desperately alone
It's a price too high to pay

Turn off the news and try to sleep now
Cause I'm loosing track of shooting sprees
And I can't abide another symptom analyzed
When it's all the same disease

Repeat Chorus

Phase 2

No In

I am beginning to realize I may need to become a tiny bit more aggressive if I am to trick someone into marrying me. So I came up with a game-plan. Phase 1? Make sure I didn't miss out on something great from my past. So I'm going back to the beginning: My first crush. I've mentioned her before under the alias Lois Lane.

The problem is, I have no in. I mean, I know her name/address/number, but I don't know HER at all. I can't just stop by. I can't just call her up. Right? How do I make first contact in such a way as to investigate what she's like, but not to lead her on? I need a scheme.

The Aviator

In the middle of the other night I couldn't sleep so I turned on one of the movies I bought in China. The Aviator was worth the watch. It kept my interest till the closing credits (past 5am).

A couple of the characters weren't developed and it was a little long. It actually had the same weaknesses as 'Ray', but it had more strengths. The acting was just as good and the storyline was more versatile. I didn't know much about Howard Hughes... seems like he was an interesting character.

Rating: 7.8
Status: Must See

Spurs Win NBA Title

The Champions of the 2004-2005 NBA season are the San Antonio Spurs. I wanted the Spurs, but didn't care too much either way. The NBA is not one of my favorites.

All NBA fans, however, got some good news the other day. The league and players association agreed on a new 6 year CBA. If only the NHL could have gotten a deal done so quickly.

Left for Right Reasons?

Though the vast majority of evangelicals consider themselves to be part of the political 'right', it seems a growing number are switching sides. I have no desire to debate political issues with this post, but I want to speak against the motivations we sometimes have when we change views.

MOTIVATION #1
It seems more and more that it's becoming 'cool' for evangelicals to describe themselves as political leftists. There's something about being in the minority that makes us feel special (like we've figured something out that few others have). If cool guys like Drury are on the left, I wanna be too! It's a pride issue. I catch myself in it sometimes (I've had to be very careful as of late that my partial-preterist beliefs are Biblically motivated and not pridefully motivated).

MOTIVATION #2
First there were 'right' minded people blowing up abortion clinics, now there are 'right' minded people trying to find verses in Revelation that apply to their daily decisions. Truth be told...some people on the right ARE wackos! But some have migrated to the left for that reason. This makes no sense! There are wackos all over. (Once again, I am dealing with this as I transition to partial-preterism...Am I changing b/c it is right or b/c dispensationalists are often crazy?).

You can....
Hold the wrong view for the wrong reason
Hold the wrong view for the right reason
Hold the right view for the wrong reason
Hold the right view for the right reason

Let's be careful

Scientology

Scientology is getting a lot of press these days via Tom Cruise and other Hollywood celebrities. It was invented by L. Ron Hubbard. He was a science fiction writer who one day declared, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start a religion." One year after making that statement, he took his own advice with the publishing of 'Dianetics: A modern Science of Mental Health' and other religious books conveying his ideas on inner peace and physical health. He died of a stroke in 1986.

Kissed Courting Goodbye

In our society, most people date. If a guy is a 6, he looks for a female 7. Once he finds a girl that's barely within his reach, he attempts to hook up with her. If she agrees, they go out. He tries to hold her hand, then kiss, then more, etc. Once she says no, they probably break up. And now that he's dated a 7, he can probably try for an 8.

Some people are a little more responsible. They commit to only 'date' people they'd be interested in marrying. They even change the word to 'courting.' Most people 'court' just like the rest of society 'dates,' but since they use a different word, it's quite mature. In fact, they can even go farther physically because it's a mature relationship!

I suggest a new system (new to us, old to history). No dating. No courting. Just getting engaged and then married. No time alone until the proposal. Hang out in groups. Express no romantic interest. Once the guy has observed enough to know he could commit to her, a process begins:

1. He asks her father for permission to propose
2. The father can then veto on his own
3. If not the daughter can veto
4. Then the father tells the guy yes/no
5. If yes, the guy can ask (confidently)

History seems to indicate this system has a higher success rate than ours.

End of the World?

One of the signs Jesus gave to indicate the 'end of the age' was that the Gospel would be preached to all nations. Therefore, many people think we are living in the last days because the Gospel seems to have reached all nations in modern times. Seems reasonable.

Couple problems

1. In the context of Matthew 24, Jesus is describing the destruction of the 1st century temple, not the destruction of the world in general. 2. In some sense, the Gospel was preached to all nations in the 1st century. If you disagree with me, you disagree with God too*

*For Example:
Acts 2:5 Col. 1:6 Col. 1:23 Rom. 16:25-26

Happy Father's Day

Sorry for blurring you out mom, but today is Father's Day. I'm gonna try to keep the Sunday night service short so I can get home before the party is over!

Seinfeld Season 4

This past Monday, for my birthday, I got Seinfeld Season 4. Seinfeld is definitely my favorite show of all time and it's pretty fun falling asleep to the special features. Below you'll find a test to figure out what Seinfeld character you're most like:

Click HERE to take the test

It said I was Jerry. Perhaps. I'm a mixture of Jerry and George. There were quite a few 'what seinfeld character are you' tests...they all stink to be honest. This was the best of them.

The Next GS

This won't make much sense to non-wesleyan readers

Did you see Keith Drury's latest article? I didn't know people were allowed to publish speculation like that, pretty cool. Due to a 'tradegy' (sorry Keith) in Dave Holdren's family, we are short 1 G.S. Drury came up with a list of candidates:

Steve DeNeff- He'd be my pick
JoAnne Lyon- My 2nd choice
HC Wilson- Like him a lot
Don Bray- Works for me
Jim Garlow- Don't think he's interested
Harry Wood- I'd be fine with that
Paul Hontz- Nah, stay a pastor
Steve Babby- Don't know enough to say
Jim Dunn- Don't know enough to say
Jerry Pence- I guess so

My prayers go out to the Holdren family. It's too bad Drury himself isn't interested in the GS job. Any of you guys have any comments on this list?

Anagrams

Yesterday's Palindromes were discovered quickly, so today I'll just come right out and tell you what these are (that and the fact that it'd be super easy to figure out!). Below you'll find the 10 best anagrams.

desperation = a rope ends it
dormitory = dirty room
mother-in-law = woman Hitler
slot machines = cash lost in 'em
George Bush = he bugs Gore
Ronald Wilson Reagan = Insane Anglo Warlord
Princess Diana = end is a car spin
William Shakespeare = I am a weakish speller
Santa = Satan
President Clinton of the USA
=
to copulate he finds interns

Mystery Theology

Who can be the first to figure out what is unique about the theology below???

Cain: A maniac! Evil I did dwell, lewd did I live. Did Hannah say as Hannah did? Are we not drawn onwards, we Jews, drawn onward to new era? Do Good's deeds live on? No, Evil's deeds do, O God. Do, O God, no evil deed, live on, do good. Live, O Devil, revel ever, live, do evil. Dogma in my hymn: I am God! We panic in a pew.

Benefits of Truth

Honesty really is the best policy...in a lot of very practical, down-to-earth ways.

Truth Paints a Brighter Future- Proverbs tells us that 'Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.' Basketball coach Rick Petino was right when he said, 'Lying makes a problem part of the future; truth makes a problem part of the past.'

Truth Frees us from Fear- The Bible tells us the truth will set us free. If you've gotten rid of all the skelatons in your closet, you no longer have to stick around to keep an eye on the door.

Truth Maximizes Joy- Have you ever cheated at cards or some sport? The win isn't quite as sweet afterwords! If you mix deception and victory in the same bowl, you end up with an ugly meal of guilt.

Truth Holds Everything Together- Part of our spiritual armor is the belt of truth. Every time we lie, we have to loosen that belt another notch. Add enough layers of deception and our spiritual obesity causes that belt to snap off completely. We'll eventually be caught with our pants down...in a manner of speaking.

Don't Tell the Truth

When delaying the truth...serves the truth
I think this applies to various situations. Only an annoyingly honest person would ruin a surprise party. It can be good pure fun to trick a gullible friend. And think about Nathan waiting to hear David's response before telling him, 'You are the man!'

When your listeners aren't ready for it
In A Few Good Men Jack Nicholson reminded us that some people can't handle the truth. God seems to agree. For many centuries He spoke in shadows. We tend to call it progressive revelation. See John 16:12

When your listeners aren't worthy of it
I'm not sure Rahab's questioners had worthy intentions. Some people simply aren't worthy of the truth. Jesus seemed to affirm this principle when He said 'Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine.'

When you can't say it in love
I am still liking that Blake quote: "A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent." Ephesians tells us to speak the truth with the motive of love. The twin towers of truth and love should never be separated.

Truth About Truth

My sermon today is about the truth. Here are some of the most interesting quotes I stumbled upon while preparing:

Truth exists, lies are invented (unknown)
Truth crushed to earth shall rise again: Th' eternal years of God are hers; But Error, wounded, writhes in pain, And dies among his worshippers. (Bear Bryant)
The man who fears no truths has nothing to fear from lies (Thomas Jefferson)
A truth that's told with bad intent Beats all the lies you can invent (William Blake)
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act (George Orwell)
Oh what a tangled web we weave,When first we practise to deceive (Sir Walter Scott)
Lying makes a problem part of the future; truth makes a problem part of the past (Rick Petino)
I have now discovered that the most powerful weapon in the world is not the bomb but the truth (Andrei Sakharov)

Harrison Ford

Great
Last Crusade, The
Good
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Temple of Doom
Fugitive, The
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back, The
Return of the Jedi, The
Average
What Lies Beneath
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Firewall
Air Force One
Sabrina
Regarding Henry
Bad
Devil's Own, The

CURRENT TOTAL: 7 POINTS

"Not Too Shabby"

Tom Cruise

Great
Jerry Maguire
Rain Man
Minority Report
Good
Far And Away
Few Good Men, A
Average
Magnolia
Collateral
Vanilla Sky
Bad
War of the Worlds

CURRENT TOTAL: 9 POINTS

"Recently Insane"

Bruce Willis

Great
Bandits
Twelve Monkeys
Good
Sixth Sense, The
Die Hard
Average
Fifth Element, The
Unbreakable
Armageddon
Whole Nine Yards, The
Sin City
Bad
Death Becomes Her
Kid, The

CURRENT TOTAL: 4 POINTS

"Punked"

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Great
Total Recall
Good
Kindergarten Cop
6th Day, The
True Lies
Average
Terminator, The
Terminator 2, The
Terminator 3, The
Running Man, The
Last Action Hero
Jingle All The Way
Batman and Robin
End of Days

CURRENT TOTAL: 6 POINTS

"The Governator"

Tom Hanks

Great
Cast Away
Forrest Gump
Good
Catch Me If You Can
A League of Their Own
Money Pit, The
You've Got Mail
Terminal, The
Green Mile, The
Road To Perdition
Sleepless in Seattle
Apollo 13
Big
Da Vinci Code
Saving Private Ryan
That Thing You Do
Average
Man With One Red Shoe, The
Joe Versus The Volcano
Splash
Burbs, The
Philadelphia
Bad
Ladykillers, The

CURRENT TOTAL: 17 POINTS

"Gotta Pee"

Brad Pitt

Great
Meet Joe Black
Se7en
Ocean's Eleven
Good
Twelve Monkeys
Fight Club
Ocean's Twelve
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Average
Babel
Troy
Ocean's 13
Bad
Legends of the Fall
Devil's Own
The Mexican

CURRENT TOTAL: 7 POINTS

"Aniston Ain't Enough"

Jim Carrey

Great
Truman Show, The
Dumb & Dumber
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
Liar Liar
Good
Bruce Almighty
Majestic, The
Man on the Moon
Average
Series of Unfortunate Events
The Number 23
Cable Guy, The
Fun with Dick & Jane
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Batman Forever
Mask, The
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

CURRENT TOTAL: 15 POINTS

"I Was the Dumber One"

Tim Robbins

Great
Shawshank Redemption, The
Good
Nothing To Lose
The Hudsucker Proxy
Antitrust
Arlington Road
Average
Mystic River
I.Q.
Bad
Mission to Mars
Cadillac Man

CURRENT TOTAL: 3 POINTS

"I'm a Raging Liberal"

My Favorite Actor?

A Great Movie earns you 3 points
A Good Movie earns you 1 point
An Average Movie counts for nothing
A Bad Movie costs you 2 points

Here are the results so far:
Tom Hanks: 17pts
Jim Carrey: 14pts
Robin Williams: 11pts
Tom Cruise: 8pts
Denzel Washington: 8pts
Brad Pitt: 7pts
Harrison Ford: 7pts
Julia Roberts: 6 pts
Meg Ryan: 6 pts
Mel Gibson: 6pts
Arnold Schwarzenegger: 6pts
Jena Malone: 5pts
Bruce Willis: 4 pts
Kevin Costner: 4 pts
Sandra Bullock: 4 pts
Tim Robbins: 3pts
Kevin Spacey: 3 pts
Nicolas Cage: 2 pts

Rules I've Made Up Along The Way:
1. No animated/computerized/cartoon voice acting stuff counts 2. The actor must have played a major role in the movie, not some two minute cameo. 3. I had to have seen over 90% of the movie UNLESS it was so bad that I turned it off. 4. I must have seen them in at least seven movies that fit rules 1-3.

Fun With Footnotes

A while ago, for the first time ever, my blog-post included footnotes.* I really enjoy footnotes! I have read some books where the footnotes are my favorite part.** I especially like when footnotes are used humorously,*** but many times footnotes contain specific information that is quite interesting.**** It is a little bothersome, however, when a book has too many footnotes.***** I've seen cases where the footnotes are long enough to have their own footnotes!******


*The link to that post can be found HERE
**For example, Paul Maier's book In The Fullness of Time was a bit dry, but his footnotes were very interesting
***Jason Boyett makes humorous use of footnotes in Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse*******
****In Maier's book, for example, the footnotes mention the leading theories as to the exact day/year of Christ's death********
*****I suppose a blog post could fall under the same critique, although I've never seen footnotes overdone in a blog
******Of course, an actual 2nd set of footnotes was never used, but I think they should have been


*******A review of Boyett's book can be found HERE
********The most likely date is April 3rd, 33AD

Why We Still Disagree

John 16:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.....but Christians still have so many doctrinal disagreements. Why? Below are some reasons I've come across and/or brainstormed:

1. Some people just don't remain teachable
2. Denominational loyalty can surpass loyalty to the text
3. Addiction to certainty excludes thoughtful consideration
4. Some only defend beliefs, they never question them
5. Sometimes it really is just semantics
6. Maybe it's not a different belief, it's a different emphasis
7. Beliefs look different at different stages of understanding
8. Some lack hermeneutical skills
9. Some lack historical knowledge
10. Pride interprets passages toward self
11. Loyalty to theological systems and labels
12. Some allow the world to influence their interpretations