Death and resurrection are looked upon by most of us from purely a Plan B perspective—a fallback position if/when Plan A is no longer available. We are quite certain we want no part of them until there is absolutely no other option. There’s very little of the “to live is Christ and to die is gain,” mindsetContinue reading “Living As Part Two People”
Tag Archives: hope
Defying The Darkness
In his inspirational book, A Touch of Wonder, Arthur Gordon tells of a grave stone put up somewhere in England after one of the horrific bombings of WWII. Inscribed on it were these words: There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one small candle. The stone marked the grave of aContinue reading “Defying The Darkness”
Breaking Open Our Jar
Full disclosure: “Here Comes the Sun” is one of my favorite songs. I like the music, I like the words, and I love the message of hope that it gives. It’s had a special place in our family over the years as we’ve shared it with each other on a few occasions. Recently, I cameContinue reading “Breaking Open Our Jar”
“You Want To Talk About It?” (Bella)
Ever since by faith I saw the streamThy flowing wounds supply,Redeeming love has been my theme,And shall be till I die. Those words are from the William Cowper song, There is a Fountain. They point us to one of the most powerful qualities of love—it’s redemptive character. It’s Barnabas standing up for Saul when everyone else isContinue reading ““You Want To Talk About It?” (Bella)”
“You Are Our Mission” (World Trade Center)
Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center provides a powerful look at a very small slice of what happened on 9/11. The story centers on two Port Authority officers, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, their families, and the efforts to rescue the two men as they lay trapped beneath tons of rubble. By the end of that fateful day, mostContinue reading ““You Are Our Mission” (World Trade Center)”
The Hope Filled Life (The Undefeated)
The Undefeated was made back in 1969 and features John Wayne and Rock Hudson in the leading roles. Although Wayne was a little bit before my time, I’m always up for seeing anything that he was in. While nobody will ever confuse him with a great actor, the characters he portrayed always had a down-to-earth honesty about themContinue reading “The Hope Filled Life (The Undefeated)”
Not Today (Live Free Or Die Hard)
Okay, Live Free or Die Hard is not going to win any awards or be the kind of movie that is referred to as “film.” It’s not the kind of movie I usually post about. It’s formulaic, totally unrealistic, and has too much violence. If you can get past this (and filter out some of the language), it’s aContinue reading “Not Today (Live Free Or Die Hard)”
Lonely Eyes And Jesus (The Graduate)
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio,Our nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you.What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson.Jolting Joe has left and gone away. My memories of the song, Mrs. Robinson, have to do with my older brother and my mother. My brother was taking a class to learn Morse code that was taught at theContinue reading “Lonely Eyes And Jesus (The Graduate)”
Hope And The Upward Pull (Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close)
Hope is like a swing that pulls us upward. At least, that’s what the movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close would have us to believe. Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old boy who lost his father and his way in the events of 9/11 or as he refers to it, the worst day. He has some form of autismContinue reading “Hope And The Upward Pull (Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close)”
Prayer And The Sick
Sometimes our prayers for the sick aren’t very healthy. You may never have thought about this, but it can be a challenge to pray for the sick in a way that honors them and God. Since prayer is not just about expressing what’s on our heart, but also what’s on God’ heart, our prayers forContinue reading “Prayer And The Sick”