I loved this movie. From the opening scene where a giant Poseidon traipses out of the ocean to the closing training sequence between the film’s main protagonists, I was in love. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is the heir apparent to the Harry Potter throne.

We should be frank about this, though. Percy Jackson is just like Harry Potter. Only, instead of witches and wizards, we’ve got demigods—the offspring of gods and mortals. In this case, the gods happen to be from the Greek pantheon. You know, Zeus, Hermes, Poseidon, Hades—those guys. Anyhow, the similarities abound. A child who does not know of his past. His past is, astonishingly, revealed to him. He is taken to a secret training ground for young demigods. He befriends a few people like himself. He is told the rules. He breaks the rules because there is some world-ending calamity that demands action. With the help of his friends—the serious one and the one for plucky comic relief—he saves the world from destruction at the hands of the gods. While he should be punished for breaking the rules, he is rewarded for breaking them and saving the world. The end.

Sound anything like Harry Potter? Oh, one more thing. The same guy who directed the first two Potter films also directed Percy Jackson.

Be that as it may, Percy Jackson manages to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the boy wizard movies. Where the Potter films have grown more dark and ominous, dragging children and adults into Harry’s increasingly muddled world of angst, Percy Jackson is bright, fun, and magical. The dialogue could use a little work, but this is the first of many films in a series, so the actors have time to develop their onscreen rapport with one another. The special effects are as good as any I’ve seen in a film, Avatar notwithstanding.

Bottom line: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a great piece of escapism for the whole family. I highly recommend it.

I believe it’s through these things that we grow as believers and mature to the point that we are prepared for the next battle. The passage below occurs just after God allowed Job to be tested and his property and children taken from him.

Job 1:20-21 (ESV) “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

I want to know how to be more like this. How does a man have this steady of a faith? If Job can do it, we can too. We have the tools to fight through anything with Jesus by our side. Realize your life will change, but this verse is amazing - Job recognizes that the Lord gives and takes away and then he gives a blessing to his God. I don’t know about you guys, but this is such an encouragement from a fellow believer that has been persevering in the faith. No matter what happens, we have our God. As you go through the book of Job you see more trials and he still has reassurance of his faith in God. As you read you see that he calls out to God and loathes his life, but comes back with confirmation that this is what God has for him and he can be used.

Most of us will not go through as much as Job did, but we can reflect on this when we get put in those pits of despair. God is great as has bigger plans for us. We may die, but our stories live forever and can affect generations to come in our Lord Savior.

Many Christians have this very negative view of the law. They think it wasn’t good enough, or sufficient, as if it was lacking something and that’s why Jesus was sent to save us. Quite the contrary, the law is extremely important and sufficient. We just tend to see it as insufficient because we cannot fulfill it ourselves. The law is God’s standard, His measure, and also His nature. If you violate the law, you are violating Him. As I’ve said in a previous post, the law is essential for us to see our own sin. It shows us we are not perfect and cannot be. If someone could somehow be born without the sin of Adam, and then never sin, would they not be sinless? And thus not need a savior?

As a matter of fact, someone did do this. His name is Jesus. He was the only sinless and perfect human. Since our flesh is weak and we sinned, we cannot fulfill the law, and thus it is weakened and unable to save us. It can only condemn us. But Jesus, the only one proclaimed righteous by the law, got what He did not deserve: death on a cross. Was he not righteous enough to be defended against any and all harm by legions of angels?

Yet this was the only way our sin and condemnation could be covered. The sacrifice of one who did not deserve it, to cover the sins of those who did. God is a just God, and he REQUIRES payment for all transgressions – no exceptions.

So the only question that remains is this: will you accept this sacrifice? I don’t think you’ll get far on your own.

“No one ever spoke the way THIS MAN does,” the guards declared. - John 7:46

On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely THIS MAN is the Prophet.”
Others said, “He is the Christ.” - John 7:40-41

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did THIS MAN get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. - Mark 6:2-3

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “THIS MAN welcomes sinners and eats with them.” - Luke 15:1-3

And as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If THIS MAN were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” - Luke 7:38-39

Some of the Pharisees said, “THIS MAN is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided. - John 9:16

If THIS MAN were not from God, he could do nothing.” - John 9:33

Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against THIS MAN.” - Luke 23:4

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me THIS MAN as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. - Luke 23:13-15

With one voice they cried out, “Away with THIS MAN!” - Luke 23:18

They kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has THIS MAN committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. - Luke 23:21-23

The other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But THIS MAN has done nothing wrong.” - Luke 23:40-41

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said,
“Surely THIS MAN was the Son of God!” - Mark 15:38-39

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that THIS MAN really is the Savior of the world.” - John 4:42

The whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is THIS?”
The crowds answered, “THIS is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” - Matthew 21:10-11

“THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” - Matthew 27:37

THIS is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. - 1 John 5:6

“THIS is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:17

“I have seen and I testify that THIS is the Son of God.” - John 1:34

THIS is what we preach, and THIS is what you believed. - 1 Corinthians 15:11

THIS is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven - Colossians 1:23

THIS is the confidence we have in approaching God - 1 John 5:14

THIS is love - 2 John 1:6,1 John 4:16

And THIS is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and THIS life is in his Son. - 1 John 5:11

THIS MAN is the Way
THIS MAN is the Truth
THIS MAN is the Life

THIS MAN is my Savior.
THIS MAN is my King.
THIS MAN is my Rabbi.
THIS MAN is my Righteousness.
THIS MAN is my Love.
THIS MAN is my Lord.
THIS MAN is my God.

Nonsense. That is what Tim Butron’s stab at Alice in Wonderland amounts to. From the dialogue to the storyline, this movie is proof positive that 3D IMAX is the gimmick many critics have accused it of being—using massive amounts of misdirection to make people forget that the film they’re watching has very little substance. Thankfully, I took in the film in plain old, “stick to the screen” celluloid.

From the beginning, Alice in Wonderland is difficult to understand. A lot is assumed of the viewer that likely shouldn’t be. A young Alice has nightmares, and it is alluded to that it might be of Wonderland—the Wonderland we all know and love from the Disney cartoon most of us grew up with. Then, just like that, it’s 13 years later, and we are treated to an older Alice who defies the conventions of her Victorian upbringing. She meets a number of prim-and-proper characters in the waking world that just beg for Wonderland counterparts. Viewers are not disappointed. Within moments, we are whisked to the strange and wonderful world of…well, Wonderland, familiar characters greeting Alice upon her arrival.

But, this is not the Wonderland we all know and remember. This is a slightly darker, slightly more broken Wonderland. And this is where the movie descends into “been-there-done-that” territory. Turns out, this isn’t Alice in Wonderland at all. This is Hook. This is Prince Caspian. This is Alice returning to Wonderland after the events we all remember from her childhood. Of course, viewers are given no knowledge of this from the start, leaving us befuddled as to what the heck is going on. When we are finally treated to a montage of familiarity—shown through a well-placed flashback—moviegoers are left with a choice. We are forced to choose between accepting this new reality or revolting against it. In the end, most viewers in the theater I sat in seemed to revolt against it.

The most difficult part of the film is the speed of dialogue. Given that much of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass are nonsensical in nature, I can’t fault Burton for trying to stick to Lewis Carroll’s source material. However, there were several times throughout the film when something was said that was unable to be made out or understood, even if it was meant to be.

As for the performances, Depp does an “okay” turn as The Mad Hatter, but I’m not exactly sure why he got top billing in the film. I know he’s a “name” and all, but he’s not in the film nearly as much as the previews would have you believe. Depp doesn’t seem much different in this role than he did in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, actually. In fact, this seems to be more of a vehicle for the severely underrated Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the Red Queen. She is in the film far more than Depp and does a much better job with her role. Anne Hathaway managed to butcher her role of the White Queen. Though, I’ll go out on a limb and give her the benefit of the doubt. She may have played the role close to what is found in the books. However, in the film, Burton seems to direct the role in such a way that, at several points throughout, the viewer is not quite sure as to whether the White Queen is as good as her “whiteness” seems to suggest. George McFly himself, Crispin Glover turns into an anemic caricature as Stayne, the Red Queen’s “Knave of Hearts.” Newcomer Mia Wasikowska does a fantastic job as Alice, but I feel as if the part didn’t require any particular depth. Still, she was engaging in the role, and I genuinely enjoyed watching and listening to her.

As a general rule, I am a huge fan of the Johnny Depp-sold-his-soul-to-Tim-Burton partnership. It has given us great films like Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, the wonderful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the classic Edward Scissorhands. However, if this film doesn’t grow on me over time, I’m going to say this is their weakest collaboration since the atrocious The Corpse Bride.

But, I know that no matter what I say, you’ll go see the movie because Johnny Depp is “so great,” and I’m just a sour critic, hiding behind the safety of his computer screen while Depp is getting paid millions to play the same role he always plays. Just know that, if you do see the film, and you dislike it as much as I did (or force yourself to like it just so you can disagree with me), then I reserve the right to tell you, “I told you so.”

It’s worth a watch…on DVD.

It scares me a little, because sometimes I feel like it’s impossible to forgive completely. I feel like I just can’t do it. I internalize things so much that I think I’ve gotten rid of it when, in fact, I really haven’t. Yeah, you know what I am talking about. That spot in your heart you don’t want to go to nor breakdown and let God take control. I realize that first you have to forgive yourself and then forgive others that may have created or caused this hurt. It’s hard - maybe these issues involve divorce, relationships, etc. Those things are painful, but the forgiveness grows with God’s help; we truly can’t do it on our own. I don’t have to tell you that God forgives us and He forgets about it. He washes us white as snow. Can we let go? Will we choose to let go? Let’s let go and be people who forgive. Know you’re not alone; God is with you. Below is the Lord prayer:

Matthew 6:5-12 (ESV)

The Lord’s Prayer
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

I need you, Jesus, to run after me.
Take this heart of mine, set me free.

I pray that You hear me when I call.
Come and take down these walls.
I want my life to be Yours,
Only Yours.

No one can take me away from You.
No one can touch my heart the way You do.

Why do I run away, instead of running to You?
Why do I go astray, instead of seeking Your face?
Why do I ignore this day, instead of living my life?
Why do I run away from you?

I need You, Jesus, to take hold of me.
Take this heart of mine, live through me.

I pray that You hear me when I call.
Come and take down these walls.
I want my life to be Yours,
Only Yours.

Written in the journal from the Prayer Room during 40.

I used to hear these phrases all the time as a child, not understanding them at first. What wast this light they were talking about? Yet at times these words have helped me in tough times.

We all have skeletons in our closets or a darkness that we don’t want others to know about. Just as we never breathe with 100% of our lungs, the same goes with our hearts. There are parts of a heart that don’t ever get touched. I urge you to go that spot and address those issues. Our light can be stifled by some of this darkness. To be a light, we need to address the darkness and remove it. The light is our ministry. It is our purpose. It is our truth. Without this light, which is Jesus Christ, we have no hope. But through this light we can do amazing things.

This topic makes my imagination run wild. I see fervor and love - but imagine if people just saw the purity of our Savior through us. I am amazed at how easily we can become taken in arguments or debates or even anger toward one another. We want to commune together with our whole hearts, but for some reason, many of us have a difficult time opening up to each other, we close up like a clam. To be a light we must be open. How can I witness to you if you don’t even know me?

I am reminded of my Great Uncle Jimmy who was special needs. Do you realize he showed more light than most people in my church? He was always nice. He sat with my Great Grandmother and listened and then he would sit with my Grandpa and Grandma and do the same. He would sit in his room with his tapes and listen to gospel music. I believe that was his time with God, and he always would want me to come and listen too. He comprehension of God was simplistic, but he gave it his all. He may not have been able to walk to the streets witnessing to the masses, but he ministered to the congregation along with us kids. You can minister anywhere, and it may be with no words. I leave you with these verse:

Matthew 5:14-16 (New International Version)
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I’ve thought about this man everyday since I saw him on the steps of that empty church.

A couple nights later we drove past the same church and are pretty sure we saw him again, this time huddled on one of the park benches out front. Finally, after days of thinking about this man, I had learned his name.

Meet Ray. Middle-aged and weary, Ray lives outside the walls of a church because he claims it is one of the safest places he can be. He works hard, walking miles several times a week to put in job applications all over the city. Ray is mild-mannered but friendly, generous and considerate. When he heard that we hadn’t eaten at White Castle before, he pulled out two of his hamburgers and tried to share his dinner with us, not knowing when his next meal would come.

We asked Ray what he would choose to do if he could do anything he wanted. He told us that he enjoyed drawing and would love to do something where he could create cartoon strips. Art moved him. In the practical sense, he told us he’d settle for anything. He just wanted a job so that he could get off the streets.

Glimpsing Ray sitting on the park bench outside the church, his arms crossed over his chest and his head nodding in sleep, we were reminded that one of God’s names is El Roi – God Who Sees. El Roi sees our past heartaches, our present struggles and our anxieties about the future; He knew Ray long before we did and has continued taking care of him after our paths separated.

Pray for Ray this week as you think about him:
1. That he might find continue to find sustenance and protection daily
2. That his diligence may pay off and that he may find a job soon
3. For God to continue providing him hope and for his eyes to be open to it

What race are we running? When did the gun sound? Why are we so focused on a finish line that we fail to see what we are passing?

We each run the same race: life. Each one of us runs for a different finish line. Success, wealth, marriage, good Christian, etc. The thirst for completion drives us. But what about each step in the actual race? The way the earth feels as you land after each stride. The aroma of the outdoors. The sound of those cheering for each step; crying out for your success. The intensity of your heart as it accelerates, not only because of physical strain, but because it is pushing every last ounce of desire into your legs as it screams for victory. Your body resisting all the forces attempting to restrain you from your goal. How about the understanding that you have the physical ability to partake in the race?

Apply this to life. How much are we missing by focusing only on the finish line? Goals are not bad, but each stride in any race is critical. Without that step, we stumble. Each day God has graced our lives with is a stride. A stride that took preparation to get to. Just as a runner trains, life is lived in preparation for today’s stride. Yes, aspiration has been the driving factor, but each day lessons are learned, wounds draw closer to healing, scars fade further, hearts are changed, and lives are impacted. Feel the foundation of Christ and His truth. Embrace the aroma of God’s creation and our interaction with it. Be motivated by the lives of those you have touched and those that have touched yours; God has introduced them into your story for a reason. Refresh your heart by bringing it closer to the Heart of God; desire to be with Him and learn from Him. Accelerate your heart by pouring into people’s lives and allowing them to pour into yours. Resist the forces of the enemy that try to dissuade you. God has equipped you with a life, go LIVE it!