indecision

Elisabeth Elliot's daily devotional really hit me today. It hit me hard.

Title: Indecision

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

It is painfully obvious that many young people today have an awful time making up their minds about anything. They're not "really sure" what college to go to, what to major in, whom to room with, what career to prepare for, whether or whom to marry, whether to bother with children if they do marry, when to bother with them, what to do with them if they get them, whether to attempt to instill any values in their children (not to make up your mind on this issue is, of course, already to have instilled a value in the mind of the child).

Garry Trudeau, author of the cartoon "Doonesbury," has noticed this prevalent indecisiveness. In one strip he has a young man appearing for an interview with the president of an advertising company.

"So you want to be an ad man, eh, son?" says the executive.

"Well, I think so, sir," says the youth. "I mean, I can't be certain, of course, but it seemed worth looking into, you know, to see if it worked out, if it felt right and... I... uh..."

I guess there's nothing new about indecision. James wrote about it in his epistle, and he shows that the remedy for it is trust. He tells us to ask for wisdom if we don't know what to do. "But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don't ask with faith, don't expect the Lord to give you any solid answer" (James 1:6-8, LB).

I am the youth in this example. I haven't really been asking the Lord for wisdom in the area of my vocation. I believe He has a plan, but rather than actively seeking it with whole-hearted faith, I am more often throwing small pity parties for myself, continually regretting things in the past even when I know they weren't mistakes. Basically, I have been doubting. Praise God for these verses today! What a reminder to ask with faith.

book recommendation: the reason for god by timothy keller

As a child, the plausibility of a faith can rest on the authority of others, but when we reach adulthood there is a need for personal, firsthand experience as well.

Tim Keller, The Reason for God

I just finished The Reason for God yesterday. Wow. I have never read an argument for Christianity quite like this, and I have definitely never seen doubts about God and Christianity, as well as religion in general, so well-addressed. By "well-addressed" I mean that Tim Keller, who is a Christian, discusses each common doubt, and all the threads of thought that would make a person doubt, without a condescending or judging voice. They are reasonable doubts, that many believers might have had or still have. There are also reasons for faith that are addressed. Thus, the book is divided into two parts: First, "The Leap of Doubt", in which Keller discusses the 7 doubts that he as a pastor in New York City has most often been approached with over the past twenty years, such as "How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?" and "Science Has Disproved Christianity". Second, he discusses "The Reasons for Faith" in which he not only states Christian beliefs, but why they are reasonable and valid, such as "The Problem of Sin" and "The Reality of the Resurrection". Keller includes thoughts from literary, religious, philosophical, and scientific thinkers, as well as pieces of real-life conversations he has had with contemporary New Yorkers throughout his years in the city.

This book is for skeptics and believers. I would recommend it to anyone who has an inkling we might not just be "hanging out here". To learn more, check out the website here.

comments

Newsflash: Posting comments on this site is now possible. (I am not begging for comments here, it has just been brought to my attention that comments don't work on my blog, so my computer-savvy bro-in-law figured it out for me).

movie review: whip it

Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is a success! Ellen Page plays Bliss Cavendar, a high-schooler living in a small Texas town outside of Austin, wishing for something exciting to come along in her life to distract her from her pageant-obsessed mother's demands. And something does come along when she sneaks into the city one night and discovers the ridiculous (ridiculously awesome) world of Roller Derby. She soon joins the league, meets a boy, and shenanigans ensue. I thoroughly enjoyed Whip It, a fun and inventive film, and I'll tell you why...

More than anything, it is the incredible cast that makes this movie worth seeing. And, of course, the fact that it is about Roller Derby. How often do those come around? Ellen Page, as she did in Juno, plays the leading teen-lady well while the rest of the "Hurl Scouts", including Kristen Wiig and Drew Barrymore, provide hilarious romp. Others in the Roller Derby pack are Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Wilson (yes, Owen and Luke have an older brother and he is a funny man, indeed), and Juliette Lewis, who is always amazing and is actually quite the "mean-y" in this role, which is new for her and very funny to watch. Alia Shawkat is the wild, but studious, best friend and Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern play Bliss' parents, the latter of whom I haven't really seen since Bushwacked, but is as big of a hoot as ever. The weakness in the cast would definitely have to be in the form of singer Landon Pigg, who plays the love interest. This is his first movie, and I'm not sure if he's planning on any others, but if he is...yikes. Yet, something about his character was oddly believable, so I have to give him some credit for being most like a "real person".

It's a good mix of comedy and drama, and good comedy and good drama, at that. So..."put some skates on and be your own hero", and see this movie.

movie review: away we go

It's hard to tell yet, but I think I might have loved it. Sam Mendes has cranked out another awesome movie (see American Beauty and Revolutionary Road).

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are a magic match as a couple who, upon finding out they're pregnant, embark on a journey across America to find a suitable home for starting a new life with their first child. They bee-bop from city to city, meeting up with friends and family and family-friends, all of whom teach them their own personal slice about raising children, building a home, and staying in love.

The look of this movie is beautiful and fresh. Whether they're stopping on the side of the road next to an endless green field or sitting on a trampoline in a brother's backyard late at night, the two lovers travel among natural beauty, with the enchanting music of Alexi Murdoch humming in the background all along the way.

I was very skeptical about John and Maya "working" as a couple on screen...I couldn't see it. I thought, "She's funny, and he's funny, and they're both very different kinds of funny...and how's that going to work?" But I was honestly and pleasantly surprised! They both retained their funny personas, but each played totally unique and original characters. By this I mean Jim Halpert is not in this movie, and neither is Donatella Versace (Get ouuuut!). I love John's character, Burt. He is so caring of his girlfriend and innocently optimistic and curious. It is just cute. And Maya, who I've never seen act except as an SNL funny-woman, is so quietly and sensibly witty as Verona. It is easy to watch them together. Along with these two are a string of actors that I always seem to enjoy. Maggie Gyllenhaal is hilariously annoying, and Allison Janney can do no wrong. Chris Messina and Paul Schneider also add a lot as two loving, but distraught, father figures.

This film is warm. It's an authentic look at two people who are in love, a steady, committed love, who don't have it all figured out, but are discovering it all together. They question the past and are anxious about the future. It's warm because we can relate to that. The conflict is simply...life.

being blessed by christmas music...in october

I went for a walk in the park this morning with my mom. Oh how good it felt, what clean crisp air! It definitely feels like fall, but I noticed that the trees and shrubs around me are looking especially green, oddly. Maybe they appear the greenest right before their leaves start to change, who knows (probably not). They just looked so beautiful and lush today. (Mind you, I can't wait until they change into those pretty oranges, reds, and yellows). This song came on my shuffle...it was "Joy to the World" by Sufjan Stevens, which is on his AMAZING Christmas album. I was just completely blessed by it, the words and the music, as I was surrounded by His beauty in the park. This song is not just for Christmas. I think we should sing it year-round. Take another look:

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

movie review: the last king of scotland

But first, in honor of the first day of October, a quote from Anne of Green Gables:

"Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs. "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill - several thrills?"

On to the review. Before renting this movie on Netflix, I actually thought this movie might be set in Scotland. No, no, no....try Uganda. An Oscar-winning performance by Forest Whitaker plus James McAvoy was all I needed to know to be interested, never mind the story. And a story it is! In 1970, a young Scottish doctor (McAvoy) straight out of medical school decides to pack up and practice in Uganda, for an apparently much needed change of scenery. After being there for only a short time, he crosses paths with the newly elected Ugandan president, Idi Amin (Whitaker), who is soon impressed by Dr. Garrigan's ability to act fast in a crisis. Garrigan is invited to be Amin's personal physician, and he accepts. But what the doctor will soon discover is that the seemingly lovable president will resort to fatal measures in order to gain and sustain power and a good public image.

I can't say I wasn't disturbed after watching. Some of the images, one in particular, are too brutal to stomach. But this film was undeniably impressive and the story very intriguing. Garrigan and Amin's relationship is kind of mesmerizing, gradually evoking suspense throughout the film. Whitaker's performance really is deserving (he managed to be both vicious and hilarious) and McAvoy was perfect as the doctor, believably immature yet responsible. I also really enjoyed seeing 1970s Africa, from tribal villages to the president's beautiful mansion (he also has a White House!). And, the music was surprisingly really good, and definitely added to the exciting, adventurous environment that Garrigan gets to experience (in the first half of the movie, anyway). Once again, I learned a lot about another country that I didn't know before. Ida Amin was a dictator that ruled Uganda from 1970-1979, when he was finally overthrown, for good reason. Sadly, Nicholas Garrigan is a fictional character (I wanted his part to be true!) Overall, a good flick. Oh, but it also had like three of those unnecessary sex scenes that you will want to fast forward through, just so you know. Really not necessary.