“I’ll be back.”
“I could’ve been a contender!”
“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“May the force be with you.”
“Houston, we have a problem.”
In 2005 the American Film Institute named the top 100 movie quotes of all time. You probably remember every one of those quotes and maybe 100 more depending on how big of a film buff you are.
What is it that makes these catchphrases so memorable? Continue reading
Do you remember your first summer job?
Cashing that paycheck from a first job is a rite of passage for most teenagers. Whether it’s out of necessity to help support the family or just to earn a little extra spending money, securing a summer job is a gateway to the first taste of independence.
My first summer job came when I was 16 years old. I worked at a movie rental store (remember those?) called Video Warehouse. I wore a red polo shirt and khaki shorts to work four days a week that summer as I checked out the latest DVDs and videotapes (remember those?) to Augusta families.
I made minimum wage, and I didn’t mind. Adding any amount to my bank account was an exhilarating feeling.
My parents were always generous with granting me spending money when I didn’t have a job. But there was something different about being able to provide for myself.
I might have been taking home only a couple of hundred dollars each month, but to me the possibilities of earning my own paycheck were endless. With a little bit of money came a greater sense of independence.
The longing of every teenage heart is to be independent. After you’ve tasted a little freedom from your parents, it’s hard to forget how sweet it is.
The older you get, the more embarrassing it becomes to have to depend on someone else to provide the things you need. There’s a stigma of shame attached to not being able to provide for yourself.
Why, then, does God want us to depend on him so much? Continue reading
(Click Here if you can’t see the video above.)
Ernest P. Worrell may be the most earnest man in the world.
Yes, he’s always interrupting Vern at the most inopportune times, causing chaos along the way. But he’s just trying to help.
Ernest is easily inspired with awe for the wonderful deals and products he discovers. He wants Vern to share in these blessings.
Be as earnest as Ernest today. Don’t be afraid to interrupt someone’s life with a surprise blessing. And try not to close your life off to the Ernests who bring cheer into your day.
An interruption of blessing is not an interruption. It’s an intervention – a rescue mission to recover the possibilities of the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice in that day with the spirit of Ernest. Know what I mean?
Happy Friday.
What did you learn about in church yesterday?
What about last week?
Two weeks ago?
Don’t remember? Don’t worry. It’s not your fault.
You have amnesia. Continue reading
Every scar has a story – just not necessarily a good one.
I might have the dumbest scar you’ve ever seen. Each year my school had a ceremony honoring the top students. In the 6th grade I got called out of class early along with my friend Kevin to go to this Honors Night practice.
I was pretty excited about the privilege. Well, at least the getting out of class part. As Kevin and I headed toward the practice, I pushed open the door outside with a joyful burst of strength.
What I didn’t count on as I used all of my force was the force of the door as it swung back. Just as quickly as I had flung it open the door bounced off the wall and slammed back into me, crushing my glasses right into my face. Continue reading
I was dreading the day Roger Ebert would die.
I selfishly hoped it would never come.
I had known the movie critic and film scholar was nearing death for years, as we all had. When news broke that Roger was stepping back from his reviews for the time being due to his cancer recurring, I was afraid the end might come within days.
I was right. Just a day after he announced he was cutting back on his duties, Roger Ebert passed away.
Turns out I was not the only one devastated to see him go. Continue reading
Here’s a test to answer that looming question we all ask ourselves at one time or another – Am I crazy?:
Look in the mirror.
Do you see a reflection?
If yes, then you are crazy.
We’re all crazy in our own little ways. It’s just a matter of figuring out which type of crazy we are.
Silver Linings Playbook (the best movie I’ve seen from 2012) is a movie about mental illness, the different ways people cope with their craziness, and how they find the silver linings amidst all the negative turns life takes.
Everyone in the movie is unbalanced in their own special way. There’s Bradley Cooper’s bipolar divorcee, and Robert DeNiro’s obsessive-compulsive football fan, and Jennifer Lawrence’s unhinged widow. Even the psychiatrist waves his crazy flag as a face-painting Philadelphia Eagles fan.
I liked the movie so much because I think it’s pretty true to life. God didn’t make any person perfect. He created us all a little quirky. Continue reading
Fozzie Bear believes in the power of persistence.
He’s an old-school Vaudeville comedian. He believes in his jokes, and he pushes them through to the punchline no matter how many stops and starts he faces along the way from frogs who don’t understand comedic timing.
Fozzie believes in his act. He commits to it with his entire furry self.
Whatever opposition you face this Friday, be persistent. Commit to your cause. And do it with a Muppet-like smile.
(If the video does not appear in your browser, check it out here.)
courtesy: Hallmark
Whatever your Friday brings you, I pray you’ll experience it with as much delight as Yoda on a roller coaster.
May His joy be with you.
Pop culture confession time: I am one of the last people in my generation who has never seen or read the complete Harry Potter saga.
It’s not because I think the series is demonic or promotes witchcraft or any moral reason like that. I actually did start reading the series about 13 years ago.
In fact I was the first kid in my class to get behind the books, introducing them to many of my friends. My mom saw them in a book catalog and brought the first one home to me.
I was hooked. I devoured the first three books. I even ordered the fourth book from overseas before it was released in the U.S. I was a megafan.
Then there was a gap between the fourth and fifth book. From what I remember this is when Potter-mania really started catching on in America, at least around the people at my school. Now seeing another person with a Harry Potter book was not strange; it had become the norm.
The first Harry Potter movie came out around this time too. And this was the beginning of the end of my fandom. I had great expectations, and to me that first movie did not ignite the same spirit as the first book did. I was sorely let down. Continue reading
POP GOD 