So this past week, someone posted a video on Facebook about a Jewish man who had come to believe in Jesus. As I watched it I was just so encouraged because it reminded me that Jesus is not just a made up Savior that only people who grow up Christian believe in. Jesus breaks through to people no matter what situation they are in, they could have grown up as a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, or even an Atheist and He still loves them. He is God, He is alive and He is saving people! That really encouraged me this week. So I thought I’d share a few stories here. I hope they encourage you too.
My Favorite Character in LOTR
Well, I was thinking recently over one of my favorite movie/book series: Lord of the Rings. I admit I’ve watched the movies more times than I’ve read the books, so my opinions are mostly based on the film version. But I’ve been a fan for sometime now, and I’ve noticed that over the years my favorite character or the one I connect to most has changed.
When I first heard of Lord of the Rings I was in 5th grade and a teacher tried splitting us into teams based on if we liked Frodo or Sam better. I barely knew anything about the story, but I knew Frodo was the main character. And in almost anything I read or watched, the main character was my favorite. This seemed to hold true as my classmates began choosing Frodo. So I jumped on the bandwagon and said Frodo was my favorite.
Well, when I finally got to read and watch the movies for myself, I was offered so many more options for a favorite character. There was Gandalf the wise and powerful wizard, Gimli, the grumpy yet loveable dwarf, Legolas the attractive and agile elf, Merry and Pippin the mischievous and hilarious hobbits, Sam, the best friend of Frodo, Arogorn the mysterious and humble ranger, and a host of other side characters. Faramir and Eowyn also come to mind. In any case, picking a favorite character just got a lot harder. There were so many great characters, how could I choose? After watching the movies, and the extended editions, and the behind the scenes features, I finally settled on Aragorn. For one he was good with horses, not only as a character, but the actor too. And he was the good king that came from humble beginnings. So he was wise, yet fierce, loyal and brave. He led his friends, and he was good looking too. Plus I felt as if he was genuine because the actor wasn’t completely acting; he would fight for real with the stuntmen. And so the character of Aragorn was more and more attractive.
Aragorn remained my favorite character for sometime. How could anyone compete with him? But what do you know, as I got older, the one character I rejected even from the beginning when I was choosing between Sam and Frodo has made a comeback. When I rewatched the LOTRs recently, I found myself more and more impressed and attracted to Sam. He may not have a lot going for him on the surface, he doesn’t go on all the crazy adventures that most of the characters do, he isn’t even the one carrying the ring. He’s short, a bit plump, and not as funny as Merry or Pippin. But Sam has something that I’ve come to value. He is honest, he is faithful despite the circumstances, he is protective and hopeful and looks for the bright side. He encourages Frodo and just as Frodo said, “Frodo wouldn’t have gotten far without Sam.”
Without Sam, the quest would have failed, yet he stays back in the shadows, he doesn’t look for glory or respect. He’s just doing his job, looking out for his friends and putting other’s needs before his own. In my eyes, he’s doing what God has called each Christian to do: to serve, to love, to point the people around us to the truth and hope we have in God and to keep going, even when it’s hard. Sam’s speeches are the most memorable part of LOTRs for me. So I’ll end with my favorite.
Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
So I got to see the new Avengers movie yesterday and it definitely was a summer blockbuster. It had plenty of action, all the returning Avengers, plus several new faces. It was 2 hours and 20 minutes long and I never got bored during the whole thing. The director also did a good job of balancing fast action with slow character development. The movie definitely was a thrill ride. And if you haven’t seen it yet, go ahead and stop reading now, and see if for yourself. Otherwise, beware of spoilers.
One of my favorite parts of any of the Marvel Universe movies is the banter and jokes between characters and this film did not disappoint. Whether it was in the middle of a thrilling action sequence, or while our heroes are taking it easy at Avenger’s tower or their safe house, there is always a cleaver line thrown in. Even our villain has several humorous comments to add, probably because he was developed by Tony Stark and inherited some of his wit. I also loved the bit about Thor’s Hammer and how no one could pick it up, though Captain America did manage to move it. And then in the climax, our new hero Vision is able to pick it up easily, proving that he can be trusted.
The one downside to this movie is that there is literally so much going on that it can be hard to follow the plot or connect with new characters. It could have just been the mood I was in, but I didn’t get as caught up in this story as I have with other Marvel movies. I didn’t cry when Quicksilver died or when the the Avengers saw their worst fears or memories. Maybe I will the second time through, but the first time I was constantly trying to keep up with who was who, and what was going on so that I didn’t get emotionally invested.
But in any case, it was a fun movie to see and I enjoyed it and will probably see it again soon.
Sneak Peek #3
I haven’t posted any sneak peeks for my new novel “Finding Home: The Lost Brother” in quite awhile, so I thought I’d share one of my favorite moments from the new book. If you haven’t already read them, there are two other sneak peeks: https://lydiamhill.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/another-sneak-peek/ and https://lydiamhill.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/a-sneak-peek/
You should probably read them first, so this scene will make more sense. And if you haven’t read the first book in the series yet “Finding Home: The Orphan’s Journey,” check it out on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-Orphans-Lydia-Hill/dp/1490556427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430152065&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+home+the+orphan%27s+journey
And now without further ado, a sneak peek:
Caleb sighed audibly. “I hope this doesn’t take too long.”
Adrian shrugged and turned towards the house.
Caleb reluctantly followed Adrian inside the worn structure. “You know we can’t wait on that kid too long, only a few minutes.”
Adrian sighed, “I know.” He began to study the home’s interior quietly. He touched an old wooden-framed bed and the stones of the soot-filled fireplace.
Caleb looked at the poorly furnished home and wondered what was so special about it. He looked at Adrian for some kind of clue. After seeing Adrian smile at odd objects, like spoons and a wooden sword, Caleb spoke up. “This is where you grew up, isn’t it?”
Adrian nodded as he held a worn bowl in his hand. He glanced around the small room. “It hasn’t changed much.” He set down the bowl.
Caleb nodded but didn’t say anything for several minutes. Finally he broke the silence, “I’m sorry Adrian.”
Adrian turned to look at Caleb. “What for?” he asked, confused.
“I didn’t realize this was your home…. I shouldn’t have pushed you to leave. I know it can be hard… to say goodbye.”
“That’s alright Caleb, you didn’t know.”
Caleb studied Adrian’s face. “So are you alright?”
Adrian nodded. “Yes, I just…” he trailed off.
Caleb waited.
“I just don’t want to forget them…. With all the running around, getting ready for the coronation, and clearing the land of any remaining Unguls, I’ve felt like I’m losing them again… it’s like I don’t have a family.”
Caleb waited for a minute, then hesitantly said, “But you do have a family; King Richard.”
Adrian smiled. “Yes, I know. And I’m thankful for that… but it’s different. I don’t know. Does this make sense at all?”
Caleb shrugged his shoulders. “Makes sense to me. When you were growing up you had a father, a mother, several brothers… wait did you have a sister?”
Adrian laughed, “No, I did not. Serina says that’s why I have horrible table manners.”
Caleb nodded, then continued, “So you had this big family, and now you just have Richard. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Richard, but he is just one man. I think it’s understandable for you to feel like you’ve lost your family.”
Adrian nodded. “Thank you Doctor Caleb. Now what do I do about it?”
Caleb shrugged. “Not a clue. But I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
Adrian shook his head and laughed. “Thanks Caleb.”
Caleb stepped back outside, “You know everyone’s waiting on us.”
Adrian sighed as he followed his friend, “Yeah I know. I just don’t want to break a promise.”
Caleb nodded. “I understand… but it is my job to get you to the coronation and… well we are running out of time.” He climbed onto his mount and looked expectantly at Adrian.
Adrian nodded, “You’re probably right. He walked over to Midnight and prepared to hop on.
“Wait!” Alex’s voice called from down the hill.
Adrian stopped and smiled up at Caleb, “Right on time.”
Caleb rolled his eyes, “I guess we can wait a few more minutes.”
Alex soon crested the top of the hill with another boy right beside him.
Josiah suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Adrian too froze in place.
Alex glanced from one to the other with a huge smile plastered on his face. “Surprise!” he yelled.
Caleb looked on confused. “Adrian?” he said quietly.
Adrian paid no attention to Caleb’s words, “Josiah?” he said so quietly, it might have been only to himself.
Josiah blinked and rubbed his eyes, making sure what he was seeing wasn’t one of his imaginations. But when he looked again, Ben was still standing there, staring back at him. Suddenly the world melted away, and Josiah was running.
Adrian could hardly believe what he was seeing, but once Josiah began running towards him, his hesitation disappeared and he ran too.
The two collided in a massive hug, with Adrian lifting Josiah off the ground. They both held onto each other tightly, too overcome with emotion to say a word.
Caleb cleared his throat and turned to Alex, “Who is that?”
Alex giggled, “Isn’t it obvious? They’re brothers.”
Caleb looked back at the two with wonder, “But that’s impossible.”
Christian Movies and TV Shows
There seem to be more and more movies and TV shows about Christian topics these days. Recreating Bible stories has become especially popular in the entertainment industry. For example, “A. D. The Bible Continues” is a new TV show that has started quite recently. But recreating Bible stories is not the only Christian themed entertainment out there. There have also been a slew of Christian films coming out in theaters. One such film that I got to see recently was “Do You Believe?” As a Christian, or Christ follower, I thought I’d give my opinion on these most recent Christian entertainment pieces, and how we as Christians should react to them.
I’ll start with A.D. Since Easter this new drama has been playing on NBC. It follows the stories of Christ’s disciples and what they had to face in the early days of the Church. The network picked the right time to start the series, launching the show on Easter Sunday, with the Resurrection of Jesus being the main focus of the first episodes. The 3rd episode showed last night. As a Christian, I was naturally interested in this show. I’ve read about the history of the early church in the gospel accounts and in the book of Acts several times, and I was excited to see how this TV show would portray it.
But just as a movie can take liberties with it’s source material, (It seems like fans of books that were made into movies are never satisfied with the outcome), so this show can take liberties with the Biblical accounts. And I admit, there were a few instances when something was left out of the story. For example, in this most recent episode I was looking forward to seeing Peter give his sermon that brought thousands of people to believe in Jesus. In the Bible, this happened right after the Holy Spirit came, as a result of people asking questions about the disciples strange behavior. But this part of the story was skipped over in the episode, and instead the focus was put on Peter and John getting arrested in the temple.
From what I’ve seen of this series so far, the focus is on how hard it was for early believers, and the trials they had to overcome. It also gives us a look into the Roman ruler’s life and how they viewed what was going on. And although it is enjoyable to watch, and much of the story is consistent with the Biblical account, you can tell that this is meant to be a drama. And just like any cop drama on TV, there are good guys, bad guys and action and adventure with the audience always left hanging, so they’ll want to watch more. I will probably keep watching this show with interest, and I think the quality of the plot line and acting is all nice and good. But in the end, this is a TV show, not God’s Word. So keep that in mind, and remember that the screenwriters have taken a creative license with their source material.
Next, I’d like to talk about “Do You Believe?” Like so many other Christian films, this movie attempts to give a Christian message through the telling of a compelling story. It ties together the lives of several characters all with the focus of if they will choose to believe in Jesus and act on their faith. The movie was well made, the story compelling, and I liked the character development. I think the film had a good message; that Christian’s can’t just say they believe and then go on living however they want to, that it takes commitment to follow Christ. It can be an encouraging story to see played out. But in the end, it is just a story. The events did not really happen, and even though God is at work in our lives for real, we often don’t see things work out as nicely as it does in a movie script.
So in conclusion, here’s a few things I think we should remember when watching Christian entertainment, whether it be a movie made by Christians, or by Hollywood, or even a TV show.
1. Always Come Back to God’s Word.
Don’t base your faith on a movie or TV show. Base your faith on Jesus Christ and no other. He didn’t leave us a movie when he went back to heaven, but He did give us His Word, the Bible. Don’t take his gift lightly. Use it, and get to know Him for yourself. And make sure your view of God is shaped more by His Word, and a pastor’s teaching, than by the entertainment you watch.
2. Don’t let watching something become a substitute for doing it yourself.
If can be easy to watch some compelling movie or show, get caught up in all of the emotions, and enjoy the thrill of it. But don’t confuse it, with real life. God didn’t just use the disciples in His work, He wants to use you too. It’s not enough for us to watch and clap when someone else does the right thing, we need to do the right thing in our life. And we need to keep doing it, even if things don’t work out the way we want, or we don’t get the happy ending that we expect. God’s plan is so much bigger than our own, so much bigger than a human writer’s script. We won’t get to see the Big Picture in our lifetime. Maybe we’ll get hints at it, little previews of how God is working things together for good. But even if we don’t see it all, we can still have faith that it will because God is Faithful, and He is Good.
A Family’s Impact
This past weekend I got to spend time with my family in Florida and remember and honor my grandfather who passed away earlier this year. As people retold stories and memories that they had shared with my grandfather, I realized what an impact one life can have. My grandpa lived a little over 80 years on this earth, but he touched so many lives. He had an impact on relatives separated by generations and hundreds of miles, and even those outside his family were impacted by his quiet and faithful life. He was dedicated to God and his family, he provided for a wife and 5 children, he stayed married to the same woman for 60 years and he served wherever he went. On the plane ride home, I overheard a conversation some high schoolers where having about their own parents, about how many divorces and marriages and kids they had. One girl claimed that everyone in her family except her parents had been remarried at some point. It made me sad that this is considered normal now days, but it also made me thankful for my grandpa. He led by example, he lived faithfully each day and that had an impact on his children, and grandchildren and it will continue to impact his great grandkids and the generations in the future. Because he was faithful, it was easier for the next generation in my family to also stay faithful. I’m so glad to see so many of my uncles, aunts, and cousins following Jesus and still living faithfully to one husband or wife.
So thanks for running your race well grandpa! I hope I can do the same.
Illustrations from an Easter Sermon
So, yesterday was Easter, and it was a memorable one for me. Not only did I enjoy seeing lots of kids hunt Easter eggs, and get my own Easter basket stuffed with goodies, but I also really learned a lot from my pastor’s Easter Sermon. He used 3 illustrations that I’d never heard before and really stuck out to me. So I thought I’d go ahead and share them here. I hope you enjoy and Happy Easter!
1. The Astronomer and the Pastor
The first illustration was about how Big God is and was a story about an Astronomer and a Pastor sitting at a bar. As they’re sitting drinking a beer, the Astronomer says something like, “You know when I think about God, all that comes to mind is ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children.’ And that was okay as a child, but I’ve outgrown it. I don’t need it anymore.” And the pastor listens, takes another drink of beer and finally says, “Well when I think of Astronomy, all I think of is ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.'” The point was, just as our universe with all it’s galaxies, black holes, and things we don’t even understand can’t be contained in a kid’s song, neither can God, who made the universe and everything in it. There’s nothing wrong with little kid’s songs, but they can’t describe the complexity and hugeness of our universe, or our God. And we’re foolish to think of either as so small.
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/waterfalls-river-stream-water-691917/
2. The River Boat and the Waterfall
This second illustration is about the reality of our situation as humans. It’s like we’re on a riverboat cruising down the river with the current, enjoying good food and music and for the most part enjoying ourselves. But the boat is heading for a waterfall, and no matter what we believe about the waterfall’s existence, eventually the boat will get to the waterfall and go over the edge, and anyone on the boat will die. So Jesus, is like someone warning us, “Get off the boat and follow me or you’ll die.” And we can choose to trust Him and leave, or say “No I’m good, I don’t need help. I’m fine here.” Without Jesus, we stand condemned before God, that is our situation, and the only thing that can save us is Jesus. He is the only rescuer, the only one who could take our place and receive God’s just punishment for sin. Without Him, we are dead.
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/easter-egg-grass-spring-holiday-619867/
3. The Easter Egg Hunt
The last illustration my pastor gave was about what it’s like to follow Jesus now. He said it’s almost like a continual Easter Egg Hunt, where God has hidden these treasures of grace and joy in the most unlikely places. And just as a parent will give hints to their kids of where to look for an egg they’ve hidden, he will nudge at our hearts, telling us to go somewhere, or do something, or talk to someone. And it might seem like the strangest or most awkward situation to us, but if we say yes and follow Him, we’ll see Him show up in that place. And it’s more exciting than a kid finding an Easter Egg.
Well I hope you enjoyed those illustrations as much as I did and I hope you had a great Easter!
The Warriors Series
Image Source: http://cloudwolfanime.deviantart.com/art/Warrior-Cats-Cover-Pictures-of-First-Series-281530096
Recently I’ve been rereading the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. I did not get to enjoy these books when I was a young reader, but in college when I worked with a 6th Grade reading program at a local middle school, I got to see a few kids enjoying this series. My younger sister got into them as well and so eventually I did read them too.
I don’t know why I got the urge to pick them up again this past week but it was fun to read the story again. I love the world the authors created and how they describe this world from a cat’s perspective. They call humans “two legs” and think of cars as “monsters.” I also enjoy the Clan life they’ve created with it’s different roles for cats. There are warriors that protect and hunt, a leader and deputy that run the clan, a medicine cat for treating the sick and injured, apprentices that are learning to be warriors, queens that take care of kits, and elders that are too old to fight or hunt but are still taken care of. Plus the intriguing story of a cat from the pet world entering into the forest cat’s home is perfect for helping us discover the new world with him. I’m really enjoying how the larger story of Fireheart, our protagonist, faces off against his nemesis Tigerclaw. That storyline is weaved throughout the book series.
If you’ve never gotten to read this series and you like a good quick read, or if you’re looking for a good gift for a younger reader, I’d highly recommend the Warriors series. However, there are several series that have been written within this “Warriors” collection. I’ve enjoyed the first series and so has my sister. I think it is both our favorite. There are at least 2 other series after this one and several stand alone books. From what my sister has told me the later series begin to lose their appeal. The writing isn’t as good and contain more misspellings and grammar problems . Also the storylines become less compelling and even seem to go against what we would expect from our favorite characters. It’s as if the authors were just trying to pump books out so fast that they could not keep up with the same quality. So if you do decide to read this series, definitely start with the first one. The first book in the first series is called “Into the Wild.”
And here’s what it looks like. Happy reading!
Image Source: https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9D
Why Fast?
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I used my free time during Spring Break to catch up on some things and get some writing in, but it’s been hard for me to think of a good topic to blog about. But during Spring Break, my church decided to take a day to fast and pray for persecuted Christians around the world. Through the process, I’ve found that several people didn’t know what the point of fasting was, or had never done it before. So I thought I’d share my experience with fasting.
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/bananas-fruits-food-grocery-store-698608/
When I was younger, I didn’t really fast either. Sometimes my parents did, but I didn’t think it was necessary to being a Christian, and sometimes it even felt like only the ‘really good’ Christian’s fasted. It wasn’t for everyone. Anyway, this changed when I went to college. I attended a Lutheran University and fasting was more of a normal thing in that environment. They practiced Lent, the giving up of something specific for 40 days (From Ash Wednesday to Easter) and I decided to join in and give up something too. Once I think I gave up french fries, another time I gave up Hulu. Anyway I got more used to the idea and practice of fasting. We also had something called Thirty Hour Famine, where we would not eat food for about 30 hours. It was supposed to help us be aware of others around the world who were hungry.
So as I got out of the college life and moved on to young adulthood, I still would fast occasionally. Sometimes it was because I was trying to make a big decision and wanted to be focused on God as I made it. Other times it was because I really cared about someone who was struggling, so I would fast and pray for them. I also fasted several times in order to break a bad habit or cycle. I’d notice that some activity or thing (like dessert) I enjoyed was becoming an obsession, so I would fast from it for a day to break the craving.
Well when my church fasted this past week, they gave everyone a good description for why we should fast. “The primary purpose of fasting is to express a deep longing of our soul for the presence of Jesus in a particular aspect of life. Jesus taught this in Matthew 9:15 where he answered a question about why his disciples were not fasting in his presence. Jesus said ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is take away from them, and then they will fast.’ His point was that when he was with them they did not need to fast but when he was gone they would fast as an expression of their longing for his presence.”
I think it’s important to remember why we do something like fasting. It can be easy to do any of the Christian Disciplines with the wrong motive. Fasting is not about proving you’re a good Christian, or better than those who don’t fast. It’s not about giving up something, just for the sake of giving it up. It shouldn’t be done just because it’s a tradition, or because it’s what everyone else is doing. We should fast, because we long for Jesus’s presence. And as we fast, our hunger should point us back to Him.
I’ve found that when I fast, hunger pains can be a good reminder for me to pray. In addition, because I don’t have to cook, clean dishes, or spend time eating, I have a lot more time during the day to do things like pray or read the Bible. Fasting can be very beneficial to our walk with Jesus, and it’s helped me personally.
Even though fasting may seem hard to you, I’d like to encourage you to give it a try. It really isn’t that bad. True you’ll feel hungry, but that goes away eventually. And even if you can’t give up food for health reasons, you could try fasting from something else that takes up your time, like watching TV or playing video games.
But if you do fast from food, take it slow. Maybe try a 12 hour fast or 24 hour fast to start out with and drink plenty of water. But most of all, remember that why you fast is most important. Spend time with Jesus during your fast and let Him fill you up.
Planned Quality Time
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/clock-time-stopwatch-wrist-watch-95330/
What does it mean to have quality time with someone else? I don’t know if you’ve heard of the 5 Love Languages or not, but one of my Love Languages is Quality Time. That’s a big way of how I connect with people and show them I care about them. And I feel loved when someone spends uninterrupted time with me.
I just got to spend the last few days with family from out of town and it got me thinking about how I spend time with the people around me. When I plan a time to get together with someone, my brain switches to Quality Time mode. I am more purposeful, I try not to be late to the scheduled time together, and I strive to enjoy it all, because it is limited. Oftentimes I ignore texts or calls, because I’m spending quality time with this person. I’ve dedicated this time to being with this person, and not to answer messages on my phone.
But sometimes, my plan doesn’t work. We schedule time together, but the expectation and reality don’t mesh. Maybe something comes up, or we don’t do the thing we had planned on doing, or there was no plan at all, other than just meeting up, so at the end I’m not sure how to feel.
So after this past week of a lot of unplanned time with family, I’ve realized that it’s good to plan and schedule times to be with a person. It can help me personally to step away from distractions and enjoy time with someone I care about. But there’s another side to this. What if I don’t have anything planned? What if I’m just with someone to be with them? This is the norm in my family on a given day. We all have work, chores, commitments, things to do, and if we were trying to have uninterrupted quality time, those things wouldn’t get done. So sometimes we have to have our quality family time while doing other things. Like talking while doing dishes, or hearing about each other’s day while eating dinner, or pausing the movie so someone can answer a phone call. Sometimes life isn’t perfect and the quality time I long for, just doesn’t happen the way I planned. And that’s okay.
What I have to remember most, is not to make it about me. If I’m focused on how I feel, if I’m having fun with the person, if we’re getting to do everything I was planning to do, then I can miss out on the best part, just being with my friend. If I focus on them instead of myself and my plan, then I enjoy our time together so much more, no matter if it was interrupted, cut short, or we did the thing we had planned to do.
So in conclusion, plans are useful, but it’s not what quality time is about. Quality Time is best when it’s focused on the person you’re spending time with, and not on what you’re doing with them.
NovelSisters 