NovelSisters

watching, reading, and writing stories

Apr 16

Captain America in the 21st Century

by lydiamhill

new-poster-for-captain-america-the-winter-soldier

I got to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier this past week. I’ve been holding off writing a post about it, since my sister doesn’t want me to spoil the movie for her. But I think I’ve thought about the movie long enough, that now I want to say something. Hopefully it doesn’t spoil anything for her or anyone else…

First off, this was a great movie. If you enjoyed any of the other Avenger movies, you’ll enjoy this one too. There’s plenty of action, intrigue, and still a few laughable moments that make it a classic Marvel movie.

However, what interested me the most in this movie, was how a person born in the early 20th century viewed all of the changes to the world. I think since we live in it and have grown up in it, the way the world works just feels normal to us. But to this character, several things popped out as strange or even wrong.

Some of the biggest wrongs had to do with national security, freedom, and protection. When Cap finds out that SHIELD is preventing threats by killing terrorists before they act he points out, “I thought the punishment was supposed to come after the crime.” He also states quite harshly, “This isn’t freedom, it’s fear!” when he finds out the extent that SHIELD will go to keep order and protect people.

I think if we took a step back and looked at what’s going on in the world, we’d also notice some things to be concerned about. I for one was quite surprised when I went to a college seminar about privacy in the 21st century and realized just how little of my life is really private. Advertisers can learn so much about me just from information found on the internet, that they can personalize all of the adds I see. Even doing a Google search of myself can result in some surprising finds.

Recently I’ve become more aware of the negative consequences of our digital age and how much time is spent interacting with screens. So many things are on screens now; TV, phone, computer, and tablets, just to name a few, that it can be hard to get away from the digital world and engage in real face-to-face conversation. Even if I do get some actual human contact, it can oftentimes be interrupted by texts, updates, or some other kind of message.

It can be a bit overwhelming when I really sit down and think about it, but most of the time I think this is just “normal,” and go on with life. But even if there’s nothing I can really do to change how the world works nowadays, I can still be more aware of what’s going on, and maybe more careful about what I post on Facebook, or how much time I spend with a screen.

So I know this was a bit of a rabbit trail, but it’s what I started thinking about after I saw this movie. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out, and if you have, let me know your thoughts.

Movies

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Apr 7

God’s Not Dead Review

by lydiamhill

 

Image Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2528814/

I’m happy to say that a lot of Christian films’ quality are getting better. In the past, most of these films would be released directly to DVD, or would be in select theaters for no longer than a week. But as the quality goes up, the success has also increased. The same goes for “God’s Not Dead.”

If you haven’t heard of this film, here’s a preview of it.

I was excited to see this movie when I heard the premiss. I didn’t go to a religiously hostile university, but I definitely felt the pressure to agree with whatever a professor said in order to get the best grade possible. So seeing a movie about a student standing up for their faith was exciting to me.

I finally got to see it this past weekend, and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed how the plot-lines of several characters were all weaved together. It wasn’t simply a story about a student standing up to a teacher, but also about their lives outside of school, and there were several other characters, including a successful businessman, foreign exchange student, pastor, and a Muslim Christian.

This film did a good job of showing the various ways people encounter God and why they act the way they do. There were also a few fun little jokes throughout the movie so that it wasn’t serious the whole way through. I found it quite enjoyable.

I also really liked how it showed the peer pressure that everyone feels, whether it’s from friends, significant others, family members, or peers. And how in the end, the only thing that can free us from this pressure is God. He already loves us, we don’t have to earn his approval.

So, if you have a free evening this week, I’d encourage you to check out this movie. Because of it’s success, a lot more theaters are showing it now, so hopefully there’s one near you.

Christian Movies

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Mar 25

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mr._Peabody_and_Sherman_logo.svg

I wasn’t sure if I would like Mr. Peabody and Sherman when I first saw the commercial for it. But one of my friends really wanted to see it, and as I saw more and more previews I became more intrigued with the storyline. I discovered that the movie was based on an old cartoon that used to show with Rocky and Bullwinkle. I never saw the show, but it sounded interesting, with each week going back to a different time in history.

But what interested me the most was the thought of a dog raising a boy. And I think this is what the movie centers around as well. At first Mr. Peabody assumes that raising a child won’t be too difficult. He’s accomplished so many other things that this task seems simple enough. And it’s funny how the classic boy and dog pairing switches so that Sherman feels like he is being treated like the dog in the relationship.

In the end however, each character learns something new, not just about history, but relationships with people. Sherman learns that it’s not the label that matters but the character of a person. He sees Mr. Peabody as loyal, courageous, and smart, and decides that even if he’s labeled as a ‘dog’ too, he doesn’t want to lose that relationship. Mr. Peabody learns that raising a child is difficult and is less about attaining a goal for the child, or providing for it’s basic needs and more about the close relationship that occurs. This can be seen as his terms of affection towards Sherman change from “I have a deep affection for you as well,” to “I love you.” Penny too learns that comparing herself to others is not what really matters, and that where she falls in the social ladder is less important than the presence of real relationships.

All in all this was an enjoyable movie that I’d recommend to anyone who likes a good family film.

Movies

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Mar 18

The Son of God

by lydiamhill

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God_(film)

Recently a new movie about Jesus was released into the theaters. When I saw the preview I was intrigued. I’ve grown up as a Christian, and let me tell you, I’ve seen my fair share of religious films, documentaries and other such media.

Usually the quality was a little underwhelming, even if the content was pretty good. The only movie I remembered that had actually made it to theaters and done well was The Passion of the Christ.

But this new film looked different, it reminded me a lot of a book I read a couple of years ago: “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Philip Yancey. The book tried to take an honest look at the gospels and get an idea of what Jesus was really like, not all the things we’ve been told about him from media.

When I read the book, I discovered a Jesus with a personality, one who really cared about people, wasn’t afraid to offend people with the truth, and really enjoyed getting to the heart of an issue. He wasn’t distant and superior, talking in an elevated tone, he was down to earth, making complex things simple, and taking time to talk to anyone, no matter what society said about them.

So when I saw the preview for Son of God, I was intrigued, and wondered if this film actually would give a clear picture of who Jesus is?

Here’s a link to the preview in case you’re interested as well.

I finally made it to the theaters this past week to find the answer. And I can say that I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the film, and the message it tried to get across that Jesus really is the Son of God. I was glad to see how closely the script stuck to the gospel accounts, even though a few changes were made.

I didn’t mind the changes because they often helped save time, and create a better story arc for a film version, and I didn’t see them as vital to the message. But if you want an exact replication of the Biblical text, you will be disappointed and will be able to spot some errors.

All in all, I loved the way this movie was set up. The filmmakers used some scenes from the Bible Series that showed on TV this past year, which was pretty cool. They also set up a good background of the events surrounding Jesus’s life, showing what was happening in Israel at this time in history.

In conclusion, I would encourage anyone interested in Jesus to see this film. I think it was well done, and showed a fuller picture of who Jesus is, what He did, and why He did it.

Christian Movies

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Mar 11

The Rest of the Story

by lydiamhill

Cover

A while back I posted a section from my novel Finding Home: The Orphan’s Journey. I wanted to post another section from the book, so people could see what happened.

As always, if you like what you read, check out the full book at: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-The-Orphans-Journey/dp/1490556427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394553842&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+home+Lydia+Hill

Enjoy!

      “So the young lad awakens” one of the men said with a laugh. “All alone tonight are we?”

      Yeah, sure feels like it. “Who are you?” Ben managed to say as he sat up.

      “That’s not important,” the biggest of the three said in a gruff voice.

      “What do you want?”

      “Oh it’s not what I want, it’s what you want.” The big man smiled, revealing his crooked teeth. “See, if you want to live, you’ll give me anything you have, and if you don’t… well….” The man put his hand gingerly on his sword hilt.

      Ben gulped. I don’t have anything to give them. Oh I hope the captain acts soon.

      “What are you numbskulls doing?” a voice said from behind the three men.

      “Sorry sir. We were just trying to find out if he was worth taking captive.”

      Ben watched in horror as the big man stepped aside to reveal another man. This man was definitely in command. Although he was smaller than the others, his body was sleek with muscle and his steal gray eyes had the silent stare of one in authority. This doesn’t sound good. Oh hurry up captain.

      The commander stepped forward and glanced over Ben. “He’s of no importance,” he said indifferently. “Kill him.”

      Ben grabbed his sword and stood up in one motion.

      The other men soon had drawn their swords as well.

      “Why didn’t you check him for weapons?” the commander asked angrily.

      “Don’t worry sir, this won’t take long,” the big man said arrogantly as he stepped forward.

      Ben saw his opportunity. He ducked the man’s blow and thrust his sword forward catching the man in a break in his armor.

      The massive man screamed in pain and fell to his knees.

      Ben pulled back and noticed more men beyond the group coming closer to see what was going on. Where are you captain? I can’t keep this up for long.

      “Why you little…” one of the other men said as he stepped towards Ben.

      Ben swung at the man, but this Ungul was quicker than the last one and deflected the blow easily. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben noticed more men starting to gather in a circle around him as he continued to fight. Come on captain, your bait’s about to get eaten.

      Ben stepped backwards as another man joined in the fight. Ben blocked again and again, barely deflecting one swing before the next came. The swords got close enough to tear part of Ben’s shirt and scratch his arm, but Ben was able to avoid any major injuries. He was so focused on staying alive that he didn’t notice that the taunts of the men around him were slowly turning into gasps of horror.

      It wasn’t until one very loud scream broke through the noise of the fight that Ben and the now three men he was fighting stopped to see what was going on. As soon as Ben realized that the surprise attack was finally happening, he took advantage of his opponents’ confusion and attacked.

      Soon there were other soldiers around Ben, fighting the Unguls. “About time you got here,” Ben called to the captain as he jumped into the fight.

      The captain took on one of the Unguls fighting Ben. “Sorry about that, but your distraction was too perfect. Thanks to your little sword fight, we were able to take out half the troop before they even noticed we were here.”

      Ben pulled back towards a big bolder as the lone Ungul he was fighting took another swing at him. “You’re welcome.”

      The captain, noticing that Ben was pinned against the bolder, deftly spun away from the Ungul he was fighting to help Ben. After a few quick moves both of the Unguls’ swords were on the ground. The captain smiled as he watched the two Unguls turn and run for their lives. “You’re welcome.”

      “Thanks.” Ben sat down exhausted.

      The captain removed his helmet and watched silently as his troops finished off the few Unguls left in the camp.

      One of the soldiers yelled after a fleeing Ungul. “Yeah get out of here ya yellabelly! Stay in your own country!”

      “You think they’ll just leave?” Ben asked the captain.

      The captain ran his hand through his matted dark hair speckled with gray hairs, “Sure hope so.” He smiled down at Ben then held out his hand. “Need some help?”

      Ben took the captain’s hand and stood up. “You know, I still don’t know your name.”

      “Yes, well I suppose I’ve gotten used to just ‘Captain,’” he said with a chuckle.

      “Alright Captain.”

      The captain smiled. “But you aren’t one of my soldiers. The name’s Martin.”

      “Martin then.”

      “Just don’t use it around the troops, might throw them off a bit.”

      Ben nodded.

Books Finding Home sneak peek Stories Writing

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Mar 7

A Church Family

by lydiamhill

Schoolhouse, School, Education, Building, Learn

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/schoolhouse-school-education-312546/

I’ve been thinking recently about my church and I wanted to share some thoughts.

Here’s a starter question. On a Sunday morning, would you rather go to some event or entertainment venue for half price, or go to church?

Recently I had a friend suggest that I should go to an entertainment venue on Sunday morning because it was half price. I didn’t say yes or no at the time, I just listened to the suggestion.

As I see it, you could have three different responses to this question. 1. You could say, “Yeah I’d like the half price coupon.” 2. You could say “Well I should probably go to church, but that sounds fun.” 3. Or you could say, “Miss Church? No way! I wouldn’t miss this for anything!”

Now I don’t know where you would fall on the scale, but I lean towards the third option. I hardly ever miss church, and not just because I feel like I’m supposed to go there and will feel guilty if I don’t. I go, because I want to. I get to see my good friends, be encouraged and prayed for, and hear about the great things God is doing in our congregation. It is a sweet time, with my family. And I really would call the members of my church my family.

Fun, Happy, People, Happiness, Joy, Happy People

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/fun-happy-people-happiness-joy-1012681/

When I step into the school building where we meet, it feels like coming home, I get hugs, smiles, and “How are you’s?” and it lifts my spirits. If I had a bad week, I can tell someone about it, if I had a great one, I can share that too.

I read a blog post recently about a church’s first impression. The post mentioned if the technical equipment works, if everyone knows the songs, or if the preaching was thought out and well prepared.

I get all that, and it is important. But more so, I think what really matters in a church, and really makes the best first impression, is when someone actually says hello to you, shakes your hand, maybe gives you a hug and asks how you are. That’s what family does.

Now maybe your church doesn’t feel much like family, maybe you want to slip in and slip back out without getting noticed or talking to anyone. But that is not what Jesus intended for His church. The church is His body, and it needs to be connected in order to function.

So I would encourage you, if you attend church, to start treating the people there more like family. Say “hi,” ask how you can be praying for the person sitting next to you, and maybe even take someone out to eat after church and get to know them better.

Well that’s my thoughts for the day. Let me know what you think.

Christian

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Feb 25

The Lego Movie and “The Special”

by lydiamhill

the-lego-movie-poster

This past weekend I finally made it out to the theaters and got to see one of the films I was looking forward to: The Lego Movie. I played with these as a kid, although my brothers were more invested in the toy than I was. But I thought the film looked interesting, not to mention hilarious. I love Chris Pratt’s comedy and couldn’t wait to see the movie.

I don’t want to say I was disappointed, I really did love the movie. But I wasn’t overly impressed either. I guess the film met my expectations and that’s about it. A lot of the jokes that I’d seen in the trailers were there, and they were still funny. And I liked how the film dealt with not only Lego characters, but also the people who play with them. It seemed to categorize the types of people who play with Legos into two groups: those who follow instructions, and those who invent as they see fit to make their own creations. The film did a good job of showing the pros and cons of both. The characters who invented as they wished were often fighting with the other characters, trying to say their creation was the best, while the characters who only followed instructions were able to work together and accomplish bigger things as a team. But sometimes creativity was really needed, and being able to improvise instead of following specific instructions was especially useful.

If there was one thing I would complain about, it was the action shots. I had trouble keeping up with what was happening in these scenes. Maybe the camera angles were too wide and there was too much information, so I didn’t know what to focus on. Or maybe the “blockyness” of Legos made it harder for my eyes to understand what was what. In any case, several of the action scenes seemed to blow past me in a blur of motion.

But the biggest thing I liked from the movie was showing how much each person, even a blocky Lego character, wants to be special. The whole premiss of the movie is that “The Special” will save the Lego world. I think all of us long to be significant, and hope that our lives mean something. Not only our hero in the movie, but even side characters, longed to be special. And ultimately, this is how our hero, Emmit, saves the day. He realizes his own “specialness” and tells the villain that he is important too, that he is special.

This reminds me of what I have been learning in church recently; that God created each person uniquely with a specific way of reflecting His glory and a purpose that goes beyond themselves to affect others. I think this is something we all need to remember and be able to tell others around us. We all have a purpose, we all are “special” and we shouldn’t look down on others or ourselves as unimportant. We should encourage and remind each other that we all have value, we all are important, because we are all made in the image of God.

Christian Movies

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Feb 18

Proposing and Predestination

by lydiamhill

 

So a couple of weeks ago, I had to try to explain predestination to some Jr. High kids at church. This is one of those subjects that can be hard to understand even for an adult. and oftentimes results in negative responses. I know I’ve had my issues with predestination in the past. So I started brainstorming about how to explain predestination. Then God revealed to me that “proposing” can be a great example or illustration of predestination. I know it’s not a perfect analogy, but it helped simplify the concept for the younger audience. So I thought I’d share it on this blog.

So basically when a guy is going to propose to his girlfriend, he usually puts a lot of forethought, planning, and effort into how he’s going to do it. It’s not usually a random thing. A guy can go to a lot of trouble trying to make everything perfect, and the plethora of videos on Youtube can attest to how extravagant a guy can get. But all these planned efforts have a purpose behind them; to show the girl that he loves her. In the end, however, when the ring comes out, the girl can still say “yes” or “no.”

Couple, Love, Sunset, Proposal Marriage, Water, Sun

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/couple-love-sunset-915991/

It’s kind of the same way with God. He has predestined, or planned out our lives, with events and circumstances in an effort to show us that He loves and cares for us. But we still get to choose between loving Him back or rejecting Him.

It doesn’t really make sense to say that God forces us to love Him, because He’s predestined it, anymore than a girl could say a guy is forcing her to marry him because of an awesome proposal. God wants our love to be real and genuine, not forced.

In addition, when a girl gets proposed to, most don’t respond with “Wow, I’m so awesome,” or start looking around at the people nearby and asking why the guy didn’t get flowers for everyone. Instead, what we hope to see is a grateful smile, an excited “Yes!” and a declaration of love from the girl.

I think that’s what God longs to hear from us. He doesn’t want us to start thinking all high and mighty of ourselves, becoming prideful, or start wondering if God isn’t fair because he doesn’t choose to save everyone. Instead He longs for our hearts to be filled with gratitude, love, and devotion to Him.

That’s how I try to respond to God’s choice to love me. Sometimes I do have questions, predestination is a hard concept to get, but ultimately I choose to trust that God knows what He’s doing even if I don’t understand it.

 

Christian

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Feb 6

A Sneak Peek

by lydiamhill

This past year, I published my first novel “Finding Home: The Orphan’s Journey.”

Cover

It is a youth adventure story revolving around Ben and his search for his lost family. He meets many people along his journey, some are kind and helpful, others are not. Anyway, I wanted to give my blog followers a bit of a sneak peak into the book. I’ve found other authors’ blogs that also feature sections of their books, and I would like to do the same. So, occasionally, I’ll post a little section of my book. If it interests you, feel free to buy the whole story on Amazon. You can follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-The-Orphans-Journey/dp/1490556427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391725148&sr=8-1&keywords=Finding+Home+the+orphan%27s+journey

And without further ado, here’s a sneak peak at Ben’s adventure.

      “Ben, wake up.”

      Ben felt a poke in his chest. He opened his eyes to see the captain leaning over him. Ben rubbed his eyes. “Hmm what’s going on?”

      “We seem to have a bit of a problem.”

      “Oh?”

      “Yes, well our lookout has spotted a band of Unguls coming our way.”

      Ben sat straight up. “What!?!”

      “Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but the rumors are true. So get up, we’re going to need your help.”

      Ben stood up quickly and grabbed his sword. “Where do you want me?” he tried to ask bravely but there was a slight squeak to his voice that betrayed his true feelings.

      “Actually, I have something special planned for you. Come with me.” The captain led Ben away from where he had bedded down for the night and towards the campfire.

      Ben looked at the solitary campfire sitting next to a rocky hill. “Where is everybody?”

      “Hiding.”

      Ben gulped. “So why aren’t we?”

      The captain turned toward Ben and looked him square in the eye. “Ben, I need you to do something for me.” He took a deep breath. “The Unguls have us outnumbered. The only way we stand a chance is if we take them by surprise…. They know someone is here because of the fire, but if they think it’s only a lonely traveler, they’ll let their guard down.”

      “So I’m the bait?” Ben said quietly, his voice beginning to shake.

      “Afraid so. But you can keep your sword, and once the Unguls get close enough, we’ll close in and surround them. You won’t be alone long.”

      Ben nodded slowly as his heart began to beat faster.

      “Alright, well they’re getting close, so just lay down here and pretend you’re asleep.” The captain turned to go find a hiding place.

      “Wait!” Ben said in a higher pitch than he had intended. “I don’t think I can do this.”

      The captain put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “It’ll be alright. I promise. Just wait until they get close and keep them distracted as long as you can.”

      “How?”

      “Just go with your instincts. If they’re looking for information, keep them talking, if they’re out for blood, well use that.” The captain pointed to Ben’s sword. “Although… I would keep that hidden until the opportune moment if I were you.”

      Ben nodded and tried his best to put on a brave face.

      “Thank you Ben.” The captain gave Ben’s shoulder a squeeze then hurried up the hill and disappeared from view.

      Ben took a deep breath then sat down on the hard ground. He carefully hid his sword behind his back and then lay down trying to make his body relax. Ben forced his eyes shut. He strained to detect any noise but his heart was pounding so hard he could barely hear. Alright, just calm down. It needs to look like I just woke up. Ben forced himself to take a few long, deep breaths. His heart began to slow. Ben could now hear the wind in the trees.

      A few minutes passed then a twig broke. Ben immediately tensed up. What should I do? What should I do? Ben tried to make himself relax again. I’m supposed to keep them distracted for as long as possible. He waited.

       Soft footsteps approached slowly until Ben was sure they were right next to him. What if they’re going to kill me in my sleep? Ben could hardly breathe. He couldn’t stand it any longer and opened his eyes. Three enormous men with strange armor were staring down at him. Ben gasped.


Books Finding Home sneak peek Stories Writing

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Jan 30

The Christian’s Line for Entertainment

by lydiamhill

I had a long conversation the other day about where to draw the line when it comes to participating in entertainment. As a Christian, I care about what I put into my mind and what I let my eyes see. But I also want to be able to connect with the people around me, and sometimes that means watching a movie together, or discussing a TV program.

Children, Tv, Child, Television, Home, People, Boy

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/children-tv-child-television-home-403582/

As I thought about it, I developed the idea of a line, with the middle being where you would ideally stay. At one extreme of the the line there’s some pretty obvious things that a Christian should not be looking at, like sex, porn, black magic, sorcery, that kind of stuff. My standard for what I allow myself to watch in this area rests on how it makes me feel. If the scenes, (whether it involves magic, sex, or bad language) is making me feel uncomfortable, or if I feel guilty after watching it, I try to avoid seeing them. I think what you allow yourself to watch can vary from person to person, but no one should do what they “feel” is wrong. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

In the middle of our line we have a basic enjoyment of some kind of entertainment, with no feelings of guilt or obsession.

But if you keep going towards the other end of the line, you can start to idolize the entertainment that you’re enjoying. In the past I thought of “fangirls” as simply being people who enjoy a certain actor or show or whatever and I didn’t see anything wrong with it. But as I thought about it more, “fangirling” can easily become idol worship where the thing that is so exciting has become what your life is all about.

I think this side of the extremes goes more easily unnoticed to Christians. We immediately notice if a show or book has “sex scenes” in it, or bad language. But do we also notice if our enjoyment of some kind of entertainment has gotten out of hand? I’ve definitely been caught in this, making my whole day revolve around the show that comes on at 7, or the movie that’s finally coming out.

It’s a good idea to remind ourselves not to slip in either direction and to keep a balanced life, with our focus strictly on the Lord.

I think this verse sums it up well; “Everything is permissible for me”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” – but I will not be mastered by anything. -1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV

Whatever I allow myself to watch, I want it to be beneficial, and something that won’t start to control me.

Christian Movies

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