We were made to watch movies.

in

We were made to watch movies. I live in Hollywood, arguably the most influential place in the world. In my opinion Hollywood and the film (and often music) industry is more powerful than any kind of government, military, press or person in the world. If you want proof look at the what we REALLY care about. For the  President's public address about the capture and killing of OBL (A historical landmark) ABC had 8.6 million viewers. But when the pilot of LOST premiered (A show no one had ever seen before) it had more than double with 18.6 million viewers.....wow......I think it is hard to ignore the facts about what we, as Americans,  and actually care about.

But why? Why would we rather watch made up stories about lost Islands and a crazy game show of love with a bachelorette than almost anything else? Why are we obsessed with stories?   This is the real question.

This is the answer. It's how we were made. I know, I know it's a cheap answer, but I think it's the truest one. I honestly think the reason the film industry is such an driving force is this: We were made to love stories and to have a grand part in a story. We were made to desire to be a part of a bigger story, an epoch. Stories change us and teach us, we learn best through stories and stories are what inspire and last and tell the history of who and what we are, and give us hope for what we could become. Just look at the most influential documents in history, The Bible, The Koran, The Little Red Book...ALL STORIES. And movies are just a beautiful new way to make stories visual. That, my friends, is why we have made going to the movies one of the most important things we do. We were pre-wired love stories and consequently, to go to movies.

But there in lies the danger. We have seen such amazingly terrible consequences occur when we allow the screen raise our children, teach our youth, and mold the ideas of us as people. We are letting a money-centered, fame-crazed empire inform, entertain, and teach us. So this is our problem. We are made to desire and be a part of something that has now become corrupt and robbing us of our money, all in one fell swoop.

ArrgggHHHH so what do we do?! Do we give up on the industry as a whole?

NO! I think rather we change it, we guide it, and we watch very carefully what we watch and let influence us, as we swim through the dangerous waters that are the movie industry with careful strokes, weighing everything thing we let speak to us or inform our hearts. But most of all. We support the good in the sea of bad. We recognize the lights in the dark, and we tell this industry that we like light and want to see more. And if all else fails, we make our own light.

So get out there, support the films and pieces of story that are worthy. Or better yet, make your own! And keep the tradition of good stories alive!

You aren't good enough. Take it from me.

in

You aren't good enough. That's it, that's pretty much all I have to say. But don't take it the wrong way, I like you, I really do. But I'll say it again, you aren't good enough. BUT...... Neither am I, and it's a good thing. Let me explain.

I go through these times where I think to know God-I, for some reason or another (I'm human)  think I have to somehow do things to please and know Him. I have to do all the right things (Once I gave up meat, and soft drinks...I know), not do bad things, and if I just keep that up, he'll seeing me being "good enough" doing all these "good" things and he'll be all like.

"Nathan way to go man! I totally love you now"

And I'll be all like.

"NIIIICE!!!! I knew if I did enough good things you'd notice me"

But I think I get it all wrong when I live with this mentality, I fool my self into thinking all God wants is for me to be good. And that's not to say God doesn't desire me to be holy. But I think my priority's are all out of wack! First and foremost God wants ME. Let that sink in He wants US just us! Not my or your good works, or lack of bad habits but just US!

The bible says "He has made us fearfully and wonderfully" and that he SO loved us he gave his life for us. Not the ones who deserved it (no one does) but just all of us. What is this saying? HE LOVES ME AND YOU, HE WANTS TO KNOW US. And while we get so caught up in trying to do the right thing, we either fail and feel like we aren't good enough to know him or be near him, or we end up giving up something silly and thinking we did it all on our own!

So what needs to happen? We need to stop worrying about being good, but worry about knowing God. I will most likely be the only Christian who will tell you this, but stop trying to be good, you're not and never will be, be bad and embrace the fact that you can't do anything about it, but be bad and run after knowing God with all your heart, the other stuff will follow. But FIRST just know him. He loves you and me so much, he doesn't even care where we have been what we have done. He knows everything about you,  He just wants us to know him.

So let's not wait until we think we are good enough to know God to get to know him, lets just let him love us right where we are, and he'll take care of the rest.

And gooooooodness that's a weight off.

He loves me and you. A lot...Get to know the one who made and loves you no matter what.

 

I'm so like. UGHGGGAAA. And the times like these.

in

I am not very good at waiting.... This is how I wait let me illustrate.

Okay I'm waiting........still waiting.............ummmm I guess I will STILL WAIT.................. uh hello?.............OH MY GOODNESS I" SO OVER WAITING...............................................

Or something like that the point is. I'm not very good at it. I don't know why I'm not good at waiting, it's just not how I was made. I get and fidgety, and restless, and then I frustrated. I get confused when I feel God gives me all these dreams and ideas and then he tells me to wait. And I'm so like. UGHGGGAAA

But I think it's in the URRRRRGAAAAA times that we are really molding what these dreams that God has given us will actually look like. It's not fun, or enjoyable and to be honest I don't always know why it's nessacery. But God knows, and I trust him with everything. So why it's not always fun I'm trusting that letting God have even the times I am waiting, and not just the awesome big HUZAH moments will make my dreams come true.

I hope some of this made since, because I am in a waiting time right now (somewhere in-between lunch and dinner) and I don't know how much since I am making. But hopefully you can find something that speaks to you.

I'm off to wait some more.

-Nathan

Lets Just Stop and Think.

in

I keep finding my self not finding myself. Let me rephrase. I think as people we have this beautiful and God-given desire to do. To make find and create, to continue on the never ending search for meaning. This is why we do things like google ourselves, or pick up hobbies that are really very silly, or even start a blog. We just have this undying desire to matter and to do something that's worth mattering.

But sometimes I feel as if on all this meaning hunting. I get lost in the activity of searching for meaning and forget what I am actually looking for. Weather it's work, meetings, money, friends. I get bogged down.

I think we all need to learn  stop the meaning search for a second, and breathe, and maybe in the time we take to rest and ask God to show us what we are going for in the first place.

So I am going to take my own advice, and leave you and go and...