Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Fun is 100% Attitude

click on the cart to see the video.

If you want to see one of the many reasons I love 23. Here's one for you.

Rain. No golfing experience. Clubs a bit too long. And crazy good fun.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Mayan Apocalypse

About the Book:

Andrew Morgan is a wealthy oil executive in search of the meaning of life. In his quest for answers he encounters the ancient Mayan predictions that the world will end in 2012. That the claims seem supported by math and astronomy drives him to check on them. Then he meets Lisa Campbell, an attractive Christian journalist also researching the Mayan calendar. When he learns that she is a Christian, he quickly dismisses what she has to say.

As the time draws closer to December 21, 2012, a meteorite impact in Arizona, a volcanic eruption, and the threat of an asteroid on a collision-course with earth escalate fears. Are these indicators of a global apocalypse? Will anyone survive? Does Lisa’s Christian faith have the answers after all? Or has fate destined everyone to a holocaust from which there is no escape?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Mayan Apocalypse...go HERE.


My Review:

Christian journalist Lisa Campbell meets oil baron Andrew Morgan. The two chafe and bond over the impending end-of-the-world-on-December 21, 2012 panic. But spanning nearly two years in under three hundred pages makes for some challenges in storytelling. A thread with secrets and another journalist ends up ringing a little "Huh" and detracted from the story. Also big chunks of time are covered rapidly and some of the relationship between Andrew and Lisa suffers.

The fascinating details of the Mayan end-of-the-world theory were intriguing but I knew nothing except the bare minimum of details and there wasn't excessive coverage in the novel. If you are curious about 12-21-2012 or love fiction that compares Christianity and alternative views give this a shot.

Scribbles and Scambles ~ Monday's Poem is Full of ....

Freestyle poetry at it's worst.









Click-Clack
Big, Stinky, Black

(The rest won't rhyme so drop the cadence that just popped into your head.)

They wait for people.
They sleep for hours.
They bark like Cujo at any harmless deliverer.

But sometimes they get bored.
And the recyclables that we hoard..., as we gather enough for the trip to the bin to be worth the trouble,
Become too much to resist.

And when we come through the door.
We are greeted with leaping, whining, dancing
and dog hi-jinx.

And with home-chewed post-consumer confetti.

Super Cinema Saturday

My thoughts on recently viewed movies.














Robin Hood

Robin Hood is the pre-story...the story of Robin Hood's journey to his calling.

Fans of epic, war or love stories should end up liking the introductory Robin Hood (and his merry men) as much as I did, though. And I would like to see a sequel with the telling of the classic Robin Hood story and there was a nice set up for that to happen.

Marion and Robin's storyline is sweet and should satisfy women who detest "guy" movies. There are battle scenes but they are played out in fast forward clashes that are not horrifically violent because there is so much going on and it moves so fast that the violence is mostly flickers and images.

Content Warning: Most of this film is older kid friendly but there is a scene toward the beginning of the movie that is uncomfortably sexual between Prince John, his lover and his mother. A bit creepy.


Sherlock Holmes

I'm just going to have to admit I'm a Robert Downey Jr. fan. In Sherlock Holmes he plays a quirky, borderline mad scientist, genius in the title role. The casting for the film was perfect. Jude Law is exceptional as the uptight and torn Dr. Watson.

The mystery is creative and nicely twisted. Sarcastic modernesque dialog and character interaction that ebbs and flows from love, hate, bitterness, wistfulness and true friendship and back makes this film a rich character piece as well as entertaining fun.

The action sequences are stunning, too, employing fast forward and slow motion segments that keep the viewer's mind hopping. Though this style is used in more and more films, Ritchie makes this quirky, choppy style work exceptionally well in Holmes.

Overall this is a family friendly movie. However, sensitive kids would likely have some trouble with some truly creepy scenes. There are elements of the occult and easily frightened kids will probably be spooked by several scenes.


Invictus


Invictus is more about the heart of President Nelson Mandela rather than the Bokks rugby team. This film paints a beautiful picture of forgiveness, courage and the strength that comes from choosing to walk the high road with dignity. Two of the people I viewed the movie with thought there was a lack of action. I tend to like slower character pieces so that may be why I liked the movie more than they did. There are moments where the film clips along and is about Rugby, but Invictus is not just a pure feel good sports movie -- its bigger than that. Note for parents. A few characters drop the F-Bomb but with their accents it's muted. This story is one that older kids should watch because it is inspiring and powerful and it stresses the humanity and beauty in each of us regardless of skin color, ability or language.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Gratitude and Awe

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, ^a]">[a] you are there.

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

¹⁷ How precious to ^b]">[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Thought Bubbles

Thoughts that have been pent up in my brain and have bounced around enough. They need to get out. Now.

Circumstances don't tweak truth but truth can tweak circumstances.

My beliefs don't disturb truth. Truth is truth. Gravity is gravity no matter what I do to lessen it's control over me.

Human beings need each other. I don't think that Lone Wolves are happy wolves.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Grace Struck

Quote: (from Surprised by Worship Travis Cottrell)

"I find it interesting that we tend to base our beliefs regarding God's goodness and love on the nature of the surprises He gives us. As long as His surprises are happy ones, like birthday parties, we remain confident and secure: He really is good! He evidently loves me a lot! But all too often unwanted surprises have a way of turning our theology upside down."

I do...do...do...do hold God to a standard wherein He "LOVES me (insert balloons and teddy bears here) when I am getting exactly what I asked for...as long as it's good. But, I tend to doubt and pout when He gives me what I ask for by working that thing out in flesh squeezingly difficult moments of struggle.

Not only is this spot on, it's convicting.

I spent Saturday at a Beth Moore simulcast and her subject was convicting as well. (Her worship leader is the guy quoted above -- so you could maybe imagine that worship was rich, too.)

Her topic. Opening the mouth in wisdom and possessing the Law of Kindness upon my tongue.

Augh!!!! Why does He put up with me.?

Then I had two encounters today where I was blessed by the words of a friend. And I was GRACE STRUCK by the infinitesimally, magnificently massive workings of God behind the scenes, and how He answers prayers, even those prayed long ago. And I'm frustrated about being GRACE STRUCK because I want to just know that He listens, that He is good all the time, that He loves me.

Lord, forgive me because I am a sheep of very little brain. But then You already knew that...didn't you?