The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2007)

It is already listed in the IMDb The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2007) Yes, the sequel to the incredibly popular Narnia movie is on its way. See the the following article for more details. Kasey and I are reading Caspian to our 4 year old right now - and it looks to be a great one for film. Can't wait to see the little sword bearing mouse Reepicheep.

For all the Narnia geeks out there there is a cool Wiki with all the characters of Narnia Lore... ...

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Lion whips the Monkey even overseas

VS. Link - Box Office Mojo > News > Around the World Roundup: 'Chronicles' Conquers 'Kong' Overseas ...

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The Spouses of 'Big Love'

Newsweek has a story on a new HBO show featuring a family of 4. Not husband, wife and two kids. But man and three wives... Link - Television: The Spouses of 'Big Love' - Who's Next - Newsweek - MSNBC.com ...

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How To Score in Church

I have just been listening to a recent radio broadcast by Mark Dricoll, a pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seatle, Washington. The topic of the show, a recent issue of Maxim Magazine, a soft core porn men's rag, which put the following in its pages in the September issue: How To: Score in Church: The pews are packed with heavenly bodies. God bless you. Apparently this magazine is encouraging dirt ball guys to "go to church" to try to find girls to hook up with. Ladies, be wary of the guys lurking around - if they do not know Jesus and are about his business, you may want to keep your distance. Maxim - how creative! Encourage little boys (that you call men) to chase women in churches trying to score. Let me give some advice from Driscoll to pastor's who lead ministries that include young single women. If you find these kind of dirt ball guys hanging around, stalking the ladies, you need to give them "the right hand of fellowship to the jaw" .

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Pornified America--The Culture of Pornography

Great article on Al Mohler's blog Pornified America--The Culture of Pornography After reading this - grab this book for a different vision of sexuality - God help us in these days. Pray for your brothers, open up to your friends, walk in the light together, savor God's vision for sex...we risk too much to do otherwise.

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Greeting Cards for Adulterers

I have to say in a very calm way, that this plain ticks me off. "In a time, when nothing's sacred, and souls settle for less" - Billy Sprague Read here - Adulterers need cards too

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Will Smith - Rappers and Role Models

Ahhh Yeah - long term view of being strong and surviving - Will Smith bringing his flavor to the hip hop mix World Magazine AP News - Weekly News, Christian Views

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Judge Rules That Gillette Ads Are False - Yahoo! News

Gee - I knew this thing did not work as well as advertised...and the science of vibrating blades did sound a bit dubious...but having a face that bleeds at all razors, I did go out and give this one a try... Alas, I am most likely doomed to a heavy beard, sensitive skin, face cutting experience for life... Link:Judge Rules That Gillette Ads Are False - Yahoo! News

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Politics Without God--Europe's Secular Crisis

Al Mohler has a great piece on the theological and ideological landscape of Europe. In following the thought of George Weigel's The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God, Mohler lays out the predicaments of secular Europe. Having spent much time in a very secular eastern European nation, I too have thought that Europe's radical secularism is creating a vacuum of ideas which Islam will rapidly fill. For hundreds of years, Europe withstood the advances of Islam. She did this with two swords - the sword of battle and the sword of the intellect. The military efforts of Charles Martel and the theological/philosophical mind of Thomas Aquinas. Europe today seems to lack both even as its Islamic populations expand. It has little will to act or to put forth any ideas which will stay the advance of rapidly growing Islamic communities. America should be wise in watching Europe in the coming decades. America's democracy was founded by religious people in reliance upon a kind Providence, while many of Europe's democracies (ala France) were founded upon autonomous man. Such men who claimed to be guided by reason, now distrust even their own minds. Uncertain of its own footing, the secularist ideologies of Europe will stumble upon its own uncertainty. May Europeans look to their history anew and see the greatness of the gospel; if not there may be dark days ahead yet again for the continent. Reference - Politics Without God--Europe's Secular Crisis Out...

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Trump - Prostrate Before the Benjamins

Yesterday on the radio I heard a few minutes with Donald Trump. Expecting some wisdom from this sage on gaining riches what I heard was astonishing. What followed was not a litany of wisdom for the masses of moshes out here the jungle, no, what followed was a sad line of self-promotion and ads. A book written about...who? Trump. Then a succession of ads from Trump's mouth promoting "Carfax, Casinos, and Commodities" I stopped and thought...this is "success?" What is Donald now producing? I thought to myself - as a culture will we not do anything if paid. I thought to myself "have we not prostituted ourselves to material gain" Do we not all do this in some way or another - or perhaps there is escape through a Biblical value - that of generosity. What is the extent of my own prostitution to the idols of gold and silver? What extent do we serve money and not God? Jesus was pretty clear about serving both...

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Saint Augustine once said this in reference to material things:

“Suppose brethren, a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for her….Certainly, let here love his gift: but, if she should say, “The ring is enough. I do not want to see his face again” what would we say of her?...The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he himself may be loved. God, then, has given you all these things. Love him who made them.”

Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1969) p. 326 (Tractate on the Epistle of John, 2:11)

Love him who made them...Out

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Meet The Fockers - Met with Disappointment

Tonight I went with some friends to see what is certain to be a popular holiday movie. Meet The Fockers, the sequel to the film Meet the Parents opened tonight in theatres across America. I am embarrassed to have sat through this film. I am not one who believes we ought to run from culture, live in ignorance of the world around, cloister away in a mass of cultural isolation, but this film I found to be too much. That which is good was twisted and contorted in ways that were just wrong. Toddlers were sexualized, marriage treated in a fashion that demeans its sanctity, religion trivialized and one of the central characters of the film comes to a "salvation experience" by the end of the movie. Who is the saving deity that rescues? It was Eros, Aphrodite, Venus...the supreme god of our age - the god of sex. It was a bizarre experience for the soul to go from deep laughter at that which is truly funny, to sickened feelings of disdain the very next moment. I sat and heard the laughter of the crowd -amused at things which should make us weep. And I was part of this number. Maybe I am too serious, but I feel I failed tonight - I did not have the courage to leave a crowded theater when so much that is good was being trampled underneath.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Phillipians 4:8

I wasn't even close on this one... Out

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Rocky IV

Classic, goofy, cold war, US vs. USSR movie last night - spent a little down time watching Rocky IV. Great soundtrack - At UNC we used to lift weights to that pumped up, fighting against all odds, kinda music. Though the music is good, the movie is very cheesy...probably wasted an hour on that one.

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Box Office Mojo

An fun little comparison of recent blockbuster movies - Lining up Passion of the Christ with Return of the King, Spiderman, Phantom Menace Box Office Mojo ...

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Still haven't seen it

Many friends and family have shared with us the profound experiences they have had in watching the film The Passion of the Christ. Kasey and I are still hoping to find time to go together, but life on the road with a 2.5 and a 10 month old has proved too much to make it to the movies. Hopefully, in a week or so we will escape to see the film. We continue to pray for its impact on the hearts of individuals, even entire communities and countries around the world. As of Tuesday, March 9th, the film has brought in close to $224,000,000 in just under 2 weeks. We are thankful that so many are seeing the last hours of the life of Christ (very close to the accounts in the gospels) lived out on screens around our nation. Kasey and I have had a great visit with both of our families during a few days off for spring break. It has been good to be with them during this season of life - grandparents sure love the kids as well :) We continue to see our little Kayla joy bring joy to others - God is using her to brighten lives each day. ...

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More Crazy Behavior...

More evidence that Western Popular Culture is heading towards savagery. Last night we simply shut down the Super Bowl half-time show and missed quite a show. It seems that entertainers will go to no ends to shock people and push envelopes. It seems there is quite an outrage because of the vulgarity of the show - but is it not a bit ironic that the very next show on CBS last night was "Survivor" - featuring a fully naked man with a small fuzzed out screen area. A few more quotes from Chesterton:

• Before one takes down a fence, one should ask why it was there in the first place...
• Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain, meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure

From the sports world today we often see more of the same - sexual assaults, violent celebrations (Boston, last night), etc.. Yet there are bright spots there as well - we are priviledged to work with many of those. February is always a crazy month for me. I will likely write between 300-400 e-mails this month (seriously). Between planning our AIA retreat, recruiting and corresponding with students applying/interested in the Czech Project, and serving the local VTAIA ministry - this month seems to be a flurry for us. There is a part of me which likes the activity, part of me which loathes it. I am praying that I make the time for reflection, study, and a little bloggin here and there this month. So far God has been faithful and is keeping me hungry for his Word. Out

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The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ coming soon to theaters. From all I have heard from friends and Christian leaders this could be a film that could shake many to their core, reliving the passion of Christ in 2004. I hope this has a great impact on the conversation of people around the world.

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