diversions
JC strikes again! As I wrote this title, all I could hear was her rendition of Legolas, in what is perhaps Orlando Bloom's finest moment of acting yet:
"A diversion."
If you don't get what I mean, sorry! See if for yourself in Return of the King!
I watched Raise the Red Lantern today--it's so bleak. Four wives of one rich old creep pitted against each other til they end up dead or insane. I need to get me some less depressing entertainment, now is just not the right time for this. The movie does LOOK good though: Gong Li with her smoldering eyes, the qipao fashion show, the curvy stone architecture and classic Chinese interior design...I read a review that said it was originally banned in China, probably because plot elements double as a critique of Communist rule...hmmm...I don't think I was watching hard enough because I missed all of that...
On the other hand, for the last few days, the best cure for sadness and Dementor's kisses (besides friends) has been this series of (yes, it's him) Tim Keller sermons on Joseph. At the risk of reducing Tim's fine teaching into out-of-context bullet points, these are some things that are helping to keep me going:
-God's silence does not mean God is absent
-God's hiddeness does not mean God is impotent
-What FEELS like weakening (e.g. being separated from one's spouse!) can really be strengthening (of COURSE, I have trouble with this one--HOW CAN THIS BE GOOD FOR ANYBODY in ANY WAY???!!! But I'm trying to keep an open mind...)
-When trouble happens, God is more than likely after the stuff we are trying to replace him with...sigh...
-God's purpose for us WILL be fulfilled no matter what awful, sucky, painful things get in the way, no matter what horrible massive delays without explanation we are forced to endure...
LOTS of other really applicable stuff in the series, it's like the series was written FOR US...but I feel bad just posting sound bytes so I have to stop. Happy to discuss though.
Thanks for prayers and support from friends near and far. Still waiting...
"A diversion."
If you don't get what I mean, sorry! See if for yourself in Return of the King!
I watched Raise the Red Lantern today--it's so bleak. Four wives of one rich old creep pitted against each other til they end up dead or insane. I need to get me some less depressing entertainment, now is just not the right time for this. The movie does LOOK good though: Gong Li with her smoldering eyes, the qipao fashion show, the curvy stone architecture and classic Chinese interior design...I read a review that said it was originally banned in China, probably because plot elements double as a critique of Communist rule...hmmm...I don't think I was watching hard enough because I missed all of that...
On the other hand, for the last few days, the best cure for sadness and Dementor's kisses (besides friends) has been this series of (yes, it's him) Tim Keller sermons on Joseph. At the risk of reducing Tim's fine teaching into out-of-context bullet points, these are some things that are helping to keep me going:
-God's silence does not mean God is absent
-God's hiddeness does not mean God is impotent
-What FEELS like weakening (e.g. being separated from one's spouse!) can really be strengthening (of COURSE, I have trouble with this one--HOW CAN THIS BE GOOD FOR ANYBODY in ANY WAY???!!! But I'm trying to keep an open mind...)
-When trouble happens, God is more than likely after the stuff we are trying to replace him with...sigh...
-God's purpose for us WILL be fulfilled no matter what awful, sucky, painful things get in the way, no matter what horrible massive delays without explanation we are forced to endure...
LOTS of other really applicable stuff in the series, it's like the series was written FOR US...but I feel bad just posting sound bytes so I have to stop. Happy to discuss though.
Thanks for prayers and support from friends near and far. Still waiting...
posted by Duncan and Jen | 11:40 PM
2 Comments:
all this quoting of mr. keller, wouldn't you have tsk tsked us at HC if we did the same? has the holy one changed?
-dan c
Mr. C,
it happens regularly: whatever i scoff at eventually comes back to haunt me. someday, i expect the Purpose Driven Life will rock my world. sigh.
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