2 types of fear

Every person struggles with and is afraid of something. Spiders, snakes or needles, we all struggle and are scared of something. As Tonya and I continue to read books that prepare our hearts for parenting, we learned that there are 6 types of fear that dictate the theology of parents and how they raise their kids: Fear of everything, Behavior Modification, Image control, High Control, Herd Mentality, Duct Tape, 911 support. It is sad that we are all susceptible to letting our fears dictate following Christ or how we raise our children, but it is nonetheless apparent, relevant and costly. But there is good news: The Bible discusses 2 kinds of "FEAR" that are essential to raising one’s children. The word "fear" in the Bible, for a majority of the time, refers to two kinds of attitudes, or mentality that we must have: a humble, respect to His almighty power, or a "be scared to death of His power because He is God." Both are powerful and can be seen in how a parent discusses God with their children. In Proverbs, the word "fear" is used over 40 times and is the central theme to the book. In fact, without the "fear of the Lord" one is considered a fool that will soon find his own folly because of sin and an imperfect view of God. If we bottom line all this, it would be that the "fear of the Lord" (in both a respect, as well as a terrified sense) and a relationship with Christ is so closely linked that it is virtually synonymous with living for Him. Parents must teach their children to fear—both respect God’s power over their lives, as well as tremble at His power. In fact, kids should fear (be terrified) the consequences of their sin because it is unacceptable to a holy God. We seem to have lost the fear of God (in both uses of the word) and replaced it with a fear of offending another.

 

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that we would train you to fear the Lord, to lean on that healthy fear, because "The fear of the lord is a fountain of life" (proverbs 14:27)

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Parenting Fear: Boldly Go!

We continued our journey towards your dedication by praying for something unusual: Courage. For some reason, our society deems courage much differently than in years past. However, all parents would agree that there must be an element of courage when raising children, as there is so much "out there" that can destroy or steal a child's innocence. At this point, many parents may observe the world/society and be scared of what their child must encounter, which can dictate a spirit of fear in parents, as well as form the theology of how they raise their child. This is why Tonya and I began praying not just for courage in raising our young one, but a spirit of engagement, grace and joy and that counters the fear that can render many families, even Godly ones, to cower and withdraw from society. The Bible is filled with countless verses for believers, verses that should not just encourage, but renew vitatity in a parent. Paul writes to the Romans that because of Christ dying for our sin, the Gospel ("Good News") is the very power of God (literally "dynamite") that completely alters family dynamics: "For i am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation..." (Romans 1:16). Families and parents should no longer fear the world or a hedonistic society, but instead, cling to the power of almighty God with extreme delight and boldness. We prayed that God would see our hearts, our hard work, and as we teach the Word to you, God would bless us with boldness and courage to face the unknown, "because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we walk "through the valley of the shadow of death, we (your parents) would fear no evil because GOD is with us. His rod and staff, they will comfort us" (Psalm 23: 4).

 

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Cultivation

We continued our journey towards your dedication by praying for something unusual:  cultivation.  To cultivate is to prepare the soil for growth.  In Luke 8, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who sowed on four different types of soil: rocky, shallow, thorny and good.  Since we prayed for our home last week--that it would be a place where God would be Bethel ("God is Here")-- it was obvious to us that this cannot take place in the child God has blessed us with unless we have cultivated our own hearts, as well as our marriage.  When one cultivates a garden, there are many elements that lead to the soil producing an excellent crop, the most vital being water and sun.  And so we prayed for our relationship with God to be cultivated, that our marriage and hearts would be knit together, as close as the sun and the water are when cultivating a garden.  We prayed that God would see our hearts, our hard work, and as we teach the Word to you, God would reach down and save you from "hardness of heart."  We prayed that you would respond with gladness and conviction of heart, because your heart has been cultivated by the living God, bringing you to a full understanding of his demonstrated love "that while you were still sinning, Christ died for you" (Romans 5:8).

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we begin the greatest job we have ever taken up, our hearts would be cultivated by the grace of God, that you would be part of the cherished crop that produces "a harvest that yielded a hundred times more than what was sown" (Luke 8:8). 

To our baby..."Bethel"

We continued to pray for you last night.  We prayed for our home, that it would be a place of love, nurturing, guidance, laughter, teaching and discipline.  Those are all essential elements of a childhood, life and family, but they are also vital components to the one thing God longs to build and bless: a home.  We prayed for our future home last night.  As the family and home is attacked and destroyed in America, we prayed not just for God’s blessing on our home, but for our lives within to be blessed with "Bethel."  “Bethel” in the Old Testament is seen in many passages, but significantly in Genesis 28, when Jacob realizes the faithfulness of God and says, this rock and place will be known as “Bethel,” which means “God is here.”  We prayed that God would be in our home, that other people, friends and relatives would long to be in our house because "God is here."

To our growing little one, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we begin the greatest and most difficult job we have ever encountered, we prayed for a unified home, one that has the literal presence and blessing of God, because “unless the Lord builds the house, you labor in vain."

To our baby

We began this long journey known as "parenting" by praying for you last night. We prayed for consistency in being Godly parents, but more importantly, we prayed for your focus. We are not referring to a medical or educational focus, but a Godly focus, one that is "yachad," which is Hebrew for "United; undivided." You will be born into an amazing and powerful world, one that has reshaped many things and advanced the world because of technology. With great freedom comes a haunting realization that there are many distractions amongst our powerful country. Only those who are united in their pursuit of the fear of the Lord and His word will one truly leave a legacy. A "divided" heart throughout the Bible refers to those who are "split; hypocritical; uncertain," people that have too much on their "plate" and rarely have any conviction or life purpose. Why? It's simple. They are distracted.

And so, precious little one, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We prayed that we would have a united marriage, a united family and home, a united focus on the Gospel, a united, consistent focus on "things above, not on things of this earth" (Col 3:2). We prayed that you would be blessed from above with a united heart for the things of God, that you would seek Him with all your heart, that conviction of sin would stem from this united heart, and that you would "humble yourself in the sight of God, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10).

Mad Max: Fury Road

I couldn’t help but think of Tim Allen and his constant grunts of manly masculism on the TV show “Home Improvement” when watching the adrenaline soaked movie “Mad Max: Fury Road.”  There will be a lot of “Tool Time” grunts, as this movie has so much testosterone and adrenaline, theatres should install seatbelts and some kind of hydration system when watching the film.  Your heart will beat from excitement, suspense and pure enjoyment.  The film is go…go…GOOOOOO the whole 2 hours.  And it totally ROCKS in every way! 

I must confess, I am not big into CGI movies, the effects thereof, or their smaller counterpart “the car chase scene.”  Personally, if I don’t care about the characters or what is taking place, I don’t care what things look like in regards to action sequences.  This is what I find so troubling about the uselessness that is the “Transformers” films.  Combine this with the FACT  that the movie “Bullit,” with the legendary Steve McQueen, has the pinnacle of all car chase scene, I ask  “why bother with new car chase scenes?”  “The Fast and the Furious” series is fun, as are those “Bourne” car chase scenes, but, I don’t know…something is missing.  For me, car chases boil down to a vibe I can’t shake, the  “I swear I’ve seen this before” vibe.  So, it was with a bit of an exaggerated sigh and the knowledge that Frank Miller goes “all out in his films” that I prematurely sat down to watch and review his reinterpretation/continuation of the Max franchise.  To be blunt:  I was wrong, this movie ROCKS!

The movie is set in an apocalyptic America or country that is full of sand and little else.  Water and gasoline are vital to those that have survived.  Max is a part of this life and he has lost his family, the scars still haunting him as he wanders the wasteland.  The movie pays homage to “The Book of Eli,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars” in regards to the spiritual wasteland and the losteness of souls that have survived.  Within minutes of seeing nothing but sand and Max briefly talking, he is captured and used as a body hostage that hosts blood.  His captors are employed by a villain named Immortan Joe, who has water supplies and gasoline, which he uses  to enslave many.  This is very similar to Gary Oldman’s role in “Book of Eli,” as both men use the resources they have to enslave thousands.  Joe is “packaged” by various forms of body armor and masks in order to preserve the religion he has created, one that has him as a demi-god.

After Max is captured, Immorten Joe quickly sends his crew (“War Boys” they are called) on a typical supply, gasoline, water run in order to keep this society humming along.  However, during this trip, Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron) takes the “War Rig” truck off road, heading east.  The rest of the crew she is traveling with assumes she knows where she is going and what she is doing.  However, Immorten Joe soon finds out she is headed east because Furiosa is trying to free Joe’s five wives, who just happen to be introduced to us via classic “woman using water for car washing purposes” (a.k.a. “Cool Hand Luke”).  It is on this retrieval trip that Max is perched upon a small Volkswagen, as the driver is using his blood.  When a sandstorm causes massive collateral car damage, Max barely survives, and meets up with Furiosa and her ladies.

Max is played by Tom Hardy, a rising star that rose to prominence as the vicious villain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”  Sadly, for the first part of the film, he wears a mask, like Bane, and says very little that is understandable.  I’m unsure why Hardy is growing as an actor when he is difficult to understand.   I’m not saying he isn’t relatable or horrible, just hard to understand.  Frankly, he looks and acts a bit like Jeremy Renner (a.k.a. Hawkeye in the Avengers) is many of his roles, but I digress.   Hardy finally gets his mask off and then does little talking, so in some sense, it doesn’t matter.  Heck, the car chases are why people will go to see this.  And the car chase scenes deliver in every sense.  They are chaotic, crazy, impossible and believable all in one scene.  I am truly stunned that the cars look as believable as they do, as you know when thing are happening, there has to be CGI involved, yet it doesn’t take away from the wonderment you will experience when watching.  This film is perfect for IMAX.

While we never get to know Immorten Joe or why he has these breeders as wives, we do get a chance to know and love Furiosa.  She doesn’t steal the show, but is amazing throughout.  Critics have loved the versatility of Charlize Theron for years, as she can do so many parts well that it is hard to know where her specialty lies.   From comedy in “Arrested Development” to her well deserved Oscar, she can do it all, and now she has a huge win that falls in the “action” category.  Her eyes always exhibit calm, yet she shows tender grace to her lost family and extreme hatred towards Joe for her years of indentured service.  Her dedication to the part is commendable, as is her shaved head and lost arm. 

There are many critics that have viewed this film, enjoyed it, and seem to think that the story is ultimately a feminist story, one that empowers women and shows they are tough and can fight and “hang” with men, as they are the ones that overthrow Joe and will now rule instead.  While there are certain moments of great feminine strength and beauty, Max is always involved, as is the underrated Nick Hoult (of Beast fame from X-Men), making the story one of team work, hope and redemption.  I’m confused as to why critics must label something “feminine” or “feminist” in order to make a film great, when that has nothing to do with the overall enjoyment of this particular film.  Technically, this film was directed by Frank Miller, who did the “Sin City” franchise, one that mistreats, hurts and leaves most women in the “wait for man to save them” stage.  In this film, while the ladies have more action and freedom, the entire world revolves around testosterone and cars, which, traditionally, are male activities.  Just enjoy the film because it is a great film, with great car chase scenes, and excellent respect among the leads.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

I, like millions of Americans the past few weeks, have gone to see the biggest movie of the year, aside from the coming onslaught known as Star Wars. And i, like others, have waited with baited breath for the Avengers to fight side by side destroying another cosmic force. So, for those who haven't seen it, i offer my humble thoughts on the film, and for those who have, my humble thoughts that hopefully coincide with the movie. To keep things simple, i will review the film in the form of an interview, with big questions serving as the fulcrum to the review.
Before beginning, just know that the movie revolves around the Avengers fighting an entity known as Ultron, which is simply a program that Tony Stark created, but with humanities first encounter with Artificial Intelligence that actually grows, learns and adapts to any of its opponents. When Ultron comes alive and believes that the greatest threat to mankind is the Avengers, well, he obviously must adapt and try and destroy them in order to preserve mankind. So, Iron Man, there is a glitch in the system.

Is the movie better, worst or okay in comparison to the first?
This is the one question everyone really wants to know when going to this film. First, no one will hate this film. Some may be a bit disappointed, as it is simply missing "X" when compared to the first one, but for all the characters and action scenes, as well as a solid plot, it does a solid, albeit repetitive job when compared to the first. By "repetitive" i simply mean, action, discussion, long reflection of characters, more action, repeat.

Who are the new characters?
In some sense, the movie has and introduces too many characters. Yet, the nerd in me says, "How can that be bad?" But i digress. The movie features two very prominent characters: Scarlet Witch (who can manipulate minds and throw plasmic beams of energy at people) and her twin brother Quicksilver (who can run so fast time seems to slow down). The movie also features Vision (Jarvis in a "free" from his computer based reality into an actual body, with an infinity stone in his head) and a few others (Falcon, War Machine, etc.). While these characters start off as "bad" they come to join the fight against Ultron.

Which Avenger is the most important in this film?
In the first film, you had a build up of other Marvel films leading to the Avengers teaming up, but Captain America clearly being the guy to unite the team and really, the country. In this one, the movie does a good job poking fun at the weaknesses of the Avengers through humor, from Thor's hammer to Iron Man's pride, the movie is playful towards these weaknesses, until Ultron exposes the weaknesses for his own purposes. While Hawkeye is given moments to prove sacrifice and family are vital to team members, (as he is the only one that has these things), the movie still revolves around Captain America. As Stark stares him down, angry that his pride has been used against him yells at Cap, "You can't trust someone that doesn't have a dirty past." Captain America still has the focus of protection, sacrifice, and serving others as his main moral code, and it unites and has the respect of others. While Hulk is given screen time to struggle with his identity and ability to do good in a horrible, green, angry, body, he cannot start a relationship with Black Widow due to his fear of hurting her and others. This is the one major flaw of the movie, but you ultimately have to respect Josh Weadon for trying: He has so many fun and great characters he wants to give time to, as well as develop, it is just hard and can hurt the flow of the movie. Hulk dating Black Widow comes out of nowhere, yet you aren't upset because "Hey, this could work." At the same time this is ongoing, you have the relationships of the other characters, so there just isn't enough "room" for them all. AND, let's not forget this is all leading to the biggest Marvel plot point of all the comics: THANOS and the gauntlet! The word "HUGE" is an understatement when discussing this character and plot point that will be coming in 2017. If he is not given screen time, motive and purpose, the next films will be "big" in name only, as Thanos is a beast and has tons of "villainy" potential. James Spader does a great job as Ultron, but he must be small to whoever dons the Thanos hat. Right now, it is a toss up between several main actors, so stay tuned.

Why does Iron Man fight Hulk?
Believe it or not, Iron Man is not controlled by Ultron when he fights Hulk. It is a great action bit that does not linger into useless Transfomer action. Instead, Iron Man is trying to overcome a mystical spell that has been cast on the Hulk. Just enjoy the mayhem. Again, more fun jokes.

What's with the end of the film?
The end of the film, with the new Avengers and Vision, are VITAL to the series. Ultimately, Vision has an infinity stone in his head, one of the gems that has cosmic power in it (which Guardians of the Galaxy and first Avengers films discussed), which Thanos (a cosmic evil being) wants for his own purposes. No joke: earth is nothing when compared to these gems. Thanos wants eternal and cosmic rule over everything and the only way to get it is to have the gauntlet and gems. Obviously, that can't and doesn't happen in the comics.

Bottom Line: This movie just works for every age and sex. It isn't so action oriented that you begin to think, "Hey, this is just the Transformers with a better cast" for which i am totally relieved. Second, if you have someone in your party that isn't in to "chic flicks" or "Action" this movie has you covered. As a soon to be father, i can honestly say, "Yes, there are some dark moments, but language is tame and good guys teaming up to fight pure evil would lead me to take my 10 year old son." While you may be a bit bummed it isn't the first one, you won't leave hating or regretting the two hour run time.

7 out of 10
Nerd in me review: 10 out of 10!!!! (I have the Pez of those guys)

-to god be the glory for great things he has done!