Went to Krewe de Vieux Tonight and Made the News
You've got to kinda watch out, especially with the little ones, ya know? But leave it to my wife to talk about the historicity of the floats. Good job baby.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has made this connection...
Not in character, but definitely in appearance and sometimes even in mannerism.
John Piper
Larry David
I rest my case.
Thinking About Forever
Note: I never imagined I would be writing a joint post on both the Saints victory over the Vikings and the earthquake in Haiti. I've been meaning to write my Haiti post for some time, but after the Saints victory, it all clicked together for me. I was going to write two posts, but I think it would have been repetitive.
Who Dat and Heaven
Sunday was a big night for the city of New Orleans. I watched the game with my brothers and sisters at Vintage NOLA and had an experience that I had not ever had in my entire life: the experience of an entire city celebrating. Everyone and I mean every.single.person. was celebrating the Saint's victory in some way. Here is how we celebrated at Vintage.
It was like that all over the city. At 12:30 when I went to bed there was a guy walking down the street with a trumpet playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" I know it was a real trumpet, because he messed up twice. Now, I'm not going to go pointing myself out in the video, but I am dancing along with everyone else. There was a huge surge of emotion when the kick was good. I cheered and roared at that moment for the Saints victory more than I cheered and roared at the following events:
But the Saint's victory was unique. It was unique for the surge of emotion. It was unique for the historical precedent. And it was unique, because I walked out of the building and celebrated with an entire city full of people (minus the Vikings...ouch) who were all celebrating at the same time. Then a thought came upon me. I thought to myself, "How wonderful will the new Kingdom be?" If I can feel this way about celebrating a football game -something shallow and in the scope of eternity, meaningless- with a city full of people, how deafening will be the roar and cheers and emotions of the new Kingdom? We couldn't hear ourselves think for the roar and excitement of seeing the ball split the uprights. How much will we cheer and roar with perfect voices and celebrate when we, a people as numerous as the stars in the heavens, behold with perfect eyes the Son of God -the Lamb exalted above all thrones and rulers?
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. -Rev. 20:1-5
Hope and Haiti
Haiti. Wow. Charlee and I have been following the coverage. Our hearts break for the families shattered and the babies left orphaned. I cannot provide you with any information that you probably do not already know or with any that you're not already numb to. Haiti is broken. Some people have actually said that it is permanently broken -that we really should not try too hard to get Haiti back on its feet from a rebuilding standpoint. I do not know the current figure, but at one point Americans were giving something like $1.3 million per minute to Haitian relief. That is wonderful, and I thank God for showing mercy in that area.
Help and humanitarian aid will continue to pour into the country, into a situation that for so many is hopeless. These things will help to heal the wounds that have been opened in Haiti, but they ultimately cannot undo what has been done. Haiti is broken.
I can offer bandages to cover the wounds. I can take an orphan into my home. However, I cannot offer anything in myself that will fix Haiti. But Jesus can. Jesus is coming, and he today invites all Haitians, indeed all the world, to live in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, a Kingdom that will not be moved. People are looking around them, and their families are dead. Their bodies are bruised and broken.
Their homes are rubble. There is nothing left for them in this world, and all the aid that the US and the EU can offer cannot undo the tragedy. This life is now an endless sea of pain for them. For these people Jesus offers a family, a home in a everlasting Kingdom, and the endless joys and pleasures of a good King who is worthy of all worship and praise. We can shower Haiti with food, water, doctors, money, and construction. These things are all good an necessary.
But the only true hope for the Haitian people is the good news of Jesus, come to save the world from sin, Satan, and death. And coming again to rule forever in the New Kingdom, a place of everlasting life and joy that will not be shaken.
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." -Rev. 21:3-5
*All photos taken from the Boston Globe. They have done an amazing job of covering the earthquake. The videos are from Rob Wilton and Dennis LaGorio respectively.
Who Dat and Heaven
Sunday was a big night for the city of New Orleans. I watched the game with my brothers and sisters at Vintage NOLA and had an experience that I had not ever had in my entire life: the experience of an entire city celebrating. Everyone and I mean every.single.person. was celebrating the Saint's victory in some way. Here is how we celebrated at Vintage.
It was like that all over the city. At 12:30 when I went to bed there was a guy walking down the street with a trumpet playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" I know it was a real trumpet, because he messed up twice. Now, I'm not going to go pointing myself out in the video, but I am dancing along with everyone else. There was a huge surge of emotion when the kick was good. I cheered and roared at that moment for the Saints victory more than I cheered and roared at the following events:
- My high school graduation
- My college graduation
- LSU's 2003 National Campionship
- LSU's 2008 National Championship
- My engagement to Charlee
- My wedding
- The birth of my daughter
But the Saint's victory was unique. It was unique for the surge of emotion. It was unique for the historical precedent. And it was unique, because I walked out of the building and celebrated with an entire city full of people (minus the Vikings...ouch) who were all celebrating at the same time. Then a thought came upon me. I thought to myself, "How wonderful will the new Kingdom be?" If I can feel this way about celebrating a football game -something shallow and in the scope of eternity, meaningless- with a city full of people, how deafening will be the roar and cheers and emotions of the new Kingdom? We couldn't hear ourselves think for the roar and excitement of seeing the ball split the uprights. How much will we cheer and roar with perfect voices and celebrate when we, a people as numerous as the stars in the heavens, behold with perfect eyes the Son of God -the Lamb exalted above all thrones and rulers?
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. -Rev. 20:1-5
Hope and Haiti
Haiti. Wow. Charlee and I have been following the coverage. Our hearts break for the families shattered and the babies left orphaned. I cannot provide you with any information that you probably do not already know or with any that you're not already numb to. Haiti is broken. Some people have actually said that it is permanently broken -that we really should not try too hard to get Haiti back on its feet from a rebuilding standpoint. I do not know the current figure, but at one point Americans were giving something like $1.3 million per minute to Haitian relief. That is wonderful, and I thank God for showing mercy in that area.
But the only true hope for the Haitian people is the good news of Jesus, come to save the world from sin, Satan, and death. And coming again to rule forever in the New Kingdom, a place of everlasting life and joy that will not be shaken.3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." -Rev. 21:3-5
*All photos taken from the Boston Globe. They have done an amazing job of covering the earthquake. The videos are from Rob Wilton and Dennis LaGorio respectively.
The Ten Best Movies of 2009
This year was a very polarizing year for me cinematically. There were a lot of movies that I loved and a lot that I hated. There were not many in between.
10. Julie and Julia -This one really surprised me. It takes a lot for a movie about cooking through a cookbook to succeed. And this one has it all. It was fun to watch, and I was captivated by both story lines.
9. Terminator Salvation -I've permanently suspended my disbelief with time travel movies. Lost is the only time travel concept that I have seen that seems plausible. However, Terminator 3 was a good effort at fixing the time loop problem. Lots of people did not like Salvation. I think that the steady pacing and the effects kept the story moving along enough to disguise its flaws.
8. The Bros Bloom -I guess I just have to admit it: I like Rian Johnson's writing. I think the guy could write a movie about sun dried tomatoes, and I would think it was the best movie ever. If you like a movie where every line can be hung on the wall as a quote, you'll enjoy this caper flick.
7. Away We Go -If you can get past the opening scene, this movie is excellent. I suspected that John Krasinski could break out of The Office and pull off a role like this, but I never imagined that Maya Rudolph had this in her.
6. Taken -Is the plot terribly deep? No. But the movie makes a promise, and then it delivers. You took my daughter. Now I'm going to take her back and kill you.
5. Star Trek -This movie will likely polarize Trekkies, but I think a fresh start for the franchise is just what was needed. They picked the right actors too. I was waiting for Spock to saw someone's head off with his finger the whole time.
4. Gran Torino -Clint Eastwood's deconstruction of Dirty Harry. This movie is a hit. I never realized what a good actor Eastwood is until I saw him write and direct. He's not just a caged beast that they unleash to play a role and then put back in a box. He's very smart.
3. Up -I cried twice during this movie, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Beautiful film with a beautiful story. I really could have made 1-3 a three way tie. Oddly enough Up and Grand Torino are back to back on my list. That makes me think of a Youtube video I saw a while back. Check it out.
2. Inglourious Basterds -Terrantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. Yeah I said it. The dialogue is incredible, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
1. District 9 -Go watch this movie and take a stab at what the budget was. The best movie of the year was made for a tenth of the cost of Avatar. If you have not seen District 9, go see it. The most spectacular thing about the movie is the aliens' eyes. You can see the soul of a person in them, and it only makes it that much more horrendous when the South Africans cannot.
There were a lot of movies this year that I was really disappointed in. Here are the highlights, er lowlights.
2009 Hall of Shame
Avatar -This movie is breathtakingly gorgeous. You can see the sweat glands on the Na'vi faces. The scenery looks real. They also were able to fix that weird thing that tends to happen when real actors interact with CG characters. Based solely upon visuals, this was the best movie of the year. BUT...it's Pocahontas. No, really. It's Disney's Pocahontas. Total rip off. If you took Pocahontas and added in Fern Gully and some Iraq war jabs, you've got Avatar. Don't believe me? Look at this (SPOILER ALERT):
Revolutionary Road -"We had a second child to prove the first one wasn't an accident." This movie was a downward spiral of suck. Anyone who loves their marriage and wants to fight for it should stay away. This is just an tragic exercise in bad solutions to marital problems.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine -Disaster from start to finish. What serious Wolverine fan could love this movie? Have any of the writers ever picked up a comic book? And don't get me started on the CG...it looks like a fifth grade science project.
10. Julie and Julia -This one really surprised me. It takes a lot for a movie about cooking through a cookbook to succeed. And this one has it all. It was fun to watch, and I was captivated by both story lines.
9. Terminator Salvation -I've permanently suspended my disbelief with time travel movies. Lost is the only time travel concept that I have seen that seems plausible. However, Terminator 3 was a good effort at fixing the time loop problem. Lots of people did not like Salvation. I think that the steady pacing and the effects kept the story moving along enough to disguise its flaws.
8. The Bros Bloom -I guess I just have to admit it: I like Rian Johnson's writing. I think the guy could write a movie about sun dried tomatoes, and I would think it was the best movie ever. If you like a movie where every line can be hung on the wall as a quote, you'll enjoy this caper flick.
7. Away We Go -If you can get past the opening scene, this movie is excellent. I suspected that John Krasinski could break out of The Office and pull off a role like this, but I never imagined that Maya Rudolph had this in her.
6. Taken -Is the plot terribly deep? No. But the movie makes a promise, and then it delivers. You took my daughter. Now I'm going to take her back and kill you.
5. Star Trek -This movie will likely polarize Trekkies, but I think a fresh start for the franchise is just what was needed. They picked the right actors too. I was waiting for Spock to saw someone's head off with his finger the whole time.
4. Gran Torino -Clint Eastwood's deconstruction of Dirty Harry. This movie is a hit. I never realized what a good actor Eastwood is until I saw him write and direct. He's not just a caged beast that they unleash to play a role and then put back in a box. He's very smart.
3. Up -I cried twice during this movie, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Beautiful film with a beautiful story. I really could have made 1-3 a three way tie. Oddly enough Up and Grand Torino are back to back on my list. That makes me think of a Youtube video I saw a while back. Check it out.
2. Inglourious Basterds -Terrantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. Yeah I said it. The dialogue is incredible, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
1. District 9 -Go watch this movie and take a stab at what the budget was. The best movie of the year was made for a tenth of the cost of Avatar. If you have not seen District 9, go see it. The most spectacular thing about the movie is the aliens' eyes. You can see the soul of a person in them, and it only makes it that much more horrendous when the South Africans cannot.
There were a lot of movies this year that I was really disappointed in. Here are the highlights, er lowlights.
2009 Hall of Shame
Avatar -This movie is breathtakingly gorgeous. You can see the sweat glands on the Na'vi faces. The scenery looks real. They also were able to fix that weird thing that tends to happen when real actors interact with CG characters. Based solely upon visuals, this was the best movie of the year. BUT...it's Pocahontas. No, really. It's Disney's Pocahontas. Total rip off. If you took Pocahontas and added in Fern Gully and some Iraq war jabs, you've got Avatar. Don't believe me? Look at this (SPOILER ALERT):
Revolutionary Road -"We had a second child to prove the first one wasn't an accident." This movie was a downward spiral of suck. Anyone who loves their marriage and wants to fight for it should stay away. This is just an tragic exercise in bad solutions to marital problems.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine -Disaster from start to finish. What serious Wolverine fan could love this movie? Have any of the writers ever picked up a comic book? And don't get me started on the CG...it looks like a fifth grade science project.
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