Category Archives: 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment

Ready to Give

7 Keep Christmas, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

Always be PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  1 Peter 3.15-16 NIV

Christmas is for giving.  There is no other time of the year where our opportunity to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so supported by holy sights and sounds and goodwill, no other time we might pronounce blessing on everyone we meet {“Merry Christmas” is a blessing!} and have it so readily received.

The lights, the trees, the colors, the songs….the people, the merry-making, the stars and the Father of it all,  the things of Christmas (symbols, traditions and all the rest) came because of a giving God.   For God so loved the world that he gave…

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And now we can give like crazy, too – not just the latest gadget or technology toy, not just lots of unwanted and unneeded nic nacs and fru-fru, but we can share the secret to our unbridled joy, our unhampered happiness!  The  symbols of Christmas give me the chance to explain my joyous celebrating and the reason for my hope to my grandbebes,  imprinting the minds and hearts of my little ones.  Each year, little by little, as we sow seeds of faith, Christmas becomes the accumulation of learning as year follows year and season follows season.  As they grow up – the truth is there – either for them to joyfully impart to their own children, or as an inescapable testimony – that no matter how far they may wander  – they will see, remember and understand truth all around.  The seeds of truth will be in them.  I am gardening in their hearts even now…

And when we know and share the symbols of the season with our neighbors and clerks in the store and our bank tellers and co-workers, we’re gently able to impart spiritual truth to them.   Many people celebrate Christmas – not even aware of the depth of what they do – even so: they are acknowledging a Savior!  Of all people then, shouldn’t we be the most joyous, most exuberant revelers?  Remember Buddy-the-Elf (the movie, Elf) hearing that Santa would arrive at the store the next day and how he screamed with delight: “Saaaaaanta!  I know him!”  Well,   I KNOW Him! I know the Savior.  I think lots of people would be excited to know Him, too, if I honored him as Buddy did Santa!

SEE CLIP HERE:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jyCfRHumHU

We need to understand {be ready to GIVE an answer} so we aren’t feeling sheepish about what Christmas has become – so we can be the most joyous of all the celebrants – welcoming every symbol and facet as an opportunity to give a reason for our hope and to set apart Christ as Lord!

Yes, amen? 

PS – I thought this was kinda funny:

Leading Man

2 Mi Familia, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

Dave is the romantic lead in the Prairie Playhouse production of the original play, “Christmas Again.”

Tonight is the final performance of this fun, jolly mix of traditional Christmas songs and a heartwarming story with 4 adults and about a dozen and a half kids.  It will  follow Brighton’s own Parade of Lights downtown and be performed at The Armory (not long ago renovated and restored for community-theater-type events even though I wanted it for my house, geesh).  And Dave, among other songs, gets to solo on one of his all-time favorites, “White Christmas,” with the rest of the cast joining in.  He was the star of the show,  the handsome leading man.  But even wholly dedicated to his role in the play, with a “bad woman” flirting with him, and the “good, single mom” winning his heart, he refuses to remove his wedding band. 

The older mom of another player saw him at Target today and was quite star-struck, apparently.  Get in line, lady!

 

www.lilacphotography.com

It’s a night of Christmas festivities in the ol’ Brighton metropolis.  A parade, a play performance and then some frolic under the mistletoe!

 

 

Faithful Friends Who are Dear to Us

5 Songs I am Singing, 7 Keep Christmas, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

…Gather near to us once more…

Some people just stay, whether you deserve it or not.  Some people trust their hearts to you for a lifetime, not because you see them a lot or stay in touch like you should or are even a very good friend at all.  And when you decorate your “family tree,” the non-designer version filled all that really truly matters from Chrsitmases past, and you come across ornaments which had been tucked into cards years ago, and little notes, or when you hang what a friend once made that has become an heirloom to you now, when you remember – regardless of all the miles, yes, your friends have once again come near.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,  Let your heart be light

From now on, our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,  Make the Yule-tide gay,

From now on,  our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,

Happy golden days of yore.

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together,

If the [Lord] allows

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

LYRICS:  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas DEAR Friends, far and near!

There isn’t room to list all who have been true friends to me throughout the years. But they must know?

In Iowa, and Minnesota, Indiana and North Dakota (not to mention South Dakota), Kansas, Washington, Tennesee…Robert, Louisiana, and even in Nebraska!  In Montana, and Oregon, Texas and Chi-town, and close to home {Frederick, and Brighton, Denver, Longmont, Boulder, Firestone, Arvada, and the rest}… really all around…

SEE JUDY GARLAND HERSELF SING IT!  (non-embeddable) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4lY8Y3eoo  From the movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis”

Saying Something Stupid

1 Christ is All, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

 Word lover.

Even as a really young kid, once I started reading, “It Pays to Increase Your Word Power” in Reader’s Digest was a favorite of mine.  I love words, I love phrases that string them together in a way that lights up my brain.  I am a word-lover.  And I love to give words as gifts.

So you’d think by now I’d perhaps have mastered the use of them somewhat, have some ability to use them for great things.

I cannot believe how prone I remain to blurt out the worst possible words at the most inappropriate moments; how quickly I will still employ the profane in spite of knowing thousands of other ways to communicate even my frustration.  I say the wrong words at the wrong time in the least-effective way so {stinking} often.  Just….yuck.  Bleeehhh.

See?  Nothing. 

If only my “spoiling it all” by “saying something stupid” was as nice as “I love you.”  sigh

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  Ecc 5.2 NIV

Song for a Sunday ~ The Blood Will Never Lose its Power

1 Christ is All, 5 Songs I am Singing, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

Andrae Crouch.  Demos Shakarian.  Beth Moore.  And a song…

It started with my dad making me watching Jesus Explo ’72, nearly having to drag me from my room at the time, which I wrote veeeeeery extensively about HERE (click!).

Andrae Crouch and the Disciples sang and oh, I loved their sound, oh yes!  I sang my heart out to many an 8-track or cassette tape of his music.  Andrae is the soundtrack of my spiritual heart and soul from about 1972-1980.

I just completed my first-ever Beth Moore Bible Study(confetti flying through the air- bells and whistles going off, and all that jazz).  In one of the sessions toward the end, she was preaching up a storm about the blood of Jesus and started quoting the lyrics to Andrae’s song,  “The Blood Will Never Lose its’ Power.”  Wow-it brought back a flood of  memories – maybe especially because just that very day, the physical therapist I have been seeing about the Labor-Day-weekend knee-wrenching episode, had said, “You know, it is probably time to get the MRI and look at getting surgery.  And oh how I hated that.  You see, this very same knee had been broken and mangled before and after two+ years of 24/7 pain, God just healed it.  Just like that.  While I was running up and down these massive industrial stairs to the finance office at Heaven Fest 2009.  It was crazy!

So Beth quotes the words to this great song, resisting, she says, the urge to actually sing it out.

And I remember.  1972.  Davenport, Iowa. 

I had the flu, apparently.  Achy beyond comprehension.  A fever of 104.  Sort of delirious.  Just misery.  It was a Sunday, but I was 12, and old enough to be alone in my utter despair, so off to church my parents and family went…me left on the couch, just sort of moaning.  My mom had the left the television on very low, I couldn’t really hear it beyond my whimpering, but it was background noise, as I lay there suspended in a gauzy pain, the kind that makes you cry out to Jesus for relief making you acutely aware that you haven’t been crying out to Him for much of anything recently.  You think about making deals, promises, but haven’t the strength and know He is probably glad for that.

At some point, however, the sound of TV seemed suddenly to have become louder.  I became aware of what was on.  Demos Shakerian was hosting his weekly Full Gospel Buisiness Men’s Fellowship International show.  And his guest?  Andrae Crouch.  I don’t remember what they talked about, but at some point, Andrae moved to a grand piano and started singing this song.  And I am telling you, the Presence rode in on that melody and just poured over me.  That room turned in to a holy place as that song filled the air, the volume somehow mysteriously louder, clearer than it had been (in the days before you could just use a remote to change the volume!). 

“The blood that gives me strength from day to day…”

I started to cry as I heard those words which were etching truth into my very heart.  Andrae sang and I felt healing surge through me as pain just – went!  Gone.  My head stopped throbbing, I started worshiping. It was strong, but tender; it was mighty and powerful, but for me, not against me.  Andrae sang and sang and angels must have been singing along.  I was very suddenly and immediately energized and whole – like not one thing was wrong, not one.  No more pain, moaning, no more achiness – all of it: gone!  I grabbed the thermometer and took my temp, it had instantly fallen to exactly normal!  I felt light as a feather, ready to dance with joy.

I hopped up, got dressed and walked 2 1/2 miles to church.  Didn’t even get a day off school because of that flu.

The knee.

Just finished up a big fundraiser.  About 2/3 of the way through the evening last night in heels (covering lots of area at high speed), it started popping out of place again.  Today it is so very sore.   Today it feels like I will be a cripple forever.  I am on the couch on  a Sunday morning, sort of achy all over from the last few crazy days, wondering: is there a numerical limit to how many healings one knee gets?  Or could He do it again?  Would He?…

Short Version by CeCe Winans

Someday I hope to find the footage of Andrae on that Demos Shakarian show

Isaiah 53.5 

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

SkateMinistry.Org

1 Christ is All, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, , , , , , ,

 I {actually}  have plans for Saturday night!

Patrick’s Vimeo page…couldn’t keep hold of the embed, for some reason?

Guess where I’ll be?  I am directing the first-ever fundraising dinner for SkateMinistry led by Uriel Leubcke.  It has turned in to quite the event, almost double in attendance to our projections.  My bestie, Patrice of Patrice’s Pantry is serving Beef Wellington (I’m in!), Chicken Cordon Bleu and Gluten-free Vegetarian Lasagne.  This cool video by my friend Patricko (I added the “o”) will kick off the program.  The evening’s festivities will end with a professional Skate Demo and Uriel preaching it up in case any of the guests don’t know Jesus.  The music will be Christian reggae and the vibe?  Nothing less than super cool.

CLICK FOR VIDEO:  Skate Ministry:: The Story of Uriel Luebcke from J Patrick Kennedy on Vimeo.

Running a fundraiser is kind of like doing a wedding (I did 5 last spring).  There’ll be 200 at this one.  There is venue, vendors, music, decor.  You have to make seating arrangements, hound people about RSVPs, print prgrams and fill packets.  There are catering issues (like we are double what we thought so we need more ovens) and rentals and making sure the parties involved are dressed correctly.  The PowerPoint loop during dinner to inspire, and a video that will cause chills…Lighting and candles and pens that work are big deals in a fundraiser.  Making sure to thank everyone appropriately and give gifts is important, too.  Weeks of prep com down to one crazy-event-filled evening.  There just isn’t an emotional bride given to teary outbursts with a fundraiser.  Oh, wait…that is me in this scenario.  *sniff, sniff

Can’t wait to spend a Saturday night with my new bunch of great friends {a lot of whom have crazy-amazing balance and unbelieveable endurance…AND love Jesus!}.

Song for a Sunday ~ Make You Feel My Love

5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think

Bob Dylan has a real call of God on his life.  Seriously, he does.  I actually think a lot of really talented musicians and songwriters who are not Christ-followers, have been infused by God with special gifts of anointed melody and insightful lyric. They were born to sing the song of the Lord, but sometimes, you know, people get sidetracked along the way.   Rocky theorizes that some have achieved huge fame by keeping some of what should have been God’s glory to themselves.  Probably true. 

But I also know that the glory of God is written across the heavens.  It’s been written on walls of the pagans (see the book of Daniel in the Bible) and I am keenly aware that it permeates art and story, music and lyric.  I can see Him in movies with transcendental deep love that could only reflect the Creator.  His glory is visible and real, strong and prevalent, even when the ones who don’t yet know Him, aren’t yet following, are reaching for something, creating from a place they can’t even explain.

So, this Bob Dylan song came to mind a few days back, as I was praying for some treasured ones and I thought I actually heard God singing this very song over them.  Garth Brooks made it famous for the soundtrack to the movie “Hope Floats,” and Billy Joel, Tricia Yearwood, Ronan Keating and Bob-D himself, among others, have recorded it.  This is Adele’s version.  And the more I see and hear the words, the more I am convinced this love song is straight from heaven…

Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan

When the rain is blowing in your face

And the whole world is on your case

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

I know you haven’t made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I’ve known it from the moment that we met

No doubt in my mind where you belong

I’d go hungry, I’d go black and blue

I’d go crawling down the avenue

There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do

To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin’ sea

And on the highway of regret

The winds of change are blowing wild and free

You ain’t seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn’t do

Go to the ends of the earth for you

To make you feel my love

Copyright © 1997 by Special Rider Music