Kyler’s a sick kid these days. Not miserable sick, but snotty and a cough-a-holic. Poor kid. We’re dowsing him with orange juice and water and the occasional Zinc Wax (otherwise known as Zicam’s “Strawberry” Chews.) He’ll be better in a few days, but he’s going crazy being housebound, unable to go out and play with the other chillin’s. (Or perhaps I’m just projecting my own house arrest feelings onto him…)

Thankfully we have a few Winnie the Pooh videos to help pass the time. I can stand Winnie. He and Piglet are good pals, and the rest of the posse isn’t too annoying, either. (Crud, listen to me… philosophizing about my kid’s cartoons… I’ve been in this job for too long…)

I think that’s all. Just wanted to give a quick update. I’ll write more… I promise… (snicker…)…

Kevin

Poor little soldier dude. Hardly had a chance, really. One moment, he’s levitating across the mall for all the world to see, and the next – some psychotic Snowman dive bombs him!! Splat!! I’ve never seen so much slush in my life!! Thankfully, I had my nifty Sony Clie on hand to capture the Kodak moment as it unfolded. Let this be a warning to everyone… watch your back… here there be Snowmen.

The naked face look could only be withstood for so long. Now it’s onto
bigger and better things… never tried the beard without the head hair
before… Looks kinda freaky, I think, but not nearly as freaky as
Kevin With No Hair (see below).

The Hook: A comedy/adventure aimed to skew political and entertainment figures. (Including, but not limited to, Michael Moore of “Farenheit 9/11″ fame…)

The Score: B-

The Thoughts:

From the makers of South Park, which I’ll admit I’m not a fan, I pretty much knew what to expect with this movie. Jib jabs at anyone and everyone, immaturity, juvenile humor, etc. So none of the purile jokes surprised me, really. I WAS, however, surprised by the incredible job the creators did, considering they were working entirely with puppets. Who knew a puppet could show so many different emotions?!? Steven Seagal, watch your back!

While it was funny in a number of parts, especially the songs, there were also quite a few scenes which I just had to turn my head and grimace out of embarassment. And when you do THAT, my friend, you just know you’re not gonna be recommending this movie to anyone, under any circumstances. I mean, a nude (and explicit) puppet love-making scene?!? Holy Geppeddo, people!! Was that REALLY necessary!! Crud…

As I was cleaning out the attic recently, I ran across this photo of
JBU, the way it looked back when Kim and I were there (’91-’95). I wish
I had a current photo compare this one to, because anyone who’s visited
the campus in the past decade can attest to the incredibly changes that
have taken place. But for now, here’s a nice stroll down memory lane.
(I also have a super-detailed 200dpi version, for those of you who know
what that means and who have the broadband capable of downloading it…)

The Hook: People running from zombies, having to fight to survive, etc. Guns, Milla Jovovich in skimpy clothes, super-smart slimy dogs.

The Score: F

The Thoughts:

I saw this shortly after I saw Anacondas, and it only reinforced my joy of not paying more than 50¢ to see it. I’m not even going to go into the many reasons why this stinks (even more than the first one, if you can believe it).

So let’s just say this:

Good special effects and neat creatures won’t make up for a LACK OF REASONABLE, INTELLIGENT PLOT. Absolutely insane. If the scenes don’t make any sense, whatsoever, then it doesn’t matter who’s doing the acting, how cool the bad guys look, or how loud it is.

Just stinky. Astoundingly stinky. You can practially see the stink lines as they hover over the celluloid….

The Hook: Giant snakes in a tropical locale. Man vs. Nature.

The Score: C-

The Thoughts:

Boy, am I glad I saw this on in Tulsa at the dollar theatre. Actually, Movies 8 has a deal where movies before 6pm are only 50¢, which is even better. This way, the pain of actually having PAID for a stinker like this isn’t as overwhelming… whew…

Man, where do I begin? The premise was great, but the execution? Dude…

I know, I know… what should I expect? Perhaps some decent acting? The plot was actually well-written and thought out, but the actual characters? The interactions and the dialogue? Ugh.. I’m getting indigestion just thinking about it…

So, speaking as a fan of the original guilty pleasure, Anaconda, I strongly suggest you save whatever hard-earned money you have and NOT see this movie. Blech.

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

then you will find your joy in the LORD.” (Isaiah 58:13-14)

“Doing as you please”

“Going your own way”

These are the phrases that slapped me silly a few weeks ago when I read them in the Bible. Like a vast majority of today’s Christians, I really hadn’t given much thought or consideration to what the Sabbath means, or how to go about honoring it.

This much I knew: the day didn’t matter. Calendars have been shifting for decades (well, centuries might be more accurate), but to make a definite statement like “Sunday is the ONLY Sabbath day God recognizes” is just an invitation for spam. (Especially on a public blog like this…)

So, while the actual DAY didn’t matter, I still believed it was important to have A day to set aside and rest. This also kind of tripped me up, because, to be rather frank, basically every day is a day of rest for me. With only one child to entertain and maintain, I find my life as a stay-at-home Dad to be surprisingly easy. Unless Kyler gets a hold of a Pixie Stix and radioactivates his blood with it, he’s a fantastically easy and enjoyable kid to be around.

So, when I considered that most of my week is pretty laid-back and restful to begin with, how to make the Sabbath any MORE a day of rest was puzzling. That is, until I found the verse in Isaiah.

Then it all became painfully clear.

The Sabbath is not all about me. It’s not just about resting and relaxing and kicking back. It should also be a day of reflection and concentration on God. But more than that, it’s to be a day that I don’t “go my own way” or “do as I please.”

This hit home. Seriously, I’m all about going my own way and doing as I please. Being home all day, I pretty much set my own schedule. I have plenty of time to sell things on eBay, visit a local bookstore, surf the web, listen to new music downloads, watch a DVD, etc. For a long time, it’s been all about me, and I’m coming to realize that with soberness.

So, after reading these verses, I’m determined to make a change in my life. I am going to honor the Sabbath like it should be, in the way I know how. It will be a day set apart to God and to others. I will sacrifice myself and my own plans, schedule, wants and desires, and instead think about what God would have me do and how I can help those around me.

No music. No movies. No novels. No idle surfing. No mindless entertainment. Nothing about forwarding my own personal agenda anymore. I will change the way I live, starting today. (Well, actually, starting a few Sundays ago…) (I should point out that, yes, this means I will be taping “Arrested Development” to watch on Monday…)

So that’s my report on the Sabbath, and what it means to me. Thank you… (places his paper on the desk and returns to his seat at the back of the class… where he was watch, and observe, and learn….)

Kevin