Tonight Jason and I got a chance to watch ”The Exorcism of Emily Rose” with some friends. It’ll get your heart beating. It’s based off a true story and it is definitely one of those movies that will get you talking. If you're looking to get into a deep conversation about good versus evil, demons, God, heaven, hell, etc., this is your movie! One of the things we talked about afterward was heaven. What were our childhood thoughts on heaven? Had our thoughts changed now that we were all “grown-up?” Our friend said that he asked his mom when he was little if there would be a Nintendo in heaven. …
Faith
The Mystery of Childlike Faith
Do kids know more than we give them credit for? Kudos to Marilyn S. for sending me this... P.S. Check out the date. (Click the picture for a full size view.) …
The Funny Man at McDonald’s
The modern world is like a packed, noisy McDonald's restaurant. Imagine yourself sitting in one of its stiff, uncomfortable chairs and eating its unnourishing food. Like a child whose parents are preoccupied, you feel vaguely lonely, bored, edgy. Looking across the room, all at once you see a funny man. His head is cocked sideways and he's making faces at you. You realize he's trying to get your attention. …
Just Jump
A while back I added this quote to my collection of inspiring words that surround my desk. It's been stumping me ever since. "God does not require success, but radical, immediate obedience." I'm not sure who said it, but I am challenged by it. What a statement. I think it's the word "radical" that really gets my attention. When's the last time I acted radically about anything, especially for God? Not long after coming across this quote I found a profound story online, told by Gilles Côté about his first-hand experience witnessing childlike faith in his three-year-old daughter. The …
A Priest, Armed and Dangerous
So the other day Kim and I were in Indianapolis and we came across the most childlike priest I have ever seen. I'm not sure if anyone is completely Adultitis-free, but this guy sure was as close as they come. At the beginning of his sermon, he had all of the children (probably close to 90 in all) come to the front of the church and sit on the steps near the altar. Fr. Paul's back was to the congregation as he addressed the kids. He began talking about water. Then he went off to the side of the church, temporarily hidden by the baptismal font. He emerged, to the delight of all of the children …
Life Starring You
I'm reading a pretty good book right now by Mike Mason called The Mystery of Children, What Our Kids Teach Us About Childlike Faith. He has a passage about children and stories that really struck me: Children and stories are inseparable because children live stories. Adults tend to live in their heads, relentlessly analyzing. But children experience life directly. To children, life is a story in which they are the main character. Adults, not content to simply be characters, want to be the author of their story. Being part of a story means surrendering control, but we like to think we can …
Last Supper, LEGO Style
I'm an absolute sucker for creative LEGO concoctions, but this one may take the cake. I bring you The Brick Testament, the brainchild of the Reverend Brendan Powell Smith (he's not actually a Reverend.) Smith has photoillustrated a whole bunch of Bible scenes constructed entirely out of LEGO pieces. I love the photography, especially the use of perspective and varying depths of field. It's an ingenious work of art designed to "give people an increased knowledge of the contents of The Bible in a way that is fun and compelling while staying very true to the original versions." There are even …
Michael in MN
Today while in Minneapolis Jason and I had the privilege of meeting a fine young man named Michael. He, too, is a cartoonist and he's also an aspiring actor. Talking with Michael brought a smile to my heart. He reminded me that we can accomplish so much with big dreams, big smiles, and big faith. Thanks, Michael! …
Buried in Relaxation
Jason and I have been busy relaxing these last few days. He had a gig in the Tampa area, so we decided to tack on a few days to bury ourselves in relaxation. Actually, since the weather cooperated, I asked Jason to bury me in the sand. It was awesome. I have to admit the process of being buried in the sand was similar for me to the process of trying to hurry up and relax. You know how it is – you have a certain amount of time, with certain restrictions, and your goal is to relax as soon as possible. …
I Knew It
I am Superman. The "What Superhero Are You" quiz said that I was "mild-mannered, good, strong, and I love to help others."It didn't mention anything about being faster than a speeding bullet, but that goes without saying.Since we're on the subject of Superman, I warmly invite you to check out an old post I wrote about a ridiculously accurate sculpture of Christopher Reeve. And if you didn't already hear, Superman is returning to theaters this summer. Here's a cool early trailer that got me so excited I...I...watched it about 20 times. You tell me: is it a coincidence that …