Month: May 2013

5 Short Memorial Day Movie Reviews

5 Short Memorial Day Movie Reviews

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Heading to the movies this Memorial Day weekend?  Here’s a short movie review to help guide your movie selection process.

Oblivion

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PG-13 – Starring Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko.  It is one man’s futuristic journey of redemption and discovery as he attempts to resurrect humanity.  The overall story contains a good believable mystery perfect for Sci-Fi fans.  Only the foreshadowing was overly obvious.  Grade – B+

Mud

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PG-13 – Starring Matthew McConaghey and Reese Witherspoon.  Adventure story about two Arkansas boys who find a man named Mud hiding out on a river island in the Mississippi.  This movie is an interesting story with a unique backdrop and engaging characters.  However, one of the boys curses periodically.  Grade – A-

Star Trek:  Into Darkness  

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PG-13 – Starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto – Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise lead a manhunt to capture an evil murderous genius.  Trekkies will enjoy this film filled with inside jokes, an inspired villain, special effects, and the alternative Star Trek history line.  However, some of the inside jokes may seem corny to non-trekkies.  Grade – A

Iron Man 3

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PG-13 – Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow – Tony Stark/Iron Man finds his life destroyed by an evil madman.  Ben Kingsley does an awesome job as the televised villain in the movie.  Iron Man 3 is a good story which wraps up the trilogy nicely while leaving it open for further sequels.  However, someone really needs to have seen Iron Man 1 and 2 and the Avengers to fully appreciate this movie.  Grade – A-

Gatsby

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PG-13 – Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.  This film is a modern movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.  Would-be writer Nick Carraway moves next door to millionaire Jay Gatsby and slowly unravels the mysteries surrounding his cousin Daisy and his unusual neighbor.  Although beautifully costumed and surrounded by interesting music, the storyline wasn’t believable in the way that it was presented. Grade – C

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Free Vacation For Ministers (Thanks to the Generous Gifts of Others)

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Ruedi and Sandy Mettler have a calling from God.  They minister to those who minister.  Originally from Switzerland, Ruedi spent a very successful career working with Swiss Airlines before retiring with Sandy to the mountains in northern Georgia.  It was around the same time that God placed within them the vision for Shepherd’s Refuge Ministries.

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Shepherd’s Refuge is located 13 miles north of historic Dahlonega, Georgia.  The current facilities include an upper room type bedroom suite with a luxurious bathroom and a nearby yet secluded beautifully furnished one-bedroom cabin with full bath and kitchen.  Shepherd’s Refuge provides these services to ministers free of charge because of the generous gifts others have given and continue to give to the ministry.

My wife and I just returned from one of the most relaxing vacations we’ve ever experienced.  We are extremely grateful to Shepherd’s Refuge Ministries and to Ruedi and Sandy.  If you are in vocational Christian ministry and are in desperate need of uninterrupted respite, or if you are interested in supporting the ministry, check out www.shepherdsrefuge.org today.

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How To Stop Comparing Yourself With Others


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When I was in college, I attended a student conference in North Carolina.  One day, as I was waiting for my friends, an older woman struck up a conversation with me.  She asked me how I was enjoying the conference.  For some reason, I told her that I was disappointed because I hadn’t been selected to sing the solo with the choir for that evening’s worship service.

She replied, “If the foot should say, ‘Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,’ in spite of that it still belongs to the body.  And if the ear should say, ‘Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,’ in spite of this it still belongs to the body.  Do you know why I stopped to talk with you?”

“No,” I replied.

“I wanted to tell you that each night when the choir sings, I watch you.  You are unique and loved by God.  He doesn’t want you comparing yourself to others.  He wants you to rejoice in what He’s given you.”

I walked away encouraged.

That evening, I was surprised to see that very woman introduced as the keynote speaker.  She walked to the podium, looked out at 1500 college students and said, “You are unique and loved by God.”

I noticed a girl in the row in front of me wiping her eyes.  She needed that message as much as I did.

We all spend so much time comparing ourselves with others that we forget that God loves us just as we are and made us that way on purpose.

So, before I go, let me remind you – You are unique and loved by God.

 

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