I saw The Wild Robot today. It reminded me of the true stories of some wonderful people I know...

Last night I watched the new movie Champions at our local theater. Woody Harrelson plays an assistant basketball coach who gets fired for scuffling physically with his boss on TV, gets a DUI, and then is court ordered to do community service by coaching a local team of players with intellectual difficulties. He deals his new situation better than I probably would have, jumping right in the middle of relationship building with his players and their families.

I didn't enjoy it because of the memories it called up. There is a scene where the hippies showed in church and some of the church members left. I think that had I been there, my church people in the churches I grew up in would have been the ones walking out. And I probably would have joined them. I still have an aversion to those who are... different. If I am being totally honest, I barely understand myself. And those recognizably different? Deep inside, they frighten me...

I watched a good movie today. Avatar: the Way of Water. Maybe it's not actually a good movie, but it resonated with me. I love movies, and it think this is the first movie, ever, that touched my heart as a Father...

Early this morning I was proning and uncomfortable, and trying to pray. God brought to mind this amazing scene from the 2006 movie Apocalypto. Our hero is fleeing his pursuers and in desperation leaps over a great waterfall. As he comes out of the water at about the two minute mark in this video, his whole perspective changes, and he turns in defiance and gives this incredible speech...