Christian Movies

Christian Movies have gotten a really bad reputation over the years. Sometimes deserved, sometimes not so much. And while I tend to not like cheesy stuff, even the cheesy ones can strike a cord with me. Though I'd rather they not be cheesy.... really.

With this in mind, my list of most anticipated Christian films of the next... 8-20 months? Basically -- here's a list!

I'm In Love With A Church Girl
I've always wanted to make a movie where
a. Someone is faking Christianity to get a girl and in the end relizations how messed up they are
or
b. tobyMac is a burnt out breakdancer that needs redemption.
This movie has both... sorta... (If Toby breakdances at any point I'm calling foul!)
Either way... TOBY MAC



God's Not Dead
The story of a philosophy class student challenging his professor's opinion of God? Sounds good. And did I mention Newsboys are in it? NEWSBOYS!!!! The acting doesn't look like it's going to be Oscar worthy, but the premise is something I can get behind. And David White is in it, which makes things even better.



Grace Unplugged
The story of a girl trying to make it big in music... against her parent's wishes and the compromise it brings.
This sounds really promising. The messages that a plot like that can convey are a plenty. Looking forward to it! Ooooooohhhhhh and by the way, Jamie Grace is in it.



And that's what I'm looking forward to this... ah... yearish?
Oh, and Noah, but that doesn't have a trailer yet... yet.

Miley Cyrus

I can't seem to avoid that name. She's all over the web, my FaceBook news feed, the news feed that's always on in the LIFE studio and she's even breached casual conversations. All from a very inappropriate performance on the VMA's (which I didn't even know happened until this whole ordeal).

I tried watching the video. I lasted about 5-6 seconds. I don't recommend you try to best me.

What I do want to recommend - we pray.

Whenever celebrities derail, it's so easy to point fingers! We call them names and even accuse society for causing them to go like this, but that doesn't really help All it does is makes us look/feel better. 

I've done that. A lot. Even with Miley. However, this time, I really want things to be different. 

Instead of coming up with cleaver ways to run her down, let's pray.

Pray that she would be able to see the impact stuff like this has, pray that she gets some solid role models/mentors in her life and pray she remembers her roots. I mean the Christian ones, not the Hanna Montana ones. She is (or was... not sure where she is now...) a confessing Christian. 

I don't want to sound preachy, or "holier than though". Mostly cause, I'm not. But I do want the church to try to be a light in this instead of a lynch mob.

O.K. That's my serious post for the year. Back to Batman, drooling over music and flying cats next week.

God's Love

I've really been enjoying Shine Bright Baby's (yes, there's a band called Shine Bright Baby) song Beautiful Love. It really captures God's relationship with us well. The fact that he made EVERYTHING, sent Jesus to die for us and then, on top of all that, wants to have a relationship with us! It's crazy to think about and something I hope I never get dulled too.

I also really like the third verse -

"Everybody wishes they could change their past

He's forgiving everything, so don't look back"

I for one wish I could do some things (past and present) different. Not even the obvious stuff either. There are soooo many sentences that could be reworded! But, it's in the past. God's not holding us to it. We just need to press on and continue to live a life for him.

All in all, I recommend you look up the track... oh, look at that... it's right there! 

The Almost

Whenever I really love a band, I'm always scared of seeing them live. The thought of a group that brings me much joy being loose, boring or using tracks really does scare me. I'm not kidding.
The Almost is no exception. I really loved their album Monster Monster... could their live show be able to top the awesomeness they captured on the disk?

Yes. Yes it could.

I joined a buddy of mine at the 905 Venue in Whitby (Ajax/Oshawa... it's sorta confusing) on Sunday for the concert. Amazing venue for a youth group. It's in an old club so it's ideal for music, smoke machines and merch. Plus, that's where they do youth!

After a really good worship set and quick message, The Almost took the stage... wow, did they take the stage.

Unless I am mistaken, no tracks. I heard mistakes, which is very refreshing. However, they were few and far between.
Aaron Gillespie has one amazing voice. Going from singing to yelling to singing with ease. It makes for quite the dynamic... add in 3 guitars all doing different things.... well, you get the idea.

They covered instant classics like Monster Monster, Lonely Wheel and Hands as well as some stuff from their new (!) album Fear Inside Our Bones. After hearing the title track, I'm Down and Ghost, I'm more excited than ever for the April 9th release.

Afterward, got to grab a shirt and bumped into Aaron.

All in all, a really stellar night.

Lent

Or more accurately, fasting. I decided to do one a few weeks ago. Not just because of Lent, but because I wanted to do some heavy praying for some stuff and Lent was just around the corner... so why not do it at the same time?

You likely think this is going to be about how it brought me closer to God... and that blog is coming.... This is about how hard doing it is.

I am off of bread.

Which I thought would be hard... just not THIS hard. Never did I realize how much bread I eat! I usually have at least two or three servings a day (depending on what my meals are). Cut that out totally and my body just keeps asking "Now what?"

I'm not complaining. I really am surprised how hard it is!
The point of a fast is to do without something that you need/enjoy so that you can depend on God and put more time to prayer. Well, It's working.

So far things are really good, however bacon, eggs and muffin just isn't quite the same...

Melodie Joy Interview

I recently had the chance to chat with Miss Melodie Joy author of such fine musical pieces as Savior and Psychobabble. Here is how said visit transpired...



And just cuz I can post one of the songs....

Come On (My Soul)

I picked up Rend Collective Experiment's debut album last year and was amazed by the passion that they put into their music.
This was one of my favorite songs from the CD...




As simple as the lyrics are... they have a very powerful message... to me at least.
There are days were I show up at church and really don't fell like worshiping God.
Not that I'm holding anything against him, there's just to much on my mind.
School, work, even ministry can just get on my mind to the point were... that's all I can think of.


That's what I love about this song, It conveys (to me) putting aside all of the stuff that's on my mind or in my life
and just worshiping. It usually feels like plowing through concrete... but in the end, it works.
Do you know what I mean?

Beautiful Things

Whilst on one of my infamous CD shopping sprees at the Treasure House, I picked up Gungor's CD Beautiful Things.

I'm impressed. Great CD, buy it. I could talk all about the songs and how they have ministered to me, but I'm not. I am going to talk about the album art. That's right... the album art. I have never really seen album art convey a message before... but Gungor has changed that.

A quick glance at the cover and it looks like a bunch of flowers. Look closer, skulls, guns and drugs are making up those flowers... what's with that?

Well whether or not this was the desired result, here's what it means to me.

We [humans] are sinful, fallen beings. Wars, drug addictions, porn, that is what we default too. Despite this fact God still loves us, takes us and makes these beautiful pictures out of us, we are still sinful, fallen beings, but something more. We become Beautiful Things in Gods eyes, mosaics if you will.

That's impacted me.

This song sums it up...