The Scariest Thing in the World

I wanted to prelude this with something about how perfect love casts out fear, and we who love the Lord have no need to be afraid of anything. Fear is a form of self-preservation and Christians simply have no need to preserve themselves. God will do it for us, or He won’t and we’ll go Home. No biggie.

 However, I am interested in fear in regards to film making. Recently viewed movies like I am Legend and old favorites like The Village have me wondering. What is it that people are scared of when they watch this stuff?

Incidentally, we lay aside slasher movies as well as monster movies. I am speaking of the psychologically scary movie or ‘thriller’.

And I seriously can’t figure out what it is about them that frightens people. How do our nerves get to wrought up that we are physically tired after sitting through a two hour movie?!

My idea is that it’s the vague wrong-ness about whatever is going on. The Village looks normal from the outside, but why are these people so frightened? And why do red flowers scare even the audience? How did we get so attached to the dog in I am Legend that Will Smith’s journey into the ‘hive’ to rescue her has us numb?

Why is wrong-ness more frightening than things jumping out around corners, the promise of death and really evil people all put together?

What are you doing?

Today?

With your life?

In case of emergency?

I figure my readers need their brains poked on a frequent basis to ensure their continued mental growth and expansion. I offer the above questions in hopes of aiding in the cerebral increase of those who visit my little corner of the universe.

I like to, as I sit in the box office staring out into the lobby, ponder a wide range of topics. I am vehemently opposed to ‘just sitting’ or ‘busy work’. I sleep a lot and if I don’t use my waking hours to their full potential I will turn into an under-sized Jabba the Hut. And let me tell you, no-one wants that.

TV is GOOD for you

Especially when the writers are on strike.

I worked for nine hours yesterday doing data entry on a computer. This had two effects. One, I got a heap of work done for our marketing department and two, my brain was reduced to mush.

My answer to a mushy brain is to get pillows, my down comforter, all my sketchbooks and the remote and collapse on the couch. I did so and turned on the TV only to end up watching one of the Christian channels.

Life is just a…

…bowl of cherries.

…day at the beach.

….crapshoot.

I will never stop marveling at the tendency of human beings to attempt to encapsulate the human experience into one sentence. It’s ridiculous! We cannot even explain atoms (one of the smallest particles in the universe) in one sentence. How, then, can we grab a handful of words and expect them to sum up everything we are/do/say/feel/think/percieve.

I work hard for da money…

I got my first paycheck yesterday and have spent my morning “doing my accounts”. After spending most of my life savings in New Zealand and after an intense study into the biblical principals of stewardship, I had some math to do.

Luckily, I like math.

Part of the biblical model of wealth-management is that part of your money goes to ‘foreigners’. The Jewish idea of a foreigner was someone who was not under the Abrahamic covenant. To us New Testament believers, it means (guess what) people not under the new covenant. Translation- non believers. This is something that is important for believers to notice.

But better even than sending your money to them, you should give them your time. Because when the Bible talks about taking care of the foreigners it means giving of your own resources to sustain and build them up. Time is a resource just as much as money is. That means volunteering at charities that have no religious affiliation. I’ve been looking at different ones and am enjoying myself immensely.

So yes, that is what I am doing with my day. Math and charity-browsing. Good times.

Sittin’ Waitin’ Wishin’

I am sitting in the back hallway at work, smelling the unmistakable smell of actors, cleaning agents and hot gels. (The bits you put over lights to make the light coloured). I’ve been here since eleven this morning and it is now 8.30. I did get time off for dinner, but no nap and no chance to not think.

It’s hard to have your brain going for so long in one day.

On the whole it was a pretty good workday, though. I spent three hours entering data into a spreadsheet, then answered phones and talked to people. Plus it was payday, which always helps.

So, yeah. That’s your at-work update. If I feel inspired I’ll post more later today, otherwise expect something tomorrow.

Good night.

Body-Surfing for Birds

As I was headed out on my run today I was struck by the charging freight train-noises of the wind in the trees. I literally had to stop and look around about four times, thinking that a car was about to run me down.

Note- I think that when one is exercising outdoors on a stormy day, the workout is immediatly more strenuous. Extra points for storms!

I was coming around the corner by one of the Trossachs retention ponds and I didn’t see any of the usual ducks. This was disconcerting as not even the wildest weather is enough to scare my feathered friends away. I kept going the entire length of the pond before I saw them. They were at the far end, all bunched together just floating.

A huge gust of wind ripped by and the entire pack of them were pushed along the pond by a mini swell. They’d all faced away from the wind and were riding the wave. You could almost see the little thought bubbles above their heads going “Whheeeeeeeee!”

I laughed.

It was a good morning altogether, for which I am very grateful since I have an 11 hour work day today. Whoot!

Working Out and Working In

My life as of yesterday has been reduced to two things, working out and just plain working.

After the Great Room Purge of ’07 I realized that I have a lot of really cute clothes. The only problem is that they only fit my size 6 body, which now is hidden inside my size 8/10 body.

Some people work out to feel good about themselves, some do it for the adrenaline rush. I do it so I can wear my clothes!

What this all translates to is that I get up every morning and run for 20-45 minutes, then go to work. It’s a good schedule and I like it. If I could figure out a way to run twice a day I’d do it. However, it gets dark at about 4:30 now and some nights I don’t get home until 10:30. Running that late is impractical.

Work is fun. I really look forward to getting up and going there every day. How cool is it that God made people who actually enjoy working?!

That said, it’s time for me to hit the pavement.

“I Am [My Own] Legend”

Yesterday, The ever-lovely Mrs. Smith, the ever-lovely Mr. Smith and myself attended the 11:15 showing of I Am Legend. I had little to no idea what it was about going into it. I’d heard something about cancer and I believe the term “Vampire/Zombie movie” was used once or twice. Never being one to pass up a good zombie movie or a good vampire movie or, for that matter, any Will Smith movie, I was stoked for this one.

–Yes, you read it right. I love Jesus and zombie/vampire flicks. It happens. Also, spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen it yet don’t read this.—