KICKASS MOVIE QUOTES

Holy shish kabobs! I haven't posted here in quite a while. Shame on...someone.

I was having a chat with someone today about memorable movie quotes. Sometimes, while catching a flick, I find myself struck in the face by a line that just jumps out at and resonates with me. I thought I'd take a few moments to populate this space with some of my favourites from my movie-going experiences over the years. Here they are in no particular order:

MOTION AIN'T ALWAYS PROGRESS

Such is the nature of the universe that it is governed by certain laws. These laws do not require us to like them or agree with them, but we would do well to take heed of them. A true law can never really be broken. It can perhaps be counter-acted or resisted with a certain amount of pressure or force, but in the end, the law always wins. Why? Because the law expends no energy existing as it is. It can rest in that state infinitely. Any effort to resist it however, is eventually doomed to exhaustion, and to the subsequent consequences of standing in opposition to that law.

As it is with the universe, so it is with the human condition. We, too, are governed by laws. One such law, as I have heard it referred to, is the law of work. Simply put, the law of work states that nothing starved of attention and effort ever improves on its own. Never. Things that are left to neglect, are ultimately left to ruin or to loss. That's the problem with stagnation - things don't actually stop. They rot.

GAME ON!

So, with today being my birthday, it's got me feeling a bit contemplative. You know, the kind of thoughts that deal with dreams and potential, purpose and destiny. I've been sensing a gentle nudge over the last few weeks - a reminder that there's something for me to do, and that it will require some dedication of me to do it. It's a sobering thought that I will never be the person I have the potential to be unless I commit passion and persistence to the endeavours that I believe matter to me.

FIRE AND FAITH (PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENT)

UPDATE (July 17th): This event has been postponed due to an arm injury I've managed to secure. Details of a new date will follow in due course.

I'm hosting an multi-media event/talk, including live music, dealing with the beauty, value, and tenacity of hope in the face of all life's struggles.

Please note: While the theme of this group is motivated by a belief in Jesus Christ, you are welcome to join no matter what your personal convictions might be. Well, as long as they're not aggressively anti-Christ (skinning poor cats, chatting up demons, casting dodgy spells, etc.)  :) We may not always agree (which is perfectly fine) but you have my word that you will be met with respect, never judgment.

LIVE YOUR DREAM

There's lots of talk flying around about pursuing one's dream(s). You see it on posters. Read it on bumper stickers. Hear it in movies. But what is this business of pursuing one's dreams really all about anyway? How do we bring it from the realm of the ethereal and the abstract into the tangible world of the real and the achievable? Well, let's take a look at a few of the signposts along the road of life that will help give you an indication of what you were called or meant to do with your life, or at least, what you can engage in to the betterment of yourself and others.

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

How does one measure success in life? What does it look like? What are its trademarks? How much of our lives have been needlessly squandered in pursuit of a definition of it that is neither worthwhile nor accurate? There is seemingly no end to the ways in which a materialistic and self-absorbed culture would seek to impose its interpretation of success upon us. Suffocating notions of it are so pervasive in our everyday experience that few people actually stop for a moment to question the trajectory of their own life in practically mindless allegiance to them. We are all guilty of this to some degree or another. A sweeping statement perhaps, but one that is true nonetheless in light of human temperament that is self-centered and self-serving by nature outside of the redemptive influence of God.

YOUR HEART IS FREE!

(Taken from an article I wrote some time back for CrossRhythms.co.uk. The topic has been on my mind again of late, so here you go. I hope you enjoy it.)

I've seen it said that regret for things done can be tempered by time, but regret for things not done is inconsolable. These words have stuck with me since the moment I read them. They have echoed a sentiment that I have long clung to. Better it is to take risks in life in pursuit of a wild adventure, even at the expense of bruising your head, than to wrestle with the bitterness of regret over chances never taken and paths never followed.

CHASING SUCCESS: WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING?

“DON’T EVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING…NOT EVEN ME.” (The Pursuit of Happiness)

Success. Everyone wants it. But what is it? The brand new flat-screen? The looks of envy or admiration you receive when you arrive in your new Mercedes? Being able to introduce yourself and having your name accompanied by a mouthful of titles or letters?

NARROW IS THE ROAD...

Lately I've been feeling the squeeze. Now, there are of course pleasant forms of this phenomenon, but the one I refer to is less alluring. I recall the words of Jesus saying that the road to life is narrow, and that the way that leads to it is straight. Preparation to effectively navigate this kind of path involves a few things. It means I have to travel light...letting go of any unnecessary baggage that might hook on the surrounding clutter or shrubbery, and cause me to lose my pace or my footing. It means I have to be watchful of bandits and thieves who have an easy shot at assailing me. I need to remain ever mindful of the destination I'm pursuing, and of the path I'm on being the only sure way I have of reaching it. I need to resist the attraction of more spacious roads lined with every imaginable entertainment, company and distraction. The forces that seek to knock me of course are varied. Sometimes they arrive in the form of seduction with promises of satisfaction and pleasure. Other times they appear in the form of heartache, trial and tragedy that test my faith and commitment just the same. They all appeal to vanity, and they all lead to vice. Whether or not my symptoms are lust, greed, covetousness, bitterness, cynicism, doubt, rebellion...it matters little. The end result is identical. A life off course. A destiny missed. A purpose forfeit.

I find it so hard so often to do what I know to be right. I feel overwhelmed by my perceptions of what the Christian life requires of me. As if I've been given a task that I was not sufficiently equipped to complete. I feel dwarfed by the temptations and distractions of life...unable or unwilling to set my face like flint toward the face of Christ. I fatten myself with sin and compromise, doubt and stubbornness, and find the yoke I carry become exceedingly heavy as opposed to light as He promised. The road to life seems impossible to squeeze through, let alone to travel at all. I can only echo the words of the apostle Paul: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" In the end...it was, is and always will be God's grace. Yesterday, today and evermore...by the sustaining strength of His Spirit. I feel again the call to life. The call to nobility and integrity. The whisper of heaven defiantly persistent in the face of life's pressures...beckoning me on an adventure to pursue a Savior and Lord who requires and desires all I have and am, and who promises and offers all He has and is. A worthless, futile exchange? I think not. Oh by God's amazing grace...I think not!

JUST DO IT!

Isn't this what striving to do something significant or meaningful often feels like? We feel dwarfed by the immensity of the task even before we begin. We wallow in self-defeatism and procrastination while precious opportunities for growth and development slip through our fingers. There is a time for relaxation and leisure no doubt, but embracing the practice of habitually resting before we are tired is nothing short of laziness. Even times of leisure not intentionally and thoughtfully engaged in can degrade into a mere "killing of time"...a nice way of defining what really amounts to the robbing of life.

This is a state which we should resist...and this resistance is especially hard when the fight is new and the soldier is untested by the rigors of battle. Sometimes the most difficult part of the journey toward excellence and purpose is the psychological barrier we face before a single ounce of energy is spent on the activity or craft itself. That moment when the urge to postpone just once more is so attractive. This is the problem of inertia...a resistance to a change of course or action. Don't be deceived. Rewards aplenty await us on the other side of work and diligence. (Proverbs 14:23)

What is God calling you to do...both this moment and with your future? Open that Bible? Write that card of encouragement? Learn that instrument? Read that book? Make that call? Take that run? Just do it!

CONNECTING...

Happy New Year everybody! OK...so traditionally, I'm not into the whole new year's resolution thing. However, I do sense a need in my life to inject focus, intent, effort, discipline, passion and stewardship into a number of areas that for so long have been neglected and ignored. Procrastination and laziness aren't exactly the mothers of a sense of self worth, achievement and purpose. I also sense, as I have for some time now, that genuine sustained progress in any of these areas will be more of a testament to the grace of God at work in my life than my own diligence and self-discipline. So, perhaps the most important thing I can do is commit to aligning my heart with God's will for me, and draw close to His heart for me as best I can...to allow Him (as incredible a concept as that is) to infuse into the gifts He's committed to me, His energy...His creativity...His self-control. Oh...that I may see the image of who He's created me to be increasingly revealed as the Master sculptor ever gently, yet persistently, chips from the rough block of Grant all the selfish and destructive things that cloak my true identity. That I may truly find myself in the mystery of losing myself in Him. By His grace...songwriting, writing, musicianship, health, godly stewardship, teaching, self-control...here I come!

Dear Lord...for the glory of your Name and your Will, grant me the wits to discern it...the grace to accept it...and the strength to pursue it. I'm in dire need of connecting with You. You are, and always will be...my Way.

"WHAT IF?"

Someone very close to me on the verge of death once told me that life is to be lived in such a way that when we arrive at the end of our journey, we have as little unanswered "What if?" questions as possible. It reminds me of a quote I once read. "Regret for things done can be tempered by time. It is regret for things not done that is inconsolable." While I don't believe this statement to be universally true, it does highlight a very relevant fact: There is far more lingering and painful regret attributed to things undone, than to things that should never have been done. This is a generalization of course, and there are undoubtedly many situations where the opposite is true. However, when I do something regrettable...there are lessons to be learned and there is wisdom to be gained if I embrace the humility to welcome them. Alternatively, for the things that I should have done and desired to do and have forever lost the opportunity to pursue...that kind of remorse can linger for a lifetime.

I'd much rather live my life in such a way that my scars and bruises are indications of my growth, as opposed to never having risked or ventured very much at all. A full life is about experiencing as many memorable moments as possible...for good or bad. I'd much rather look back on my days from the balcony of old age with an abundance of crests and troughs to reflect upon. This to me, is abundant life. Not safety. Not predictability. Rather...variety and extremity and all increments in between. Heart-wrenching valleys and breathtaking summits. But God willing, never the grey, apathetic twilight of inaction and neutrality that knows neither defeat nor victory. I refuse to believe and accept that this is the kind of meager existence I entered into this world for...irrelevance. No! I resist the seduction to retire to the grave entirely without incident. I will delight in the fight. I will safeguard my light, and NOT fade quietly into the night.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

It's March 1st, 2007. It really is sobering to think about how fast time flies by. There's a subtlety to it that lulls me into a false sense of confidence with regards to how much time I think I have left to accomplish what I need to accomplish. As one moment flows into another, or even as I'm contemplating some future event or situation, it can easily appear as if the journey I'm on takes place at a snail's pace. I have all the time in the world. No need for all this rushing about and fretting over things undone. Yet somehow, when at any present moment I evaluate where I am, and the time it took to get here, it's apparent to me that the time has escaped me far faster than it seemed to pass in reaching this point. I've observed it time and time again. Christmas 2007 seems a significant ways off, and undoubtedly when it finally arrives I'll find myself wondering: "Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday when it was Christmas a year ago.".

This reminds me of how precious the gift of life is...and how fragile. It challenges me to grasp the fact that the time to pursue my dreams is now! The time to seize my God-given destiny and become the man I am meant to be, is now! The time to live with purpose, savor each moment and take joy in the journey, is now! Diligence, stewardship, industriousness...these virtues demand my attention now. There are gifts and talents that I've been entrusted with that will never see the light of day unless I'm faithful and determined in drawing them out of me...now. Proverbs 6:9-11, Proverbs 14:23. Tomorrow...that is the realm of dreamers and sluggards. It is the language of loss and regret. It is only in embracing and fulfilling my responsibilities today that I find myself steadily reaping a significant purpose...one day at a time.