Life Canon

Like ten polaroids in a line. No labels, no explanations. Just ten snapshots of ten paradigm shaping works, significant to you as an individual. They'll take the form of albums, stories, film and words. Just no people. No sacred texts. And no specific hierarchy.

Think about it long (or short) enough and the works will occur to you. 

I found the idea, via Brandi on The River Merchant blog.

I thought that was interesting.

So I gave it a shot.

Since it must speak for itself, here it is, as of today, in the order it occurred to me, off the top of my head.

Rent

Johnathan Larson 

Jesus Freak

dcTalk 

Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis

Lord of the Rings 

J.R.R. Tolkien / Peter Jackson

Star Wars 

George Lucas

Wild At Heart

John Eldredge

Nothing Is Sound

switchfoot

Les Miserables

Victor Hugo/Cameron Mackintosh

LOST

JJ Abrahams, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse

The Beautiful Letdown

switchfoot

Three Things

Today was the Main Street Festival in Franklin. There was nowhere to park, tons of carnie food and puppies and wee children and booths full of things that no one really needs, but are fun to look at. It was fabulous. I ate funnel cake and got a henna tattoo on my hand.

Also, I've recently noticed that my life is ruled by post-it notes. There are 13 in the vicinity of where I am, here on my bed. They are my GPS, my PDA and my address book. They are also all over my car. Every time I write down directions to a new place, I keep the post-it in the car in case I need to go there again. (I usually don't.)

When I was in about 9th grade? I think? My best friend introduced me to a movie that has seriously impacted my life. In addition to being my second favorite movie of all time, That Thing You Do is maybe the *second most quotable movie of all time. I love it. It is so incredibly happy and amazing. I've seen it about eleventybillion times and I'm horrible to watch it with because I can quote it front to back-- and usually do.

But the best part about this particular flick is the fact that somehow, through the past 10 years of my life (It's been ten years since I started high school... weird!) God has placed people IN my life in very close proximity who understand the greatness of this movie and want to quote it with me all the time. Chelsea started it (well, I suppose Brandi really started it), Jordan (and Taylor) joined in, Val picked it up after I moved to Abilene, and now? There's my roommate, Joanna.

I'm so grateful for those guys. 

Even though I'm not here with 'em. 

I've got a pig in competition over at the livestock pavilion, 

and I am gonna win that blue ribbon!

"Come on, pretty baby! Put your little hand in mine..."

*This could be heavily debated, but I'm putting it second only to The Princess Bride. Mostly because I don't feel like thinking about it any further right now.

Borrowed Words of Modern Day Psalmistry

-j. foreman

"I shook Hoss's hand! He had his gun on and everything!""

Not really.

But I did hold hands with Jon Foreman last night for like three seconds. :)

Right in the middle of switchfoot's set when he decided to mingle with the crowd during their performance of

 "Awakening". He ran out and stood on a table and then rode back up to the stage on some really tall dude's shoulders, passing by me on his way.

Their set was phenomenal. They play so well together, I just-- love them! I could have watched them for hours. They played everything amazingly and I was just utterly delighted.

(p.s. Third Day really did great too. They were great with the audience,

 lots of energy. And Mac is just-- completely charming. Not to mention he plays guitar left handed. :) I think he looks like Jesus. Maybe Jesus and Clark Kent (minus the specs) and Aragorn rolled into one person. 

(p.p.s. And Jon? His hair is almost as long as mine and it's a mess (that below is an older picture)... and I think it's fabulous.

He reminds me of shorter version of Aragorn smashed into Adam Stoner. And while you may not know either of them-- this is a good thing. :)

I Got A Ticket.

No, not a ticket to ride to the other side on the J Train.

A citation.

For running a red light that I suppose I assumed was a flashing red light.

I just-- turned left. Didn't even think about it. It was around midnight and there was really no one on the road, and I was trying to find this place where my friend/co-worker was celebrating his birthday. I didn't even realize I'd done anything wrong. Didn't see the po-po till he sirened me, and even then I pulled over so he could get past. No idea what happened.

And no, hadn't had a drop of alcohol.

So I got a ticket. It sucks, I don't want to pay it.

But-- to be honest, I'm really not all that tore up about it. For a couple of reasons.

1) I've been pulled over approximately... 8 times since I've moved here, for various things. This is my first ticket. I guess it's about time.

2) This is where it's weird... Gave the po-po my license and insurance, he took it and ran it and comes back with the ticket filled out and gives it to me to sign and I sign it. I get it, finish driving to Beethoven's (which is where I was originally headed) and scan the ticket before I get out of the car.

The address he wrote on it? Not my address. Not even my old address. Not even close.  Completely different numbers, completely different street. I'm like, okay...

I keep looking and I get to the SSN box... and it's NOT my SSN! Not even remotely close!

I have no idea what happened. 

He ran my license. He got my license number right. And my name.

And the reason for the ticket.

But the rest is wrong.

Was he trying to let me off?

I knew somebody in high school who got out of a ticket because his name was wrong on it. I think...

What do I do? I have a court date, but I have to change it because I'll be in California on the one he assigned me. I think I'm just gonna go up to the station and be like... "Umm... this isn't me."

Suggestions? Comments?

Deleted Scene

Genesis 2:21-22 
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

When I read this, I thought, "There are pieces of this scene left out..."

The verse right after this is Adam's "flesh of my flesh, bone of my bones" speech. 

But I find it hard to believe that Adam just woke up and spit that, just seconds after his super-invasive rib surgery. I think there was a little moment in between that was omitted because it was so sweet and intimate that... maybe words couldn't do it justice.

I think God brought Eve to Adam while he was still sleeping. And I'd like to think that He gave her a few moments to herself to take in the sight of him before He woke him up.

Eve takes her first breath and opens her eyes, all brand-new. Having taken a quick glance around the garden, she's still recovering from having her mind blown by the sheer perfection of it all when she turns around-- and there's her man. The one she was made for; a picture of perfection, epically handsome and sleeping like a rock. 

His mouth was probably hanging open a little. 

His hair was probably a wreck. 

And in spite of-- actually, probably because of-- those things, I bet she adored every inch of him instantly. 

I think something about that very first moment seeped into the fiber of Eve's being, into her blood, and subsequently, into the blood of every woman who has ever lived. 

And I think that whatever molecule of being it is that carries the sentiments she felt in that moment, is still active and present in every woman who has ever looked on a sleeping man and felt her heart melt a little bit. 

Power Ranger For A Day

Oh man...

Past two days, I have made all kinds of muscles ache. Isn't that interesting, when you work out muscles that you usually don't pay attention to? Like in your back or sides or whatever?

Man... I am-- conscious of every movement. Ooo!

Why have I beat my body into submission, you say? 

We're shooting a movie. For fun. I won't discuss it too much yet, don't want to ruin

 the surprise, but there's quite a bit of stunt action involved for such a low budget film. And by low budget, I mean NO budget. :) Anyway, we pulled some strings/asked some favors from complete strangers and consequently, I got to go to a kung-fu dojo and spar/practice a choreographed fight sequence for 2 hours with 3 boys who made it look like I was kicking the crap out of them. 

It. Was. Amazing. :) I loved it! Of course, they're all "getting thrown" into the floor and eating it up, practically bouncing off the ground because they're totally used to it. I, on the other hand, while learning to beat them up, sort of beat myself up too.

I bruise like a champ anyway, but after kneeing this guy in the chest about 30 times, now my knee looks like this:

And my arm looks like I just partook in a beastly 24-hour, one-

armed volleyball tournament...

(that's bruises, not a rash.)

But holy cow, it was so much fun. :) And so worth it! Wait till you see the movie. :)