What I Did On My Christmas Vacation

"... In the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit ..."  ...From 1 Timothy 3


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Don't you just love these days after Christmas? I do. All the normal 364 of them. heh.

Tom and I drove, on Christmas Day, to our local theater where we watched Unbroken and came away feeling infused with courage and inspiration. And while closing my eyes during the dreadfully cruel parts, I considered today's world and how, ok, maybe we're not being physically attacked(yet), but emotionally and spiritually? Daily we face 'attacks' such as brain-shocking news stories of enormous unrest and brutality. And even arrogant, critical, where-did-that-come-from? remarks can come from friends, relatives, who morph into mean strangers as if from Mars, leaving our surprised hearts, bleeding.

These Last Days, unfortunately, will bring more of all that stuff and only those closest to God will be left standing as Louis Zamperini was in the film. Only folks who understand the whole "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities" thing will save their strength for fighting what really matters, not wasting it upon what/who did not.

Yeah, these were my thoughts inside that dark theater beside Tom with my black wool coat over me like a warm blanket. Some people say watching anything, movies or tv shows, is a waste of time, but you won't read that here. Personally, I think God likes to still my body, my mind, so He can speak to me by way of visual images upon a screen.

He created different learning types and it's sad when visual, audio and experiential learners turn all 'your way is lame' toward each other. Such a creative God watches to see whether we'll seek to understand, become stronger together even though we differ or if we'll fear the gifts, the strengths, which we, ourselves, do not have.

And in this upcoming new year may we, more than ever, work together, forgive and behold the power of peace. God, as a father, desires that each of His kids get along and discover the strength, the miracles of unity in the Spirit.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"   ...Psalm 133:1

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“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken."   ...Luke 21:25,26

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."   ... Ephesians 6:12

"Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."   ... Ecclesiastes 4:12




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And it's weird, but this morning as I read this, I thought how odd! These were the thoughts I had during the movie Tom and I watched the following day (yes, at the theater again)-- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. 

My, my, my... I do love confirmation.


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