Of Movies

I've already told you (but will again) that always, before Tom and I go watch any theater movie, I zip over to Plugged In for reviews written by a few select Christian reviewers. Rather than just giving their opinion (which for me, is usually useless at other sites since movies are soo subjective), they also list the exact naughty words you'll hear, what, if any, sexual situations you'll view and often a bullet-by-bullet account of violence.

Valuable stuff for people like Debra who loves sitting in dark theaters beside her husband (who tends to annoyingly narrate things, but whom Debra loves anyway).  

And if you'd rather chew ceiling tile than watch a movie at a theater, that's ok. Really. But there's no talking me out of it. It's one of my favorite things in Life.

Anyway.

I read about Tom Cruise's latest movie, Jack Reacher, at Plugged-In, noted there weren't many problematic parts (for me), then we drove the few blocks to our theater yesterday and saw it for only $6, total, due to 2 coupons(!) 

Oh my goodness. Excellent suspense film (our favorite genre) and I was tickled (delighted!) at all the Hitchcock-like scenes, pacing and camera-work. Half of it felt very 1950's to me. And it was clever. Clever.

Happy sigh.

Movies. I almost never watch Rated R ones (especially without a TV Guardian device) and I'm always disappointed when a potentially interesting film is given an R rating, ruined simply because of tons of bad language, such as Argo and Promised Land. Or an uncomfortable amount of s-e-x, such as, yes, Les Miserables (I blushed just reading those details at Plugged In). Or as with Flight, which had a good overall lesson, but used way too much sleaze, sex and language to teach it. (And which had Denzel who Tom and I both love.)

Violence I can usually handle because I can close my eyes, but if I've closed them for half of the movie, well, that's too much.

To some of you those criteria sound too strict, to others, too loose, and to still others, plain loopy. And yet? Each of us has our own personal convictions--things we can do guilt-free, without offending our conscience, without lessening who we are.  Things reminiscent of this verse:

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."   ... James 4:17

And what I love about that verse? It's the 'for him' part. 

As in, I only have to think about what's right and wrong for me. For me it would feel like sin to watch a Rated R movie at a theater, but for you? I don't need to worry about your convictions, for they are yours, between you and God, and are none of my business.

Thank-goodness.

I mean, I used to play Holy Ghost Jr. and tsk tsk everybody for everything they did that I wouldn't do. But now? Oh... years ago I crawled down from that finger-pointing, exhausting throne and now I just point my scepter at my own sin and then God and I work on making it go away.

And now I spend my days in amazing peace. Now, I'd never lose that for any pretend judgment throne. Never, ever again.


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"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."   ... Isaiah 30:21

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."   ... Proverbs 4:23

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Another suspenseful movie we enjoyed recently? Skyfall.

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Offsetting The Ugly Stuff

"...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."   ... Acts 10:38

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Oh, I remember yesterday and feel as though I relaxed on the beach! 

But did I? Nah, I simply sat for 2 hours at our dining room table beside our huge window, sunshine pouring through, warming my skin through two sweater tops while dreamy French music played behind me and Daniel lay in sunlight watching birds at the feeders. 

My posthumous copy of collected Shirley Jackson short stories (Just An Ordinary Day) arrived and I read tales which had appeared in women's magazines of the 50's and 40's, though not the scary ones since I don't do scary.

There's a chapter called One Ordinary Day With Peanuts in which a man simply went around town doing good. He introduced a young man and woman to each other, gave them money so they could miss a day of work and more money so they could go to a fair or movie or park and have fun. 

While a young mother moved out of her apartment, he babysat her young son and gave him peanuts. He walked along and handed peanuts to a dog, pigeons and a bus driver. He left a large tip after he stopped for coffee and when a homeless man stood looking inside the cafe window, he slipped him money for a meal. He gave an apartment-hunting couple a heads-up about the house he'd seen vacated that morning, then babysat two children in a park when he noted their mother had fallen asleep and gave the taxi man a horse-racing tip on the ride home.

At his apartment, he asked his wife what she'd done with her day and got replies like these:

"I went into the department store this morning and accused a young woman next to me of shoplifting and had the store detective pick her up. Sent three dogs to the pound--you know, the usual thing."

"I got into a bus and asked the driver for a transfer and when he helped someone else first I said that he was impertinent and quarreled with him. And then I said why wasn't he in the army, and I said it loud enough for everyone to hear, and I took his number and turned in a complaint. Probably got him fired."

"Fine," said Mr. Johnson. "But you do look tired. Want to change over tomorrow?"

"I would like to," she said. "I could do with a change."

Oh, I loved that story! 

It illustrated that we choose how we treat others and we can offset much bad out there with much good. We can remind others on Facebook about what's negative and going wrong--or--we can alert them to what's right. 

Led around by God, we can lighten others' loads and make this dark world suddenly glow a bit brighter for them. And us. 

Astonishing thing.

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Now, for those who believe manufacturer coupons are mostly for candy, crackers, soda and those dusty items no one ever buys--here are some of my best coupon + sales deals from this week:

Green Giant frozen vegetables: Regularly $2.19. I paid .67 cents

Fruplait 4 pk. yogurt: Regularly $3.29. I paid .50 cents.

Goya Low Sodium beans: Regularly $1.09. I paid .69 cents. (I bought 7 more.)

Birds Eye Voila; Regularly $4.99. I paid 1.99 for 1 and 2.14 for the other. (A whole meal in a bag... this old homemaker's dream!)

Oh, and not pictured--an Earthbound Farms organic salad box for .49 cents.

I also got 4 free Yoplait Simplait cups (got paid .80 cents for buying them, actually) and a free Good 'n Natural Bar.

Plus, because my store extended our time for earning gas points, Tom and I will save $1.30 off each gallon of gas when we fill the tank today. My personal record--yay! 

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This. That. And An Amazing Cat.

Another miracle happened at Hobbit Cottage. They seem to breed happily here, like rabbits bounding in all the corners.

That French music radio station I listened to out on the farm? The one which reminds me of rolling pie crust before our previous kitchen's tall window while pausing to gaze out over sunny, barren fields and trees (pretending this was Southern France) on quiet afternoons? The station which sounded only like scratchy, musical static when we moved to this new house?

That station comes in clearly now. Yes, over my 1930's replica radio, the same lovely French 1960's-retro-folk-music-mainly-but-so-much-more tunes now waft through my kitchen and all of our downstairs. Like a gorgeous soundtrack of my life, inspiring me, nudging me to complete my chores. With much Grace.

It's true. When one door closes (the loss of my favorite vintage music station), another door opens. And in this case, that door opened to something I'd forgotten was breath-taking in its beauty.


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Over the next three days, we are due for temperatures of 50 degrees and over. Wow. I remember earlier Buffalo January's when we became ecstatic because we finally had a high of 7 degrees instead of just 2.

Weather miracles. I'll take those, also. 

And may I never miss or under-appreciate any type of miracle.



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Oh my goodness! Did you watch that story about the little cat who walked 190 miles back home? Tom and I still can't fathom such a thing. God must have installed the first GPS systems inside of dogs and cats and I just can't wrap my head around how they find their way home like that!

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