Friday, February 27, 2015

The Giver

Thanks for spending the last few days in class watching The Giver with me.  What a powerful Dystopian film.  I have always enjoyed the book, but as this was my first time watching the film, it took my enjoyment to a new level.

What struck me the most was the line near the end when the Head Elder says, "When humans are given choice, they will always choose wrong."  The giver responds to this by saying that "We need to teach them to choose better."

That is why I teach.  I teach because want to try and help you to choose better.  Our theme this year is "Love Does."  Bob Goff gives us so many examples from his life where he takes the opportunity that God gives him to make a choice that is actively doing His love.

It is so easy to make selfish choices.  It is so easy to exclude.  It is so easy to hate.  It is so easy to be passive.  The devil works very hard at being the great deceiver and has perfected his craft.  If we don't choose better maybe we do need the "sameness" of Jonas' community.

I want to choose LOVE!  In doing so I need to choose the hard path of following Jesus.  He gave us the example of His life to follow.  I readily choose that path.  I want to feel, dance, sing, all of Him.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Showdown

I am a Ted Dekker fan...Sorry if I am boring you with updates from his books, but I am in a phase where he is all I want to read.

I just finished Showdown, a beautiful story about 37 boys who grow up in a monastery, shielded from the evil of the outside world.  Evil, however, is powerful and makes its way inside the monastery.  It is only through great sacrifice that good comes out of the evil.

Ted, has an amazing way of telling story, but also telling the truth of the gospel.  I love that.  I love truth.  Currently I am reading Sinner, another book by Dekker that builds off Showdown.

Friends, this is the first time in my life I can honestly say that I have been so INTO one author.  I feel like I am really getting to know him through his books.  Let yourself go into a good author sometime - it is a really cool feeling.

Love you and keep reading!!