Things I Enjoyed This Week...

1. David Letterman's interview with Joaquin Phoenix last night (which originally aired on 2/11). Wow. What happened there? Did anyone else watch this? It's worth a google.

2. Zack, Dom, and Josh P. performing "Business Time" at Crave. Our ministry never had a prouder moment.

3. Veronica Mars season 1. (Thank you, Allison.)

4. Another communication card from a Craver requesting that we play Cannons by Phil Wickham. We get one every week. Black felt pen. It's nice to have things you can count on.

5. Water. I'm trying to drink more water and less Diet Coke. So far, so good. H2Oh yeah...

And the Winner Is....

...not me. I only predicted seven correct winners out of eleven categories. That's, like, a D. I suck. However, I picked who should have won, so there you go. And I still have some things to say about the Oscars. Here are some of my Oscar-vations...(that's Oscars + observations...get it?):

1. Why did Milk get so much critical acclaim, and even some Oscars, while Penn's film Into the Wild got the shaft last year? I know that he is a brilliant filmmaker, and although I did not see Milk, I know it can't be better than Into the Wild. That film is one of the most visually stunning movies I have ever seen. Emile Hirsch was haunting and captivating as Chris McCandless...and...no Oscars. Are Penn's awards all because of politics?

2. I loved how 'young' the Oscars were this year. Seeing Miley in that gorgeous dress on the red carpet, Robert Pattinson and Amanda Seyfried presenting, the affable young cast of Slumdog, and Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens singing was so refreshing. They are all talented and beautiful and I loved their presence at the ceremony.

3. Could Hugh Jackman be any more charming and likable? That smile, that accent, that singing. Seriously! I must disagree with you though, Hugh....the musical is not BACK. It never went anywhere! Are people just discovering the musical? Get with it!

4. Oh, Kate...so classy and lovely. I was so happy to see her win for The Reader. Yes, I cried when she won.

5. Speaking of The Reader, was it a rule that Oscar nominees had to be the most depressing movies of all time this year? I mean, Revolutionary Road? (PS Leo totally got snubbed for his incredible performance, by the way.) The Reader? Rachel Getting Married? The Wrestler? I wanted to kill myself after watching these movies. The characters were horrible, selfish, pathetic, or heartbreaking....do you know how much I enjoyed watching Confessions of a Shopaholic last week? It was the first time in weeks I left a movie theater with a smile.

6. Michelangelo's design at the Capitoline in Rome was the influence for the design of the stage floor. Nicely done! Can you really go wrong with Michelangelo? MichelangeNO....

7. Ben Stiller made me very uncomfortable with his super awkward Joaquin Phoenix impression. Having to watch Jennifer Aniston present awards right in front of Angie and Brad also made me cringe a little for her. Awk-ward...

8. Slumdog Millionaire's cast and crew are the most beautiful people ever. I am so glad this movie was honored last night. And I am so very glad that Josh Pease made me see it at 10pm in Irvine after a five hour seminary class waaay before anyone had even heard about it. ("Wait, what's it called?" "Slumdog Millionaire. It's going to win a bunch of Oscars. Trust me." "What's it about?" "I don't know." "Okay, fine.") Trust him.

9. Mickey Rourke was totally robbed of an Oscar. He wore a picture of his recently deceased dog around his neck. How could he have been denied even a sympathy vote? But seriously, his performance was the single most memorable I have seen this Oscar season. Rourke was robbed.

10. I adored the dresses this year. Yes, I endured hours of awkward Ryan Seacrest red carpet interviews ("I can smell you!" he told Evan Rachel Wood. Really, Ryan?) but it was worth it. I don't recall a single over-the-top ensemble, weirdly themed outfit, or swan gown. For the most part, the ladies were so lovely and fun to watch...I loved Kate's and Natalie's dresses. My least favorite? Probably Tilda Swinton's weird beige gown (gown? potato sack?) while she presented.

Best Oscars in a looong time...

Oscar Predictions

I LOVE watching the Oscars! I try to at least see all of the best picture nominees every year, but I only saw three of the five this year. It doesn't matter though, because I DID see Slumdog Millionaire, and that movie is going to win best picture! Here are my predictions in the 'biggie' categories...

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (Sean Penn might edge him out, but I so want Mickey to win. I mean, his dog just died, you guys...But seriously, his performance was heartbreaking).

Best Actress: Kate Winslet. I loved The Reader and I love her.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger. Enough said.

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz has been snagging awards left and right this year for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, so I'm going to go with her even though I haven't seen her performance. (Side note: I can't wait to see Amy Adams win an Oscar. It won't be this year, but she's incredible. I also loved Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler.)

Best Director: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.

Original Screenplay: Milk. I'm taking a stab in the dark with this one. I didn't see many of the nominees.

Adapted Screenplay: Doubt should win. The play is exquisite. It won a Pulitzer.

Art Direction: The Dark Knight.

Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire.

Documentary Feature: Man on Wire. Please see this movie. It's unbelievable.

Best Animated Feature Film: Wall-E.

Alright, that's about it. Now...it's time to look at all those pretty gowns on the red carpet...

Pet Names (literally)

I am not an animal person. At all. But if I ever need to compromise my desire to be petless for my future family, I have thought of some hypothetical pet names. What do you think?

Nero
D'Artagnan
Rudolph
Maurice
Mercutio (Merc, for short)
Figment
Snatch
Tugboat
Zeus
Defoe (Foe, for short)
Ptolemy

It's Okay.

Who is the most beautiful person you know? What does it mean to be beautiful? Does physical appearance matter to you? To what degree? Does it matter to God?

I feel like when the topic of physical beauty comes around, some Christians want to pretend it is of no consequence. Yes, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Yes, appearance is not foundational to one’s identity. But…does that mean that physical beauty doesn’t matter?

I think it does. It matters to us and it matters to God. Look around you. Beauty surrounds you. Read Song of Songs…much of it is about physical beauty (“You are so beautiful, my beloved, so perfect in every part.” Song of Songs 3:7)! The problem is what we think ‘beauty’ is. The enemy has distorted how we think of beauty—he hates our beauty and he wants us to hate it in God, in us, and in others. Beauty isn’t measured by God the way we measure it…it’s not measured by highlights, taut skin or wrinkles, cellulite, beauty pageant tiaras, age spots, plastic surgeries, weight, name brands, gait, or height. We’ve got it so wrong. It flows from a spiritual beauty that comes from being a child of God. That makes us beautiful…physically beautiful. God has made EVERY female with a unique beauty that he wants her to reveal to the world in order to reveal himself to the world.

It’s important to feel beautiful, and we needn’t feel ashamed of that desire. It is devastating for a woman to not feel beautiful. The Eldridges write in the book Captivating, “This isn’t about dresses and makeup…don’t you recognize that a woman yearns to be seen, and to be thought of as captivating? We desire to possess a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are. We want beauty that can be seen; beauty that can be felt; beauty that affects others; a beauty all our own to unveil.”

God created us in his image (Genesis 1:27). God thinks we are beautiful; therefore, we are beautiful. It is blatantly clear to me that our God is a God who values Beauty—a physical beauty that flows from a beautiful heart.

What If?

I get anxiety once in a while…I worry about stuff that generally does not merit a moment’s concern. My anxiety is never super serious…nothing requiring medication or breathing into a paper lunch bag. It is usually late at night when worry weaves her tangled webs and persuades my better judgment to play the ‘what if’ game. This game, as you may or may not know, is not one that you can win if you have an imagination as fertile as mine. When you can live in your thoughts and think up a million imagined threats to ruin your safety or your plans, you, my friend, will always certainly lose.

Ever imagined that the woods behind your house were filled with violent ax-schlepping men or mentally unhinged felons who specifically prey on girls of your type? If someone’s running late to meet you, does it ever cross your mind that they might have drowned in a lake or were kidnapped by gypsies? And…how does your imagination cross back over the threshold of reality?

I’m not crazy. I just think a lot. Sometimes too much. But I know that in the end, it all works out. Thinking the worst excludes it from happening, anyway. (That’s a sound principle, right?)

I do find comfort knowing that God is in control. I don’t want to sound trite, but really…

The fear of the LORD leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger. Proverbs 19:23

When I am afraid

I will trust in You

In God, whose word I praise,

In God I trust; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

Psalm 56: 3-4

is this weird?

I love when I'm reading a book...and I'm completely captivated by the story, but then suddenly get the feeling that things might not end well. Is that weird? I just love the intrigue...I want to know what's going to happen, even if it's not going to be happy.

I am really okay with unhappy endings...

Well, in books and movies, anyway.

do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?

We are all very anxious to be understood, and it is very hard not to be. But there is one thing much more necessary--to understand other people.--George MacDonald

It is a luxury to be understood.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

It wasn't only wickedness and scheming that made people unhappy, it was confusion and misunderstanding; above all, it was the failure to grasp the simple truth that other people are as real as you.--Ian McEwan