Marley & Me

**Spoiler Alert: You'll probably be able to figure out the end of this movie after reading this blog.

I have a boy-and-his-dog complex. As a child, I cried at the end of Where the Red Fern Grows. I also cried at the end of Old Yeller. I suppose I don't have to tell you where this is going.

A few days after Christmas, my family and I went to see Marley & Me, a film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. While the movie has been met with mixed critical reviews, I enjoyed the film, in large part because of my attachment to canines.

The movie begins with a just-married John Grogan (Wilson) and his wife Jennifer (Aniston) as they begin their lives in South Florida working for the Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post newspapers. Both desire to start a family but their employment makes this a difficult proposition, so John, on the advice of his bachelor friend Sebastian, surprises Jennifer with a labrador puppy to preoccupy and redirect her desire for children. All the results of a rambunctious puppy coupled with a lack of training ensue.

I enjoyed the film for several reasons. First, it was nice to see familiar surroundings, as I grew up in the same area as the Grogans live in the first 2/3rds of the movie. Additionally, both Kristen and I resonated with the film because we could identify with the circumstances of the characters. After all, we are young, married, and currently have a puppy as our only child.

The film is as much about John's reluctant trajectory into adulthood as it is about a misbehaving furball, but that didn't bother me since the film is Marley & Me, not My Dog Marley. I felt that the recounting of the Grogan marriage was an honest and fair portrayal of what it is like to travel through various life stages. My brother Matthew didn't feel that Aniston and Owen had much on-screen chemistry, but I saw it another way: their marriage had romantice and passion, but it was also filled with long days and tiresome responsiblities. I appreciated that their marriage was portrayed as difficult and joyful, and their arguments at several points reminded me of some of my less-than perfect moments.

I won't go into detail, but the ending of the film was both expected and difficult, though it didn't fall victim to the new puppy cliche of many life-of-a-dog films. I'll just say that I felt the same way about this ending as I did about the endings of Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. While the movie isn't Oscar material and certainly has several silly points, it's a good film with a rich and meaningful ending, and I would recommend it. Just bring the tissues.

Christmas Reviews

Now that Christmas has passed and we're all looking at the first few days of 2009, I thought I would share some reviews and thoughts of several of my Christmas gifts.

Craftsman Wrenches

I asked for these wrenches specifically and was thrilled to receive them. They are a 12 piece Metric combination set with an open end and a closed, 6 point end. The 6 point end makes them less likely to strip stubborn bolts and fits snugly around bold heads. The 7-18mm spread includes pretty much all the sizes I will need, and the best thing about Craftsman hand tools is their lifetime warranty. If I happen to be under my car at 50 years from now, pounding on one of these wrenches to loosen a bolt and the wrench breaks, I can drive to Sears and present them with it and it will be immediately replaced, free of charge. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Tootsie

Dustin Hoffman stars in this film, the original cross-dressing comedy. While most people my age remember Robin William's amusing antics as Mrs. Doubtfire, he has nothing on Dustin Hoffman's hilarious portrayal of Michael Dorsey, an out-of-work actor that finds success only as his female alter-ego, Dorothy Michaels. Directed by the brilliant Sydney Pollack, this film is a laugh-out-loud comedy that crafts humor from irony and circumstance rather than going for the cheap laugh. Additionally, it has a unique tone to the subject of cross-dressing due to its age, and I feel is all the better for it.

Swingline Stapler

If you've seen the classic movie Office Space, then you have seen this stapler. Apparently, I'm only supposed to use "Swingline High Performance Staples" in it. Sortof like how Ferraris require Premium gasoline. My old stapler was a piece of junk, so this is definitely an upgrade. Milton would be proud.

Piper Books
I asked for John Piper's Desiring God for Christmas. I have never read any of Piper's books save for the very short Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, so I felt as though I should at least read the book that so many believers rave about. My in-laws responded to my request by purchasing not only Desiring God, but also Pleasures of God (which several of my friends have told me is actually their favorite Piper book) and Future Grace. While I have not started any of these books yet, I am looking forward to digging into the books that have shaped the minds of so many pastors, professors and friends that I respect.

Old Navy Sweater

This was a very thoughtful gift from my wife Kristen. She has excellent taste and I have decided to pretty much let her pick out my clothes from now on. I always look good in the things she buys for me. The sweater is warm and initially I thought it might be a little itchy, but it is on the contrary quite soft and comfy.

Sports Night
I've mentioned this show on my blog before, but it's worth noting again that this was certainly one of if not the best show ever to grace network television. Unappreciated in its own time and consigned to a mediocre dvd release with no special features and a poor quality digital transfer, this re-release of the show does Sports Night right. There are commentaries with the very talented director/producers Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme, as well as a number of other bonus features. If you haven't seen Sports Night, then you haven't seen Shakespeare as it was meant to be played.

The Ministry of Fear

Graham Green is one of my all-time favorite writers, and as I have read nearly the entirety of his popular collection, I have been attempting to branch out to some of his lesser-known works. The Ministry of Fear was not Greene's most acclaimed novel, though he always considered it his favorite, a fact that drew me to it. I have only just begun to read this novel, but all signs point to it being yet another wonderful example of Greene's talent as a writer.

Jaws

This is one of the all time classics of the silver screen, containing such famous quotes as "You're gonna need a bigger boat" and "Smile you sonofa..." While the tale of this rogue shark may be a little short on scientific fact (though Richard Dreyfuss' character does call the shark "a carcaradon carcharias") it is filled with terror and the excitement of an extended battle with the apex predator of the ocean. Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider all shine in their respective roles. The irony of this gift for me is that it came from my sister-in-law Tiffany, who is very wary of sharks. Also, I would recommend watching this trailer, melding the smashing success of Jaws with the mediocre film Must Love Dogs.

Happy Turkey Day! (Belated)

As the serious chill of winter is upon us, one of the colder winters on record (don't worry proponents of global warming, those pulling the strings on the theory have already rushed to declare that this year will be cooler, an anomaly in the cataclysmic melting of everything) I thought I would belatedly share some pictures from our Thanksgiving vacation with Kristen's family.

Growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, I had watched the sun rise on the beach many times, but sunsets over the beach were much rarer for me, so all the more reason for me to enjoy sights like this.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time down there...despite the fact that I was studying heavily for my Greek final, it was great to relax and not have very much to do.

Sadly, not all of Kristen's sisters were able to join us for Thanksgiving, but we had a great time with Tiffany...she's the other set of legs in this picture (the first set being my wife's).

I am blessed to have a great relationship with my in-laws, and while we were down I was able to sit down over coffee with Larry, my father-in-law, to talk ministry, theology and everything else. I always enjoy our time together, and his wisdom from years in the ministry gives me perspective that I often lack with my passionate but untested ideas.

Throughout the trip our biggest constant was the ocean...we visited three times in the five days we were there, and several nights headed over to the clubhouse to take a dip in the pool and hot tub after dark. This, combined with an excellent Thanksgiving dinner, made the whole trip very peaceful.

As for Kristen and I, it was probably the most quality time that we had spent together since the semester started, and it was very good for us. Here are a few pictures of me and my lovely wife to close out this post.

Oh Where Is My Mailbox?

It's the normal things, the everyday things that when they suddenly aren't there, strike at the heart of our equilibrium. Such was the case for me last Monday, when I walked out of our apartment and across the parking lot to mail a bill. Our apartment complex has a collection box right next to our mailroom, very convenient for the 400+ residents of our complex, since the post office doesn't pick up mail from our boxes.

After turning in circles several times, searching for my familiar blue friend, I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Leasing Agents in the office didn't have any idea, though they shared my concern. Reluctantly, I handed over my electric bill to the office staff to put in their outgoing mail and walked back to my apartment.

The Postal Service has struck again. Of the 900 or so mailboxes in the Louisville area, 300 were collected this last week in a cost cutting measure designed to inconvenience thousands. Along with the rising price of stamps, I can only imagine that the complete demise of the blue mail box is on the horizon. Sure, the advent of email has made the sending of letters much more rare, but the mail is an important mode for transmitting information and conducting business.

I suppose from now on I will have to drive to a mailbox or place my outgoing mail in the hands of our Leasing Office. It's bad enought that they refuse to pick up mail from our P.O. Box style mailroom, but now I can't mail a letter from home short of asking someone else to mail it for me, something I'm not very comfortable with. It's too bad UPS or FedEx doesn't collect mail. Dear Postal Service: you have failed us once again.

The Cost of Freedom

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

These words, spoken by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt about an event that occurred 67 years ago today, still ring a familiar tone in our collective history. It was on that day that the United States of America entered World War II. But with the number of soliders, sailors and airmen that served in this conflict dwindling, we must not forget the lessons learned and the sacrifices made, lest their deaths be in vain.

More than 2,400 were killed and over half that many wounded on that fateful day, but the losses were nothing compared to what was to come. By the end of World War II, millions had bled and died across the globe so that freedom could prevail.

The world seemed dark and hopeless on that morning 67 years ago, but through sacrifice and determination, hope sprang anew. Remember today the sacrifices that a generation made so that we could be free. May we be always respectful and never take for granted a gift as precious as this.

Pictures from top to bottom: The USS West Virginia is hit by a torpedo in one of the opening explosions of the attack, USS Shaw exploding after her magazine was penetrated by a Japanese bomb, the remains of the great battleship USS Arizona and the USS Arizona memorial as it stands today.

If I Stand...

So, do you ever notice threads reappearing throughout your life? Sometimes it's reassuring, like coming home and sitting around the table with your family. Other times your weaknesses and fears rise up again despite being put down a thousand times before, and you get that awful dread in the pit of your stomach all over again.

On Thursday night, I went to the Behold the Lamb Christmas concert with Kristen, my brother Andrew, and four of our closest friends. I am continually overwhelmed by the talent and and genuine passion that the musicians on stage exhibit. I will quickly mention some of them and encourage you to purchase some of their music. They're all incredibly talented. Andrew Peterson is the creative genius behind the Behold the Lamb of God album (here is a short documentary about the album), Ben Shive plays piano, accordian, hammer duclimer and other miscellaneous, Andy Gullahorn, his very talented wife Jill Phillips and Andy Osenga rounded out the group on stage. Often they are joined by Derek Webb.

On the way home, my good friend Stephen Farrior asked George and I if we share his sentiment about the experience. He said, "Listening to them talk about Christ, community and loving others, think to myself- I used to talk like that. Why don't I anymore?" I share this sobering realization, and it's connected to someone that continues to reappear throughout my life.

When I was in High School our Dean of Men's name was Mike Proko (it's still weird to use his first name, in high school he was Mr. Proko). He was more of an example of Christ to us than any of us realized. His fair discipline was always tempered with the grace and love of Christ, and he made sure you knew that you were loved, by him and by Christ. He loved the music of Rich Mullins deeply, and though I didn't realize it yet, so much about him was shaped by it.

The summer of 2003 was a pivotal summer for me as I began to feel the Lord's call for the first time toward full-time ministry. The changing of my major, the first date with the woman I now am privileged to call my wife and plans for seminary were all to follow. In the midst of all of this, I was reading one of my top five favorite books, the biography of Rich Mullins.

Last semester I traveled down to the Abby at Gethsemani for a short retreat as an assignment for one of my classes. While there I walked the halls and campus of the monastery there and followed a path through the forest to a statue of Christ kneeling in the garden of Gethesemani. The experience was breathtakingly beautiful, moving me to tears as I stood at the image of my Savior kneeling in the garden, praying, "Not my will but thy will be done." Rich Mullins was a regular at this monastery, taking several retreats here over the years.

One of the great things about the concert was the ability to stand around and talk with the artists after the performance. Rich Mullins name came up in two of the three conversations I had, and Andrew Peterson makes mention of the Rich Mullins song "If I Stand" in the track "The Good Confession (I Believe)." It is the song that, as he says, "led him home."

There's something about the way that Rich Mullins saw the world that just doesn't click with me, but I want it. The way he loved, his understanding of God and the impact of Christ's death and resurrection were all profound in ways you don't gain from reading about them. I read about his life and struggle to think how I could devote myself in the ways that he did, allowing himself to be Christ to others. He wasn't perfect, but that was the beauty of it, and should be the beauty of our lives in Christ. This intimacy with the Creator and the truth of his Scriptures is hard to describe, but I know it when I see it and I know that I don't have it. But I want it.

In Celebration of the Conclusion of Exams

I try to stay away from too many car-related posts, but this video floors me every time I watch it. Trust me, you might roll your eyes at motorsports in general, but you should watch this video, it's flat-out amazing. If I could, I would do this...