In the movie Kirk Cameron, known for acting in Growing Pains and his work on Way Of The Master evangelism, plays a fireman whose marriage is falling apart.  In order to save the marriage, his father steps in and asks him to take a Love Dare.  And just because I love the movie so much, I am not going to tell you anymore.  I want you to go see it. 

If your marriage is struggling, going great, or even if you are just dating you have to go see this movie.  The movie focuses on how God should be the center of your life and your marriage.  When we set our hearts on God, we will see a love we have never seen and learn what it really means to love someone else.

If you still don't know if you should go see the movie, let me tell you this.  I hate crying.  It bothers me and I just don't like it.  But during this movie I had trouble holding back the tears.  I managed not to ball, but there was a tear or two.  So please go see this movie because I know that God can use it to change your life!

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i know everyone's journey is different, with a different lesson to learn...i heard clearly from God today that these feelings are working that praise of man/acceptance of others that has been built into the very fabric of my existence.

it is like i am standing on new legs...i don't know how to work these new legs (the foundation on God alone)...i've been so used to getting by with the old legs of the approval of my family/friends--they were cute legs (...my friends said so!) and they worked (so i thought). i can't get over how much i have based my feelings about myself on what others say/think of me...it makes me sick in some respects. i have allowed my friends & family to be my god...to rule my heart, to set my mood, to set my expectations & pace. ugh. this kind of self-awareness is not of the pretty kind.

Missler says, "Night seasons are simply Father-filtered periods of time where God teaches us by depriving us of our natural "light" (our own seeing, feeling and understanding) in order to forge "pure faith." It's time where God instructs us by "darkening" us. Thus, the term "night season" (or "dark night") is a very appropriate title. It's a time where God trains us to walk by naked faith - a faith that rests in Christ alone, not in our feelings, our sight or our experience."

the naked faith really resonates...intimacy with God...i picture myself walking through the darkness, naked--vulnerable--allowing that trust that comes with intimacy...i've been grabbing at anything that will chart my course(approval/feedback from friends), that their thoughts of me will make me sure that i will be safe. but, God is requiring me to trust Him---no one else can walk through this darkness with me, this is the true test of knowing His voice. Trusting Him, even if it doesn't work out as promised.

whoa.

i am not there yet, i don't even think i can imagine trusting God that much at this point in the game....i thought I was so abandoned---guess not. ;) there IS so much more and i can't believe it.

this time around it is about not relying on these feelings of loneliness & anger & hurt & frustration, but to lay those aside and abide. to trust that God's word sustains, actually sustains...instead of being tossed to and fro on the roller coaster that is my emotions.
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of course, this is all in process...a continual work of sanctification. this word is something God is teaching me, i can see that i don't have a good understanding of it--what it looks like, what it means, how to do it. my prayer is that God will continually teach me in His way--which is always better than mine, even when it seems like it's not.

 ^"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts".

Many of us feel just like that. ...Living in a dark place... the dark place is the place where we can't see around us. We can't see what's happening. Everything seems dark, nothing's happening. It's like we're groping our way. We can't see the larger picture, and most of all we don't see our prayers being answered. Sometimes it even seems our prayers don't go beyond the ceiling. I don't know about you, but sometimes I start praying and my voice starts dying out and I find myself asking "is somone really listening"?

Then we see a small light, it's a candle, a lantern, a lamp - it's shining - what a contrast with the darkness around us! From a far it gives us hope, a direction we can walk to, something that makes sense. It could be a passage from the Scriptures, that shines on our heart and warms us inside. Comfort, direction, at least a confirmation that we're going in the right direction.  It could be a friend on the phone praying with us and sharing a word they have felt to minister to us. It could be a prophecy in the past brought to memory, or even in the present that comes unexpectedly, that brings an encouragement in middle of the not so dark anymore.

When I ask direction either in person or on the phone, I like to make notes as the person giving direction explains the - turn right, then left, then you'll see a big yellow building on the right and then you turn right again and there'll be a big tree on the left and the address is on your right. Then as I follow the directions, I'm always wondering - "did I get it right"? "Am I going in the right direction?" Should I have turned right before the last turn or..." And then I see the yellow building, and all is well, I'm in the right direction after all!

That's what the light represents to me, the prophetic word, which to me on a personal level is the word and direction given by my spiritual authority. It has been so affirming, so comforting. It's something I can hold on to. A real candle burning in the middle of the night.

I don't know where you are now, but I do know, there is a candle burning for you - get into the word, you'll see it! Tighten the cord of your spiritual covenants - the light will shine on you! Pay attention, God wants to speak to you, and maybe it isn't some loud thunder from heaven, it's could be that still, small voice, that little candle light flickering in the dark, but it's all you need to keep going until ...

The day shines, the sun comes up in it's glory and the morning star is born in your heart. Prophecies will be fulfilled, promises will come true, your hope will become realization. The day is coming, He, who promised is faithfull to fulfill, His word will become reality, but now - hold on, keep going and thank God every day for the light, the candle reminding us - He is with us!

He must choose to go with either the Joker or with his secret Bat suit. What will he do? What?

I agree will not give away the surprise ending. But what would you do? We are all two sides of the same Möbius Strip, are we not? Joker is nice, Bat suit is nice. One has big red lips. The other has rock-hard abdominal muscles and large pectorals. Funny/Serious. Floppy/Rigid. Evil/Good. How to decide?

Do not decide! That is how.

I agree likes the Dark Night, unless you don't.

Dark soul confessions...

I can’t see the light

I can’t hear the voices

An out of body experience

The deep is pulling me

The night is closing in

A soul, totally poured out

An empty shell

No air on the outside

No breath on the inside

From the depths of darkness and despair

My heart cries, but no one hears

Slipping into the silence

I panic

I’m lost

Trying to find my way out

Time stands still

The fog envelops me

Waiting is torture

No one understands me

Things will never get better

I am always going to feel this way

I will be rejected, be criticized

I am worthless, a failure

Nobody can love me

I shouldn’t be here

I don’t fit

I am a fraud

Life isn’t fair

It may not get better for a while

But I’ve never lost my value to God

No matter how depressed I go

No matter what I’ve done

No matter how I feel

I’ve never lost my value to God

I cannot find Him

I cannot see Him

I cannot feel Him

Still somehow

He waits, He knows

He walks, He is with me

 I will come to recognize His presence again…

-plf-

Ich persönlich sage: Actionfilme brauche ich nicht, da gucke ich lieber zu Weihnachten Die Hard. Aber Dark Knight lieferte einige schöne Denkanstöße in einem pervertierten (und abgespeckten) Batman-Universum: Gilt gegenüber zivilen Feinden ein Feindstrafrecht; wie weit darf die Verfolgung und die Überwachung gehen; darf ein Individuum diese Grenzen überschreiten, wenn es im Einklang mit gesellschaftlichen Werten handelt? Ein bisschen ist der Hightech-Kampf Batmans gegen seine psychopathischen, aber technisch eher schlecht ausgerüsteten Gegner sichtlich der Situation asymmetrischer Kriege angeglichen. Darüberhinaus kämpfen alle Seiten auf ihre Art gegen den Nihilismus: Batman, Dent, Wayne, Gordon, Joker (der diesmal kein einfacher Bandengangster, sondern die personifizierte Irrationalität ist), die kleine Rachel (deren Tod man schon ahnt, weil sie nicht zum fortsetzungstauglichen Batman-Repertoire gehört), Lucius (der neue "Q" von Batman, der den alten, schwarzen Weisen spielt), schließlich Alfred (der sich das permanente Du von "Master Wayne" gefallen lassen muss: Weder Wayne noch Batman sind länger Gentlemen).

Das zentrale Thema dieses Kampfes ist aber die Gerechtigkeit; und da ist der dunkle Rächer, der Ritter der Nacht, ganz in seinem Element. Die Gerechtigkeit, die der wackere Kämpfer des Tages Harvey Dent vor seinem Fall in die Schattend er Nacht nie leisten konnte, die liefert Batman. Der Film thematisiert leider nicht ausführlich genug das zentrale Thema: An welchen Werten kann sich Batman orientieren? An seinem common sense? An dem der wankelmütigen (und selbst irrationalen!) Massen? Am weisen Rat aristokratischer Freunde, Gönner und Butler? Wer entscheidet, in welcher Rolle man den Fledermausmann gerade braucht? Eine Frage die sich nicht stellt, denn Batman gibt es nicht.

Den Joker hingegen gibt es durchaus, wenn auch nicht in der technischen Rafinesse: Wohl aber in dieser Irrationalität und Skrupellosigkeit. Interessant wird der Fall Joker ja eigentlich erst da, wo man seiner habhaft geworden ist: Was passiert mit ihm nach dem Film? Wie geht die Gesellschaft mit ihm um? Man sperrt ihn vermutlich nach Arkham Asylum, denn daran hat sich nach 60 Jahren Batman nichts geändert.

Ich stimme Barbara Schweizerhof zu: "[...]Aber der Film ist keine Offenbarung. Wie so viele Superhelden-Verfilmungen dauert er im Grunde zu lange und kaschiert seinen Mangel an echtem Drama nur mühsam mit viel pathetischem Gerede über die Schwierigkeit, ein Held zu sein, wenn man es mit dem Bösen zu tun hat. Die Anspielungen auf aktuelle Situationen des "War on Terror" nimmt man besser erst gar nicht ernst.“Ansonsten folgt alles der Superheldendramaturgie,  nur nochmal eine Stufe höher, schneller, weiter. Dass Batman nicht zu Dopingmitteln (nur zu "Technodoping") greift, wundert mich. Aber das wäre ja unmoralisch.

(Die Wartezeit vor dem IMAX wurde lang, weil man uns eine viertel Stunde zu spät in den Saal ließ.)

I asked what's he doing.. he said..

"WHY so SERIOUS?"

get it?

if not..then you just have to watch The Dark Night! 

psst.. dont forget to watch True Hollywood Stories (THS) Heath Ledger tomorrow on Astro.

UGC. XIII°. Attente. Souffle. Halluciné. Rets lumineux de la crypte. Images : langue de l'As, buildings filiformes, sombreur gothique, et son sourire. Echolocation de la barbastelle. Le dilemme en face. Sans issue. On brûlera les forêts. On sonnera l'hallali. On lâchera les chiens. Ça recommencera.