heroes in a half-shell

the last time i saw TMNT was in elementary school.  but the new movie came out last night, so the kids i am babysitting for the weekend and i went out on the town!  the theater was filled with elementary kids and early high schoolers.  since it was an animated film, i did not expect much, but we had a great time!  the animation was incredible, especially all the angles.  what took the cake for me was the occassional deja vu (all the little details) and the great guitar solos throughout!  for those of you who were fans in your early years, the new film does the little characters justice.

three side observations:
1.  the film stole big elements from the lotr trilogy and beauty and the beast.
2.  i was intrigued that april and her boyfriend had a place together.  i know this behavior is accepted by the culture, but i am still disappointed when it is encouraged in children’s shows.
3.  stories that pull from ancient history usually suck me in immediately.

lastly, seeing the film with young children helps.  turtle power.

where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

1.  i pet a weiner dog named bandit this morning.
2.  ohio state won this afternoon.
3.  it’s st. patty’s day till this evening.

what a life!  shamrock shakes all around.

drink zephyrhills

haha, NOT.

carrie, ashley and i wanted something to drink by the pool here in west palm beach.  what’s available?  zephyrhills water bottles.  except, for half the trip, i thought i was drinking zyphilis.  i understand most college kids encounter STDs on spring break, but this was a new experience for me.  the jokes got worse as the week wore on:

- carrie gave me zyphilis!
- can someone give me some zyphilis?
- ew, whose zyphilis is this?!
- don’t touch my zyphilis!

problem of evil platitudes

all the books i have read on suffering reference one of both of these topics:

1.  the nazi regime, specifically hitler’s leadership, more specifically his thoughts and ideas that fueled/sustained the holocaust, even more specifically the auschwitz camp.
2.  rabbi kushner’s why bad things happen to good people.

observed, a grief

jack died on sunday.  the week has gone by quickly, along with the funeral and burial.  since i will not be in school for a while, i decided to change my reading list.  there are a number of books i own, especially counseling books, on grief and suffering.  i have been concerned about my dad and how he is handling his loss; some days/hours are better than others.

my first one on the list was lewis’ a grief observed.  the book is his compiled reflections from when his wife died.  his thoughts are honest and unwilling to turn to pat answers:

i look up at the night sky.  is anything more certain than that in all those vast times and spaces, if i were allowed to search them, i should nowhere find her face, her voice, her touch?  she died.  she is dead.  is the word so difficult to learn?
…
we have seen the faces of those we know best so variously, from so many angles, in so many lights, with so many expressions – waking, sleeping, laughing, crying, eating, talking, thinking – that all the impressions crowd into our memory together and cancel out into a mere blur.  but her voice is still vivid.  the remembered voice – that can turn me at any moment to a whimpering child.

observing grief as an outsider is so curious.  it is hard to know when to do what, how a person wants to be consolled, when to speak or when to be quiet.  i have been comforted by the Lord, especially recently, knowing that it’s okay if i mess up; He is still the one who moves men’s hearts, not me.now i am on to mccartney’s why does it have to hurt?: the meaning of Christian suffering.  i’ll let you know.

UPDATE: i’m listening to pink floyd right now, which is probably not the best idea i’ve ever had.  aren’t you glad you and i are not just “two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year”?  praise God.