The Blind Side

Muffin and I finally Netflixed The Blind Side, which I had been wanting to see since before it was released in theaters.  After all the reviews, interviews, awards, articles, and other news coverage of the actors and the real Tuohy family I thought there would be nothing left to say. However,  ahem, I shall write some comments.

I found no evidence of Hollywood exploitation of either the Tuohys or of Michael Oher. That in itself is surprising and refreshing. Implications of his difficult early life were made without actually divulging his most hurtful circumstances.  Evidence of the Tuohys kindness, love, and tenderness toward Michael was obvious without that becoming the focus of the film. It was, in a word, balanced. My understanding is that if all parties are correctly quoted they would give God more glory than He received in the film version of this story, but He is getting glory.  Each member of the family, and Michael, grew and matured as a result of those relationships.  Thank you cast, writers, producers and directors for balance in telling a worthy story.  APPLAUSE!

Spring and Warfare

It was a dark and stormy night and that's not just a story line. Big storms with high winds and rain dumped water in the Rowdy Girls room when shingles came loose. CB walked into a puddle of water, thinking 'someone' dumped her pj's and princess panties during the night and didn't quite make it to the potty. Grandpa climbed into the attic and found the damages. Meanwhile Rowdys, CB and I dressed for winter, because the wind is howling and the temperatures are about 40 degrees lower than yesterday, which was beautiful and warm. Such is spring in Texas.

Now we are all watching Princess and the Frog on DVD. I love the music--New Orleans jazz, all original by Randy Newman. The story is classic good versus evil, and evil is portrayed very graphically through black magic and voodoo. It's easy to see that is a counterfeit to God's goodness with all the dark masks and skulls and crossbones and other symbols of death. The tricky part is the white magic/voodoo, which is the counterfeit Light. Just as in "real life" those choices present themselves to us. Usually not in the form of black/white magic or good/bad voodoo, but as more subtle temptations.

I love the lightning bugs in the movie, always there to show just enough light to choose the correct path. May God give us eyes to see and ears to hear so we always have His Way and His Voice guiding us. May His Word be a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. I thank Him that the weapons of our warfare are powerful to pull down strongholds and to war against an enemy that does not always show up in darkness, but masquerades in light. Most of all I love that the movie shows that Love is the power that overcomes. It is the power that raised Christ from the dead! And raised Ray the lightning bug from being squashed underfoot to his destiny as a light in the nighttime.

On this first day of Spring, when we begin to celebrate new life in nature, enjoy some Princess and the Frog and some of Jesus' power too.