Donna and I enjoyed the new summer blockbuster movie Super 8 yesterday with our good friends Bud and Yo Plake. The movie is the brainchild of director J.J. Abrams, known for his smash hit television series Lost and last years reboot of the Star Trek series. We loved it for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of the obvious homage it pays to Abrams' childhood hero Steven Spielberg. The movie is set in the late 1970's so it immediately has a similar look to movies in Spielberg's early career that put him on the map: Films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and of course ET. The main characters in the new movie are kids - once again bringing to mind movies like ET and The Goonies (another movie that was produced by Spielberg early in his career). Then there's the fact that the movie is about an alien trying to get back home - uh, yeah - sounds familiar right? I think it's supposed to because again - this is really a tribute film - A film to honor the genius who inspired, not only J.J. Abrams, but an entire generation of young film makers. And it's a worthy effort - The movie smacks of Spielberg right down to the John Williams-esque soundtrack, the secret military handling of the extra terrestrials and the inclusion of tense family drama woven within an effects-laden sci-fi flick!
It got me thinking of one of my life-long fantasies - I would love to produce a major motion picture - One with a Hollywood budget, cast and crew. Before you write me off as a goofball, studio mongol wanna-be, hear me out! My film would be the story of one of
my true heros -
Dave Roever. I believe the Dave Roever story is as powerful as any Hollywood has ever told and could be made into an Oscar winning film. It's got all the elements required for an Academy award winner: It's a war story, a love story, a story of redemption - It's got good guys and bad guys and most of all it has moral lessons this world desperately needs to be reminded of! I'm telling you, it could be a blockbuster in the tradition of
Saving Private Ryan or
Schindler's List! All I need is a few million dollars and Steven Spielberg to agree to direct it. Or maybe J.J. Abrams!
By now you have all heard of the tweeting indiscretions of New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. Like me, I'm sure you have sat back in disbelief all week and wondered, "Why?" Why would anyone do that? I believe one word explains it all - PRIDE. If you have had any opportunity to see Weiner in action as a congressman you know it is obvious. This man has carried himself in a more egotistic fashion than almost anyone else in Washington - and that's saying a lot! Now the arrogance demonstrated in interviews and grandstanding sessions on the congressional floor has placed him center stage in one of the most embarrassing public scandals that's come around in a while. Only pride could convince someone they could get away with this kind of thing.
Twenty years ago, when we launched a program called Master's Commission here in Lafayette. I knew God would use it to lay a strong discipleship foundation for young men and women in our church as they moved from their teen years into being an adult. I knew it would help them discover the call that God has on their lives and prepare them for ministry in whatever capacity God had chosen. What I didn't know was that it would be my own children that this program would serve. This weekend, Robin graduated from our Master's Commission program and we are so proud of the way she has embraced everything this program was designed to accomplish in a young person's life. She is more mature, more Christ-like, more bold and confident in her faith than ever and has heard God's Holy Spirit calling her into the ministry He had in mind for her before the world began! Robin has always known she wanted to go through Master's Commission and it's been such a joy to see her dream realized. She'll be attending a second year to complete her degree with West Coast Bible Institute and prepare for work in Africa.
