A Very Good Date Movie

“Chick flicks” are like nails on a chalkboard to me. Not only because of the goofball characters, shallow dialogue and lack of substance, but because everyone assumes that the couple lives happily ever after just because the girl finally agrees to go on a date with the guy who’d been begging for the past 90 minutes. I think it can only be considered a true happy ending if the couple actually seals their vows under the alter at the end of the movie. I used to call that a complete love story.

And then I got married.

Now I know that wooing the beautiful girl was just the easy part – the prologue, if you will. But it’s marriage that really bears the weight of true “happily ever” love. And most of the time, it doesn’t hold it. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who are wanting out of their marriage, or are doubting the stability of their love for one another. Our pastor preached a wonderful sermon on marriage last Sunday at Ninth and O Church, and you can listen to it here, called, “When Marital Dreams Turn to Matrimonial Nightmares.”

I consider the movie Sweet Home Alabama one of the best love stories to come out of the recent Hollywood vault. (The biggest reason is because there’s no sexuality. Some dialogue and projected world views might be unsuitable for children.) I’m sure there are others out there that are better, but like I mentioned, I don’t go out hunting for these types of movies. I consider it one of the best because it’s a movie about a fight for a broken marriage hanging on the balance between a second chance and divorce. What’s wonderful about it, is that the featured couple really never work things out between themselves, but they still give their marriage another go – they don’t wait till everything’s “perfect.” There are a couple of silly scenes, but all in all, I recommend it for spouses who need a boost of marital inspiration.

We live in a society that proclaims, if you’re not happy, then you’re free to go. That is the biggest piece of garbage that this country has swallowed. You divorce your spouse to hunt for another escapade, repeat the honeymoon, get married, have a bunch of fights … then what? You will never be fully happy with the person (or people) you married, but you will find the most joy in looking back at a lifelong commitment, unbroken by temptations and strife from within and outside the marriage. (Check out the movie Up for the best picture of marriage I’ve ever seen outside of real life). There’s joy. There’s happiness. Looking at your partner of so many years knowing that nothing has torn you two apart, as wild as a roller coaster you’ve been on, even when all things seemed hopeless.

If you’re stuck in a rut in your marriage, or if you just want out, or if you can’t stand just one more fight, I challenge you to get on your knees this very moment and beg the Creator of marriage to give you just a little bit more strength, a little bit more wisdom. Women and sisters in Christ, ask for a gentle and quite spirit which can prove to be more seductive than lipstick and perfume. Men and brothers, ask for the desire for integrity and dignity to stick with your marriage, through thick and thin, spurring every outside lust and temptation, and focus your attention back on your wife.

Couples, listen to the sermon, send the kids to bed early and have a date night and watch Sweet Home Alabama, and enjoy this excerpt from my upcoming novel The Man in the Box. Robbie Lake has been wanting out of his marriage due to the mundane nature of family life. So he finds a secret world hidden in a cardboard box which he returns to over and over again, fighting monsters and being hailed as a god – the complete opposite of home life. And one day his dad, noticing his family suffering the consequences of his absence, confronts him:

“I know I didn’t teach you much even when your mom was alive. But I had always hoped that you’d learned at least a little something from us while you could. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my marriage and I’m sure you have too, but the important thing is that you still get through them all. I don’t care if your kids rebel and run out on you, I don’t care if you lose all your money and you end up on the street, just as long as you end up on the street together. I pulled a lot of crap with your mother, but I never walked out on her.”

“You were let off easy because she died.”

“No. I still think about her. I still miss her. I wish we had more time together. Her dying only proved that had I left her when I wanted, it would have been the biggest mistake of my life. But you and your issues that you’ve got with someone else or your work or whatever… you’ve got to deal with it if you’re at all serious about staying with Rosalynn to the end. The world’s out to tear you apart. Are you going to let it?”

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A Sneak Peek at The Man in the Box

As most of you know, I’ve written a novel called, The Man in the Box. If all goes according to schedule, it should be released by the end of the year. I have been quite secretive with the plot, until now.

I am looking for a dozen or so people to review my book in order to help generate hype. Who doesn’t like recommending great books to friends and family members? If, after reading the brief synopsis, you are interested in reading an electronic advanced copy, please join The Man in the Box facebook page for your chance to win.

What would you give up to be a god?

Weary of the mundane day-to-day life as a husband and father of two, Robbie Lake longs to get away from it all. Being fired from his job of eleven years shakes him up and through a set of circumstances he inadvertently climbs inside a cardboard box, which mentally transports him to his childhood fantasy world long since evolving into something darker in his absence, waiting for him to return. Some want to worship him, and others want to kill him. 

Both the adoration and the thrill keeps him going back inside the box for more, but at the expense of his family. At a time when his wife needs him most, Robbie chooses to live a double life. But soon, murderous creatures follow Robbie home from the box and threaten his loved ones. They will continue to be terrorized until he decides to remain in the world that turns out to be filled with his deepest horrors.

Follow The Man in the Box on Facebook for updates and contests to increase your chances of winning a free advanced copy.

Not recommended for children under 13. Contains prolonged sequences of fantasy terror and violence.

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A “Brave” New Movie *Spoiler free*

First off, I get to call bragging rights. Pixar fans: I saw the Pizza Planet truck for the first time in the theaters. Yes, it is in Brave, believe it or not.

So the wait is over, and the weekend was a good one. Sarabeth and I saw Brave and loved it. It was worth every penny. The critics are being hard on it because it’s not as somber as Toy Story 3 or as “inventive” as Wall-E. Well, I did get choked up a couple of times, and you know what? It was actually refreshing to spend an hour and a half in the familiar territory of a good old fashioned Disney fairytale. So the only reason one would be disappointed with Brave is if one is expecting the edginess of The Incredibles or the sophistication of Ratatouille. Brave is a brand new fairytale; nothing less, nothing more. Go into it expecting that, and you will be more than pleased.

So let’s address some issues about the themes in the movie. If I weren’t familiar with Pixar and I were a parent, I would be quite hesitant bringing my child to see Brave. The trailers make it look like Merida, the main character, defies her parents and gets away with it. True, she does defy her parents, but she suffers great consequences for it. Parents need not be concerned. This isn’t The Little Mermaid where the princess disobeys her naïve and racist father and lives happily ever after with prince charming. As far as themes and lessons go, I prefer my kids watching Brave any day.

Now let’s talk about the feminist issues in the movie. There are none. Who started the rumor that this was going to be all about feminism? And who planted the idea in people’s minds that all Disney movies are feministic? The only gender-switching I see comes from the Shrek franchise over at Dreamworks and I don’t see people complaining about that. In fact, Pixar has gotten sued multiple times by feminist groups because they don’t meet their agenda or taste preferences. Brave is not a retaliatory response in compliance with the feminist movement. It’s simply a story about a young woman who would rather see the world and explore it before settling down and getting married. She is all girl, and – I think – a great role model for the love-sick vampire-craving adolescents today. Brave shows that you don’t have to have prince charming in your life in order to be content.

If anything, Brave is more about the relationship between mother and daughter than anything else. And there’s enough action and suspense that young boys will embrace it, regardless. Even for a fairytale, it comes at the right time. Merida’s mother, though good intentioned, does not listen to her daughter, or even hear her out. I think she’s a perfect representation of today’s media-saturated mother, who ignores her kids by keeping her nose in her i-pad or talking more on Facebook than to her kids. If that’s you, then let this movie hit home for you. Let it open up your eyes to what your missing in your child’s life, and let it teach you how your child needs you to listen and be apart of their life.

I can go on and on about Brave. As soon as we walked out of the theater I told Sarabeth that I want to go back and see it again right then. It was just so satisfying as a movie. As soon as we got home I made sure that there was room in my Pixar collection for Brave. It will be a very fine addition, which I look forward to revisiting many times. And the soundtrack? As usual with Pixar scores, it’s breathtaking. And even the new songs by Julie Fowlis (and Mumford and Sons) are a perfect mix of Celtic lore and contemporary pop.

I only had two complaints about Brave. The first one is kind of petty. I just wished they would have shown more of the bear Mor’du. He was awesome and ferocious, like the cave troll in The Lord of the Rings. But, being an animated movie (primarily) geared toward kids, I can understand why his screen time was limited. The second complaint is best summed up from this review I read here:

Still, while Brave is admirable for dazzling visuals, excellent voice work, and honorable themes, some scenes work better than others. There’s a surprisingly implausible sequence in which Merida must create a diversion so somebody can sneak into her family’s castle — funny, but poorly executed. On matters of love and freedom, the movie turns downright preachy, failing the “show, don’t tell” test.

When die-hard Pixar fans come to this scene, they will realize a particular truth about Pixar: They preach, but never with words. This is the first time Pixar has broken that rule, and it is a bit disheartening. But really, it’s a three to four minute sequence, of little consequence to the film as a whole.

See Brave. Take your kids (not suggested for four or younger, as some scenes even had me on the edge of my seat, and Sarabeth jumped at least once). It’s a great movie for the family in which every member can walk away having been taught a valuable lesson unique to each family role. And the cool thing abut it is, when it’s over, you’ll feel like you really were running through a Scottish forest and were given an extensive and intimate tour of a real-life castle (don’t be surprised if you sniff your fingers to see if you can smell the granite from the stone walls). The animation is that dazzling and life-like.

Disclaimer: There is some rude humor, but I wouldn’t deem it as inappropriate or offensive. Let’s just say a lot of guys lose their kilts and are running away from the screen.

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A Study of Religions – Hinduism: We Are All Divine

Western thought began in ancient Greece where men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle saw that the universe had a plan and purpose. Eastern thinking says everything is temporary, changing, unreal, ephemeral and our perceptions of the world are misleading and illusory. The physical universe is a hindrance to experiencing The Ultimate Reality, which Eastern religion says is attainable within each individual by realizing intuitively that “self” is Divine and God is impersonal.

Learn what the word Pantheism means:

Pan = everything; Theos = God

Patheism = God is the world and everything in it.

According to the later Vedic literature, the highest goal of Hinduism is union with Brahma (a formless, abstract, eternal being without attributes, who was the beginning of all things, or the impersonal absolute).

A brief history: In 500 B.C, the Varna was established, adding more writings to the already existing Hindu Scriptures. Varna is a rigid castes system, or rather, a social hiercachy. In 1947 India became a nation. The government officially outlawed discrimination against the “untouchables,” the lowest on a social totem pole and considered to be sub-human (thanks to Christian missionaries).

Hinduism is not really one religion, but many religions that interact and blend with one another. There is no founder, no creedal statements of faith and no agreement upon authority. However, contradictory ideas are not a problem. You can believe in no go, many gods or none at all. All reality is seen as “one.” (Please see What’s the Big Deal About Truth for a brief explanation to the dangers of this belief system.) Despite the lack of foundation of agreement, there are two foundational assumptions found in Hinduism: Reincarnation and karma.

Reincarnation is the belief that the atman (a person’s uncreated and eternal soul) must repeatedly be recycled into the world in different bodies (animals, plants or inanimate objects). The process that takes the Hindu through the great wheel of samsra (the thousands or millions of lives, all full of suffering) that each atman must endure before reaching Moksha (the liberation from suffering and union with the infinite). Another, and clearer way to describe samsra would be this: It is a seemingly endless process of being reincarnated. The goal for a Hindu is to be liberated from this and reunite with Brahma.

Karma means “action.” It has to do with the law of cause and effect. This means merit or demerit. Karma from one’s past lives affect a person’s present life, and so on.

The three paths to Moksha are as follows:

1) The path of works (dharma): This is the most difficult path to reach liberation from suffering. It often includes Yoga (which literally means yoking or union). It is an attempt to control one’s consciousness and to make one’s atman (soul) identical to Brahma. A famous Hinduism saying is, “Aham asmi Brahma,” which means, “I am Brahma.

2) The path of knowledge (inna): This is a set of social and religious obligations that must be fulfilled. Those who choose this path must follow the caste occupation, marry within the caste and eat or not eat certain foods. Above all, one must produce or raise a son to perform the sacrificial rituals to your ancestors.

3) The path of passionate devotion: This is where one chooses to worship the gods by sexual acts. Yes, it is the most popular.

We must always be weary of subtle ways pop culture infuses pagan world beliefs into their media. Avatars are associated with Hinduism. An avatar is literally a savior, or an incamation of deity.

According to the Hindu religion, the world as we experience it is mere illusion and Brahma is the only thing that really exists and has meaning. Hinduism began influencing western culture in mid-19^th century.

RalphWaldoEmerson was a leading American exponent of transcendentalism, and steeped himself in Hinduism writings. Another name you might recognize is Henry David Thoreau, who was a contemporary of Emerson and fellow transcendentalist and was inspired where he wrote Waldon and other books.

In the 1930’s, the Vedanta Society of Southern California was established. Their rally cry: “Many faiths are but different paths leading to the one reality, God.” The Beatles went to India and were taught transcendental meditation. They brought this back to the United States and other nations and it became very popular.

Teachers of the Vedanta say, “A Hindu would find it easy to accept Christ as a divine incarnation and to worship him unreservedly, exactly as he worships Krishna or another avatar of his choice. But he cannot accept Christ as the only Son of God.”

Folks, this is the kicker. This is where the passage in the Bible that talks about people telling God on judgment day, “I did all these things in your name,” yet God still punishes them to eternity in Hell, comes into effect. We can believe in Jesus and still go to Hell, because Jesus demands our undivided praise and worship. He will not share the throne with another. This is why, when I share the Gospel with people, I make it clear that in order to become a Christian, you can believe only in Jesus Christ. He will not share His glory with another, and understandably so! I don’t want someone else’s name on the cover of my book - I wrote it. But the thing is, if your stance with God is not a comfort to you; if you feel like you’re living right, but there’s a subtle uneasiness in your soul concerning your eternal fate, then that could be the mercy of God tapping you on the chest, trying to get your attention.

Consider Gandhi. He could not believe there was any “mysterious or miraculous virtue” in Christ’s death on the cross – He could not accept the Christian answer to the problem of sin, yet he felt a deep hunger for real salvation from sin. But like other Hindus, he could not see Jesus as God, but rather just one of many incarnations, or avatars, of Vishnu.

In all actuality, Hinduism is more of a philosophy than a theology. Hindus search for Brahma within themselves. Each person is “god” (or part of “god”).

I am not going to climb up on a virtual soapbox and proclaim that the cries of Hinduism are all lies from the pit of Hell. Instead I am just going to extend a thought for those who deduce by logic.

Hinduism claims that you must repeat life over and over until you have been cleansed and you can be with Brahma. If we follow this, that means we are all suffering consequences from our previous life as we breathe. This could be the worst it gets. This could be our Hell, and let me say, as much as I hate paying bills and clocking in and out from work, this is not as bad as I thought Hell would be. In fact, with enough trips to the Disneyland and a hiking excursion here and there, Hell (or, my personal suffering) is turning out to be pretty nice.

But that’s the problem. Because while I’m living this reincarnated life, I keep getting hounded by this guy Jesus with words he spoke 2,000 years ago talking about a Hell that is eternal and firey and lonely, not to mention painful and absolutely horrifying… and did I mention eternal? When I put piece those slices of imagry together, do you know what I come up with? I come up with a Hell where I am chained inside an oven, unable to die, but able to feel the skin melting off my body, but it just won’t fall. And to top it off, there’s snakes (or as the Bible puts it, worms), crawling all over me, slithering. Tickling. Biting. Snakes are my greatest fear. And as if it can get worse, I’m screaming at the top of my lungs, but I know for a fact that no one is around who can or will deliver me. I have no hope, and I absolutely know it without a shadow of a doubt. I never sleep, though I’m tired. I never rest, though I’m exhausted and thirsty. I never eat, though I’m famished beyond repair. I’m always and forever burning, my flesh sizzling like metal soaking in acid. And I never lose my fear of the snakes that continually slither around my naked body. I’ve been scared of snakes all my life on earth, and I will never learn to get used to them in Hell.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather not take my chances believing that I can get to Heaven any other way than Jesus. Because He is the one figure in all of religious history who makes the biggest threat and demands the most. But lest we tremble before Him in vain, let us not forget that He also gave the most. He is the only religious figure in history who gave His life for anyone who would follow Him. Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, Brahma, none of them gave a rip about you, and they’re either dead or non-existent.

I’m crying as I’m writing this, because I’m realizing that Jesus didn’t ask enough of us, as far as I’m concerned. He’s only asking for our devotion. He doesn’t want you to change your dietary habits or obtain a certain amount of knowledge, or fulfill some good-deed quota. He just wants your love, just as He has already given you His. And He promises an eternity of bliss and Life if only we will accept Him as the one and only, unrivaled God of the universe.

That’s it.

I’m sorry for toeing the soapbox, but hear the truth and receive it. Give up your sins; you know what they are. I have to repent from something new every day. But it’s because it’s the least Jesus can ask for. He could have asked for so much more. He could have had us die for our own sins, or be reincarnated for thousands or millions of years until we earned purity. But He paid the price that you owe for your sins. The least you can do is thank Him and accept Him.

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The High Art of Storytelling

So Brave comes out this week… finally! Sarabeth and I don’t go to the movies often, but it’s our annual tradition to go to each Pixar release. This is going to be a good weekend.

Now, as an avid Pixar fan, I do have a confession to make. For the most part, whenever I see a Pixar movie for the first time, I’m sort of… let down. But over time, with each viewing of a certain Pixar movie, I appreciate it more and more for what it is. I think it’s because their stories resonate and they age like fine wine. Ratatouille, for instance, didn’t keep me plastered to my seat with a big goofy grin the whole time. But it stuck with me days after viewing it. There were themes and deep issues that the movie provoked me to revisit. But I now consider it one of the finest films ever made. Wall-E bored me the first time I saw it. But after seeing it a few more times, and really digging into what the movie is trying to communicate (it’s not about going green), I now consider it one of the finest films as well.

It’s misleading when Disney markets Pixar films as being “the best comedy of the year,” because Pixar films aren’t just out to get a few laughs like competing animated movies. Heck, they’re not even trying to preach any sort of message. They’re just setting out to do what any good movie ought to do – tell an original and compelling story that is so effective that it will become a part of the viewer.

Story is to movies as location is to buildings. Story, story, story. Everything else is secondary. When the newborn Pixar Studios set out to make the world’s first computer-generated animated movie, the compliment they feared the most was, “The animation was astounding!” No. Hang the animation, as wonderful as it is. The guys at Pixar new they had truly succeeded with Toy Story because audiences around the globe absolutely loved the story.

This has been a good year for Sarabeth and me. I had been searching for an agent to represent my book, The Man in the Box, since 2009. I signed a contract with BlackWyrm Publishers a month ago: Three years and hundreds of rejections later. It was my passion to tell stories and my supportive wife that refused to let me give up. And every Pixar movie has played a role in teaching me how to tell a story.

Now, I know this isn’t anything like creating a cutting-edge feature film, nor will The Man in the Box make it to the New York Times bestseller list (though with your help, it could). But the point I’m trying to make here is this: We can do nothing great on our own. Did you know that Steve Jobs had the Pixar building built in such a way that if anyone wants to get from any point of the studio to another, you have to cross the lobby like everyone else? The reason for this seemingly obsessive idea was so that camaraderie would be encouraged and artists who wouldn’t normally talk to writers would bump into each other and exchange ideas. Unfortunately authors don’t have this advantage, and for the most part, we work alone. I have done everything I can to make my book, The Man in the Box as exciting, unpredictable and engaging as possible. But I know it’s still not perfect. So even as I write this there is an editor pouring over it somewhere. She has got her work cut out for her.

But we will be working together to make it the absolute best story we can possibly deliver to you. In the coming months I will be posting snippets of The Man in the Box for you to enjoy (or criticize). But I will need encouragement. I will need as many of my readers to join The Man in the Box Facebook page. There is little information about the story right now, but I will slowly and surely be revealing more and more. If you join, you will be alerted about contests to win free copies, favoritism for your blog, etc.

Oh, and any writers out there, I have included this list especially for you. I just came across it a few weeks ago, but I am convinced it is the purest piece of gold any writer could possibly attain in his possession. I don’t know if it’s official or not, but it is Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. Do your readers a favor and follow these rules religiously. And go out and see Brave! We’ll discuss it next week.

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

#2: You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.

#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

#8: Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

#9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.

#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.

#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.

#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.

#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.

#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.

#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?

#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?

#22: What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

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Attention Writers, Bloggers and Artists

Greetings friends and fellow writers!

As treasurers of the written word we know that you are just itching for opportunities to write inspirational stories and share lessons with others from your own lives. Many of us want to extend our hand through the powerful voice of a pen (or computer) and touch those lives that are hurting, questioning, and seeking. Now is your opportunity to do so. Or maybe you paint, or write songs, or draw. We’d love to include you as well.

Kelly Thornberry, editor of KentuckyChristianMagazine.com, and I have partnered together to develop a website that will offer hope and encouragement to people from all walks of life – and those words will come from you! The launch date is TBD, but we want to be able to have ample material to post on our site when it’s up and ready to publish, and we need your help.

What are the perks for writing for our site? We will promote your blog, website and a short bio of you when we decide to publish your article.

If you are interested in contributing an article to our site, please write to adoptingjames@aol.com with your name, your city and state, and choose a topic of interest (up to 3) from the list bellow to write about. Also, if you know of any fellow writers or people who are wanting to break into writing, please pass this message on to them so we can build a large portfolio of talented people like yourself. We would love to hear from them as well.

Please choose up to three from the follow list of topics we will cover on our website:

 Adoption

Adoption resources

Adoption stories

Why adopt?

Art that inspires

Art stories

Artists

Books that inspire

Fiction

Christian/Inspiration

Non-fiction

Children

Stories for kids

Games!

Church resources

Nursery

Children’s

Youth

College

Pastoral resources

Couples

Dating

Marriage

Divorce

Infertility/miscarriage

Fiction that inspires

Allegories

Inspirational

Poems

Missionaries

Support missionaries

Missionary testimonies

Prayer requests from over seas

Entertainment

Movies for the family

Movies for kids

Movies for men

Parenting

Inspiration for young parents

Advice from grown parents

All the stuff in between

Seniors

Inspiration for seniors

What now?

Resources for seniors

What is Christianity?

Theology

Hope

Jesus Christ

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Toy Story 3: The Wilderness of the Playroom

Being an emotional guy (it comes with the territory of being a writer), it’s rare that I don’t cry in movies. I seek out unity and beauty in storytelling, and when all the pieces flow together like a great symphony, I’m a goner.

Now, it’s fine to let the floodgates open in the privacy of your own home, but poor Sarabeth and I had no idea what sort of emotional toll was waiting for me at the theaters when we went to see the latest Toy Story installment.

Those who have seen it know what I’m talking about. During the closing scene, when Andy is giving all of his beloved toys away, Sarabeth, being more of a rock than I am, turns to me and can practically see the entire movie screen in my wet eyes and drenched cheeks.

“Are you okay?” she asked. I could only nod my head, not fully convincing her that I was. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, probably thinking, “I married such a sissy.” Needless to say, we had to wait until the lights came back on in the theater to make a safe and somewhat dignified departure. (Recently I asked her when she had seen me cry the hardest and she said it was during Toy Story 3. I personally thought it was when we watched My Dog Skip.)

To make myself feel better, I googled the question, “How many men in their 20’s cried during Toy Story 3?” The vast number of confessors helped restore my masculinity. But why such an emotional response? I’m sure there are many answers to this question: Nostalgia; saying goodbye to childhood; leaving Andy; we’re all just a bunch of saps… I would like to propose another answer. I think somewhere deep down we envy Woody’s loyalty. He’s not perfect by any means, and he could be faulted for a lot of things, but his biggest fault could be his steadfast devotion to others. And it’s not even his loyalty to Andy that we envy, it’s his loyalty to fulfill what he was meant to do – to be played with. But the passage of time had stripped him and his friends of that opportunity.

We have all been caught in the wilderness. With an abundance of motivation and a large supply of talents, we’ve been stopped in our tracks and refused permission to proceed with our goals. Maybe you’re waiting for your adoption papers. Or you don’t have the funds to invest in your talents. Maybe the economy turned your dream job into a nightmare. Or you’ve got plenty of love to give, but no one to give it to. These are all situations where we should feel most at home with many characters from the Bible, particularly the Israelites who were forced to wander the wilderness for forty years for their sins. Many of us are in the wilderness because of our sins – laziness, lack of faith, fill in the blank. And others of us are just suffering the consequences of a fallen world, or you just haven’t reached Gods timing yet. We can list off a hundred different reasons why we’re in the wilderness, but the fact is the wilderness is chillingly real and we are very much in it.

But the point is, what will you do while you’re in the wilderness? Will you follow my lead and pout, stomp your foot and complain to God while feeling sorry for yourself in the corner of a room? Or will you follow Paul’s lead and find joy in the darkness of a damp prison? Or Jesus’, spurring the temptations of the Devil? Or Joshua and Caleb, holding steadfast to the God they love even while everyone they know and love is falling dead around them and their day-to-day lives are more mundane than our own 9-5’s?

I think it’s appropriate that Disney/Pixar’s most evil villain is not a dragon or a witch or even a puppy-snatcher. In fact, Lotso, Toy Story 3’s antagonist, is probably one of the most evil villains in most movies combined. Satan comes to us in the form of a loveable, pink teddy bear who smells like strawberries. God might put us in the wilderness, but Satan is there to meet us head-on. He’ll convince you that a) the wilderness isn’t so bad, that life isn’t meant to be enjoyed so you might as well accept the status quo, or b) you deserve better than this, how dare God leave you in such a wretched state; curse Him, spit on Him, leave Him!

Brothers and sisters, no matter who you are or where you’re at in life, you’re in the wilderness right now. Life is a wilderness of wandering and finding truth, waiting out the storms and fighting the good fight. Those who trust in Jesus Christ know that there will be an end to this wilderness and we will live in Paradise in the end. But to those of you who do not put your hope and trust in God, this is the greatest paradise you will ever know and your wilderness will be waiting for you on the other side and it will never ever end, and once you’re there, trusting in God will do no good.

But while we’re here, trust n God that this meaningless wandering will come to an end, and that when you’re in Jesus, there is actually nothing meaningless at all about your wilderness stay. Joseph trusted God in prison. David praised God in hiding. And Joshua and Caleb? They were the only ones who had enough faith in God to see the promised land at the end of the 40 years, and their efforts were greatly rewarded.

Woody held out until the very end to do what he was meant to do. Even in the face of adversary from his friends, apparent abandonment from his owner, hostile adversaries, betrayal and even death, Woody never once lost sight of who he was supposed to be and what he was made for. And we shouldn’t either. We are here to praise God and worship Him. That’s our purpose for being here. I wonder, if they made a movie about Joshua and Caleb, if I would cry in the end of that one too, because I certainly envy and long for their loyalty. And you should, too.

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