A couple weeks ago I was able to watch game 6 of the NBA Finals in 3D and a buddies house. I had a great time, but the thing I actually remember most was what one of the announcers said. When talking about Dwyane Wade, to paraphrase he said Wade had come through a lot in the past year because of a custody battle over his children. Which was brought about from him cheating on his wife and her filing for a divorce. Then, literally just a minute or two later, the announcer praised Wade for being great father, very loving and doting to his children. I immediately said, "What the world?!"
To me this is a very twisted view of what a loving and doting father really is all about. To be a loving father to your kids, you have to start with your wife. You can't love your kids, with out first loving your wife. Do you think caring for your kids starts with running around on your wife? Absolutely not. Loving your kids begins first by honoring your wife. They see their mother being treated respectfully and with love by their father, then they will know not only how to love their mother themselves, but will feel the love of their dad. What kind of love is given to a kid by destroying the home and splitting the family? It doesn't matter how doting you are too them, giving them gifts, taking them to their baseball games, or piano lessons doesn't fulfill the need of having a safe and loving environment for that to take place in. That loving environment starts with the husband loving the wife. It is the husband's responsibility to do it too, it starts with him.
I'm writing this on my 6th anniversary with my wonderful wife Krista. I love her a whole lot and so part of the reason I'm writing this is to remind myself of my own responsibility and promise I've made to her. To love her and cherish her and thus love and cherish our kids.
In Titus, when Paul is discussing leaders, he points out being a leader starts with being faithful to your wife, then taking care of your children, then leading in the church. So today, I challenge you, and myself, to be that type of husband (or if you are a wife encourage your husband). One that loves his wife and by doing so loves his children.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Top 10 Fiction Books
I just don't have any creativity right now, so I'm doing another repost from an old Facebook note I did before I started this blog. I did just read "True Grit" by Charles Portis, which would get an honorable mention on the list. If you've never read it, you need to do so.
This was a tough list! What are some of your favorite books?
Honorable Mentions: Harry Potter Series by Rowling, The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell, Call of the Wild by Jack London, the rest of the Inheritance Cycle by Paolini, and countless others that I've read.
#10 - The Daybreakers by Louis L'Amour. There is a reason that he is called "the best western writer of them all!" The Daybreakers is the first of the 17 Sackett novels that L'Amour writes and I think his best. Ty Sackett, the Mora Gunfighter, is my favorite character because of his wild side that he has. I enjoy how he kills the a Higgins at Orrin's wedding and the final duel between him and Tom Sunday.
#9 - The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes at his best. I remember reading this for the first time when I was 12 years old in the Sherlock anthology my grandma had gotten me and being sucked in completely. It shows Holmes at his best, shows Watson as the ever faithful, and really gives the reader a chance to get to know all the characters more than the short stories allow.
#8 - The Haunted Mesa by Louis L'Amour. This is a modern western about our world and another world that is in a different dimension. Not only does L'Amour bring his usual rough cowboy saga with some great landscape descriptions, but he does it in a way that is unusual to him and for that I really like it.
#7 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I had never heard of this book until this year. When I read it in a single Saturday I was blown away. Great storyline, great ending, great book. This is a must read for any guy out there. I'm looking forward to going further in the series.
#6 - Eregon by Christpher Paolini. Who doesn't want a dragon of their own? A great start to the series that I couldn't put down. Probably what I liked best about it is the physical toll that the magic takes on the wielder. The further away something is, the bigger it is, the heavier it is, all comes to play how much physical stamina is needed to use magic on it.
#5 - The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. A great epic tail of a wronged child who goes from slavery to education to revenge. All set in the middle ages of Europe and the Middle East. It was the first of what was meant to be a trilogy, but L'Amour never got around to finishing it before he died.
#4 - The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter. This is a romanticized tale of Sir William Wallace defending Scotland against the English. Wallace is the picture of chivalry, but his enemies are the worst traitors you can ever imagine. Lady Helen is beautiful, the battles are terrible, and by the time you are finished with the book you want to Scottish.
#3 - The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien. Though not as good as the two novels that sandwich it, TTT really has a lot to offer. Most notably the entrance of Gollum as a steady character and meeting the Ents. However, probably my favorite part from it is when Gimli sounds the Horn at Helm's Deep!
#2 - The Fellowship of the Ring by by JRR Tolkien. If the FotR had the end of the story, I think it would be my number 1. It has "The Walking Song", Bilbo's Party, the Balrog, and the oldest creature in Middle-Earth - Tom Bombadil who remembers the first rain drop and acorn.
#1 - The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien. This makes number one over the Fellowship barely, mostly because it see the conclusion of the story. I love the Sam & Frodo relationship, with Sam carrying Frodo to the end of the journey and going with him, even though he knew that they'd probably never come back. I also like when Theoden charges at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Also, my favorite non-person character in the series is in RotK. That is Grond: Hammer of the Underworld. The 100 foot long battering ram
This was a tough list! What are some of your favorite books?
Honorable Mentions: Harry Potter Series by Rowling, The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell, Call of the Wild by Jack London, the rest of the Inheritance Cycle by Paolini, and countless others that I've read.
#10 - The Daybreakers by Louis L'Amour. There is a reason that he is called "the best western writer of them all!" The Daybreakers is the first of the 17 Sackett novels that L'Amour writes and I think his best. Ty Sackett, the Mora Gunfighter, is my favorite character because of his wild side that he has. I enjoy how he kills the a Higgins at Orrin's wedding and the final duel between him and Tom Sunday.
#9 - The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes at his best. I remember reading this for the first time when I was 12 years old in the Sherlock anthology my grandma had gotten me and being sucked in completely. It shows Holmes at his best, shows Watson as the ever faithful, and really gives the reader a chance to get to know all the characters more than the short stories allow.
#8 - The Haunted Mesa by Louis L'Amour. This is a modern western about our world and another world that is in a different dimension. Not only does L'Amour bring his usual rough cowboy saga with some great landscape descriptions, but he does it in a way that is unusual to him and for that I really like it.
#7 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I had never heard of this book until this year. When I read it in a single Saturday I was blown away. Great storyline, great ending, great book. This is a must read for any guy out there. I'm looking forward to going further in the series.
#6 - Eregon by Christpher Paolini. Who doesn't want a dragon of their own? A great start to the series that I couldn't put down. Probably what I liked best about it is the physical toll that the magic takes on the wielder. The further away something is, the bigger it is, the heavier it is, all comes to play how much physical stamina is needed to use magic on it.
#5 - The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. A great epic tail of a wronged child who goes from slavery to education to revenge. All set in the middle ages of Europe and the Middle East. It was the first of what was meant to be a trilogy, but L'Amour never got around to finishing it before he died.
#4 - The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter. This is a romanticized tale of Sir William Wallace defending Scotland against the English. Wallace is the picture of chivalry, but his enemies are the worst traitors you can ever imagine. Lady Helen is beautiful, the battles are terrible, and by the time you are finished with the book you want to Scottish.
#3 - The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien. Though not as good as the two novels that sandwich it, TTT really has a lot to offer. Most notably the entrance of Gollum as a steady character and meeting the Ents. However, probably my favorite part from it is when Gimli sounds the Horn at Helm's Deep!
#2 - The Fellowship of the Ring by by JRR Tolkien. If the FotR had the end of the story, I think it would be my number 1. It has "The Walking Song", Bilbo's Party, the Balrog, and the oldest creature in Middle-Earth - Tom Bombadil who remembers the first rain drop and acorn.
#1 - The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien. This makes number one over the Fellowship barely, mostly because it see the conclusion of the story. I love the Sam & Frodo relationship, with Sam carrying Frodo to the end of the journey and going with him, even though he knew that they'd probably never come back. I also like when Theoden charges at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Also, my favorite non-person character in the series is in RotK. That is Grond: Hammer of the Underworld. The 100 foot long battering ram
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Top 10 Comic Book Hero Movies
I made the post below on my Facebook page almost a year ago. Just watched Thor this week and it's been awhile since I wrote a blog, so I thought I'd repost it here. Thor didn't make it, though it was good, it isn't great.
Hey everyone. I've decided to do a blog on a whenever-I-feel-like-it basis. The point of these notes will be the Top 10 - Whatever. These can include everything from my Top 10 Bible verses to the Top 10 things to do in the Summer to The Top 10 Presidents. I thought I'd start off on a lighter note for this one, so here are my Top 10 Super Hero Movies:
#1 - The Dark Knight. There is not a doubt in this one. Heath Ledger's performance, the "Wanna see a Magic Trick" scene, the semi-trailer flipping end over end, it is just a great movie! Even though I enjoy the light, comedy feel of earlier Batman movies, the dark & gritty feeling of this movie just makes me enjoy it.
#2 - Ironman. An awesome movie. The opening scene is great where Tony's caravan gets attacked. Plenty of humor, great fighting, excellent special effects. Another super hero who isn't perfect, but still manages to be a super hero. I also find it interesting that he lets everyone know he is Ironman. This is very different than many super hero movies.
#3 - Spiderman 2. Dr. Octavius makes this movie! The villian that doesn't want to be a villain. Usually I am all about the villains that you love to hate, but in this case Doc Ock is a villain that you feel sorry for and want to see him kick his problem, namely a sweet machine that has attached itself to his spine.
#4 - X-Men 2. I continue my favorite Comic Book movies with yet another sequal. X-2 delivers everything I want in a comic book movie, lots of fighting, cool special effects, and great villains (Magneto). Probably my biggest reason for liking this one is Nightcrawler and his story line - how he is a mutant that is obviously a mutant is interesting.
#5 - Superman. You just can't be the 1st Superman movie starring Christopher Reeves. He is everything that Superman is supposed to be: polite, smart, big and good-looking, a pillar of justice and truth. It is also fun that he turns back time by flying around the world. Gene Hackman also is an awesome Lex Luthor.
#6 - Batman: The Movie. That is right, I'm going there. If you have never seen this classic starring Adam West, then quit reading this note and go watch it. It has everything. The Bat-Shark Repellent, the Bat Boat, the walking up buildings and random people poke their heads out, and all the other crazy wacky stuff that makes this a top 10 comic book movie!
#7 - The Punisher. I'm not talking about the most recent one, but the one that came out a few years ago. This one is one that I had never heard of until I watched it on TV one day. I loved it. My favorite scene by far is where the Punisher comes up to John Travolta and says, "I've killed one of your sons" ,then there is a big explosion, "make that two of your sons and now I'm going to kill you." He gets his revenge on the bad guy.
#8 - Spiderman. Even though I don't like the Green Goblin mask, since it reminds me of a Power Ranger, I liked the movie a lot. It brought some great shots of Spidey swinging through the city, has some witty comments from our hero, and makes for a fun and exciting movie.
#9 - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I know this will probably be the most controversial one, but I liked it! Sean Connery is always good in a movie and it was fun for me to see heroes of the books from my childhood come to life - even though they were very different than I imagined.
#10 - Batman. Jack Nicholas as the Joker is great! Even though I really liked the new joker, I still like the old Joker just as well. He is funny, but obviously someone that you don't want to cross. The over-the-top everything, similar to the original Batman movie, makes for a good romp.
Honorable Mentions:
-Fantastic Four
-Superman 2
-Superman 4
-X-Men
-Batman Begins
So now you may know me a bit better.
Hey everyone. I've decided to do a blog on a whenever-I-feel-like-it basis. The point of these notes will be the Top 10 - Whatever. These can include everything from my Top 10 Bible verses to the Top 10 things to do in the Summer to The Top 10 Presidents. I thought I'd start off on a lighter note for this one, so here are my Top 10 Super Hero Movies:
#1 - The Dark Knight. There is not a doubt in this one. Heath Ledger's performance, the "Wanna see a Magic Trick" scene, the semi-trailer flipping end over end, it is just a great movie! Even though I enjoy the light, comedy feel of earlier Batman movies, the dark & gritty feeling of this movie just makes me enjoy it.
#2 - Ironman. An awesome movie. The opening scene is great where Tony's caravan gets attacked. Plenty of humor, great fighting, excellent special effects. Another super hero who isn't perfect, but still manages to be a super hero. I also find it interesting that he lets everyone know he is Ironman. This is very different than many super hero movies.
#3 - Spiderman 2. Dr. Octavius makes this movie! The villian that doesn't want to be a villain. Usually I am all about the villains that you love to hate, but in this case Doc Ock is a villain that you feel sorry for and want to see him kick his problem, namely a sweet machine that has attached itself to his spine.
#4 - X-Men 2. I continue my favorite Comic Book movies with yet another sequal. X-2 delivers everything I want in a comic book movie, lots of fighting, cool special effects, and great villains (Magneto). Probably my biggest reason for liking this one is Nightcrawler and his story line - how he is a mutant that is obviously a mutant is interesting.
#5 - Superman. You just can't be the 1st Superman movie starring Christopher Reeves. He is everything that Superman is supposed to be: polite, smart, big and good-looking, a pillar of justice and truth. It is also fun that he turns back time by flying around the world. Gene Hackman also is an awesome Lex Luthor.
#6 - Batman: The Movie. That is right, I'm going there. If you have never seen this classic starring Adam West, then quit reading this note and go watch it. It has everything. The Bat-Shark Repellent, the Bat Boat, the walking up buildings and random people poke their heads out, and all the other crazy wacky stuff that makes this a top 10 comic book movie!
#7 - The Punisher. I'm not talking about the most recent one, but the one that came out a few years ago. This one is one that I had never heard of until I watched it on TV one day. I loved it. My favorite scene by far is where the Punisher comes up to John Travolta and says, "I've killed one of your sons" ,then there is a big explosion, "make that two of your sons and now I'm going to kill you." He gets his revenge on the bad guy.
#8 - Spiderman. Even though I don't like the Green Goblin mask, since it reminds me of a Power Ranger, I liked the movie a lot. It brought some great shots of Spidey swinging through the city, has some witty comments from our hero, and makes for a fun and exciting movie.
#9 - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I know this will probably be the most controversial one, but I liked it! Sean Connery is always good in a movie and it was fun for me to see heroes of the books from my childhood come to life - even though they were very different than I imagined.
#10 - Batman. Jack Nicholas as the Joker is great! Even though I really liked the new joker, I still like the old Joker just as well. He is funny, but obviously someone that you don't want to cross. The over-the-top everything, similar to the original Batman movie, makes for a good romp.
Honorable Mentions:
-Fantastic Four
-Superman 2
-Superman 4
-X-Men
-Batman Begins
So now you may know me a bit better.
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