Jared and I received this DVD from Netflix about two weeks ago and still hadn't watched it. That happens with us sometimes. And now and again we end up sending the movie back without watching it at all. I didn't want it to turn out like that with this movie, and seeing that it didn't really look like we would have time, I decided to watch it with my friend Joanna.
The movie follows a family - younger brother Jeff (Jason Segel), older brother Pat (Ed Helms), and mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon) through a day in their lives. Jeff smokes a lot of pot and waits for the universe to guide him. Pat is passive-aggressive with his wife, ogles waitresses at Hooters, and generally seems to be selfish and self-centered. Sharon works a boring job and finds herself the object of the affections of a secret admirer.
I really liked Jason Segel's character in this movie. He played awkward and uncomfortable really well. I definitely squirmed in my seat a few times when he was doing something socially unacceptable like secretly pursuing a guy around a convenience store or trying to get a specific booth in an upscale restaurant in order to overhear other patrons. It's not all awkwardness and cringing though. There is humor, and excitement and even some poignancy. I have to say that I didn't enjoy his monologue at the beginning the movie, but otherwise I thought he did a bang-up job. It was nice to see him in something different.
This is definitely a slice-of-life movie. You follow these characters through a day with only some slight longer-term tie-up and in the end you can only wonder what will come next. It's meandering and starts off a little slow, but I would give it a chance - especially if you're a Jason Segel fan.
(The film also features Judy Greer as Pat's frustrated and neglected wife Linda and Rae Dawn Chong as Sharon's office mate Carol.)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Forgive and Be Forgiven
I was walking with Anderson this evening and I decided to recite to him the Lord's Prayer. It's a little early considering he's so young, but that's okay. So I went over it a couple times:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours in the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen
As I was saying the words, I started to think about the sins we might have to forgive. Some things aren't too hard to forgive really. Others are a little more difficult. But there are some things that would be really hard to forgive I think. Things like murder, or rape, or child abuse. What if someone I loved was murdered? What if someone I loved was sexually assaulted? What if someone abused my child? How could I forgive those things? I'm sure I would want to seek revenge against the perpetrator, and I don't think that forgiveness would come easily.
And then I thought about the fact that the visceral feelings I have concerning those sins that might be committed against me or one of my loved ones...the feelings of anger or disgust that rose in me just thinking about those things...are nothing compared to what God must feel about our sins.
God is completely holy and perfect. He has no sin, and the sin that we have separates us from him and his holy nature. In fact, we were considered enemies of God because of our collective sin nature. And our sin is disgusting to God. It is repugnant. It is a betrayal of God's loving kindness to us. And when people murder, they murder God's children. When people rape or abuse others, they are doing those things to God's creation. Imagine the feelings we have about those things even as sinful beings. I believe that we can't even begin to fathom God's feelings about these sins.
Every sin and every evil deed done to you is also an act against God. When you're lied to or betrayed...when you're abused or mistreated...when someone you love is harmed...Those things are all acts against God. And when WE do those things, WE act against God as well. We aren't just sinning against each other, we're also sinning against God.
And sin is sin, I think. If you break a "big" rule, you're a rule breaker. If you break a "small" rule, you're a rule breaker. Once something is broken, it's broken. And so we all stand before God in the same condition: sinful and in pieces.
Happily, if we come before the Lord and ask for forgiveness, he gives it. I realized that I will never have to forgive anything more than what God has already forgiven. And I will never have to give up more than God already has to provide that forgiveness to anyone else.
Our sinfulness is huge, and yet, God forgives. So as I accept that forgiveness, I must in turn do the same for my neighbors. I have to ask myself, "How can I ask for forgiveness from the Lord, if I am unwilling to offer that same forgiveness to those who sin against me?" If I will not forgive, how can I expect to be forgiven?
And perhaps I should even take joy in forgiving. Knowing that as I do, it will be done to me. As I forgive, I can rejoice that I will also be forgiven.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours in the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen
As I was saying the words, I started to think about the sins we might have to forgive. Some things aren't too hard to forgive really. Others are a little more difficult. But there are some things that would be really hard to forgive I think. Things like murder, or rape, or child abuse. What if someone I loved was murdered? What if someone I loved was sexually assaulted? What if someone abused my child? How could I forgive those things? I'm sure I would want to seek revenge against the perpetrator, and I don't think that forgiveness would come easily.
And then I thought about the fact that the visceral feelings I have concerning those sins that might be committed against me or one of my loved ones...the feelings of anger or disgust that rose in me just thinking about those things...are nothing compared to what God must feel about our sins.
God is completely holy and perfect. He has no sin, and the sin that we have separates us from him and his holy nature. In fact, we were considered enemies of God because of our collective sin nature. And our sin is disgusting to God. It is repugnant. It is a betrayal of God's loving kindness to us. And when people murder, they murder God's children. When people rape or abuse others, they are doing those things to God's creation. Imagine the feelings we have about those things even as sinful beings. I believe that we can't even begin to fathom God's feelings about these sins.
Every sin and every evil deed done to you is also an act against God. When you're lied to or betrayed...when you're abused or mistreated...when someone you love is harmed...Those things are all acts against God. And when WE do those things, WE act against God as well. We aren't just sinning against each other, we're also sinning against God.
And sin is sin, I think. If you break a "big" rule, you're a rule breaker. If you break a "small" rule, you're a rule breaker. Once something is broken, it's broken. And so we all stand before God in the same condition: sinful and in pieces.
Happily, if we come before the Lord and ask for forgiveness, he gives it. I realized that I will never have to forgive anything more than what God has already forgiven. And I will never have to give up more than God already has to provide that forgiveness to anyone else.
Our sinfulness is huge, and yet, God forgives. So as I accept that forgiveness, I must in turn do the same for my neighbors. I have to ask myself, "How can I ask for forgiveness from the Lord, if I am unwilling to offer that same forgiveness to those who sin against me?" If I will not forgive, how can I expect to be forgiven?
And perhaps I should even take joy in forgiving. Knowing that as I do, it will be done to me. As I forgive, I can rejoice that I will also be forgiven.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Anderson will be about 10 1/2 months old when Halloween rolls around. I've been thinking about what his costume should be for a while now, and my husband and I have decided on the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz. Of course, we want to dress up too and go out with the same theme! So, I will be Dorothy and Jared will be the scarecrow.
On Sunday, I went to Joann Fabrics with my mom and my younger brother's girlfriend, and we rounded up all the materials necessary for my mom to make a super awesome lion costume for Anderson. My mom made costumes for me and my brothers when we were young, and luckily for me she's going to continue that tradition with her grandchildren. Perhaps unluckily for her, I picked the most detailed pattern of the bunch (McCall's). Look at all those ribbons necessary for the mane! But it was the cutest one and I know she's up to the challenge!
So yes, it's only August and Halloween is a while away, but I'm super excited to get all gussied-up and go trick-or-treating with my little lion!
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