personal growth Archives - Page 6 of 12 - Lisa Colón DeLay

Let the Wild Rumpus start! -my movie review

I’m going to see the film “Where the Wild Things” are today. I’ll post a review, of sorts, on here after a little reflection. Then we can discuss it, along with how the book has had an effect on you over the years.

Leave any comments you have about the movie, (whether you’ve seen it or not) or your thoughts and feelings about the book.

MOVIE REVIEW (of sorts)

OKay I saw it.

General thoughts: If you think of this movie strictly as an adaption, not film based on book, you can fully enjoy this work. It takes different turns then the book, so I kept noticing that, and it got in the way for me.

The movie has some sweet moments, of both innocence and profundity; and Max is a boy dealing with his faults and fears, in a way that the best he can do alone, with wild things doing the same sort of thing. All the same, the movie has a middle area with a slow spot, and it seems like the plot has disappeared. What plot there is at the island meanders hopelessly, but that’s not all bad. Max is a boy who cannot, after all, be King for long. The dialogue of the monsters often left we wanting, but the puppets/actors/CGI is done in a way that carries the entire wild thing off. Jonzes’ movie-making style is suited for this type of piece, and he does many creative direction work I loved. Wildly effective.

Of a 100%, I give it a 78%. It’s worth seeing, if you drop your expectations of the beloved classic tale. Nothing can recapture Maurice Sedick’s work in feature length, so far. However, Spike Jonze has made a good, but not flawless, film.

(for parents) *I detected 2 language usage (damn was the word I think), for those of you who don’t want children exposed to this sort of thing. As far as me taking my 6 and 9 year old, I might wait until video. This is mostly because Max is so unruly at the beginning, I picture my kids imitating his antics as fast as they get a chance. The “scariness” was there, but wasn’t all that terrifying. It wasn’t so much TEETH, or realistic gore, but suspense. A creature loses an arm, but it’s not blood that comes out, and he complains, but doesn’t appear to be in pain. It could be that the dull spot in the middle, could make children, teens (and some adults) bored, or worse, whinny. This movie is fine for children over 8, in my opinion. Under that age, I think the parent would have to decide based on the sensitivity of their particular child.

Ask questions, or leave comments:

Hope this was helpful.

Reader Responds with quote (i.e. Lust: an Opportunity)

Karen Moret Harrison wrote:

“If there is an Enemy of Souls, one thing he cannot abide is the desire for purity. Hence a man’s or woman’s passions become his battleground. The Love of Souls does not prevent this. I was perplexed because it seemed to me He should prevent it, but He doesn’t. He wants us to learn to use our weapons.” ~Elisabeth Elliot

En garde!

It would seem that we must take up armor against attacks that target our weak points, yet use the attacks themselves as God’s inescapable challenges to strengthen ourselves, enrich our dependence on Him, and I dare say, hone our passions for our best interests, and God’s work.

Thank you for writing, friend! “Allez!”

How about you? Leave your thoughts and comments, please. :)

Welcome Schuylkill-News Readers!

Welcome! If you’re visiting because of reading my column Notes From the Footpath in the Schuylkill-News, please let me know in a comment below.

Also tell me if you have any questions (about my SN article, this site, or Christian spirituality, etc.).

Poke around. There’s lots to read, think about, and challenge yourself with too. I love to hear your take on things, so feel free to post. You should know, I like posting funny things (photos, videos, etc.), and mildly amusing little, cosmo-style quizzes. And I give away gifts!

(Do a site-wide search on the blog home page for what interests you, or check the archives listed.) I post almost every day, so come back again soon.

So glad you came by. :)

Guest Post-by Veron Graham "Writing: An Act of Prayer?"

I invited my friend Veron, the author of exploretruth.com, as a guest writer here. He’s not just a talented writer, he’s an insightful man who translates vital concepts we should take in and absorb.

Enjoy this honest, and helpful contribution about what he has done when prayer has become difficult. This type of prayer exercise can be done when it’s hard to be verbal, or just to freshen up your time alone with God. Give it a try. I’ve enjoyed the practice too.

Writing: An Act of Prayer?

-Veron Graham

They swarm like drunken bees. Disjointed and restless having lost their motivation and focus. With thoughtful pause I point the pen, the swarm now threatening to coalesce around a single thought, emotion, or heart felt longing; like the only drop of honey in a dry expanse of nothingness and silence.

Thoughts sometimes struggle to shine in our confused states of darkness. Of doubt. Like one candle in the dark, I’ve struggled to whisper into this darkness. And if you’re anything like me you have as well.

Some days go better for me than others, but mostly I’ve struggled to utter words to a God who at times I didn’t fully understand, and just reverted to mumbling variations of childhood prayers that allowed me the comfort of remaining on the surface, never plunging the depths of truth and genuine connection with God.

True prayer has always been hard for me. I’ve only now begun to see how revolutionary an act of faith really talking to God truly is. To be quite honest, as of late, I haven’t really been praying. Not in the traditional sense anyway. I’ve been suffering some guilt about this, and the fact that Ive recently begun writing is the only balm that has sustained me, and given me a possibly different perspective on the subject of prayer.

So what exactly is Prayer?

Wikipedia defines prayer as:

“The act of addressing a god or spirit for the purpose of worship or petition.[1] Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one’s thoughts and emotions. The words used in prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, incantation, words of gratitude, or a spontaneous utterance in the person’s praying words. Praying can be done in public, as a group, or in private”.

It appears that there can be more than one way to express thoughts and emotions. More than one means to reveal what burns in our hearts. And thats comforting. Like a million varying classifications of flowers raised heavenward to their life source, it seems to me, that we to can raise our voice, hands, or lives in whatever medium speaks, and opens our hearts to Divine wisdom.

So Why is Prayer so Hard for some?

In a world full of distractions and complexity, I’ve realized that focusing the mind and concretizing my thoughts can be difficult, far less for the thoughts I have towards God. Make no mistake, I possess the yearning to connect to the divine, and desire to experience more of a real connection. To wrestle with the unknowns in my life. But sometimes the faith feat of articulating and communicating my thoughts to a less than tangible concept of God can seem abstract, prove difficult, and sometimes feel pointless.

As of late, I have found that the act of writing my spiritual journey, to be a powerful act of reflection, contemplation, meditation, prayer, and maybe even praise. Grappling with the bedrock of human existence, the why’s of life, the unresolved questions I have, doubts, and fears, all can be given proper voice, in the visible form of the written word.

Our prayers, becoming statements of faith, and even of doubt. Lord, I believe, and please help my unbelief. All nakedly and honestly expressed on paper, where we can both remember from where we’ve come, where we are, and petition to participate in where we understand God to be going. It allows us to plot our stages of growth, bolstering and transforming theory into a real, tangible and experiential spiritual life.

“I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. – Psalms 116:1”

Find what works for you!

Writing has allowed me to penetrate the facade that much of life’s distractions can cultivate. For you it may be another creative outlet. I was talking to my mother, who happened to just start a womans small group at her home. She was describing to me what she called a prayer basket. She creatively collects all the things that she needs in order to pray or spiritually connect with God. “I have my prayer journal in there, along with a pack of cookies”, she said, smiling. I imagine each basket will be as unique as the thumbprints of the ladies in her group. I think that if nature is any indication of Gods creativity, it leads me to appreciate the plethora of genuine expressions and communication styles from his children.

Thank you, Veron. Many more great things by Veron are here.

Help for blind spots

photo from failblog.com

"Oh, what to do... this sunshine is bothering me again!"

I thought this picture was a great example of trying to figure out a problem (glare from the sun) on-the-fly. The easy answer is, simply, “shield your eyes.” With the help of a friend, though, this guy could realize he’s already wearing a hat perfectly suited as sun gear.

The better answer: “Turn your hat around.”

We most often learn best in community (through others) and we grow as people this way. Our individual perspective throws us off, and cuts us off from seeing solutions, and places to improve.

Spiritual direction works in the same sort of way. A person seeks spiritual direction, or guidance, not because they can’t see well at all, but because they are wise enough to realize they have blind spots.

Everybody has blind spots, and many are still trying to figure out what those blind spots really are. That’s were community can help too, for the same reason. Whether it’s for productivity; personal growth; becoming better at a particular skill; or in a particular area in your career or your character, outside perspective gives the benefits of revealing our blind spots. That is, if we can be brave enough to hear and learn what they are, and how to overcome some of those obstacles.

The challenge really lies in risking with people, we grow to trust, to be honest with us, and journey with us, for our best interest. And-we mustn’t fail at starting, and nurturing relationships purposefully moving to this level of familiarity.

I encourage you to invest in one or two relationships that will reveal your blind spots. Do it right away.

Have you done this already?

Encourage us, and share a bit of your story here.

Thanks for reading.