"THE MOVIES"

Now I'm not a real movie kind of guy. I have trouble sitting still for 2 hours but on occasion I actually take a little time to kick back with my wife and watch a movie. (Usually rent a dvd. Rarely go to the theatre).

This past weekend I actually watched a movie with ML 2 nights in a row. Friday night we watched a show called Nights at Rathande (sp?). A good one for valentine's weekend. And then we gathered with about 30 folks at church and watched Fireproof. A great show dealing with what it takes to make a marriage work. I mentioned the movie before on an an earlier blog (as did my son Todd, on his blog).

Both of these movies dealt with broken relationships within the context of marriage. The first movie came to the conclusion that it was best to get out, that there was somebody better than the one with whom the vows were exchanged, and that within one weekend a person could get to know another person so well that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Hmmm. Now I liked the move, just didn't agree with its answer to the problem.

Regarding Fireproof, the reality is that marriage is hard work and things don't just fall apart overnight nor do they get fixed overnight. I appreciated the fact that God was a necessary componant to the restoration of the relationship in the movie. And I thought that it was evident that just buying flowers does not a relationship make. One thing I must mention however is that sometimes it doesn't always work out. Sometimes the ending is different than what takes place in the movie. And it's not because God was not desired as a part of the solution. Sadly, that's the cold hard facts of life when one person will do whatever it takes and the other won't. Thankfully God can still work in those situations. I've seen it many times.

Okay, enough rambling. Take some time this week and pay attention to relationships. Watch what's happening. Observe whether God is welcomed or rejected within those relationships. And in the process, acknowledge that life is not a reel deal, it's the "real" deal! Include the Lord - he's got an Oscar in store for you.

THUMBS UP!!

I'm not really a movie person - It's hard for me to sit still for that long - however M.L. and I went and saw the movie Fireproof last Saturday night and I would highly recommend it. My son Todd already blogged about it a few weeks back so I won't repeat his words. I will say that it addresses the struggles that husbands and wives have in their marriages and provides ways couples can "fireproof" their relationships. I will suggest that you go see it or order the dvd which will come out in the end of January. We will probably show it at church in the little theatre room. Check out the website to see the movie trailer at http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/.

Have any of you seen it? What are your thoughts? It's interesting to see what others are saying - both those who liked it and those who weren't interested in being "preached at". I'd like to know your opinion.