Sunday Seven 27-1-2014

 Today begins a new series - a way for me to share things I love/enjoy/recommend.  Introducing...  the Sunday Seven!  Read on for inspirations and recommendations...

1.  A book:  Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us beautifully combines biology, poetry, and history (geologic history, the histories of sailing and oceanography).  I read it while in Maine this summer, and it inspired me to closely examine and enjoy tiny organisms (whelks and seaweed-dwelling bugs) in addition to the vastness of the sea.  Ms. Carson's writings motivate me to spend hours scouring seaside boulders, trees, and lichens.

2.  A movie:  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a witty, British drama about a group of 60+ Britons settling in India for their retirement, and discovering that life's biggest adventures can whisk you away in your golden years.  The cast - Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy - initially attracted my attention, and carried the film beautifully.  Seeing Bill N. and Penelope Wilton play a married couple made me wonder if I had discovered an alternate ending to Shaun of the Dead.

3.  A game:  The Sims - using fancy, modern technology to play...  with dolls.

4.  A TV program:  Modern Family is hilarious!  Recently, I enjoyed a scene that overlaid Cam tenderly singing "Ave Maria" whilst Mitch destroyed their living room with a tennis racquet, trying to kill a rogue pigeon.  I haven't laughed that hard since the first four times I watched Arrested Development (no, not the first four episodes...)

5.  This organization:  Defy Ventures, Inc. trains and equips criminal offenders to become entrepreneurs after their release from prison.  Founder Catherine Hoke spoke at church this morning, and told us how the program releases her clients from the cycle of poverty, welfare, and crime; and suits them up as successful business owners, creating new jobs and pumping tax money into the economy.  Did you know that in New York, it costs $167,000 a year to incarcerate one person?  Check out Defy Ventures - the stories of redemption are beautiful!

6.  This news article:  "South Sudan ceasefire takes effect" - hopeful!

7.  These cookies:  SAMOAS and THIN MINTS.  Thank God for Girl Scout cookie season.

The Invisible Story Behind Invisible Children

If you've found yourself caught up in confusion about the recent "Kony 2012" video released by the Invisible Children group, you're not alone.  The video is a plea to the public of the United States, asking them to petition the U.S. government to team up with the Ugandan government to catch warlord Joseph Kony.  Upon online release of this video, many response videos were recorded and shared, claiming that Invisible Children's video is incorrect, that Americans have no place to "set things right" for Ugandans and that there may be secret motives for the U.S. government to back this video as propaganda.

As Americans, do we have a responsibility to catching all of the "bad guys" out there?  If we ignore it, are we allowing more children to be abducted, raped, beaten and trained to kill?

As a follower of Jesus, can one justify a military presence in Uganda?  Are army "advisers" there to help infiltrate peacefully and capture Kony, or are they joining the Ugandan army in using force to do so?

Like many folks who've been brought to attention by this media controversy, I, too, am looking for the truth in the matter.  What's the best way to discover what actually happens in a country half-way across the globe?

Eyewitnesses.

We can trust those who've been there and experienced the turmoil in Uganda to tell the truth and get down to the bottom of this matter, bringing possible peaceful solutions to the table.

A good friend of mine has been there.  Phil spent a semester abroad in Uganda, and fell in love with Suzan.  He had to return to Pennsylvania after the semester ended, but he returned for another three months to marry her and spend time with her family and community.  Suzan has recently joined him here, in the U.S., and they're working together to file for dual citizenship for the both of them.

In short, Phil wrote a great article from his and her perspective on the "Kony 2012" video, and I think you should read it.  It brought me some great clarification on the true situation, and it may do the same for you.

The Invisible Story Behind Invisible Children - Phil Wilmot

Blue Like Jazz

I read Blue Like Jazz years ago and loved it.  A few years ago, I heard news of the pre-production for a Blue Like Jazz film - which was difficult to imagine, since the book is such a lovely, meandering collection of essays on spirituality and conversations and experiences.  Now that I've seen the trailer, I'm so excited to watch the story come to life on the big screen.

Hey

Hey, I just noticed an abundance of litter out in the world in general today. Now that the election's over, all those ugly signs with folks' last names on them don't count for anything. I hope the political advocates take responsibility and pack them away.

Hey, tonight there's a band playing a show at Messiah College. They are called The Psalters. Phil described them as "tribal folk crazy smelly awesome." This is something I'm looking forward to.

Hey, I found out today that Don Miller is making his super-famous book Blue Like Jazz into a movie. It seems they're looking for financial support, because the website advertises that you can become an "associate producer" and get your name in the credits at the end of the film. It's not going to follow the book exactly [since it's really a collection of essays], but it'll be about young Don struggling against his Bible belted childhood and entering into the "most godless campus in America" for higher education. I am excited about this as well.

Hey, I also just read that Jon Acuff landed a book deal for Stuff Christians Like, which I read pretty much on a daily basis. It's not supposed to come out until 2010 [oh-twelve?], but I know I'll be reading it when it's printed. Hey, be a sweetheart and support an aspiring writer by buying a copy. Booty, God, booty

Hey, speaking of aspiring writers, I'm doing this thing - it's called National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo] and Wallace told me about it. You write 50,000 words during the month of November; no editing, just straight creative output. I never really wrote anything before, so I'm discovering that maybe it's not as hard as I'd thought. Using one of those baby name websites, I picked out eccentric, unisex names for all my characters. I do enjoy spending time just spouting out plot and dialogue stuff. I also like that it doesn't matter if the story is good or not, it's just about putting yourself out there and creating story. It won't all be completely fantastic, but I recommend giving it a try.