Nutcracker and the Four Realms

     Sometimes, when you’re young, you see a movie, or read a book, and know that your destiny has just been sighted. Things don’t always work out that way, but one can dream. I grew up in upstate New York, so there were definitely times when it was cold and snowy. There was a pond behind our house, and during the summer we could swim, fish and chase frogs. But during the winter, that pond became something else. Frozen, it turned into another world, running and sliding on the ice worked for a while—and then I read about Hans Brinker and his silver skates.  

    A dream, coincidences, God moments, and a young boy getting an opportunity to be a hero. I knew that if I just had my own pair of silver skates, that I too could be a hero. Or a famous athlete, or an Olympic medalist. The world at my fingertips.

   I begged, I left reminders, circled skates in all the catalogs, wrote my letter to Santa, included a plea for skates in my evening prayers, and promised to be good. And then on Christmas morning, there they were.

    Skating wasn’t quite as easy as it looked, and I managed to spend more time sitting on the ice than gliding across it, but eventually I got the hang of it. I never got called to play professional hockey, my speeds didn’t qualify me for anything, and as a figure skater—well, let’s just say that my figure 8’s looked more like a kindergartner using a crayon to learn how to write, than anything done by a calligrapher. 

    But in my mind, I was the heroic Hans, living a dream, restoring the family, and selflessly allowing someone else to shine. 

    The magic of a dream: a boy, a frozen pond, a pair of used skates, and a big imagination. 

     And there’s another dream that we watch for every year: the magic of the Nutcracker, and this year, it goes a step further with the release of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

About The Movie (Synopsis)

All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.  “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” releases in theaters on November 2.

you can watch a clip HERE

or watch the music video of Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo singing FALL ON ME

Seek and Circle Bible Battles

What a fun book! When our son was little, we used to spend hours with this kind of activity. It seemed he never tired of looking for the hidden objects, and he was always excited when he could find them faster than I could.

                Our favorite seek and find was from a popular kids’ movie of the day, but B&H Kids has stepped up to the plate, and now instead of pop-culture, we have a teaching tool that can help your little ones (approx. 4-8 yrs old) get interested in the “One Big Story” of the Bible.  Seek and Circle Bible Battles (B&H Publishing Group, 2018) introduces the ‘Armor of God’ as Found in Ephesians, chapter 6, and uses several battles found in the bible (Jericho, David and Goliath and others) as teaching points.

                Colorful scenes with a long list of things to find, including in each battle scene, one piece of the armor of God, will keep kids occupied and interested.  My big ‘complaint’ is that this book does not come with the dry-erase marker suggested for use and re-use.

                I received a copy of this book from the publisher as a member of their bloggers’ team. I was not required to write a positive review.

4/5

Faith for This Moment

Have you noticed that things have changed over the past few decades? Good, because most things have changed. And I say most, because it seems that the Church in the West is lagging behind.  In no way am I suggesting that the message of the Gospel has changed. I’m not suggesting that the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has changed, or that the need for grace has changed. But for many churches, many Christians, we seem reluctant to change the way we tell the story, the way we do business, the way we live out our faith. Unfortunately, the way we share the gospel is received differently in every culture, every context, and in every city. So we need to know what matters and how to share that important stuff in the context of the culture in which we live.

                We wonder why we can’t just turn on the lights and unlock the doors on Sunday morning and have the sanctuary full. That might work in a city in the Bible belt; but what about some places in Utah where more than 90% of the population is Mormon? What about places near Detroit with large Muslim populations? What about cities with large Hindi or Buddhist populations? What about places like Portland, OR, which is considered to be largely unchurched?  And of course there are major population centers where each of these religious groups are represented. What works in one place, might not be effective in another.          

                And then along comes Rick McKinley’s latest book, Faith for this Moment: Navigating a Polarized World as the People of God. (Baker Books, 2018). I’ll be candid from the beginning here. I was not as enthusiastic about this book as I was a couple of the author’s earlier books. Rick is a dynamic speaker, and his experience as Pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland Oregon certainly gives him a lot to speak about, but somehow his excitement and enthusiasm didn’t come through as clearly in this book as it did in say “This Beautiful Mess” (Multnomah, 2006/2013)

                McKinley addresses such issues as Demonstration of faith. What are the distinctives of Christianity, and how do we manifest that faith? What does exile look like today—we know it was 40 years in the desert for Moses. What is the Babylon facing us today, and how do we respond? What does faithfulness look like when we are in exile? There are also several chapters devoted to different spiritual practices, and the book ends with an all-important chapter on loving the city: “Bless the City for the Sake of the King”.

                The title of the final chapter might seem a little misleading…it’s not just a ‘how-to’ chapter, nor is it just an exhortation or command, rather it sums up how the community is blessed when Christians know the history of the church, of the faith, and put into practice what we should have been doing all along.

4/5

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. The thoughts expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

Faith fo

Welcome to Adulting

Probably there are some people who know what they want to do when they grow up, know what they want to be when they grow up, but I’m not one of them.  Funny thing though, I’ve never heard anybody say that they want to grow up to be an adult. People want to be a fireman, a millionaire, an actor, a pharmacist, or married with kids. But no one wants to get old, (other than be old enough to do (or buy) any number of things that do require you be of a certain age).

                But who wants to be an adult, with all that adulting entails? Often we don’t know what it means to be an adult. We’re not taught the basics in school, and in a lot of families, the parents haven’t learned enough about being an adult to teach their kids. Our youth need help.

                Jonathan “JP” Pokluda (with Kevin McConaghy) has written a guide for the next generation of adults, and for some of the previous generations who didn’t learn the lesson the first time through.  Welcome to Adulting: Navigating Faith, Friendships, Finances, and the Future (Baker Books, 2018) offers a series of lessons on what it means to be an adult. The readers is asked to explore issues like “Why am I here?” or “What is a good employee?” And of course there is a discussion about managing money, and learning that there are things more important than amassing a large amount of money that you can’t take with you.

                And learning to be an adult means learning to get along with people, and possibly marriage, so a chapter is dedicated to dating—what it is, and how to be successful. Of course as we get older we are also faced with our own immortality, and people with a strong faith background seem to deal better with the inevitable losses.

                JP isn’t afraid to share his own experiences on his way to adulthood, and many of the choices he made were perhaps not the wisest ones he could have made.  I appreciated his openness since it makes the lessons he talks about more believable. Because he has made some of the bad choices, he has a frame of reference that others might not have.

                Sex, drugs and rock &roll may seem like an enviable lifestyle, but in the end they lead us away from the life that God has planned for each of us.

                Welcome to adulting.

                4/5

                I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. There was no requirement that I write a positive review.

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel by Dr. Christopher Yuan

Several years ago I read Out of a far Country by Christopher Yuan. The book is a powerful testimony to the ability of Jesus Christ to break the chains which bind us. The subtitle says it all: A Gay Son’s Journey to God. A Broken Mother’s Search for Hope. I was definitely impressed with Christopher’s story, so when I recently saw this book come available as part of Waterbrook-Multnomah’s Book Launch Team, I jumped at the chance to read and review.

            Of course there is some information about the author’s background, he didn’t have a faith walk, and was in prison dealing with the consequences of a gay life-style, coupled with drugs. One day he picked up a bible (as he puts it he was bored and there was nothing else to read) But in the midst of his brokenness, God appeared on the pages of that bible, and his journey suddenly took a distinct turn.  And some of that new creation is described in this new book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desires, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story.

            A lot has happened since picking up that bible and being convicted by the Holy Spirit. Dr. Yuan has several theological degrees and teaches at Moody Bible Institute. So although the book starts with a part of Christopher’s story and how it fits into God's grand story, this is not an autobiographical book. Rather it is a study of God's grand design for humanity.

            First things first. God did not give us all the laws and commandments to make our lives miserable. They are to help us live a better life than we might be able to if left to our own devices. And Yuan found that out when he was freed from a life of breaking many of those biblical commands. (It’s called sin!)

            There are any number of categories of sin, and the scripture covering them, and one is sexuality. In that group there are many more things that same-sex attraction mentioned, but that seems to be the one that many churches like to focus on. For me personally I was very glad that the whole focus of this book was not just one of the sexual sins mentioned in the bible. In fact there are a lot of other categories mentioned also. Which is fair. Sin is sin, and we have no right to assume that the sin God hates the most is the one that we’re not involved in.

            Instead of making a case for or against a specific sin, Dr, Yuan makes a case for treating sex the way that God intended it to be treated. A way of strengthening the bond between a man and a woman, and also a way to enable humans to obey the command to replenish the earth.  

            The title of the book, Holy Sexuality and the Gospel, might lead one to think that we were going to be subjected to an academic paper based on the Levitical Laws, with a few references to the books of Romans and 1 Corinthians. There is a bit of an academic slant which some readers might find a little daunting, but remember that Dr. Yuan is an academic. Although the framework of the discussion centers on sexual sin, the broader picture that is painted is of sin—period.

            All sin interferes with the relational aspect of knowing God, and by extension with knowing others. All sin interferes with getting along with God and with others. All sin gets in the way of living within the context of ‘God's Grand Story’.

            As an added bonus, there is a study guide at the back of the book. Over the course of 8 weeks, a few chapters at a time, individuals, or preferably a small group, can more fully explore the content of this book.

            As a member of the Waterbook & Multnomah Launch Team, I received an advance copy of this book. I was asked to write and post a review, but there was no expectation or requirement that it be a positive review.

            I enjoyed this book, but imagine that many readers would not enjoy it, because they won’t agree with the author’s stance on the topic

            5/5

are we loving immigrants and refugees like God loves us?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock and totally without access to any type of news media (including your social media where people post about what’s going on in the world, and their opinions about it) for the past few years, you’ve heard both sides of the arguments about immigration and refugees. Both sides and everything in between. And the battle gets pretty heated with one extreme suggesting that anyone who wants to come to our country should be allowed in, and on the other extreme, the group that would refuse entry to just about everyone.  Of course there has to be a center-ground, since except for the 100% Native American, none of us would be allowed to live here if the one extreme had their way.

In the midst of the rancorous and bitter arguments, comes a voice of reason. Kent Annan, has written a book which confronts fear mongering with facts, and presents a Biblical point of view on how we are to treat, and receive those who would like to be a part of the population of the U.S., and those who would prefer to return to their homes, but are prevented from doing so by war, famine, drought, or other things which most of us can’t even begin to imagine.

You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us (InterVarsisty Press) has a scheduled release date of Nov 2018. Annan tackles the tough topics like why people are so against welcoming people from other places. He suggests that in many cases it’s because of fear. They’re nervous, they’re concerned about safety, and they don’t want people around who are intent on hurting others. But statistics show that these newcomers of whom we are so afraid are rarely the ones who commit the crimes.

This is a very readable book, with narratives of stories that Kent has experienced with people in or from many different places. And they are stories that should touch even the hardest hearts. But it goes beyond telling stories. There are reactions to those stories, there are personal experiences, there are statistics, and throughout are the reminders that we should be loving others as God loves us.

And above all this is a cry for justice. Justice God-style, rather than what often passes for justice in our 21^st century society. Justice which means that everyone is treated fairly, and given opportunities that are so frequently denied to those who don’t look like us, talk like us, or share a common culture.

At the end of each chapter is a “practice” exercise. These exercises invite us to learn to listen to the stories of our neighbors, learn to listen, learn to hear, and use those stories to help us get to know the people with whom we come in contact.

Although the practices are especially geared towards immigrants and refugees, for many of us, in our hundreds-of-friends-on-social-media-but none-in-real-life society, we could use the exercises to get to know the people in our neighborhoods who do look and talk like us, and who do share that common culture.

As we run our race called life, we can all use the reminder that life on earth is practice for eternal life in heaven where according to the Apostle John, there was “ a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9. NIV

            I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher.

            5/5

The Nutcracker is such an important part of many families' holiday tradition. And now just in time for the 2018 holiday season, comes "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms".

watch a clip Misty Copeland as the Ballet Princess

and here's a bit of behind the scenes. Watch watch here

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.

Opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 2, 2018.

Directors:  Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston

Producers:  Mark Gordon, Larry Franco

Executive producers:  Sara Smith, Lindy Goldstein

experience joy--regardless of your circumstances

We’re told over and over from the pulpit that Christianity means joy. And when things are going well, that’s easy to believe. But some days it’s hard to find the joy that we so desperately want to experience. Jason Hague had day after day that seemed devoid of joy, but finally there was a breakthrough moment, and even in the midst of difficult times, he is now able to experience joy. 

                Aching Joy: Following God through the Land of Unanswered Prayer (NavPress, 2018) is the story of seeming unanswered prayers after the author’s world took a sharp turn when his son was diagnosed with moderate, and then severe, autism. Shattered dreams, difficult moments, and lots of questions, including a lot of “why me?”

                But in this case there was faith, a caring pastor, and loving friends willing to stand by and walk through the dark times. They celebrated the successes, and were supportive during the regressions. The author goes through the stages of grief, as he mourns what might have been, but he also grows in his faith, and learns to trust God. 

                There are a couple of main stories here, along with several supporting ones. On one hand, we have the story of Jackson, the son who one day is different, and with that difference brings a whole new set of trials. On the other hand is Jason, the author, the dad, now a pastor, who learns about autism, and himself as he learns what it means to parent an autistic child. 

                There is a quote on the cover of this book which says it all: “This book will help you see that God is still in your story—and that your circumstances don’t get to decide you level of joy.” ~ September Vaudrey.

                A tender story, full of love, laughter and tears. Have the tissues ready.  4/5

                I received a copy of this book as a member of Tyndale House’s bloggers’ program. I was not required to write a positive review.

"The NutCracker" in Theaters Nov 2

just in time for the holidays.   
watch the trailer here

t’s hard to believe that it is already October and Christmas will be here in no time! We’re excited to be working on the beloved holiday classic story, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR RELAMS that Disney is now releasing.

The film is in theaters November 2^nd and is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale “The Nutcracker.” THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS showcases the wondrous journey of Clara, who finds herself in the mystical world of the Four Realms, home to a host of eccentric characters and no shortage of surprises. 

It’s a story about one girl finding the courage to overcome her fears to help restore peace. We know this longtime beloved story will be a hit with families and a wonderful opportunity to re-visit this classic.

The film stars Keira Knightley (ATONEMENT, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN), Mackenzie Foy (INTERSTELLAR, THE CONJNURING), Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN, GOSFORD PARK), Morgan Freeman (INVICTUS, THE SHAWSHANK REDEPMTION) and ballerina Misty Copeland.

More about the film:  

All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.

The cast includes: Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Miranda Hart, Sergei Polunin, Jayden Fowora-Knight, Omid  Djalili, Jack Whitehall, Meera Syal, Ellie Bamber, Misty Copeland, with Helen  Mirren and Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by       Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston.

Stumbling toward wholeness

Sometimes I like a book, but I can’t really say why, other than at times it makes so much sense with what’s going on in my life right now, or it tells a story from my past. And sometimes I can’t even tell if it’s talking to my past self or my present self.  And that’s the case with Stumbling toward Wholeness: How the Love of God Changes Us by Andrew J. Bauman, (NavPress, 2018).

                I don’t know anyone who could truly be called “split” or “multiple” personality, but I think for each of us there are times when we feel like someone else has taken over our body, and we just don’t know how to cope. Just as we get used to dealing with the world in a certain way, it seems that a different part of our brain kicks in, and we have to look at things differently. In a sense this book is written to/for/about those who suffer from substance abuse. Yet it’s also for people whose hearts have been broken by those they love, those who have broken someone’s heart, and those who are bitter because of the perceived injustice that exists in their family or community.  I guess that covers just about everyone.

                In this book, Bauman looks at the 3 main characters of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, as recounted in chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke.  I know that most people, depending on where they might be on their faith walk, identify more closely with either the Father, the elder brother, or the younger brother. That’s true in my case also, but at different times, depending on the circumstance, the situation, or with whom I’m interacting at the time, I might also identify closely with one of the other characters.

                And that confuses me. I identify with a certain set of beliefs, values, and emotions, and suddenly I get to experience things in a different light. And I think that’s the strong point of this book. Bauman, helps us to recognize that sometimes we overlook the other characters of this story, and as a result we’re left fragmented. Only when we realize that at different times we are the runaway son, the entitled older brother, or the welcoming father do we reach a state of wholeness.

                This is a delightful mix of theology, self-reflection, professional experience, and a rare (but welcome) vulnerability. As I was reading, I found myself naming the people he was talking about—not really, I named the people in my life who sounded just like the people in his. And I found myself making a list of people within my circle who might benefit from reading this book—if only they would.

                Well worth the read

5/5

                A member of the publisher’s blogging program, I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review. There was no requirement of expectation of a positive review.