Faced with a choice between two films, Inglorious Bastards and Julie and Julia, I deferred to my friend Beth and went with the “chick-flick”. There were way too many bullet holes on that poster of Brad Pitt, and I reckoned it would be easier for me to watch Merle Streep cook than for Beth to watch Brad slaughter Nazis.
It was a great choice. You know, the kingdom changes everything, and even this biographical film about a French cook oozed with the passion and creativity of the Trinity. It’s a movie about following the passions placed in our heart by Father God, and about how we come alive when we do the things we’re created to do. Of course Merle Streep, (who happens to be one of my favorite actresses), was brilliant as Julia Child, and even though I didn’t get choked up, I got worked-up and had to refrain from jumping up and cheering during several scenes.
Julia Child cooked fish. And so did Jesus. (John 21:9-13) So the way I see it, that makes cooking a holy thing. The source of that delightful cooking-joy in Julia Child found its source in the creative, cooking God.
I walked out of the theater thinking abut my passions. Am I living them? Am I throwing myself into the things the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created me to do? Are you? You might want to check out Julie and Julia.
Dispatches from the Shadowlands 
Loved watching Julia Childs as a boy. We thought she was hilarious and would emulate her when we were on kitchen duty (still do on occasion when I am by myself). It was likely her passion and wit thar were so engaging even though I did not care much for cooking (only the results). I am reminded of Ebenezer Scrooge, who was better than his word. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; his own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May the same be said of us in keeping the Kingdom!
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ata boy donny live the dance and dance in the life that has surrounded you . lovely to read some of your dance steps . i just love it blessings tom hallas
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(yet again), this reminds me of a discussion you stirred up in our camp, last summer – everything that is beautiful is created by God or there is some counterfeit beauty that comes from the enemy.
Jesus is so awesome! He cooked breakfast, spat into poor people’s eyes, had skin-on-skin encounters with prostitutes and hang around with mostly hated villains. There is this video on Youtube that sometimes I go back to. The singer, Susan Boyle, she’s amazing. Great personal story, went fast to stardom after the audition on Britain’s Got Talent… anyway, many people have heard of her. But why do I go back to that (I’m not going into debates concerning her Christianity or Churchianity)?
When she appears on the stage, she is a massive looser, I mean no one thinks she might perform something. But when she starts singing, is like literally, an electric surge running down my spine to my every possible cell. Her voice and song make a mysterious mind=blowing concoction… and I’m lost for words.
She is just a simple woman that does the best with what Papa placed inside her. And she does it close to perfection. (OK, I don’t know much about music, but I know the way good music makes me feel, that’s why I indulged myself into making those comments about quality).
Sparks of God are everywhere!
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“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – John Eldredge
I design and build custom houses with my father. These activities make me come alive. I live from the seat of the desires of my heart. It has not always been that way…I made a decision to risk, to trust God, to change careers mid-stream, to not know where the next job is coming from. It is easier not to change course…it is easier to stay in control, to play it safe, to lean on financial security (if there is such a thing anymore) and ignore my heart. I am learning that the harder way becomes the easier way in time. The dangerous way becomes the safer way in the light of eternity…that my life is truly His when I live from my heart.
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Don, Last time I tried to do this I messed up. This little old lady who in many ways is now out to pasture-or sort of put on the shelf loves to be mostly a ‘listener’ to all this joyful talk about seeing God EVERYWHERE. But especialy in music. When I married and we went to Brazil my music plans were changed, Lullabies instead of solos and singing in a different language AND the craziness of singing about heaven to a Stephen Foster tune. Now that really pushed the limit for me. Little did I know the limit pushing had just begun !! Then because one of my sons had brief and stormy marriage to an expat Iranian lady this kinda ‘wild’ missionary named Don Stephens came into my life. And now I get to mostly listen in to some wonderful conversations about this exciting KINGDOM. and a few years ago I began to feel so much closer to the Lord than I ever had before so when someone speaks of what music does to express the Trnitys work in our lives, kit just makes me melt w/joy.Never did I imagine how RICH life would become for me .
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