Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

idol chatter -- week 2

Well, well, well.

The guys stepped it up this week. Good for them. For the first time since he auditioned, Sundance gave a good performance. I felt that he made it through Hollywood week and even week 1 based on his back story and not on any continued show of talent. Tuesday night gained him some points in my book. I still don't have a real favorite among the guys, although I enjoyed a number of their performances. Sanjaya definitely needs to go home this week. He is way out of his league in this competition.

I still think my three picks from last week (Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, and Phil Stacey) will be in the final six guys. And this week, I would add Chris Richardson as probably lasting to that final group.

As for the gals, Antonella needs to depart. She is out of her league as well. It's possible her nude photos will gain her some votes that will keep her in a while longer, but she won't stay because of her singing. It didn't help that she tried to compare herself with Jennifer Hudson when she argued with Simon. She could take some lessons in humility from Melinda Doolittle. Speaking of Melinda, there is no doubt that she should go far in this contest. Farther than just the final six gals.

Like the guys, I'm sticking with last week's picks (Lakisha Jones, Sabrina Sloan, and Stephanie Edwards) for who I expect to be among the final six gals. And from my comments above, I bet you knew I would be adding Melinda to this group.

I'll be interested to see who goes home tomorrow. See you then.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: American Idol

church through the eyes of an athiest

I have to say, I think I will buy this book. I don't think it hurts any of us to know how an unbeliever views the church when they walk through those front doors. For most, it is a scary experience.

From Publishers Weekly, this review:

I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes
Hemant Mehta.WaterBrook, $13.99 paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-4000-7347-4

Mehta, an atheist, once held an unusual auction on eBay: the highest bidder could send Mehta to a church of his or her choice. The winner, who paid $504, asked Mehta to attend numerous churches, and this book comprises Mehta's responses to 15 worshipping communities, including such prominent megachurches as Houston's Second Baptist, Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and Willow Creek in suburban Chicago.(Mehta ranks Willow Creek as the church most likely to draw him back.) Mehta, who grew up Jain, offers some autobiographical context, then discusses nonreligious people's approach to topics such as death and suffering. But all that is just a preamble to Mehta's sketches of the churches he attended. He doesn't find much community in churches; families sit far apart from other families, and people race "out the front doors to their cars" as soon as the service ends. Churches earn high marks for Mehta when they offer great speakers and focus on community outreach, but they also do many things wrong, including singing repetitive songs and alienating non-Christians by ubiquitously proclaiming them to be "lost." Mehta's musings will interest Christians who seek to proselytize others and who want to identify their evangelistic mistakes. (Apr. 17)

This is not archeologically sound, this is fanfare.

Well, James Cameron had his press conference, but I guess most people are seeing this for what it is. Ho-hum. But it is nice to see that the experts are just as skeptical as I am.

Here is a bit from Yahoo News/Reuters:

Dr. Shimon Gibson, one of the archeologists who discovered the tomb, told Reuters at the news conference he had a "healthy skepticism" the tomb may have belonged to the family of Jesus, but the claims deserved to be investigated.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli archeologist who also carried out excavations at the tomb on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, disputed the documentary's conclusions.

The archeologist, Amos Kloner, said the 2,000-year-old cave contained coffins belonging to a Jewish family whose names were similar to those of Jesus and his relatives.

"I can say positively that I don't accept the identification (as) ... belonging to the family of Jesus in Jerusalem," Kloner told Reuters. "I don't accept that the family of Miriam and Yosef (Mary and Joseph), the parents of Jesus, had a family tomb in Jerusalem."

"They were a very poor family. They resided in Nazareth, they came to Bethlehem in order to have the birth done there -- so I don't accept it, not historically, not archeologically," said Kloner, a professor in the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archeology at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

After they were discovered, the bones were reburied according to Orthodox tradition, leaving just the boxes with inscriptions and human residue to be examined though ongoing DNA testing.

Professor L. Michael White, of the University of Texas, said he also doubted the claims were true.

"This is trying to sell documentaries," he said, adding a series of strict tests needed to be conducted before a bone box or inscription could be confirmed as ancient. "This is not archeologically sound, this is fanfare."

So to summarize: Archeologists are expressing healthy skepticism and disputing the documentary's conclusions and doubting the claims are true and saying this is just fanfare.

And in case you are wondering, no, I won't watch the documentary when it airs on Sunday. I wouldn't waste my time.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: James Cameron

Jesus' DNA?

A little more related to my post this morning, this one from the Time blog. There are more than 1200 comments on this blog post as of the time I copied it. Many look to be from folks who are rejoicing that Christianity will be debunked by this "evidence." (Should we expect otherwise on a blog connected with Time and CNN?)

I couldn't help thinking, as I was driving to church, about men through the centuries who have set out to prove that Jesus isn't God, that He didn't rise from the tomb, that all Christians are fools. And some, perhaps many, of these same men ended up proving to themselves that Jesus' claims were true and became believers themselves. If memory serves (I hope I'm right), there are two from my own lifetime who this could describe. One is the author of Evidence That Demands a Verdict, and More than a Carpenter, Josh McDowell. Another is the author of The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel.

I wouldn't care about any of this except for those people who will buy into the lie and never try to discover the truth for themselves. But then I remember that no one comes to Jesus except the Father draws them. And if the Father draws them, no lies spread in a documentary will stop God from speaking to their hearts.

February 23, 2007 6:55
Jesus: Tales from the Crypt

Brace yourself. James Cameron, the man who brought you 'The Titanic' is back with another blockbuster. This time, the ship he's sinking is Christianity.

In a new documentary, Producer Cameron and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, make the starting claim that Jesus wasn't resurrected --the cornerstone of Christian faith-- and that his burial cave was discovered near Jerusalem. And, get this, Jesus sired a son with Mary Magdelene.

No, it's not a re-make of "The Da Vinci Codes'. It's supposed to be true.

Let's go back 27 years, when Israeli construction workers were gouging out the foundations for a new building in the industrial park in the Talpiyot, a Jerusalem suburb. of Jerusalem. The earth gave way, revealing a 2,000 year old cave with 10 stone caskets. Archologists were summoned, and the stone caskets carted away for examination. It took 20 years for experts to decipher the names on the ten tombs. They were: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.

Israel's prominent archeologist Professor Amos Kloner didn't associate the crypt with the New Testament Jesus. His father, after all, was a humble carpenter who couldn't afford a luxury crypt for his family. And all were common Jewish names.

There was also this little inconvenience that a few miles away, in the old city of Jerusalem, Christians for centuries had been worshipping the empty tomb of Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christ's resurrection, after all, is the main foundation of the faith, proof that a boy born to a carpenter's wife in a manger is the Son of God.

But film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family.

Ever the showman, (Why does this remind me of the impresario in another movie,"King Kong", whose hubris blinds him to the dangers of an angry and very large ape?) Cameron is holding a New York press conference on Monday at which he will reveal three coffins, supposedly those of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene. News about the film, which will be shown soon on Discovery Channel, Britain's Channel 4, Canada's Vision, and Israel's Channel 8, has been a hot blog topic in the Middle East (check out a personal favorite: Israelity Bites) Here in the Holy Land, Biblical Archeology is a dangerous profession. This 90-minute documentary is bound to outrage Christians and stir up a titanic debate between believers and skeptics. Stay tuned.

--Tim McGirk/Jerusalem

If you know Christ, I encourage you to be in prayer about this documentary. And pray for James Cameron who is lost and needs to find the truth.

-rlh-

have you heard this?

I heard on the news this morning that James Cameron (of Titanic fame) claims to have found the graves and bones of Jesus and Mary. I ran upstairs to do a quick Google search before leaving for church. There are lots of references. I copied the first one I found, from Dakota Voice.

I don't know about you but I put lots of stock in what Hollywood folks say. (Please notice my tongue-in-cheek when I say that!) So what do you think?

(2/23/2007)

 

 

Film Claim: Jesus' Body Found

Efforts to discredit Jesus' resurrection continue

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- A liberal website out of Jerusalem, Israel is reporting that a documentary film to be aired this week will prove the actual burial site for Jesus Christ and his family has been found. The filmmakers, including James Cameron of Titanic fame, claim they will display the coffins of Jesus and his mother Mary at a New York news conference on Monday.

The implications are clear: According the filmmakers, Jesus did not rise from the grave.

In response to the announced news conference, National Clergy Council president, the Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK) said:

“This kind of sensationalism has been tried before. Only five years ago no less of a prestigious organization than Biblical Archeological Review Journal claimed it had the coffin of James, the brother of Jesus. It was later determined to be a hoax.

“These filmmakers, who have an obvious bias against Christianity, say the evidence in this case rests on the names inscribed on the coffins and DNA testing. First, the names Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the others they will cite, were some of the most common for that region at that time. Second, there are no known descendants of Mary alive today, so what does DNA have to do with it?

“Thinking people should take this announcement with a grain of salt.”

Rev. Schenck is also chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance, America’s oldest association of evangelical clergy. The National Clergy Council is based in Washington, DC, and represents conservative church leaders from all Christian traditions.

-rlh-

another one bites the dust

I shipped off my latest manuscript to my editor on Friday. For the final days of writing, my head was spinning with additions and changes. I love it when I am overtaken by the characters and their stories.

I struggled to get the writing done while caring for my mom. Hopefully, I will find myself adjusting to my new routine. But despite all that's gone on (broken toilet and flooded bathroom, trips to the doctor's and ER and hospital and pharmacy, meal preps and grocery shopping, etc.), I was pleased with the book when I turned it in. Ahhh. Feels good.

Today, I've done some cleaning up in my office and my library, paid bills, prepared some mailings, and signed over 100 book plates to send to a women's retreat where I was supposed to speak next month but had to cancel due to my need to be home with my mother. There were two other trips I had to cancel, too, both of those in the fall. All three of my contacts were so understanding because all three have cared or are caring for aging parents themselves. It is the stage of life many of us are in. But I'm grateful to God that He had people in place who would understand my circumstances.

Tomorrow I'm going to spoil myself. After church, I'm curling up with a good book. Yum. Sounds almost like a vacation. Gotta enjoy it because ...

Monday I go to work on the next book which has to be written in record time. Several writer friends of mine are also on killer deadlines, and we have decided to participate in "NEW Pages." NEW stands for No Excuses Writing. Everybody leads busy lives. We all have reasons why we can't get to our writing on any given day. Nobody wants to hear our excuses. So every day, we report in the number of pages we wrote that day. If it was Zero, we say "Zero" without explanation or excuses. (I can't take credit for the NEW Pages concept. It was the brainchild of a couple of writers in my local RWA chapter. And it works.)

NEW Pages on 2/24 -- 0 [and not only no excuses, but I'm feeling really good about it]

-rlh-

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idol results - week 1

Well, the first four are gone. I couldn't argue with any of those who were sent home, although I might have had a couple last a little longer. But I would not have expected any to be in the final twelve.

For what it's worth, I would have sent Sundance home. Sorry, but the only good song I've heard him sing was at his first tryout. Every other appearance he has made has been a poor one. Off-key and sloppy. I think he is riding on his daddy's fame and not his own talent. He'll have to do a bang-up job next week to make me change my mind.

Anyway, goodbye, Amy, Nicole, Paul, and Rudy. I wish you well.

P.S. 12 miles on the cycle in 27 min 32 seconds. Sure seems to go fast on American Idol nights.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: American Idol

idol chatter -- week 1

I had to record the guy show because I had an appointment on Tuesday night. I watched some of it later last night and the rest during my lunch break today. I watched the gals live tonight, 30 minutes worth of it while on the cycle. The gals blew the guys out of the water this week. If it stays like this, American Idol #6 will be of the female persuasion.

I have no real favorites yet, but I'll make a few predictions. Here are six who I think will make it to at least the final 12.

From the guys: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, and Phil Stacey

From the gals: Lakisha Jones, Sabrina Sloan, and Stephanie Edwards

How about you? Any favorites? Any predictions?

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: American Idol

Not the whole truth

My issue of Time Magazine (which I rarely read much of because its so-far-to-the-left liberal focus on every topic drives me nuts) arrived yesterday. When I saw the cover, I tossed it aside, knowing it would make my teeth ache to read the lead article.

Well, I just read what Angela Hunt had to say about it on her blog, and now I can send you over there to read her excellent and well thought out comments. I have nothing to add except to say, "Thank you, Angie, for stating the case for life so well."

 

Time Magazine--Pot Calling the Kettle Black?

This week's Time Magazine (Feb. 26, 2007) features a cover story titled "The Abortion Campaign You Never Hear About: Crisis pregnancy centers are working to win over one woman at a time. But are they playing fair?"

I've had only a few moments to skim the story, but the gist seems to be that by letting pregnant women hold life-sized plastic models of their unborn babies, crisis pregnancy counselors are extending an emotional appeal that is "unfair." By telling women that abortion increases the chance for breast cancer, CPCs are using scare tactics.

They quote Christopher Hollis, Planned Parenthood's vice president for governmental and political affairs in North Carolina. He says, "What is really tragic to me is that a woman goes into a center looking for information, looking to be able to make a better, healthy choice, and she doesn't get all the facts."

Excuuuuuse me? I'm sorry, but that's what we've felt about Planned Parenthood centers for YEARS. Women there are not told they're carrying a baby, but a lump of cells called a "zygote" or a "fetus." After hearing former NOW-president Patricia Ireland speak, an editor friend of mine remarked that he got the feeling she would rather call the unborn child a potato than a baby.

Read the rest of Angie's post here.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: Abortion, Planned Parenthood, Time Magazine

Christian Fiction Wednesday

This week's Christian Fiction Wednesday spotlight is on John Aubrey Anderson and his novel, Wedgewood Grey.

Here's what the author has to say about himself:

I was born and raised in my grandparents’ home, five miles north of the setting I chose for Abiding Darkness. That little cotton country town is within a rifle shot of two rivers, a bayou, a double handful of lakes, and endless acres of woods. Add that backdrop to a culture that offered an umbrella of protection for children while allowing boys to roam the countryside with firearms and fishing poles, and you come up with an environment that would provoke the envy of Tom Sawyer. In those surroundings, millions of day-by-day adventures linked themselves to become my boyhood.
 
When I was eight years old, I saw Flying Tigers with John Wayne and knew I wanted to be a pilot. After graduating from Mississippi State, I flew six years in the Air Force then twenty-nine years for a major airline. My career in the cockpit was nothing less than a thirty-five-year answer to a young boy’s unspoken prayer. And now I get to write . . .
 
Writing has transformed my life—mostly for the better, but my schedule has been a little crunched for the last four years. In one sense, I look forward to the day when I will be able to squeeze in time for banjo lessons and golf. On the other hand, I’ve never had a hobby that came within a long mile of generating the kind of pleasure I derive from crafting a good scene in one of my books.
 
My wife and I started to Mrs. Smith’s kindergarten together and graduated from high school with nineteen other kids. With college, careers, and forty some-odd years of marriage behind us, we find ourselves in Texas—about twenty miles south of the Red River. Most people would describe our lives as boring and colorless—I spend the biggest part of my time writing; she’s immersed in leading a comprehensive, women’s Bible study. We like greasy hamburgers and Dr. Peppers, most species of warm-blooded creatures (the kind that don’t normally bite), and spending July in the mountains.

And here's a bit about the novel, out this month from FaithWords:

Mississippi cotton country . . . in the spring of 1960.

The War At Cat Lake is fifteen years in the fading past . . . but the demonic beings who launched that first battle, are alive and well at Cat Lake. Waiting

Late on a Friday night, on a muddy little road a mile east of Cat Lake, a ten-year-old black child is forced to watch while a gang of white men beat his mother to death. Aided by Mose Washington, an old black man, the boy exacts a measure of his own revenge. When the sun comes up on Saturday morning, Mose and the boy are fugitives.

Missy Parker Patterson, who as a child stood at the epicenter of the first war, is married and living in Texas. In the aftermath that follows Mose Washington’s disappearance, she goes back to Cat Lake to discover that the demonic beings have been anticipating her return . . . and so begins the second battle of The War At Cat Lake.

In 1962, an old black man and his grandson move into the country near Pilot Hill, Texas. The people in the local area are told that the old gentleman’s name is Mose Mann—his grandson introduces himself as Bill.

However, the lives of the new arrivals are not as peaceful as they seem. The unassuming old black man and his grandson are being pursued by a triad of formidable and unrelenting adversaries . . . a ruthless political leader, an enduring lie, and an invisible army allied beneath the banner of a hatred for God.

Wedgewood Grey is a story about the impact of choices that real people—people like you and me—are sometimes forced to make.

Technorati Tags: John Aubrey Anderson, Wedgewood Grey

John Fischer: Communication Breakdown

Today's devotional from John Fischer at PurposeDrivenLife.com is absolutely exquisite.

I have had similar talks with the Lord, especially as I listened to Philip Yancey's Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?. So why, after discovering the answer, do I allow it to happen again? Why do I allow silence to creep back in? I don't know. But I love John's reminder that it is always me who fell silent first and it's always a short trip back to communion with my Lord and King.

Lord Jesus, are we talking?

It seems like it’s been a while. My voice to you feels weak. There’s no doubt about my belief, but I guess believing doesn’t count as communication. (I think I’ve assumed that it does without really thinking about it.) I can believe in my wife and not talk to her for a week. How long has it been since you heard from me – really heard from me? If I have to ask that question, it must have been a while. Somehow I’ve got you doing nothing but waiting around to hear from me while I go about my business oblivious to our lack of communication. Like I’ve got more important things to do than you do. Ouch! That sounds pretty close to blasphemy, making me wonder how often I blaspheme you with my ignorant assumptions.
 
Is our relationship more important to you than it is to me? If it is, I am grossly overestimating my own importance. The issue is not whether you are on my side; the question is: Am I on yours? And only I can answer that. Am I centering my life on you? The fact that the lines of communication seem rusty right now indicates there is a lot of inequity here.
 
What do I need to do to get back in touch? What’s that? I’m doing it right now? You just want my attention and you’ll take it any way it comes – through joy, sorrow, confession, pain, or the reestablishment of communication? That seems almost too easy. What’s that you’re saying? “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:29-30 MSG)
 
I think I’m getting it now. No matter how far I may have strayed away, it’s always a short trip back. The breakdown in communication was only on my part, never yours. I don’t have to retrace my steps back to the last place I got off before I can hear you again, because you’ve been dogging me the whole way. As soon as I turn my heart and attention toward you, you are there to meet me because you never left.
 
It seems almost too good to be true. Where did I get the idea it’s supposed to be so hard?

Amen.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Technorati Tags: Prayer, John Fischer

dabbling mom interview

I was interviewed today over on The Dabbling Mom. Pop over for a quick peek.

-rlh-

too close to where you got in

When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado:

I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his Mom asked him what happened, he answered, "I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."

Easy to do the same with our faith. It's tempting just to stay where we got in and never move.

Pick a time in the not-too-distant past. A year or two ago. Now ask yourself a few questions. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? Have both the amount and the joy increased? What about your church loyalty? Can you tell you've grown? And Bible study? Are you learning to learn? ...

Don't make the mistake of the little boy. Don't stay too close to where you got in. It's risky resting on the edge.

I love this illustration. There is such a wonderful truth, such an irresistible challenge in it. Sometimes we stay in our comfort zones because we think that's where we're safe. But the truth is, we are on the risky edge of the place where we got in. Any moment we could fall out and land on our heads.

Our sermon at church yesterday related to this quote in a way. It was about the goal of the Boise Vineyard — to turn disciples (those who are taught) into those who disciple/teach others.

I remember those first months after I was born again. Actually those first years. I was so hungry to learn, to be taught, to soak it all in, to absorb like a sponge. I read my Bible all the time and attended Bible studies and prayer services. I wanted to know and to understand all the wonders of God. But how worthless, how selfish, is all that knowledge and understanding if it is just for me? How sad if I had stayed there, too close to where I got in. I need to learn so that I can teach. I need to take in so that I can, in turn, give out to others.

I'm so thankful that God taught me early on the need to be planted in a local body of Christ. You can be a Christian without a home church where others know you, but you'll be an unhealthy one. God meant for us to be in fellowship. And fellowship means more than just sitting in your usual seat on a Sunday morning in order to keep it warm. It means becoming part of a family. It means intimacy, open-hearted sharing, exposing our true selves, warts and all.

Are you on the edge of where you got in or are you involved in the body of Christ?

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Technorati Tags: faith, Max Lucado

evolution of dance

A friend sent me a link to this You Tube video on the evolution of dance. I haven't figured out how to share You Tube videos on my blog, so will have to suffice with the link. This is pretty funny. And the sad thing is, I could do quite a few of these myself. LOL!!

-rlh-

know thy Bible

I found this quiz over on Notes in the Key of Life and couldn't resist. Some of the answers in the Q&A are just plain silly (i.e. In Jesus' parable, who stopped to help a man in need? Donald Trump, Donald Duck, Don Knotts, a Samaritan. Well, duh!), so for most people I suspect they would only have to choose between two answers at most rather than four. The question about what was created on the fourth day made me a little uncertain, but I got it right. Yea!

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow!  You are awesome!  You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader!  The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all!  You are fantastic!    

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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the 24 finalists

I watched both nights of American Idol's Hollywood week. It seems to me that we saw fewer actual performances than they showed us in previous years. Am I wrong? And I admit to being surprised by a few of the eliminations. Looks like none of the country singers made it through. I thought for sure Baylee (not sure about that spelling) would make it.

To see the photos of all the finalists, go here. I have a slight preference for a couple of the guys. Have formed no opinions about the girls. How about you? Any early predictions?

Here is the info from the official press release:

The Top 12 male singers will perform Tuesday (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.

Rudy Cardenas (28) – Currently lives in North Hollywood, CA, but grew up in Denver, CO.  Cardenas was born in Venezuela and has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado.

Jared Cotter (25) – Grew up in Kew Gardens, NY, and currently lives in West Orange, NJ. He has a degree in business management from Five Towns College, Long Island.

Sundance Head (28) – Currently lives in Porter, TX, and is the son of Roy Head (who had a No. 1 song in 1965, “Treat Her Right”). (No. 2, actually, according to Billboard, anyway. But why quibble with a digit when you can improve a human interest story for a singer who's going to need it?) His life has been centered around music and he can play five instruments.

Paul Kim (25) – Currently lives in Saratoga, CA, and is working as a pool maintenance technician.  He grew up with a love of soul music and enjoys gardening.

Blake Lewis (25) – Currently lives in Bothell, WA, and began “beat boxing” in his senior year of high school. Lewis was a member of a youth choir group that traveled to Europe.

Sanjaya Malakar (17) – Currently lives in Federal Way, WA, and comes from a family of singers.  He spent four years in Hawaii performing with the Hawaii Children's Theater.

Chris Richardson (22) – Currently lives in Chesapeake, VA, and is a supervisor at a restaurant. He was born in Belgium into a military family and performs at local clubs.

Nick Pedro (25) – Currently lives in Taunton, MA, and made it to Hollywood last season.  Pedro has performed at talent shows and is an account executive.

Brandon Rogers (29) – From North Hollywood, CA, but spent six years in Dallas. Rogers has been singing for as long as he can remember. He works as a voice coach, wedding singer and background singer. His mother is a published songwriter.

Phil Stacey (29) – Currently lives in Jacksonville, FL; however, he grew up in Cincinnati.  Stacey has a degree in vocal performance and is a singer in the Navy. He is married with two children.

Chris Sligh (28) – Currently lives in Greenville, SC, and is the son of missionaries. Sligh spent 10 years with his family in Germany. Since attending Bob Jones University, he has traveled and performed with a band.

AJ Tabaldo (22) – Currently lives in Santa Maria, CA, and has been singing since the age of 5. He is a supervisor for a shipping service.

Female singers scheduled to perform Wednesday (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) include:

Alaina Alexander (24) – Currently lives in West Hollywood, CA, and has been singing all her life. Her favorite artist is Mariah Carey. She has been pursuing a career in music but almost gave up her dream until she made it on American Idol.

Antonella Barba (20) – From Point Pleasant, NJ, Barba attends Catholic University in Washington, DC, pursuing an architecture degree. She began singing in sixth grade and once toured with the Monmouth Conservatory of Music in England.

Melinda Doolittle (29) – Currently lives in Brentwood, TN. Doolittle is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville and has a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music. She is a backup singer on stage and in the studio.

Stephanie Edwards (19) – Currently lives in Savannah, GA. Edwards sang at the famed Apollo Theater when she appeared on It’s Showtime at the Apollo. She has won every singing contest she has ever entered.

Gina Glocksen (22) – Currently lives in Naperville, IL, and works as a dental assistant. Glocksen also performs in a cover band. She tried out for American Idol last season and made it to Day 4 of the Hollywood Round.

Leslie Hunt (24) – Currently lives in ChicagoL. Hunt is a dog walker who is studying to become a dog trainer. She also plays the piano.

Lakisha Jones (27) – Grew up in Flint, MI, and began singing at age 5. Gospel is her Jones’ favorite type of music but she has trained formally in classical music.

Amy Krebs (22) – Currently lives in Federal Way, WA. Krebs has been singing since she was a small child and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She is fluent in German and lived in Germany for three years.

Haley Scarnato (24) – Currently lives in San Antonio, TX. Scarnato, who recently became engaged, has been performing as a freelance singer since she was 15 years old and considers Celine Dion her hero.

Jordin Sparks (17) – Currently lives in Glendale, AZ. Sparks began singing when she was only 18 months old. She won the “Arizona Idol” contest. Her favorite band is Something Corporate.

Sabrina Sloan (27) – Currently lives in Studio City, CA. Sloan attended the Northwestern University music and theater program and has performed across the country with the touring production of Hairspray.

Nicole Tranquillo (20) – Currently lives in Philadelphia, where she is a vocal major at the University of the Arts. Tranquillo began taking voice lessons when she was 12 years old.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: American Idol

peace

 This morning I finished Week 5 of the Living Beyond Yourself study. Yes, I am lagging behind, but I'm giving myself grace and not taking on guilt over it. And that's part of the peace that comes from abiding in Him.

I loved this final lesson on Peace. It ended with the prerequisites for peace:

• We receive peace with God by accepting His gift of grace on Calvary.
• Peace belongs to Jesus and He imparts it to those who trust in Him.
• God gives us peace through His Holy Spirit.
• The key to peace is a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit, those whose minds are steadfast.
• Peace is maintained through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving

I ended my quiet time with my reading in the Two Year Bible which included the last half of one of my favorite Psalms:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the LORD are right,  bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life.
Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:7-14, NLT)

 Yes, Lord.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Technorati Tags: God's peace, Psalm 19

romance

I've had some good writing days this week and am getting into the groove. In fact, yesterday I worked myself into a rather nasty backache by staying at the iMac a little longer than I should have. I think I'm going to give sitting on an exercise ball a try tomorrow.

Today is Valentine's Day. An appropriate day to be working on a romance novella. Okay, the story is set in December, but still... It's romance. I'm enjoying watching my hero and heroine coming to the realization of love. I like these two characters and I'm glad they've found each other.

Ah, romance. Viva la Valentine's Day. And much, much happiness to all of those reading this blog who love someone and/or are loved by someone.

But today is more than a holiday known for hearts and flowers. It's special to me because it is the day I found the best romance of all, a love that will never fail me from Someone who will never leave or forsake me. Thirty-one years ago this morning, I surrendered my heart to Jesus, my Lord and King. I didn't know everything that meant. I only knew that He loved me so much He chose to die for me, and that I wanted to be with Him forever.

Thirty-one years. It seems like yesterday. It seems much, much longer. There are many things I would change about my life if I could go back and try again. But I would never change that heartfelt surrender on the morning of Valentine's Day 1976.

Thank You, Jesus.

Technorati Tags: Jesus, my King, Valentine's Day

Screwtape coming to film

As reported a number of places over the past week or two, C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters is being made into a film. Here is what CBA's Aspiring Retail had to say:

Walden Media, the studio behind The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is joining forces with a well-known Christian in Hollywood, Ralph Winter, who produced X-Men and Fantastic Four, for a big-screen adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. The film, described as “mid-budget,” is slated for a 2008 release. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham supervised the Wardrobe production and will produce with Winter. The Screwtape Letters was first published in 1942. Variety reported HarperSanFrancisco has sold almost 1 million copies of the trade paperback alone since taking over its publishing in 2001.

The Screwtape Letters is a book I read when I was a new Christian. It's probably my favorite Lewis novel, although I love The Chronicles of Narnia. It was this book that really opened my eyes to the ways, mostly subtle, the enemy works to disrupt our lives of faith. The novel is, of course, letters written by Screwtape to Wormwood, a demon just learning the ropes of upsetting the life of his human. So how they will translate this to film is beyond me, but it should be interesting.

If you like to listen to audio books, I highly recommend this book as read by John Cleese. If there is another actor who could have portrayed the demon Screwtape better, I do not know who it could be. I bought it years ago on tape, but I recently purchased another copy on Audible.com so that I can have it on CD and/or in my iPod. I don't have a tape player anymore.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: CS Lewis, Screwtape Letters

no movie today

Sigh. The best laid plans of mice and men.

Today was supposed to be movie day. I was getting ready to go, putting on a sweatshirt so I'd be warm in the theater (I usually freeze). All of a sudden, there was a terrible crash downstairs. I raced from the bedroom and down the stairs, calling, "Mom! Mom!"

I expected to find her on the floor. But instead, she was in the bathroom with water running everywhere. She had lost her balance and fallen back against the toilet and broken the porcelain. Don't know what the back of a toilet is called, but this one was shattered. I tried to turn off the water and couldn't. The curse of weak wrists, not to mention the position of the knob and a fair share of "what do I do?" panic. So I raced to the neighbor's and their son rushed over and turned it off for me. Next came his dad, who made sure everything was tight and secure. Then he helped by cleaning up the pieces of shattered porcelain while I placed towels everywhere to mop up about an inch worth of water. Of course the water was out into the hall carpet so lots of mopping there, and now a fan is running full time to help dry it out.

Enter the plumber, and $540 later we have an ADA elongated toilet. Tomorrow, I'll head over to Norco to buy some safety rails to help balance Mom. There were rails on the raised seat we had, but it wasn't very secure. I'm looking for something with stability.

One good thing, it allowed me to catch up on news with my neighbor. He's got a new job in Utah and is only home on the weekends. The family will be moving next month. I'm going to miss them. They have been such good friends to me and so helpful to our family. Just like today. I hate to lose them.

I guess you could say this day was in the toilet.

-rlh-

movie time

Tomorrow after church, I'm going to see The Last Sin Eater. I'll let you know about it ASAP. In the meantime, I thought I'd report in on a few other films that I've watched over the past couple of months.

* * *

I completed the entire nine seasons and reunion shows of As Time Goes By. I dearly loved this series. It was funny and warm and delightful. Sure, there were a few things that I could have done without, but nothing offensive. Jean and Lionel are wonderful characters. I am now watching the shows a second time, this time on my local PBS station.

* * *

Bleak House is another made for TV series. Superbly acted and beautifully filmed, I can highly recommend this one. I have never read this Charles Dickens' tale, so I had no preconceptions going into the film. I gave it five out of five stars on Netflix.

* * *

I don't know when I first heard of the film, Facing the Giants. I don't think it came to Boise, but I could be wrong. I understand that this film was made by a church, and I've got to say, it is pretty good for a low budget production. One review I read said it was a film that preached to the choir. Well, I suppose that's true. But I "know" these characters. I talk like them. I think like them. I read my Bible like them and try to live my life like them. It was rather nice to see a movie about evangelical Christians who weren't portrayed as bigots or fanatics or hypocrites. These were just normal people trying to live their lives to the best of their abilities, while giving honor to God.

* * *

Last but not least, Flags of our Fathers. I always find it hard to say I "like" a war movie. It seems inappropriate when what the movies represent is so brutal and sad. Nonetheless, this is a good movie. It didn't come close to having the same impact on me that Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List did, but it's worth seeing.

* * *

So that wraps up this movie post. Somebody pass the popcorn.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: As Time Goes By, Bleak House, Facing the Giants, Flags of Our Fathers

Last Sin Eater comes to Boise

Oh, happy day!

I just did a quick check again on where The Last Sin Eater will be playing, and Boise is now on the list. It just so happens that I was already scheduled to go see a movie on Sunday, so now I will campaign to make it this movie instead of the one we'd planned. I know it is very important in Hollywood how the first weekend box office goes. I want to support this one.

PW reports this about the movie's premiere at CBA Expo:

On Wednesday night, evangelical novelist Francine Rivers and a standing-room-only crowd saw the film adaptation of her 1998 book The Last Sin-Eater starring Academy Award-winning actress Louise Fletcher and Golden Globe nominee Henry Thomas (of E.T. fame). Rivers and producer Michael Landon, Jr., got a standing ovation at the end of the movie; it opens on some 500 screens on February 9.

Tyndale House released a special trade paperback edition of the novel, which includes a full-color inset with movie images. Mavis Sanders, corporate publicist for Tyndale, said the reissue has gone back to press for a second run; the novel now has 193,000 total copies in print.

I read somewhere that Francine had final say on the movie, that if she felt the faith message was not what it should be or (to the best of my knowledge) for other reasons, she could have had her name removed from the film as well as any indication that it was based on her novel. Knowing that she was pleased with the film tells me a lot.

So, if you thought the film wasn't playing in your area, check back with the link shown above. Maybe it will get to you after all.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: Last Sin Eater, Francine Rivers

when the Spirit falls

Dan at Cerulean Sanctum has a great post dated February 6, 2007 that should not be missed:

This last Sunday, I was helming the drums during a worship song our lead guitarist had written, when the Holy Spirit fell on the church. His presence was palpable and from my spot on stage, I could see Him on people’s faces. By the time we segued into “The Beauty of Simplicity,” I was close to weeping. Let me say this: when you’re the timekeeper, it’s not wise to go all to pieces.

Now I know some people reading this may not have experienced one of those beautifully sweet times when the Holy Spirit broods over worship. He’s light permeating the darkest recesses of your soul, warm oil anointing your head, and love overflowing your heart. No words fully describe the naked encounter of your person with the person of the Holy Spirit.

Be sure to read the entire post. You'll be glad you did.

-rlh-

peace came on Calvary

Week 5 of the Living Beyond Yourself study is on the third attribute of the fruit of the Spirit: Peace. Day 2's lesson ended with a powerful story which I will summarize for you.

Beth Moore was watching a talk show and the guests were the parents of a college-aged son who was killed in a car accident. The driver was their son's best friend who was driving drunk and speeding. In forgiveness, the parents took in their son's friend and made him like their own son, living in their son's bedroom, working with the father in his business. The victim's father and the young man taught seminars on safety. The young man could speak about the one he had slain in ways only someone who knew him intimately could have. Beth continues:

Why did these parents do such a thing? Because it gave them peace. The interviewer was amazed; I was amazed. I kept trying to put myself in the parents' position--but I could not. Then, as the tears streamed down my cheeks, I heard the Spirit of God whisper to my heart and say: "No wonder you cannot relate. You have put yourself in the wrong position. You, my child, are the driver."

God was the parent--who not only forgave--but also invited me to sit at His table in the space my Savior left for me. As a result, I have peace.

Wow! Those words, "You, my child, are the driver," hit me like a ton of bricks. That's it! I'm the driver who has made too many mistakes and caused too much heartache, the one who has no right to expect forgiveness but who got it anyway. And as a result, I have peace. I have access to the Father because of the sacrifice of His Son. Awesome!

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Technorati Tags: Beth Moore, Living Beyond Yourself, God's peace

16 weeks of LOST

Have you heard? Tomorrow is the Wednesday (February 7) that LOST returns to TV for 16 uninterrupted weeks.

I think the show has lost some of its fans because of too many reruns in Season 2 and then a divided Season 3 (about three months, I think, between the first set of shows and the second set about to begin). However, the word is out that an end to the show has been decided so that writers can work their way toward it. No word on how many seasons they intend to have but it's no longer open ended.

Anyway, just to whet your whistle, here is what Entertainment Weekly had to say about this Wednesday's show:

It's good. Really good. Like season-one, stuff-gets-answered, can't-wait-for-the-next-episode good. To recap: Ben is bleeding out on the table. Jack is demanding the release of Kate and Sawyer. And the fan base is demanding some ... forward movement. Well, how about the full-on Juliette backstory? Information about how the Others ended up on the Island? Super-creepy Dharma experiment sequences? Yeah. You know you want it. And by the end, you'll be begging for more. Well, that, and praying that this isn't just another tease from a show that always seems to start strong out of the gate. (Rating: A)

Are you ready? I am. And like the reviewer quoted above, I hope they don't start strong as they did last fall and then sort of lose momentum in the shows that followed.

-rlh-

the Spirit's illumination

My mother's health issues have put me a bit behind in my study of the fruit of the Spirit, so I haven't talked about it much. It is, however, a study worth talking about. The "love" week was wonderful, as was the "joy" week.

This morning, my A.W. Tozer devotional had this to say:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. --1 Corinthians 2:14

 The doctrine of the inability of the human mind and the need for divine illumination is so fully developed in the New Testament that it is nothing short of astonishing that we should have gone so far astray about the whole thing. Fundamentalism has stood aloof from the Liberal in self-conscious superiority and has on its own part fallen into error, the error of textualism, which is simply orthodoxy without the Holy Ghost. Everywhere among Conservatives we find persons who are Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They conceive truth to be something which they can grasp with the mind. If a man hold to the fundamentals of the Christian faith he is thought to possess divine truth. But it does not follow. There is no truth apart from the Spirit. The most brilliant intellect may be imbecilic when confronted with the mysteries of God. For a man to understand revealed truth requires an act of God equal to the original act which inspired the text....

Conservative Christians in this day are stumbling over this truth. We need to re-examine the whole thing. We need to learn that truth consists not in correct doctrine, but in correct doctrine plus the inward enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. We must declare again the mystery of wisdom from above. A re-preachment of this vital truth could result in a fresh breath from God upon a stale and suffocating orthodoxy. (The Pursuit of Man, 76-77, 84)

I am a believer who was blessed with good biblical teaching from the onset of my walk with Christ. And one of the things I learned was that I need both the written word and the Spirit in my life.  Anyone can read the Bible, but without the illumination of the Holy Spirit we can never understand the depths of what God wants to impart to us.

In the grip of His