Ten Fave Films of 2012 (6-4)

I had intentions of writing over the weekend but never got around to it. So, here's a an extended entry that includes numbers 4, 5 and 6 of my fave films of 2012! Without further ado...

6. Looper

My favorite Sci-Fi movie of 2012, Looper delivers a thought provoking journey of a hitman named Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). By contract, he is supposed to kill his future self, Old Joe (Bruce Willis) also known as his "loop" when Old Joe is sent back in time by a man known as the "Rainmaker". Old Joe must be killed by his former self, effectively closing Joe's loop, only Old Joe has something to live for and a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in the year 2044, Director Rian Johnson creates a future where new technology isn't the most reliable, such as a hover bike, and Joe's classic red convertible is a 2000's Mazda Miata. Not quite post-apocalyptic but it's clear that the future isn't a bright utopia. There are some philosophical tidbits to chew on such as, are our futures contained to one linear timeline or are there multiple paths, parallel futures in parallel timelines, that we can take? Are we destined to one outcome no matter what we choose? I loved the payoff to this film, and without totally spoiling it, it left me with a sense of hope.

5. Wreck-It Ralph

It might be my love for video games and the cameos of video game characters in Wreck-It Ralph, or my love of Disney story telling and the creation of a world inside Liwak's Arcade, or all of the above that just resonated with me from beginning to end. From the first time I saw the trailer with Bowser spitting fireballs with the original sound effect, I was hooked. Aside from the 8-bit goodness, the story of Ralph (John C. Reilly) overcoming his label of "the bad guy" and helping a fellow outcast, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) realize her dream is really a story of second chances, something I'm a huge proponent of. I hope anyone who feels a label has been stuck on them and that label will never go away could maybe find some small inspiration in Ralph. Even though it's a Disney movie made for kids, I think the message is an important one for all people. It's never too late to become the person you want to be.

4. Argo

Argo is a dramatization of the exfiltration of six U.S. embassy workers in Iran who have hidden from Iranian forces that overran the embassy. Ben Affleck tells the story of heroism, innovation and courage in a suspense filled period piece set in 1979. The story sets real world covert ops and the magic world of Hollywood on the same stage and Affleck masterfully orchestrates it. Ex-fil expert CIA agent, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) concocts the brazen plan of staging the production of a major Hollywood sci-fi movie as a cover for the six Americans, who are being hunted by the Iranian military, and himself, who must play the part of the movie crew to get out of Iran. While the real mission is set in the most treacherous of circumstances, the cover is hilarious, old school movie magic. I wish I could repeat Lester Siegel's (Alan Arkin) head-shaking tagline for the mission because it's such a golden line for the movie. (Argo ____ yourself.) As an American, that's exactly what I wanted to say to the acts of terrorism.


Out of time again! I'll attempt to post the top 3 tomorrow!

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (8-7)

In this edition, the two films have a lot in common. Both masterfully utilize stop-motion animation, touch on the horror genre and are child friendly fare. That said, both films tell stories that can connect on any age level. If you been bullied or dealt with the loss of loved one, these films can speak to you.  Before I get back into the list I have to add The Master and Cloud Atlas to the must see list. Here we go!

8. ParaNorman

ParaNorman tells the story of a misunderstood boy named Norman who has a special ability, he can see and speak to the dead. His family pleads with Norman to be "normal" and he is bullied at school and labeled a freak for his seemingly crazy outbursts. In need of companionship, Norman befriends the chubby kid of the school with whom he shares the bond of being outcasts. Just as Norman discovers this glimmer of hope, his uncle (voiced by John Goodman) that can also see and speak to the dead, warns Norman of his responsibility to keep the town safe from the curse of the witch. Seemingly cursed, Norman must use his ability to communicate with the witch who wants to inflict her wrath on the townspeople. That wrath was born from horrific pain the witch had endured as a young girl. Unimaginable suffering was brought upon her by the fearful leadership of the town. Turns out that a bedtime story is what quells the witch's wrath but only temporarily. Norman sees the need for permanent change and that it could only come about by changing the witch's personal story and to show her true empathy. That's the power of story! (Watch till the end of the credits to see a time lapse of the production of the Norman puppet.)

7. Frankenweenie

In this love letter to the horror genre, especially Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein, Tim Burton creates a world where a boy named Victor Frankenstein is able to use science to bring his recently killed dog, Sparky, back to life. Burton's stylized world exists in stop-motion, black and white and pays homage to many of the classic horror stories. If you've ever experienced the loss of a cherished family pet, Victor's loss and drive to bring Sparky back will resonate. While his intentions are noble, the theft of his method and the corruption of other experiments lead to a precarious situation for the town as monsters run rampant. In the end, bravery and nobility are rewarded. The take away for me was that the experiment only worked with the transcendent power of love. On a side note, I had the privilege of seeing the Frankenweenie exhibit at Disney's California Adventure and seeing how much detail and how much work it is to create the characters and sets is a marvel.

Frankenweenie exhibit at DCA.

See you tomorrow for films 6 & 5!

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (10-9)

Sheesh, where did 2012 go? Seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote the proposal post! Well, it's that time of the year again where I present to you my list of favorite films of the year! Before I get to the  "official" list, here are some honorable mentions.

The Secret World of Arrietty: Really difficult to leave this one off the list. The animation, soundtrack and the trademark Miyazaki inspired environment create a world full of whimsy.

Moonrise Kingdom: One of my favorite Anderson films, this eccentric tale of young, discovering love was a joy to watch.

The Cabin in the Woods: More than a slasher, freak-out horror flick, Whedon and Goddard's film is funny and entertains from beginning to end.

Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis gives another epic performance as the 16th president of the United States of America.

Brave: I'll always have a soft spot for Pixar and the technical animation here is ridiculous.

Paperman and La Luna were two of the best short films I've ever seen.

Also should mention that I did not get to see Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, and Life of Pi at the time of writing this.

Now, on to the list!

10. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro is a documentary of the world renowned sushi chef and his calling to create art in his medium, sushi. It is an inspiring story of a man compelled to follow his dream. His passion is passed down to his sons and I couldn't help but to be influenced by his conviction as well. And I don't even like sushi! It is much more than a film about making sushi. If you have 80 minutes to spare and looking for something compelling to watch, I'd recommend to dream with Jiro.






9. Bernie

In this stranger than fiction tale, Jack Black gives a magnetic performance as Bernie Tiede, an eccentric and beloved member of the community of Carthage, Texas. In fact, he was so loved that even though he confessed to the murder of an 81 year old millionaire, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), the District Attorney (Matthew McConaughey) had to get the trial moved outside of the city to get an unbiased jury. Director Linklater weaves interviews of the real life people of Carthage with outstanding performances by the lead actors, a technique that showcases the small town charm of the people. (Love the accents!) One of Jack Black's greatest performances, his charisma shines through, not to mention the delight of hearing him sing gospel! Looking for something a little off the wall? Give Bernie a chance!


Check back tomorrow for films 8 and 7!

s+d | the proposal story

Well, hello there, blog. I'm sorry I've neglected you. I have a perfectly sound explanation for being M.I.A. You see, I've been a bit busy. It's a long story and I haven't quite streamlined this story into a tidy narrative, but I think it's worth telling anyway. I hope it encourages you to live out a better story, even if you feel the odds are against your dream story. I know it sounds cliche but if you stay patient, stay humble and never stop believing the amazing can happen, the amazing will happen. This is about more than a proposal. It's about the people whose lives I have the privilege of being a part of. It's about how making sound decisions, choosing what is better in life, always leads to better results. It's about faith and seeing God's presence in the smallest details. I hope sharing this part of my life will bless you.

I'll start by going back a couple of years ago. Shanna and I had just past the 5 year mark in our relationship. I thought to myself, "Hey, it might be time to think about getting married." But looking at where I was financially and the seemingly zero chance of coming into more money anytime soon, I thought a proposal was way out of the question. I always thought I would like to do something grandiose for a proposal, but having no money really throws a wrench into that dream. So, I prayed. Not a prayer for money or stuff. Just a prayer that God would be with me and that I would take notice of the details in life, no matter how small. Last time I checked, Jesus didn't need a whole lot of cash to perform miracles so I figured if I just invited him into the details of my life, he could make amazing things out of this ordinary person.

Fast forward to about mid 2011. Things were still pretty down in the financial area of my life, but I didn't have doubts that there was change happening. There was something changing in me and it was my need to be right. It was an obsession really. I had to be right about everything and everything had to make sense to me. Anything otherwise would just make me angry and really, it was a driving force in a lot of the decisions I had made up to that point. But I could feel that need subside a little bit as I began to dwell on the steps I wanted to take into making the world a better place. "Be the change I want to see." And the change I really want to see is for people to default to love rather than defaulting to what makes the most sense. So I started with me. This allowed me to have better relationships with people, allowed me to see the perspective of others and not just my own.

Needless to say, this had a positive effect in my workplace relationships and really led to a remarkable financial increase that was a hope that I gave up on a while back. Couple that with a sizable tax refund (thanks, Obama!) and suddenly I had the means to make a little something happen. So I started processing the possibilities, setting up something at our home away from home, Disneyland, enlisting the help of friends to capture the moment and so on and so on. Then I had to find out what kind of ring she wanted. I was always leery of buying the ring because I knew it was going to be really modest. Like embarrassingly modest in comparison to her friends' rings. Since my prayer 2 years ago, I had resigned myself to the fact that anything I did or bought would be modest. I want to keep from getting too dramatic because I know I'm blessed to just be able to afford anything. But I knew I could make up for it in thoughtfulness.

A few months before the proposal, I knew Shanna was helping coordinate a friend's wedding in Hawaii. I had told Shanna that I wouldn't be able to afford the trip out to Hawaii, especially to just hang out and do my own thing away from the wedding. So I kicked around the idea of surprising Shanna in Hawaii with one of our friends, Trisha. She really encouraged me to look into the idea. I found out that they were planning to have breakfast at Aulani, the Disney resort in Kapolei, HI. I immediately knew that would be the perfect place and time to surprise Shanna. The fusion of two of her favorite things, Hawaii and Disney, set the perfect place to propose. So the real planning began.

I'm so grateful for the people in our lives that helped support us not only for this occasion but for the years we've been together. I know the plan wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly as it did without the help of friends and family. I have so many people to thank and hopefully I've expressed my gratitude in person already. I had help with everything from buying the ring, booking my flight, hotel and rental car, gathering info on Aulani, and coordinating schedules. And I think the most amazing part is that it was all kept under wraps even though I told more people than I should have.

So Shanna left for Hawaii with no clue what I was planning. She called me to see if I missed her and I kinda played it off like I didn't miss her because it had only been a couple of days and that I would see her in a couple more. Sunday, May 27th, the day I planned to fly in to Honolulu, was finally here. Shanna tried to call me while I was in the air and by not answering my phone, she became more and more upset with me. From the airport, I picked up my rental car and drove straight to Aulani. I pulled up to the beautiful hotel and spoke to Shane at the front desk. I asked for his advice on where to do the proposal and what I could expect the next morning. He was quite helpful and I really was comfortable there from the get go. After checking into my room, I had dinner with a few friends, all the while texting with Shanna's friends to make sure we didn't cross paths just yet. Shanna called me again that night and I probably infuriated her when I brushed her off because I told her I was playing video games with my friends. At that point I kinda knew I was in trouble but also that it would make the next day even more awesome.

I woke up Monday, May 28th to a gorgeous Hawaii morning. I was up early in the morning, awakened by anticipation. After getting ready and making sure I had the ring, I got a text from Trisha saying, "omg, tell Shanna's dad to zip it!" I didn't know what happened at first but I found out that Shanna had called home to talk to her mom but she ended up talking to her dad for a little bit. He asked her what time her flight was coming in the next day and she said like 10:30 but he didn't have to worry because I was going to pick her up. His response was, "Oh, he's back already?" He had thought I had already done it. Luckily for me, she didn't give it a second thought and just said "Back from where? He didn't go anywhere. He's playing video games with his friends." His explanation was classic. He said, "Oh, back from wherever he went." Well played.

So I got to Aulani about 45 minutes before Shanna and I let the front desk know what I was planning. The whole staff at the resort was amazingly helpful and really helped make the moment special. Len coordinated with photographers to be ready and Hi'ilani came up with the ring presentation. She thought of planting the ring inside a Plumeria which sat at the center of a bowl of flowers. She would then come over to Shanna when the time was right and ask her if she would like a flower and show her the ring. Genius! Hi'ilani also had leis prepared for us after the big moment.

So with the staff ready and waiting, I stood at the balcony overlooking the pool area and the beach. I had a clear view of the front doors of the hotel and waited what seemed like an eternity. Then I got the text from Trisha saying they had parked at the hotel. People kept walking through the lobby and every time the sliding doors opened, my heart skipped a little. Then, finally, I saw Shanna walk in. Of course she was engrossed with her phone and trying to upload the photo she just took of the exterior. She had tagged me in the photo on Facebook, letting me know what the hotel looked like from her point of view. Little did she know, I had already seen it twice in person! So after a couple of minutes of waiting for her to make it out to the balcony, she was still oblivious to my presence. I gave her a little, "Pssssst... hey!" She finally looked up at me and said, "What the heck? What are you doing here?" I told her to "come here" and that's when Hi'ilani came over with the ring presentation. As soon as Shanna saw the ring, the uncontrollable tears started to flow. (for her, not me.) I'll let the slideshow tell the rest, I was just surprised that she was so surprised. I want to thank Danny for providing direction for the photos and the always awesome job that he does. And I can't forget Derwin who showed us some of the locations that provide great photo opps. The happiness you'll see throughout the slideshow is a culmination of being surrounded by so much love. I think I can speak for Shanna when I say that we can't say it enough. We are truly grateful for the support from family and friends and we still covet your thoughts and prayers. We just hope we can offer the same back to you.

you were meant for amazing things.

Torrance is the last place I expected to host an event that included art, dance, music and social justice. Growing up in this city, we have a self given nickname of "Borrance" because nothing exciting ever happens here. Or so we think. I believe there are things happening all around us that we take for granted or these things just go unnoticed so we think we lead mundane lives. I believe there is potential in all of us to create amazing things. We all have the ability to cause whimsy and evoke emotion. I was reminded of this last night at an event called Fuze.

I'd like to thank the people at HOPE International and Mosaic for setting the bar and exemplifying how culture and awareness can be brought together to form a genuine community and spark a meaningful conversation. The event staff was friendly and helpful (shout out to Goodie!) and the art gallery featured some exquisite pieces. Hearing what HOPE International does with microfinancing was really impressive. An innovative idea about empowering people to acquire skills for trade and to create their own capital is one of the fresher takes I've heard regarding helping impoverished people. Inspiring spoken word, tap dancing and songs bookended the headline act, Sleeping At Last.

I had the privilege of meeting Ryan from Sleeping At Last and he is one of the most unassuming, genuine and easy to talk to artists I've ever met. His honesty and genuine personality really shines through his music. During a Q & A session, he said that when we writes his music, he tries to cause his audience to get goosebumps and I think he succeeds with each song and arrangement. Speaking of arrangements, I gotta give a shout out to the quartet that accompanied Ryan that included my cousins, Emi and Kumi on the violins! Excellent performance guys & girls!

I'll have a link to some video of the performance later but for now check out this performance of "Umbrellas".

you were meant for amazing things.

I Am Like You

I love this poem by Anis Mojgani. ("Come Closer" performed at TWLOHA's Heavy and Light event.) The words he uses are a great example of how to enter into a meaningful conversation. Too often do we speak before thinking. I'm as guilty as anyone on this. I need to be reminded that before I have any interaction that I hope to have a positive effect, I need to check my ego and think about how I can best serve the person I'm interacting with.

The overturning of Prop 8 here in California has stirred many conversations, debates and arguments. I believe that it is a good thing to express our opinions and hopefully we remain open enough to have meaningful discussions. I've read many posts on how legalizing gay marriage will lead to the destruction of family in America. I've also read a few articles, such as this one from The Washington Post, that report on how the "millennial generation" is overwhelmingly supportive of marriage equality and that it might actually be good for the institution of marriage. When I think about my own opinion of the debate, I think about my friends who are gay. What would I say to these people that I care about?

Do I want my words and actions to tell them that I think their pursuit of happiness in life will cause the destruction of family?

Do I want to tell them that their dream to marry the person that they love will never be legal in my state, on my watch?

What if someone said that to me? I wouldn't feel so great about myself. I think there is a better way to live out my calling to love people. Starting with the way I enter conversation.

Come closer.

You are quite the beauty.

I am like you.

If we can start here, our conversations will be more meaningful and our relationships will be much more intimate. No matter our age, race, sexuality, we all have at least one thing in common. We are all human and, more than I might know it, I am like you.

Ooohs and Aaahs

iPhone 4 or 4S?

You know those moments in life when you experience an event so spectacular, you just can't find the words to describe it? When you witness a spectacle that causes a sort of amnesia and you forget all of your previous experiences? Your memory is wiped clean and you're ready to proclaim what you just witnessed as the best (fill in the blank) of all time?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow your roll.

Thanks Pinterest!

I think we live in a world where this happens more times than we'd like to admit. When the newest, shiniest toy is released, we just have to have it. (Apple is the maestro at capitalizing on this.) When a certain celebrity wears certain layers with certain colors, women rush out to Anthropologie to try to match it. (You can keep telling yourself that it's your own style because they're slightly different colors. I ain't mad at cha.)

When Blake Griffin dunks on Kendrick Perkins so ferociously, we're quick to announce we've seen one of the best dunks of all time. (Really, there have been better dunks on that same basket, but I digress.) These are all part of the ooohs and aaahs of life that come and go so quickly. I admit, I get caught up in them as well. I've learned to ease up on the hyperbole over the years. The more times I say "best ever", the less meaning those words hold.

I don't want to be all about the ooohs and aaahs. I need perspective in my life about what really matters. To me, people matter. Each and every life has value. I need to be constantly reminded of this because it is difficult to see the value in the things that don't invoke the ooohs and aaahs. On the flip side, your value is not contingent on how many ooohs and aaahs you generate. Let's start to care more about what really matters. Liberate in love. By loving people, you can free people and you can be truly free. With or without the ooohs and aaahs.

Keeping It Real

Back in the late 80's, while other kids were listening to NKOTB, I was geeking on De la Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, the first CD I ever bought. My love for hip-hop grew from there and I even tried my hand at DJing in high school. I made mixed tapes (actual cassette tapes!), DJ'd small house parties and even lunch time in the quad at good ole West High. I thought maybe I could make some money doing this DJ thing but I quickly found out that the money I thought I was making just went back into buying records, tapes and maintaining the Technics 1200's. I had mad love for it but I had no dough to back it up. Immersing myself into the culture of hip-hop, I quickly found myself holding onto some of the ideals of the culture as defining points in my life.

"Keeping it real" was a phrase widely used in the 90's. It means being true to yourself and your values. It also means being true to values that others find respectable. While the notion to remain authentic is a noble one, it was used far too many times as an excuse to be ignorant. This was hilariously portrayed in a bit from The Dave Chappelle Show called "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong".

Even though the phrase was misused numerous times, there were some instances where the conviction to keep it real was used in a compelling and inspiring way. One song that stuck with me through the years is O.C.'s "Time's Up". O.C. rapped about taking the art of being an MC to another level by using more intellect and higher concepts. Here are the lyrics that I can recite to this day:

See I know yo, slow your roll, give a good to go

Guys be lackin in this thing called rappin just for dough

Of course we gotta pay rent, so money connects, but uhh

I'd rather be broke and have a whole lot of respect

It's the principle of it, I get a rush when I bust

some dope lines oral, that maybe somebody'll quote

That's what I consider real, in this field of music

Instead of puttin brain cells to work they abuse it

Non-conceptual, non-exceptional

Everybody's either crime-related or sexual

I'm here to make a difference, besides all the riffin

The traps are not stickin, rappers stop flippin

For those who pose lyrical but really ain't true I feel

"Their time's limited, hard rocks too"

O.C. probably didn't write these words dreaming that one day, I would quote them. But he did dream of inspiring people to find something to do that they love and warned against doing things just for the money and the accolades. He wanted people to rise above the fake meaning of "keeping it real".

This is something that I've always struggled with. In my attempt to keep it real, I've done the opposite and put up a facade. Saying things like, "Everything's fine" and "I'm all right" are really just excuses to not deal with what's really going on with me. To quote Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, from one of my favorite books, Blue Like Jazz,


"'I feel like I'm a fake person. I say what I need to say, do what I need to do, but I don't mean it.'"


He said this is how he felt when he was ministering to college students and he started to feel like he was going through the motions. He took some time off, got away from everything and just spent time with God, under the stars and had a real, sincere talk. This brought him back to the realization of the realness of God. He went beyond knowing that God loved him, he felt it. I need to be reminded of that same thing. I need to keep it real with God. I need to keep it real with people. Because when I pose lyrical, I really ain't true, I feel that my time's limited, hard rocks, too.

Hope That Rises

You probably have seen a spoken word piece making its way around the interwebs called, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus". It has sparked a huge debate and has left some people confused about its message. You can read a lot of it just in the comments section of the YouTube page. I'll save the conversation about the artist's content for another time. Instead, I wanted to focus on the art form. While the video is well done, I've seen better spoken word performances. Here's where I'd like to share about an artist who passed away last year, David Blair.

Lenny and Carl from The Simpsons

One particular piece that moved me called, "My Name is Carl", is a beautifully told story about Carl from The Simpsons. In the piece, Blair shares the story from a first person point of view, through the eyes of Carl. It helps to know a little bit about the characters of The Simpsons but even if you know nothing at all, the story and the delivery is captivating. As Blair put it, "Here it is in Technicolor."



I love that I could feel the emotion through the performance. He shared a piece of his soul through the story. Reading Blair's remembrance page, Metro Times journalist Melissa Giannini described his work as "hope that rises from the ashes of despair." I think that's what this story embodies. There will always be hope where we make ourselves visible to others just as Lenny stood up for Carl. I hope that I would have the same kind of courage, to be able to rise to the occasion and make myself visible to those in need.

Never Beyond: My Own Reflection

Image from the POTSC blog entry titled, "More Than Your Mistakes".

I love when stars and planets align, when seemingly unrelated events connect in a way to enhance what is being spoken into life. Such a thing occurred these past few days with my own reflection of 2011, an exercise we went through just today for our college group at church (shout out to SWAG!) and the latest addition to People of the Second Chance's "Never Beyond" poster series (see image above). The beginning of a new year offers the opportunity to process and sort through the obstacles that can keep us from realizing our infinite potential.

Saving my reflection for the wrap up, I'll start with the exercise. Our guest leader, Taryn, passed out compacts to the students (amused and glad to see the boys treat the compacts as totally foreign objects) and had them write character traits that annoy them onto the mirrors. The exercise was meant to encourage the students to reflect on why these traits annoy them and to assess whether or not they see the traits in themselves. Some of the traits that came to my mind were closed mindedness, lack of courtesy and being easily defeated. While I didn't necessarily see these traits in myself, I know I work at trying to fight them off. I attributed the negative feelings to past hurts. Whether experiencing them first hand or witnessing these traits inflicting pain on others, it is the pain that leaves emotional scarring. The scars ensure the pain will not be easily forgotten.

Staying with the exercise of looking at myself in the mirror, the latest "Never Beyond" post from POTSC offered this:

"Take a look at that mirror and ask yourself: Was 2011 a year of regret?  Of doubt, fear, guilt, and non-forgiveness?  Has it gone even farther back that that?  If so, then it’s time to look in that mirror again and ask yourself a different question: ”Who would you give a second chance?”"

Sometimes the person most in need of a second chance is the person in the mirror.

" Let 2012 be the year you give yourself permission to take that second chance."

My hope for 2012 was addressed in my previous blog entry, "More Than Conquerers". In it I said that if 2011 was about winning, then let's make 2012 about restoring. An addendum to that I'd like to make is that we should also look to be restored in our mission to restore. As we look to build and rebuild relationships, families and communities, we should also take time to find restoration for ourselves. After all, isn't restoration what second chances are all about?

"You are a person of infinite potential.  You are a person of a fresh start.  You are People of the Second Chance."

More Than Conquerers

At our Jr. High church group way back in the early 90's, (dang, that sounds old) we sang a melancholy song with these lyrics:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation or distress, shall persecution, famine or nakedness...
Neither peril or sword
From the love of the Lord."

Tribulation? Famine? Nakedness? (I always snickered when we got to that part of the line.) Those are uncommon words to your run of the mill 12 year old. I guess it was the unusualness of the song that stuck with me all of these years. Now, as a 32 year old (yup, old age confirmed) I can fully appreciate these words written by the apostle Paul.

Going into the Bible and reading the passage from which the song lyrics originated, I found that it is a remarkable commitment made by God through Jesus. It speaks of His everlasting love for us and that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from that. And if that is the kind of commitment He makes to us, I believe we should, in turn, make that kind of commitment to others.

"Who shall separate us?" - Let's start off the new year, 2012, by simply being there for one another. Through tribulations, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, anything that is thrown at us, let's stick together. It's not going to be easy. If there's one certainty, it is that it will be a struggle. It will take a huge amount of grace. But in the end, it will build us as a people. The scripture goes on to say, in all these things, we are more than conquerers. Conquering is simply winning the battle. We are more than that. We are here to make the world better than how it was when we got here. That would make us restorers.

If 2011 was about winning, let's make 2012 about restoring. Let's do it together.