Field of Dreams
I just finished watching the movie Field of Dreams for about the 100,000th time, and it never gets old. Honestly, what kind of person doesn't love this movie? Everything, and I do mean everything, is perfect! Baseball...spontaneous events bringing us to a happy ending...a father and son growing together...a father and son having a catch. What else embodies the whole of what America is all about? Think about it. Stadiums full of people cheering for their team. Hot dogs, peanuts, beer, and lemonade. The singing of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Singing together. Freely. Happily. Singing a song that they wouldn't dare to sing carelessly, but that they sing without a care in the world. Who doesn't love the thought of a father putting his arms around his little boy to help his son make his first hit with a baseball bat, but then watching the father patiently say, "It's okay, Son, you're doin' great. It just takes practice, that's all," when the son still misses? What is more heartwarming than the look on a little boy's face when he tears away the wrapping paper to find his very first baseball glove? What, as the boy grows older, brings him closer to his father any more than having a catch? Nothing. It's that simple. That's what makes baseball so amazing. As Ray finally asks his dad at the end of the movie, "Hey Dad...you wanna have a catch?" you know the rift between them has healed. No longer are they angry with each other. They once again have their father-son relationship back. It's great. It's perfect. It's baseball.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again."--Terence Mann in Field of Dreams (played by James Earl Jones)
I was just writing my reflective statement for senior seminar, and for the first time, it hit me! I'M GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS! All of a sudden I was filled with this sad/euphoric/excited/scared feeling all in one, and now my stomach feels weak. I know that everyone else got Senioritis months ago, but for some reason, it never happened to me. Now, however, I'm just in a constant state of shock. Let's see how well I absorb my books now!
As terrible as I'm sure I will be accused of being for saying this, I'm starting to think that there should be a law that says you have to have a special permit in order to show PDA in public (aside from hugging). The permit will only be given to people who are good-looking, and it should be required that it be renewed once every few years. I'm getting sick of seeing Colonel Sanders walk around campus so close to his girlfriend or wife (whichever she is) that you couldn't pry the two apart with a crowbar. One time I even saw them making out, and I've been having nightmares ever since. Just one more plus to going to a state school though, right? Of course, I'll hand it to ya' that I'm a very sexy 22 year old man and thus I would be one of the permit carriers, and I'm also not saying that the person has to have drop-dead good looks either. There are plenty of mediocre-looking people around campus I would not mind seeing close to a boyfriend/girlfriend. I just think that people need to admit it when they're just not on the top 10 list anymore! Okay, I know you're thinking that this is terrible, and I suppose you're right. I really should not be writing this. However, I also get tired of seeing two hairy prunes smashed up against each other because they're "in love." If that's what they need to express their love to each other (in public anyway), their love is pretty shallow, and they need to deepen it. Love is a decision (despite Hollywood's statements that it's a feeling). It's a commitment to say to someone I will stand by you. I love you, which means that I have decided to care for you, honor you, and cherish you. You are an amazing creation of God, and thus I choose to love you. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a husband/wife boyfriend/girlfriend relationship either...it could be between two friends. It's exactly how we should decide to treat each and every friend of ours. Sometimes it's expressed compassionately (and within the blessings of marriage, sexually), but other times it's just expressed through actions...defending a friend when they're being attacked by someone else when you know the attack is not right, helping a friend when they need help with something, and hanging out with them on a Saturday evening just because they're your friend. That's love. Plus (in order to break up the serious mood of this post which was supposed to be slightly humorous and completely pointless save for the sole purpose of getting one of my pet peeves off my chest), with such a love, it makes it so that people don't feel the need to express PDA in public, making it so that I don't have to see Willie Nelson make out with Aunt Bea.
Plus, while we're on the subject, are sound effects necessary during compassionate moments? Mind you, it's kinda cute when a little kid goes "MmmmmmmmmMAH!" while giving someone a kiss, and it's not so bad when someone else does it while giving the little kid a peck on the cheek either, but it gets old from about the age of five and up. Therefore, I also think that we should have a law against sound effects while kissing, unless you are under the age of five or kissing someone under the age of five. Truly these things would help make the world a better place.
I originally heard this song on the CD of Hillsong Church in Sydney (the name of the album is "Shout to the Lord" for those who are interested...it's song number 14 on disc 1). When I first heard it, I didn't listen to it really because I didn't like the tune all that much at first. However, I then got to listening to it and thought it sounded sooo cool! Now I love it and always sing along whenever I hear the song on the CD (although someone else has borrowed it right now...I'm going nuts without it! LOL) In actuality, the Great Southland is a nickname for Australia, and as an American, I know it sounds a little strange for me to like it so much. However, I love how this song practically seems like a prayer to God to bring their nation to Him. On top of that, I don't know of any songs which have to do with America that mention the Holy Spirit! I think it's so neat, and thus it's a reminder to me that not just individuals, but rather our nations need the Lord! Truly, without Him, we will fall!
The Great Southland - by Geoff Bullock
This is our nation, this is our land
This is our future, this is our hope.
A land of reaping, a land of harvest
This is our land, this is our home.
CHORUS:
This is the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit
A land of red dust plains and summer rains
To this sunburnt land we will see a flood
And to this Great Southland His Spirit comes.
This is our nation, this is our land
This land of plenty, this land of hope.
The richest harvest is in her peoples
We see revival, the Spirit comes.
CHORUS
This is our nation, this is our land,
This lucky country of dreams gone dry.
And to this people we see a harvest
And to this land, revival comes.
CHORUS
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget? Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.
Q: Are you sexually active?
A: No, I just lie there.
Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July 15.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.
Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke up that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.
Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.
Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
A: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?
Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?
Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?
Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?
Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A. Oral.
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Drew
2. Jacob
3. Josh (actually, this one is involuntary...a guy I know really thinks Josh is my name, and I've tried to tell him it's actually Drew, but he hasn't caught on yet...at least I like the name Josh and don't mind his confusion in this case)
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU'VE HAD:
1. maineman
2. jacobmschlemer
3. il_ky_co_drew
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. hair
2. eyes
3. fingers (yeah, I know it's weird)
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. Height
2. Acne
3. Weight
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Welsh
2. Scandanavian (Norse, more specifically)
3. English
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Not knowing what will happen in the future
2. The thought of trying new things (yeah, I'm a major baby)
3. The thought of not having God in my life!
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. American Eagle dark blue polo with light blue stripes across it with little red stripes down the middle of the light blue stripes
2. Tan American Eagle shorts
3. American Eagle socks that cut off below the ankle
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS/MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. Jeremy Camp
2. Ace Troubleshooter
3. Creed
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS:
1. "I Still Believe" by Jeremy Camp
2. "Hear Our Praises" by Reuben Morgan
3. "The Great Southland" by Geoff Bullock (I know it's a song about Australia, but I still love it with it's spiritual themes!)
THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1. Graduating from college
2. Moving to Colorado
3. Taking a spiritual retreat...just me and God for a couple of days...in a nice hotel elsewhere or something
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP
1. Love
2. Communication
3. Christ-centeredness
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
1. I have read all the way through the Bible 4 times.
2. I'm related to the lead singer of a famous country music band.
3. I'm a descendent of Norse royalty.
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES
1. Reading
2. Movies
3. Teaching my nephews things my sister-in-law doesn't want them to know (SPOON JAB!)
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW
1. Move to a beach-town in Florida (hello Clearwater!)
2. Finish this semester
3. Take it easy
THREE CAREERS YOU'VE CONSIDERED
1. Pastor
2. Missionary
3. Lawyer
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. United Kingdom
THREE KID'S NAMES
1. Christian/Christian
2. Jennifer/Trevor
3. Emma/Aaron
THREE THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE
1. Get married and have children (like everyone else)
2. Lead people to Jesus
3. Buy a brand-new convertible (or some other car brand new that's really nice)
THREE WAYS I'M STEREOTYPICALLY A GUY
1. I hate the mall
2. I'm a ST. LOUIS CARDINALS fan
3. I like girls
THREE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO TAKE THIS QUIZ:
1. FreshFruit
2. Jai
3. Critch
Things You Don't Want to Hear When Calling Tech Support
"Do you have a sledgehammer or a brick handy?"
"That's right, not even McGyver could fix it."
"Duuuuuude! Bummer!"
"Looks like you're gonna need some new dilithium crystals, Cap'n."
"Press 1 for Support. Press 2 if you're with 60 Minutes. Press 3 if you're with the FTC."
"We can fix this, but you're gonna need a butter knife, a roll of duct tape, and a car battery."
"In layman's terms, we call that the Hindenburg Effect."
"Hold on a second... Mom! Timmy's hitting me!"
"Okay, turn to page 523 in your copy of Dianetics."
"Please hold for Mr. Gates' attorney."
I am beginning to move some of my posts that I really liked from my Live Journal to this website. Here's the beginning, but most likely not the last.
I absolutely love this song! Have you ever sung it at your church before? If not, you should talk to your worship leader about getting ahold of it and singing it sometime. I love the visuals it gives...that there are Christians everywhere that just want to praise the Lord! We serve an awesome God, and even though there certainly are places throughout the world that don't know Jesus yet, there are definitely Christians in every major region of the world. I always picture myself singing with them in the midst of all of this beautiful creation God has made for us as I lift my voice during this song! It also helps that I have a CD of Hillsong Church's Sydney congregation, led by Darlene Zschech, singing this song, which is absolutely incredible!
Hear Our Praises - by Reuben Morgan
May our homes be filled with dancing.
May our streets be filled with joy.
May injustice bow to Jesus,
As the people turn to pray.
From the mountains, to the Valleys,
Hear our praises rise to you.
From the heavens, to the nations,
Hear our singing fill the air.
May a light shine in the darkness,
As we walk before the cross.
May His glory fill the whole earth,
As the waters o'er the sea.
From the mountains, to the Valleys,
Hear our praises rise to you.
From the heavens, to the nations,
Hear our singing fill the air.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Yes, I have decided to start my own blog. I am now moving here from livejournal.com because I think the format and appearance is tremendously better. Either way, while I can't spend much time here this evening as I was up until 8:30 this morning last night working on research papers and I thus need to go to bed, I also thought I would go ahead and post for the first time to welcome you here and invite you to continually visit! Until next time, here's a funny link for you to enjoy (if you're here from my Live Journal, you've seen it before).
http://movies.collegehumor.com/media/movies/hidden_final_small.wmv
