If I understand humans correctly it is assumed that regardless of age, race, gender, social status, and nationality that we were created with the innate desire to succeed.

Let me clarify.

To “succeed” is to lay one’s head down at the end of the day (or night for some) and genuinely meditate on the joys of life through thankfulness. Logan P. Smith, the 20th Century American writer breaks it down to a rather simple gratitude:

“How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten?”

We long for satisfaction. We long to escape the curse of work. Many find it through various extracurricular activities, some of which lead to cement and bars. But, I contend that each and every individual, no matter who or where they are can achieve success at the highest level. So what’s the deal? How do we get this?

I think Daniel Pink sheds some significant light on this issue through the lens of business. Take a gander at the video below…

Aren’t we here to do something? Have you ever thought of that, I mean really sat down and considered what the crap we are doing on this huge-massive orb of earth, water, wind, and fire rotating at almost 1000 mph?! So what is that purpose?

Offended? Excited? Why do some of you squirm in your seat, face heating up ready to duke it out with me? Why are some of you rejoicing in such a claim?

Since living in the humid, right-wing, rebel-flagged, and BBQed South since 2008 I have been exposed to more “Christianity” than a Jesuit priest in Italy…okay maybe not but you catch it. The Bible-Belt has lived up to its name as well as the ribs and rum cake though unfortunately not always to my delight. Why is it that with an average of more than 50% of the Southern states’ populations claiming to be Christian that almost 100% of my non-Christian friends hateChristianity? To them, Christianity sucks…and rightfully so.

The destruction, hatred, and violence that is bread by a “Christianity” that does not love or look like Jesus in any way is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Look at the Crusades, look at the Conquistadors, look at Europe, look at America. Jesus said almost 2000 years ago to “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” There is a reason men and women I know cannot answer what their problem is with Jesus but can pen a graphic depicting their stories of hatred by and for Christians.

There was a time when I never saw that I was a “Christian”. I had all the right answers and could set a fire ablaze with my tongue in self-righteousness and hatred. Winning an argument was like eating my favorite meal (orange chicken and chow-mein) even at the cost of losing a friend. What a tool. I once was blind but now I see. This is Truth I rejoice over in my life though I close my eyes sometimes as if the old way was better. Stupid.

Why is it that some of you won’t pick up a Bible to read about this guy Jesus who came and told people to love even those who hate and want to kill them? Is it because Jesus sucks or the people you know who say they follow him suck? What really is Christianity?

Don’t follow the crowd, figure it out on your own and read the thing for yourself…today.

The human race is fascinated by power. Adam took the antidote from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 3) to receive his own kingdom. We have and continue to worship the gods and heroes of old like Zeus, Hermes, Apollos, Dionysius, Baal, and Poseidon. We have seen the the last decade of pop-culture and in particular the West’s primary means of story-telling, movies, being littered by “superhero” flicks that have captivated audiences around the world. The top grossing films in six out of the last ten years have been comic book or superhero-based stories. Why is this so? Why is it that the desire for power grips the very core of our hearts and calls out to our innermost being? Can I be a hero?

According to the much-trusted Wikipedia.org, power is defined as “…a measure of an entity’s ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities”. Wiki also defines heroes as ” …characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity”. Okay, we are getting somewhere here…so what we long for is the abiltiy to have control and to experience the power to overcome and see humanity benefit from our life. The Dark Knight, Superman, Thor, the Green Lantern, and Harry Potter all were great, they triumphed in spite of being a self-absorbed rich snob, an unsuccessful reporter allergic to kryptonite, and fear-filled boys (one in a man’s body). All our favorite superheroes somehow find a way to use their greatest strength in the midst of great weakness to impact the entire world.

The greatest war in the world is the battle against hatred and love. Sing it, “All you need is love!” Every human cannot and will not deny their desire to be loved and to love other people, we looooooooong for the power of love. So shouldn’t our superhero win the battle and defeat hatred? According to John in the Bible, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as the propitiation for our sins.” God demonstrated what true love to us in that while we were still enemies He loved us. The true heroes of this world are those who overcome their desire to hate and release the power of love in the world.

I know a superhero of our day and his name is Richard Wurmbrand. Take a gander at Wurmbrand, he’s one of my heroes who ended up in a Russian prison of torture for 14 years who did what Jesus said to do and loved his enemies instead of hated them. He said that for years they were given one slice of bread per WEEK for food. Some of the men that tortured him and his friends could not resist how much he and the some other prisoners loved them so they ended up wanting to follow Jesus too so they could love like them.

Wurmbrand was a man of great weakness who became a man of great power and love. How did he do it?

I was recently asked by a dear friend of mine what my favorite movie quote of all time was and I was challenged yet not perplexed. I immediately directed my focus to my Top Ten Movie List and pinged the likes of “End of the Spear“, “Braveheart“, “Gladiator“, “To End All Wars“, “Patch Adams“, and of COURSE “Three Amigos!“. From the epic “Father to a murdered son…” Maximus line to the ingenious “Infamous?…INfamous?” Dusty Bottoms bit I was getting pretty torn and not sure how I could ever possibly figure this out.

But, like the day Mr. Bryce Vankooten pegged me with the challenge of finding a Top Ten Movie List I was determined to lock this one down. “End of the Spear” is at the top of that movie list as it single-handedly impacted my life more than any other film. But, I could not pull a single quote from the film that was “all inclusive”, the film itself, the incredible story is what changed my life. With that said, I went to number two on the list…Braveheart.

I knew William Wallace was going to get the vote and was absolutely delighted when I was reminded of his epic speech at the Battle of Sterling, I had found my gem. As the young, scrappy, outmatched Scots awaited their leaders to announce their retreat and surrender of their freedom the zealous and passionate Wallace rides to the front of the army with his crazy cohorts. The entirety of the speech is worth the nomination, but picking a single quote this one takes the gold:

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!”

I believe every human being that ever lived is faced with this same choice. There is not a day that passes by that a battle of eternal proportions is being fought on this earth. We can choose to run and seemingly live and wake up many years from now only to find that we should have given up our lives years ago. The one who put it best said: “He who tries to save his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it.”

So, what does it mean to be free? What does it mean to lose your life?

Thank you Russ Chimes and Saman Keshavarz

It’s a rare delight when an artist and director get together to write and produce a collaborative project that raises the bar in the most unlikely of ways. Take a look below at the crew that put together one of the more impressive “music videos” I have seen in quite some time:

Director: Saman Keshavarz
Writers: Saman Keshavarz, Nate Eggert
Executive Producer: Lanette Phillips
Producers: Francis Pollara, Saman Keshavarz, Romson Niega
Associate Producers: Nate Eggert, Tom Lee
Cinematographer: Justin Gurnari
Editor: Nate Tam
Production Designer: Julie Chen
Stunts: Ken Arata
Graphics: Cosimo Galluzzi
Label: Eye Industries (eyeindustries.com/blog)
Production Company: Mighty8 (mighty8.tv)

With a crew that small and a budget that I’m sure came from the lint-filled pockets of those involved these visionary artists put together a piece of work that will leave your mind turning, head nodding, and heart pumping for three +5min. episodes.

Why did I never expect or want to hear someone SAY something in the films? Might I beg that it screams good film-making and acting, that’s why…

Saman Keshavarz and Russ Chimes, you have made one new fan that will be looking for big things from you both.

** For those sensitive to violent and suggestive sexual content you may not want to watch this (there is NO nudity)

BBC nature documentaries annihilate the mind

Series like Planet Earth and Life leave my mind and spirit in complete awe. To SEE and HEAR the absolutely incredible wonders of this vast earth blows my mind out of the water and keeps me coming back time and time again. Those who know me understand I have a bit of a fascination with nature, especially animals. Am I deeply learned? Not so much. But, I love to sit and watch the insane intricacies of this elaborate and incomprehensible planet we’ve been born into and try to remember all the details.

Now for many, to watch the explosion of life off the coast of South Africa will leave a simple, “cool” impression which of course is completely fine (to each his own). But for me, I cannot help but think about what this guy Daniel said over 2,700 years ago:

“How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

Why is it that we watch these images in wonder when they are in our own backyard?

What was our soul made for?

So I was delightfully introduced to the 4-man band Mumford & Sons this past week by our favorite intern Caitlin at work. Had NO idea how talented these guys were, yeah, throw me a bone Mr. Bigglesworth, seriously. So aside from digging “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man” (of course) I came across “Awake My Soul” and was a bit stunned by the lyrics…and of course the music:

———————————

How fickle my heart
and how woozy my eyes
I struggle to find
any truth in your lies
And now my heart stumbles
on things I don’t know
This weakness I feel
I must finally show

Awake my soul, awake my soul
Awake my soul
You were made to meet your maker
Awake my soul, awake my soul
Awake my soul
You were made to meet your maker
You were made to meet your maker

———————————

I assume this song is written to a girlfriend/lover and addresses the reality of relationships that are good, but ultimately lack the true freedom of genuine love. Where there is true love as God intended it there is ultimate freedom and as they sing, “where you invest your love, you invest your life”.

The question is, do I need a “lover” to experience true love?

Is love just a sensual experience? Why is it that no matter who it is, we always experience an element of disappointment in human relationships? What were we truly made for?

Just some late night thoughts, now I am gonna have to not get up from this recliner and call it a night.

Are you ready to die?

When my coworker and I sat down for a ritual trailer-watching lunch break recently much to our delight there were about 5 new trailers on apple.com/trailers, things were looking up.  Then, aside from seeing a poster graphic with an eagle that peeked my attention I saw one with Javier Bardem front and center and I was immediately sold…or should I say “Chigurhed”.

Upon the conclusion of No Country for Old Men (2007) I was convinced I would watch any other film Javier took part in.  Well, I haven’t ENTIRELY stuck to that “pledge” as I’ve missed his two last films.  Regardless, I watch this trailer and am completely intrigued by its pure simplicity, beautiful yet difficult imagery, moving song piece, and perhaps the most notable being it’s 4 lines of dialogue:

Woman: Are you ready to go?

Uxbal (Bardem):  No.

Woman: You and I know the dead suffer if they leave debts behind.

Uxbal: I’m not going to die….no.

There is an old Psalm that says, “All who come from the dust will kneel before the Lord, all who cannot keep themselves alive.”  This film is no “new idea” but it looks to be a solid piece of story-telling that raises the most difficult and painful dilemma of mankind…the reality of pain, suffering, and ultimately death.

Do you really believe one day you will die?

There are a few frames of racy imagery if  you watch this trailer, FYI.

A few minutes ago I was having an edifying conversation with my father as I lay on my full-size bed here in the now-cool Fort Walton Beach, FL and he rest comfortably in his New York hotel room trying to wind down from a stressful sales trip.  Somewhere between “torrential rain/tornadoes that had hit our home state of Arizona (where mother is at the moment)” and “current life updates” I was thrilled to suddenly recall the story of Ed Thomas:

ME: “Dad, did you watch the ESPYs this year?!”

DAD: “No, why?”

ME: “Oh goodness, I need to send you this video of this guy who one an award on the show.  Long story short it’s about a high school football coach who was shot and killed by one of his former players while the team was working out in the gym.  It will BLOW your mind!  I hope it’s on YouTube, I will send you the link if it is.”

DAD: “Oh, okay, yeah send it over.”

Do you know who Ed Thomas is?!  If you have ever wondered what the true definition of “forgiveness” is, or what Jesus meant when he said to “Love one another as I have loved you”, than watch the Ed Thomas story unfold.  The legacy he left behind goes beyond human understanding and cries out to the deepest longings of the human heart.

“Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything.”

A dear friend of mine sends me some of my favorite e-mails to read, in the midst of hilarity and randomness come numerous nuggets I have come to thoroughly enjoy.  A recent delight, this quote I had never heard before.  Succinct, profound, timely.  I had to share it with more peeps.  Thanks Floyd Dell, you must have been successful at whatever you did/do in life…now I shall proceed to the most trusted source on the inter-webs known as  ”wikipedia”.