Father’s Day

To my father:

You are a man. You are a husband. You are a teacher. You are a preacher. You are an entertainer. You are a minister. You are a father, and that is more important than everything else that you are. A father is an example; a father is a lawmaker; a father is a peacemaker; a father is a mentor; a father is spiritual leader; a father someone to pick you up when you fall, and to tell you when you’ve done wrong. Dad, you are a great man. You are a great teacher. You preach the Word with boldness and surety. You teach me how to live my life. You are an entertainer, and a minister at the same time. But, more than all of this, you are my father.

This day, December 31 is my dad’s birthday. For many years he has set the standard and the example of what walking by faith looks like. He has led our family through the difficult times and into the joyous times. He has held to his commitment to my mother and unto God to watch, care, protect, provide, instruct, and correct his family in love as God does for His Church.

A father is a picture of God, and by his example, we learn more about God. Sure, my dad’s not perfect, nobody is perfect. But, he’s always been there, and he always will be. I don’t know what my life would have been like if I didn’t have a father, but I can tell you that I would’ve been messed up in more ways than I could say. God has blessed me and my siblings with a wonderful dad, and I thank God for him.

Dad, I love you. You are the Godly man that I want to be someday. You love me when I hate myself. You are always there for me when I need you. I can always count on you to tell me when I’m wrong. Thanks for being you. Happy birthday.

I know this post was for and about my dad, but it’s also to emphasize the importance of fathers. A father is the head of a home just as Christ is the head of the Church. A father is commanded to raise his children to love and fear God and is accountable for them as long as they are under his roof. An earthly father is a picture of our heavenly father and is vital to how we grow in our spiritual lives. It may not be your dad’s birthday today, but let him know how much you love and appreciate him just being your dad.

If you don’t have a father, or maybe don’t have a father who is ever around. Thank God for being your heavenly father and always caring for you and protecting you even when your earthly father does not.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Homeless For The Holidays

This might have been more fittingly timed had I posted it around Christmas, however, New Year’s Day is also a holiday, so it still works.
Since November, my family has been living out of a van and trailer due to an accident with the bus rendering it incapacitated. Living from hotel to friend’s house to hotel is nothing new for our family, but it is different to be out of one’s own home over Christmas and New Years; possibly even through Easter as well. It is not looking like a good situation.

This post is for my followers who do not have Facebook or Twitter and cannot get these updates any other way.

Two weeks ago, Mom and Dad left on their anniversary trip leaving us kids in Springfield, MO where our oldest brother Caleb and his family lives. The first Sunday after they left we had two bookings to fulfill. Now, this is the first time that we have ever had to do a full Christmas concert without Mom and Dad: it was a unique experience. It caused a few of us to step up and take charge where we normally would not. So, it was a growing experience for us.

The day Mom and Dad came back from their trip they received news from the bus shop in Wisconsin that the front frame was bent and the cost of repairs was going to be tremendously more than we had at first thought. Some of the major issues were replacing the front frame and obtaining parts. There is only one company in the US that makes parts for our make and model of coach, (MCI), and some of the parts we need are no longer being manufactured.

When you evaluate the cost of re-manufacturing parts and the time it takes to make them, ship them, and install them, we could be out of the bus for a very long time. On the flip side of the coin, our insurance company has said that if the cost of repairs becomes too high, they will total the bus.

By Thursday we will know more, right now I ask for your prayers and any kind thoughts you can send our way. Just wanted to keep you informed. We’re homeless for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be joyful. Joy is not where you are, who your with, or what you are doing. True joy is found in Christ and nothing can take that away.

As always. Thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

MRM: Game Plan

For this week’s episode of “Movie Review Monday!” we stumble upon a Disney movie starring Dwayne Johnson and the lovable kid actress Madison Petis. The movie, (“Game Plan”), is about Joe Kingman, the all-star quarterback of the Boston Rebels. He gets surprised by the daughter he didn’t know he had showing up at his door, (surprise!). 

This movie was a unique idea, but the premise was already messed up from the git-go. The whole reason Joe Kingman didn’t know he had a daughter was because he left his wife before she was born, (strike one for the father).

So, the movie is about a big-headed football player trying to be a father. I’ll give it one thing: for movies of this type, the “famous person learning to live in the real world” type movies, “Game Plan” is the best of the lot. 

ACTING:

We all know that Dwayne Johnson is not the most versatile or inventive actor. The guy has talent, but he’s not a superb actor. Also, touchy subject, but with most kid actors and actresses, the quality of acting is very poor. Only type cast children actors end up giving real pro performances. Madison Petis is great, but also weak at many points in the film. 

Acting gets a moderate 6 of 10 stars.

STORY:

Because of the nature of the situation that brings this father and daughter together, the story is interesting, but hardly a good worldview. Morally, there are so many problems with this film, not the least of them being a dad who plays the field, and even gets emotionally attached to his daughter’s ballet teacher while his wife is still living.

At a late point in the movie, Joe Kingman finds out that his wife died six months ago. His face shows shock, surprise, and loss, which is hard to swallow given that his actions show that he gave her up for dead a long time ago. The emotions that they attempted to portray were contrary to the actions of the characters. The setting, the background, and the events that took place were poorly composed and weakly written. Story wise, this movie was a mess.

Story earns a whopping 4 of 10 stars. It was unique, yet terribly pulled off.

MESSAGE:

Speaking of messes, here’s the message of the story: love changes people.

The love of his daughter and his love for his daughter were what ultimately changed Joe Kingman from a prideful, selfish, all-star football player, into a considerate and caring father. That’s what the intended message was. What I gleaned from the movie was a message more akin to: you can live however you want to live and everything will turn out alright.

This is why we call it messages. The messages that Hollywood send to us through film are so messed up. The underlying theme of, “the end justifies the means”, is constantly in play. They are teaching us that the steps you take to get where you are do not matter, as long as you get there.

The message of this story was a flop, I give it a 3 of 10 stars.

KILLING STROKE:

This is a new category in my reviews that will be classified as “the moment where the movie lost it for me”. You’ve noticed a few new categories, mostly I create different sectors based upon in which areas the movie was flawed or weak.

The killing stroke of this movie, for me was the lack of repentance on Joe Kingman’s part. Sure, he tries to play the remorse card, but doesn’t actually feel sorry for what he did or that his wife was dead. More than that, there is no recognition of wrong doing. For all the contradictory pieces of this movie, it has withstood time and is still a favorite of many; as is evidenced by it still being available in the Walmart 5 dollar bin. It’s not a bad movie, but it is messed up in its messages.

If you’re watching it for fun, I don’t want to spoil it for you. But if you watch it with your eyes open, looking for the hidden meaning behind the facade, you’ll see a different film. 

DISNEY’S TRADEMARK:

Disney is famous for inspiring kids to dream and creating a family-oriented environment in their books, theme parks, and media. But, in direct proportion, Disney is infamous for having characters with single-parent homes. You don’t believe me?

Princess Jasmine, Nemo, Elizabeth Snow, Dumbo, Bambi, Ariel, Simba, Belle, Tiana, Andy, Remy, Olivia Flaversham, Pocahantas, Luke Skywalker, Snow White, Cinderella, and Peyton Kingman all come from single parent homes. These, along with countless other Disney characters who have no parents at all have puzzled people for decades. 

Why is it that Disney characters lack mothers in most cases? Well, one reason is that Walt Disney blamed himself for his own mother’s death, as he was involved in events that led to it. Another is that in 90 minutes, in order for a character to undergo tremendous growth in that time, something needs to push them: in most cases the loss of a parent.

Whether this is a psychological decision on the part of the creators, or a plot point in the film, the loss of a parent is a terrible blow. Most of the problems with this little girl in “Game Plan” stem from the loss of her mother and the failure of her father. 

It’s a decent movie, but it’s not a healthy watch if you realize what you’re watching. I’ll rate it 5 of 10 stars. Nothing bad, but certainly nothing good. Tune in next week for another episode of Movie Review Monday!

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Best RPG, FPS, and Strategy Games

Okay, I’ve been serious for the past dozen posts, it’s time to do something just for the fun of it.

When you’re a moral, home schooled, sheltered kid, you are very selective about your game choices. Everybody wants to find the perfect game that they enjoy and can feel good about playing. These games aren’t perfect, but they come close and are a few of my favorites.

We’ll start with iOS games, because they’re more popular these days.

#1- This Means War!

This Means War is a build-a-base game like Clash of Clans or Game of War. The unique thing about this game is that it is set in modern day, if not a slightly futuristic modern day.     As is shown in the first screenshot, this is a flat field of battle, both bases are in play; this feature is one of the major distinctions of “This Means War” from all other games like it. In the most popular of the play type, Clash of Clans, there is no danger of your base being attacked when you are in a raid; in This Means War, the enemy can attack you as you’re attacking them.

The best part: it’s clean and simplistic. The graphics are top, the developers release updates often with new content and fixes, and you don’t have to wade through creep-things like you have to in other fantasy games. You can click here to download This Means War for free.

#2- Tiny Troopers

This is an entirely different game play done with bobble headed characters. Like a total control 3rd person FPS, this delightful game is a pleasant pastime. 

  Again, the graphics are great, the game play is fun and engaging. It’s still not a true FPS, but the many missions and characters keep it from getting boring too fast.

You control a squad of three men and invade small maps, eliminating targets and keeping your little guys alive. It’s not a pay-to-play like a lot of games are nowadays, and it’s actually fun. Download it here.

#3- 0A.D.

For number three we move to the laptop computer and a new open-source strategy game. 0A.D. is so new that they are still in Alpha. Having recently released their 19th Alpha version, called Syllepsis, 0A.D. is pushing ahead toward become the next Age of Empires.

  

 

Okay, take a moment to appreciated the prettiness of these screenshots. Alright, now take in the fact that this game is completely fan funded. They do not charge for the game. This game is built by monetary support and actual code and design contributions by fans. Wow! To be as good as it is now and to still be in Alpha building, this game will be a monster when fully developed. 

It’s gameplay is very similar to AoE 2 with a graphic scale of AoE 3. If you are an Age of Empires fm, you’ll want to keep an eye on this developing game. You can read more about it or download the latest version here.

#4- Age of Empires: World Domination

Speaking of Age of Empires, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the classic, most iconic CPU strategy game that is getting a  mobile app. That’s it. You read that correctly; Age of Empires is getting an official mobile game.  

  
   

Now, this app has not yet been released to the US market, but they are testing the iOS and Android systems in the Philippines and other abstract places. I’m pumped about this game, but a bit disconcerted by the reviews it’s getting from testing. Despite that, I think there is great promise and great possibilities for this game. Obviously there is a huge fan base for this game, and I’m excited to see what they do with it. 

The style of game play looks very similar to the old style, but the game is free to play. That means that there will be purchasable items, making it potentially a pay-to-play game. Well, no game is perfect. Learn more about AoE World Domination on their website by clicking here.

#5- BombSquad

 This game, developed by Eric Froemling, may very well be my favorite group game ever. It is a computer game that works best on Mac devices, (but will also work on windows, if you know how to obtain the Beta), which you control using phones. You download the game to your computer and the controller to your phone and you’re set for a bobble-head adventure.

There are multiple basic game styles, which include: capture the flag, last man standing, king of the hill, football, racing, and several variations of these. With free-for-all, single player, and multi-player team modes, there is no end to the hours of mad fun you can have with this simple little game.

There are 6 free avatars to choose from and additional ones for purchase, but the real fun of the game is in the 4 buttons on the controller: punch, jump, throw bomb, and pick up. The last of these actions enables you to pick up another player and simply throw them off of the map. This is the equivalent of sneaking up behind someone in Halo and hitting them over the back of the head with a rocket launcher.

You can play with up to 8 players and the rounds are short, making this a great game for mid-sized groups. I like it a lot, mostly because of their tagline in the last screenshot: “Blow up your friends”. What’s not fun about that?

There is no blood, no realistic violence or themes, so even the little kids can play. You can download BombSquad for free by clicking here. 

I suppose I need a moral to this post, just for consistency of course. Games are a bridge to escape life for a few short moments. Everybody needs a bridge. These are some of the bridges I enjoy walking, I hope you will too.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Whatever You Do, Don’t Be You

Why? Because, I’m not gonna lie, you stink. But, you’re not the only one. The human race is the scum of the earth: literally. Everything was perfect, then we sinned, single-handedly casting the entire world into death living. No other thing created has the will to disobey God. Animals do not sin, they have no consciousness, no soul. They are not accountable for their actions, therefore they are free of the law and it’s penalties.

Man, of all God’s creation, hates Him most. We live to hate God, to exemplify this in our actions. To a God who considers hate to be murder, what do you think He considers idleness and apathy? 

Is anything less than us totally, with every waking breath serving Christ to the whole of our ability, anything less than a hate of God. 

If hate is murder, lust is adultery, and a lie is worthy of Hell, what do we call utter disobedience if not the hatred of God?

Why then, of everything God has created, did He choose the most vile, most hateful, most reprobate of all His creation to save? 

So, I ask you please to not be you. You are human, you hate God in and of yourself. Don’t be you, be anything but you. The logical question then is: how? How do you stop being yourself? Well, the only way to stop being you is to start being someone else.

I hear people say, “Be true to you”, “Love yourself”, I say be anyone but you, and hate yourself: for only when you hate yourself can you love others.

Live unselfishly, stop doing what you want, how you want, when you want, and start doing things for others. Give your life away, lose it to find it.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

The Day After

The fun has died down, the family has gone home, and Christmas is coming to a close. Let’s take a look at what just happened:

• You were subconsciously nice to people yesterday.
• You spent time with those you love and had a good meal.
• You gave something, even as insignificant as time itself, to someone else.
• You had a good time and shared peace and joy with family and friends. 

Christmas was a success… Or was it?
Why do you celebrate Christmas? Not, why do your parents celebrate Christmas, or why does your culture celebrate Christmas. Why do you celebrate Christmas?

WHY?

We know that Jesus probably wasn’t born on December 25, and that celebrations of birthdays in general are traditionally pagan. So, why do you celebrate Christmas?

Biblically, every blessing from God recieved thanks, and every recurring blessing recieved a festival, or holiday. These festivals, most of them belonging to the Jews, (who are the opposite of pagans), included the festival of the harvest, the festival of the Passover, and many others. These were festivals of blessing, celebrating the gift of harvest and the gift of the passing over of the Spirit of Death. Blessings of God ought to be celebrated. We celebrate Christmas because Christ is the ultimate blessing.

WHEN?

Why do we celebrate this holiday when we do? Christmas is celebrated in December for many reasons, one is that, according to astronomy, the Star of Bethlehem, (which appeared at Christ’s conception), appeared on December 25. Life begins at conception, thus Christ was alive and in the world on December 25, but was born roughly 9 months later.

 Another reason we celebrate in December is for remberance. Christ emphasized remberance in the blessing of His death. He told His disciples to partake of the “Lord’s Supper”, in remberance of Him.

The reason we celebrate in the dark of winter, the middle of the coldest part of our year, is because it was into a bleak and cold world that He came into. The dark and chill of winter is our hearts. When we needed Him most, in the bleak of winter, He came to us.

WHAT?

What is Christmas to you? That’s what makes it worth celebrating in the first place. Christmas isn’t for Christ. It is not for His pleasure, joy, and happiness that we celebrate. Every day should be devoted to Christ, but there shouldn’t be anything extra done on Christmas anymore than any other day. Christmas is for us, that we partake of the joy, peace, and love, and remember why, how, when, and who it’s all about.

Think about what just happened. Think about Christmas, and believe.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Christmas Cop-Out

Merry Christmas everyone!

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

The Eve Of Christmas

You’re probably expecting a post that has something to do with Christmas, given the title and timing of this post. But, I’m not going to focus on Christmas today. It isn’t Christmas, it is the day before; the day we go to a candlelight church service and reflect on what God did for us.

Today is all about precursor. In this case, the precursor is more important than the actual day. Christmas is all about us. We are so wrapt in ourselves and giving to others that we may see the joy on their faces and recieve the satisfaction from that. It’s about us having fun with family and showing others that we care. But, Christmas Eve is not about Christ, it’s about reflecting upon His birth, life, and death.

At least in the way we celebrate these days: Christmas is about fun, and Christmas Eve is about faith. The Christian’s way of keeping Christ in Christmas is to push Him out of it. We gather in His house earlier than usual so that we don’t end up staying too late. We come into His presence in fellowship a day early so the Christmas Day can be filled with “more important things”.

I don’t think this is a bad thing, but be consistent Christians! Without Christ, Christmas is just an average holiday; not all that special. So, if the eve of this average holiday is all about Christ, and the holiday itself is an afterthought to that, why not cry out: “Keep Christ in Christmas Eve!”? Just be consistent. We cannot tell the world to keep Christ in Christmas while pushing Him out of it ourselves.

The day of Christmas ought to be more Christ-centered than its precursor. Do we treat it as a holy day?

What’s more important? What do your actions tell others that Christmas means to you? Just a thought.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

Girl Meets Blogger

 This is a post about “Girl Meets World”, the Disney Channel spin-off of the Disney Channel show, “Boy Meets World”. This show is very similar in setting to the old show, but is centered around Cory’s daughter and not Cory himself. 

I recently watched about a billion episodes of this series and have come to regard it as one of the better Disney Channel shows I have ever laid eyes upon. I will probably be watching it while you are reading this post. The characters are solid, if not creepily realistic. The setting is bland, which makes the stories incredibly versatile and interesting. 

The character Maya, played by Sabrina Carpenter, is a pitch perfect complimented to the smiley, bright side of life main character of Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard. I tell you, Sabrina Carpenter though… Haha! Sorry, I just saw the scene with Dewey/Doy and busted out laughing; when you watch it, you’ll understand.

Anyway, Sabrina Carpenter may be my favorite female actor in the history of the Disney Channel. That may sound like fan girling, but as I’ve said multiple times on this blog, I’m a dead man living. 

Random Word To Guys:

Long ago I put my heart in a box and I threw away the key. Prayed to God: note to self that life is not all about me. It’s best to focus on an ideal, not an image; until you stumble across, are led to, or end up fixed with the person you were meant to be with for the rest of your life.

Okay, moving on. Peyton Meyer plays the character of Lucas, the not so stereotypical, super hot jock, at least coming from the perspective of Riley. There is an undertone of boyfriend/girlfriend elements, but they always serve a purpose. In the words of Caleb Allen:

This is like the only Disney Channel show with real heart.

He’s right. You fall in love with the characters and become part of their lives. You can feel them, even if they aren’t always funny, they are always real.

The favorite dou of mine is the combination of the characters of Farkle, (Corey Fogelmanis), unfortunate names both times, I know, and Cory Mathews, (Ben Savage), the original boy who meets the world. The brilliancy of their characters and particularly the morph of Cory from student to teacher at the same school, and his role of playing teacher to his kids, is comical and intruiging. 

I really like the show because it’s real, it’s life. It’s not afraid to make fun of itself by addressing the fact that Cory is consistently only paying attention to the main characters of the series in his class.

The only thing I don’t care for, and this is all too prevalent among Disney Channel anything, is the lack of parental responsibility to take charge of their children’s problems. They treat the highschoolers like adults. Mainly because the parents are just big children themselves sometimes.

This show has a purpose, has a moral, it has heart and depth to it. In a world of shallow people and superficial smiles, it’s nice to know that there is some escape in the craziness of a Disney Channel series.

I’m praying for these actors and actresses. It’s a habit with favorite actors of mine, because I know what it’s like to play a part and get lost in it. I’ve felt the loss of peices of myself by leaving them in facades that I created. But, for me, God and writing were my escapes, my revitalization, a way to find my way back to who I was. I pray for these people, that who they are on screen is who they are in real life. 

God changes us to who we need to be, and that’s enough. For Ben Savage: I pray that you find your life outside of a character. For Peyton Meyer: I pray that you would be who you are on screen, because that person is real. For Rowan Blanchard: Calm down, seriously! Find true joy in Christ. For Sabrina Carpenter: You are who you want to be. I pray you choose your life wisely. For Corey Fogelmanis: I’m sorry about your last name. I pray you see the value in others and the wisdom of God.

Hey, it’s been fun. But, that’s all for today.

As always, thanks for reading, you guys are really awesome.

—the anonymous novelist

MRM: Rogue Nation

  Tom Cruise. Wow. The man is a pretty hardcore actor. His stunts in this film were impressive to say the least. I have a lot of respect for this man, as an actor, and in this last film especially. 

CHARACTERS:

The character of Ethan Hunt, which is played by Tom Cruise, is one of the most stand up security agents I’ve ever seen in film. Unlike the playboy that is James Bond, Ethan Hunt is a married man and stays faithful to that in this new film. 

I love how the film is able to show the comradary of agents, even double agents, without having to have a physical relationship. They obtain information honestly, though not trustingly at first, and have the “you help me, I help you” mentality throughout the film. 

Hunt shows his integrity and love for his wife by parting with this woman agent on friendly, but only friendly terms.

Another aspect I apreciated was the character progression of Benji, the tech agent and personal best friend of Ethan. This man exibits the ruffly, steel-exterior agent personality when taking the internal polygraph tests early on in the movie. He shows us the sarcastic, “I don’t care”, “I’m so good at what I do” side of an agent right at the start. 

Slowly, we see his exterior shell brake and the friend side of him emerge, emotions growing until the climax. When he has a bomb strapped to his chest, the facade drops and he is a terribly frightened, real life, human being. 

Often we see international agents as robots without souls, but Benji was real in this movie. I applaud the writers for this, and give the characters of Rogue Nation a glowing 8 of 10 stars.

QUALITY:

I did not like the lack of intense action in this, “Action”, movie. As I told many people after viewing it, “It was a good movie, but it wasn’t a good action movie”. I felt a lot more drama in the film, yet it still retained an action story: one that is poorly thought through and is geared for action sequences. Thus, composition and content get a below average rating of 4 of 10 stars.
REWATCHABILITY:

Finally, the rewatchablility and special effects. Well, the effects were lousy as most of the action sequences were live stunts. Therefore stunting, (pun intended), the visual effects scale. It was not an intense movie, and it did contain language. I watched the movie through a filter called VidAngel to avoid the cursing; because it really spoils the whole mood and the scene, and it’s not wholesome. But, there is cursing in it. For this reason, unless you have been desensitized to the taking of your God’s name in vain, I give the movie a rewatchablility rating of a grand zero out of ten stars without a guardian, and 6 of 10 with one.

It was underwhelming overall, outside of seeing Tom Cruise actually hang on the outside of a plane. So, this movie gets a rating of 5 of 10 stars. That classifies it as an average film. Sorry Tom, better luck next time. 

Again, I would caution you, this movie does contain language. If you’re planning on watching it with a gaurdian, do so, it’s a fun addition to the rest of the series.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist