Transformers Transformation

I got to see the new Transformers movie this weekend with my family. It was a good shoot-em up, alien, save the world sort of movie. I had seen the first two movies as well. Occasionally I like a movie that is big in the special effects: the kind that makes you think "How did they do that?" I thought this when watching Transformers. It seems like each of the movies they find how to do something more spectacular than the last.

There was something that left me feeling off about this movie though...it was that spiritual heartburn again. (I know what you are thinking...she has spiritual heartburn in a movie about alien robots, but you never know when it creeps up and there isn't a pill you can take for it). There was two alien robots fighting in the movie. One was Optimus Prime. He is the leader of the Autobots, the "good" alien robot race (I like to say alien robots). He comes from a long line of leaders from the planet Cypertron. The movie centers around Optimus finding a energy cell from "the Ark," a ship sent from Cypertron. On this ship was Sentinel Prime. Sentinel Prime was suppose to be a good guy but he formed a pack with the evil Megatron, leader of the Decepticons (I love how it's easy to label good and evil in the land of make-believe...if it was only that simple in real life). In the final battle sceen between Optmus and Sentinel, Sentinel began to question Optimus' decision to protect Earth and it's inhabitants. Sentinel declared "We were gods on Cypertron and you are willing to give that up to protect humanity."

This is where that spiritual heartburn starts to show up. First, I guess I don't like the word "god" thrown around. Hollywood does this a lot but I do this in my own life too and I want to stop. To me, there is only one God and He created everything, including the imagination of the Hasbro creator who made up the alien robot franchise. I would think this was great reason to have spiritual heartburn but then I realized there was a second component...

God chose humanity. He chose to create us and He chooses to love us even when we reject Him, even when we throw around His name and label our cartoon, movie heros' "gods" instead of him. He chooses us. He chooses me. He sent His son to earth in the arms of a teenage girl (not on alien robot spaceships). He did this, He sent His Son to repair our relationship with Him, to make us whole and clean through the radiance of love on the Cross. There is nothing we have done ever to deserve this kind of love, this kind of mercy and grace and sacrifice.

I am so grateful for His gift to us that neither the word "so" or "grateful" seems fitting. I am not humbled enough by His sacrifice and may be that's the true reason I have this spiritual heartburn. Am I taking His love for me for granted? I am grateful that He continues to speak to me daily and even in between special affects of alien robot battles, He reminds me of His ever present desire for all of my heart.

Ruffles & Plaid Reformation

1. I don't like ruffles:

While I may be willing to wear them, occasionally, I am not a ruffle kind of girl. I am ok with this. This does not make me less of a girl. Sometimes a ruffle is just a ruffle.

2. I love plaid (New self-prescribed nicknames: Plaid girl or Princess Plaid):

I have 5 pairs of shoes that are plaid (one is black and white check but I am calling it plaid too) and 3 plaid shirts. This may be excessive but did I mention I love plaid. Plaid is comforting and warm but it also gives me a sense of adventure, like I could take on anything. I am ready to go logging like the Brawny man in his red plaid flannel shirt...I too have the "strength to get the job done."

One of my plaid shirts are from my Grandpa Buzzard's closet. My grandma gave it to me after he passed away. When I would stay at their house (actually when anyone would stay at their house) I would invariably end up wearing one of his plaid flannel shirts to stay warm in or get dirty in. Literally, it became an adventure shirt.

Sigh...I love plaid.

Super Power Dilemia

I was stuck in traffic today...While I live in the Seattle area and this is not all that unusual, I have become somewhat of an expert about avoiding it. When you drive enough, you learn the back roads and traffic patterns. It's been probably a year and 1/2 that I have been so stuck I couldn't get out of it. Today, I was that stuck. As I felt like I wasted an hour and fifteen minutes driving from one place to another, a trip that should have taken me 30mins maximum, I began dreaming about a super power to see far in the distance.

(Let me say I am not one to dream about super powers. In fact, its my least favorite ice breaker question there is...well, that & "What's the one goal you want to accomplish in your life time?" I mean seriously I just meet you and you want to know what's my goals...first learn my name and maybe my favorite color and then we will work up to questions on goals. I digress...on to super powers.)

I thought wouldn't it be great if I could see far far far away. Being so nearsighted that without glasses or contacts I can't even see the chart on the wall with the Large E in the doctor's office , this power sounded really good. I began to think that I would be able to see into the skies, the stars and moons would be so close. I could see around the world, which would be amazing. I could see traffic jams everywhere and of course, then avoid them (as this was the current problem I was dealing with).

Sounds good right?

But then of course, having this new found desire for this amazing super power, I began wanting more. I thought well maybe I could even see into the future too. You know across the "distance of time." Then it set in...that feeling in my gut that said something was wrong. It's kind of like spiritual heartburn, something just isn't sitting right, like bad leftover tuna salad.

And I realized...

That's the original sin: The desire to know what God knows, to know what's going to happen and when; to have the answers...

Sigh...I guess it's back to the drawing board for imaginary super powers...If super sight is not the super power, maybe I could fly or have super speed or...maybe I could realize it's God in me that already gives me super powers: the ability to love, everlasting life, forgiveness for my sins and the ability to forgive others, grace in abundance. I guess that's super powers enough.