Movies – Page 2 – Blessings on the Journey

Culture, Faith, God's Providence, Grace, Movies

Feed the Birds

Posted on July 13, 2010April 1, 2011 by narciejeter

The kids were watching Mary Poppins the other day and I was struck by the story of the lady feeding the birds. Mary Poppins is talking the kids into being excited about going with their father to work the next day and she starts telling them about the lady as she holds a beautiful snow globe of it.

In talking about the father in the story and of course of you know the movie he’s kind of a tough rules and order-oriented dad, the kids ask why people don’t stop and give lady money or why they don’t see her altogether. Mary Poppins answers, “Some people don’t see past the end of their nose.”

Some of us don’t see past the end of our noses. If we’re too busy in the goings on of life it’s easy not to see the world around us or the needs around us. I read an article (http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/please_dont_feed_our_homeless_many_cities_say)You give and last night about some cities outlawing or making it really difficult for people to feed the homeless in their cities. Wow. I’m not even going to get into the statistics of how many of our homeless are veterans or are mentally ill or the many, many folks who have found themselves homeless for the first time in the past couple years in our economy.

But a challenge to each of us is to see past the end of our noses and our own little worlds and to see what we can do. It’s easy to see issues like hunger or homelessness or human trafficking or immigration or education reform as these big, huge things that we can’t make a difference in. But all those commercials that say that all of us together, all of our little drops in the bucket CAN make a difference – that’s not just Hollywood or a pipe dream. That’s real. What can we do today? What are you passionate about? What has God given you a vision for?

Trying to see past the end of my nose…

“Feed the Birds” Lyrics

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul’s
The little old bird woman comes
In her own special way to the people she call,
“Come, buy my bags full of crumbs;
Come feed the little birds,
Show them you care
And you’ll be glad if you do
Their young ones are hungry
Their nests are so bare
All it takes is tuppence from you
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag
Feed the birds,” that’s what she cries
While overhead, her birds fill the skies

All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can’t see it,
You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares

Though her words are simple and few
Listen, listen, she’s calling to you
“Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag”

Culture, Faith, Family, Health, Methodism, Movies, Tumor

Healing

Posted on June 20, 2010October 9, 2010 by narciejeter

I’m sorry I’ve been slack in my blogging duties. Things have been busy! We still haven’t heard from the pathology report yet so no news there, but I have had a great couple days with Enoch and Evy! We went to the pool and played and I slept in my own bed and woke up with the kids and we played some more so that was wonderful! It was good to open mail, pay some bills, and do regular stuff around the house and get to see the kiddos. It amazes me how quickly they grow and change.

A friend of mine posted earlier on facebook that she’s preaching about healing tomorrow and I was catching up reading Advocates and I noticed an article that talked about the healing service in the UM Book of Worship being a meaningful service for a lot of folks and one of our churches providing these services once a month for people. I’ve been thinking about it all day. Healing.

Tonight Mike and I went to see Iron Man II and even in that there was the need for healing. Sure Mr. Stark is a smart mouth (and there were a lot of funny parts in there), but the a-ha moment of the movie is him seeing a video of his inventor/genius dad telling him that he was his greatest invention, blah, blah, blah…and then him figuring out the puzzle of how to beat the bad guys, etc. He needed to hear that he mattered to his dad and that he loved him. Just like Tony Stark, we each have past “stuff” that needs healing. We each carry baggage around with us – some of us have painted smiley faces on it or it’s the LV designer line or there are a gazillion different pieces of all shapes and sizes with pink tags stuck to them. Whatever they look like – they’re our junk that goes with us. For some of us it’s the Tony Stark need to feel validated or loved or okay or good enough or like we make the cut. For some of us it’s letting go of hurt or anger or grief or frustration or just drama. For some of us it’s the self-sabotage and nagging that we do to ourselves. For some of us it’s pride and self-centeredness. (maybe that’s just those of us that are self-interested enough to write blogs.) For some of us that’s not feeling at home in who we are or who we’ve been created to be or wanting what someone else has. For some of us that’s knowing that it’s okay for everyone not to like us at all times of every day and that’s perfectly fine too.

It’s such a delicate balance that whole letting go and letting God thing that we do because our baggage in a lot of ways is what makes us – us. In survival mode we tend to hold even tighter to the things that are familiar even if they are the ones that have harmed us because it’s what we know. I’ve never been the hugest of Oprah fans. I watch. Hello – at 4 pm in the afternoon what do you watch if not that and don’t tell me ESPN. But since she got into this whole new age kick and has been talking like she’s this all knowing being, I haven’t really jived with her as well as before. Anyway, in thinking about this whole healing thing and our baggage, I start thinking in some ways like this new age person – the whole surround yourself and draw to yourself all the good in the universe and release all the bad. You know the whole clear yourself of the toxins thing.

And I do believe it. I plan on getting a lovely massage, body scrub, fascial extravaganza at Belue Day Spa next week because I want to scrub away any sign of the hospital and cleanse my body and soul from this whole thing. I do believe that we’ve got to release all of the cruddy yuckiness whether that be someone that gets on our last nerves or someone that has really hurt our feelings or someone who has told us we’re not good enough or smart enough or whatever enough or people that have generally made our lives little pits of you know where. Holding on to any of that awfulness is not of God and it is not healthy. Those are the toxins. If only we could drink enough glasses of water to really cleanse ourselves of all of these deep and abiding hurts so that we can really experience healing. We somehow remember the most meaningless of little things if it is hurtful to us. That thing in the 8th grade that someone told us that really hurt our feelings should have no bearing on the life that we have now and yet somehow, those wounds are still there and often it’s the times of fear that bring them back.

I have fibromyalgia. No, I am not a Lyrica commercial. Yes, the Lyrica commercials actually get on my nerves. Yes, I guess they help people know what it is, but who knows? I know that on the tv show House, the lovely Gregory said that fibromyalgia doesn’t exist. I also know that the neurologist I saw a week and a half ago didn’t believe in it either and just said it was a form of depression. Wow. Not even touching that one with a 10 foot pole except that we’re going to a different neurologist. And know it has no relation to the brain tumor and no treatment of the tumor will not help it. (I say these things because these are some of the questions we’ve asked too!) I’m not telling you that I have fibromyalgia for any other reason than to say I know that there are many people that seek and search for healing. I’m a part of a small clergywomen’s group – there’s maybe 7 of us total – and more than half of us have fibromyalgia. That’s crazy. Or maybe we’re just masichistic people. All of us are in different stages of this journey and have found different ways to love and enjoy life but I know that all of us struggle with serving this creator God of love and seeking urgently to be healed.

The summer I moved back to Rock Hill was especially hard for me because I loved Atlanta and Emory and my home there. It was a hot summer, Mike was traveling back and forth to Atlanta and the Winthrop students hadn’t arrived yet and I was feeling out of my element. In the midst of the fibro and just feeling all out lowsy sometimes my mom gave me this verse written on this little card with a chick (you know the baby chicken not the other kind) on the front. She told me I needed to claim it. Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the One I praise.” It rocked it out in my pocketbook for a while and then got a little faded so has made its way into my wallet. There have been plenty of times when I have felt cruddy. Hello stitches on my head. There have been plenty of times when I know that there has got to be someone more suited for this or better equipped or in better shape or more eloquent or smarter or more organized or more extroverted or charismatic or a better fundraiser, but you just can’t argue with something as simple as “Heal me, O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the One I praise.”

Some of you may say well that’s stupid blind faith. Nope. Not a bit. It to me is saying that it’s not just about this. It’s not just about our present baggage whether that’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, whatever. It’s about the larger picture – the larger story of our life – “Heal me, O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the One I praise.” I don’t imagine Tony Stark saying that. Bahahahaha…. But I do invite us (me) to remember that and to say those words and trust those words not just with the big things like brain tumors, but with the little things in between. We had a girl’s night this past week and saw Letters to Juliet. (I know you’re thinking – is this girl ever at home resting – don’t worry – I am.) It was a predictable but really great movie. I loved watching Vanessa Redgrave and the thing that stuck out to me was when they’re pulling up at this really nice house and the guy (her grandson) says something along the lines of wow Gran what if we could end up living here. You meet the love of your life at 16, skip the messy bits and then go straight to living in the mansion in your old age. What I liked was what she said in return. “LIFE is the messy bits.” Life is the messy bits. Yes, the messy bits are what make us who we are. The messy bits are what makes the tapestry of our lives. The messy bits have been woven together to make the amazing mosaics of color and light that shine forth through us. God knows all of our messy bits. Those things that nobody knows. Those things that only a very few select people know. Those mortifying things that whole gaggles of folks know but we’re still not saying them outloud. Our messy bits are all out there. I hope that we have the courage to let the light of God break in on those. That the healing good energy (okay Oprah) can surge through. That the prayers of cleansing and powerful might of refinishing that is even beyond that of a good spa day – may open our minds, bodies, and souls up to healing beyond our imagination.

Whatever those words that we need to hear. Whatever the feelings and memories and people that we need to let go. Whatever the beautiful and cleansing energy we need to grasp hold of. May we feel refreshed. May we feel renewed. May we feel at home with the One who heals us and knows us intimately.

Faith, Movies, Music, Worship

Laminin

Posted on June 13, 2010October 8, 2010 by narciejeter

Hi y’all,

So I’m trying to have a little church up in here. No I’m not singing loud and freaking out any nurses, don’t worry. But a friend sent this Louie Giglio video to me last week and I remember one of my students this semester telling me about this amazing thing called Laminin that’s like the rebar of the body. I like the image of the rebar because that’s what holds just about everything together in Nicaragua and it’s great, sturdy, strong stuff. I don’t know how much of this whole laminin thing is true and I’m not always one to send out mass forwards and things like this, but I do think that it’s again so super cool and neat how amazingly intricate our bodies are and that there is a master Creator and Physician that builds us up from the inside out and holds us close. Does that mean that this Creator God of ours loves those that don’t get well or get the answers they’d like to have any less? Heck no. But it does mean that the cross of Christ is ever before us calling us forth to new life and new beginnings and new realities each step of the way. Maybe a cheesy video but very cool nonetheless. How Great is Our God! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4

Campus Ministry, Culture, Faith, Family, Health, Movies, Music, Tumor

San Francisco

Posted on June 13, 2010October 8, 2010 by narciejeter

Mom and I watched a movie last night with Clark Gable and an opera singer called San Francisco. Although her opera singing was not the favorite of my ears, the story was decent and talked about the great earthquake and fire of San Francisco and faith and all sorts of interesting historical stuff. It was much better than watching the cartoons, news and newborn channel on the hospital television.

So they’ve taken off the lefthand iv and took out the righthand iv this morning. They removed the staples from the central line in my neck yesterday so the only things left to do to get me out of here is take the bandage off of my neck and remove the drip. Definitely gives new thought to the phrase “brain drain.” Other than that I’m doing pretty well. I have to admit now that I wasn’t so sure that I was going to wake up as me. I know that they didn’t say anything about me not being myself when I woke up but with the whole brain thing I was concerned that I was going to just be here but not really be here. But I am here! My head hurts of course – duh! but my real slightly silly brain is here and for that I am truly, truly thankful! If I could do a little jig I probably would (I think of Papa Mac my grandfather dancing down the aisle singing Lord of the Dance with his two leg prostheses).

It’s been sad watching the news here with the floods and I can’t imagine what those families are going through. Many prayers for each of them and all of the days, weeks, and years ahead. I keep saying surreally that I just had brain surgery, but I certainly didn’t wake up in the middle of the night with water all around and losing my family. May God’s peace, strength, and presence surround these people in ways that they can’t even comprehend.

It’s amazing to me the strength of the human spirit and that push to keep going whether to the frontier of San Francisco, that beautiful 16 year old girl wanting to get back out and travel again in her sailboat or in watching this World Cup action and the exhilaration and electricity that come from people uniting in a common theme and cause! We’ll see what the doctors say in the days and weeks to come. As Mike told y’all, the doctor got all of the tumor except one line that was where it was fuzzy and close to the motor cortex. They’ll either wait and see, do some chemo and radiation or will go back in and do another surgery. Either way looks like I won’t be making it to Nicaragua in August but I know the students will have a blast!

I’m tired and I’m definitely not back to normal, but it feels good to know that I’ll get to see my kids soon and that life is going on as usual for now. Josh is leading a Bible Study at Annual Conference right now so Mom and I have been praying for him. He and Dad will travel back this way this afternoon. Caleb was with us the morning of the surgery and GiGi has been sending us updated picture messages on the phone of the kids. Mike will be doing the music at St. John’s – Fort Mill this morning. Renee, Guyeth and Rob visited yesterday and they were each a blessing! Prayers for Lindsay, my cousin and Guyeth and Rob’s daughter who got t-boned by a car full of 5 guys last night in New Orleans. Even though it flipped, her Explorer just seemd to have one dent which is a blessing but I know she’s going to be sore and shaken up so prayers for peace, relaxed muscles, and rest.

So life goes on and just like those people in the crazy movie San Francisco – it may not all be pretty and it may be a fight, but it is life and we serve and know and trust the One who goes before us and beside us and ever with us each step of the way. Praise be to God!

This is the link I wanted to post for you on Friday – it’s a song from Amy Grant’s new record – “Overnight” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cPYk6qB4Q0