Superman vs. Jesus

Superman can leap tall buildings, fly faster than a speeding bullet, and perform incredible feats of strength. And he was sent to earth, to live amongst us... became one of us... so that we may be saved.

Sound familiar? Especially when you consider that Jesus is God... he made the buildings, and the bullet, and defined the world and how it works.

I would even go so far as to say that the story of Superman was created to patch up that Jesus-shaped hole in the hearts of many.

And you know what? Even though I'm not super, I can still be a hero. A hero to my family, a hero to my friends, a hero to my protegee, and a hero to my girlfriend.

I'm not super, and I'm not God. I make mistakes and screw up. I need to forgive and ask forgiveness. Jesus is in my life to save me. Superman may save me from meteors or crime bosses, but Jesus saves my eternal life. Not only that, but he gave us the guide book to live our lives heroically.

Go and Risk

I'm actually talking about two board games here. Go, and Risk. They are both excellent strategy games that I've recently taken up with my girlfriend. She has a brilliant mind, and I've had a hard time beating her!

Both have intense amounts of strategy, but Go is simple to learn, and predates Risk by centuries. Literally older than chess, this ancient asian game has been played by years, and has still never lost it's charm. Risk, is far newer, but brings a different twist on the theme of capturing territories.

In Go, you play pieces to capture your enemies stones, and to surround as much territory as possible. Whoever controls the most, wins. Risk is actually very similar, as you take turns placing your armies, and by attacking and defeating your oponents armies, you capture territory.

Both games take a lot of thinking and planning your moves ahead of time. They're fun, and easy to get into. You can even learn how to play Go right online. Or get the Risk computer game.

So does anyone out there want to play? I need to practice if I hope to beat Shannon next time!

Pixar does it again

I went to the theaters to watch Cars last night, and Pixar has definitely done it again.

With a 62.8 million US debut, the Pixar team has once again left every other 3D animated film in it's dust. It's amazing how, even though Pixar only produces one film every 3 years, and Dreamworks produces about 10 in that time, Pixar still makes about $1.6 billion more.

Their secret? Heart. While Dreamworks produces meaningless comedy slapstick, Pixar strives with all they have to produce films with heart, good family values, and undeniable charm.

Pixar, along with Walden Media and a few other companies out there, really strive to do the best they can... to teach, inspire, and encourage the return of good family values to this continent.

A challenge to all producers out there: the box office proves, "Cars" is what the world really wants.

The New Circus

Going to the circus sure isn't the old event it used to be. When entering the big top granted you a seat in the stands to wonder at dancing horses, standing elephants, and of course, clowns.

Now, with amazing troupes like Cirque du Soleil, we're pulled into a world of wonder, romance, and childhood daydreams. You're dazzled by the light and fog effects, as the performers fly across the stage on hydraulic lines to the tune of a full operatic rock band. Performers, that's exactly what they are; Every one of them is not merely a circus act, but a dancer, singer, and actor as well.

As someone working in the arts industry, I am amazed and encouraged by their unashamed creativity, by their determination and devotion, by their heart, and by their love for excellence in everything they do.

You followers of Jesus should be examples of those qualities, and many more. Strive in all you do.