All you need to know is that this will be the most fun you’ve ever had over three days. Now go sign up!
Okay, so maybe you need a little more convincing…and begging.
I would LOVE to see you at The Orange Conference this year as a volunteer, April 24-26. It’s my company’s conference for church leaders and ministry teams. We have a whole lot o’ fun and maybe you’ll just learn something in the process. And BONUS—you get a free t-shirt and we feed you during your shift.
We expect to sell out this year, for the first time ever, which means we’ll have 5,600 church leaders packed into the Gwinnett Center in Duluth. It’s a long three days, but everyone is super nice and happy to be there. I’d like to count you among the group. Our volunteers are amazing! We always hear how helpful and nice our volunteers are. We could not host this conference without our volunteers, and many return year after year because they have a great time.
If you’re interested, go here to learn more or sign up. You can list the types of areas you’d like to be in if you have a certain skill or passion. I believe we require at least a half a day commitment.
I’d love to see you there!
PS—As the conference marketing director, I would not mind you paying to attend either. 😉
I’m a filmie. It’s true. It says so right on my customized Starbucks card. (See photo. Thanks, Daron.)
Today I just finished watching all of the Best Picture Nominees for tomorrow night’s Oscars. The big glitzy night with the little golden man is pretty much my Super Bowl. I prep for this event all year long, watching movies and making predictions. And I often get asked what movies I’ve seen, or what I’d like to see win an Academy Award. I worked hard this year seeing these movies, just so I could report my thoughts to you here.
So, here you go. Here are the Oscars, from me to you.
BEST PICTURE:
Amour: It’s the story of an elderly man taking care of his wife who just had a stroke. And be warned, there’s a twist you don’t see coming. The acting is brilliant, and the scenes are long and slow so that you feel the stress and pain of the couple. I don’t think it’ll win any top awards, but it’s sure to have Foreign Language Film in the bag.
Argo: Victor Garber back in politics and semi-spying under the direction of Mr. Jennifer Garner—yes, please! It was a terrific movie, and even knowing the outcome, I was holding my breath at the end. If a movie says based on a true story, go see it. Even if you don’t want to, go. It’s an amazing cast, from the small to the big to the quirky parts.
The word on the street has this one picked as the winner, and it would be well-deserved.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting. Well done for the budget. I can’t say I really liked it, but I get the praise, and QW packs a lot of talent into that little body. So does the father, especially considering he’s not an actor but the owner of a local bakery who got talked into auditioning. I do think it’s a long shot for any awards, but an absolute honor being nominated. Cool that it ended up on the radar. Hopefully we’ll see more from these actors, writers and producers.
Django Unchained: It’s definitely Tarantino. Actually, the first two-thirds was pretty tame for him, and I really enjoyed that part. The latter third is Quintin to the max, lots of blood and violence. But kuddos that he took on such a serious subject in such a clever way.
Les Miserables: It really was beautiful, and fun to see on the big screen. The singing wasn’t Broadway-worthy, except Hugh who is no stranger there, but the performances nonetheless were all wonderful. Nothing beats the stage show, but this may be the closest it could ever come. Genius production, and so glad that Cameron Mackintosh was part of the team to keep it close to the Great White Way. And I gotta say, I’m excited to see what Tom Hooper will tackle next. After this and The King’s Speech, he’s on a roll with me.
Life of Pi: There almost aren’t words for how gorgeous this movie is. No one could’ve tackled it but Ang Lee. I never read the book, but it must have seem to readers that it would never translate to screen. I’m not sure what I expected from this flick, but it was so much more. Loved the story, and a little disappointed the main character wasn’t nominated for Actor in a Leading Role. He was outstanding. One of the characters notes that two things would come as a result of hearing Pi’s story. The first is that it would be a story worth writing and sharing, and the second is that anyone who hears it would believe in God. Agree with the character’s decision: check, check.
Lincoln: This is more than a movie. It is a work of art. I’ve seen A LOT of movies, but Lincoln goes into that special category that only a few ever do. Inspiring seems like too small a word. I will add this one to my all time fav’s, and ask everyone I know to see it. The cast is awesome, as you’d expect from Spielberg, but DDL yet again claims his place in film history. I think my jaw actually dropped from the first frame of him as Lincoln. (Someone give that makeup team an award!) Of course, the subject matter is near and dear to me, so that helped. But it really is nothing short of extraordinary. Lincoln is revered as one of the most loved and admired presidents of all time, so it was a lot to live up to. But DDL is, in my opinion, the Lincoln we’ve all dreamed of. After recently finishing a biography about The Great Emancipator, I have even more respect for him. But knowing the growth in his opinions and values over his lifetime that led to the final four months depicted in this film, I am more deeply saddened than ever before about his assassination. I, like so many others I imagine, found myself dreading the final moments of the film and wishing that it could end another way. I wonder what would’ve happened had he lived. Still, it made me more grateful for what he accomplished in his four years as President. Compassion at any level is never a small thing.
Keeping my fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed that this one racks up the goods, including the top prize.
Silver Linings Playbook: A terrific ensemble cast, and I love the fact that it tackled mental illness which should be given more attention everywhere. Thanks, Hollywood, for stepping up. Bradley Cooper did a remarkable job with this role. Jennifer Lawrence seems to be getting more of the attention, but I personally think he did the heavy lifting. He’s just so darn pretty and talented. (Hearts for Will Tippin!) The use of humor in the movie is also incredible. Not only needed, but deserved, particularly the dining room dinner date. Everyone plays off each other so effortlessly, and it’s it clearly deserves attention.
Zero Dark Thirty: I probably wouldn’t have seen this if it wasn’t in the Best Picture lineup. It’s just not my thing. I even took my friend, Raechel, who knows a lot about current events and politics in case I had questions. 😉 But it was more intriguing than I would’ve thought. Of course, you never know what is based in reality and what isn’t, but still a good portrayal overall. And it always helps for me to see the events rather than just hear them reported. Somehow makes it more real—as wrong as that probably sounds. (PS—I just heard the term “zero dark thirty” on Homeland so perhaps it’s a real phrase. I didn’t hear it in the movie. However, I still think it sounds more like a Michael Bay summer blockbuster.)
And the winner is…
Well, personally, I hope the winner is Lincoln, but I think it will be Argo.
BONUS FEATURES:
Actor in a Leading Role: Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix* and Denzel Washington
I want DDL to win, and I think he will.
Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhane Wallis and Naomi Watts**
I’d give it to Emmanuelle or Quvenzhane, but the buzz is all about Jessica Chastain.
Actor in a Supporting Role: Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymore Hoffman*, Tommy Lee Jones and Christoph Waltz
Tough call, but I think I’d chose Christoph Waltz. This may be the tightest race of the night. All performances were quite note-worthy.
Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Adams*, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt* and Jacki Weaver
Anne Hathaway’s “small” part was incredibly moving. I think she’s got it in the bag. And I hope she has a sandwich in there, too, because she still needs to put on a few pounds.
Director: Michael Haneke, Benh Zeitlin, Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg and David O. Russell
I feel confident the stars and I are aligned on Spielberg.
*I haven’t seen The Sessions or The Master.
**The Impossible is a terrific movie. I highly recommend. Lots of tears will be shed if you’re anything like me, but it is a phenomenal true story and puts a face to the tragedy. It would’ve also been fitting to see the oldest son get a nomination. He was tremendous.
Sure, there’s a brief bio on this site, but that hardly encapsulates the person behind the blog. So, I’m feeling a little like sharing today. Sharing is caring, right?
Here are some tidbits from me to you.
1. I hate to read, but I read a lot. I know it’s beneficial, but for me it’s not enjoyable. These days, though, I mostly listen to books on my way to work via Audible.com because I have a long commute. Thank goodness for technology.
2. I have Pinterest boards dedicated to peanut butter and lemon. They are two of my most favorite things in the world. I don’t buy PB for my house because it’s way too tempting to just eat by the spoonful. And you’ll rarely find my water without a lemon in it—or two or three.
3. I’m really not sure if I graduated from driver’s ed. Our car was in the shop on the days we were supposed to learn to parallel park. That truth is reflected in the way I parallel park. I think there was something else we missed on those days, too, but can’t remember what it is. I’m sure I’ll think of it just as I get pulled over by the blue lights and siren.
4. I’m really not sure if my college degree is valid. I substituted a lot of my Bible and math classes for theater. Luckily, my dean was also my director.
5. I typically eat one thing at a time on my plate. Really not sure where this came from, but I’ve done it as long as I can remember. I generally work my way up to the item I like best.
6. I hate to drive. Obviously, Atlanta is a city where it’s necessary to drive. And I have a long commute, so I spend a lot of time in my car. But I do not like it. I remember asking for a chauffeur around the time I was supposed to get my driver’s license.
7. I wear a sleeping mask. A few years ago I had a lot of sleeping issues. I tried everything I could think of and others suggested to help. One of those was a sleeping mask. Now I can’t sleep without one. And because I’m a night owl who detests mornings, it really helps me ease into a new day.
8. I’m not a fan of escalators. This trauma goes back to when I was about three years-old, I think. My mom and I were in a department store and my shoelace got stuck in the escalator we were on. It scared me to death. To this day I’m pretty careful how I step on them, and mindful the whole ride.
9. I grew up on a farm. That’s probably the one that takes people most by surprise. I’m the furthest thing from a farm girl, and pretty much always was. I always wanted to be a city girl, and thanks to growing up, now I am.
10. I helped deliver my best friend’s first baby. Well, I held her foot during the process of labor and encouraged her along the way, but the earlier is my version of the story. I didn’t plan to be in there for the labor, but things just started happening quickly and I the job got handed to me, so to speak. Many of my close friends know that I hate feet. They’re dirty and smelly and ugly. So Heather knew in that moment just how much I love her.
Well, now you know me just a little bit better. Of course, we are all quite complicated beings so that’s the tip of the iceberg. Maybe there will be more to come. But I need to ease you into it. 😉
We’ve been focused on spiritual gifts lately at church. It’s a topic near and dear to my heart. I love personality tests of all kinds, and am pretty fascinated by them. Knowing and understanding my gifts, as well as the gifts of others around me, has had a tremendous impact on me. It helps me to relate to others more, work better with them, live life more harmoniously with them and appreciated our own uniqueness. And I love helping people discover their gifts as well.
In focusing on Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12, we learn a lot about how we work together in the church. We learn that unity is not uniformity. We learn that we are each created by design, not chance. However, too many people still don’t even know what their gifts are. We see the gifts of people we admire, and though we may find commonality at times, too often we compare ourselves to them, wishing we could be more like them.
“If only I could speak as well as…”
“If only I could pray for hours like…”
“If only I could engage people on the level of…”
It’s an easy thing to do. We do it all the time. I have found myself there on way too many occasions. But when I go down that path, it distracts me from who I am and what God put here to do.
So, on the off-chance that you’re someone who doesn’t know or appreciate your own gifting, I wanted to provide some resources that may better help you better understand the person you are created to be. It’s when we are all playing our own instrument we can find harmony.
It’s interesting. I’ve been mulling over my 2013 theme for over a month now, but from the moment I started thinking about it, one word instantly came to mind. I wanted to continue thinking about it more to make sure I was certain I wanted to use it, but still, the same word came to mind. It’s kind of been stuck there. So, I guess maybe my word found me and I just had to settle into it.
SIMPLIFY.
That’s what I’ll be working on and toward for 2013. I like using verbs because I feel the implied action gives me momentum. It keeps me moving forward.
Last year, it was PRIORITIZE. This year, I wanted to continue the same thread while also getting a bit of a fresh start. I definitely needed a break from the craziness that was 2012. I feel SIMPLIFY does that. It just so happens that it also goes nicely with our 2013 theme for The Orange Conference, Focus. 😉
This tradition of a theme/word for the year is loosely based on the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. My friend, Daron, came up with the idea, and he as well as several of our friends have continued it. The basic idea is that instead of merely looking back at the year to see what happened at the end, you start the year by looking ahead to see what you think the year might be about. Then you use the theme as a lens in which to view things throughout the year. At it’s basis, it’s a way to be proactive/responsive to the year, and not let the year just happen to you. It’s an intentional way to live rather than reactive—which is how I prefer to live.
I’ve decided I that I also want to live more simply, which was an underlying inspiration for my theme. Some days, this seems incredible difficult. “Stuff” just seems to find it’s way home with me. A new kitchen appliance. A piece of furniture. Picture frames. Gadgets. Books. Clothes. The list goes on and on. I somehow keep adding to my Amazon Wish List. But in the end, I usually end up with some form of buyer’s remorse. Not only are 99% of these things not needed, but many days I just get sick of having too much. I hate looking around at all my junk. I realize more and more the excess and accumulation of the society to which I belong. Realistically, if you came by, you probably wouldn’t say that if you saw my apartment. I don’t have piles of things around. I don’t like clutter. I periodically give items to Goodwill and clean out my closet. But much of what I have, I just don’t need. And as my heart becomes more attuned to global issues, I think I begin to understand that I can do so much more if I have less. Those are things would never cause me remorse.
I feel like SIMPLIFY will be a sort of cleansing for me—on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. I’ve already started incorporating it into many areas of my life, down to small things like unsubscribing from some email lists. There are numerous ways to SIMPLIFY and I hope to tackle many of them over the next 12 months.
Here are just a few of the ones that have already crossed my mind, with more to come, I’m sure:
Getting rid of more stuff. A couple of items include my coffee table and dining room table, because really, I don’t use either for anything other than setting decorations on.
As noted, unsubscribing from email lists.
Paying down more debt. I started off pretty good last year, but medical expenses and a couple other extraneous items did more damage.
Going through my budget, yet again, to see what I can cut back on.
I’ve even done a couple of things that may seem counter-intuitive to SIMPLIFY. I printed a reading list to read through the Bible chronologically, since I’ve never read it that way, and started using the service eMeals.com. These two things were done more as a way to automate habits that I was already in or wanted to be better at, without really taxing me mentally. I’m not one that loves and craves routines, but I think incorporating these two processes into my life will be really good. They will allow me to refine past routines, which I think fits nicely with SIMPLIFY.
My song and verse for 2013 came to me during the church service last week. I love it when that happens because it feels natural and promised. The song I’m using is “Be My Everything” because of it’s repetitive nature and message. It is what SIMPLIFY sounds like to me based on those two words. My verse, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily go with the theme. Frankly, I just really liked it and kept repeating it in my mind:
Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” ESV
Quite honestly, I think I just sat at home sick so much in 2012 that the action in this verse makes me want to get up and get out there. I’m ready for a little hell-gate prevailing.
So, that’s it. There you have it. That’s what I’m looking forward to in 2013. Realistically, I know curve balls will come and life will happen, and I’ll just be along for the ride most of the time.
But I’m hoping I can keep SIMPLIFY in mind along the way.
I’m hoping this theme will give me the ability to channel my thoughts and actions.
And I’m hoping I can come to you in 11 months or so saying that I have have less, and have lived and given more.
Okay, and if I get to do a little hell-gate prevailing in the meantime, so be it. 😉
Mental Post-Its 