Make Your Opinions Count...Go Vote

One week from today is Election Day. This election cycle has been quite active. The media have had the opportunity to jump on one scandal after another. In addition to that, there are those in the media that have been promoting a personal agenda instead of simply reporting the news and events. To be fair, this bias has been on both the left and the right. I personally believe it's been more prevalent on the Left. But that is MY opinion.

Speaking of OPINIONS, it's now time to express your opinion by voting. This is a hot button issue for me. People complain all the time about their local, state and federal representatives, but when the opportunity arises to do anything about it they ignore the opportunity to effect change. Voting is a right. If you do not exercise this right, you could eventually lose it. Even though the United States is referred to as the "leader of the free world" at times, we fail miserably as a nation when it comes to voter turnout. Our form of Government is a Republic where we as citizens choose Representatives to act on our behalf. Yet, we don't seem to care. Percentage of registered voters actually voting, as compared to other nations:

1.	Burundi	97.3%
2.	Tunisia	94.9%
3.	Singapore	94.5%
4.	Cyprus	93.4%
5.	Seychelles	93.3%
6.	Uruguay	91.8%
7.	Angola	91.2%
8.	Chile	90.6%
9.	Tajikistan	88.3%
10.	Iceland	85.9%
11.	Kazakhstan	85.8%
13.	Kenya	83.9%
14.	Belarus	83.9%
15.	Sierra Leone	81.4%
16.	Peru	81.4%
17.	Philippines	81.3%
18.	Palau	81.2%
19.	Korea, South	80.6%
20.	Paraguay	80.5%
21.	Gambia, The	80%
22.	France	79.7%
23.	Brazil	79.5%
24.	Azerbaijan	78.9%
25.	Israel	78.7%
26.	Argentina	78.6%
27.	Ghana	78.2%
28.	Benin	77.8%
29.	Kyrgyzstan	77.3%
30.	Finland	76.8%
31.	Maldives	76.7%
32.	Nicaragua	76.4%
33.	Panama	76.2%
34.	Dominican Republic	76.1%
35.	Georgia	75.9%
36.	Ukraine	74.9%
37.	Mauritania	74.7%
38.	Austria	74.4%
39.	Slovakia	73.8%
40.	Lithuania	73.7%
41.	Sri Lanka	73.3%
42.	Sudan	72.2%
43.	Bolivia	72.1%
44.	Guinea-Bissau	71.9%
45.	Moldova	71.6%
46.	Sao Tome and Principe	70.6%
47.	Uganda	70.3%
48.	Ecuador	70.1%
49.	Guinea	69.8%
50.	Togo	69.8%
51.	Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of	69.6%
52.	Mozambique	69.5%
53.	Slovenia	68.6%
54.	Russia	68.6%
55.	Armenia	68.1%
56.	United States	67.4%
57.	Honduras	66.3%
58.	Mexico	64%
59.	Namibia	62.1%
60.	Comoros	62%
61.	Chad	61.1%
62.	Poland	61.1%
63.	Croatia	60.9%
64.	Madagascar	60.9%
65.	Algeria	60.9%
66.	Costa Rica	60.2%
67.	Haiti	60%
68.	Central African Republic	59.1%
69.	Cape Verde	58.9%
70.	Romania	56.6%
71.	Venezuela	56.5%
72.	Djibouti	56.3%
73.	Burkina Faso	56.1%
74.	Zambia	55.5%
75.	Bosnia and Herzegovina	55.5%
76.	Bulgaria	54.9%
77.	Zimbabwe	54.3%
78.	Bangladesh	54.1%
79.	Gabon	53.8%
80.	Nigeria	52.3%
81.	Portugal	50%
82.	Ireland	46.7%
83.	Guatemala	40.4%
84.	Niger	39.6%
85.	El Salvador	38.6%
86.	Cote d'Ivoire	37.4%
87.	Mali	28.4%

Didn't find the US? Surely we're in the top 10? No. Top 25? Um...no. Top 50??? STILL...no.

Sadly, we're at #56 with a Registered Voter turnout of 67.4%. If you look at the voter turnout as a percentage of the total population, I would guess the picture is a WHOLE lot worse.

Drop the Excuses

I know many of you work or have otherwise hectic schedules. That's not an excuse. I am out of town for business on election day. So, I've already voted absentee. If I'm going to complain and post here, I have to have at least expressed my opinion when it counted.

BTW, if you comment on politics here, don't be surprised if my first question to you is "Did you vote?"

Now, GO VOTE kids!

Now Playing: "This is Your Life" by Switchfoot

Technorati: John Spratt, Ralph Norman, Voting, Voter Turnout

Who is John Spratt Representing?

This is a question I believe residents of the South Carolina 5th District need to be asking. There is an age old adage, "Follow the money...". I believe that is the case in this election too. Back on Oct. 17, The Charlotte Observer published a story on the contributions to both the Spratt and the Norman campaigns for the last three month reporting period and "campaign to date". There are some interesting points to ponder.

The documents show that Spratt raised $552,858 to Norman's $250,400 from July 1 to Sept. 30. Over the course of the campaign, Spratt has collected $2 million in contributions compared with $1.1 million for Norman.

Pretty innocuous information. But there's more.

Sixty percent of Spratt's contributions during the period came from political action committees representing industry groups and labor unions. Norman collected 61 percent of his contributions from individuals.

What's that? Where did the majority of Spratt's donations come from? PACs representing Industry groups and labor unions. Do you think these groups would make donations to John Spratt without expecting something in return? No. It's all business. They're buying access and influence. These are political groups with an agenda.

On the other hand, Ralph Norman received 61% of his contributions from individuals. INDIVIDUALS. Citizens that actually live and work in the 5th District. I don't know about you, but this says a lot to me. Do you want a Representative that is beholden to PACs and special interest groups which contributed heavily to his campaign? or Do you want a Representative that will listen to his constituents?

Oh, one other thing...the article also points out that John Spratt is the assistant to Nancy Pelosi out of California, an ultra liberal. There's another old adage, "You can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps."

I know which way I'm voting.

Now Playing: "What If" by Jadon Lavik

Technorati: John Spratt, Ralph Norman, Election, 5th District

2006-2007 Winter Forecast

UPDATE: This link provides both the summary and a link to the video for this season's forecast. This video is embedded in the page, so it's easier to get to.

UPDATE: Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Ken Reeves has a video where he provides a very good explanation as to the methodology behind the Accuweather forecast. Look in the video listing at the bottom of the window for the 2006-2007 Winter Forecast.

Well, well....I'd say the Hurricane Season was a bust. Dang that Global Warming! I'd have to crunch basic numbers (which is hard for a sales guy!) but I think the season has come in even below the adjusted forecasts. Maybe not...who knows...it's not important at this stage in the season. Back to the topic at hand.

Recently, Accuweather released their forecast for the upcoming 2006-2007 Winter Forecast. It differs a good bit from the "official" NOAA forecast. The primary areas of divergence relate to the areas that are predicted to be warmer or cooler than average and, most significantly, which areas will be wetter or drier than normal.

You really should read the forecast from Dr. Joe Bastardi and his team from Accuweather. He has some very valid points about why his forecast is different. NOAA is focused on the strengthening and significant impact of the current El Nino. Accuweather, on the other hand, thinks the El Nino effect will be much more minor and other factors will play a more major role. If you're a weather buff as I am, you'll soon note that Joe Bastardi and his team are more focused on historical trends, analog years, larger patterns beyond current states, etc. They do use models (for you Scientist readers...I am talking about the computer models that provide forecasts based on input data...). However, many times I have seen Accuweather and more specifically Joe Bastardi disagree with certain models because of their inherent biases in certain atmospheric situations. That's where his knowledge of historical trends, analog years, etc come in handy. Anyway....back to the Winter Season forecast.

Some excerpts:

Unlike the National Weather Service forecast, Bastardi does not see this winter being warmer than normal across most of the country. Overall, the AccuWeather.com Winter 2006-2007 Forecast calls for a cooler-than-normal winter along the East Coast and eastern Gulf Coast, and a warmer-than-normal winter from the western Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest.

Also:

Bastardi sums up his expectations for the upcoming December-to-February period this way: "The eastern U.S. will experience a colder-than-normal winter overall. The area from the eastern and central Great Lakes to the south-central and southwestern U.S. will experience near-normal winter temperatures. The region that stretches from the western Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest will likely see above-normal temperatures."

But what about precipitation? That's where the NOAA forecast and Accuweather disagree the most. NOAA has a large portion of the country forecasted to be drier than normal. Accuweather on the other hand:

Bastardi forecasts a wetter-than-average swath from Southern and central California, to the southern Plains and Southeast and up the East Coast, because an expected active subtropical jet stream will send storms on a track across the southern U.S. and likely ensure wet weather in the southern tier of the nation. How this moisture times itself with the arrival of colder air will determine how much snow the Northeast can expect, but winter is likely to be snowier than normal in the region - a mainstay of all winters since 2002. Very warm water relative to normal off all coasts provides ample moisture for any storm and timed with cold air, would lend itself to heavy snowfall in the higher elevations of the Southwest and Southeast, and also the chance for some major coastal storms on the East Coast.

Just like the Hurricane Season forecasts. We won't know the outcome until winter arrives. Then the forecast will either verify or fall apart. Forecasting is a science but I also believe it has aspects of art to it as well. It takes a trained eye to see past the model forecasts when things "just don't add up".

I for one would LOVE to see the above forecast verify. Why? Living in the Southeast we don't get much snow and when we do we like to take a break from life and play and enjoy it. Snow here is an event, not a way of life. I'm excited about the possibility of sledding with my kids! I'm rootin' for you to be right Joe!

Now Playing: "One of These Days" by FFH

Technorati: Winter Forecast, Joe Bastardi, Accuweather, NOAA

Winning on Wednesday - Pastor Appreciation

This week's post will take a slightly different tack. In many denominations, October is regarded as "Pastor/Clergy Appreciation Month". The purpose of this month is to show appreciation to our Pastors/Clergy for the work they do ministering to us as church members throughout the year.

I should have posted this earlier in the month, but I guess this will have to do. Since there is only one more Sunday left in the month of October, I urge you to act quickly. Before I go on, I would like to share some Scripture with you regarding Pastor Appreciation:

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5:17

So, Biblically we are instructed to value and appreciate our pastors. But how do we do that?

First, some background. My dad is a pastor and has been one since long before I was born. So, I come at this with some personal background. First, let me clearly state, pastors are not in it for the money or personal recognition (unless they are in it for the wrong reasons - and I can give you some examples). They are following a calling from God and recognize that they are not going to be financially well off or have the business world success and recognition of their generational peers. They also recognize that what's important is to follow God's calling and not their personal desires. Bear in mind what we as church members expect of our Pastors:

1. Preach weekly regardless of their health. It's too difficult to get a replacement.
2. Come to the hospital at all hours of the day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year to be with families and their sick loved ones.
   
3. Still be in the office the next day, even after being at the hospital all night.
4. In the event of deaths or extreme illnesses or injuries of church members, we expect them to cut their vacations or other family time short to minister to the families.
5. Meet with all or at least a large number of the committees plus Deacons, etc in addition to daily office hours. We can't meet with him during the day or on weekends because we work.
6. Provide counseling (marital, personal, etc) during the evenings or on weekends because that fits our schedule. All at no charge.
   
7. Endure years of minimal (at or below cost of living) or no raises because the church cannot afford to give staff raises.
8. Be willing to endure criticism for each and every decision, statement, or act.
   

So, back to my original question. How can we show our Pastors that we appreciate them?

1. Pray for your Pastor.
   
2. Simply? Say Thank You and MEAN IT!
3. Write a Thank You note.
4. Preferably, write a Thank You letter and detail why you appreciate them.
   
5. If your Pastor has a hobby, get a gift card to a store for things related to that hobby.
6. Since Pastors do NOT work for the money, buy a gift card for the Pastor and wife to their favorite restaurant.
7. Invite the Pastor and his family to your home for dinner.
   
8. Provide free baby-sitting (if needed) so the Pastor and his wife can go out and spend some rare time alone.
9. Give your Pastor and his family a gift card to their favorite grocery store, Wal-Mart or Target. This will allow them to splurge on something they normally wouldn't get.
10. Give your Pastor a monetary love gift. Maybe he would like to buy something for himself, his wife, his family, his home, etc.
    

These are just a few ideas of what you can do as an individual to show appreciation for your Pastor. Your church can do many other things like dinners, drop-ins, thank you baskets, etc. Remember, our Pastors have obeyed a calling to a job that can be very lonely and thankless. Although they are expected to minister to us, who ministers to them?

Show them you care.

Now Playing: "Better Idea" by Slingshot 57

Technorati: Winning On Wednesday, Pastor Appreciation, Clergy Appreciation, Pastor

UPDATE: Illegal Immigration and SC's 5th District Representative

I'm not saying our local paper The Herald is referencing my site, but when you read this recently published story and then read my first post on this issue Illegal Immigration and SC's 5th District Representative there almost seems to be a connection.

Here's the interesting passage:

Last month, the Observer found illegal immigrants working for contractors on two S.C. sites under development by Ralph Norman, a Republican congressional candidate. Large signs proclaimed both were Norman projects. Marshall and another ethics expert dismissed the Rock Hill developer's Norman's claims that he was not responsible because the men weren't his employees.

Norman also said it was unfair to burden business with policing immigration status.

"He's staking out a leadership position on principle, but then is clearly failing to be anything like a leader in his own business," said Richard Toenjes, a philosophy professor and associate in UNC Charlotte's Ethics Center. "Benefiting from something that he opposes officially is surely bordering on hypocrisy."

Critics of Norman's Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. John Spratt, try linking him to a brother-in-law who runs an a S.C. greenhouse operation with a large Latino work force. The owner, Louis Stacy, and Spratt say the congressman and his wife have never had a stake in the business.

Marshall, whose sister is also an attorney said, "I would be puzzled if anybody held me accountable for anything she did. If there's genuinely no connection, there's no problem with it."

So, The Herald continues to defend John Spratt's continued inaction on Illegal Immigration even when it's common throughout his district. But, continuing their attack on Ralph Norman they dedicate a full paragraph to condemning him:

Last month, the Observer found illegal immigrants working for contractors on two S.C. sites under development by Ralph Norman, a Republican congressional candidate. Large signs proclaimed both were Norman projects. Marshall and another ethics expert dismissed the Rock Hill developer's Norman's claims that he was not responsible because the men weren't his employees.

But one must note a couple key points elsewhere in the article. Note these two direct quotes from the article:

None interviewed by the Observer is using voluntary federal programs that could identify illegal immigrants. Neither do many employers, but successful congressional candidates may vote on changes to the nation's flawed immigration system.

and

Following the law is a minimum requirement, said Jack Marshall, a Virginia lawyer and ethics consultant to business and government.

So, everybody is worried about Ralph Norman's company hiring a subcontractor that happened to employ Illegals. Some of the articles I have seen have harped on the fact that Norman doesn't use the Federal Program to check a worker's status. Hmmmmm, here it is stated quite clearly that the Program is voluntary and that NO candidate is using it. In fact, many employers do not. Didn't I also see that an Ethics expert says that following the law is acceptable...excuse me, the minimum.

Why is there a double standard here? There is the expectation that Ralph Norman MUST use a voluntary program that no other candidate, nor many businesses choose to use. On the other hand, John Spratt is not required to do ANYTHING about the Illegal Immigration in his district. The Herald doesn't even give him a slap on the wrist for it.


Now Playing: "Rock The Party" by P.O.D.

Technorati: Ralph Norman, John Spratt, Immigration, Election

Winning on Wednesday - Is It Your Faith?

This past Sunday our Pastor made a statement that has stuck with me. Basically, it went a little like this.

"There are people that say, 'I'm a good person, I was raised in a good Christian home, my grandma was the Godliest person you'd every know...she was a Saint. God will let me into Heaven'. Well, there's a problem with this. That's your Grandma's Christianity. You need to get your own."

Sadly, there are too many that believe this. They believe in a familial (family) Christianity. That the goodness of their family will be enough. In fact, some even go around ministering under the calling of someone else. But where in the Bible do we see proof that we need to have a one-on-one, personal relationship with Jesus? There are many references, but I'm going to point you to one you may not have read before.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Acts 19:13-16

Pretty sobering huh? Without a personal relationship with Jesus we're vulnerable. We're open for a butt kicking. Did you catch what the evil spirit said? "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" How bold and direct from the demon. That would have made my blood run cold.

But there is encouragement here. We know from earlier Scriptures that even the demons knew who Jesus was (Mark 1:34, Mark 5:6-10, Luke 4:33-35 - plus others). However, did you catch the cool part here? Because of Paul's personal relationship with Jesus, the demons knew him too. Once you have that relationship with Christ, you're associated with Him. It's like being a little boy and being adopted into a family with a REALLY big and powerful big brother. The bullies know they can no longer beat you. They can still pick on you and make your life miserable. But, in the end they know that your Big Brother, Jesus, is gonna kick their tail.

So, whose Christianity do you have? Is it your own or are you vainly trying to reach God through somebody else's Christianity?

Now Playing: "Sun Stands Still" by Bleach

Technorati: Winning On Wednesday, Christianity, Jesus

Illegal Immigration and SC's 5th District Representative

As you may (or may not) know, Ralph Norman is challenging Rep. John Spratt for the 5th District seat here in South Carolina. The Norman campaign has been pretty tough on John Spratt and his record related to Immigration. While in Congress, Spratt hasn't done anything concrete to combat the growing tide of illegal immigrants.

I should've known that it wouldn't take long for the gloves to come off against Ralph Norman. He was making some valid points about Rep. Spratt's record. Chris does a nice job critiquing a story by our local paper The Herald. In a nutshell, WCNC , our local NBC affiliate, questioned Ralph Norman about Illegal Immigrants working for his development company. The Herald ran with this and so did Spratt's campaign. Both news outlets and the Spratt campaign have proclaimed Norman was being hypocritical regarding Immigration.

Truth is -- those illegals didn't work for Norman's company. They actually worked for a sub-contractor. But according to the abovementioned parties, that doesn't matter. Norman and his companies should be aware of the statuses of all employees, all subcontractor's employees, etc, etc, etc.

Oh really? Can we apply the same logic to Rep. Spratt? Here's an interesting article from The Herald, once again. The gist of the story is about current fundraising statuses of both candidates and it provides a listing of top contributors. Let's look at those of Rep. Spratt:

• Spratt/McColl family

Jane Spratt McColl, sister: $4,200
Hugh McColl Jr., brother-in-law: $4,200
Hugh McColl III, nephew: $4,200
Louis Stacy, brother-in-law: $1,000

• Attorneys

Ed Mullins Jr., Columbia: $1,000
John Gettys, Rock Hill: $250
Charles Bradford, York: $500
Bev Carroll, Rock Hill: $500

• State party figures

Don Fowler, former chairman, Democratic National Committee, Columbia: $2,000
Joe Erwin, chairman, S.C. Democratic Party: $2,100
Dick Harpootlian, former chairman, S.C. Democratic Party, Columbia: $1,000

Looks like a pretty standard donor list right? But who's that listed last under "Family"? Louis Stacy. Who is that you might ask. Louis Stacy is part of THE Stacy family behind Stacy's Greenhouses over in western York County. It's a big operation. In fact, if you've ever been there, you'll notice quite a few Hispanic workers. In fact, in this document from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control we see the following:

Casa Del Sol Subdivision (Respondent), located in the above-referenced County, is owned by Mr. Louis O. Stacy, Jr. There are seventeen (17) homes all of which are used to house migrant workers that work at Mr. Stacy'’s plant nursery, located in York County. Records reveal that the Respondent failed to obtain a permit for the construction of a public water system (PWS) and failed to obtain Department approval for the operation of a PWS.

Hmmm...migrant workers. I wonder if they're all in the United States legally. I, myself, have no idea.

This article from the Greenhouse Industry shows where Stacy's ranks nationwide and discusses how disastrous immigration enforcement would be to the nursery industry. That even gives me more reason to wonder.

For WCNC to approach Ralph Norman and ask him directly about Illegal Immigrants working on any of his projects probably took a little legwork. I challenge WCNC and The Herald to do the same research they did against Norman here. Surely, Rep. Spratt has visited the business owned by his brother-in-law. With immigration such a hot topic, if he HAD visited there, don't you think the question of immigration status might have crossed his mind. Just a curious question.

Now Playing: "Yesterday We Had It All" by Hundred Year Storm

Technorati: Ralph Norman, John Spratt, Immigration

Global Warming? Blame The Earth...

OK, back to the mundane...

There's an interesting new study out which proposes a new theory regarding the mass extinctions of mammals. The study proposes that "wobbles" in the Earth's orbit may be the cause behind both the emergence and the extinction of mammalian species (assuming you believe in the theory of evolution). But, how does this tie into Global Warming?

Quoting from the story:

"The lack of warm high-latitude summers (normally associated with extreme eccentricity and obliquity) results in ice expansion on Antarctica and later the northern high latitudes as well, which affects the rest of world's climate resulting in cooling and changes in precipitation patterns," lead author Jan A. van Dam, a researcher from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, told LiveScience in an e-mail interview. "In turn, these climate changes may destroy the habitats of the rodents, or give new rodent forms a chance."

So, based on this hypothesis, one could assume that when the Earth has a more circular and less oblique tilt on it's axis, the earth is warmer. Read further from the story:

The researchers found that the disappearances of these species were not random and that they corresponded to astronomical cycles, a lengthier cycle that peaks nearly every 2.5 million years and a shorter one that peaks every 1 million years.

The Earth's orbit is closer to a perfect circle nearly every 2.5 million years, whereas the 1-million-year peaks come around when the Earth is shifting its degree of tilt on its axis. Both of these cycles result in global cooling and ice expansions which could explain why mammals survive for an average of 2.5 million years before they disappear, the researchers note in the October 12 issue of the journal Nature.

Another article here provides more details about the scientific theories linking the earth's orbit to climate change. Specifically:

The idea that cyclical variations in Earth's orbit can cause major climate changes was first proposed by astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch. The main variables are eccentricity, obliquity and precession.

In fact, there are some scientists that theorize that the warming of the Earth's climate leads to the liberation of CO2. Here's an interesting article that discusses some of the more nuanced aspects of CO2 and the environment. The data here is interesting to consider, especially given the information above. This data details how ice cores from Vostok, Siberia indicate that CO2 has been increasing for the last 18,000 years.

Now Playing: "Locked In A Cage" by Skillet

Technorati: Global Warming, Extinction, Climate Change

Winning on Wednesday - Put to the Test

Tests in life. I guess you could say they rank right up there with Death and Taxes as one of the certainties in life.

In a recent Winning on Wednesday post, I discussed a quote from the recent film Facing The Giants, where the coach is talking to the team and says:

"We need to give God our best in every area...and if we win we praise Him...and if we lose we praise Him."

As we begin to try and apply these lessons to our lives, inevitably our new beliefs will be tested.

This week, I had a major automotive problem. We've been working to replace this vehicle for several months, but the right vehicle hasn't come along. Now, I have a repair that will cost over half what the car is worth (it's an older car, it's not worth much). So, this is my test. How do I respond? Biblically, I have to remember:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

It's not easy. I need a vehicle to get to work. We hoped to trade or sell this vehicle for the best possible amount. Now, that obviously won't happen. So this is my test.

I thank God that I have family with an old truck that I can borrow. I thank God it's been a really good car up to this point - I've had it a long time with very few mechanical issues. I thank God that it wasn't a mechanical or other problem that could have led to a wreck injuring me or others or both.

Now Playing: "Love Addict" by Family Force 5

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday, Facing The Giants, God

Facing The Giants - So how's it doing?

Ok, the film has been out there for two weekends. So, how's it doing? According to Box Office Mojo
the film seems to be doing pretty well for a "$100,000 budget, all volunteer, never thought it'd see mainstream distribution" independent film.

So far the film has brought in $2,749,495 and averaged $2,407 per screen for the two weeks. Not bad. I couldn't find a way to bring the whole table in, but you need to go to this Box Office Mojo link above and see the table. In general, there aren't that many films performing better on a per screen basis.

Anyway, the money isn't the important part. Although if it does well, Sherwood Baptist will be able to accomplish a lot based on this article:

Since the movie cost so little to make, Facing the Giants is almost guaranteed to make money. Sherwood Baptist Church will receive 50% of the film’s profits.

“None of the staff will be compensated for the movie,” Pastor Catt says. “We have broken ground on a $12-million dollar, 40-acre recreational park for the Albany community. Proceeds will go to that project. Anything beyond that will go into other ministry opportunities.”

If you haven't seen it, you still need to go.

Now Playing: "The Face of Love" by Sanctus Real

Technorati: Facing The Giants, Sherwood Baptist

Winning on Wednesday - What's Your Philosophy?

What's your philosophy? How do you live your life? That's the topic for this week's Winning on Wednesday post. As an aside, this weekly post is a way for me to organize my thoughts about my Spiritual growth. Maybe by sharing what I've learned in my life, it'll touch someone else's.

OK, I have to admit, this week's post has a source that has been common in the last couple of posts - the film Facing the Giants. If you haven't caught on by now, the producers of the film did an excellent job in providing a solid Biblical core to the film. If you scroll down to my first post on the film, you'll find the original movie trailer. In that trailer, the coach tells the football team what their new team philosophy is:

"We need to give God our best in every area...and if we win we praise Him...and if we lose we praise Him."

I don't want to give away the story that leads the coach up to this new outlook because it'll mean more if you see it for yourself. Therefore, I'm going to focus on the Biblical basis for this statement.

Let's look at a few selected passages. I'm using the NKJV:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:2-4

and:

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."” And Peter answered Him and said, "“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "“Come."” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "“Lord, save me!"” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" - Matthew 14:24-31

Note that Jesus was not scolding Peter. The original language here indicates that he was speaking to Peter as a father would to a little child when trying to comfort him/her. Peter still didn't get it, did he?

Then:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

And my favorite passage:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

It is so easy to praise God when we win. When the job is going well, when commission is coming in, when everything in the house works, when the cars are working perfectly, when the kids behave, when our relationships are sailing, when we're healthy.

But, what about the flipside - when we lose. When the job sucks, or when pay is getting cut and bills are tight, or when one thing after another breaks, or when repairs mount up, or when the kids disobey and ignore their parents, or when relationships are strained, or when we're diagnosed with a serious disease. What do we do then? Not what SHOULD we do, but what do we do? We complain, we feel abandoned, we feel alone.

But that's not what God wants for us. See the passages above. You know, the character in the film is right about what we should do. Regardless of what happens, we should praise God. Whether we win or lose - we should praise God. Is it always easy? No. Sometimes I wonder if it'll EVER be easy to praise God when I lose. But, I'm learning that God wants me to give everything over to Him and trust Him. Notice I said "learning" and not "have learned" which is the difference between an ongoing process and a complete process. I believe we don't ever stop learning what God wants to teach us.

Now Playing: "Praise You In The Storm" by Casting Crowns

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday, Facing The Giants, God, Jesus

Facing The Giants - The Review

I took my daughter to see the film Facing The Giants on Saturday. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great quality time with my daughter and the Biblical principles presented in the film provided some great discussion starters. The message of the movie is AWESOME. That's the point of the movie, regardless of the quality of the production. The basic Message of the film was the most important? With God, anything is possible. That is so true. Now for the review. I will try to stay away from any spoilers.

As you might expect, Christian reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. However, reviews by the general press have at times been less than polite. What are the criticisms?

• Direction
• Script writing
  
• Acting
• Continuity
• Predictability
  

What has bothered me most is that in some reviews, the writer obviously didn't like the film, yet instead of engaging in genuine critique the writer has decided to take cheap shots and make derogatory remarks. One of the worst examples is HERE. Sadly, this guy spent three ENTIRE paragraphs on continuity issues. Anyway, please allow me to address those issues listed above.

1. Direction - I disagree. Mr. Kendrick did an amazing job considering the task he had before him. Think about it. An all volunteer cast, an all volunteer production crew (except for 5 paid cinematographers) and an all volunteer support crew. Not to mention, the film was produced for roughly $100,000.
2. Script writing - At times the script seemed a little awkward, but if you read my blog for any length of time it's easy to see how sometimes we can't quite get something to come out the way we want it.
   
3. Acting - For those that want to criticize the actors/actresses, I say get a life. These are volunteers PEOPLE! These people do not do this for a living. They probably haven't taken acting classes. They probably didn't have acting coaches, etc on the set with them. What was refreshing? When the cast talked about God, it was heart felt. It was genuine.
4. Continuity - Generally this is a weak critique when writers cannot find anything else to focus on. The writer of the review I linked to above seemed to be overly concerned with this aspect. All movies have continuity issues. In fact, there are websites dedicated to finding continuity issues in movies. Again, a film produced by volunteers for $100,000 will have some quality and continuity issues when compared against multimillion dollar films produced by professional crews.
5. Predictability - To me, another weak critique. Was the movie predictable? Yes - sometimes a little too predictable. But so was Titanic. Most movies are predictable to some degree, unless they are specifically of the mystery or suspense genre.
   

Now that those are out of the way on to more important things.

I do agree with some about one thing on the film. Every miracle that could happen, happened. Every problem that needed to be resolved was resolved. That's not necessarily how things happen in life. There are obstacles that we encounter that we won't overcome. We will have failures. In a way, I wish Mr. Kendrick had allowed one need to go unmet and allow the Characters to show their "character" and resolve to accept it and work through it. That would have capitalized on one of the scenes from the film where the coach tells the team "When we win, we're gonna praise Him. When we lose, we're gonna praise Him."

As for those that say the film is too "feel good", too "perfect", too "unbelievably miraculous", I pray that they will focus on the Message of the film and not the Method.

I do all of the sound and multimedia production for my church. One of the things I tell anyone who works with me is the following, "Remember that as a multimedia ministry person our job is to enhance the worship experience for people not WOW them. If people, at any point, are paying more attention to the "Special Effects" than the Message, we've gone too far. Worshipers should only notice the media when we accidentally do something wrong. We are supporting those that are presenting the Message to God's people. The focus should be on the Message, not the Method."

With that in mind, the makers of Facing The Giants did an EXCELLENT job.

Now Playing: "Open the Eyes of My Heart" by Philips, Craig and Dean

Technorati: Facing The Giants, Sherwood Baptist, Kendrick