Luke 14

Here is the latest short film that was produced by Kinetic. You can see the rest of our films at www.kineticfilms.blogspot.com. Can anyone guess the primary influence on this movie?

Heaven on the Slopes

I have been processing the times that I have recently had with family over the past week and I think that the whole of my contemplation hinges on a conversation that I had with Lindsay late into the morning. While much of my studies has been bent towards the idea of being agents of the pursuit of heaven here and now, I have often been left, especially on Monday's (Ecclesiastes Monday), asking the question, "Where is heaven?". So as I have reflected upon the intangibility of heaven, especially in light of difficult circumstances within life, it has been a healthy exercise for me to remember that everything isn't as it should be... Or else, it would be, well... heaven. So as Lindsay and I talk, we are contemplating the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven here and now, and recognize that heaven (or the reign of God) is certainly near in the moments. Lindsay then began to talk about "limited time", and we remembered that in 24 hours we would once again be in much different places. We knew that we would be sad, and we recognized that there is something inherently wrong with being far away from family. The natural next question then filled the air... Would heaven still be near in those moments of distance?

Through all of the Christian jargon of calling (which is important when unabused), in the end, I want to be near to the people whom I love the most. Whether family in Texas, family and friends in Michigan, or family in the Dominican Republic, I want to be near to family. What I have been learning is that this longing is not one of selfishness, as I have thought previously. Rather this longing is one that represents how "it is supposed to be"... or... heaven. When the "supposed to be" is taken away, my feeling is that of sickness. I feel as if one has repeatedly punched me in the throat and placed a giant worm in my esophagus. I am learning that this sickness is not a bad thing, representative of unreality, or "unheaven", but rather representing that of one of the largest realities and a very near and tangible heaven. So approaching this question of heaven still being near in moments of distance, I am growing in hope. While heaven was certainly near on the porch at 2:00 AM with Lindsay, heaven is still near (both literally and metaphorically) when Lindsay went back to Michigan. It is almost as if God mysteriously speaks through the giant worm in reminding me that there is still work to be done. Not everything is as it should be. Through the reminder that heaven is not yet complete, God is then speaking through the present Kingdom of Heaven. "Now and not yet" both make sense to me this morning. And I am thankful that heaven is evident both in the nearness and in the sickness.

The Highest Recommendation

Whitney and I went to see Once last night in Pasadena and cannot commend it enough to all. It first exploded at Sundance and may be the next film of a generation. The film includes music as a character and also includes a new type of love story. Please don't miss this film. I posted the trailer below.

Going Going... Back Back...

Whitney and I left at 4:30 in the AM (Thanks to Stephanie!) to get to LAX where our flight was delayed 4 hours. We were so excited to surprise our family in MI and it was hard to wait. We arrived into Grand Rapids at 9:30 and hopped in the Nederveld car (Thanks Nedervelds!) that they had dropped off at the airport for us to borrow. We drove right up to Baldwin to surprise our family. The surprise went over well and we played cards into the late hours of the morning. After hanging out at teh beach on Sunday, Whitney and I drove down to Hudsonville to stay at the Beck house so that we could hang out with old friends from Hudsonville during the day on Monday. We saw some students and then had a lovely afternoon with the Nedervelds. Justin drove us back up to the cottage on Monday night and we began our relaxation. Floating on the lake, eating, drinking, cards, conversations, fishing, canoeing on the river, reading, praying, fireworks, and golfing filled our days all the way through Sunday. We came home Sunday evening, stopping by grandpa's to see grandpa and the Gardener family. We stayed our last nights in Ada (parents are selling the house), reflecting over numerosu memories and headed back to Pasadena on Tuesday morning. We have Lindsay with us here in LA, which makes the transition easier, but is still difficult to be leave family after such a nice week. We are back in the grind. Studying, working, running around... I am learning that the craziness that fills our lives really veils our hearts to beauty. I saw unusual beauty last week. I am thankful for veils being lifted.

Back in Shack

Whitney and I returned to Pasadena yesterday evening (hence the long delay in posts) and have many stories to tell. (Including another straggling Warnes that we have with us here in SoCal.) I will post over the next couple of days about our experiences, but in the mean time I'm just going to throw up a picture that sums up the week.