My husband and I went to see the movie “Blind Side”.  First of all, I highly recommend it.  Sandra Bullock is great.  She delivers some really funny lines.  She has such wonderful comedic timing.  All that aside, at about 4 or 5 minutes into the movie I was already on my 2nd kleenex.  At one point I thought I was going to sob.  I kept thinking(we were in a packed theater)”they’ll throw you out, people will be shushing you right out the door if you start sobbing.”  So I sucked it up and kept dabbing my eyes.  I won’t give the whole story away, but this tall, big, African American kid who is basically homeless gets taken in by a white Texas family.  The family’s children go to the same Christian school as Michael, the main character.  How he got into the Christian school is it’s own important part of the story.

I guess I was touched to see someone ‘do the right thing’, even do something scary and way outside their comfort zone. It made me ask myself if I would do the same thing if the need was there.  Would I have the courage to stand up and open my home and change my life like that.  “Blind Side” is based on a true story, which often makes the movie more engaging.  It was definitely a feel good movie, but if you see it, you need to walk out asking questions of yourself and the Christian community you are a part of.  I’d love to hear what you thought of the movie.

Posted by Anita Lustrea  |   4 Comments »

What is your habit at the beginning of a New Year?  Resolutions, goals, plans?  Sometimes I can’t look beyond next week, but I did have the opportunity to take a few days off during the Christmas holiday and do some forward thinking and forward looking.  It came in an unexpected way as I spent time going through a couple of my favorite advent devotionals and re-reading the Christmas story.  I read again the familiar passage about Mary trekking to the hill country of Judea where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.  When Elizabeth cried out in joy, and as her baby leaped in her womb, as Mary entered her home, she also said this to Mary.  “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” 

I know this verse is specific to Mary, but there is universal truth to apply to us.  If I follow the Bible study method of Howard Hendricks and enter this story using my sacred imagination, God is talking directly to me.  “Blessed is Anita who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”  Do I believe he will fulfill his promises to me?  I’m entering 2010 with great expectation and with Luke 1:45 on my lips.  I don’t even know all of what he will fulfill to me this year, but I walk into the new year in faith and great expectation.  What about you?

Posted by Anita Lustrea  |   4 Comments »