Superman Returns!

I watched Superman Returns the very first day of its release in Manila. Here are my pros and cons…

The Pros:

1. They stayed true to old school Superman including the music, the look and feel of the movie and even the credits.

2. Superman was Superman most of the time. Clark Kent only got about 5 scenes.

3. Parker Posey was great as Kitty Kowalski

4. Brandon Routh showed a softer side of Superman which appealed to me.

5. I liked the twist at the end. I don’t want to mention it here, though. Spoiler.

The Cons

1. The motive of the villain was unclear.

2. Kevin Spacey was great as Lex but I still prefer Gene Hackman.

3. There were several logically unrealistic turn of events.

4. There was not enough Clark Kent. (Both a pro and a con).

5. In my mind, Teri Hatcher = Lois Lane. Now, I can’t enjoy Kate Bosworth’s portrayal. I keep seeing Teri Hatcher.

All in all, I’d say it’s worth seeing.

The one with Mom’s birthday

Today's the birthday of one of the most beautiful women I know–my mother-in-law. Happy Birthday, Mom!

A Christian Magician–Cool!

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Jaybee (Not sure if I got his name right. He's a Christian magician who has worked with Erik Mana. He generously shared his talent with us after our cell group meeting. He got a pack of cards and asked me to shuffle it. Then, he asked me to pick a card, remember it and write my name on it. After this, he asked another friend to shuffle the cards. He started picking cards from the top of the desk and they were not the cards with my name on it. We were intent on trying to find the card and after about 5 seconds, we realized that the card was between his lips! Cool! He told us that he performs for corporate events and private parties. I hope I get his complete name so that I can post his link.

Thanks, Jaybee. You're cool.

Welcome Home!

Two of my brothers, who had been working in Nigeria for the past year, will be arriving today. I can’t wait to see them! It is truly sad when our loved ones have to go abroad to work because the economy is so bad. God’s plan is for families to be together and it is unfortunate when financial difficulties force them to separate for years on end. It is a good thing that my brothers are single. Can you imagine the emotional toll if they were married?

Welcome home, my dears! 

Is anyone listening to you?

John Maxwell mentioned that leaders earn the right to be heard. He further expressed that true leaders are the ones whose words are waited for by others. He is the person whose inputs, comments and opinions are anticipated. Is anyone listening to you?

Father’s Day Revelation

I never thought that a simple passage about Zechariah would contain so much wisdom about the role of fathers. But then again, the Bible never cease to amaze me.

Ps. Joey Bonifacio of Victory Christian Fellowship expressed that Zechariah's story reveals the role of fathers. These roles include the following: Intimacy , Instruction, Influence and Identity. With the pressure of providing for their children's needs, many fathers unconsciously de-prioritize these roles. Fatherhood is truly challenging but with God's help, successful fathering is possible.

The Lake House Movie Review

The premise was interesting. A man and a woman living 2 years apart communicate through a magic mailbox. Sounds interesting.

The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves was awfully predictable. The plot was obviously a romantic spin-off of the movie Frequency. Where Frequency succeeded, The Lake House failed. It was extremely difficult to suspend disbelief that the two main characters were communicating through different time periods. The movie took too long to pick up that a woman seated near us started to audibly snore. My husband, Ganns, also nodded off during the first 10 minutes. If I didn't nodge him, he probably slept through the whole movie!

The plot was highly predictable and the tone very depressing. The scenes didn't move seemlessly through the different time periods. The good news, though, is that it will satisfy the cravings of romantics. The production design was excellent but not the costume design. I thought Bullock's costumes for the year 2004 were more descriptive of fashions in 2006. Acting was good but not exceptional. Don't expect much from this film. You will be dissappointed. Keanu Reeves was hot, though, but that goes without saying.

Interesting about birds…

Today, one of my staff members received an interesting request from her niece. She asked for help to find what body part birds have that other animals do not. Together, we searched Wikipedia to find the answer. We found the answer and then some…

What do birds have that other animals do not have? A second set of eye muscles

AND

What do other animals have that birds do not? A diaphragm
Ah…the things you learn through assignments… 

The One with New Wine

Passage: Luke 5:36-39
Praise: Great is Thy Faithfulness

What is good about living a Christian life is that each day is a new beginning. No matter how tired we are, God can give us new strength every day. One of the joys of walking with Jesus is the anticipation for His return. Even if the world is full of darkness, the hope of Jesus’ return allows for us to continue in faith.

The one with Joshua and Gaining Influence

Passage: Joshua 1: 1-18
Praise: Trust and obey

When Joshua and Caleb gave a good report of what they saw at Canaan, the Israelites did not heed their word because they lacked influence. With the other 10 spies giving a bad report, the Israelites did not believe in 2 uninfluencial spies. It is good to learn how Joshua was able to turn things around and prove himself worthy to be Moses’ successor. Joshua is a good example of a man who built a strong relationship with God. He prayed a lot and he meditated on God’s word. Joshua also obeyed God’s specific instructions (i.e., Attach of Jericho) and has shown faith and commitment. Because of his good example, the Israelites started to see him as a leader. He gained influence from his character and not his appointed position.

From Joshua’s story, I learned that keeping a relationship with God is very important in gaining influence. If one is in partnership with God, it is not difficult to do the right things and to make the right decisions. Using God’s word as a lens, decision-making becomes so much easier.

In many of my old entries, I mentioned having some problems at work. Indeed, God is good because after I trusted him with the situation, He turned it around in the best possible way. I never even thought it would be possible but the Lord ways are truly higher than ours.