Updating......

Whew, it's been a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time!

Anyway, this is more of an update than a blog post.
The college have started to process my application, so I should get my visa in six to eight weeks, which is super exciting.

I've sorted out someone to collect me from the airport in August. She's an old friend, I haven't seen her since I was about seven, she is about four years older than me, with three babies of here own. So I am really looking forward to seeing her again and meeting her family.

I have bought a few summer clothes off ebay and from our local charity shop, however it is rather depressing that I only been able to wear one of them as the weather here is simply awful! I was woken up at half past five this morning by rain hammering down on my windows. I really don't like cold, wet weather.

Next week I am going to start doing some serious reading. My Dad has a pile of books he thinks I should read before I go to Bible college, so I excited about that.

Oh, and I still haven't quite got my head around the fact that I won't see my Mummy for a whole five months.............. and of course my Daddy and siblings, but especially my Mummy. Who am I supposed to ask about laundry? Can I wash this colour with that, etc........???

Unchristian behaviour from those you least expect

Recently I have been absolutely shocked and stunned (and many other adjectives besides) by the behaviour that I have witnessed or the things people have said. The most astounding thing is though, that it is people who call themselves God-fearing Christians who have been indulging in gossip, slander, lying and deceiving.

Now I know I'm not perfect, I will happily be the first person to point that out. I have lied, gossipped, slandered deceived and committed numerous other sins. To claim I have never done any of those things would be an outright lie and no one would believe me because I mean really, deep down everyone knows they are flawed and imperfect; only one man ever was perfect, and that was Jesus Christ.

However as a Christian we have been freed from the bondage of sin. Whereas an unregenerate person has no choice in the matter and is a slave to sin, we do have a choice, we also have God on our side and we can do all things through his strength:

I am able to do all things  through the one who strengthens me. Philippians 4v13

But more importantly it is our duty to strive to be as Christ-like as possible, we are to be imitators of him. Being a Christian is not about having a ticket to Heaven that you whip out of your pocket and redeem when you are on your deathbed. We live to serve God, not ourselves, and God doesn't promise an easy or fun life. Trials, yes. 

Temptation, yes. 

Pain, yes. 

But nothing we can't bear. 

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.                        Colossions 1v9-14

 We are supposed to stand out from the crowd. Not for the wrong reasons, being a notorious liar, having loose lips or being two-faced; but for the right reasons, being kind, caring, looking  out for others, being self-less, etc. 

Recently my family and I have experienced the worst treatment imaginable from the people you would least expect, our 'church family'. I don't want to go into details. It's not really necessary and to be honest I want to forget everything. But I am sadly dismayed that non-Christians seem to understand the decent way to treat one another better than Christians these days, and these 'fake-Christians' give us all a bad reputation. 

Here is a link to an article I read earlier today - How to avoid spreading gossip in 5 easy steps

 Hellogiggles is a secular website and it has not Christian links whatsoever, yet there I found this gem of an article. 

 

This week I bought a flight to LAX

Yes, I did, there's no going back, and although I know it was a wee bit premature to book a one way flight to Los Angeles when I haven't obtained my visa yet, I still think it was wise. Well, my parents thought it was a good move to make, and I always listen to them, no really, *wink, wink*

You would not believe how cheap my flight was, especially for the middle of August. I felt that it would have been stupid not to book the flight. The way I see it is that God has already fixed everything up this far, in that I was offered a scholarship, then everything else just slotted into place, I needed something, I somehow obtained it, etc, etc.

I also bought my international student card at the same time! It arrived in the post this morning! I was so excited, I've never had a student card before, and I can't wait to start using it. Whoooo!!

And in other news, I've started reading a brilliant devotional book on the Psalms. It's really encouraging. I had no idea how relevant they were for us today, this morning I read about Psalm 3, and the chapter heading was 'advice for insomniacs'. But I won't go into that in this post, I'll post about it later.

xxxxx

Just something that caught my attention....

This popped up on my facebook a while ago;

This kind of thing makes me shake my head and wonder. So many Christians seem to think that the devil is some creature who is easily defeated and can be inflicted with pain by simple actions we do each and every day.

But the devil is strong and he is powerful. The world in which we live in is his domain; just look at all the sin that goes on all around you. You only need to read the book of Job to see what he is capable of inflicting on people.

Job was a righteous, god-fearing man, and he was blessed for this. Yet God allowed him to suffer at the hand of Satan.

 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord,  “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”  1:8 So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away  from evil.”
   

 Jesus himself was tempted by Satan while in the wilderness. 

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 Satan is a powerful being, who are we to 'stomp' on him? He is powerful, and we need to guard against him, however the above is not the way to defeat him. 

Only by studying the bible, praying, staying close to God and living what we learn can we have any hope of resisting him. We are weak on our own, we cannot 'beat' Satan on our own. Carrying a bible does not worry Satan, forgiving someone who has treated you badly is more likely too. 

 We are incapable of saving ourselves from hell, so what makes us think we can 'crush' Satan? 

Just some thoughts.... 

What do you think?

The year in film releases......

Don't you just love the excitement the anticipation of film releases gives?! Yes, there is that feeling of 'aaargh, I can't take the wait any longer!!' But in general the build up is such fun. I have compiled a list of the films that I am definitely more than a wee bit excited about this year, or what's left of this year.........

At number 1, and this is going in order of release date, as opposed to anything else, is;

The Avengers - released on the 26th of April (UK)

I have to admit I am a massive fan of Marvel Comic heroes (well superheroes in general really)!! So I have been rather looking forward tot this one for a while now! I must admit, I haven't yet seen Thor, or the first Hulk film, they need to be seen first I think. Also I have reservations about Scarlett Johansson; I find her irritating, and that's about it really. But I managed to tolerate her in the second Ironman film so I'm sure I'll be fine for this one too. Also, it's out in 2 days!! Aaaaaaahh!

At number 2

Men in Black III - released 25th of May (UK)

I'll be honest here, I hadn't properly seen the two preceding Men in Black films until this month. Which is pretty bad for someone my age. Now that I have seen one and two I can officially join everyone else who is excited for this film. I'm hoping that the special effects are a wee bit better than the last two though.

Number 3

The Amazing Spider-Man - released 4 July (UK)

Although I have been looking forward to this film since Christmas, when I saw one of the early posters at the cinema, I do have some major reservations about this film. Having seen the Toby MaguireKirsten Dunst versions I'm not entirely sure that these actors are going to be as good, however I would love to be proven wrong. And I am sure that Emma Stone will be brilliant, as she was in 'the help'. My other reservations regard the names and the storyline. I'll be honest (again) I haven't read the comics, I'm not really a comic girl, however I'm pretty sure that Peter Parker's crush was called Mary-Jane, not Gwen. And I don't recognise most of the character names listed in this film, and I don't recall any mysterious disappearance of Peter's parents. But on the other hand the storyline is intriguing and makes you curious as to how it will unfold. That being said, all the good bits and funny lines may have already been seen in the trailer. I am rooting for them to pull it off though.

Number 4

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - Released 13th of July (UK)

 Come on, who doesn't love these guys?! I mean really! I know the story-lines aren't the best, but really these films make me laugh so much! I don't know how many times I've seen the third one, but it's still so funny everytime I see it. I'm sure this ones storyline will be just as awful as the second and third, but who cares, it's fun!!

Number 5

Okay people, I've been waiting for this one since 2008. I am a huge Batman fan!!

The Dark Knight Rises - released 20th of July (UK)

 So, more excited about this than I can say!! Batman is my all time favourite superhero, period!! Also kind of sad as it's the last one; but still looking forward to this so much. My Dad and I will be queueing up to see this no doubt.
I only have one small issue and that is on the casting of Catwoman. I find Anne Hathaway annoying and I can't take her seriously, sorry. However that being said, I have never been disappointed by a Chris Nolan film, and I'm pretty sure that this one won't either, so again, I am pretty sure Nolan will prove me wrong here. I really hope so anyway.

Number 6

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Released 3rd of August (UK)

Another film that is a guilty pleasure really, like Ice age. Very funny, and entertaining. Best enjoyed when watching with younger siblings. The last two were very funny and I'm sure that this one will be too.

Number 7

The Bourne Legacy - released 17th of August (UK)

 Okay, okay, I feel asleep for half an hour half way through the the third Bourne film; one minute Jason was in one country and the next thing I knew he was in Russia?!!? But I was really tired, really tired, I never fall asleep in films! Anyway, it's still an brilliant series and I am really looking forward to this new instalment. And having seen Jeremy Renner in Mission Impossible 3: Ghost protocol I am pretty sure he will play the part very well.

Number 8

Looper - released 28th of September (UK)

I just love the idea behind this movie. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is always funny and believable, and Bruce Willis, well, you know, he's pretty good at action filled films. The trailer was pretty impressive, go check it out!!


Number 9

The Hobbit - released 14th of December (UK)

I am so excited about this film!!! I have to say that I didn't like the Lord of the Rings books, I found them boring. I managed to read the Fellowship of the ring and half of the Two Towers before I gave up. However I read the Hobbit first and I really enjoyed it. The Hobbit was a far more interesting story for me personally, so I am really looking forward to it being brought to life.
Also the cast is very impressive, Martin Freeman is perfect for Bilbo; grumpy, funny and of course short. And the majority of the original Lord of the Rings cast is back too. Eeeeeeeeek!!
And yes, I will go back and re-watch the Lord of the Rings films, see if they are as boring as I remember.

So that's my top nine films to look forward to this year, what are yours?

My Mummy and Daddy are coming too!

So, you all know about God providing me with the means to attend Bible college  in California this August. But yesterday, my Dad was accepted to attend Seminary in California too!! My family are going to be living about two hours away from my college!

Having thought I was going to be thrown right into the deep end, not seeing my Mummy for two whole years, I now only have to spend, at the most, 6 months in a different country on my own.
My Dad's school year will start in January, while mine starts in August. So if they can go out to California before next year if they can raise the funds etc.

I think this is so graceful of God; I mean, I don't seem to do very well without my Mummy. It's not that I can't function without her, she has trained me well, cooking, cleaning, washing, etc...... I just don't like to.
So instead I only have to survive for a while before I see my family again. And I really don't like Skype!

The Help; or the last film that made me cry!

I couldn't sleep the other night, had another bought of insomnia, and we had a power cut in the neighbourhood that evening. So instead of just lying there getting more and more frustrated that I couldn't sleep I watched a film called 'The Help' on my laptop.

I'd been meaning to watch it for a while now. I have to say, I loved this! I thought it was incredible.I don't think there is anything about it I would change. And unlike most films, it actually made me cry. Not just a tear in the eye thing, or welling up, I really truly cried, tears streaming down my face................. twice! So, you may want to keep the tissues handy if you watch this one; but this movie isn't a downer, don't get me wrong, the film is all about hope and moving forward, not moping around and being depressed.

What can I say about casting? Well, I personally think the casting was brilliant.

The beautiful Emma Stone played Eugenia Skeeter Phelan, one of the leading ladies;

She is passionate, driven, optimistic, hard-working, cheeky, smart, and just completely adorable really. She is a strong, independent woman, without being too femenistic. Unlike all the girls she went to school with, she graduated from high school and is unmarried. She doesn't fall into the stereotype that the town in which she lives in has cast for her, which makes her stick out; and throughout the film, various people including her Mother and old school friends, try to mould her into who they think she should be. Do they succeed? That would be telling, you'll have to watch the film!

Hilly Holbrook is played by the lovely Bryce Dallas Howard;

The mark of a good actor is when they can make you hate them as well as love them. Bryce does an incredible job with Hilly in this film. I don't think they could have cast it any better here. She was snooty, superior, snotty, two faced, devious, malicious and an all round nasty piece of work. This character cares little, if anything, for anyone other than herself. She is deceitful, and manages to manipulate anyone and everything to get what she wants. Not many can see through her.

Also the costume design for these two above characters is stunning. Some of the outfits were gorgeous, the dress worn by Hilly on the film poster is incredible; and the majority of Skeeter's dresses and outfits are simple yet elegant, feminine and pretty.  Hilly's clothes are loud and colourful, like her character, while Skeeter's are more refined and understated while still having charm and class.

Take a look;

Aibileen Clark is played by Viola Davis;

Aibileen is a far more introverted character. She is quite and keeps herself to herself. Yet below she is loving and kind, tender-hearted, thoughtful and brave. She is guarded around everyone, except Minny and the little girl who belongs to the lady she works for. Aibileen's true colours are seen in the way in which she talks and cares for the little girl who is not unloved, but disliked by her vain Mother. Aibileen is a real sweetheart.

Minny Jackson is played by Octavia Spencer; 

She isn't half as complex as her good friend Aibileen. She is sassy and cheeky, which sometimes lands her in trouble. Yet she is as brave as Aibileen, if not more so. She shows true courage, and stands up for herself. She is also loyal, and faithful to those she loves.

And not forgetting Celia Foote, played by Jessica Chastain;

Celia is so lovable! You just want to be her friend. You can't help but love her. All her pains become yours, Jessica does a fantastic job of making completely endearing Celia to the audience. She is clumsy and bit of a ditz, but she is funny and happy, she wants everyone to get along and be happy with her. She has a huge heart and wants the best for everyone. She desperately wants to be the perfect wife, yet she can't even cook chicken!

Celia and Minny

There are many other talented actors in this film too, including Allison Janney as Skeeter's mother, Chris Lowell, Cicely Tyson, Mike Vogel and Ahna O'Reilly to name but a few.

The relationships in this film are all subject to change, and many new and seemingly odd friendships are formed throughout. Old friendships die and are replaced by more meaningful ones. This film shows that it's important not to judge someone on the basis of their skin colour, or their background, where they come from or even just because they aren't who you want them to be.

One of the main things that jumps out at you as you watch it is how people will do anything to be considered normal, and fit in with everyone around them. People are like sheep. No one questioned whether it was right to treat their maids so badly, it was just the done thing. Just because everyone does it doesn't make it right. The treatment of the black maids is shown for what it was, cruel, and pathetic. So many women had to go out and raise children that weren't theirs while their own children were being raised by someone else. And many of these mothers had no idea or just didn't care about their children. Many of the white women truly didn't deserve to be Mothers.

The interaction between all of the characters is well played. A huge array of different emotions are generated throughout the film, including rage, anger, sadness, heartache, and disbelief. The cheery, shallow and seemingly bright life of the white women with no cares is contrasted to that of the life of the black women who have to work their fingers to the bone cleaning and cooking, caring for children and then returning to their own families and having to repeat the whole process all over again.

This film is full of laughter and lessons, and leaves you with hope and a smile. Anything can be changed. Anyone can make a difference.Skeeter knew that the treatment of the black maids was wrong and inhumane, but unlike everyone else she was willing to do something about it.

This film with break your heart in two, and then sew it back together again.

I highly recommend this film to everyone. Although on a side note you might want to check the certification before letting children watch this.

Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen