Yikes!

My very silly sister has gone and put a picture of myself on my profile. It has ruined the seriousness of my blog!

From Annie

annelise can see you!
muff can get buns.
Love,
Annie

God and Time

With the new year, I could think of no more fitting post than one which reminds us that God sovereignly holds all of time in His hands.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it best in his book God's Ultimate Purpose:

God controls everything, the time element in particular. As you read through your Old Testament have you ever wondered why it was that all those centuries had to pass before the Son of God actually came? Why was it that for so long only the Israelites, the Jews, had the oracles of God and the understanding that there is only one true and living God? The answer is that it is God who decides the time when everything is to happen, and so He reveals this truth which had hitherto been secret. This is but another illustration of the sovereignty of God. He determines the time for everything to happen. God is over all, controlling all, and timing everything in His infinite wisdom. At such a time as this I know of nothing which is more comforting and reassuring than to know that the Lord still reigns, that He is still the sovereign Lord of the universe, and that though "the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing", yet He has set his Son upon his holy mount of Zion (Psalm 2). A day will come when all His enemies shall lick the dust, and become His footstool and be humbled before Him, and CHrist shall be "all and in all".

God has had control over time since the very beginning. He created time, so it properly belongs to Him.

In The beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

T'was the beginning of time as well as the beginning of the heavens and the earth, for they were created at the beginning.

God is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, and there is no time without God.

He orders the times and life spans of every man. Because of this, we should use the time He has given us wisely and not waste it. God is not pleased with wasted lives.

Sometimes, however, we make plans (so as to use our time well) but interruptions break them and cause us to feel that we have not done what we are supposed to do. Using one's time profitably does not mean following a list, though. God, who is in control, sends us things which did not fit in our plans, but they are His will.
So, it is best everyday to ask God to lead your steps and to help you use your time wisely in His will.

A Sunset

This is a dramatic sunset taken at my house. It is from this past winter. 

NARNIA!

Here I am after a sugar high from gummy bears eaten in the car, an adrenelin rush, and the built up excitment from the last six months. Yes, I have just come back from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. My dad surprised us kids and took us to see the eight o'clock showing tonight. We had the theater to ourselves because Tuesday isn't your typical day for movie goers.
So, my review: Much better than the old BBC series. The scenery and effects were grand. Edmund and Lucy were great actors. The White Witch was cruel and hard (almost vicious, my dad said). The beavers were beaver sized. Aslan's mouth moved at the same speed as he talked (the opposite of the BBC series). I am definitely going to look for the DVD when it comes out. I think it fairly accurately portrayed C. S. Lewis's story and theme.
Now my complaints: The music did not always convey the mood right. There was a bit of a humanistic bent to the movie, not too bad, but the greatness of Aslan was downplayed. Also the children were not adventursome at all.
Okay, I'll save my severe movie critique for my poor sister to listen to. I already tore apart the Lord of the Rings for her (I'm very hard on movies based on my favorite books). But it was a good movie.

Note of Interest: Narnia Web has a hint that Prince Caspian is aimed to be finished by December 2007. How can I get a part as an extra?!?

LONG LIVE THE TRUE KING!

Previews

If you are interested in seeing some trailers of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, you can download them here:
http://www.narniaweb.com/trailers.asp

C. S. Lewis

I suppose most people know of the new movie "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" which is coming to theaters in the United States this Friday. My family are all avid fans C. S. Lewis's writings. We have followed the production of this film quite eagerly through NarniaWeb. So naturally I thought of writing about C. S. Lewis this week. Of course, this is made easier since lots of other magazines, blogs, and other places like that had the same idea. I have a "Christian History" magazine chock full of articles about Lewis. Well, I decided there was too much I could write about, so this is merely a tribute to C. S. Lewis.
He was a great Christian man who did his best to serve God in all the gifts he had (which were many) and he did it joyfully and humbly. His works have challenged me and encouraged me to think and to reason and to love our Savior all the more. I think they have done that for many people. And I hope God will use them to challenge many more.
Two pieces from his books that influenced me most were:
1. the law of undulation (from The Screwtape Letters) - I am reminded when I go through seasons of dryness that these will pass and they are just the troughs of my walk with the Lord. It encourages me to press into the Scripture and to keep going.
and 2. the stabs of deep joy felt here on earth are just a glimpse of the joy we shall have in heaven (from Surprised by Joy).
Praise God, He chose to use C. S. Lewis for His glory. I hope He will use me as well, whether I become as famous or not.