Something Heavenly

Below is a song by Sanctus Real, "Something Heavenly." While KSBJ (our Houston Christian Radio station) is in danger of over-playing this song to the levels of Chris Tomlin, I must say that the lyrics are amazing, reflective, and relevent to anyone who's ever been faced with a difficult situation or a tough decision or even a relationship where that needs reconciliation. This is where my family has been for the past few months, and where I find myself in daily surrender with the BIG questions for our Great God.



It's time for healing time to move on

It's time to fix what's been broken too long

Time to make right what has been wrong

It's time to find my way to where I belong

There's a wave that's crashing over me

And all I can do is surrender



(Chorus)

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace

It's hard to surrender to what I can't see

but I'm giving in to something Heavenly



Time for a milestone

Time to begin again

Reevaluate who I really am

Am I doing everything to follow Your will

Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills

So show me what it is You want from me

I give everything I surrender...

To...



(Chorus)



Time to face up

Clean this old house

Time to breathe in and let everything out

That I've wanted to say for so many years

Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but I believe

You're up to something bigger than me

Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but now I can see

This is something bigger than me

Larger than life something Heavenly

Something Heavenly



It's time to face up

Clean this old house

Time to breathe in and let everything out

Office Love

So I was eating crow, "humble pie," whatever you want to call it when it came to the Oscars. I thought the Academy Awards show itself was fantastic, just sort of lame-o and predictable on the winners and such. I realize I've been away from some Office quotes, and it doesn't help that the show has been missing from new episodes for the past 2 weeks. And so, without further adieu, I will bestow upon this fine Monday a plethora of quotes that will make you smile, chuckle, and reminisce for the return of our great show. Enjoy!

January 30 - "Oh well. If they're not together now, then they probably never will be. I thought they'd be good together, like P.B. & J. Pam Beesley and Jim. What a waste. What a waste." (Kevin)

January 31 - "I have been compared to a young Paul Newman. It's the eyes, and the face, I guess. Also, I make my own salad dressing. I mix Newman's Italian with Newman's Ranch. I sell it at flea markets for a small loss. I could make a profit if I changed one of the ingredients to Wishbone, but I won't do it." (Michael)

February 2 - "When I'm at home at night in my own house in my sweats drinking some red wine and watching my mystery stories, the last thing in the whole God-forsaken world I wanna hear is the voice of Michael Scott." (Stanley)

February 4 - "I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it is a vicious cycle. You have sensitive nipples...they chafe, so they become more sensitive, so they chafe more. So, I take precautions." (Andy)

February 5 - "Here we go. Everyone, this is a day that will live in infamy. 'Cause today is the day that Jim and Pam become one...I love you guys so much." (Michael)

February 7 - "Agritourism is a lot more than a bed and breakfast. It consists of tourists coming to the farm, showing them around, giving them a bed, giving them breakfast." (Dwight)

February 9 - "When I came home, Sprinkle's body was in the freezer, where Dwight said he left her. But all my bags of frozen French fries had been clawed to shreds...Something's not right. The vet's doing an autopsy." (Angela)

February 10 - "Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh, I don't know. I sing in the shower, sometimes I spend too much time volunteering; occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me. No, don't sue me. That's the opposite of the point that I am trying to make." (Michael)

February 11 - "I have been involved in a number of cults--both as a leader and a follower. You have more fun as a follower. But you make more money as a leader." (Creed)

February 12 - "Who is this old fart? Did you just stagger off of the street? Out of a box or something? Who's this worthless bags of bones? Well, this guy is none other than one of the founders of Dunder Mifflin, Mr. Robert Dunder." (Michael)

February 20 - "Hey, Pam, by the way, it's great that you're dating, but when a new client calls, you have to just randomly assign them to a salesperson. You can't base who gets new clients on who you're sleeping with that week, okay?" (Phyllis)

February 24 - "Inspirational. What did we learn? Well, we have learned that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Because it is illegal, and you will go to jail." (Michael)

February 26 - "Spend your whole life trying to get people to like you and then you run over one person with your car. And it's not even one of the popular ones, and everybody gets on your case. Doesn't make any sense." (Michael)

February 27 - "Pam and Jim are together. Ryan is visiting. Only thing that could make this day any better is ice cream." (Michael)

Slumdog Millionaire

I'd like to comment for just a moment on one of the most talked about films of the past year. Carly and I saw this film a while back, at the recommendation of my younger Jedi-movie-watching brother, Payton. The hype was mild and growing at the time, and thus we went in with some expectations that not only would the film be different, but overwhelmingly special.

You know, Slumdog Millionaire was neat, and clever, and haunting, and fun...it was unique in a way that I'm not sure I'd encountered before. You know, sometimes when I see movies that have absolutely ZERO redemptive qualities--they're just a fun escape, senseless action or comedy or mayhem that I surrender to for 90-120 minutes. However, the buzz surrounding this flick was that it would contain many redeeming elements in it.

Danny Boyle (producer/director) has crafted a very fresh, hip film that raises the awareness of poverty and injustice in a different culture and part of the world. The images range from haunting to humorous, but at the end of the day I was just a tad thrown off. You see, Slumdog Millionaire is kind of like a brief glimpse into a world we can't understand, where are heart is moved for just a moment, and then we're back in our wealthy comfort after 2 hours. (this many times happens on a Mission Trip, where we're changed for a short time, but not the long haul)

For me personally, Gran Torino addresses issues that hit closer to home...not that we don't have poverty, injustice, and the deepest levels of America that we see in India. But moreover the underlying currents of hatred, racism, opportunity, and sacrifice. Eastwood's character reflects a generation, an attitude, a reality that exists not only in Detroit but all over this country. I was surprised and moved by the authenticity of Gran Torino's themes, and they are still with me today...much the same way the overwhelming message of disconnect from Crash is as well.

I have a special place in my heart for films which introduce and inspire me to understand other cultures (see The Mission, Apocaltypo), but for movies that aspire to communicate a redeeming message to their audience, I prefer one that's gonna stick weeks after I've seen it. Unfair as it may seem, this is where Slumdog fell short. But I sincerely hope you enjoyed yourself at the movies...

Tomorrow/Later today: my Oscar Picks.

Best Movies 0f 2008

Well at long last, here is my list of my favorite flicks from the past year. By no means will anyone who reads this list agree with it 100%, and certainly this will not match up with any experts or critics choices. However, there will be an explanation paragraph at the bottom, followed by my most-anticipated movies of 2009. Enjoy and happy watching!

Bartee's Best of 2008
1. The Dark Knight
2. Wall-E
3. Iron-man
4. Kung-Fu Panda
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Sweeny Todd
7. Horton Hears a Who
8. Mamma Mia!
9. Cloverfield
10.Be Kind Rewind

What can I say? The Batman team of Nolan, Ledger, and Eckhart made Dark Knight superb. Ironman lived up to the hype, and actually exceeded my expectations. Of course I have a soft spot for a clever, well-done, humor-with-a-message animated flick...and that's represented by 3 of those on my list. Button was so very different from anything I'd seen before. Sweeny's music completely trumped the strange gore reservations I had, and the music of Abba makes Mamma Mia a blast on every level. And, Cloverfield is really the film that was trippy, edgy, confusing, and suspenseful wrapped in one. My #10 choice is just a sleeper for me.

Honorable Mention: Frost/Nixon (only because I haven't seen it!)


SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN:

Taken and Gran Torino

(these 2 films would be near the top of my '08 list, but because of when they came out and when I saw them, there's really not a place for them to exist...they are MUST-SEE flicks)


Looking Forward To
1. Robin Hood
2. G.I. Joe
3. Sherlock Holmes
4. Star Trek
5. X-men Wolverine
6. Transformers 2
7. Angels and Demons
8. Land of the Lost
9. Watchmen
10.Public Enemies


Coming Soon: My thoughts on Slumdog Millionaire, more Office love, and "Daily Words which stand out."

Good grief

Yes, yes, the I realize that the renewed dedication I referenced has started off rather shaky. My bad and deal with it. Tomorrow you can expect my full thoughts on such Oscar-nominated movie which I find to be simply OK..not WOW, not Hooray, but just Ehh. Stay tuned for that. (I also have my best movies of 2008 post typed and ready to go, but I'm leading you to wait until Friday!)

Some long overdue Office love:

January 13 - "Ryan took some of the branch managers and Toby into the woods, for a kind of 'get-to-know-you' weekend. Michael wasn't invited. Apparently, they already knew everything they needed to know about him." (Pam)

January 16 - "As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive, we could power a small fan for two days. You tell me what's unethical." (Dwight)

January 19 - "I've always wanted to be in the witness protection program. Fresh start--no debts, no baggage. I've already got my name picked out. Lord Rupert Everton. I'm a shipping merchant who raises fancy dogs. That's the life." (Michael)

January 20 - "I love my employees even though I hit one of you with my car. For which I take full responsibility. Look, I'm just trying to take everybody's mind off this unavoidable tragedy and on to more positive things. So, I thought we should plant a tree." (Michael)

January 21 - "This is Sprinkles. She was my best friend. I kept her going through countless ailments. I asked Dwight Schrute to feed her once and she is now deceased." (Angela)

January 22 - "One day Michael came in complaining of a speed bump on the highway...I wonder who he ran over then?" (Jim)

January 24/25 - "Check to see if she's faking. If a car hit me, it wouldn't crack my pelvis. You know what? I bet she cracked it at home and jumped in front of the car to get some workers comp." (Dwight)

January 26 - "The bar uses an applause meter. That's why it's so important that you all come and applaud only for my band--Scrantonicity Two, not Scrantonicity, which I am no longer a part of." (Kevin)

January 27 - "I just love sales. I love it to death, it's as simple as that. And I don't get to do enough of it as a manager, so I took this second job, kind of as a hobby. Some people have golf, or relaxing." (Michael)

Responding

So, I realize that I've been away from the computer for a few extra days than my initial focus of multiple posts in a week. My apologies. Today is a fantastic day, coming off the heels of a celebration and remembrance of a phenomenal leader who I believe would be crying and smiling ear to ear with Obama's inauguration earlier today. I won't expound on the varying emotions and things I'm feeling currently...I'll just let each of us cherish, reject, or embrace the past 48 hours for everything they are.

I will leave you with some neat thoughts that came from an e-mail that one of our Bammel elders sent me. It's simple and profound, and I pray that it just encourages you a little bit.


A FEW THINGS GOD WON'T ASK on that day.

1...God won't ask what kind of car you drove, He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2...God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3...God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4...God won't ask what your highest salary was, He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5...God won't ask what your job title was, He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6...God won't ask how many friends you had, He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7...God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8...God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

Coming Soon (I promise): My top 10 movies of 2008, and my most anticipated movies of 2009.

Bartee's Back!

Well friends, there's just no excusing it. I have slacked and failed many of you that still take just a few moments in your week to check this site for my ramblings. So, while I won't make empty promises and say that I'll be 100% faithful to a daily update, what I can assure you is this: I plan on making smaller, more random and fun posts more frequently...don't misunderstand, I plan on having the somewhat theological commentary-esque posts about all things spiritual more often than not, but let's have some laughter, too, shall we?

So here goes...one of my Christmas gifts I received this year was a daily calender from The Office. Each day has a quote that just takes me back to the show and makes me laugh, some days more violently than others. I compiled just a sampling from the first 2 weeks of the year, and I'd invite you to compare this collection versus any application Facebook can create. I'll provide a few of these a week for your enjoyment...just remember to not become the silent killer.

January 1 - "So Ryan got promoted to corporate, where he's a little fish in a big pond. Whereas back here in Scranton I'm still top dog in a fairly large pond. So who is the real boss, the dog or a fish?" (Michael)

January 3/4 - "Almost marrying Roy Anderson was as close to Pamela Anderson as I ever want to be." (Pam)

January 5 - "Ever since I was a kid, people have been telling me that I can't do things. You can't be on the team, you can't move on to second grade. Well, now they're telling me that I can't win back clients using old-fashioned business methods. We'll see about that. And FYI, I eventually aced second grade, and I was the biggest kid in class." (Michael)

January 8 - "Ladies and gentlemen, I have some bad news. Meredith was hit by a car...It happened this morning in the parking lot. I took her to the hospital. The doctors tried to save her life, they did the best that they could...and she is going to be okay." (Michael)

January 9 - "You're over forty. That's the cut-off. Are you listening to what he's saying? Retraining, new system, youth. I'm telling you, this kid is the grim reaper. You deal with this, or you, me, Sammy, Phyllis, the chick you hit with the car--we're goners." (Creed, to Michael)

January 10/11 - "Yes, money has been a little bit tight lately. But, at the end of my life, when I'm sitting on my yacht, am I going to be thinking about how much money I have? No. I'm going to be thinking about how many friends that I have. And my children. And my comedy albums. I mean, I have a yacht so I obviously did pretty well money-wise." (Michael)

January 12 - "I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then, my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life, I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same, except I could fly." (Dwight)

Coming later this week: My top 10 movies of 2008 & top 10 movies I'm pumped about in 2009.