May THE FORCE Be With You

Day 356 of Photo Inspirations -- May THE FORCE Be With You
I no sooner arrived in Texas to begin the Christmas festivities with my family here, than I heard "We're going to see Star Wars tonight!"  I loved it.  Going together to a movie at Christmas is a traditional "must do" activity for us.  Yesterday morning, in my "FB Memories From this Day in Years Before', I laughed as I saw my 2014 post where we went to see a movie that was quite the opposite from this year's.  It was "Annie".  Note the unhappy face on Payton in this first photo inspiration from last year.  It was certainly not the same exuberant face he had watching Star Wars.

Star Wars was a winner for all of us.  I laughed when the most iconic movie opening in movie history came on:  the Star Wars opening crawl.  Every Star Wars movie starts the same way with "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....." and so it was with this new Star Wars: "The Force Awakens".

Everyone in the theater was clapping and cheering.  It was like a long lost friend had come home.  LOL!  I think all of the Star Wars movie fans had lots of bottled up energy in them since they had to wait a whole 33 years since Episode VI.  

True to form as in previous episodes, Star Wars is still about "good versus evil".  This Episode 7: The Force Awakens may be my all time favorite. There were some epic, inspiring messages once again, and like any good thriller action movie, the ever present theme throughout Star Wars is the presence of a good force and an evil force.  The LIGHT side and the DARK side.  Right versus wrong. There’s talk of "the Light" guiding various characters, and one evil-loving character (I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen the movie yet) says "I feel it again. The call of the Light.”

And in reality, on a daily basis, we have those calls, too.  Figuring out what to do in tricky situations where we have a clear choice between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing; following the LIGHT or the DARK.

The further, and the longer, I travel on my personal faith journey, the clearer the two are to me. When the LIGHT guides me and I follow His direction, my life is filled with joy, peace, and freedom from worry, anxiety, sadness and fear.  Psalm 23:3-4 "He leads me in the paths of righteousness.  For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."   That's my lightsaber -- His rod and staff -- His Word.  In Star Wars, the lightsaber can cut through metal, deflect blaster shots, bring light to dark places and annihilate human beings and very strange creatures. When armed with a lightsaber, the user of  it becomes a formidable foe.  Our lightsaber, God's Word (scripture), is our weapon.  In Ephesians 6, believers are called to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” in order to do battle with the enemy. While a lightsaber may be the hallmark of a true Jedi Knight, the Bible is the tool of a true Christian. When we keep it close at hand, we can be a force for good.

The closer we are to the LIGHT, the stronger we are in fending off the enemy of our souls.  That is the obvious "good conquering evil" theme in the movie.  And isn't that true in our lives as Christians?  The closer we are to God and His Word, the stronger we become in our faith and conquering in every area of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Star Wars episode.  And I take its famous quote and repeat it to you "The Force Be With You"....rather,  "May God's peace that passes understanding be with you; may His LIGHT guide you"

"Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.....and whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness"  John 8:12.  

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. THE LORD BE WITH YOU."  2 Thessalonians 3:16

May the FORCE of God's mighty power be WITH YOU!

May the FORCE in High Places Be With You

Day 190 of Photo Inspirations -- May the FORCE in HIGH PLACES Be With You
Okay -- I admit it.  I'm addicted to attending church -- Protestant, Catholic, Interdenominational....bring it on!  There is no greater high, in my opinion, than hanging out with God's family.  Here's why:  We have so many things in common:  we love God, He loves us, we want to follow in His footsteps and in fact, we want to emulate Him -- loving, caring, giving and living in the abundance that He desires His kids to live in.  I go to church and my heart is lifted, my perspective is clearer on what matters most, I join others in singing and worshipping Him Who deserves all worship and praise.

Garth Brooks sold a lot of records with his song, "I've Got Friends in Low Places....where the whiskey drowns, and the beer chases my blues away and I'll be okay."  Seriously?? Why go there, when we can go hang out with friends in HIGH Places and eliminate the blues altogether?

Just down the street from where I live is LifeChurch.tv - Jenks Campus, and each year in July "At the Movies" is featured.  Popcorn & snacks are handed out, there's amazing musical talents with a concert-quality, high energy band, and we get a glimpse of popular movies and the most inspiring messages that are way beyond their stories.  AND, each campus foyer is transformed into popular themes.  This year, the Jenks campus is Star Wars -- thus these photos with Star Wars characters -- live and in person each weekend in July.....that are hanging out in HIGH PLACES.

I haven't been what you'd call an avid Star Wars fan, but I enjoyed each sequel.  There were some epic inspiring messages and quotes by the characters.  For example, Darth Vader said, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”  Yoda, the Master Jedi, said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” He also said, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Yoda really had it together.  And, even Princess Leia showed little girls that they could be anything and everything they wanted to be. Jedis taught us that strength is beyond that of physical power, but also found in the power of our minds.  And that not every battle needs to be fought with a light saber. I'd say those were quotes that we could take to heart!

And finally, Good versus Evil isn’t just in the movies.  The ever present theme throughout Star Wars is the presence of a good force and an evil force. The light side and the dark side. Right versus wrong.   That sounds a lot like reality, right?  Figuring out what to do in tricky situations where you have a clear choice between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing.

And, I'd say....hanging out in HIGH PLACES will be worth the sacrifice when it comes to making the right choices and living a life of joy, peace, and freedom from worry, anxiety, sadness and fear.  May the FORCE of God's mighty power be WITH YOU!
#AtTheMovies