Summer 2012 Wrap Up

I was side-lined most of the summer with an inner ear and balance problem and could not post here as usual. Below are the summary of my thoughts on most of this summer's events--"better late than never".

Mass Shooting in Colorado at Dark Knight's Midnight Opening:

I was too shocked and saddened by the news of this to even post about it. God bless Christian Bale for going to visit the victims' families and the survivors in such a humble and caring fashion. I've been praying for all those affected but I think Joseph Barkley, Ecclesia's pastor, said it best when he tweeted...

"Praying for Colorado right now---for every wound, every broken piece. God heal completely."   https://twitter.com/jkbarkley

Summer Olympics In London Over--Best Ratings Ever For NBC

I liked most of what I saw of the Olympics. NBC still irritated with the prime time delay of events but otherwise they did okay. Loved the Women's Gymnastic team (and the nick names like "Flying Squirrel"), Women's Volleyball (both Court and Beach), Track and Field and Swimming events and Archery.

Though I like Danny Boyle's movies, I didn't exactly get the Opening Ceremony (health service staff pushing gurneys?) but I must say that the Brits really stepped it up for sure. I thought it was funny, too that the usually "egotistical" Americans wore staid looking suits and berets to the Opening Ceremony while the Brits wore loud gold lame tracksuits. The British suits were probably made in China, too (lol).

Summer Box Office Way Down This Year:
Even The Avengers movie box office numbers couldn't stop the Box office from being down this year. Movies with big stars didn't fair all that well either nor did rebooted or retooled franchises like Spider-Man or Bourne Identity.

Falling Stars:
Movie and TV Greats We Lost this Summer:

Actor, Sherman Helmsley from The Jeffersons and Amen TV shows has died. I grew up watching Mr. Helmsley and he always could make me laugh. I recently found out that he was a talented singer and musician, too.

Nora Ephron the amazing female writer-turned-director of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie and Julia  and countless others has died. She was a trailblazer for women in Hollywood and will definitely be missed.

Tony Scott, director of many loved movies like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide and many TV shows and brother of Ridley Scott died after jumping off a bridge. I don't know what was going on in Mr. Scott's life that could have lead to this tragedy but I'm praying for his family.

Oscar-nominated actor, Michael Clark Duncan from Green Mile died from complications after he suffered a heart attack. Apparently Duncan has been hospitalized since July with a poor prognosis. I'm here in LA and hadn't even heard he was sick. I saw him once (see previous entry) and he was so nice and gentle that every age and race of people were hugging on him. I've always liked him and his acting but his voice was amazing to hear in real life. I will really miss him but I understand that he was very very ill.

May they all rest in peace.

Wednesdays @ The Pacific in Hollywood

Ecclesia has started a mid-week gathering on Wednesdays @ The Pacific Theater. There was live acoustic music then a short devotional on Psalms 88 related to the Transparency teaching sermons followed by a round table discussion plus time to hang with fellow Ecclesians and soak in the word.

I attended last week (6/29)for the first one and I had an amazing time. I had been missing the mid-week community group meetings that was on hiatus so I was stoked to attend as seemingly others were too, as there was over fifty of us there. The atmosphere was so lovely with the lobby lit only by candles and the tables intimately draped in dark cloth and "playbills" on the tables listing the musical artists in the series and the Biblical scriptures for the night.

I sat under a baroque chandelier in front near a small stage and listened to tall lanky Dave Torstenson as he shyly introduced himself then played some alternative styled gospel songs that he had written himself. Dave appeared without his band who couldn't make it but he played the guitar and several other instruments as he sang five songs solo including one on an accordion that has a funny relationship with Weird Al Yankovich (God has a sense of humor)!

Then the Director of Communications came on stage and lead us through the scriptural reading and her personal reflection from the Transparency series last week on Anger Towards God. Then each table's small group discussed our own personal reflections on the scriptures for the night including:

Psalm 88
Jonah Chapter 4
Zephaniah 3:17

Then each table's small group discussed our own personal take on the reflection questions for the night.

REFLECTION:

1. How can anger reveal the kingdom you're willing to fight for?
2. When is anger appropriate?
3. Do your relationships in community affect how you handle anger? If so, how?

Wednesdays @ The Pacific Theater will continue through July with:

6/29 Dave Torstenson
7/6 Marcos Estevez

7/13 Cristina Kaufman

7/20 Joseph Barkley (Pastor)

Don't miss the Wednesdays @ The Pacific Theater weekly gathering!