Little Talks

Well, as you can probably tell, I've been a little busy with school. I've been trying to come up with of thoughts to add to my weekly quotations, or things I want to share with you, but today I'm blanking. I guess I could tell you that at work today, the customers were either super funny and friendly or they were so lost that I had trouble not sounding annoyed when they couldn't understand what was happening. I could tell you that I'm really trying to make my life God-focused, and I'm trying to figure out who it is that God wants me to be. All good things, but I don't really know what more to say to all of you. I hope as you go into this week that you all learn something new about yourselves. I hope too that you don't just go through life, letting it carry you along with the flow, but take time to make something happen this week - small or big, it doesn't matter, just get out there and do something. I hope that no one is stressing out too much abo...

[Warning: If you haven't seen Tangled, this may contain spoilers...but seriously, it's based on a classic fairytale so how much big stuff can I really spoil for you?] You may or may not be aware, but I'm a huge fan of the Disney movie Tangled (see An Ode to Tangled ). I think it's a great retelling of a classic story that, while adding some fun and modern elements, goes back to the roots of this German fairy tale including some elements reminiscent of the original fairy tales. But I digress. If you've seen the movie, you might remember a certain quaint, but sketchy pub called the Snuggly Duckling. I suddenly realized (not for the first time) that this sounds an awful lot like the title of another well-known fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling. And it got me to wondering: why call it that? Why put that reference in this movie? (Of course, Disney also more obviously referenced the story in Lilo & Stitch , so they clearly like that story.) Looking at The Ugly Duckl...

It's amazing how quickly school can take over one's life. I went from 3 to 4 posts a week to just my Sunday post. I will try to continue my list before it gets uncontrollably long again, but reading, assignments, and work are definitely going to interfere with that. My post today is inspired by my friend. It is for everyone out there who worries about what they are going to do and what is going to happen. It is also for those like me who like to plan ahead. It's for those who suddenly realize that they need to start planning, but don't want to believe how real or urgent the future can be, at least not yet.

Well it's a long weekend here in North America, thanks to Labour Day. Unfortunately, for a lot of people (myself included) that also means back to school. That's right! Tuesday is the first day of another school year. I'm reasonably optimistic, but I wouldn't say I'm super excited to go back. I miss learning, believe it or not, and I like the routine. But it's nothing special. However, I'm hoping that might change a bit this year. I want to be more involved in campus, and to do more than just work or slack on my work, you know? I've decided to find joy in serving God on my campus. I've been involved with a Christian ministry at my school for the past two years, but I'm going to be pushing myself out of my comfort zone a bit and trying to really interact with others and share the gospel. Pray for me to have the boldness to take this step of faith, and an attitude which will reflect God's love to those around me who may not know Him personall...

[Warning: Some Spoilers] It's odd, but the first thing you notice when watching the Neighbors  movies back-to-back is that the sequel is so much shorter. Odd, but noticeably different. I was shocked when it ended. In this movie, the frat has abandoned the house. A group of girls at the university decide to make their own sorority outside of the Greek system (or whatever it is), since sororities are not allowed to throw parties. These girls are strong feminists who want equal rights, and they want to have parties that are fun for them, where they aren't just objectified for their sex. I  liked the sentiment, but the girls drove me nuts. So the girls have one problem: rent money. That's when Teddy steps in. He is feeling left out because all of his friends have their lives together, and Pete is getting married. But poor Teddy feels like the frat and his brothers are still the only important things in his life. Plus Pete asks him to move out now that he's getting married. ...

[Warning: Possible Spoilers] Honestly, I thought it was called Bad Neighbours , but according to my dear friend, Google, that is the movie's title outside of North America. I'm guessing then that I learned the title while watching Zac Efron and Seth Rogen on the Graham Norton show. First thing you should know: this movie is full of explicit content aka "adult humor." I don't mind this, but ironically, I find an over abundance of these jokes to be somewhat childish. Second thing you should know: there is a really cute family element to this film. Mac and Kelly, recently new parents to a little girl, Stella, are trying to find a balance between the fun and partying of their old lifestyle and the responsibility of having a child. They are resisting the eventuality that they will becoming boring people whose lives revolve around their baby. But they still want to be good parents. And then the Delta Psi fraternity moves into the house next door, and a feud forms. They ...

I am super excited this week because, after talking with my best friend last night, I was inspired to write once again. It has been ages since I have had the drive or the ideas. My best friend is great because she pushes me to come up with ideas even when I think I have none. She can fish out all of the creativity hiding out in the back of my mind. When I started writing, all of my work was done in collaboration with her. Now, she is my support system, my encouragement, and my biggest fan as I strive to become a published author. I only hope that I can be the same for her. I hope that if anyone out there is an aspiring writer who is feeling stuck right now, that you might find the motivation to push through that and keep writing. Just write as often as you can, even if you think it's no good. Get the bad ideas out, and the good ones will come eventually. They always do. What do you find helpful when you get writer's block?