Wisdom From Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets [Spoilers]

Valerian didn't get very good reviews from most popular sources, but in my typical fashion I disregarded the "pros" opinions and saw it anyway.  I wanted to see Valerian since the first trailer came out because the visuals looked so good and the story seemed funny. 

While there were a few things that Valerian did wrong they did far more things right and it's the right things that make this movie worth seeing. 

Basically Valerian had great visuals, good story, much creativity, and was an overall fun movie to watch.  I care the most about moral lessons and themes of a movie, these are what make or break movies for me so this is what I'll elaborate on.  Please note, I'm only going to mention the good stuff, there were a few negative messages in this movie that you would need to watch out for if you were planning on watching this with your children, but it's the good stuff that made this movie a win for me.

Love 

The most impressive moment in the movie was Laureline's description of love.  While she and Valerian had a rather strange relationship, she proves that she knows what real love is about when when she tries to convince Valerian to give the Converter back to the Pearls.  She explains that love requires sacrifice and trust and sometimes it breaks the rules.  

Her description reminded me of the greatest lover, Jesus Christ.

• Sacrifice - Jesus sacrifices his life so that we may have the opportunity to live with him in eternity. 
• Trust - Laureline says "I'm not asking you to die for me, I'm asking you to trust me."  This is exactly what Jesus says to us.  He suffered and died for us so that we wouldn't have to, but he does desire our trust.  After all, he wants the very best for each one of us.
• Breaking the Rules - Jesus and his Apostles where known rule breakers.  They didn't sin, but they did break rules that were excessive and unloving.  For Example: They didn't always wash their hands before meals.  They didn't observe the strict no work policy for the Sabbath, they picked and ate food and healed people.  Jesus even talked to pagan women and lepers which was not permitted.  They broke rules in the name of helping people and loving those whom society excluded.

Laureline's insistence on giving government property back to the original owners in order to help them was the right call, and the loving thing to do despite the rule that said they should not.  Man's laws should only be followed so long as the law puts the good of the person first, when it doesn't it's a law that should be broken.

Forgiveness

The second best message in the movie was that of forgiveness.  The Pearl's ability to forgive the human race for the mass genocide of their people and destruction of their planet is truly impressive.  They gained a massive amount of intelligence very quickly a were no doubt capable of creating some kind of weapon to destroy humankind, but they display true wisdom and integrity of character by choosing to forgive.  Their forgiveness is not out of weakness, but true strength of character.  In today's world, that seeks revenge and retaliation for any harm done, this was a great example of choosing a better path, a path that leads to true happiness and peace.  This something that revenge can never provide.

Many are One

The Alpha Space Station was a great example of many different people coming together to create something great.  The real message here is that when people, or in this case aliens, act in a way that they are the very best versions of themselves they can create something great together.  Many of the different aliens types were very specialized and fulfilled a specific role for the benefit of the entire space station.  This is an updated example of the unity of the Body of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit as described in the Bible 1 Corinthians 12.  When each person uses the gifts they have been given well and they are not envious or worried about other people's gifts there is unity in the community.

There are bunch of other funny or cool things about Valerian that I didn't mention here.  Give it a shot it's worth seeing.

You are Important

Me & three of my friends God dropped into my life

Every person on earth is created by God.  God doesn't make mistakes.  Some people may feel like a mistake because they were born with some sort of mental, physical or even spiritual defect.  But, they are not a mistake.  Even those who appear broken have a purpose.  Those who used to be whole, but are now broken still have a purpose.  

Everyone shares a common overarching purpose, which is to learn how to love and be loved by God and we often learn this by learning to love each other.  We also have unique purposes based on our own gifts, circumstances, and people we encounter in our daily lives.  If you see someone in need, your purpose in that moment may be to help them, even if that help is simply an encouraging smile. 

If you stumbled upon this article I want to encourage you to find ways to reach out and help others.  Even if you feel like you're the one that needs the most help, you will find when you put others first you will be uplifted too.  Start with the people God has placed in your life.  The people you see every day and especially the friends you just happened to make seemingly by chance.  Your lives bumped into each other for a reason.  You may only have this person in your life for a short season before they are whisked on down the road to bump into other strangers who will be their new friends.  Do what you can for them now, make time for them.  The best gift you can give is simply your time and your presence.  That means listen to them when you're are with them, don't use your cell phone or do all the talking yourself.

One of my best friends is Christin.  God arranged everything in an amazing way for us to meet during a short window of opportunity in both our lives when we just so happened to be at the right place at the right time.  Now, my dear friend will be leaving me soon as she goes on to follow where God is leading her next.  He's chosen her to be one of the few people who is called to give their entire lives to finding and helping the lost, the broken, the sick, the dying.  Not everyone is called to this extream sacrificial life, but some are.  If you are reading this, I hope you can help Christin answer God's call by giving a bit of the treasure God has given you, to empower her to go out and help others however God wills it.  With that, I give you Christin's crowd funding site: https://www.youcaring.com/christintripi-750318  This site will be ongoing until May 2017.  Remember if you ran into this article it's more likely it was for a reason than coincidence.  Thank you & God bless you!

Descanso Gardens - Enchanted Forest Jan 2017

Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, CA had and "Enchanted Forest" event this past Christmas season.  I visited for my birthday.  This event took place at night and featured different parts of their botanical gardens lit up with all kinds of different lights and sounds.  Some of the exhibits were interactive, such as two large "lily pad ponds" made up of large plastic circles that changed colors when you stepped on them.   

I'm not going to explain everything, just take a look at these pictures and know it was all much more impressive in real life!

Am I being lied to?

Have you ever wondered if you believe a lie?  There are lots of things we simply do not know for certain.  Can we trust what the majority says is right and true?  I lived as a victim of a lie for many years.  I became so convinced the lie was true that it became a subconscious fact.  The lie I believed was that I thought it was wrong to be happy.  I thought being happy meant I was doing something bad.  As with all lies, this belief was incredibly harmful to me psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.  Thankfully others helped me to see the lie for what it was, a lie, and once it was revealed to be a lie it held no more power over me.

I am convinced that the majority of people in this time period have been deceived by a lie.  Not the same lie I was deceived by, but a different lie.  I know that it is easy to fall for a lie, especially when you are told the lie from someone you trust or admire.  This particular lie, that has duped the masses has been widely accepted as truth.  It is promoted and backed by huge organizations. Millions of dollars are spent on promoting this lie.  They say it will bring you happiness, pleasure, fun, fulfillment, love, but it won't.  In will do just the opposite. It will bring you things like shame, sadness, depression, sickness, anger, loneliness, and fear.

So what is it?  I've already given you some clues.  If you can figure out what this lie is without me telling you, it will be easier for you to admit that it's a lie.  It will be easier for you to realize this thing you thought you were doing right and that you thought was helping your relationships, and could help you find true love, peace, happiness, fulfillment, was actually causing you psychological, emotional, spiritual and even physical pain.  If you can see the damage the lie is doing to you, if you can admit it to yourself, you can become free of it.  Not on your own, though.  It will be almost 100% guaranteed that you will be unable to become free from this lie by your own power.  Do not despair, because there is also a 100% sure fire way to become free from this lie, but it's hard.  You're probably thinking, "She's trying to sell me something..."  Yes and no.  I'm trying sell you an idea.  It's free of cost if you only think of the cost in terms of money.  It's not free if you think of cost as something else, in this case giving up something highly enjoyable, yet at the same time highly dangerous.

Perhaps you've guessed what I'm talking about by now.  If you have feel free to skip ahead to the next paragraph.  If you haven't let's do this exercise.  Think back on the last movie you watched.  I don't know what your movie is, but if it's anything like the last movie I watched you're likely going to see the lie being promoted as something that is wonderful.  It's touted as something that will bring you much pleasure and happiness.  It is also shown as normal, so it may not stand out to you, you need to think, what is shown as right, and normal, but is actually wrong, and harmful?  The last movie I saw was Passengers.  The lie was quite prevalent, but at the same time could easily be overlooked.  Ok maybe you don't watch movies, think back to the last few tv shows you watched.  Maybe you're anti-technology, fine think about the posters and banners you saw in the department store you last visited or the magazine covers you saw while standing in line at the grocery store.  The lie is beaten into us like a never ending drum beat.  It's there in your subconscious whether you like it or not.  Unless your blind, and deaf, you've encountered this lie many times already today.

Ok if you have or have not guessed what I'm talking about read on.  I'm going to speak plainly now.  I am telling you this because if you can accept that the following is a lie then you change.  If you can change you will find yourself happier and more fulfilled and overall you will have a better life.  This is a lie: Go ahead and be free, be free and have sex with whoever you want whenever you want.  If you do this you will have more friends, you will be happy, you will feel good about yourself.  You don't need some contract or piece of paper tying you down to one person.  This is the lie promoted in nearly every movie, tv show, advertisement, internet site, magazine, etc.  Why?  Because if you believe this lie if you listen and obey this lie you will be enslaved.  You will be enslaved to your own self.  You will not be happy, you will do so much harm to yourself you will need lots of medications for your depression, anxiety, and fear.  You'll need diet pills, clothing, and products to make yourself "more appealing" and to boost your self-esteem, and all of these things cost lots and lots of money.  And who profits?  The businesses that make the medications, the clothing, the makeup, the shoes, all benefit from your own enslavement and self-destruction.  But shhhh now.  To say sex is wrong is to hinder my freedom! It's is to go against what is natural, it's to restrict my rights as a human being.  That's the thing.  You are free.  You're free to enslave yourself.  You're free to harm yourself.  In fact, some are even fighting now to make you free to kill yourself.  After all, we all know funerals are expensive and there is a profit to be earned there too!

I hope you can admit that you or someone you know has been harmed by sex.  If you can admit that, you can start the process to fix it.  Am I saying sex is evil and harmful and we should stop having sex?  NO that's crazy if we did that we would not last long before we would be on the endangered species list.  What I'm saying is you've been lied to about what sex is.  You've been told it is for you to have a good time, and to enjoy yourself fully as a human being without consequences.  I'm going to tell you a secret now.  I'm guessing it's a secret since not many people seem to know about it.  Sex is not bad!  Sex is not dirty or naughty or dangerous!  When and only when done correctly!  The correct way to have sex is to choose one person out of all the people on the entire earth.  Someone you really love, someone you love to spend time with, and someone of the opposite gender than your own because this person fulfills what is lacking in you, physically, mentally, spiritually.  Commit your life to this person through marriage, where you will promise to be with this person no matter what!  No matter if they drive you crazy in the future or if they decide to grow a mullet, you will love them no matter what because that's what love is.  It is putting the needs and wants of the other first.  You will sacrifice everything for this person up to and including your life in need be. Then and only then after you have made this commitment to each other you will give yourself to the other person it's what's called the marital embrace, aka sex when done right, as a wedding gift to the other person, not for your own pleasure but for theirs, and this is the correct way to use the gift of sex.  It is something holy, powerful, beautiful, awe inspiring.  It binds two people together for life and sometimes it allows them to participate with God in the creation of a brand new life.  This is the only way to use the gift of our sexuality in a way that will not damage us because we are royal beings with great honor.  We have the honor of being made in the image and likeness of God.  Which means we are the only physical beings made that can reason and come to know our creator God.  Because of this, our bodies have great dignity.  When we use them incorrectly, as mere playthings for our own pleasure, we hurt ourselves and others because we instinctively know we are demeaning our own self-worth.  Our souls cry out in torment when we degrade our bodies.  So arise all you people enslaved by premarital sex, adultery, fornication, pornography, shake off your heavy chains and arise to the glory you were made for.

I said before it will be almost 100% guaranteed that you will be unable to become free from this lie by your own power.  If you are a slave to any kind of sexual addiction you can be free if you admit that what you're doing is wrong.  Then desire to be free and to change.  Then I want you to admit that you do not have the ability to be free of these chains on your own and ask God Almighty, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, to help you.  You really have to mean it and you have to surrender yourself to God's mercy.  God is not mad at you.  He is not disgusted by what he has witnessed you do to yourself and others, he is sad that you, one of his own created works of art has spoiled yourself.  He desires greatly to help you, to love you and to forgive you.  He wants you to rise up and become the masterpiece he created you to be.  The noble, brilliant person, unique in all the world.  He will help you.  If you do not believe in God, then start believing right now!  It's ok I won't tell anybody!

Now go, surrender to God, allow him to fix you then sin no more and be magnificent!

Want more help?  This site has a ton of recourses to hep you get started: http://chastityproject.com/

PS. If you are worried that you will never find the right person to love for all your life and marry and that sounds like and impossible task, read this book: http://chastityproject.com/products/how-to-find-your-soulmate-without-losing-your-soul/  Peace be with you brothers and sisters.

How to overcome Depression and Self-hate

I am not an expert, but I struggled with depression and self-hate for many years in the past.  I recently came across a forum post about depression.  This person was suffering, considering suicide and reaching out to the internet for support.  Many others admitted to feeling the same way as the original poster and did their best to offer helpful suggestions.  But as the ancient story goes "Can one blind person guide anther?  Surely both will fall into a pit." Those who are currently struggling with depression and self-hate themselves do not give the best advice.  The following suggestions are based on my own experience with overcoming self-hate and depression.

Suggestion #1 - Watch what you eat

No, I'm not talking about food!

The world tries its best to drag you down.  If you're struggling with self-hate, I'm betting the phrase "watch what you eat," immediately conjured up thoughts about all things you don't like about your body.  Society tries to make us focus on the wrong thing so we'll be too distracted to think about the things that actually matter.  By getting people to obsess about their appearance, they can be sure to make a profit selling makeup, diet pills, overpriced 'health' foods, etc.  

Here is what I mean by "Watch what you eat," and I hope this will be the idea that comes to mind when you hear that phrase from now on.  Watch what your mind, heart, and soul are consuming!  Our mind, heart, and soul are fed by the music we listen to, the tv shows and movies we watch, the social media sites we visit, and more.  What are you feeding your innermost being with?  One of the most life changing things I did was to stop listening to popular music!  I have found that I am very sensitive to messages about life and how I feel about myself when that message is accompanied by music.  Changing the music I listen too was the first thing that helped me to start breaking free from the chains of depression.  It wasn't easy!  I decided to try to listen to a Christian radio station called Air1.  You can find a station or listen online here.  When I first started to listen to this station, I thought the music was awful.  The beats didn't seem as catchy as the popular music stations I was used to and the songs seemed quite drab to me.  However, I wanted to give it an honest shot so I forced myself to listen to this station anytime I was driving.  It wasn't long before I had learned some of the songs and was singing along.  Once the songs became more familiar to me I enjoyed them more.  Eventually, I enjoyed them so much I began enthusiastically telling others about the great new music I had discovered!  Now I have been listening to this station for many years and I know nearly every song, except brand new ones, of course, and I will not go back to traditional 'popular' music.  Sure there are a few 'popular' songs I hear every now and then that I like, but when I do happen to hear a 'popular' station while out shopping or riding in someone else's car, I find that many of the songs drag me down and speak death rather than life into me.  My heart and soul are filled with so much encouragement, love, and peace when listening to Christian radio that the sad tales told through 'popular' music no longer satisfies me.  

Now I know some people don't hear the lyrics, their mind just filters all that out and they only hear the beat.  If that's you I suggest listening to music with no words at all, that way you can be sure that there is no subliminal messaging dragging you down.

Other people are not into music at all, but you're probably into something, video games, movies, tv shows, books, social sites, etc.  Whatever it is, do your best to guard your heart, mind, and soul by watching things that will help lift you up rather than drag you down.  I know this is easier said than done and it is still a big struggle for me too.

Suggestion #2 - Seek the root 

In my experience depression and self-hate are symptoms of some kind of misunderstanding or damage done in the past, not the actual problem themselves.  That means focusing on the depression/self-hate is not going to solve the problem.  The root of the problem must be found.  It may be one problem or a whole bunch of problems, but until the actual roots are destroyed the symptoms will live on.  For example, after several years and many emotional discussions with my boyfriend, he was able to help me discover the root of my depression was the fact that I believed being happy was a bad thing.  This was not something I remembered right away and it took a long time for me to recall this bad seed that was planted in my mind as a child.  Once this root was found I saw it for the lie it was and it no longer held me captive.  I was free to be happy.  I realize that may be a mild example, but it was devastating for me. For years I lived dragging myself down, calling myself all kinds of nasty names, anytime I felt I had been happy for too long.  This was a habit and I couldn't recall where it came from or how it started until I was questioned about it so intently that I was forced to look back and back into my past and discovered where this behavior originated.  You may need to seek some counseling if you don't have a trusted non-judgemental friend who can help with this. 

Suggestion #3 - Prayer

The Creator of the Universe, Jesus Christ, fully understands the pain one feels due to depression and self-loathing.  When I realized this fact, I realized I was not alone.  One of the worst things about depression is the thought that nobody understands how you feel and that you're alone, trapped in the confines of your own mind.  Well, thanks be to God that is not true!  I was in a great pit of despair one day, at the end of my rope, and didn't know where to turn for help.  In desperation, I went to the local Church.  As I sat there the story of Jesus' agony before He was arrested to be crucified came to mind.  I remembered how He was so upset He was sweating blood.  That's when Jesus revealed to me that He understood my pain because He had experienced it Himself.  This knowledge was a huge game changer for me.  To have someone understand me, meant the world to me.  That's why I highly encourage you not to run from Jesus when you feel depressed, but to run to him!  He is not going to condemn you, He wants to comfort and console you. He wants to heal your broken heart no matter what you have done.  He understands it all and He truly wants to help you.  You don't have to say anything, or you can simply admit you don't know what to do and ask Him to save you from yourself and your depression.  

Finally

If you can do these three things, avoid things that drag you down spiritually and emotionally, really discover what the cause of your feelings are, and surrender it to Jesus, you can be free of depression.  You can begin to live as a prince or a princess in Christ. You can begin to love yourself because you are loved by God.  Don't give up, realize you are probably not strong enough to overcome this yourself you need God's power and strength to lift you up.  Support from friends and family is helpful, but if you don't have those don't worry, God's strength is enough.  Just admit simply, "Jesus I can not do this, please help me." then be open to His help.  For anyone reading this who is in a tough place right now, I pray that you will be healed of your afflictions and may shine brightly as beautiful person you are.  In Jesus name, Amen.