How to Train Your Dragon... in 3-D

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aahhh....

I have a secret to share with you all... I am truly a child at heart.  My soul craves for the innocence of childhood. My best friends (even though we are almost 19, 20, and 21) and I surround ourselves with the simple things in life and use our imaginations so much, because that's what we wish the world still was.  (Well, I think that's why we do it... we could just be silly. smile.)  We count everything in 3s, color with crayons as often as we can, pretend to be dinosaurs on a regular occasion, and laugh at every opportunity.

I was in Los Angeles at the end of last term for the Men's and Women's basketball Pac-10 tournaments, playing with my band.  On the way to our hotel the first night I saw a very large billboard that said How to Train Your Dragon in 3-D.. coming soon.  The only other thing on the billboard was a picture of the main dragon in the movie sneaking over the sign.  As soon as I saw the sign, I sent a text message to my best friend and told her that we had to go.  She agreed.  Neither of us had any idea what it was about or anything.  The title said enough.

Tonight my two best friends, their boyfriends, and I went and saw How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD).  I can honestly say that it is the best movie I have ever seen. Period.  Better than Harry Potter, better than every musical out there, better than Pride and Prejudice.  (My family's jaws should all be on the ground with this announcement. haha)

You see, HTTYD is genuinely good.  I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it.  There is nothing bad in it, no obscene jokes, no garbage at all.  Granted, its' rated PG.  I truly wish that all of life was rated PG.  I'm sure a bystander walking through the theater tonight would have laughed.  There were only about 15 people at the movie, and half of us were college students.  I have never before enjoyed a movie so much.  It made me laugh like a child, want to cry at the sad parts, and truly give me that warm/fuzzy feeling inside when you know that everything is alright and good.
I even hit my legs in excitement on more than one occasion.  When I was younger, I would rub my hands together really fast when I was nervous or really excited.  Tonight was the first time in years that I've done that.

I find it extremely disheartening that innocence is so hard a thing to find in our world today.  Childlike innocence is so sweet.  There is something truly exciting about pretending to be a dinosaur while walking up a large flight of stairs or eating sandwiches cut out with cool shapes.    What has this world come to that the only things we are fed are violence, sex, and money.  Even just thinking about it puts a damper on my amazing night.

Sin entered the world, and so we have to deal with it.  But that doesn't mean that we have to intentionally succumb to it.  Pretend to be a child for an hour or a day.  Experience with wonder the flowers, birds, and history around you.

Now that you've tried it, put it into practice.  Live your life without the darkness of society.  Don't deny what is happening in our world today, but do your best to change it.  Smile at that girl you pass on your way to class every day.  Tell someone to have a nice day when you're buying lunch.  Be the sunshine in the darkness of this world that God wants you to be.  I'd like to share out of Galatians 5 with you, and then I'm signing off for the night.  Go with God, and have a great rest of your week!!

Galatians 5:16-26

"I say then:  Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

[19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  [25]If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in  the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. "