As you know (maybe not), I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series. I enjoy those books tremendously and I've read and re-read them countless times. Some friends of mine have a daughter who just read through the entire series this past summer (literally all 7 books). She has finally convinced her father to read the series because, well they're good reads. He is reading them, not only that, he is also analysing their Christian message.
Most Christians will not allow their children anywhere near these books because they deal with subject matter that Christians demean detrimental to their children. Witchcraft. What people fail to realize is this, the witchcraft aspect of the novel is just another setting in the world. To me it would be like Harry was a teenage boy in Iraq who was Muslim (Christians probably wouldn't let their kids read that either), but it's that simple, just another setting a different world from ours.
My friend has decided to find the lines that link Harry's world to what Christians consider their spiritual world (walk). So far he's only done two Chapters of the first book, but he has done a good job and though I haven't spent LOTS of time thinking about it I have thought (somewhat) about the parallels...he's gone deeper than I ever cared to.
To me these books are JK Rowling's equivalent to The Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narina. Both those series were written by devout Catholics and she as a Christian, wanted to write these novels. Now, I'm not sure if she wrote them with the intentional Christian slant, but when you actively walk with God everything you do takes on that slant. I do know that some aspects of the book she did use intentionally (i.e. certain, bible verse and references).
Why am I writing about this you may ask? Well its simple...I think that he's doing a good job with them. So I'm trying to decide whether or not I should put them up on the blog...I'm thinking about encouraging him to re-activate his blog and put them up there. But since he's doing Chapter by Chapter it'll be a long road...so I have time to decide. I think it'll be interesting.
Okay, and for all those you fear the Christianizing of yet another book...if you have read or listened to any JK Rowling interviews you would know where she stands. I see it like this...another person is setting off on the adventure with Harry...and although I know where that adventure leads, I am happy that someone else will enjoy it...as I soon will (again) too.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Bible
I was looking at pictures on the Internet today and came across the bible verse Phil 4:3...well, in trying to look up that verse to read it. I found a website where I could read the whole bible if I wanted to. So,after I read Phil 4:13 I decided to look through the books and stop anywhere that I thought would be an interesting read in the short amount of time I had.
I came across lamentations and thought' "I wonder who wrote this and could it possibly be real laments?"...well of course it is, but my brain was just not moving fast enough. I still don't know who wrote it, but I opened it up and started to read from the first verse.
As I read, I started to think about Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs (Solomon, depending on the type of bible you have), how they are great works of poetry...David, of course, being one of the greatest poets of all wrote with abandon and never held anything back wrote the Psalms. You can go through his life story in the Psalms....his ups, downs, joys, pain, anger and happiness it's all there laid out for us. I don't think it's only there for us to read, but I think it's also there as an example. As humans there are things we just can't understand about God. We get impatient, we're worrisome and we just don't know how to handle ourselves sometimes. We get angry at each other, but also at God. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but if you are honest it's true.
If David, the man after God's own heart, has showed us anything, it's that the flawed can do their best to be "cured" and that with God's forgiveness and faith we can thrive. There are times when he is HIGHLY upset with God, but then he turns it around because he realizes that it's not really God's problem, it's his. God hasn't changed and the Psalms can remind us that even when we "overreact" to a situation He is still there waiting for us and all we have to do is reach out our hands in worship and praise him. We will always forgive us, but what David shows us is that we have to put ourselves aside.
Sorry I totally started ranting and got taken off topic, but I'm coming back!
Jesus said that he was sent here to be our example. He came down so that he could experience the daily pressures of our lives in all their forms. In his weakest state he allowed Satan to tempt him in all manners of sin, but he never caved. But Jesus isn't our only example. The bible is littered with them, for men, women and children. And untimely (I've finally understood what I'm about to say), the bible itself is our example and guide. Whatever we may be feeling, we can find a representative of it in the bible. If you read deeply, Lamentations is about Israel being rejected by God and given into the hands of it's enemies...it's God's people crying out to him...shoot, just crying out but it can also be laments for us in our darkest most depressed moments of life! Song of Songs is about two lovers...which again if you look deeply is about God's love for the church and vice versa, but if you are just reading it for fun...it's about the perfect love between two people and isn't that what we are all looking for? The new testament is about God's promise fulfilled and how we are supposed to handle the responsibility Christ left to us.
Some people take the bible literally, while some believe there are grey areas that should be adapted according to the times in which we live. Whatever you're beliefs on the subject the message of the bible and it's intend are clear...it's a guide, a comfort and a great read!
I came across lamentations and thought' "I wonder who wrote this and could it possibly be real laments?"...well of course it is, but my brain was just not moving fast enough. I still don't know who wrote it, but I opened it up and started to read from the first verse.
As I read, I started to think about Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs (Solomon, depending on the type of bible you have), how they are great works of poetry...David, of course, being one of the greatest poets of all wrote with abandon and never held anything back wrote the Psalms. You can go through his life story in the Psalms....his ups, downs, joys, pain, anger and happiness it's all there laid out for us. I don't think it's only there for us to read, but I think it's also there as an example. As humans there are things we just can't understand about God. We get impatient, we're worrisome and we just don't know how to handle ourselves sometimes. We get angry at each other, but also at God. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but if you are honest it's true.
If David, the man after God's own heart, has showed us anything, it's that the flawed can do their best to be "cured" and that with God's forgiveness and faith we can thrive. There are times when he is HIGHLY upset with God, but then he turns it around because he realizes that it's not really God's problem, it's his. God hasn't changed and the Psalms can remind us that even when we "overreact" to a situation He is still there waiting for us and all we have to do is reach out our hands in worship and praise him. We will always forgive us, but what David shows us is that we have to put ourselves aside.
Sorry I totally started ranting and got taken off topic, but I'm coming back!
Jesus said that he was sent here to be our example. He came down so that he could experience the daily pressures of our lives in all their forms. In his weakest state he allowed Satan to tempt him in all manners of sin, but he never caved. But Jesus isn't our only example. The bible is littered with them, for men, women and children. And untimely (I've finally understood what I'm about to say), the bible itself is our example and guide. Whatever we may be feeling, we can find a representative of it in the bible. If you read deeply, Lamentations is about Israel being rejected by God and given into the hands of it's enemies...it's God's people crying out to him...shoot, just crying out but it can also be laments for us in our darkest most depressed moments of life! Song of Songs is about two lovers...which again if you look deeply is about God's love for the church and vice versa, but if you are just reading it for fun...it's about the perfect love between two people and isn't that what we are all looking for? The new testament is about God's promise fulfilled and how we are supposed to handle the responsibility Christ left to us.
Some people take the bible literally, while some believe there are grey areas that should be adapted according to the times in which we live. Whatever you're beliefs on the subject the message of the bible and it's intend are clear...it's a guide, a comfort and a great read!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Twilight
Okay , I mentioned before that I read this book series this past summer, well I loved it and the only reason I found the books was because of the movie. Now, at first I thought the trailer looked stupid but after reading the books and whose going to be on the soundtrack and seeing like 5 different trailers, I'm completely excited about it. In fact I'm so excited that every time I see a new trailer or commercial I get even more excited.
I only know two people who have actually read the book (twilight) and a ton of others who want to read it...so I have a question. Who wants to go see the movie.
With less than a month away (22 days to be exact) til opening weekend, we are running out of time to make good plans to see this movie. Honestly I would love to see it on opening weekend but I'm not trying to beat up anyone. I enjoy my movie experiences way too much for me to see it with a 100 screaming teenage girls and their screaming middle-aged moms (check out the twilight moms website, they're out there). So I might wait and go the week after opening, but I'm excited and if anyone wants to go see it with me. Let me know I'll be there!
I only know two people who have actually read the book (twilight) and a ton of others who want to read it...so I have a question. Who wants to go see the movie.
With less than a month away (22 days to be exact) til opening weekend, we are running out of time to make good plans to see this movie. Honestly I would love to see it on opening weekend but I'm not trying to beat up anyone. I enjoy my movie experiences way too much for me to see it with a 100 screaming teenage girls and their screaming middle-aged moms (check out the twilight moms website, they're out there). So I might wait and go the week after opening, but I'm excited and if anyone wants to go see it with me. Let me know I'll be there!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Harry Potter, July 2009
So, here are some things you should know about me....(don't worry I'll get to the title of this post soon enough).
I'm the oldest child of Randal and Shirley Slayton, my parents have been together 31 OR 32 years. I have one sibling named Randal Jr. and I've lived and gone to school in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, City Terrace all my life.
I sing and write and make a fool out of myself on a regular basis and I love the people around me, even if I don't tell them enough. I wouldn't allow you in my life if I didn't love you! I love to listen to music...some of my earliest memories involve music, because my father is a musician. I love to read and I love to watch movies.
Reading and movies are the same thing to me...if a book is done right, while you read it, there should be a picture in your head continuously playing out what you read like a movie. It should take you away from the place you are and transport you into the world the author has created. In that same token, a movie does the same thing. I love movies because I can be completely lost in a world I don't belong to. Sometimes its an epic adventure, sometimes its heartache, sometimes love. But all these things are wonderful stories that sweep me away to a place where nothing else matters for a short amount of time.
Some of my favorite books have recently been turned into movies....Lord of the Rings, Twilight (which is a new favorite, but still I couldn't put the book down) and of course, the Harry Potter Saga. I learned with LOTR that I can't be disappointed with a movie version of a book, I have to learn to appreciate it on a separate plain. It's different and that's okay, as long as the director is trying to stay true while, trying to deliver his/her best work.
I love the LOTR Trilogy and am grateful for the work Peter Jackson did on it, and for the fact the he tried to stay as true as possible while also trying to deliver a great film/s. Even though my love for the Harry Potter Universe runs as deep as the world of Arda, I am not quite so in love with all of the HP movies like I am with LOTR.
I understand that WB couldn't hire the same director to do all 7 (or 8) HP films, but I do question some of their choices. For Prisoner of Azkaban, WB hired Alfonso Curion, who had won great acclaim for his work the year before, but it seemed to me like he took the previous movies and book and threw them out the window turning the HP world into a horrible reinterpretation of itself. He jacked up the timeline and confused people, even those of us who read the book! Even though his misguided attempt made money, I am sad to say that I refuse to watch the movie when it's on. That is my least favorite HP movie, but it seems like later directors took their lead from that third film and started building theirs on top of the shady foundation. A joke I think, even though the material does get darker, big things changed that just don't make sense (I'm not going to get into them cause this is already long!).
Now, I don't agree with everything done in the movies, but I do plan my year around when the next HP is coming out (I know, it's sad). This year there where only a handful of films I knew I wanted to see when we rang in the new year....
Prince Caspian
Wanted
The Dark Knight
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
You all now that I was upset that I hadn't seen a trailer, but rejoiced when I finally did. Now I hear that the last movie of the year (beside twilight) that I wanted desperately to see has been pushed back to July 2009! The blame is being put on the write strike! But I think that just a bunch of crap! It's about the money. The WB has made enough money to cover the misguided and horrible Speed Racer, The Dark Knight and now Harry Potter.
They have made the money back that they spent on those films and now don't feel like they need to put Harry out now, save to make money next summer. Well that sucks, you can't have one of you two biggest franchises list for a year as coming out a certain day, give us fans a trailer and then say "Well you know, maybe next year!" This isn't the world series this is even more important especially to people like me, who go to the movies and enter a world to lose themselves and forget about their troubles.
I'm so disappointed!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Twilight Series
On July 15th, I added a post called "READING". I mentioned in that post that I was currently reading a book called Twilight. Well it's the first book of the series by that same name. I just finished (well about two hours ago) the third book of the series which is titled Eclipse.
Three books in Exactly two weeks, that's the fastest I've read pretty much anything (expect the last to HP books). I probably would have read the books in a week if I had access to them back to back, but I had to wait a week to borrow Eclipse and a day or two to buy New Moon, which is the second book.
I'm really enjoying the books and the characters and can't wait to see what happens in the last book, Breaking Dawn, which is being released on August 2, 2008. I do have to wait for a while, but my bro just bought it as an early birthday gift, so I'm expecting it to be delivered next week sometime.
I'm excited and happy that I've found books that can keep me intrigued and "tuned" in. Can't wait til next week!
Three books in Exactly two weeks, that's the fastest I've read pretty much anything (expect the last to HP books). I probably would have read the books in a week if I had access to them back to back, but I had to wait a week to borrow Eclipse and a day or two to buy New Moon, which is the second book.
I'm really enjoying the books and the characters and can't wait to see what happens in the last book, Breaking Dawn, which is being released on August 2, 2008. I do have to wait for a while, but my bro just bought it as an early birthday gift, so I'm expecting it to be delivered next week sometime.
I'm excited and happy that I've found books that can keep me intrigued and "tuned" in. Can't wait til next week!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Harry Potter and the Half blood Prince
As some of you may know, I ADORE the Harry Potter series...although I wasn't allowed to read them in some peoples company (Momma Maria). So every year I look forward to either a new book or movie. And well as most of us know the Harry Potter story came to an end last summer, but we still have some movies to look forward too.
Warner Bros., well at least this is what the HP fansites said, put out a press release saying that the new teaser trailer for HP/HBP would be out with the Dark Knight. I can understand that, i heard from some that they saw it and from others that they didn't (go figure). But for the life of me, I can't find anything about it on line and the WB hasn't put up the new site either.
I know I'm jumping the gun a little, but come on, the movie comes out in November, I NEED something to get me through til then...my next major movie fix is HARRY. And I'm stating to get all itching...it doesn't help that I've run into a snag with the summer reading, but only until Saturday!
Oh, I guess I just have to wait!
Warner Bros., well at least this is what the HP fansites said, put out a press release saying that the new teaser trailer for HP/HBP would be out with the Dark Knight. I can understand that, i heard from some that they saw it and from others that they didn't (go figure). But for the life of me, I can't find anything about it on line and the WB hasn't put up the new site either.
I know I'm jumping the gun a little, but come on, the movie comes out in November, I NEED something to get me through til then...my next major movie fix is HARRY. And I'm stating to get all itching...it doesn't help that I've run into a snag with the summer reading, but only until Saturday!
Oh, I guess I just have to wait!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Reading
I'm reading again, right now I'm reading this book called Twilight. It is the first in a series of 4 books called the "Twilight Series", it's about Vampires (one of my all time favorite subjects...although this is the first book about them I've ever read).
Twilight is very much a girls book, it's about an awkward teenage girl going to a new school in a town she's fairly familiar with (her dad lives there). And she stumbles across this boy who she can't help but fall in love with. I just read this very intense moment that all girls, at sometime in their life, wish for. Where you are finally told (and in return you tell) what true feeling are flowing between you and how incredible it all is, without being overly sexual or cheesy just really special and quite poetic!
I'm really captivated by it, I started reading it around 6:30 yesterday evening and I'm almost done with it...I read it on every break I had today and basically every time I wasn't on stage or didn't have to pay attention to my boss. I'm taking a short break to do laundry and some Internet stuff, but then I'm going straight back to it.
I love reading, but it's been difficult to stay focused on a book lately. A former co-worker who wrote and published a novel sent me her book to read and I got about halfway and then faded, not because it wasn't good, I just wasn't in the right head space for it. I wasn't completely drawn in because I didn't allow myself to be. I was still more interested in what I had recorded on my DVR when I got home from work then what I in was reading. But when I'm done with this book I am going to restart that one and then I have one more that another friend suggest I read before I move on to the next book in the Twilight Series. I can't wait, but I need to finish the other books first, it's just the right thing to do and now that I'm back in the mood for reading I can't get enough books....
So if you have any suggestions for books I might be interested in just suggest them. I like fantasy (Harry Potter...well he kinda changed my life, Lord of the Rings) and girlie books (in her shoes). So anything like that. Dude, I just remembered...I also am intending to read Mists of Avalon and The Vampire Chronicles...it's gonna be a good summer for reading. I'm excited.
Until Next Time....
Twilight is very much a girls book, it's about an awkward teenage girl going to a new school in a town she's fairly familiar with (her dad lives there). And she stumbles across this boy who she can't help but fall in love with. I just read this very intense moment that all girls, at sometime in their life, wish for. Where you are finally told (and in return you tell) what true feeling are flowing between you and how incredible it all is, without being overly sexual or cheesy just really special and quite poetic!
I'm really captivated by it, I started reading it around 6:30 yesterday evening and I'm almost done with it...I read it on every break I had today and basically every time I wasn't on stage or didn't have to pay attention to my boss. I'm taking a short break to do laundry and some Internet stuff, but then I'm going straight back to it.
I love reading, but it's been difficult to stay focused on a book lately. A former co-worker who wrote and published a novel sent me her book to read and I got about halfway and then faded, not because it wasn't good, I just wasn't in the right head space for it. I wasn't completely drawn in because I didn't allow myself to be. I was still more interested in what I had recorded on my DVR when I got home from work then what I in was reading. But when I'm done with this book I am going to restart that one and then I have one more that another friend suggest I read before I move on to the next book in the Twilight Series. I can't wait, but I need to finish the other books first, it's just the right thing to do and now that I'm back in the mood for reading I can't get enough books....
So if you have any suggestions for books I might be interested in just suggest them. I like fantasy (Harry Potter...well he kinda changed my life, Lord of the Rings) and girlie books (in her shoes). So anything like that. Dude, I just remembered...I also am intending to read Mists of Avalon and The Vampire Chronicles...it's gonna be a good summer for reading. I'm excited.
Until Next Time....
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BTW....
If you love Harry Potter and hadn't heard, J.K. Rowling annouced that Dumbledore the wize headtmaster of Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardy is Gay....
I think I may have already known that, but oh well.
And random thought...Luke Walton (from the Lakers) is really cute!
I think I may have already known that, but oh well.
And random thought...Luke Walton (from the Lakers) is really cute!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Harry...Harry Potter
Hello, so for those of you who don't know I am a Harry Potter fan!
Yes, I am one of the freaks who was lined up at midnight last week waiting to buy my book and I can proudly say I read it in 4 days, which is good for me (since I hated to read throughout school and didn't appreciate it fully until, well the first Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, which I didn't discover until 2001).
I enjoyed the book and won't tell you what happens, just in case, but I think it's worth a read. Whether you like the end or not all of these books by JK Rowling are worth your time. She's made this world so full and interesting that it's just wonderful to step into them when you aren't having the best time in this real world.
They are like movies on the page and like going to the movies, I really enjoy picking up a book and drifting off into that world. So to Harry, living/dead or whatever, I salute you and the last book in your wonderfully tragic story.
Yes, I am one of the freaks who was lined up at midnight last week waiting to buy my book and I can proudly say I read it in 4 days, which is good for me (since I hated to read throughout school and didn't appreciate it fully until, well the first Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, which I didn't discover until 2001).
I enjoyed the book and won't tell you what happens, just in case, but I think it's worth a read. Whether you like the end or not all of these books by JK Rowling are worth your time. She's made this world so full and interesting that it's just wonderful to step into them when you aren't having the best time in this real world.
They are like movies on the page and like going to the movies, I really enjoy picking up a book and drifting off into that world. So to Harry, living/dead or whatever, I salute you and the last book in your wonderfully tragic story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)