Hits Rather Than Misses

Today, June 16, is a day in which we could think about a few things. For some, they will look at and celebrate the San Antonio Spurs as they overcame the odds and toppled the big bad Heat, led by Mr. Polarization himself, LeBron James. Others may choose to see how the extreme heat has led to some crazy and less than desirable storms for the summertime. And still, others will read about the news of baseball hall of famer Tony Gwynn passing away after battling cancer that was potentially caused by the very smokeless tobacco he loved to use. 

Wait, who? 

To the many Americans that will see the headline "Tony Gwynn Dies" scroll along the bottom-line of ESPN or CNN or see the trending topic "RIP Tony Gwynn" on Twitter, the reaction will be "that's sad" or "who?" He is one of the greatest athletes of the last 30 years (or even of all time), and yet he is one of the most unknown. 

If you don't know him, go on ahead and budget 4 minutes to learn about him. Here, I'll help. Just watch this. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11092503. I'll wait. 

Amazed? Bewildered? How could someone this good at his sport be so unknown? The answer to this question reflects more on the nature of our culture and society rather than on the achievements of one Tony Gwynn. 

Tony Gwynn is known as one of the best people to play the game of baseball. Fellow Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin said of Gwynn "he a great competitor, and a great person" (per twitter account, @BLarkin_ESPN). He was known as someone who gave back to his community of San Diego, a place that he played his entire collegiate and professional career in. He was friendly to the media, tipped his hat to the fans when they recognized him, and was always first to honor those around him. He was not the center of scandal, lived a quiet life in the spotlight, and played the game that was his job the way it was supposed to be played. 

...and that, ladies and gentlemen, is precisely the issue. 

Take a look at the headlines. Listen to the radio. Watch a little clip of the news, or better yet, just watch 30 seconds of E. Do this and you will notice a trend: we thrive on the negative. Now, we will never come right out and state it, but we tend to remember things that are the opposite of how they should be. We will watch the Kardashians duke it out on tv, drama unfold on Dance Moms, and dedicate 4 hours of sports coverage to where the location of the party that Johnny Manziel was at last night. We idolize and celebrate those things which are extrordinarily negative and off the wall (in a negative way).

We don't say we love the negative, though. Nobody would say that. We tend to mask it with labels like "drama" or "things getting interesting." Just look at this year's NBA Finals. Instead of headlines celebrating the beauty of a team that is centered around fundamentals and good team chemistry, most commentary surrounded around LeBron cramps, D-Wade failures, and a general dislike for the most polarizing team in the league, the Miami Heat. We seek out the flaws, the bad and the dirty, so much so that those things which are good, clean, and fun are muddled and forgotten. 

Just like Gwynn; one of the greatest hitters that was forgotten because of steroids (along with Jim Thome, Griffey Jr., and many others). It is very easy for us to remember the misses in life, allowing those to overshadow the hits. 

This even happens in our own lives. When heavy traffic hits on the way into the office, we see the moron who just learned to drive yesterday instead of the hilarious sparrows fighting for food on the sidewalk just beside us. When the power goes out, we yell out the window at the power company since it is their fault instead of taking the welcome break from technology to enjoy the simple things surrounding us. When relationships fail, we simply remember the negative aspects because of the hurt we have experienced. In the Film (500) Days of Summer, Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) recalls all the things he loves about Summer (played by Zooey Deschanel), yet those very things are the things he rattles off later as things he hates about her. Our perception in the midst of tragedy can either take us deeper into the negative or brings us up out into the positive. 

Those negative things, when they happen, tend to be what we end up defining ourselves by. We know what bad we have done and allow that to be the lens through which we view life. Failures and mistakes tend to be much stronger emotions, and those emotions connect memories, and those memories are tough to erase. The thing is, though, we don't have to be bound to those negative things. The strong bonds of mistakes and failures were broken long ago by someone Who's love brought Him to earth to restore a relationship that was defined as broken. He mended it though, asking that we merely accept this gift and dedicate ourselves to Him. What's crazy is that He provides hope and a new outlook on life, one defined by love joy and peace rather than hate depression and discord. One that celebrates those things that are just, that are pure, that are lovely. The innocent is praised, and the condemned is redeemed. All made possible by Christ's sacrifice on the cross and defeat of sin via the resurrection. 

So, today, there will be a temptation to see the negative in the world surrounding. Why don't we purpose in our hearts and our lives to show people the hope and positive, and celebrate those things which are good? This doesn't mean we naively ignore the fact that the negative is there, but rather use the power of Christ to change the negative into positive. 

And celebrate the good guys. Rest in peace, Tony Gwynn. 

What's So Amazing, Spiderman?

Back in 2010, there was a little announcement that came out of Hollywood that was both as surprising as the sun rising in the morning and as surprising as an apple growing on an orange tree. Sam Raimi would not be making a Spiderman 4, and consequently the franchise would be done after 3 movies. However, Sony also announced that it was gearing up for a full-series reboot to be released in 2012. The internet responded in all of it's glory, with social media, blogs, and other various "experts" butchering and slamming Sony's decision. Despite the backlash, aptly named Marc Webb was brought in to direct, and the tandem of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were brought in to star as Peter and Gwen. 

Something crazy happened: people liked it. 

A mere 4 years after the worst movie of the franchise and in the midst of all things Avengers and Batman, Spiderman was back. What happened? What made this installment so different from the other 3 movies, let alone all the other films surrounding it? 

Was it the change from organic to mechanical webshooters? Perhaps it was the slightly redesigned suit? Was it the fact that Momma Gump was Aunt May? Maybe...but I propose that the answer has less to do with the cinematic elements of the movie and more to do with life. 

It's the people. 

In an age where we want flash, spectacle, and amazing depth from our spandex sporting silver-screeners, we have lost the personal element. We love plot twists and amazing effects and explosions, but even the best written scripts, without personal development of the characters, become empty sheets of paper. Just consider these situations.

When Iron Man has to kill his mentor and father figure to save the day, we don't react with more than an "eh". 
When Thor has to banish his own brother who has deceived him, we respond with a lackluster "so? Where's Coulson?"
Rachel, the love of Batman's life, dies because he chooses Harvey, we wonder where Joker is. 
And even when Captain America has a tearful goodbye to his British lover, we simply yawn. 

Each of these moments had potential to raise the stock of Kleenex 10 fold, yet the emotion was lost. Why? We didn't know these people all that well. We didn't care very much about their relationships with each other. We were given more fighting, more flash and more clash instead of the people. 

Then came Spiderman. Visually, it's no more spectacular than any other blockbuster today. Story-wise, it's no more amazing than what are considered the upper tier superhero movies (Dark Knight, Iron Man, Watchmen, even Spiderman 2). Why do we love it so much, then? 

Because, even for just a couple hours, we forgot it was a superhero movie. We were able to see people acting, reacting, being awkward, growing up: almost like we were able to look into a window of our past (or even present). Marc Webb cared about these characters, so much so that he was able to take something larger than life and make them into people we know. We remember the awkward first encounter with the girl/guy we love when we see Gwen and Pete talk in the hall, so much so it makes our skin crawl more than a new batch of radioactive spiders. Uncle Ben's actions and antics remind us of our own dear uncles or grandparents, making it hurt that much more when we see him pass away. We love Peter because he reminds us of, well, ourselves. 

The reviews of TAS2 have been pretty negative so far (which is stupid, if you ask me. I mean, who's reviewing it? Green Goblin? Kingpin? GAHH. Sorry, I digress). Through it all, there is always one thing pointed to as being the shining beam in the movie: the people. The characters are real, and as human beings we long for this realness. 

Our lives are defined by more than our successes and our failures. In life, the relationships we have with our friends, our enemies, our families, our Father, help to define, refine, and shape who we are. When we see this in other people, we are reminded of the fact that these people make up the story of our life. 

We are reminded of what we were originally intended to do. In Genesis, we see that mankind was made for relationship with the God of the universe. He valued that relationship, and after sin broke that relationship, He made a way to renew and mend that relationship by sending Christ to die and rise again. His ministry was defined by the people He encountered, and the people He knew and taught. We long for this relationship, and we will only find it in Christ Himself. That's why we, as humans, relate to and are drawn to people and relationships, even if it's only on a screen.

It reminds us that life is more than our job, our schedules, and our responsibilities; it's about the people we touch, the people who touch us, and how they help us change. 

And when we see that true aspect of life portrayed on a large screen, we are reminded of what life can be: AMAZING. 

A Caffeinated List

"Who needs luck when you have coffee?"-Mordecai, Regular Show 

If you know me, ever seen me, or have ever visited my twitter page, you will learn something very quickly: I am a coffee person. To say I like it is an understatement. To say that I am addicted would be harsh...yet on the right track. "Addicted?", I might respond. "More like connoisseur." 

The other day as I was prepping my usual morning beverage of choice (Black eye with Hazelnut flavor shot), someone walked by my open dorm room door and said "man, you people and your coffee, Mumford, and black rims." Granted, I do enjoy coffee and Mumford & Sons, but "you people"? This led me to begin thinking: what stereotypes are there about "you people": aka coffee people. The more I began to ask around and look at it, it became pretty apparent that there are some ridiculous (yet extremely humorous) views of coffee people. I've narrowed it down to 6 things, 6 for the letters in coffee, and compiled it into today's list. 

So here it is: 6 things you think about coffee people 

1) "You guys gotta have all sorts of stuff in it and slap a fancy name on it!"  
    
Here's the thing that may blow your mind, oh non coffee person: not everyone has to have a caffe macchiato, skinny, hold the foam but keep the froth to be happy. Although these are some pretty fun to spell drinks, it isn't essential for happiness. Granted, the names can get kind of long and ridiculous, but it simply describes the beverage. 
For example, if you want watered down coffee (which is my normal order), get a Cafe Americano. Why is it called that? Because it is just black coffee, which as we all know is the best coffee. 'Mericuh. Cafe 'Mericuh. 

2) "You'll only drink it if it is as black as midnight"

Why? Because creamer is for quitters. 

3) "You like coffee: therefore I will buy you coffee supplies for every single holiday...ever" 

While some may say that coffee is a lifestyle, some people are wrong. It is delicious, appropriate for any situation, and helps get you out of bed in the morning, but it isn't everything, believe it or not. 

...that's not to say we won't take free coffee, though. That'd be crazy. 

4) "Why don't you just get it from a coffee place like Panera or Tim Hortons?" 

There is a difference between a "coffee place" and a "place that serves coffee". In the town I live in right now, there are 3 places that are considered "coffee places" to most: Panera Bread, Tim Hortons, and Dunkin' Donuts. 2 of the 3 are bread associated places, and the third is a Canadian excuse for mud-water. 

A "coffee place is a place that sells coffee, and that's what they do. Starbucks is a definite yes, but some of the best coffee places are the small, hole in the wall places. These have awesome personality, great coffee, and no Tim Hortons. 

I may seem very harsh on Timmy Ho's, but I just don't see how it is possible to drink it. Said one Canadian friend of mine on Tim Hortons, "There's only 1 reason why we still drink it: we're too nice to say no". 

5) "You're hipster....right?" 

Coffee love makes me as much hipster as you would be made a car while sitting in a garage or as much as drinking Coke makes you a Nascar loving Rebel rousing SEC football loving Redneck. 

6) "Why can't you just drink regular coffee like the rest of us?" 

It's all a matter of taste. When you love something, sometimes you can no longer settle for cheap but rather for what you genuinely enjoy. If you love cooking and the art of cooking, you won't settle for Mickey D's or even Applebees much. The same goes for people who enjoy coffee. 

What are your thoughts? What questions or opinions of coffee lovers do you have that are included in this list of 6? Comment below! 

List of the Day: Meet the Reynolds

No. Not Burt. 

Today's list features a guy you may know: Ryan Reynolds. Outside of syrup and Alex Trebek, he is probably Canada's finest export, almost fine enough to make you forget about that Baby Baby Baby (OHH) that's from up north. You may hear the name of Ryan Reynolds and think "Oh, he's that obnoxious guy that ruined Green Lantern, but was mildly funny and really extremely inappropriate in Van Wilder". Believe it or not, he's been around for a while, and there's a few projects you have never heard of that would be worth your time, especially if you love fine cinema and television. So here we go. The best Ryan Reynolds you've never heard of. 

Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (1998-2001)

The unsung hero of the late 90s, by far. This was the first time the world was really introduced to Ryan Reynolds: comedy star. The reason you've never heard of it was 1) it only lasted 3 seasons and 2) a little show called F.R.I.E.N.D.S. probably already had your attention. It had everything: bromance, fun, a zany old guy who only quoted movie lines (get real: you're either THAT guy or know that guy), struggles of early adulthood, all with a stuffed crust. Episodes of this classic can actually be found on YouTube. 

Just Friends (2005) Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue 

The first time I ever watched this movie, I said to myself "who is that fat guy?" Turns out, it was merely the acting chops of Ryan. He is almost unrecognizable as bafoon Chris Brander who's desperately in love with Jamie Palimino, and after 10 years and much exercise has to get her back after being "friend-zoned". 

Why have you never heard of it? Made on a relatively low budget, this movie is only known as "that one movie that's on Comedy Central all the time with the guy from Van Wilder in it". It does, however, show the struggles of many a high school boy (or maybe girl). Relateable, hilarious, and outrageous, this is the perfect date movie...

...especially if you're the guy who's friendzoned and you're dating a girl that normally friendzones.  

The Nines (2007) Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality

The acting chops of Ryan Reynolds can be seen here as he started to develop into a more well rounded actor. This indie film is a compilation of 3 mini-movies, starring the same cast in all 3 in 3 different situations, all being tied together at the end. 

Why have you never heard of it? Its the curse of the indie, my friend. Not only is this an indie movie, it features scifi-plot twists that would even blow the mind of M. Night Shyalaman. He plays 3 completely different characters, but the thing of it is they are all very believable. If you enjoy a thought provoking movie, this is a movie you HAVE to check out. 

If not, just go rent the Avengers or Sharknado or something incoherent and CGI filled like that.  

Buried (2010) Rated R for language and some violent content 

Now, I know exactly what you're thinking: I've heard of this. It's that boring movie that's the biggest flop ever. 

Just as my good friend Lee Corso would say "(Whoosh) Not so fast my friend"

This movie is unique. Dramatic. Edge of your seat thrill. And it only uses 1 set: a coffin. The ending is crazy, and you don't realize you just watched Ryan Reynolds sit in a box for the past 95 minutes. 

This movie is the "coming of age" for Ryan Reynolds as an actual actor, and it shows that he has come a long way from his 7 year stay at Coolidge College. I never cry, seeing that I am quite the manly man, yet this had a tear rolling down the side of my cheek by the end (and it was due to the movie, not because my cookie dough bites were now all gone).
_____

So there you go. What do you think? Any projects you know of that aren't on this list? What do you think of these movies/tv show? Comment below! 

-Raymond Morris 

The Name Game

"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold" Proverbs 22:1 (NIV) 

"Funny thing about that is I was ready to give you my name. Thought it was me and you, babe and now it's all just a shame and I guess I was wrong" -Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around"

As I was on my way into the office this morning, I was thinking the same thing as any normal American would at 7:30 in the morning: "Why is it so cold???" I turned the radio on in my '99 Boneville and was not really listening to the song, but soon I realized that the talented Justin was on. I only heard one single line out of the entire song: "I was ready to give you my name". 

Interesting, isn't it? The value we put on a name. Not just any name, but normally the last name. When we're married, the man is ready to give his last name, his good hard earned name that has a reputation with it to a mate that he feels would represent him and that name so well. Or maybe it is the name of a famous basketball player that we want our child to be known by. 

I always joke about wanting to name my child Charles so he could be called "Chuck Morris". The inferred kung fu powers of my son would be unstoppable. 

A name. Proverbs says that "a good name is more desirable than great riches". That's cool, but there is something else in the Bible about "good". We read that "there is no one that does good, not even one" (Romans 3:12). If that is the case, then how can anybody really have a "good name"? 

Because the funny thing about that is that He is ready to give you His name. 

Jesus Christ came to earth and died for our sins, and even came back to life to conquer death once and for all. That gift He offers, what we call "salvation", "getting saved", "conversion", whatever, is to be able to finally fix the relationship that is broken because of sin. That sin is attached to our name. We cannot do anything truly good, because we're spiritually dead. But the One who's name is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11) died to not fix our name, our lives, but rather to give us a new one. That new one is defined by His name and empowered by Him. 

He gives us His name. We should desire to have that name, to live that name, and be defined by that name, because it is the only name that is good. 

Funny how we can learn about Christ because of Justin Timberlake. 

-Raymond Morris

If you have questions about Christ, salvation, or anything like that, visit this site. 

http://www.klove.com/ministry/why-jesus.aspx

The Untold Classic

As I settled in on the LazyBoy with coffee in hand to help stave-off the impending post-New Year's feast induced coma, I grabbed the remote control and clicked on the tube. Soon, my little brother (16) and little sister (18) joined me and asked the inevitable question, "So, who's playing?". My response surprised them.

Toronto and Detroit.

Those are 2 hockey teams. My dad came down the stairs, asked which bowl we were watching, and when he heard that it was actually the NHL's Winter Classic, he immediately retreated to his room.

The Winter Classic has quickly become one of my favorite sporting events of the entire calendar year, even making it's way into my top-5 sport's themed bucket list (if you want to know the other 4, you can ask me another time). For a sport that has long been the punch line in many-a-joke, the NHL has certainly done something right here.

For those who may not realize what exactly the Winter Classic is, it is when, on New Year's Day, the NHL poses 2 teams to play on an outdoor ice-rink. Simple, yet unique. Crazy, yet ingenious. It would be the equivalent of having the Yankees and Red Sox play a regular season game in a local sandlot, or the Cowboys and Redskins play on a playground, or the Nets and Knicks play a game in Rucker park. "Ridiculous", you might say, but that is exactly where the genius is in it.

It is a unique experience that not many other sports can have. Sure, other sports give you "retro-jersey" nights, but the Winter Classic takes the retro-jersey and gives the entire venue that feel. In the midst of the 8 inches of snow falling onto the ice-rink, there was a magical feel. That feel crept off the screen and turned my 2 siblings into hockey fans, even if just for that day. Will they become NHL season ticket holders? Doubt it, but it has introduced them and begun to turn them into fans of one of the most unique and entertaining sports they will otherwise have never heard of.

Raymond Morris

What's the flipside?

"I'll catch you on the flip-side"

This is a term used by radio DJ's, balding middle-aged men who are experiencing a severe midlife crisis, and Rocco on the pay phone (you can do what you want in Boston), but what does it have to do with a blog? 

I was "saved", "baptized", "converted", whatever you want to call it, at a young age and grew up in the church. I even currently work as a interim student pastor at a Baptist church in West Virginia while at the same time finishing up my senior year at a C of C school. All of this to say that I have been around "Christian" things for a long time. 

In my life (an astounding 21 years thus far), I have noticed a few things. Mainly, we draw a severe bold line between "world" things and "Christian" things. Granted, sometimes these things are easy to see (Strip Clubs, pornography, binge drinking are "worldly activities" while attending church, reading the Bible, and praying are "Christian things"). Other times, the labels of "worldly" and "Christian" seem to be interesting (example: what officially constitutes "Christian" music?). 

This blog is not here to necessarily solve these things, it is to show the flipside. I firmly believe that James was correct when he wrote that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above", so this blog is to help show where the good gifts might be. I'll share my feelings and thoughts on everything ranging from sports, movies, and tv to religion, politics, and social media. Will these necessarily be filled with scripture references and application? I doubt it, but don't be surprised if it comes up. This is simply a place to help shine light in a new way on things we may/may not encounter in our daily lives. 

I hope you enjoy this journey to explore the flipside. 

Raymond Morris