It's called "Death Row" (See above). Besides me, it co-stars Todd Bridges, Joe Estevez (Emilio's dad and Charlie Sheen's uncle) and a DJ from bay area radio. I think you should all make an effort to rent it or netflix it. It's probably the single most important film ever made in the history of cinema. That, and within the first ten minutes I get my throat slashed and hacked (I know a lot of you who read my website genuinely don't like me, so that should make you happy.) by "The Killer" (yes, that is his official name in the credits). Just for fun, I went on IMDB today to read some reviews of the film. Here are a few of the highlights...
"This is the worst film I have ever seen. My friend and I enjoy watching horrible films and making fun of them, so in that respect, we had a good time. The writing, acting, directing, location and editing were unspeakably horrible." (Obviously, he's excluding my acting here. That's safe to assume)
"A rating of 1 is a compliment." (Well, if we're rating on a negative scale, then yes, 1 is incredible!)
"The fact remains though, that this is only good by Quiroz standards - which is not saying a lot. Death Row is a pretty bad movie, it's just not as bad as I had expected it to be." (See, this guy said it's "good".)
"There’s so little gore, it’s hard to even call this a slasher, and the killer is the antithesis of the textbook invincible, faceless horror villain; this guy is irredeemably vincible and faceful. Plus, his whole plan doesn’t make a lot of sense. He goes through way too much effort to convince everyone over and over again that he’s not the killer. After the first 10 minutes, they never doubt him, yet he continues to play it up when, given that he has the element of surprise and that all of the prisoners are in handcuffs, he could just walk in and start blasting away. Granted, making the movie about 20 minutes long would be a gamble, but I'm willing to take that chance." (I agree with everything here. I'm not in the film after the first 10 minutes, so making the film 20 minutes long would mean that I'm in half the film)
"Okay, let's see. What do we have here... a woman cut in half, a man pushed through a jail cell like he were in a potato cutter, a couple of dudes in an electric chair and the most horrific of all... Jake Busey chewing the scenery until there is nothing left. Death Row will please most gore lovers." (Finally! A genuine positive review!! Too bad it's for a different movie called "Death Row")
It's been a wonderful Christmas. I've never experienced the kind of connection with God that I have had this Christmas, and it came from being completely broke (financially). Nicki and I have had a really hard 2008 in terms of finances. Long stories short, I was laid off, her job didn't pan out, I started school and she started a new job. We didn't have money for a Christmas tree, gifts, or anything. And through all of that, God was able to allow me to focus on the real meaning of Christmas, him.
Because of my appreciation and gratitude towards his provisions in my life, I decided to preach during Christmas Eve, to my family. I kind of felt God telling me that he wanted me to say a little something, but I had no idea what. Fast forward to Christmas Eve, I found a few hours alone at my mom's house, and wrote a message. I still wasn't sure if I was going to go through with it or not though, because as you can imagine, talking to your family about religion and things isn't exactly sugar plums and candy canes. But I did it anyway, and out of that obedience, something wonderful happened. After I gave my message, my cousin's girlfriend gave her life to the Lord and became a Christian.
I had to walk to my mother's house next door to get something, shortly after Kristen became a Christian. And as I walked, I had the most incredible realization. That despite not having any money at all for Christmas, despite not being able to give any gifts to anyone, I was able to give God a gift, my obedience, which in turn brought Kristen home to Him. It was a really beautiful moment for me. And now, I'd like to paste the message I gave below. It's as I wrote it, with notes to myself and things like that in it, so I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing. I just wanted to share this story with you all because you never know what can happen if you remain open and obedient to God. There isn't a gift on earth that has equal value to Kristen becoming a Christian, and I am so thankful that God used me this holiday season bring me closer to him and realize the true meaning of Christmas:
It's not about gifts, but it is about a gifts.
Talk about not having any money this Christmas, and how it forced me to truly put into action the words that so many of us say every year around now, and that is "Jesus is the reason for the season". I can barely remember what I got for Christmas last year, let alone years past. I can barely see my penis anymore because it has shrunk by a huge margin, it's bad but I'm dealing with it. remember what I've bought people in years past either. Every year around the end of November, we all partake in the same tradition. The tradition of shopping till you drop. The tradition of spending more than you should. The tradition of trying to get that one last gift on Christmas Eve before the store clothes. Traditions that bring us away from the real meaning of Christmas. Now don't get me wrong, had we had money this year, we would have been doing the SAME thing. But I believe God wanted me to learn something about him this year by taking away the most common way for us to lose focus of what Christmas means.
By the way, just so we're clear, December 25th is not the day Jesus was born. Most scholars think he was born in the later months of the summer, around September and October because the shepherds were still tending their sheep at night. It would have been far too cold in December in Bethlehem for shepherds to be tending their flock. December 25th was just a day that some other "gods" were said to have been born on, so that's how it was chosen.
And while we're at it, you would think that Jesus was born in 0 AD, right? BC meaning before Christ, so the natural thought is that the day Jesus was born would be 0, because in 500A.D. a Roman Monk named Dionysius Exiguus The creator of the AD timeline) miscalculated the date of birth when he was preparing a calendar to calculate what days future Easter's would take place on. By the time people caught the mistake, it was far too late and it was not corrected.
Moving on. It's not about gifts, but it is about gifts.
So does anyone know the first mention of Jesus in the bible? Genesis 2:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (a) and hers; he will crush (b) your head, and you will strike his heel."
Do you know that throughout the entire Old Testament, Jesus is mentioned many times by people who lived hundreds of years before his birth? Did you know that in the book of John, it says that Jesus was with God in the beginning? It's hard to imagine that, but it's right there in the very first sentence of John chapter 1, and the following two verses:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood(a) it.
Any time you hear the phrase "life" or "the light" in the New Testament, it is referring to Jesus. Jesus was right next to God from the beginning, which by the way doesn't mean the beginning of creation, but the beginning of everything. It's beyond our comprehension.
So, what does that have to do with gifts? Both answers are found in one verse. Does anyone have any idea what verse that is? 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,(f) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Ask to hold Kayla and Brielle. Now, I don't think anyone in this room would doubt that I love my two girls with all my heart. I don't think anyone in this room would doubt that I wouldn't do ANYTHING for these two girls. I would lay down my own life for them if I had to. I would do anything possible to ensure their safety, and well-being. I love these girls more than I love my friends, Star Wars, video games, my wife, myself and so on. These girls mean everything in the world to me, and my life would feel incomplete without them.
But I'll tell you what. I don't love them the same way Jesus loves them. I don't love them the same way Jesus loves me. I don't love them as much as God does. And you want to know why I know that? Because I could never do what God did. I could never offer Kayla or Brielle's life to pay for my sins give me eternal life. And more than that, more powerful than that, I could never give Kayla or Brielle's life to pay for the sins and grant eternal life to billions of people I've never met across the earth. People that not only do I not know, but people that despite my giving of Kayla or Brielle's life to pay for their sins, the majority of those people would still choose to deny the fact that my daughter's life did in fact pay for their lives.
And that's exactly what God did for us. He gave his ONLY son, so that we may have ETERNAL life. Are you following me here? Christmas isn't about gifts, it's about gifts. Two gifts, specifically. The gift of God, Jesus Christ being born on earth as a human, giving up his power and authority in heaven to do so. And the second gift is the gift of HIS life, for our sins, so that we may have eternal life. That's what Christmas is about. That's why we gather as a family to open gifts and love on each other. To celebrate those gifts.
Having no money this year has afforded me the luxury of really being able to attention to the awesome gift that God gave us, by sending his son. And I know we're all family here, I know we all love each other. But the truth is, I don't know where all of you stand. I don't know if all of you have accepted Christ as your personal Lord and savior. I think it's assumed that all of us have, but the truth is that I don't think any of us could stand up here and go person by person, verifying whether or not that person has accepted Christ. And if you haven't, I urge you to do so. I pray that you're able to see the real meaning behind Christmas, to see the real gift we can take home tonight. And you know what the best thing about that gift is? It's free. You don't have to do anything except ask Jesus into your heart. I want to be in heaven with all of you. I want to know while I'm here on earth, that my entire family is saved.
In closing, I'd like to point out a passage that talks about the glory of the God we serve, Jesus Christ. It's from a book in the bible that people don't read from that often because it's full of crazy imagery. The book of Revelation. This passage is talking about the return of Christ, otherwise known as the second coming, when he will take all of his believers back to Heaven with him, from earth.
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."(a) He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
I watched Religulous with Bill Maher last night. I had been wanting to see that movie since I first heard about it. It's a documentary, and the premise is that Bill, an atheist, goes around trying to find answers (and when he does he shoots them down) about why religious people believe in their religion. The movie is 2 hours, and I'd say the first hour and 15 minutes are spent knocking Christianity.
I'm all for open discussion, and people like Bill Maher questioning why we believe what we believe. I am not a fan of Bill Maher, and I think he has an agenda against Christianity and religion in general, but I found that I wasn't appalled with him, as I thought I would be. What I was appalled with, was the lack of knowledge and answers that the Christians he interviewed possessed (or not possessed if that makes more sense).
Within the first 10 minutes of the movie, Bill is in front of about 10 Christians, and the basis for his argument is that "The gospels are NOT an eyewitness account of Jesus, and that they were written by men who had never met him, decades later". He also said that the bible does not mention a "virgin birth". Not ONE of the men (at least in the movie, I'm not sure if their answer to that was edited out) disputed that. Not one of them. They stood there dumbfounded. For the first time in my life, I found myself yelling at the TV screen (well, besides when I'm watching the 49ers). I couldn't believe that the preacher of the church Bill was at, didn't dispute Bill's claim. (For the record, the Gospels, and a lot of the Bible for that matter were written by men who did in fact walk and talk with Jesus. Those books are absolutely an eye witness account. And the bible does in fact mention a virgin birth, in both Matthew and Luke. )
Later, Bill interviewed a senator from somewhere, a Christian senator, and asked him if he believed in evolution. The senator, to my extreme surprise, said he did. Again, I was completely shocked. While the Bible isn't a science book, it clearly states in the FIRST chapter of Genesis that God created everything. The planet, stars, plants, animals, humans, oceans, etc etc. God created all of it. So again, it was sad to see a Christian senator say that evolution was how we came about.
I realize that if Bill had interviewed someone (and maybe he did but didn't include it in the movie, in order to portray Christians as idiots) who could explain their faith better, he would have asked questions like "Well how do you know the Bible is true?" Again, not one person in their defense of their faith quoted the verse from 2 Timothy that says "EVERY scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching".
Bill then interviewed a TV evangelist that said "money and riches will come as a result of serving God". This was perhaps the most ridiculous and frustrating interview out of all the Christians he interviewed. This pastor was so far off the mark that he actually began to quote fictitious scripture. (Again, Bill could have edited this interview to his liking, removing accurate things this pastor said) This pastor didn't really have answers either, and the answers he did have were so far off base with the basic principles of Christ followership that it fueled Bill Maher's own thoughts on religion and why it's ridiculous.
Throughout the movie and his interviews with various people (Christian and non alike) Bill quoted scriptures from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Qur'an and others, using those specific scriptures to prove his point. What Bill did was exactly what everyone does who wants to prove the bible as flawed. He pulled one verse, out of context, amongst surrounding verses that continued to explain that particular verse, and used it for his argument. Unfortunately again in the interviews, these Christians couldn't answer Bill's question because they didn't know the rest of the verse.
He also brought up the "fact" that Jesus' story was borrowed from many different stories of gods from different cultures. He started using examples from Egyptian gods, Greek gods and Muslim gods. He said that the story of Jesus blended from this guy, that guy and others. Not once did Bill theorize that perhaps those stories were written after the bible, or that those stories (interpreted by men thousands of years later who were hired to decipher hieroglyphics) could have been interpreted wrong or off base. Bill Maher took those stories as fact.
My point to all of this, is that I think it's EXTREMELY important to interpret the bible, to know and understand it, and to most of all, defend your faith and have answers and responses to the types of questions Bill Maher and others ask. The bible is not full of contradictions. The bible was written by men who had first-hand contact and conversations with God and Jesus. It is infallible, and can provide answers for the types of questions that men ask. The problem is, we don't take the time to learn it. We go around with our basic knowledge, and think that's good enough. It's not. We need to be dedicated to the Word, to study it and embed it into our psyche.
There have been men far more intelligent than Bill Maher that have asked similar questions. The problem isn't Bill Maher, or people like him who denounce religion and Christianity. The problem is with Christians who have never bothered to do anything more than go to church on Sunday and listen to some pastor preach. The problem is with Christians who misinterpret and twist the bible in order to fit their own personal agenda. (As in Christians who say things like "God hates fags") The problem is with humans, not the bible, and not God. Humans mess it up. Humans twist and make religion into the hateful, warring thing it has become. My God, the God of the bible is a loving God.
And to close, I need to clarify that in NO way do I think I have all the answers and in NO way do I think I'm any better than the people interviewed in that movie. I just feel that I would have been able to explain and answer my stance and why I believe what I believe, and what I believe, in a different manner than them.
It's extremely important for Christians to be able to have answers for the types of questions Bill Maher asked. It is, in my opinion, inexcusable for me to remain silent and not argue the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin, and that the gospels were in fact first-hand accounts of Jesus' life. It's not ok for ME. I want to bring others to Christ, so I need to be prepared for those types of questions.
For worst children's story/nursery rhyme is: "The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe"
I guess I'd never really paid attention to this little nugget before. However, today Brielle walked over to me with it in her hand and gave it to me and said "book", which is her precious way of asking me to read. So I popped open that little 4 page book, and read the following story:
There was an old woman, who lived in a shoe... She had so many children, she didn't know what to do... She gave them some broth, without any bread... Then scolded them soundly... And sent them to bed.
THE END
Really, that's the end. I thought maybe some pages were missing. But this is one of those little hard cardboard books, so no chance of pages missing. So then I sat and pondered what the meaning of this poem could be. Was it written to dissuade young women from having too many children? Was it written to show the pitfalls of living in a shoe? Was the old woman a metaphor for a worldly super power and the children representative of warring nations? And since the version I read to Brielle had rabbits as the main character, was it reflective of rabbits in general?
So I googled it. And found an even more disturbing version. The version I found was the original, written in 1883. Instead of scolding them soundly, she "whipped them all soundly". Interesting. Let me get this straight, let me see if I understand. You have an old woman, whose husband is either dead, at work, or out playing golf. She's really frustrated because all of her kids are hungry. So, she gives them soup, without bread. Did she not give them bread as punishment? Did she even have any bread? We may never know. After the children eat, and are somewhat content (based on the illustration) she either A) scolds them for reasons unknown, or B) whips them for reasons unknown, then sends them to bed. That's it.
I think the old woman probably felt under appreciated. Whether the father was alive or not, I think the old woman just needed some "me" time. Perhaps one of her children could have offered to cook dinner instead, while the old woman run upstairs to the 4th lace and took a breather. Whatever the case, the old woman didn't have control of her emotions, and her kids suffered for it. I like to think that after she whipped and scolded them, her husband came home and gave her the business.
I know, it's been a weird month for my blog. First I say I'm done, then the next day I flip-flop. Then I post a random SpongeBob video. I know. Weird. Well, there's good reason. I was in finals for the past few weeks. I've studied more books and written more papers than I care to remember. But now, that's all over with. I'm done. I started school 17 weeks ago, with a hunger to learn more about God, to increase my knowledge of the Bible, and to become a better follower of Christ. Incredibly, all three have happened.
It was a sobering experience, going from the work world to the school world. It took me a good 2 months to get into the flow of things. I thought by having worked in the "real world" the last 7 years of my life, that I was going to have no problem with this "school thing". I had no idea just how much time and energy it consumes. Studying, writing papers, doing projects and everything else you can think of. It was frustrating at times, having to come home and continue working, when I had been used to coming home from work and being done. But I'm not complaining, so don't get me wrong. It just took a minute to adapt. 17 weeks does seem like the perfect amount of time to be in class before a nice long break though. I'm glad the break is here.
So now I have to start working on my trip to Africa. Before the clock strikes 12am Saturday morning, I have to have the draft of my support letter and 60 contacts that I will send it to. I haven't worked on it at all because A) I forgot, and B) I was in finals and forgot. So, tomorrow should be fun. I need to come up with $4000 to go on this trip. So if you get one of my support letters, I hope you realize you are important to me, and that I really do need your support with either: prayer, money, or taking care of my family for 3 weeks while I'm gone by making sure Nicki and the girls aren't too depressed that I'm gone. ;)
Here are some things I plan on doing during my four and a half week break: (In no particular order)
1. Beating "The Force Unleashed" 2. Watching "The Empire Strikes Back" in HD 3. Start running again. 3 days a week. 4. Mow the lawn in my backyard. Actually, clean my backyard entirely. 5. Read all of the Gospels once. 6. Teach Kayla and Brielle calculus (but I'll have to learn it myself first. this may be a tad lofty) 7. Update this website more frequently 8. Help Nicki advertise for her new office so she can start raking in the big bucks 9. Use periods at the end of every sentence when I do lists. 10. Get into a fist fight
I had an assignment in my psychology class called "Song of Self". We had to choose one song that really spoke to us, and then talk about it in class as to why we chose it, then play it. I chose "Best Mamgu Ever" by Underworld. But I also decided to make something called my "Soundtrack of Self" and put together a CD of songs that have spoken to me and have been important to me during my life. I made 12 copies of it (one for every person in the class) and this sheet explaining why I chose these songs. So, here you go.
1. Sigur Ros - Saeglopur (Yes, the lead singer is a guy) This song is beautiful, and at 1:53 in, you'll see why. This is a great band, and you should definitely listen to another song of theirs, "Star Lfur". I play this song whenever I want to think about all of the beautiful things I have in my life.
2. Daft Punk - Around the World - I must have played this song a hundred times in 1997. It was a very fun time in my life, and this song will always remind me of that.
3. Peter Martin - A Perfect Wave - My wife and I went to a concert in 2005 to see The Crystal Method and Paul Oakenfold. This is one of the songs Paul played in his set, and it just really stuck in my head. I ended making a music video to it. You can watch it at www.borbafett.net/flash.htm
4. Air - All I Need - I was living with my grandparents right after I graduated high school. I had just got my first computer, and heard this song on the radio. It was one of the first MP3's I ever downloaded. And at 2:45 into the song, I get goose bumps still. I love this song.
5. Moby - Porcelain - My wife and I moved to Los Angeles together in 1999 (Before we got married even! SINNERS!) This was one of the, if not the, first song that became one of "our songs". I could have put a LOT more Moby on this CD, but this song is perfect.
6. Prodigy - Firestarter - Prodigy is my absolute favorite band. If I could only listen to one type of music for the rest of my life, this would be it. The first time I heard this song was when I was watching MTV and saw them performing, at of all things, The Victoria Secret Fashion Show. Not exactly the type of venue for this band or song. But I was hooked. The Prodigy are my favorite band, and this is definitely one of my favorite songs by them.
7. Johnny Cash - Hurt - I love the lyrics to this song, and every time I listen to it, I am thankful for all of God's blessings in my life, and all of the things Jesus did and continues to do for me. Plus, it's Johnny Cash doing a Nine Inch Nails song. That's like God performing in a play that Satan is directing.
8. Brand New - You Won't Know - I downloaded this album for one of their other songs, "Jesus". But I let the whole album play, and although this song starts off rather slow, it absolutely kicks you're a** at about 1:38 in. It's a great song with great lyrics.
9. Live - Heaven - Live is one of my favorite bands. You could put their first four albums on consecutively, and not have to worry about hearing a bad song. This song though, really became special to me after the birth of my daughters. The lyrics are beautiful.
10. Massive Attack - Angel - There are quite a few, too many to count actually, songs that I pretend I'm in a movie acting out a scene while I'm listening to it. This is one of them. The first part of the song I am pretending to scope out the 20 bad guys in front of me, and how I'm going to win this battle. Then at 2:24 I pretend I've just engaged in a VERY slow motion fight with all of them. As the song goes on, I pretend the battle gets worse, and by the end of the song, I die. After hearing this song, I bet you'll be able to see that too.
11. Stereo MC's - Elevate My Mind - This was the very first cassette single I ever bought. I think I was in 6th grade. I played that tape until it wouldn't play anymore. This is just a fun song that reminds me of my youth.
12. Radiohead - Creep - This again, was one of the first MP3's I ever downloaded. I hadn't truly become an alternative music fan when I downloaded it, but after doing so, this song and this band turned me on to more music like it. Radiohead is a perfect band, and this is one of their best songs.
13. Editors - Munich - This is my happy song. It starts off great, and the lead singer has a cool European voice that really goes well with the lyrics. Anytime I need a pick me up or am already feeling great, I pop this song in.
14. Coldplay - Death and All of His Friends - July 11th, 2008 was the day I finally decided to answer God's calling in my life and become a pastor. I was driving in my car a LOT that day, and stopped at Best Buy to pick up Coldplay's new album. The album might be the best album I've ever listened to, and this song really spoke to me that day. I don't really know if I'm right or not, but to me, the lyrics of "I don't want to be around death and all of his friends" resonated with me that day when I heard them, because as a Pastor, I am going to be responsible for giving people life, bringing them away from death and all of their friends.
15. Underworld - Best Mamgu' Ever - This is the song from class that I played. I just absolutely love this song, and how it develops. The best part for me is at 4:24 in. This song takes me on a journey, and I like to think about my family and how much they mean to me. There's a beautiful story in this song, or at least that's how I put it into words. I just feel like this song starts off one way, then develops into something else. This is absolutely my favorite song of all time.
You probably shouldn't post on your website when you're kind of feeling a tad depressed and reflective on your 31st birthday. Please ignore the last post. Things will be back to normal now. Sorry about that. My bad. I'm going to write about going to Tanzania tomorrow or Tuesday. I just got out of a two hour meeting about it. YIKES.
Today is my 31st birthday. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with what I'm about to say, but I thought I'd mention it. Anyway, I've decided to stop posting on here for a while. It's been 4 years since I started this blog, almost to the day. It's been a really fun experience, and I can see how I've grown in the last 4 years by looking back on my 718 posts. I'm in a place right now where I'm writing so much for school, trying to balance being a father, husband and friend, that I'm just not as enthused to keep my blog going as I used to be. I've "met" some new friends that have encouraged me through comments on this website, and I've really appreciated everyone's feedback on my life and what I've posted. Whether good or bad.
It's not like I'm going "off the grid" though. I still have my myspace and my facebook, which I do actually keep up to date more often than I do this website. And from time to time, I will post major events in my life on here. So, everything still works on borbafett.net. I'm just not going to be adding anything new. You may also feel free to email me at my same old email address, ricky@borbafett.net
