I don't know why I even found this...but I did.

And I love it.

So here I am, not working at APU full-time, with most of my days free. I plan a lot for church and spend time with my family, so I am enjoying myself immensely. But right now I still feel like I’m in vacation mode because the things I thought I’d be working on are not happening at this second. And in this business, that’s how it happens. My friend tells me he has work for me on Monday, but he’s just waiting on a call from another guy before he actually gets the files in his possession and we can start said work. So it’s Thursday, and here I wait, keeping my schedule wide open, because as soon as the call DOES come, it’ll need to be done lickety-split (yes, that’s the official industry term…lickety-split). So I hurry up and wait…and not one to waste my time, while I’ve been waiting, I’ve been catching up on one of my favorite past-times—going to the movies! Since I haven’t really been blogging about each of these films individually, I’ll spill it all in this most informative, catchall review blog. Let’s go with all of the movies I’ve seen in the month of May, since it’s almost over (WHAT!?!?).

Ironman: (released May 2)
Incredible. This movie was an absolute surprise hit for me. I had no idea it was going to be as good as it was. I loved it, Christy loved it (and that’s saying a lot, for a “boy” movie) and everyone I’ve talked to loves it as well. This movie had a realistic story that was totally current to today’s world, and there was never a lull in the action. The story moved forward at a comfortable pace (not too quickly or too slowly). I enjoyed the self-reflection in the main character and the tension between him and his assistant. I loved the humor. This movie was all boy and all girl—if such a movie is possible. Robert Downey Jr. kicked booty in the lead role and Jon Favreau did a superb job directing. I predict this movie will be in my personal top five favorite movies this summer. I give this movie an overall A. I can’t think of anything that I would have wanted different about it at all…

Speed Racer: (released May 9)
The only reason I dished out the cash to see this film was for the visuals. And it was worth it. The colors and style in which this film was created were totally original, giving the feel of a live-action cartoon or comic book on screen. Directed by the Wachowski brothers (Andy and Larry--same directors of the Matrix Trilogy…or maybe we should just say the first Matrix? Since the others kind of stunk…) so the action sequences were fresh and mind-blowing. It was like an ADD kid’s dream come true—I literally was spinning trying to keep up, and I loved it!
Rated PG and being billed as a family movie, I decided to take Nathaniel to see it. He really liked it, and still talks about it to this day…but I’m not sure it was the best thing for him as a 6.75 year-old. Maybe if he was a little older…(there was one scene that was just a tad too scary for him), and there wasn’t anything particularly family-oriented about the movie that I could see.
The story was pretty dumb, and the only person who showed acting skills worth a dime was John Goodman, so this one gets an A for style and a D for substance. Overall C-

What Happens In Vegas: (released May 9)
I laughed all through the first half of this movie because it’s basically just Ashton Kutcher and the other one (uh…I forget her name…oh, uh…Cameraman Diatriz?) talking smack back and forth with each other…which I just thought was totally hilarious…I don’t necessarily recommend it since it slaps marriage in the face a little bit and is not the cleanest film, but I did enjoy the humor. It is certainly not as dirty as any of the Judd Apatow films (40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), but wasn’t any Evan Almighty either. I give it a B+ for humor and a D- for values. Overall C-

Prince Caspian: (released May 16)
An amazing work of cinematic magic mixed with classic literature. Director Andrew Adamson really worked this one OUT!
You already know how I feel.
Go see it.

Made of Honor: (released May 2)
Your straight-up Chick flick. Blah. We missed the first 10 minutes, but still got the gist of the movie. Christy really likes these movies, and I don’t dislike them, so it was OK. That said, if What Happens In Vegas slaps marriage in the face a little bit, this movie blows its head off with a shotgun and leaves it for dead in the gutter. They treat marriage and divorce as if they are flippant decisions made based on money and sex, encompassed by a scene where the main character’s father is negotiating/singing the pre-nup for his sixth wedding ten minutes before it begins and signing the divorce papers for his fifth marriage at the same time. And at the end of the movie, he gets another divorce. Sheesh. No wonder nobody cares about marriage. But what do I expect from a lost world? Nothing more, I suppose…I mean…they’re lost! I just want to give you a fair warning.
It was entertaining, and the ending was romantic, but it’s nothing I would recommend. I give this one a D- for originality, and a C+ for humor. An overall D.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Most Anticipated Movie of the Millennium: (released today, baby!...er...May 22)
I was not disappointed. I enjoyed it, even the sorta weird parts, because I love Indiana Jones. It was a very different type of Indiana Jones movie than the first three, but lets face it, this is a very different time. Not only are we 15 years since the last installment, but this film is set in 1957, about 15 years since we last saw Indy and his dad trying to find the golden chalice. (There was actually one point in the movie tonight when I was whispering to myself—at least, I don’t think anyone heard me—“The penitent man will pass…the penitent man will pass…). So yeah, it’s different, and it’s also a little bit similar. There were a lot of things that tied into past Indy movies, and I always love catching those things. God bless Spielberg, Lucas, and Harrison Ford for finally getting it together to give us this. It may not have been the absolute best movie in the universe (get it?) but think about it…IT’S THE FOURTH FREAKIN’ INDIANA JONES! I mean…IT’S FINALLY HERE! WE HAVE IT NOW! AFTER ALL THIS TIME!!
A+ for action, B- for story, an A- for acting, C+ for weird aliens, a B+ for She-ra Lapoofy hair…which equals out to an overall A-.

Now that I've seen Indy 4, I can go buy the soundtrack.
I've sworn off buying soundtracks to movies before I've actually seen them because in 1999 I purchased the Phantom Menace soundtrack the Tuesday before the movie was released and one of the track names on the CD case was "Qui-Gon's Funeral".
NOOOOO!!!!
Worst. Track. Name-Turned-Spoiler. EVER.

I was bummed.

If nobody calls me, it’ll be album reviews tomorrow…

Steven Curtis Chapman
It's all over the web right now, so I'm sure you've already heard, but if you haven't--Steven Curtis Chapman's 5 year-old daughter died in a tragic accident in his driveway. See a copy of the news article on Travis' blog. Please pray for the family!
I have to tell you, as a parent, I cannot begin to fathom the emotions their family must be experiencing at this moment--especially the older brother that was driving the car and hit the child. I tell you--I have nightmares about losing my kids--and the two scenarios that I always am freaked out about the most are:
1) Pulling into my driveway and running over one of them (possibly because my brother got hit in our driveway when he was very little)
or
2) Losing them in a huge crowd in a public place--like at Disneyland or something. (This is why I'm a neurotic hand-holder).

American Idol
I'm a little surprised that David Cook won. I didn't think America had it in 'em to actually vote him in. He deserved it, and will make a phenomenal rock star. His style is so much more current than David A's. Rock is much more in than ballad-y pop.
And I have to admit, the fact that he won restores a little bit of my faith in the show. Last year when Jordin won, I really started to think the whole thing was rigged. It just felt like Blake was blowing her away, but she still won...and I got disillusioned. So...I guess I'm a little less so now...
Watching the final couple of shows was really cool.

Soooooooooooooo...I have to tell you that I am not a huge Mike Meyers fan in movies like Austin Powers--and all of the Love Guru previews I've seen so far haven't particularly interested me, BUT...seeing Mike live tonight on the show and with the two Davids was HILARIOUS. My favorite line was when he was talking about Cook's facial hair being totally 90's. He said something about feeling like he should be at a party listening to Alice and Chains on his Discman and I cracked UP. So...I might see Love Guru...MIGHT, I SAID!!
Might.

Weather
It's been funky weird weather up in here. Today we got back to Burbank and the winds were CRAZY. The news said in North Hollywood the winds were up as high as 60mph. Wow!
But I'm thankful it hasn't been quite as hot the last few days.

Reviews
I think tomorrow I will post a whole bunch of mini-reviews for you all...I've been to a zillion movies recently, and you deserve to know what's up!
That's a coming...

But for now I leave you with this SNL clip from Steve Carell's season-finale last week that made me laugh like a little girl (at least, according to my wife).

Thanks for your prayers! Christy's dad made it through surgery and is doing OK.

Note to self: never try to drive from Burbank to Fullerton during afternoon rush-hour traffic. It will take 2.5 hours.

Side note:
It seems impossible for anyone but David A. to win American Idol tonight.
I'm telling you, this show is weird.

Friday night Christy's dad went to the ER with chest pains and numbness. You may or may not know that David has heart difficulties (I mean, he has a PIG'S VALVE in his heart), so we do not take these things lightly.
He was sent home, but had to return Sunday night with more problems. He was admitted, and today at 5pm (Tuesday) he is having an angiogram and an angioplasty. With his history, it is risky to do anything. Please pray.

In other news, GO SEE PRINCE CASPIAN.
Mike gives an extremely thorough and excellent review of the film on his blog. And if you've read here for a while, you'll know that I saw a screener for the movie and already mentioned that it is an incredible film and far superior to the first installment, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".

Why should you see it?
Well, here's the thing. This is an overtly Christian movie. Normally that would not attract mass viewership, but due to C.S. Lewis' place in literary history and the incredible success of these books, this movie is one that is able to cross over into pop-culture and speak to everyone. (It also helps that the Christian message is slightly more subtle than...um...say...Left Behind.)

Very few movies do this. VERY few. For every 100 massively successful and as equally filthy movies such as "40 Year-Old Virgin" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" that gross in excess of $100 million there is only ONE movie like this that speaks the opposite.

Most of the time Christians are known for what they stand against, not what they stand for------This is a tragedy that should be tackled in another blog entry...some other time...

If you support Godly values in our media, then show it with your wallets.
Go see Prince Caspian--ASAP.

It would be great if the rest of the books were made into movies with the same type of budget and effort that went into these first two.

OK-
Thanks for your patience while I took some time to be a dad. And play some Wii. And be a good dad by playing Wii with my son. (But only the games I like...shhh...)

But seriously--this "no job" thing has really made me a WHOLE lot less stressed about life. I just realized on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week that I was truly just enjoying my time...hangin' out...doing whatever...being flexible...and working when it was time to work, not 24 hours a day like I used to! As an "Achiever" (my top strength, according to strengths-finder) I really have to fight the urge to constantly be figuring out what I can accomplish---NO---WAIT---it's not that. It's about figuring out that "accomplishing something" includes things like playing with my kids, or helping my wife with the dishes. THAT'S what it is...a re-prioritizing of sorts.
Anyway--I love it, and it is scary.

On to the Amazing things:

1) (Lost stuff from previous entry)

2) PSALM 91.
I read this Psalm the other day and it blew me away---so much so that I will post it here for your own enjoyment:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ^[a]

 2 I will say ^[b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
       my God, in whom I trust."

 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
       and from the deadly pestilence.

 4 He will cover you with his feathers,
       and under his wings you will find refuge;
       his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 5 You will not fear the terror of night,
       nor the arrow that flies by day,

 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
       nor the plague that destroys at midday.

 7 A thousand may fall at your side,
       ten thousand at your right hand,
       but it will not come near you.

 8 You will only observe with your eyes
       and see the punishment of the wicked.

 9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
       even the LORD, who is my refuge-

 10 then no harm will befall you,
       no disaster will come near your tent.

 11 For he will command his angels concerning you
       to guard you in all your ways;

 12 they will lift you up in their hands,
       so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
       you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.

 16 With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation."

That psalm is so rich and full of wonderment. It really made me feel wonderfully secure in my savior. I think I will read parts of it next week before we sing "Made Me Glad".

3) The song "Amazed" by Jared Anderson

A song that is simple in nature, but powerful in message. "Lord, I'm amazed by You, how you love me."
YES! Simply amazing...

Today I was amazed by a few things. I just thought I would share.

1) Doc Jensen's article on EW.com about the latest episode of LOST.

I watch LOST faithfully, and I love it. It is highly complicated, full of mystery and surprise, and has fantastically deep and complex characters. The story is phenomenal, and the concept is totally unique. In fact, we barely even REALLY know what the concept is...we're all waiting to find out. But this article unwrapped the episode in a way that completely blew my mind. There was so much revealed in this episode, and I didn't catch it all. The subtle things that Doc is attuned to and his ability to keep a comprehensive overview of the entire series while watching each single show is mind-boggling. I love it.
If you're a fan of the show, you need to read it...

OH! Ok...gotta go play with Nathaniel and be a dad...I'll post the rest later!

The Third Day
Recording.
This day was super fun, of COURSE. Christy and I got to do something that we love to do--studio singing. We both enjoy sight-reading, so the challenge of the studio is a fantastic one for the both of us. It helps keep us sharp and brings out the best in us...it is something that we always walk away from thinking "Man...I could do that every day!" And the fact that we got to do it with a bunch of other amazing singers was a huge part of the fun. We recorded 5 songs that will be on Travis' Christmas album--and they were all beautiful arrangements. Two of the arrangements Travis wrote, and the other three were written by veteran arranger Carl Marsh--the same person that orchestrated the entire album. It was absolutely beautiful music--and a JOY to sing. We had a ton of fun in the studio, including a ton of smack talk about Nertz (since at that point I was the reigning champ). It was phenomenally fun.
After about 7 hours in the studio, we all went back to TC's house for a "Cookout". I'm thinking this is the southern term for "BBQ"...since that's pretty much what it was. Except Travis accidentally bought super-spicy jalapen-pepper burgers and served them to everybody without knowing it. HAHA. Some people were very shocked...
At the end of the night we gathered for another rousing game of Nertz--but unfortunately this match I lost. SHHHHHhhhh. Shh. I don't want to hear it.
We tried to watch SNL, but most of it was preempted for tornado reports. We were a little bit terrified...stupid tornados!

The Fourth Day
This day we went to church with Travis & Angela (and the fam), went back to have lunch with them at their place, took some pictures together, and headed off to the airport!
Their church was very cool, and reminded me of a combination of Midway and Sierra Bible. It was not a big, glitzy church (thank goodness!), but it was very cool and friendly. Unfortunately, it was also Mother's Day, and I forgot to actually do something for my wife (and the mother of our children). I'm such a bad husband!!!!! (side note: I did get her a card today--Monday--but it's just not the same).
We were very sad to leave our friends, but were happy to be coming home to our two boys. We missed them!!

Let me tell you this: you get to know someone after living with them for four days and seeing them in all kinds of different situations. Christy and I have never met a more genuine, loving, Godly family. All of the awesomeness that comes through on Travis' albums is completely real. He and Angela have a true passion for Christ and it is totally evident from the way they live. There are only a few people that have earned my highest level of respect (the mentorship level/role)--one of those few is Travis. I respect him more than most people I know--and it is well deserved.

We are honored and privileged to have had the honor to get to hang out with such cool peeps.

The whole family!

Travis and Me.

The biggest goofball in the south. (I just kept facing forward...)

Christy and I with our fancy sports car!

As I’m writing this I am on a plane flying home from one of the most fun weekends I’ve had in a super-long time. Christy and I just spent the last 4 days in Nashville singing, playing Nertz, goofing off, and hanging out with/staying with an incredible family—Travis and Angela Cottrell (and their three beautiful kids). It was seriously SO fun. Initially I was hesitant regarding the extent of the detail I would include in this entry since Travis reads my blog--but I realized that it was not possible to write this without paying a great deal of respect to him. So…oh well.  
I will attempt to review the weekend for you here so you might get a glimpse into the coolness.

The South
This was our first trip to The South. Everything was green there, all the houses were made of brick, and there was SOOO much wide-open space. It was a stark contrast to Southern California, where Christy and I have been living for the past 10 years or so.  In Nashville/Franklin, the freeways were freer, the people were nicer, and the houses were huge! It was very interesting to see a completely different part of America. I saw southern hospitality all around me (and was mostly the blessed recipient). I was actually quite touched at the Nashville airport when I saw a soldier (clearly coming off a plane from Iraq or somewhere) walking with his two kids—holding and hugging them, one in each arm—with his wife by his side. Our entire section of the airport erupted with applause for this stranger as he walked past us. I clapped too; in gratitude for the sacrifices his ENTIRE family has made and will continue to make for my freedom.

The Ride
After we got off the plane in Nashville, we headed down to get our rental car. When we planned this trip, Christy requested the cheapest option of vehicle—economy class. But when we got to our car, it turned out to be a super-fancy sports car! Score!

The First Day
We met Travis at his house and headed off to the quintessential southern restaurant, Cracker Barrel. We’ve heard of this restaurant only because Pastor Baize mentions it every once and a while due to the fact that he’ll take a trip out to Arizona (4 hour drive) to eat there. Well, I have to admit, the food was quite good. This was also our first time getting to meet Travis’ wife and kids and see their parenting style in action. They have kids close to our kids’ ages—and we are very observant of the way people parent around us since we are always looking for new parenting ideas and things we can implement with our own kids. Let me tell you folks, Travis and Angela are awesome parents. They exhibited great patience with their three kids, showed them incredible love, and appropriate discipline when necessary. The children were very well-adjusted, funny, and outwardly loving—a reflection of their mom and dad. I was thoroughly impressed as I watched them over the four days we were there. Needless to say, Christy and I learned a great deal while we were there. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget the part where Travis gave us incorrect directions (he swears he didn’t do it on purpose…but I know him better than that) and we spent the first hour in Tennessee driving the opposite direction…away from Travis’ house.

The Second Day
We all slept in on Friday and by the time we got upstairs Angela had ground her own wheat berries and made homemade breakfast muffins! I know—it was crazy-awesome.
We headed off to lunch with David T. and Celeste. We stopped off first at their gigantic house (where he showed me his studio) and then we grabbed lunch at a tasty Italian place nearby. We had a wonderful time chatting with them about music and life. They are a very energetic and smart couple. It was a huge blessing to be able to break bread with them since they have created some of the coolest church music for kids choir and adult choir, much of which I have enjoyed singing and directing for many years. David T has the distinctive ability to have a “Non-Nashville” sound to his music—he has written many charts that have touched the heart of the non-southerner (like me!) This is most likely because he is just about the only WORD Music arranger/orchestrator that has ever lived outside of Nashville. The Clydesdales’ music is a staple for us, and will continue to be for a long time, no doubt.

This day also included two Nertz games. One took place early in the day with Travis, Christy, myself, and Jeff Bumgarnder (yes, that is his REAL name)—a nice guy we met from Immanuel Baptist Church (San Bernardino area—and the only other Californian present). I am hesitant to tell you that I lost this game…but it’s true. Of course, I demanded a rematch—and when I say demanded, I mean demanded. Travis was saying, “Oh…I think I don’t want to play anymore…” just so he could maintain his status as victor, but I told him that I wasn’t leaving his house until we played again…so we played that night. I won. Aaaaaaand good night.

The Third Day
This day was recording...it was phenomenal.

(more later...AND pictures...I promise)

...you've all been waiting for is COMING tonight.
Sorry for the delay...today we're driving home from Twain Harte and I'll post my thoughts about Nashville tonight!