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Let me Interrupt this 2020 Pandemic to bring you . . .
BTS
Why is a 50+ year old listening to BTS?
Too much time on my hands.
Working from home has freed up time that used to be spent driving to and from work.
Almost 2 hours a day.
Several YEARS ago in a virtual (yeah, virtual as in video conferencing) writing critique group we were challenged to step outside our normal genre comfort zone and experience something new.
One very young and very brilliant writer from a distant part of the country recommended Korean Drama.
And I fell in love. The South Koreans have captured the essence of what I crave in a story.
Fast Forward to Pandemic.
I ignored the Netflix suggestion of Crash Landing on You(CLOY) at first, because I don’t like to think about North Korea. But when I had exhausted my other choices, I watched the first episode and then the next and the next until I had finished the last episode(not all in one day, mind you). I cried because I already missed the characters. That has never happened to me before. Ever.
I convinced my husband to watch it and I watched it with him. Then he decided to watch it again. So I’ve watched Crash Landing on You 3 times during the Pandemic. I used to like Hallmark movies, but after CLOY I’m not interested in them anymore.
I love Korean Dramas so much that I decided to learn the Korean language and signed up for a class through Coursera and Yonsei University.
I’m pleased that I can now read Hangul at a pre-K slow-laboring level. My vocabulary is so lacking that even though I can read the words, I don’t know what I’m reading. I have a lot of studying to do.
I decided to add more Korean Culture to my learning experience and chose to check out K-Pop— Korean pop music. The only name I had heard was BTS (mentioned in episode 7 of Crash Landing on You), so I typed in BTS in youtube and lo and behold it was the SAME DAY they had released their new single, Dynamite.
I listened.
And listened again.
And again.
It was all in English so no subtitles were needed. I had to make sure that a few of the lines were clean and was happy to find out they were.
There were no boy bands back in my teenage years. The Beatles and Beach Boys (though they had some new songs out during my day) came before those informative years and other boy bands came after my teenage years. I never had the experience of going crazy over a boy band. I had Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Prince, Rod Stewart and I’m sure more that I can’t remember because I’m old.
But now, for the first time, I’m listening to the music of a boy band.
And crying.
My husband of almost 32 years says now he knows how it feels to live in a house with a teenage girl.
My son thinks I’ve gone crazy and has threatened to institutionalize me. I think he is jealous because I call BTS my sons. They are my son’s age.
I try to bring others down to my depravity, but they aren’t stooping to my level. I text Youtube videos to my sister and her daughters, but they aren’t impressed. My nieces are dancers, so I was hoping they would enjoy the videos. Sadly, they don’t listen to that kind of music. They’re into Country music. I’ll keep trying though.
This song makes me cry. I’m not sure why. Please turn on the closed captions for the English Subtitles.
This makes me think of the Newsboys song call Shine. I hope you enjoy.
And Lights Shine Bright by TobyMac
This is a special song I dedicate to Bangtan Sonyeondan—Bulletproof Boy Scouts—BTS.
Matthew 4: 16 says:
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”[a]
Matthew 5 says
15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
John 12 says:
45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.
Psalm 147 says:
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
The Youth Leaders in my church took our youth to see The Case for Christ at the Palace Pointe theatre when the movie was first released.
I loved it and told others to go see it.
Then I had the pleasure of meeting the screenplay writer of the movie, Brian Bird, at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference where he taught us how to write screenplays.
He is also an executive producer for the show, When Calls the Heart, on the Hallmark Channel(which I love). Needless to say, I had to take a selfie with him.
I saw this review of the movie and had to laugh(My last post is also a video from this same man, David Wood, who you’ll find in the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi). I think Mr. Bird would be pleased about this review.
The movie is out on DVD now. GO GET IT. I’m thinking of buying several copies to give away.
BTW, I love movies with Christian themes. Yes, even the low budget ones.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.
He is the only way, Home and Family people.
On this, my last day of vacation, I finished reading Julie Klassen’s novel, The Tudor’s Daughter, and, I have to say, I enjoyed it immensely.
The novel contains several elements of a couple of my favorite stories — the gothic romantic suspense of Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte and the misguided infatuation toward a younger brother found in the movie, Sabrina (starring Harrison Ford).
The novel also had elements from a movie that starred Tom Cruise, though I will not say which one, because then you’d definitely know the secret the family at Ebbington Manor is trying to hide. Definitely.
When I read novels such as this I wonder why I even bother to write, because I’m not in the same league.
Did you catch the clue I left in one of the preceding paragraphs?
See the book trailer here:
I recorded Kirk Cameron’s film, Monumental, last night, watched it this morning and wanted to see the opposing viewpoints written about it.
The Huffington Post writer had this response: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/kirk-cameron-david-barton_b_1372061.html
The video within the article contains a clip from the movie which states that Congress funded the first Bible printed in America.
The author disputed that fact, so I wanted to find out for myself.
Google Books is an excellent site for finding old documents/manuscripts/books that are available for public viewing, and I found the Journals of the Continental Congress volume 23
Page 572 begins the discussion and page 574 gives the Congressional resolution about the Aitken Bible.
Congress didn’t pay for it, but they did recommend it. But don’t take my word for it, read the document for yourself:
The title of my post was “What are they afraid of?”
It’s just a book, right? Harmless.
If it were so harmless, then why are “they” so against it being handed out? Or read? Or studied as art as the Continental Congress mentioned?
Because it is not just a book. Nor is it harmless. Because it has very real consequences.
That very book makes claims such as this:
Hebrews 4:12
God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.
I can see why some are uncomfortable with it.
I don’t expect to convince the author of the Huffington Post article to be swayed in any way by my words. Nor will I be swayed by hers.
But I am swayed by the words in that Powerful, Holy, Living Book (whether or not our forefathers approved of it).
Call me crazy if you must.
The theme for the 2011 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference(aka Revival) was “Write Courageously”.
Our first keynote speaker, Retired Army Ranger and Chaplain Jeff Struecker, knows a little bit about courage.
He lived through the events portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down and told us of how he transitioned from Ranger to Chaplain because the other men in the operation began coming to him for counseling.
You see, he had something that the others didn’t have—peace in the knowledge that no matter what the outcome of the mission, he was going home—either to his wife or to his Father in Heaven. He knew.
Warning: There is violence in this video–the story cannot be told without it.
No violence in this video:
Check out Chaplain Struecker’s novels:
Other conference memories:
Praying a very specific prayer with Cecil Stokes.
Being taught and critiqued by script consultant, Dr. Linda Seger.
Edie Melson talking about her son gearing up for deployment.
Eva Marie Everson talking about her mother at last year’s conference(I didn’t cry until I was sharing her story with my husband after I got home).
Sharing a meal with Deborah Raney, Yvonne Lehman, Jim Watkins, Ramona Richards, Aaron Gansky, Nancy Lohr, and the many conferees who shared their personal stories.
Angela Hunt instructing us on how to use Scrivener.
Crying as Janet Roller led us in worship.
Laughing with keynote speaker, Jane Herlong.
Christy award finalist, Gina Holmes, offering to critique the first few pages of my manuscript.
Experiencing the Staff talent show (How could you forget?).
Pitching to Ramona Richards (my one sheet was very misleading— I didn’t realize the connotation it would have in other people’s eyes) –she gave me permission to submit it after I explained what I meant.
Pitching to Film Producer, Christy Lee Taylor—started out with my screenplay Poison Ivy Bride(bombed), then my full manuscript, Absalom’s Beauty(bombed), but my little humor story, Eve’s Apple, received a request for the treatment.
It takes courage to come to conference and put your ideas out there. Sometimes you’ll face rejection, but sometimes, you just might find success. But you have to go out there and do it. If I had one regret in my experience is that I did not seek out the opportunities to fellowship outside the cafeteria. I am an early-to-bed person(aka boring), so I miss out on what was called “the afterglow”.
Did I mention that Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference is the highlight of my year?
Thanks Alton Gansky and Edie Melson for a wonderful worshipful time!
If I had to choose a favorite book, I would have to choose Jane Eyre. Which is odd, because there are parts of the book I don’t like.
I don’t like it when she is mistreated by her Aunt and cousins. I don’t like it when she is punished at Lowood or when her only friend dies.
Would these scenes have made it into the book if it were published today? Would it be considered back story? Because it definitely is. But it has a place in the story.
We need to know what she suffered as a child. Because it made her into the woman she became–the woman who forgives her aunt, the woman who flees when she discovers Mr. Rochester’s secret.
Others would say that running away is cowardly–not heroine material. But when you consider she is leaving the one place where she found happiness, I would say she is doing a very brave, very selfless act.
And yet, I hate it when she leaves, but I know she must. She forsakes love to do the right thing. Now that’s a strong character.
I’ll be dragging my poor husband to see this in March(with the agreement that I have to go with him to see Thor).
I’m not sure I’ll like it as much as this version:
Before the new movie comes out, I”ll be re-reading my Reader’s Digest Hardback edition (gloriously purchased at a Friends of the Library book sale for $1).
I’m the only one in my household that likes watching TV with the closed-captioning turned on. What can I say, I love to read. The words are very important to me.
I’m glad I had the subtitles turned on when I watched the movie, Bright Star, because it is all about words–the words of poet, John Keats.
One line in the movie had me sighing: “There is a holiness to the heart’s affections.”
Another such quote I must add to demonstrate the mind and heart of a writer. The words are spoken by Mr. Brown, “If Mr. Keats and myself are strolling in a meadow or lounging on a sofa or staring into a wall, do not presume we are not working. Doing nothing is the musing of a poet.” and might I add the musing of a fiction writer, as well.
I should make Fanny Brawne my spokesperson for Put A Ruffle On It since, as a designer and seamstress of clothing, she made the most beautiful of ruffles (at least on screen).
If you’d like to read about John Keats, go to the google books link: http://books.google.com/books?id=YrY8AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+keats&lr=&cd=25#v=onepage&q=&f=false
I don’t normally write about movies. Maybe once or twice. But I just watched a movie that I loved–Secret Santa on Lifetime starring Jennie Garth (of old 90210 fame).
This is a sweet tale about a journalist who sets out to reveal the identity of the generous person who bestowed gifts to deserving individuals in a town called Hamden.
Unlike a lot of Christmas movies, this movie doesn’t skip the true meaning of the season. At one point in the movie, the journalist is at the town Inn, but there was no room, so she has to stay in the Rest Home in town–great plot point, I must say.
It appears the movie came out in 2003, but somehow I missed it. When I watch movies like this, it makes me wish I could write stories that are fun and at the same time convey a deeper meaning.
I loved the movie. If you see it on TV again this Christmas season, I highly recommend watching it.
Oh, and I love the WordPress snowflakes falling through my post. We might get some of the real white stuff in good old Roxboro tonight.
In celebrating the beginnings of our great country I watched the movie First Landing.
I highly recommend watching this movie. Especially if you have children studying US History.
So, I’m a sappy person. I went with “the girls” to see the Hannah Montana movie last weekend. My poor son, age 14, went because he didn’t want to be left out. He was hoping noone from his school saw him in the theater. He managed to go undetected, I think.
Anyway, I’ve always liked the premise of Hannah Montana–at school she is a regular girl. No one except her closest friends knows the secret that she is a pop star. The conflict in this story is to keep her true performing identity a secret so she can live a “normal” life without the poparazzi and be able to experience all the things a teenager goes through.
There really is no point to this blog, I just wanted to post that I like Hannah Montana and I like Miley Cyrus.
Put A Ruffle On It 
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