worlds of fun.

Had a fantastic night with Tim and Mandy, and Amy J at Worlds of Fun.  The first ride I rode was the Boomerang which not only goes upside down, but also backwards. That’s right – backwards.

Here it is:

I was feeling brave and I think Amy J and Mandy said something to the effect of ‘Oh, it’s not that bad’.   Upside-down was fun. Backwards, on the other hand… let’s just say that the moment after we had ridden the entire roller coaster forwards and we were suspended up in the air with our faces to the sky and the roller coaster behind us was enough to make anyone get religion.  I’m pretty sure i said a little prayer…or something brave and fearless like –  ‘i don’t want it, i don’t want it, I don’t want it.huh-uh. HUH-uh. no no no no no no no no…’  Do you see the look on my face afterwards? Yeah, it was kinda like that.  I’m pretty sure my eyes stayed like that for about half an hour.

Also notable was Tim and Mandy’s candid mamba pictures.  They got high-fives from not one, but two different strangers for two different pictures.  Tim was giddy. We exchanged a round of high-fives in celebration.

I rode five different roller coasters.  This was actually a pretty big accomplishment for the girl who would only ride the fury of the nile and the viking as a child.  My favorite was the Mamba. With the Patriot coming in a close second.

and i had a pretzel with cheese.

number seven. october 2009. kansas city, ks

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the kite runner.

An international film that I have long been wanting to watch is the Kite Runner. I read the book about a year ago for a book club, and really enjoyed it, but as I watched the film, it impacted me in a new way. Seeing the scenes painted vividly before me, grew my understanding of the pain and redemption that this story holds. One scene in particular occurs under the pomegranate tree where the two friends spent much of their time together. The young Amir is ashamed of the ways that his friend, Hassan has taken the fall for him. This shame comes as no surprise, as the things done to Hassan in Amir’s stead were truly terrible. Amir picks up a pomegranate and throws it at Hassan. It bursts and covers the boy in red juice. He demands that Hassan throws one back at him and continues to throw the pomegranates at the boy. Finally, Hassan picks up a pomegranate, and holds it. However, instead of throwing back at Amir, he breaks it on his forehead, looks Amir square in the face, red juice dripping down between his eyes, and walks away.

All of a sudden, all the things I so easily forget, come flooding to my me

mory. Deep within me, reverence, gratitude, and humility converge as I watched this young boy display such sacrificial love for his friend. Even the phrase ‘sacrificial love’ doesn’t seem to merit such acts. I remember how Jesus took the fall for me as I threw my anger and my shame at Him. How at times I wanted Him to justify me through punishment rather than propitiation. My self-determined righteousness so often gets in the way of His pursuit of my heart. My good deeds become sin. It is strange, and had someone told a younger me, I would have no category for this idea. Yet it is often how I make life work on my own and negate my felt need for God. I never guessed that putting ‘watch four international films a year’ on my list would stir so much in me (although the first movie I chose, Wings of Desire, did little more than put me to sleep). But it’s nice to be surprised. The story ends well and I highly suggest this film to any who have not seen it. It’s a fantastic movie and a great picture of the depravity and the beauty we hold and the redemption that is offered to us.

number eighteen. 2 down 2 to go. sept 09.

next on the list : slumdog millionaire

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summer fare.

This is the stuff.  home grown. so good.

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