Bold and Blue – those are my top picks – and none for the same reason as the next.

Red – it was either completely forgettable, I don’t think most people reading this would be a fan of it over other things, or I just flat out hated it.

Other stuff – not over the top great but I didn’t hate it.

I’ll try and do better with the new plan of a one sentence review after I see a new flick in 2012, but in the meantime, on any of these – since the majority of them I missed reviewing all together, just ask me via message, I’d be glad to let you know if its worth your time more specifically.

Now… explanation…

I’m a co-producer and AD for a short film that my good friend Hudson Phillips has written.  Its uber-low budget but a really great project and we get to begin shooting this weekend.  It involves an animated elephant  – which, honestly; could you possibly need any more information than that?

(inserting desperate plea now)  - We need help!

I need to fill up a restaurant scene with extras – WHO IS IN???

What’s in it for me, you ask?  Well…

1. You get to see “movie magic” first hand (between 1 and 3 AM on a Saturday morning)
2. You get to dress for a night out at a really nice restaurant (where you can’t eat the food b/c its scenery and continuity is more important than your morning hunger pangs)
3. You get your name in the credits of an actual short film being submitted to legit film festivals this spring (next to the phrase “Restaurant Patrons:”)
4. You get lasting memories with the friends you bring along with you (b/c you will sit in one place and get told “QUIET ON THE SET” every time your conversation starts to get good – but hey, a peaceful quiet time away from the kids, right J)
5. BUT most importantly, you get eternal gratitude and the satisfaction of helping to make a lot of really great people’s dreams come true (and validated parking)

Sooo… message me if you are interested, we’d love to have you in our restaurant scene in Atlanta this Saturday, 1AM, Saturday the 10th!

Thanks,

Mandy

One day, while shooting some B-roll in at a Care Point location (where children are fed, educated, etc and community aid is provided) in Swaziland, a young first time mother came to be tested for HIV.  Our host and a member of a medical team who was also visiting slipped quietly inside, administered the test and delivered the heartbreaking news that she did, in fact, have the virus and needed to start the meds now while she is still healthy so she can live a longer life and continue to care for her child.  Her reaction was one filled with shame and fear.  In this culture, while staggering amounts of people are infected with this fatal disease people don’t admit it for fear of not being loved and outcast.  This young woman did not want to begin her medication because then her husband “would not love her anymore”.  Most likely that same husband gave her the virus in the first place.  Not loving her anymore would mean he would no longer give money to her and their young child and most likely would leave them.  Unfortunately, that story is beyond common in Swaziland, one that occurs daily.  There is an entire generation of children without parents being cared for by grandmothers or brothers and sisters who are still kids themselves.  The numbers are staggering.

So what is the point?

Love – bottom line, is a choice.

Sure, there are moments of realization and emotion entangled all in there but at some point you CHOOSE to love.  The notion of “falling in love” is romanticized.  To “fall” would imply an accident.  I know I risk sounding cynical, and I don’t intend to belittle anyone’s feelings, but think about this for a minute.  For those of you who are blessed enough to be in love or loved by anyone you know there was a time or a moment where a conscious decision was made when you and/or that other person intentionally said – yes, I love this person and I want to receive their love too… and if you are honest you have to make that same choice over and over as you do life together.

What I’m saying is – I don’t plan on hanging my heart, my life, or my future on an accident.  I expect intentionality.  I can’t always trust pure emotion (either my own or another person’s) but an expressed love that is a clear choice, a plan, that is a goal to work together and grow – one made on purpose – that is the way to go.

You see, being chosen on purpose means so much more.  All of the person is in a choice.  “I think I’m falling in love with you” expresses doubt, uncertainty, and an escape route.  An accidental “love” is shaky at best… not that it can’t grow to be a choice and there aren’t some warm fuzzies that come with some kind of hope from that statement, but the fact is that if it doesn’t grow far past that point there is sure to be some difficult stuff made that much more difficult as the relationship runs its course.

I often go back to the fact that we were all made in the image of God.  As a person that believes in free will and that God calls us to love I think the nature of how we love each other stems directly from that.  We must choose Christ – He isn’t forcing us.  He longs for us to come to Him (remember He already intentionally loves us even though we don’t deserve it).  I’ve never met a “Christian” who accidentally became a believer… not a legit one anyway.  Its all about a relationship not “religion” or just happening to “fall” into a church routine you love, or even a service project you find fulfilling, its about loving and interacting with Jesus – an intentional choice.

Ultimately, looking at who Christ is, how He loves us, how he longs for us we see ourselves.  I believe – being made in the image of God – we have the same wiring.  We are all equipped to love by choice, we all long for and desire to be loved by choosing… none of it is by accident.

Love is a huge and important commitment.  “The greatest of these is love”… with that comes choice – to live it or deny it.  Daily we are called to love, to manage that… love is far more than an emotion.  Love is action, a commitment, it must be intentional – and never an accident.

The challenge:

1.      Do you want to be loved on purpose with every part of someone or just by accident?  If you aren’t, can you/ will you still love in return?

2.      More importantly, do you want to, or are you ready to love with intentionality yourself?  Or do you want to wait for it to accidentally fall in place?

3.      When someone enters into your world that isn’t like you, that is in need, what will you do?

4.      Whether you have a significant other, are waiting for “the one”, or even with your family and friends – will you step boldly forward and choose to love with all of yourself or are you waiting to “fall” and just hope it all works out?

…

For me, God called me to love like Him.  It’s a choice, a courageous choice.  Its all I’ve known my whole life even when that applies to caring for others less fortunate than I am the choice is to love.  My friends and family are important people and they deserve all of me… I choose to love.  If God has someone for me to do life with some day, I will choose love, I won’t “fall”, I will do and go intentionally forward at his prompting.

People are people no matter what the condition or location they live in.  People need and deserve purposeful, unconditional love and that is what we are called to do.