The Little Mermaid

I am so so sorry that the first time I tried to do this it came out blank. Not sure what happened, exactly, but here it is again. Version 2, slightly less passionate and off the cuff but just as genuinely felt.

The Little Mermaid as Disney makes it is disgusting. It's like subtle mind pornography for kids. OK, that is a little bit of a strong statement, but allow me to elaborate. Follow the plot.

You have a girl who is happy to live underwater with her family and friends. Until she begins to covet something she just wasn't meant to have - legs. I am not suggesting legs are evil, just an unhealthy desire to want something that you can't naturally have. She wants legs to explore the world above. She sees (not even says hello to, just sets eyes on) Prince Captain Charming on his little boat and instantly 'falls in love'. She did a good thing by saving his life, I'll give her that. But in love? Girl, he hasn't even seen you yet.

Then all of a sudden she's willing to literally sell her soul and the things that most identify her, her greatest gifts. Her personality and her voice. She passes them up. Cue a bunch of nude swimming scenes and some highly suggestive rock thrusting (don't know how those shells stayed in place), some dealing in the occult with a sea witch, and she washes up naked on the seashore. A mute chick whose mission is to get the guy to fall in love with her and kiss her based largely on her looks and the fact that he 'has seen her somewhere before'. And her friends don't talk sense to her, they sing 'kiss the girl' until I think the man gave in just to shut the crabs up, seriously.

I'm glad she found her true love. But wow, wrong way to do it honey. :) ;) I guess if I were a mermaid I might want legs too; but I hope I have the strength of character and heart to understand that what makes me me, those good things about me, are not worth the selling just to get some guy I barely know to kiss me. No thanks. Although if Prince Charming comes along in a boat I might be interested, he's gonna have to do more than just look pretty before he wins my heart. lol

Was it worth the wait, this blog? If you doubt it, I'm sorry. But it was so much fun to write. And don't get defensive, Mermaid Lovers. I'm only partially serious, and never pass up a chance to mock Disney. Also, if you happen to be mute I do believe you have personality and can find love. Just wear clothes while doing it.

Christmas y mas

I have always wanted to roast chestnuts on an open fire, ever since the first time I remember hearing the Christmas Carol. Obviously it's a highly recommended experience, the chestnut roasting.

Before delving into a random chaotic story of my life these last few days, let me share what really is in my heart coming up to Christmas. Watch - God is making everything new for me! He's making me new! I am so blessed to see so many things that only point to God doing a new and incredible thing in me and in the people around me, just because he's that good. I heard the best Christmas sermon I have ever heard tonight, about peace. About how even the chaos and restlessness and anxiety of the darkness that is in the world gives way to Christmas. How true is that for me? The restlessness and anxiety of not knowing what my future holds, not knowing the depth of the love of God, and not comprehending the purpose of God for me has given way to the peace of God. That he loves me and that I am lovable, that he has a good and holy and adventuresome purpose for me that's not bound to any one location or group of people, and that in finding that purpose in small things is the greatest joy. Christ's Mass (Christmas) is a renewal, a baby being born is a renewal, a new year... watching my sister get married and start a new family after seeing the death of my grandparents and the loss of family as I knew it... watching God renew old friendships for me long neglected... watching God show me new (and a lot more fun to exercise!) gifts and people to love, and new ways of expressing love... watching youth and people I work with in the church become "oaks of righteousness" before God, and letting me watch God transform them... watching a good friend be born again through baptism... what a time of renewal. Merry Christmas. Here is my firm hope and prayer that God would renew you in your hope and in the desires he has for you that are so good none of us has begun to comprehend them yet.

K, there's my heart. You want my humor?? I started another fire. You heard me. Another fire. Not on purpose, either. I had the garbage in the burning barrel, and there was a gust of wind. It picked up a piece of paper and lifted it - up, up, up - and then down, down, down into the tall dry brown grass behind the fence. FWOOOOOSH. Fire. Lots, and with the wind getting bigger and bigger. And me. Little old me, not big enough or brave enough to stomp it all out. And the trees, closer and closer to the flame. It sucked. 911. For the fourth time in my life I had to dial 911 and answer the operator's questions. Ashamed that it's me calling again. (Granted, twice it was to save other people so those two don't count. But twice in four months for fires that I caused.) The fire went out, mostly because the wind died down. (Good God is for doing quick answers to prayer.) No harm done. Unless you count the black patch of ground that is our section of front lawn.

And out come the fire trucks. Here's the part where I discover that I know two of the firefighters personally. They already know my family name already, because there have been four fires and a fatal traffic accident all in the same family in the last four years. They joked around with me before they left that all the forms come out of the printer now with our last name on default. And my family says I'm never allowed to use matches again. Ah... do I know why this one happened to me? Nope. But maybe it's all about suffering producing perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I LOVE YOU ALL (um, if you're a random stranger cruising blogworld, don't take that last bit about me loving you too too seriously - though I suppose I love you too).

The Little Mermaid and Trust