Some Things I Love

So the following list of some things I love may just give you a little insight to the strange shelves in my mind. If you know me well, you won't be surprised, for you know I'm a little crazy. If you don't know me well, don't hold anything you're about to read against me.

I love the book Heaven Is For Real. It's all about this 3 year old boy who has a heavenly experience while in surgery for a critical case of appendicitis. After his medically surprising, but not heavenly surprising, recovery, he begins to tell his parents about meeting Jesus and what and who he saw in heaven while he was in surgery. I admit that I was skeptical when I began reading, but as a believer in heaven and the Bible I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the proof and excited about the prospect of such a wonderful eternity. Is little Colton's heaven my heaven? I don't know. But any heaven at all where Jesus lives is all right with me. And in 40 or 50 more years, after I dance at my grandkids' weddings, I'll be ready to go.

I love the Hunger Games book series (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay). It is nothing like Heaven Is For Real. Not in the least. It is aimed at teenagers and is about a 16 year old girl who gets thrown into a fight to the death game held by her post-war North American capitol. It's brutal and science-fictiony and absolutely fascinating. I loved every minute of the read and fell in love with the heroine. I felt very motherly toward her and was so glad when...well, I won't spoil it for those of you who are still reading or who may. But I can say that if you are at all inclined to read young adult literature, you should definitely try Hunger Games. Just be sure to pack your bow and arrows.

I love going to the movies by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love going with the kids and Arrty and my girlfriends, too, but there's just something so free and easy about going by myself. And that's just what I did last night. I bought "just one" ticket, ordered the snacks I wanted (small popcorn and small Diet Coke), and sat where I wanted. (And then moved over one seat without feeling the least bit weird when an older gentleman, also alone, sat by me because the theater was almost full.) I should make it a point to go more often. It gave me a few hours of much needed solitude. And along those lines...

I love Fast Five! Oh.My.Goodness! I have enjoyed all the Fast movies, but this one was so, so, so good! Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with a little Paul Walker thrown in for good measure. Then you add some really fast cars, exciting car/train/truck/bus/vault chases, and a 100 million dollar heist. Nice. I loved it from the very first scene and smiled and laughed and gasped and jumped in my seat through the whole thing and even until the little surprise after the credits. I love this line in a review I just read about Vin and The Rock--"when they fight, it's like half of Mount Rushmore got liquored up and started wrasslin', two solid slabs of muscle whaling away at each other with great vigor, and to great effect." Yep. It was just like that. And I loved it!

So there you have it. I love heaven, good books, solitude, and action movies. I told you I was crazy.