DVD Review: Conversations with God

In 1992 Neale Donald Walsch's life was a wreck. Divorced, sporadically employed and battling homelessness, Walsch sat down one night and scribbled out an angry letter to God. That’s when he claims a miracle happened. "To my surprise, as I prepared to toss my pen aside, my hand remained poised over the paper, as if held there by some invisible force. Abruptly, the pen began moving on its own." What allegedly ensued was "an uncommon dialogue" in which Walsch purports to have conducted a sort of Q&A with the Almighty.

It turned out that others were interested in what his dialogue partner had to say. The resulting book series, Conversations with God, sold over seven million copies. Now a movie depicting Walsch’s life is in movie stores.

The following review takes a look at the film and considers an appropriate Christian response. Walsch’s tale may be a tall one, but one thing is true: he struck a chord with the culture and showed that people are desperate for a fresh word from God. The film, directed by Stephen Simon, (Somewhere in Time, What Dreams May Come) is shot in Walsch’s native Oregon and concentrates on his life before his unlikely transformation from dumpster diver to jet setting guru. Henry Czerny (Clear and Present Danger, Mission Impossible) plays Walsch’s character, moving through the rain-soaked sets bearded and beleaguered, like a modern day Moses stuck in a wilderness phase. The narrative is punctuated with flash forwards to Walsch’s successful future, where adoring crowds hang on his every word.

Before his encounter with God, the Walsch character suffers a string of mishaps and indignities that land him in a camp ground for the homeless. On his long road back to respectable citizen he hears "the voice." It’s Walsch’s, but hokey and officious. "Have you had enough yet? Are you ready now?" Walsch grabs his notepad and begins recording the surge of aphorisms. Some are silly. When Walsch says he’s "sure as hell" he wants answers to his questions, the voice responds, "Wouldn’t it be nice to be sure as heaven?" Others are downright dangerous. "I don’t want anything from you other than for you to be happy. But you think you’re below me…I do not love 'good' more than 'bad.' Hitler went to Heaven." For the most part Walsch’s god traffics in clichés and pop psychology. "You have a fear-based reality…Love is the answer…You are in the constant act of creating yourself."

The movie is less compelling than the book. Czerny’s performance is the one bright spot in an otherwise lackluster film. He plays the down-on-his luck loner like he’s been there and his large, haunted eyes make the character’s pain believable. Yet the performance doesn’t quite atone for a tedious narrative slowed by sections (like Walsch’s homeless stint) that are overly long and somewhat superfluous to the story’s development. By the time Walsch’s character experiences his divine encounter and subsequent rise to fame only those who have read the books will still be tuned in.

But of course that doesn’t mean that the movie won’t do well. Walsch has millions of readers and they are rabidly loyal. The picture could capitalize on the books historic success, propelling Walsch and his message to even greater popularity.

Meanwhile Christians will find a thousand reasons to make fun of the whole phenomenon. There’s Walsch himself. Though he presents himself as God’s reluctant mouthpiece, his background (before his homeless days) as a reporter, editor, and radio director betrays a media virtuoso quite capable of masterminding a publishing conquest. Then there’s the heretical nostrum he serves up to the credulous public. Not only are his ideas vacuous; they’re morally repugnant and theologically flawed. Indeed his account of a non-theistic, ethically indifferent deity appears to be a conscious refutation of Christian doctrine.

However Walsch has proven an able engager of the culture and on this point he must be taken seriously. With accessible prose he offers people answers to their most perplexing questions, all from a god utterly immanent and available. Donning the divine perspective he writes, "Unendingly have you beseeched me, reveal yourself, explain yourself. I am doing so here in terms so plain you cannot misunderstand. I am here, right here, right now."

Is there a lesson here for us? Might there be a connection between Walsch’s vast cultural appeal and the failure of Christians to provide dynamic encounters with God? It’s certainly worth a thought. There is something irresistible about a fresh stream of revelation, something that makes people thirsty. We have that stream and it’s the real thing. Walsch’s achievements serve as a painful reminder. When it doesn’t flow freely in our midst, people go elsewhere–and swallow just about anything.

The Power of 15

What could you do to enhance your life if you had an extra 15 minutes each day? You might want to read something uplifting or maybe review your most important goals. You might want to stretch your lower back or take a quick walk with your wife. Maybe you’d turn this extra 15 minutes into prayer or devotion time. Perhaps this bonus time could be used to chip away at an overwhelming project or to better plan the next day.

If you give it some thought, just 15 minutes a day can change your life. Consider taking it out of your daily T.V. or newspaper time and reallocating it to a higher priority activity. Or consider waking up just 15 minutes earlier or staying up 15 minutes later. Possibly you could shave 15 minutes off your lunch routine. If you re-budget just 15 minutes a day, seven days a week, to an activity of higher value, in only three months from now those 15 extra minutes will add up to 22.5 bonus hours. And three years from now, those 15 short minutes will add up to more than eleven extra 24 hour days or 30 extra 9 hour days.

This means that you can, if you want, manufacture an extra 6 business weeks of business productivity by allowing this law of accumulation to work in your favor. Fortunately, you already own these extra days, but how will you choose to invest them? Today I challenge you to consider, what will you do with your extra 15 minutes?

Tommy Newberry the author of Success Is Not an Accident and The 4:8 Principle available from Tyndale House Publishers in September.

Battle of the Bald

Like someone who dismisses "flu symptoms" only to later find they were riddled with cancer, I failed to understand the signs. It must be the haircut, I reasoned. Or maybe it’s the way I’ve been combing or style it.

But recently I stepped out of the shower…and denial. One look in the mirror said it all. At just 29 years old, I was going bald. A moment of silence please. Thank you.

Seeking counsel about my disease (let’s call it what it is) has brought varied assessments. I went to a few sources all with the same question: Why me?

My doctor just shrugged and said, "Genetics."

My pastor lifted his hands heavenward and declared, "To reflect the glory of God."

My buddy yawned and mumbled, "Bummer, dude."

None of them seemed to grasp the magnitude of my predicament. I had to go deeper. So I cracked open my Bible with the urgency of a death row prisoner. Why me Lord? Without hair dangling in my eyes, I started to read Scripture with greater clarity.

The Bible’s most memorable mention of Alopecia (the medical name for baldness) comes in the book of 2 Kings. The bald head belongs to Elisha. I guess he got a double portion of everything, including forehead.

"Then he (Elisha) went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, 'Go up, you baldhead! Go up you baldhead!'" (Kings 2:23).

Well, it turns out that Elisha was sensitive about his marble top. He called down a curse on the scoffers. Two bears promptly emerged from the woods and gave the cocky kids more hair than they could handle. Now, I have to admit that this story used to trouble me. The act of judgment seemed harsh, even capricious. But now, in light of my affliction, totally justified. I learned a valuable lesson too. If I can’t stop my hair loss, I can always try cursing.

Next I came to Solomon. I know what you’re going to say. How do you know Solomon was bald? Well, I don’t. But after reading Ecclesiastes, I’m willing to bet 3 hairs he was at least receding. That kind of angst only comes from the ignominy of losing one’s hair.

Then there’s Paul. In every painting of Paul from antiquity, he’s sporting a receding hairline. Of course the artists never saw the apostle, but I think they had him pegged. Theologians argue endlessly about Paul’s "thorn in the flesh." Was it a problem with lust? Was it his poor eyesight? I solved the mystery. Paul was lamenting his baldness. "A messenger of Satan," he called it. I felt the same way.

I was also intrigued anew by the story of Samuel’s mother, Hannah. Like her, I languished under a scourge of barrenness. The locale was just different. She had a barren womb. I had a barren scalp. The inspiring thing about Hannah is that she decided to do something about her condition. Of course I explored the gamut of obligatory responses: applying strange ointments, hanging upside down, buying the cure de jour, cursing the day I was born. But I had yet to match the audacity of Hannah’s recourse–strike a deal with God. If you give me a son, Hannah prayed, "I will give him to the Lord" (1. Sam.11).

That’s it, I realized. I needed to make a deal with God. “Lord,” I pleaded. "If thou restoreth unto your bald servant the hair of mine head, it shall all be thine, from the frontal bone to the superior temporal line. Amen."

To beef up the deal I launched a time of mourning and repentance that would have made Jeremiah proud. I looked at old pictures of myself and wept. Who was that carefree young man I wondered, taking for granted the thick mane atop his head? If the Lord re-grew my hair, I determined, it would truly be His. I would shave a cross in it. I would grow it long enough to hide Bibles and then smuggle them into China. Whatever He asked. The hair would be His.

So I prayed. And prayed. But the hair didn’t grow. In fact it kept falling out. Spitefully I announced that the remaining hairs were all mine. Ritualistically I groomed and nourished the endangered ones. Ceremoniously I buried and grieved the deceased. I lashed out at God. "You number every hair on my head? Well that’s getting easier every day, isn’t it!"

I guess the hardest part of losing your hair is the fact that so many other men do not. I know that sounds petty. But I’m not just talking about a feeling of jealousy; it’s the sense of being cursed. My basic question was still unanswered: Why me?

In Leviticus the law writer covers the various conditions that make people unclean and therefore unfit for the presence of God. As he moves through the list of ailments, he comes across baldness. “As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean” (Lev. 13:40).

I looked unfavorably on baldness, but the passage seemed to suggest that God was somewhat neutral on the topic. Baldness did not bother him. The verse didn’t shrink from acknowledging the condition. In fact it described it with unflinching candor–“he is bald.” But there was balance–“he is clean.” It was all there–an entire theology in one line. Baldness and cleanness, the fall and the redemption, curses and blessings: “He is bald, but he is clean.”

Perhaps one day I’ll understand the latter well enough to accept the former. Until then, I’ll be hanging upside down.

Build Up and Affirm Her!

You and I have a powerful tendency to act in a manner consistent with how we see ourselves. This inner mirror is called our self-concept. Of course our wives have a self-concept that directs their behavior as well, both inside and outside of the marriage relationship. The self-concept of your wife is heavily influenced by what you say to her as well as how you say it.

For the next 24 hours take a quick inventory of the words you speak to your wife. Will any critical words pull her down? Or will your positive words lift her up? It is a choice that you make during every interaction with your mate. Once a woman is married, no one on the planet has such an influence on her self-concept than her husband.

Given this tremendous influence, you can either bolster her potential with your words or you can weaken it. One of the fastest ways to boost the quality and closeness of your relationship is through purposeful praise and affirmation. Affirm your wife today (whether or not you feel like it), as if your most wonderful expectations had already been met. After all, anyone can praise after the fact, but you can take an active role in your wife's growth when you affirm her in advance. This shows you believe in her and are her greatest champion. Speak to your wife as she is today and she will remain as she is. Speak to her as she intends to be, and she will heed the call. When your wife feels terrific about herself, everybody in the family wins!

Find out how your wife wants to grow as a wife, mom, and friend over the next year. Then, shower her for thirty days with the praise and affirmation consistent with who she is striving to become. Write a positive message on the bathroom mirror. Leave notes in her car and under her pillow. Call her during the day. Make her day with a special voice mail. Encourage her with the messages she wants and needs to hear. Mail her a note of appreciation. E-mail her with a few of the reasons she is so special to you. Remind her before she falls to sleep that she gets better everyday. With continuous praise and affirmation, you will bring out the best in your wife!

Tommy Newberry is head coach of The 1% Club and author of Success is not an Accident www.tommynewberry.com

Men Need Men

I believe most men want close friends in spite of the fact that, as a group, men tend to process things more individually than women might do. Even though much of a man’s life is spent projecting a confident, strong, handle-whatever-comes image, deep down he doesn’t like being an island. Men long for “buds” that go beyond having someone to hang out with (although that’s part of it).

The problem is that many of us don’t know how to be vulnerable, and even if we did, we wouldn’t want to be! Vulnerability involves real risk. I’m sure most men would rather hang glide, bungee jump, shoot whitewater rapids or skydive before they would open up with somebody about their real life struggles.

Sam, a friend of mine, told me that many men want a meaningful men’s ministry, but churches fail to provide it, so many men choose to remain an island-even in the church.

“The hurt and problems run so deep in many men,” Sam said. “It drives us away from the solutions that we need. I desire to one day have more real and honest relationships with men in my church.”

Sam and other men like him need companionship and friendship with other men. Men need to be discipled by other men who will commit to spend more time with them, hear their problems, pray with them, stick with them through thick and thin and encourage them to grow and become new men in Christ, fulfilling their destinies from God.

That’s the reason I started my men’s group back in 1992. I’ve joked about the fact we were going to help each other through midlife crisis. But we had a higher calling. I remember asking the men what we could accomplish if we each challenged each other to become all we could become in Christ.

Most men haven’t been trained to be friends with others. And the devil tries to exploit men by keeping them in a type of solitary confinement. Author Preston Gillham says that the enemy of God and man perpetrates a uniquely masculine attack- isolation. We have tried to adapt, accept and accommodate masculine loneliness by glamorizing it in the movies and portraying men as independent and self-sufficient. But the fact is, men need men.

One of the deep needs in a man’s life is masculine companionship. Gordon MacDonald puts it this way: “We were built for intimacy, this linkage of souls, but most of us men rarely experience it. And its scarcity breeds loneliness (I don’t really know anyone) and fuels remoteness (No one really knows me).

For me, my wife Joy is my best friend and has been since 1972. She is the one whose company I enjoy more than anyone else. But I also have men friends. Joy doesn’t play racquetball, or golf or lift weights-they are not “her thing.” So Steve Beam, founder of Missionary Ventures, and I have become not only good friends, but “racquetball buddies.”

I just enjoy hanging around these guys. Along with the men in my men’s group, I can be open with them and share my life with them. Because both are strong Christians, being with them inspires me spiritually.

What’s the point? I’m giving examples from my own life of where these relationships have filled a real need. Cultivating these friendships is hard work and requires time. But to me, they are well worth the effort because they make life so much richer.

I challenge you to do the same. Start reaching out to other men in your church. It may be difficult or awkward at first. But do it anyway. It doesn’t need to start with something major. Maybe the first step is to start playing sports or just hanging out with Christian brothers. Once you have a network of friends, initiate or join activities that are more spiritually beneficial, like prayer meetings, Bible studies, mentoring relationships or accountability groups. Remember, there are many men out there who are desperate for fellowship. Come alongside them and show them that the game of life is best played in a team.

Excerpted from Old Man, New Man by Steve Strang

The Time of Your Life

There is always enough time to achieve what God wants us to accomplish. Yet even as men of faith, determining what God wants us to accomplish can be a bit challenging, especially when we are surrounded by an avalanche of short term cultural trends and suggestions.

It’s not that we don’t have good intentions. Most of us do entertain worthwhile goals. But good intentions by themselves will only take us down a well-traveled, but undesirable road. Good goals are only a starting point, not a finish line. The real question is whether or not we will alter our habits to fulfill those intentions.

In what ways have you positioned yourself to keep your promises and honor your commitments? Have you set yourself up for success or repetitive failure? Take a moment today to identify your most important priorities and the specific activities that correspond to helping you achieve goals related to those priorities. Then schedule these activities like you would a critical business meeting.

When you place your values in your calendar, you elevate their importance and increase the likelihood that you will accomplish your goals. If you’re serious about living at your best, then you’ll make these “appointments with yourself” a discipline you’ll maintain for a lifetime. What are you waiting for? It’s the time of your life!

Tommy Newberry is head coach of The 1% Club and author of Success is not an Accident www.tommynewberry.com

Evan Almighty Film Preview

What would happen if God endowed a mere mortal with all His powers? That was the question behind the 2003 hit comedy Bruce Almighty.

If you saw the film, you probably remember the hilarious and often questionable ways in which Bruce used those powers: parting a bowl of tomato soup, supernaturally lighting birthday candles, sabotaging co-workers, even enhancing his girlfriend’s body! But underneath the gags and gaffes was a serious commentary about God and humanity. The film seemed to make the point that no matter how unfair we think life is, God belongs at the helm and we do not. At the end of the story Bruce breaks down and relinquishes control: “I can’t do it anymore. You’re God and I’m not!”

This summer a sequel to Bruce Almighty hits theaters with a similar premise: What if God asked a man to do something that looked absolutely bizarre to everyone around him? Meet Evan, the fictional protagonist from what is sure to be this summer’s most talked about comedy, Evan Almighty. In the film Evan is given a challenge of biblical proportions—literally. God asks him to build an ark, right in the middle of his Northern Virginia suburb. Evan, Bruce’s news-casting nemesis from the first movie, is played by Steve Carell (The Office, Little Miss Sunshine) and Morgan Freeman reprises his role as God.

In the film’s trailer a voiceover intones, “Throughout history the Almighty has appeared to a very special few: Abraham … Moses … Bruce. But God only knows why He chose Evan.” Evan wonders too. The challenge of building an ark doesn’t exactly fit his new image as a respectable member of Congress. Even his appearance starts to resemble that of the original ark-builder, Noah. Every time Evan shaves, his beard grows back instantly. Evan’s family and friends are perplexed. And so is Evan. As the monstrous ark takes shape in his backyard (which the film crew built to the exact specifications outlined in the Bible), Evan has little explanation beyond that which God gave him: “Tell them a flood is coming.” Onlookers are left to wonder if Evan is having a midlife crisis, or if he really has heard the voice of God.

More Than Just Laughs

“In a way the name of the film is deceptive because it’s not really a sequel to Bruce Almighty,” says the film’s director, Tom Shadyac. “It’s just the next chapter in the God series.” Shadyac points out two substantial differences between Bruce and Evan. The first is a matter of scale. “If Bruce was large, then this film is gargantuan! We built a full-size ark and shot with hundreds of animals.”

The second difference comes at the level of religious meaning. “The first film, Bruce Almighty, was about giving power over to God,” Shadyac says. “This film is about God taking power away.”

Like Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty promises to provide plenty of laughs. Yet beyond the comedic moments is an important underlying message. Evan’s humorous plight reminds us about the importance of hearing God’s voice and responding in faith.

Shadyac, a Christian who specializes in weaving spiritual themes into his blockbuster movies, says the spiritual content came from his own experience. When asked about how much of the struggles portrayed in Evan Almighty come from his life, he responds: “One hundred percent. Everything I do comes from my personal walk.”

Shadyac’s spiritual pilgrimage started early. “I was raised going to Catholic school. That’s where I heard about Jesus. I was young, but I instinctively knew that there was something about this Jesus that was cool, that He had the answers. And somehow, even though I was very young, it just stuck.”

Shadyac believes that Evan Almighty has a broad message. “We may not all be called to build an ark,” he says. “But we’re all called to do impossible things. Evan relates to situations that we all face. We hear that voice and we are given a chance to obey, even though sometimes what we are told here it doesn’t make sense to do so.”

For Shadyac following “the voice” meant forgoing the security of a regular career and trying his hand at filmmaking. “When I moved out west to pursue a creative career it didn’t make sense, but I had to do it. I heard that voice.”

Still, success did not come quickly. It wasn’t until after “knocking on doors for 11 years” that Shadyac got his big break with the comedy smash hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective in 1993. Since then Shadyac has had a variety of hits including Liar, Liar, The Nutty Professor and Patch Adams. Though some may balk at the idea of a Christian working in Hollywood, Shadyac views his job as a way to reach others and “move them just a bit further along in their own journeys” toward God.

In a humorous clip from Evan Almighty, God, played by Freeman, supernaturally appears in the back seat of Evan’s car while he is driving. Shocked by the sudden appearance, Evan lets out a series of horrified screams. The amused Freeman pats Evan reassuringly on the shoulder. “Let it out son,” he says. “That’s the beginning of wisdom.” Freeman’s line comes from a verse found in the book of Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1:7). Though meeting God is frightening for Evan, it is necessary for him to appreciate who God is before he can obey His command.

It is much the same in our lives. If you want wisdom to know what to do with your life, you must first seek God. Then He will begin to reveal the purpose He has for you. For Shadyac, living for God is the ultimate calling. “The Christian life can be tough,” he says. “But for me God is all there is. There’s no other reality that compares.”

Men without Friends

Have you lost the majority of your male friends?

If you're like most grown men, the answer is likely, "Yes." A recent article in Best Life magazine entitled, "Where have all the men gone?" states that in the last two decades, "American men have shed nearly half of their male friendships."

I found the statistic startling--and perplexing. What's behind this trend? Have we all developed social phobias or suddenly morphed into reclusive misanthropes? Nope. We're just busy. Really busy.

The article paints the picture of the average guy's day. Tell me if this sounds familiar.

"You work 50- to 60-hour weeks. On weekends, you shuttle the kids to their sports practices and playdates. On Saturday nights, if you’re lucky, you get a sitter so that you and your significant other can engage in that ritual meant to keep things zesty—“date night”—but at times you long for another type of date. Perhaps, during those rare moments you have for reflection, when your fingers are not working your BlackBerry as you sit in commuter traffic, you think about how your social life has changed (or ­evaporated) since you were a swinging ­postcollegiate, sharing a loft, say, with three close friends."

If that's your life you don't have much time to hang with the guys. You're too busy. Too tired.

Fading friendships among men is a huge problem that I believe requires some serious attention. Now I know what you're thinking. My wife is my friend. My kids are my friends. Hey, that's great! But that doesn't get you off the hook, especially if you're serious about living the Christian life. What if David had been too busy for Jonathan? Or if Barnabas hadn't hung out with Paul? Or if Jesus hadn't sought out the disciples?!

When men fail to connect something terrible happens ... nothing. No discipleship, no accountability, no growth.

Do you find you have less male friends today than you did ten years ago? Do you think it's a problem? What can we do as Christians? Let us know your thoughts!

Spider-Man 3: Best Superhero Movie Ever?

If I've learned anything in my movie-watching time, it's this: there are certain types of movies (like artistic dramas) where you can listen to critics, and there are certain types of movies (like super-powered action) where you just ignore them. Trust me: ignore what they’re saying about Spider-Man 3. This movie is amazing, friendly and spectacular—maybe the best of the series.

For writer/director Sam Raimi, this was a bold plot to take down, with numerous characters and storylines weaving in and out of one another. But he pulls all of it off with excellence, giving each character and story time to develop while keeping up a swift pace. The result is a buffet of breathtaking action sequences, colorful characters and poignant moments.

The casting here is spot on. Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco continue to feel just right in their roles as Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osbourne, although occasionally there's a bit of over-acting on Maguire and Franco's parts. I always like seeing Topher Grace on screen, and he brings his usual charisma to the doomed-to-be-a-bad-guy Eddie Brock. Bryce Dallas Howard is perfect as Gwen Stacy, lighting up the screen without overshadowing Mary Jane. Thomas Haden Church does about as good of a job as he can with the Sandman, but I feel this was the one character who was somewhat neglected in the script. And, as usual, we can’t get enough of J.K. Simmons as the outrageous J.J. Jameson.

But as good as the cast and the action are, Raimi's best move of all may be the lighthearted feel he keeps throughout the film. This is a dark story, and it easily could have gone with the gritty, brooding feel of the new Batman or Bond movies. That moved worked for both of those movies, but you know what? That’s not Spider-Man. The movie feels like you're in a comic book, with plenty of humor, light moments and it feels good when it finishes.

As far as worldview and values are concerned, it's rare that you get a quality movie with as many good messages as this. Peter and company deal with pride, anger, revenge, forgiveness, responsibility and sacrifice. The parallel between Spider-Man's evil symbiote suit and inner struggle to the struggles Christians face with our sin is pretty clear. For parents, there's basically no language or sex issues to deal with (which is a welcome break from the norm), and the only things that might be a problem are the intense and sometimes scary action scenes.

This is one of the movies that should be brought up in discussions on the best superhero movie of all time. It's hard to compare it to films like Batman Begins, X2 and the original Superman, as it usually comes down to which hero is your favorite. But if you're a fan of Spider-Man, the only real competition to Spider-Man 3 is, well, Spider-Man 2.